Term 2 Week 9 2023
From the Principal
Dear Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. My name is Sharyn Bell and I am filling in for Amanda Jones while she is on leave until the end of term. I was lucky enough to arrive this week in time for the St Francis Athletics Carnival. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone for making the carnival such a success. It was two days full of energy, enthusiasm, and wonderful sportsmanship.
I would like to extend a special thank you to our dedicated sports teacher, Mrs Cate Eathorne, and all our staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to organize and coordinate the athletics program. Their efforts ensured that the event ran smoothly and provided an enjoyable experience for all participants.
Thanks also to the parent volunteers who generously offered their time and support, whether in the tuckshop or the field. Your involvement and assistance throughout the day helped create a positive and engaging atmosphere for our students.
Additionally, I want to acknowledge the excellent sportsmanship demonstrated by the students. They cheered for their teammates, celebrated each other's achievements, and displayed respect and fairness both on and off the field.
Lastly, I would like to thank the St Francis parents and carers for their continuous support and encouragement. Your involvement in your child's education and extracurricular activities is invaluable. The Athletics Carnival was an event filled with joy, celebration, and a true sense of community.
Warm regards,
Sharyn Bell
Acting Principal
Religious Life of the School
Today is the The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It falls on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost, which means it can occur anywhere between late May and late June. This feast is dedicated to honoring and meditating upon the love and compassion of Jesus Christ as symbolized by his Sacred Heart.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a long history within the Catholic Church, dating back to the Middle Ages. It gained prominence through the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun who claimed to have received messages from Jesus regarding his Sacred Heart. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque played a significant role in promoting this devotion, and her visions were officially recognized by the Church.
During the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart, Catholics are encouraged to reflect on the boundless love and mercy of Jesus Christ, symbolized by his heart. It is an opportunity to contemplate his selfless sacrifice and his deep affection for humanity.
This is a special day in our Parish and it will be celebrated on Sunday. Mass will be at 9 am, followed by brunch and entertainment at the Parish hall.
DONATIONS NEEDED
Vinnies Refugee Assistance Program (VRAP) is looking for winter blankets and doonas to donate to refugee families in Townsville. If you have any clean blankets or doonas that you would like to donate, they can be dropped into school.
NAIDOC DAY
Next Friday, St Francis will celebrate NAIDOC Day. NAIDOC Day plays a vital role in fostering unity, promoting awareness, and recognizing the diverse cultures and contributions of Indigenous Australians. It serves as a platform for sharing knowledge, building bridges between communities, and honoring the enduring resilience and cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
NAIDOC Day has a theme each year and this year it is ‘For our Elders’. St Francis’ NAIDOC Day will begin in classrooms where students will learn about what Elders are and then we will move to liturgy at 10 am. The liturgy will be in the Samaritan Centre and all are welcome. There will be activities throughout the day that will focus on local language and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. It will be a great way to end the term.
Loving Jesus, you reveal your Sacred Heart as a symbol of your boundless love and mercy.
In this modern age of distractions and challenges, we turn to you, seeking solace and strength.
Help us to be compassionate and understanding in a world often filled with division and indifference.
Teach us to love as you love, without judgment or prejudice, embracing all people as our brothers and sisters.
May your Sacred Heart inspire us to forgive those who have hurt us and to seek reconciliation. Grant us the grace to be peacemakers in our families, communities, and the world.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we offer ourselves to you, surrendering our worries, hopes, and dreams.
Take our hearts and make them more like yours, overflowing with love and compassion.
May your Sacred Heart be a source of healing and grace, guiding us on the path of holiness.
Help us to live in communion with you and with one another, so that your love may transform our lives and our world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Wishing you a safe and peaceful school break.
God bless
Nicole
Athletics Carnival Gallery
Thursday
Friday
Guidance Counsellor
In this edition of SchoolTV - MANAGING SCREEN TIME
Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.
Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.
In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.
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 Managing Screen Time edition of SchoolTV
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/managing-screen-time
Class in the Spotlight -5/6B
5/6B have been very busy this week.
In English, we have completed lots of different activities to help develop our comprehension skills. This week we focused on summarising and making inferences. We have worked hard in our Literacy Rotations inferring meanings from the author in various texts. We especially enjoyed summarising different narratives in our groups.
In Mathematics, we have done lots of decimal addition and subtraction. Year 5 students are now able to add and subtract to hundredths and Year 6 students can work to thousandths. Year 6 has also learned a new skill of dividing by decimals.
In Resilience, we have had lots of fun looking at character strengths. The students enjoyed creating their Character Strength Logo and a Poster of an inspirational character outlining their character strengths.
Last week in PE we worked on discus and sprinting in preparation for the Athletics Carnival. We were proud to show off our skills during the Carnival events yesterday and today.
Our sports Gala Day was a great way to spend our Friday. We all represented our school with pride and made lots of new friends while improving our skills in Rugby League, Softball and Oztag.
Year 6 have started their assessment piece in Religion. They are designing a poster outlining one of the messages of the olden day Prophets. These messages not only had a huge impact on people of the time but also resonate with people today. The year 5s have been looking at the Gospels. It has been interesting finding out how the gospel writers wrote about Jesus and all the miracles he performed and the parables he told.
Last week we celebrated Mrs Polga’s birthday. We are so lucky to have Mrs Polga in our classroom helping us with all our work.
My New Gallery
P.A.T.H.
Andi Perry, Chloe Bowen and Amity Crosswell.
Library
THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES!!
All students have received information and a Reader Record form. Please read with your child as often as you can. Remember to record the book titles as they are read. Students attending our Let's Read Together sessions are able to record the books read to them in the library.
LET'S READ TOGETHER
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays
8:10am - 8:30am
School Library
Prep to Year 2 students welcome to attend
Playtime Activities
Knitting With Chappy
Book Fair
Community
