Term 1 Week 6 2025

From the Principal

Good afternoon families,

We made a very special start to our week with Bishop Tim Harris launching Project Compassion here at St Francis on Shrove Tuesday. A special thanks to our mums for cooking up a pancake storm enjoyed by all. 

On Wednesday 3A led a beautiful Ash Wednesday liturgy to take us into the very special time of Lent. This is a time where prayer, fasting and almsgiving is a focus. A time when we can come together as a community to deepen our own faith and strengthen our commitment to kindness, service and personal growth.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It was introduced in 2008. 

NAPLAN tests skills such as reading, writing, spelling and numeracy. The National Assessment Program is the measure through which governments, education authorities and schools can determine whether or not young Australians are meeting important educational outcomes.

NAPLAN is business as usual and students are given practice time leading into this test to be prepared just as we would any other subject area. Students (and parents) should know that by giving their best, as they do in all of their other activities, is what we ask of them. When they do this they too can know they have succeeded.

Meet n Greet

I am excited to have the opportunity to join you for a snag and meet some of our families next Tuesday afternoon at our informal meet and greet in lieu of our Parent Information Evening postponement. Teachers will be available from 3:30pm - 5:00pm if you want to pop in and say hi. A special thank you to our FACE (Family and Community Engagement team) helping with the barbie on this day.

God bless,

Lisa

Religious Life of the School

Dear Families,

Thank you to all the families who came to our Project Compassion Launch. It was a beautiful celebration led by Bishop Tim.

A big thank you to all the wonderful mums who helped cook pancakes for Shrove Tuesday.  Your time, effort, and delicious pancakes made the day extra special for everyone. Thank you for sharing your warmth and love with us all!

Project Compassion

Lent, being a time of giving, is the time of Project Compassion. You should have received your Project Compassion boxes on Wednesday. Even a small donation is helpful.  All donations can be returned by Week 10.

Free Dress Day

We will be holding a Free Dress Day for a gold coin next Tuesday, 11th March. Students may wear what they like as long as the clothing is sun-safe and shoes are enclosed. All gold coin donations will go to Caritas Project Compassion.  

Ash Wednesday

Thank you to 3A for hosting our Ash Wednesday liturgy.

You did a great job leading this celebration. Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent. Lent is a special time when we focus on growing in faith, helping others, and preparing for Easter.

Today is World Day of Prayer. World Day of Prayer in this Year of Jubilee is a special opportunity for us to come together in prayer and reflection, celebrating the joy of forgiveness, renewal, and hope. This year, as we observe the Year of Jubilee, we are reminded of God’s love and grace, calling us to embrace a spirit of reconciliation and peace. It is a time to pray for those who are suffering and to work toward justice and healing in our communities and across the world.

Have a great week.

God Bless,

Maria

Learning Corner

Every minute counts!

Diagnoses provided by a paediatrician or a psychologist give us a reason why a child is experiencing difficulties with learning. This is after all other reasons for learning difficulties, such as high rates of school absences or poor attitudes to learning, are ruled out. Two children with the same ‘diagnosis’ will not necessarily have the exact learning needs.  

Labels naming a diagnosis are attached to a collection of behaviours. In many cases, a child may exhibit features of several different labels but is only provided with the label that has the majority of the behaviours demonstrated by the child. No label fully describes the child’s learning difficulties, as other learning behaviours are often seen.   

Labels are a guide to planning for a child by offering appropriate strategies to be used in class. However, to meet a child’s learning needs, we need to collect evidence unique to that child to identify their needs. It is not a case of using a common approach for all children with the same diagnosis.

It is important for parents to contribute to and be involved in the planning of a child’s learning path. When home and school behaviours are compared, we can more accurately identify the child’s needs to enable them to access the curriculum.

NAPLAN - BEGINS WEDNESDAY,  MARCH 12.

Many thanks to parents who have spoken with their child’s teacher about their child’s participation in NAPLAN and the adjustments that will be put in place.

 Our practices have focused on the children being familiar with how the tests are presented, the different question types, and the online tools used to reach an answer.

 NAPLAN is an adaptive test that changes the questions in response to student answers. If a child answers a series of questions correctly, they will be presented with more challenging questions, but if the questions are too difficult, they will change to less challenging ones. Children will not have the same questions to answer, as NAPLAN is about telling us what the children know and identifying the areas we need to work on with them.

2025 SCHOOL NAPLAN TIMETABLE

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

A Special Report: Navigating AI Relationships

Despite governments globally moving towards raising the minimum age for social media access due to mounting concerns about the negative effects on youth mental health and wellbeing, there's now an even newer challenge on the horizon - the rise of romantic and companion AI bots. These virtual companions are becoming increasingly popular with young people, raising serious questions about privacy, ethics, and the future of relationships in the digital age.

The rise of AI-powered relationships is offering a new frontier in human interaction. Initially emerging in the gaming world, AI companionship has evolved into mainstream culture, with apps providing personalised experiences that range from platonic friendships to romantic encounters. These interactions can blur the boundaries between real and virtual relationships, creating confusion and potential psychological harm.

Criminologists warn that children as young as 12 are accessing dating apps, often bypassing age restrictions, exposing them to sexual content and predatory behaviour. Researchers have also found that many adolescents are turning to virtual partners for validation, risking unhealthy emotional attachments that can affect real-life relationships.

As AI reshapes social dynamics, it's crucial to stay informed and engaged. While AI can enhance education and creativity, it also presents challenges around privacy, mental health, and misinformation. This special report will help you foster an open dialogue and balanced approach to help young people navigate this evolving digital landscape.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-navigating-ai-relationships-au

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