Term 2 Week 3 2025

From the Principal

Dear Families and Friends,

This week has continued to follow the pattern of giving everything our all and ensuring we celebrate all of the important events happening at the moment. 

We were gifted with our amazing FACE team ensuring our children were able to purchase a little special something for their mothers for Sunday. 1A led our liturgy and mothers were pampered by their little ones in a variety of ways. I wish all of our wonderful carers bringing the motherly love to our little ones a very special Sunday.

Next week we have our professional photos on Monday. This will be done with our Townsville Catholic Education Media Team and showcase the amazing school and community of St Francis. We look forward to sharing many of these with you in good time.

Eisteddfod also starts next week and we have our Prep - Year 2 traveling for most of their performances via bus. Our Year 3 - 6s will continue to walk and families are welcome to come along to help us ensure their safety in getting to and from the event.

Lisa

Religious Life of the School

Dear families,

Welcome to week 3

Praying the Rosary in May

During the month of May, we are invited by Catholic Mission to join in praying the Rosary—a special form of prayer that helps us reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus through the eyes of His mother, Mary.

The Rosary is a simple and peaceful prayer made up of familiar prayers like the Hail Mary and the Our Father. It gives us a chance to pause, reflect, and grow closer to Jesus.

Pope John Paul II once described the Rosary as a way for us to sit with Mary and be led to see the love and beauty of Christ more deeply.

As a school community, we warmly encourage families to take a few moments during May to pray the Rosary together. Even just a decade (one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be) can be a meaningful way to connect in prayer as a family.

Assembly

This morning, we gathered as a school community to celebrate and give thanks for the wonderful mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures in our lives. It was a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the love, care, and strength that mothers bring to our families and our school.

A heartfelt thank you to 1A for leading our Mother’s Day liturgy with such reverence and joy. Your thoughtful prayers, readings, and reflections helped make the celebration meaningful and special for all in attendance.

We would also like to thank the many families who were able to join us this morning. Your presence helped make the occasion even more memorable, and it was lovely to come together in faith and gratitude.

We wish all mothers and carers a very Happy Mother’s Day—may you feel loved and appreciated today and always.

Mothers Day Stall

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing FACE group and all the mums who generously gave their time to help run our Mother's Day Stall this week. Your support and effort made it possible for our students to take part in this much-loved tradition.

The stall was filled with a beautiful range of gifts, and it was lovely to see the excitement on the children’s faces as they thoughtfully chose something special for the important women in their lives. We’re sure you’re going to love the gifts your children have picked out for you—each one chosen with love and care.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to making this event such a success.

God Bless,

Maria

Learning Corner

LEARNING and TEACHING

Every minute counts!

Yesterday all teachers met with our TCE Curriculum advisor and our TCE SLP to closely analyse the DIBELS results for years 2-6 and Early Years pre-testing results for P-1. The data identified the areas that need to be addressed to assist students in becoming better readers.

 The exercise all teachers completed identified the students who knew their sounds and could read words, but could not understand what they read. We identified students who could read a list of words but did not have a solid knowledge of phonics to decode ‘made-up/ nonsense’ words. Some students showed a thorough knowledge and application of phonics, could decode and read accurately with understanding, but were not fluent to the level expected at their year level.

 You will have noticed in your child’s homework that they are being asked to read and re-read the same passage for a week. This is to help develop their fluency.

A very positive learning for us was that PLD has a very obvious influence on children becoming readers.

Parents who read to and with their children, regardless of age, are helping their children become proficient readers. The results also highlighted the students who read widely outside of the classroom.

 PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE

The PRC is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, from 6 May to 22 August.

To complete the challenge:

• Prep to Year 2 must read or experience at least 20 books
• Years 3 and 4 must read at least 20 books
• Years 5 to 9 must read at least 15 books.

Experiencing books can include shared reading, listening to stories, or reading picture books. The aim of the 2025 challenge is to encourage students to make time to read. Last year, more than 216,000 children from around the state participated.

Every student who completes the challenge, and returns the completed record reader form, will receive a Certificate of Achievement.

 Children will receive the Reader Record sheet on Monday to begin recording what they have read.

A list of suggested books can be found here.

 NAPLAN Update

 We have received the NAPLAN Student and School Summary Report - preliminary results. All schools need to check this report before the final Student and School Summary Reports are sent to schools at the end of this term.

The individual student reports provided to parents will be from the beginning of Term 3. This is a staggered release as not all schools receive student reports at the same time.

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to drop in or make contact. I love questions!

 Happy shared reading.

Rita 

Guidance Counsellor

A SPECIAL REPORT: Celebrating Mother's Day

Mother’s Day originated from humble beginnings in 1908 as a simple tradition to honour all mothers, living and deceased. However, it did not take long for florists, confectioners and card companies to jump onboard and commercialise the day, much to the disappointment of its founder, Ann Jarvis.

Mother’s Day is a good annual reminder to say thanks to the mums and other special carers who play an important role in our lives, but it is essential we mark the day with love and sincerity. This year is especially important due to the recent pandemic, where mothers played multiple roles over recent months providing care and support to those they love under difficult circumstances. Mothers will often put the needs of others above their own, so it is paramount to remind them to take care of themselves also, especially when it comes to mental health.

Research has shown that women experience some mental health conditions more so than men and at much higher rates. There are many factors that can impact a woman’s wellbeing physically and emotionally. Seeking effective treatment can enable her to engage more readily in everyday activities and fulfil the needs of her children and family.

This Special Report highlights the role mothers play in the developmental growth of her children and the importance of self-care for good mental health.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/celebrating-mothers-day

Class in the Spotlight - 6A

We have had a great week in 6A!
Our week began with the introduction of our new English unit: 'Fractured Fairytales'. We read the true story of the Three Little Pigs; a short story from the point of view of the 'Big Bad Wolf' who we figured out wasn't big, nor bad. He just wanted some sugar for a birthday cake. We created a Venn Diagram and discussed similarities and differences between this story and the original tale of the Three Little Pigs. On Wednesday, we decorated the clay pots we made for our mothers. They are absolutely beautiful and we love them nearly as much as we love our mums. We also enjoyed making heartfelt cards. On Thursday, we shopped until we dropped at our Mother's Day Stall. We cannot wait to spoil our mums. 
Happy Mother's Day! 

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Eisteddfod

Please be sure to provide consent via Compass.  Please ensure your child is in their formal uniform for the performances.  Performance schedule as below:

Birthdays

Community