Term 1 Week 4 2025

From the Principal

Good afternoon families,

We have hit Week 4 and are blessed with some beautiful weather again. Over the weekend Board members and Leadership Teams came together for our Formation Day. We were joined by St Colman’s and Burdekin Catholic High zooming into all other schools for a great morning of professional development and insightful discussions.

Our first Board Meeting will be held in Week 8 on Tuesday 18th at 5:30pm. We will hold our AGM agt this time and hope to have some familiar faces as well as some new ones who might be interested in joining this team. More information on what the role of the Board is will be coming to you shortly.

I would like to thank all who attended for giving up their Saturday to ensure we make a great start to 2025. 

Monday we were able to have our first assembly for the year as well. Miss Rye along with our 5B students did a beautiful job and it was lovely to celebrate so many award recipients already following our PATH.

This morning was another special moment that was shared with so many of our families with our Beginning of Year Mass and the Induction of our Leaders presented with their badges. What a special moment to hear the children respond to Fr Manoj’s homily when he showed them a $50 note and asked what they would do with it. Every child had a thoughtful response: give to the poor, buy something for a friend, buy a meal for someone, etc. Not one child suggested spending it on themselves. If I wasn’t sitting down I would’ve fallen over to hear such heartfelt comments.

FACE

For those who are new to the acronym, FACE stands for Family and Community Engagement and possibly one of the most important groups in any school. Many of the events that happen in a school are only possible through the commitment our families make to ensure they happen. I am excited to meet the many faces that will make up this group over the course of the next few weeks and to hear what is important to you in our school and what we can do collectively to continue to make St Francis the best school in the Burdekin.

After our wet start to the term we will host our first Meet n Greet for families on Tuesday 11th March afternoon from 3:30pm - 5:00pm. This will be an informal meet n greet with teachers in their classrooms if you haven’t had the chance to do so yet. It will also be an opportunity to grab a snag and meet some familiar FACE members as well as a welcome to new parents and carers eager to join. 

God bless,

Lisa

Religious Life of the School

Dear Families,

This week we will focus on the second part of of Catholic Identity model Love of Neighbour.  The "Love of Neighbour" part of our Catholic Identity is inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan, a parable Jesus told to teach us about kindness and compassion. In the story, a man is hurt and lying on the side of the road. While others pass by without helping, a Samaritan stops, shows compassion, and helps the man, even though they were different from each other.

This story teaches us that we should help and care for others, no matter who they are or where they come from. At St Francis School, we can apply this lesson by reaching out to those in need, whether it’s a friend who’s upset, a classmate who needs help, or anyone who might be struggling. Just like the Good Samaritan, we are called to show love and kindness to everyone, creating a caring and supportive school community for all.

Beginning of Year Mass and Induction of School Leaders

Today, we celebrated our Beginning of Year Mass and the Induction of our School Leaders. It was a beautiful and meaningful celebration, and we were thrilled to see so many parents and friends join us for this special occasion. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this event so memorable.

Shrove Tuesday

On Tuesday, March 4th, we will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday by cooking pancakes to deliver to classrooms throughout the day. A note will be sent out soon requesting volunteers to help with this delicious event. Stay tuned for more details.

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, March 5th is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. To mark this important day, 3A will be hosting a special liturgy, including the traditional blessing and distribution of ashes. We invite all parents and friends to join us for this reflective and meaningful service as we begin our Lenten journey together.

Diocesan Project Compassion Launch for 2025

We are excited to announce the Diocesan Project Compassion Launch for 2025, which will take place on Tuesday, March 4th at 9:00 am at the Samaritan Hall. This special event will be celebrated by Bishop Tim Harris with many special guests also in attendance.  It’s a meaningful occasion for us to come together in the spirit of compassion, solidarity, service and hope, as we work towards making a positive difference in the lives of those in need.

Please stay tuned for more details in the coming week.

Project Compassion: A Call to Unite Against Poverty

Each year during the season of Lent, Caritas Australia invites us to take part in Project Compassion, a campaign dedicated to raising funds and acting in solidarity with those in need around the world. Caritas Australia is part of Caritas Internationalis, one of the largest aid and development networks globally, working towards building a more just and fair world, free from poverty.

This year is especially significant as the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year—a rare event that occurs only once every 25 years. During this time, we are called to be a source of hope for the poor. Through Project Compassion, we are encouraged to reflect on the inspiring stories of individuals like Toefuata’iga from Samoa, Lam from Vietnam, and Irene from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These stories challenge us to see the power of our actions, no matter how big or small, and the impact they can have on others.

As we journey together through Lent, let’s remember that we are all invited to join the Pilgrims of Hope and Unite Against Poverty. Your contributions will make a real difference in the lives of those in need, helping to create a more peaceful and balanced world. Let’s come together as a school community and support Project Compassion with open hearts and generous hands.

Thank you to 5B for hosting our first Assembly on Monday. We appreciate the reminder of our PATH expectations, which helped set a positive tone for the year ahead. It was a wonderful way to kick off the school year with our students.

God Bless,

Maria

Learning Corner

Every minute counts!

 How can I help my child succeed?

Last year we began our focus on Progress NOT Perfection.

The question then becomes: ‘How do I know my child is making progress?

As the body of research and evidence grows in the light of decreasing Literacy standards across Australia, monitoring of student Literacy learning for the prevention and intervention for reading difficulties has become a focus for all Educational Systems and schools.

For many years, we used PM Benchmarking to track student progress in reading. Still, it was discovered that although this tracked progress, it did not identify specific skills required for a child to be a successful literacy learner. All students in years 3-8 in Townsville Diocesan Catholic Schools will complete 'DIBELS’ this year. Schools have the option to include Years P-2.

DIBELS stands for: ‘Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills’ and is a series of assessments taking 1.5  to 5 minutes to administer. The assessments are administered 3 times a year. However, for children who have been identified as being at risk of failure, the assessments occur more often to track progress and identify the areas for intervention closely.

Children are tested at year level as the intention is for all children to meet the literacy proficiency standards for their year level. However, the option to test above or below the year level is available to ensure that students' progress needs are met. During the next two weeks, all children in years 2-6 will complete the ‘DIBELS’.

We have commenced the Early Years testing in P-1. This will be completed next week. The information gained from this screener identifies for teachers, the Literacy and Numeracy strengths or concerns of their students and guides the class teachers’ planning for their class. A post-test in August shows student growth and helps teachers know if the strategies used in class were successful. It also tells teachers if focused intervention is required to ensure all students are at year-level standard by the end of the year.

Every class is screened every term using the PLD (promoting Literacy Development) screeners which shows learning  growth over the term and identifies children who are experiencing difficulty. With such close monitoring, I am sure we will be able to respond to each child’s needs in Literacy development.  Your child’s teacher will contact you if you child is receiving support to achieve year level standards. If your child is experiencing difficulties after intervention their teacher, further assessment by a specialist will be recommended to identify the cause of the difficulty and the provision of specialist advice to address the cause. Parents and teachers working together provides each child with the greatest opportunity for learning progress and success.

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

The NAPLAN testing window will soon be upon us.

If you have any concerns about your child participating in NAPLAN, please see your child’s teacher ASAP.

Enjoy your weekend!

Rita Cranitch (Assistant Principal - Pedagogy and Learning)

Guidance Counsellor

In this edition of SchoolTV - SCHOOL TRANSITIONS

Whether it is starting school for the first time, moving up to a higher grade or embarking on a journey through secondary school, there is no doubt that any school transition is a very exciting time for children and parents. It means your children are growing up!

However, transitioning is an ongoing process. It can continue long after students have entered their new environment and may encounter difficulties at a number of different stages. These stressors may appear as anxiety and frustration and result in negative or disruptive behaviours. Such behaviours can become problematic making the transitioning process even more difficult for children and parents.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn practical strategies to assist your child during the transition process and reduce stress and anxiety levels.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school guidance counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the School Transitions edition of SchoolTV
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions

Students of the Week

Tuckshop

Community