Term 4 Week 1 2023
From the Principal
Dear Families,
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 2023 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 Facebook to keep up to date throughout the term.
Staffing News
Gloria Lazzarini will be retiring from St Francis at the end of 2023. We will celebrate Gloria’s career, thank her all that she has done for our school community and farewell her later in the term. For now please join me in wishing Gloria all the best as she moves onto the next chapter of her life.
We will begin the recruitment process for a Languages teacher for 2024 shortly.
I am pleased to announce that Olivia Licciardello has accepted a teaching position at St Francis for 2024. We look forward to welcoming Olivia to our staff and school community.
2024 Arrangements
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 2024 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) and you haven’t returned your continuing enrolment slip that you 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.
Compiling class lists each year is a complex and time consuming process. A lot of thought is given to balancing abilities, needs, behaviours, personalities etc across the classes. Requesting a teacher based on an older child’s experience or hearing certain feedback about a teacher is not grounds for a request. Consideration will only be given to a significant situation that the teachers are not aware of already. Teachers know their students very well and always strive to place them with other students and a teacher who will help them grow and develop as a learner. Our teachers are very professional and always have the students’ best interests at heart. Should you have any educational reasons to be considered when allocated classes for your child, please email me directly (ajones16@sfatsv.catholic.edu.au) so that requests may be taken into account where possible. Emails must be received by Friday 20th of October for consideration. If you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Marketing Vignettes
On Wednesday the 18th October Karolien from TCE's Marketing Department is coming to St Francis to film some short marketing vignettes for our school. We are aiming to start filming at 8:30am. I am looking for half a dozen or so people who would be interested in answering a few questions for these promotional videos. I will provide you with the questions ahead of time so that you have an opportunity to think about what you would like to say. These videos are designed to showcase what we have on offer at St Francis and why our school is such a wonderful community to be part of. They will be used to not only showcase our school but also as part of our enrolment strategy for 2024. If you are available on Wednesday the 18th and are keen to be involved, please send me an email at ajones16@sfatsv.catholic.edu.au.
Mission Statement
After receiving feedback on our current Mission Statement throughout the School Renewal Process we have been working on developing a new Mission Statement over the past six months. This work has been done in consultation with Staff, the School Board, Catholic Identity Committee and the FACE group. In today’s newsletter you will find three draft statements. You are encouraged to read these and think about whether they encapsulate our school. We invite you to provide feedback by emailing me directly (ajones16@sfatsv.catholic.edu.au) or coming into the Office next term and sharing your thoughts. Our draft statements will also be displayed in the Office for your consideration. These draft statements will be open for feedback until Monday 16th October.
I will be away at the Term 4 Principals' Meeting on Monday and Tuesday next week. If you have any concerns during this time, please contact Nicole O’Connor.
Take care and God Bless
Amanda
Mission Statement Draft 1
Love of God, love of neighbour, love through action are at the heart of St Francis Catholic School. We walk together to create an inclusive learning environment that nurtures belonging and inspires excellence.
Mission Statement Draft 2
Love of God, love of neighbour, love in action are at the heart of St Francis Catholic School. We walk together to create an inclusive learning environment that nurtures belonging and inspires excellence.
Mission Statement Draft 3
At the heart of St Francis Catholic School is our love of God and love of neighbour. We walk together to create an inclusive learning environment that nurtures belonging and inspires excellence.
Religious Life of the School
Welcome to Term 4. We have had a great week back at school and the students have had lots of stories to share of their holiday adventures. We are all looking forward to a jam packed term.
Our Crazy Sock day is today and we have lots of wild socks and happy students. The money raised goes to Catholic Mission and is a part of our Catholic social justice teachings. Catholic Mission responds to the call to love God and to love our neighbour by forming individuals and communities as missionary disciples of Jesus who share their faith in action and through prayer.
Next Monday we will celebrate Catholic Mission Month with a liturgy at 2:15pm. 3A will be leading the liturgy and everyone is welcome to attend.
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is a Catholic feast day celebrated on October 7th. It honors the Blessed Virgin Mary and her intercession in the Battle of Lepanto, a victory that helped to protect Europe from Ottoman invasion.
The feast day is also a celebration of the Rosary, a Marian devotion that consists of meditating on the mysteries of the life of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary while praying a series of Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glorias. It is a day to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary, and the power of prayer.
Madonna and Child is an oil on panel painting
by Cima da Conegliano, created c. 1504.
It hangs in the Uffizi in Florence.
Save The Date
6th October, Crazy Sock Day for Catholic Mission
9th October, Catholic Mission Liturgy, led by 3A, 2:15pm
31st October, Burdekin Catholic Parish Celebration, 5:30pm
1st November, Whole School Meditation
6th November, Remembrance Day Liturgy, 2:15pm
24th November, Thanksgiving Mass, 9am
1st December, Final Farewell Liturgy, 11am
Hail Mary
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.
Amen
God bless
Nicole
Learning Corner
What does ICT stand for?
Last Friday, I attended two sessions presented by Greg O’Connor, a passionate educator and member of the Asia Pacific Texthelp team that supports technology innovation and implementation across the region to promote literacy and numeracy support solutions for all students through technology. He is a trainer in the use of ‘Read and Write’, accessible by all students in Townsville Catholic Education Schools.
His session addressed the challenge to successfully create learning environments that accommodate, foster and challenge ALL learners, regardless of the barriers that currently exist for them around the literacy demands of school.
He firmly believes that educational technologies can empower students to self-select the support they need.
I had the experience of seeing a Year Three student use the ‘Read’ feature of Read and Write to read a passage to her so she could focus on answering the comprehension questions. The focus of the task was understanding the information in a text, not the decoding of words.
In another example, a Year Five student used the ‘Dictionary’ feature to explain the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Technology assists children in accessing the curriculum, BUT It Cannot Teach. (ICT) It allows children to overcome barriers to learning and demonstrating what they know. It can not do the learning for them.
The foundation of all learning is LITERACY, which starts with hearing, saying, reading and writing words.
Do you know that
A child who has been exposed to, been read to and then read independently will be far better equipped and successful with learning than a child who has had limited exposure to literature.
Parents often ask how they can help their children. Taking time to read, talk about what has been read, share opinions, and do activities together is the best help you can provide, and no one can do it as well as you.
(the inserted screenshots are from Greg’s presentation and are used with permission.)
YEAR 6
The next challenge for interested Year six students is the B.M. COLLS MEMORIAL
LECTURETTE COMPETITION. Held on Wednesday evening, November 1st, in Home Hill, entrants will be required to deliver a three-minute persuasive speech.
Rita Cranitch,
Learning and Teaching Adviser
Inclusive Practices Teacher
Guidance Counsellor
In this edition of SchoolTV - RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.
Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.
Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.
In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth.
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 Respectful Relationships edition of SchoolTV
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/respectful-relationships
Class in the Spotlight -
4A have had a busy first week back at school. Here is what they have been up to:
- In Science learning about forces (balanced and unbalanced forces).
- Measuring various items in the classroom for Mathematics.
- Crazy Sock Day.
- Robotics with the Spike Kits.
My New Gallery
Birthdays
