Term 4 Week 3 2024
From the Principal
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe that we are at the end of Week 3 of Term 4! There are now only 35 school days left of the 2024 school year. I don’t know about you but I’m not exactly sure where the year has gone.
On Tuesday we have our final FACE Meeting for 2024. This meeting will be held in the Staffroom and will begin at 5pm. I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Should you have anything for the agenda, please email it through to the Office by Monday 21st October.
World Teachers Day
Next Friday 25th October we celebrate World Teachers Day. On this day we take time to recognise the outstanding contribution of our teachers. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated staff at St Francis who willingly share their time and talents with our students and community. Teaching is not an easy job and our teachers spend a great deal of time and effort ensuring that our school is the amazing place it is today.
If you were a fly on the wall in our staffroom you would hear the conversations that our teachers and support staff have, and would know that they are always focused on their work and their students. Their dedication to their profession is inspiring, and time again they go above and beyond what is asked of them. I am grateful for their dedication, inspired by their energy and enthusiasm and proud to work alongside them each and every day.
I hope that on World Teachers Day, or the next time you have an opportunity, you take the chance to thank them for the amazing work they do within our school.
Day for Daniel
Next Friday all students are encouraged to wear a red shirt with their school shorts and shoes for Day for Daniel. This is an important day in our Student Protection calendar where we have a conversation with our students about their personal safety. Each class will be participating in an activity to help reinforce the importance of personal safety, early warning signs and what students can do if they feel unsafe. I encourage you to have a conversation with your children at home about their safety.
I would like to thank all of those families who have taken time to reach out and offer their congratulations on my new position for 2025. While I am very excited about my new role, I am also sad to be leaving our wonderful school community. I have loved my four years at St Francis and will always hold the school close to my heart. St Francis will be one of the schools that I will be working with next year so it will be great to be able to come back and catch up with staff and students. As many of you know, my husband is in Defence and has been posted to Victoria for the past two years. He is also moving back to Townsville in 2025 and we are very much looking forward to living together again after living in separate houses and at times states for the past four years.
Have a wonderful week
Take care and God Bless
Amanda
Religious Life of the School
Dear Families,
Wow it’s Week 3 and we are well and truly into the business of the term. A big thank you to all the families who helped make our Crazy Sock Day today a success. It was delightful to see the students in their colourful and creative socks, bringing a splash of fun to our school.
MISSION MONTH
We are now in World Mission Month, which began on 1st October with the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, the "Little Flower." Though she never left her cloister in France and died at 24, she was named the 'Universal Patroness of the Missions' in 1927. St. Therese believed that mission is about who we are, not just what we do, and had a deeply missionary heart. She once said:
"I have the vocation of the Apostle. I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach Your Name... But, O my Beloved, one mission alone would not be sufficient for me. I would want to preach the Gospel on all the five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years only, but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages."
The theme this year is ‘Go and Invite everyone to the Banquet.’ This month let’s think about how we respond to God’s invitations. How much time do we give Him in our daily lives? Do we focus more on our own plans and free time, or do we show love for God and care for our friends and family, especially those who need help? Let’s reflect on these questions. And just like Mary said “yes” to God and made space for Him, we can ask her to help us listen to His invitations too.
Liturgy
Thank you to the families and friends who joined us for our Mission liturgy on Monday.
Save The Date
1st November, Whole School Meditation
11th November, Remembrance Day Liturgy, 2:15pm
17th November, Youth Mass, 9am
22nd November, Thanksgiving Mass, 9am
6th December, Final Farewell Liturgy, 11am
Lord
We thank you for the love of your Mother,
who is our mother too.
May she take care of us
and protect us on our journey,
May she make us disciples like herself,
missionaries like herself.
May she teach us to go out
to help our neighbour.
May she teach us to step outside ourselves
and see the needs of others.
May she, by her strength and by love of God,
show us the way to live love for others.
Let us pray for the people of Mongolia…
God Bless,
Maria
Class in the Spotlight - 5A
5A has been very busy over the last few weeks! Here are some of the things our class has been working on.
In Week 2 we went to our annual Leadership Day at Alva Beach. This was led by Sinead from Marist Youth Ministry. Year 5 learned what it means to be a leader in a Marist school and they had lots of fun doing all sorts of teamwork activities.
In Design Technologies, we have been learning about the different types of bridges made for different purposes and with various materials. After that, they created their own bridges in small teams and almost all of them could survive peak traffic conditions!
This term, 5A has started Water Safety Lessons, they have loved their lessons so far and can not wait to show you what they can do at the Swimming carnival in week 6!
In Religion, we have been discussing key aspects of Mary’s life and her special role in the church.
Finally, we love it when our parents visit us for our learning breakfasts!
5A
P.A.T.H
Noah, Jessica and Bonnie
Tuckshop
Tuckshop 2025
Dear Parents/Guardians,
This letter is to invite parents &/or grandparents to become part of the Tuckshop team in 2025.
The Tuckshop requires volunteers on Mondays to Fridays from 8:30am - 11:30am for First Break.
Working in the Tuckshop is a great opportunity to meet new parents in a friendly & relaxed atmosphere. Please note: you will need to have completed your Volunteer Induction Online Training prior to assistance.
Volunteer Induction Online Training can be accessed via our website: https://www.sfatsv.catholic.edu.au/about/volunteer-induction-for-parents-and-carers/
Once all modules and documents have been completed please email your certificate, paperwork to ayr@tsv.catholic.edu.au
Please return the from below to the school office at your earliest convenience. Any amount of time that you can assist will be greatly appreciated. If you have any further enquiries please feel free to contact the school office on 4783 2877.
I am looking forward to another exciting year in the tuckshop.
Thanks,
Kylie Farrell
Tuckshop Convenor
Tuckshop 2025
Parent Name: __________________________ Mobile No.: _______________
Student Name: _______________________________
I can work: Mon □ Tues □ Wed □ Thurs □ Fri □
I can bake: Mon □ Tues □ Wed □ Thurs □
Fortnightly □; Monthly □ OR Other □ _______________
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