Term 1 Week 1 2025

From the Principal

Dear Families,

At St Francis, we are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive. Our staff have been invested in their own learning over the past week to set us up for a great year ahead.

Whilst a little wet this week it was lovely to welcome everyone back to the start of a new school year! The students have settled into their new learning spaces well and were impressive in recalling our PATH after a long break. It was also lovely to also meet those who were able to stop by to grab a coffee from Cat’s Coffee Van on Tuesday morning and I’m sure over the course of this year I will have the chance to meet many more families.

A special welcome to our Preps joining us along with new students Arlo, Hugh, Laine, Rhett, Remy, Larnie, Anastasia, Ariella, Connor, Trace, Mahli, Mia and Billy. We also welcome our new teachers, Emily Parsons (PE Prep-Yr 2, 2A & 6A ), Tahnee McCahon (Prep) and Tegan Hutchesson (4/5A) as well as School Officers Sonia Dabelstein and Kirstyn Murphy.

Thank you for your patience as I familiarise myself with your children and your cars at Pick Up in the afternoon. Having the children sit and watch for your cars is certainly helping. Can I ask that you remind children not to run off to the car when they see you before seeing myself or the staff person on duty. Navigating congested traffic with young children needs to be given its due diligence and your support is appreciated.

Speaking of support, a big thank you to those who came in for our very brief Site Induction so any time you are able to volunteer this part is already done. It was great to meet you and I look forward to meeting many more who might be interested. This doesn’t lock you into anything, rather it allows you the opportunity to pop in on those rare times you may have through the year to be able to read in class or help in the Tuckshop etc. without worrying about going through the process at length. More hands make light work! 

Thank you for being a part of our school community and I look forward to an exciting year ahead!

God bless,

Lisa

Religious Life of the School

Welcome back!

As we begin another exciting school year, I want to extend a warm welcome to all our students, staff, and families. It’s wonderful to see everyone back, ready to embark on a year filled with growth, both academically and spiritually.  I am very excited to be in this role as Acting APRE and look forward to working alongside you throughout the year.

The first week back is always a special time, as we reconnect with friends and colleagues, and re-establish our routines. This year, we are reminded that our faith plays a central role in everything we do. We are a community grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and it’s through these teachings that we shape our actions, relationships, and goals.

Pope Francis launched 2025 as the Year of Jubilee - Pilgrims of Hope. As we mark  this special Year of Jubilee, schools are invited to join in reflecting on our shared faith, renewing our commitment to justice, and embracing a spirit of hope. Throughout the year we will explore about how we can fully participate in this  celebration.

During PD Week teachers were fortunate to listen to Professor Brother David Hall, a respected expert in Catholic Education and a former Principal of St Francis.   In today’s society, where many people are moving further away from religious belief, Catholic schools like ours play a vital role in maintaining and sharing the richness of the Catholic faith. Prof Br David offered valuable insights on how we can stay true to our faith and advocate for religious beliefs in a world that often seems to prioritise other values. He explored how Catholic identity fits into our broader society, which is increasingly secular and focused on relativism—where people believe that truth is subjective and personal. He also guided us in understanding how we can authentically share and live our Catholic faith, engage in the life of the Church, and embrace the importance of religious experience in our everyday lives. Prof Br David also reminded us that Catholic education is not just about teaching content—it’s about living and growing in the faith and forming students to do the same.

Over the first three weeks of school, RE classes will focus on our Catholic identity model. Students will learn about the Good Samaritan Parable, St Francis Xavier and Marcellin Champagnat and how they demonstrated love. We will also explore  the three charisms of our school which we used to frame our Catholic identity model; love of God, love of Neighbour and love in action.

Wishing you all a blessed and joyful start to the year. May we continue to grow in faith, hope and love throughout the coming months.

God bless,

Maria

Learning Corner

Welcome to an Exciting Year when every minute counts!

It is official! 

This year, all  the Australian Curriculum V9.0 in English and Mathematics will be fully implemented in all Queensland schools.     

At St Francis, we are implementing the routines and strategies we trialled across the school as we developed our knowledge AC Version 9 over the last two years.

What will you hear about and see?

• All classes will have 2 hours every day dedicated to Literacy.
• Student folios for English and Mathematics will track their learning growth. It will not be a collection of assessment tasks only.
• Mathematics will focus on hands-on learning and discussions about what they are and what they have learned and understood.
• Children will know the purpose of each lesson through shared Learning Intentions and expected evidence of success in learning.
• Every Catholic school in the Diocese has a Data Plan, which includes the TCE expectations and what they do at the school level to monitor student learning growth. This week, teachers in grades P-6 completed the PLD screener to identify each child’s current knowledge of sounds and how well they can use this knowledge to spell.
• Strict adherence to the minimum time allocations per subject, as determined by ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority), to be necessary to meet the learning expectations of the Australian Curriculum. Four to five extra hours per week are available for schools to use for special occasions such as Assemblies or to allocate to other subjects as required.
• A modified teaching, learning and reporting approach in Prep. Religion, English, Mathematics and Health and Physical education will be taught, assessed and reported while in Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Technologies, The Arts and Italian, children will be taught the learning needed to achieve success in Year 1. This learning will be monitored but not assessed or reported.

Do You Have a Child in Years 3 and/or 5 ?

We look forward to seeing you at the Parent Information Evening at 5.45 pm on Tuesday, February 11.

Rita Cranitch (Assistant Principal - Pedagogy and Learning)

Birthdays

Tuckshop

Book Club

Be on the look out for Issue 1 Book Club pamphlet that will come home with children this week.  Orders can be made and paid through the school office or online via the Scholastic Book Club site.  The school earns Scholastic Rewards from each purchase.  Scholastic Rewards are used to purchase books for the library and resources for teachers.

Term 1 Calendar

Community