Term 4 Week 1 2022

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Term 4!  I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday break and managed to take some time to refresh and relax throughout the two weeks before we hit the ground running to bring 2022 home in style.  As always Term 4 is a hectic one and this year will be no different as we have many events already in the calendar.  Please stay in touch with the school via the newsletter, Compass and our social media page so you know what is happening throughout the term.  It has been great to see all the smiling faces this morning and hear about the adventures that were had during the holidays.

As we begin Term 4 please remember that there isn’t a teacher on duty until 8:10am, therefore students should not be arriving before this time.  Upon arrival students should be sitting in the shed in the morning until they are sent to play. This is a matter of safety and I thank you for your cooperation with this.

I am aware that many of our classes have Facebook Messenger groups that are used by parents to communicate with each other. Just a reminder to ensure that the conversation in these groups is kept respectful of families, the staff and our school.  Not all families have Facebook or Messenger therefore any events or gatherings that are organised for classes must have an email/letter sent home so that all are included. Our Class Parent Representatives should be involved in or aware of any events being organised for classes. The Office is more than happy to send emails or arrange a flyer to be sent home on behalf of parent groups.  If you have a concern regarding your child and their learning, then your first contact should always be with their classroom teacher.

Please remember to drive carefully and slowly in the carpark.  The teachers on duty will not allow students to walk through the carpark to reach a parked car.  We ask that families collect their children from the school side of the carpark.  Please remember that the Stop, Drop and Go area is purely that.  The driver and passengers are to remain in the vehicle.  If your child requires help with their seat belt we ask that you park and help them in order to keep the pick up line moving.  We also ask that students access their cars from the passenger side, as it is quite dangerous for students to be walking around cars to enter on the driver's side.  Thank you for your assistance with these matters as we are dealing with precious little lives.

Next Wednesday and Thursday we welcome the Verification Team from Townsville Catholic Education.  During their visit they will meet with our leadership team, staff, students, parents and Fr Manoj as well as tour the school, visit classrooms and view a presentation from the leadership team.  At the end of the two days the Verification team will provide us with commendations and some recommendations that we can use as part of our future planning.  

Erica Arboit and Danielle Zollner will both be taking leave in 2023.  Danielle will still be a familiar face around the school as she will be doing relief work and after enjoing long service leave, we will see Erica in a relief capacity.  I'm sure you will join me in wishing both of these ladies all the best for next year.  We have begun the recruitment process to fill teaching positions for 2023.   As we move towards the end of the year, speculation about arrangements to do with classes and teachers for the next year often becomes a topic of conversation.  Staffing arrangements for 2023 are currently being considered. Towards the end of the term, as staffing and class numbers are confirmed, the school community will be informed of these arrangements. I ask that if your child isn’t returning to St Francis next year (except for Year 6 students) for you to please let the Office know ASAP as this helps us with our planning.  I thank you for your patience and understanding as we work towards the best outcome for our students and school community.

A huge congratulations to Emma Castelanelli and her husband Andrew on the safe arrival of their new bundle of joy.  Locky Harlen Castelanelli was born on 22/9/2022.  Both Locky and Emma are doing really well and we can’t wait to meet Locky sometime soon.

During the holidays we sent out the Term 4 Calendar.  Due to the availability of swimming instructors changing there has been some minor adjustments made to this calendar.  You will find an updated version at the end of the newsletter this week.  This term we will also begin sending out our weekly This Week at St Francis via Compass as well as posting on Facebook as we try to ensure everyone is kept informed of what is happening at our wonderful school.

I will be away at a professional development course next Monday and Tuesday.  Please contact Mary Ferguson if you have any concerns over these couple of days.

Have a wonderful week

Take care and God Bless

Amanda

Religious Life of the School

CATHOLIC MISSION:  All children are sacred and have the right to be loved, be safe and have an education. This October we are celebrating World Mission Month, a month dedicated to the life-giving work of missionaries around the world. The focus is on the Church of Ethiopia and the local communities providing life-changing opportunities to those most in need. Pope Francis, in his 2022 World Mission Sunday message, invites everyone to answer the call to be missionary, sharing that "Mission is carried out together, not individually...”. We will be praying for children in need during October and will have a Crazy Sock Day on Thursday, October 20^th to raise funds for the missions. 

FEAST OF THE HOLY ROSARY OCTOBER 7^th:  The feast of the Holy Rosary was established by Pope Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto, on October 7^th, 1571. The victory was attributed to the help of the Mother of God whose aid was invoked by praying the Rosary.   Students will begin praying the Rosary this week for children around the world using Mission Rosary Beads made by a Sister of Mercy. The Mission Beads have five colours - one for each continent: white - Europe, green - Africa, blue - Oceania, yellow - Asia and red - America. The beads help the students focus on the people and needs of a particular continent as they pray.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

We have been working on clarifying the Catholic Identity of our school for the last couple of years. We have developed a framework we believe has captured the special religious character which defines the ethos of St Francis. The Catholic Identity which we have articulated in our framework draws from three specific Charisms.

The first Charism is that of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the order of St Benedict. The Sisters were founded by a Benedictine Bishop, Bede Polding to work with convict women and children. They answered the call of the first parish priest, Fr Bucas to found a school for Catholic children in the district and taught in our school from 1912 till 1996.

The second Charism we draw upon is that of the Marists who were founded by St Marcellin Champagnat to teach poor children about Jesus and his Mother Mary as well as provide them with an education. They arrived in the district in 1953 and subsequently taught at our school with the nuns with the first Marist Principal being appointed in 1973.

The third Charism we draw upon is that of St Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest who was one of the greatest missionaries. He was the Patron of the Church of Australia. The Sisters taught school at the Convent school in Brandon and at St Francis Xavier Church in Ayr between 1912 and 1924. When it was decided to build a new church, The Sacred Heart Church, the little wooden church was moved across the road in 1924. St Francis Xavier Church became the first school building where we are now.

The following framework has been developed to explain our Catholic Identity. Our overarching Gospel value is love. Scriptures tell us to love God and love our neighbour. 

The Good Samaritan parable Luke 10:25-37,teaches us the answer to the question  “who our neighbour” is. 

The parable teaches us that our neighbour is whoever is in need regardless of race, religion, status or appearance.

Our love should be unconditional.  It begins with compassion and leads to tangible action without looking for reward or praise.

Students at St Francis are encouraged to follow Jesus’ example through ...

Love of God - Exemplified by Mary 

• St Marcellin’s devotion to Mary and teaching young people about Jesus. 
• St Francis who found God in all things and worked with the marginalised.
• Bede Polding who saw a need in the early Australian Church for education and help for the poor and marginalised.
• All followed (obeyed) their calling from God.

Love for Neighbour - Exemplified by the Good Samaritan parable

• to be neighbour, especially to the excluded and disenfranchised
• to stand with and be a voice for those who are voiceless
• Inspired the work of the Good Samaritan Sisters

Love in Action - Exemplified by the lives and work of significant figures 

• to give hope, education and love to those in need – without judgement, limits or conditions.
• empowered to create positive change and work for the common good of all.

This logo artwork and the framework are a work in progress and seek to draw the threads of all the influences and traditions that have shaped our school’s Catholic Identity, together. We are interested in seeking input from our school community. If you would like to comment on our framework we would love to hear constructive feedback from you. You can email me at mferguson4@sfatsv.catholic.edu.au or Amanda at ajones16@sfatsv.catholic.edu.au

God Bless

Mary

Aiming for Excellence

Student NAPLAN Reports have just been delivered and will be distributed in the coming days.

ICAS English

Rita Cranitch

Learning and Teaching Adviser

Inclusive Practices Teacher

From the Guidance Counsellor

In this edition of SchoolTV - ONLINE GAMING

Games are an integral part of human behaviour. It is normal and healthy for young people to engage in play as a part of their daily lives, including playing games online. And like most activities, online gaming can have both positive and negative outcomes. It can be intimidating and confusing for carers trying to understand a young person’s online experiences with many considering that staring at a screen is an unhealthy habit. However, the World Health Organisation does believe that as well as the risks, there are also many positive benefits associated with online gaming and these could be key in nurturing bonds with others.

During the pandemic, there was an explosive growth of gaming as people sought much needed connection during isolation. In the media, gaming often gets bad publicity because most coverage tends to concentrate on the minority of gamers who play to such an extent that it compromises all other areas of their life. However, online gaming can teach young people many skills including teamwork, concentration, communication and problem-solving. It requires a level of interaction and skill from the player; unlike watching television, which is more passive.

Online communities provide opportunities for young people to feel socially connected and have a sense of belonging. At healthy levels, gaming can increase their self-esteem and social acceptance. However, any behaviour, when taken to extreme, can also have a negative impact on a young person’s everyday life. Understanding what your young person experiences online and knowing the warning signs if they are at risk, will help nurture a more positive relationship with online gaming and help your family find the right balance.

If you are concerned about your young person’s online gaming habits, it’s important to consider a number of factors. This edition will provide strategies in how to deal with any issues you may be experiencing.

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 Online Gaming edition of SchoolTV
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/online-gaming

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Term 4 Calendar

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