Term 4 Week 3 2023

From the Principal

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that we are at the end of Week 3 of Term 4!  There are now only 30 school days left of the 2023 school year. I don’t know about you but I’m not exactly sure where the year has gone. It only feels like yesterday we were welcoming our new Prep students and now they are almost ready for Year 1 and today our 2024 Prep students had their first Step into Prep Day. Our last 30 school days will be incredibly busy with learning, water safety lessons, Life Education, end of year events and so much more. 

On Thursday we have our final FACE Meeting for 2023. This meeting will be held in the Board Room and will begin at 8:30am. I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Should you have anything for the agenda, please email it through to the Office by Tuesday 24th October.   

World Teachers' Day

Next Friday 27th October we celebrate World Teachers' Day. On this day we take time to recognise the outstanding contribution of our teachers. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated staff at St Francis who willingly share their time and talents with our students and community. Teaching is not an easy job and our teachers spend a great deal of time and effort ensuring that our school is the amazing place it is today. 

If you were a fly on the wall in our staffroom you would hear the conversations that our teachers and support staff have, and would know that they are always focused on their work and their students. Their dedication to their profession is inspiring, and time again they go above and beyond what is asked of them. I am grateful for their dedication, inspired by their energy and enthusiasm and proud to work alongside them each and every day. 

I hope that on World Teachers' Day or the next time you have an opportunity you take the change to simply thank them for the amazing work they do within our school.

Staffing News

In the latest of our staffing news for 2024, I wish to advise that Sandra Munro will not be returning to St Francis in 2024 as she is working in Townsville. Sandra has been a member of our staff for the past 10 years. We will have time to thank and farewell Sandra before the end of the year but at this point in time, please join me in congratulating and wishing Sandra all the best for the future.

Parent Code of Conduct

Parents are the most important role models for a child. As parents and carers, there is an expectation that you will work with the school, the staff and other parents to contribute to a positive and collaborative learning community. These expectations apply while on school grounds, attending school events, using social media which is related or could reasonably be connected to your role as a parent/carer at the school or communicating with staff, parents or other school community members. The expectations are clearly outlined in our Parent Code of Conduct which applies to all parents and carers of children who attend Townsville Catholic Education schools. The Parent Code of Conduct has recently been updated and I am attaching it to the newsletter this week for your information. I would encourage all parents/carers to read this document carefully.

Student Leadership Process

On Monday, our Year 5 students spent the day at Alva Beach to participate in their annual Leadership Day. This year we were very fortunate to have Sinead from Marist Youth Ministry join us to facilitate the day. Students now have the opportunity to put their name forward for one of the leadership positions before delivering a speech to outline their strengths and what they would bring to the role of School Captain or House Colour Captain. 

Staff, Year 4 and Year 5 students will participate in the voting process. This will happen for both School Captain (Vice Captain) and House Captain roles. I look forward to sharing this news with you as we make our way through the process.  

Mission Statement

Thank you to those families who have provided feedback on our draft mission statements. If you haven’t yet provided your feedback and would like to, please email it through to me by Monday 23rd October. (ajones16@sfatsv.catholic.edu.au) 

Have a wonderful week

Take care and God Bless

Amanda

Religious Life of the School

Week 3 began with our Year 5 Leadership Day and we have begun preparations for our CWL Luncheon. The parish celebration of the installation of the new Burdekin Catholic Parish is coming up at the end of October, you have received a note today with the details. If you could please let us know if you are able to attend as soon as possible. 

Year 5 Leadership Day

On Monday our Year 5 students headed out to Alva Beach where they participated in a leadership day. Sinead from Marist Youth Ministry came from Brisbane to teach the students about leadership; the different types and the qualities that are required for good leadership. Year 5 participated in games about communication and working as a team. It was great to see students stepping up to the challenges that were set, working together and demonstrating a variety of leadership skills.

We are very grateful to Marist Youth Ministry for making the effort to fit us into their busy schedule. As the Marist Brothers were involved with running our school previously, they form one of our school charisms. St Marcelin Champagnant was the founder of the Marist Brothers and our Champagnant sports house is named after him.

Students recieved nomination sheets yesterday to begin their journey towards gaining a captain role. Self nomination forms are due Monday and we will begin speeches for school captains on the following Monday.

I hope the students got something out of the day to help them as they become leaders of the school next year. Hopefully they will continue to reflect on their leadership qualities and how they can put them to good use. 

Save The Date

31st October, Burdekin Catholic Parish Celebration, 5:30pm

1st November, Whole School Meditation, 8:50am

6th November, Remembrance Day Liturgy, 2:15pm

15th November, CWL Luncheon

24th November, Thanksgiving Mass, 9am

27th November, Yr 6 Graduation, 6:30pm

29th November, Awards Morning, 9am

1st December, Final Farewell Liturgy, 11am

God bless

Nicole

Learning Corner

Ever feel like the knot in a tug-of-war rope?

OR

Do you feel like the juggler or the tightrope walker at the circus?

At this time of the year, every one of us, parents and teachers, can relate to one of the above.

As we come to the end of the school year, teachers are finalising assessments to gain an overall picture of the learning a child has demonstrated throughout the year. The level of achievement shown determines if they will require extension, differentiation or intervention when they commence the next stage of learning.

At a time when deadlines are essential, there is no time or another time for a child to complete a final assessment. Absences cannot be made up due to the limits on time. An exhausted child does not have the energy required to listen attentively or focus on tasks.

Parents, you have our understanding and empathy as you try to juggle the expectations of school and the extracurricular demands of training, rehearsals and competitions.

Teachers are in the dilemma of accurately reporting a child’s achievement when the evidence of best work is unavailable due to student absences and tiredness.

 Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum emphasises the development of an assessment plan for effective and targeted assessments that continuously monitor learning growth and inform teaching. 

Last week, children participated in challenging but enjoyable mathematical activities with Geoff Todman from Fun With Maths. You may have heard about the Pirate Quest.

Prep - Year 3

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Years 4 - 6

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Congratulations to the six year six girls who self nominated to participate in the Colls Memorial Lecturette Competition. As only two entrants are permitted, we will have finals at school to choose the participants.

Best wishes for success with the tug-of-war, juggling or balancing activities you manage!

Rita Cranitch,                                                                                  

Learning and Teaching Adviser

Inclusive Practices Teacher

Leadership Day

This week on Monday, the Grade 5 students attended Leadership Day at  Alva Beach, to learn about the different types of leadership, what it takes to be a leader and most importantly, to have fun!

Here’s what happened:

When we arrived at the Surf Lifesaving Club, we met a lady who had come all the way from Brisbane named Sinaed, who talked to us about leadership. We learnt that there are 6 different types of leadership:  Coaching, Coercive, Affiliative, Visionary, Pacesetting and Democratic leadership.

We also played super fun games and did lots of activities in groups. One of these was called Shoe Towers, where your group will take off their shoes, stack them up and see who can make the tallest shoe tower. We also played Charades and Guess the Nursery Rhyme.

Thanks to some lovely mothers, we shared a delicious pasta and garlic bread lunch together. Some kids even had seconds and we are very grateful to those who prepared this yummy feast for us! 

Bundled amongst all the fun, was something really meaningful to all of us. Pieces of paper were left sitting on our chairs and we got to go around and write nice messages to each other. Reading these messages made us all feel really good about ourselves and it was nice to express how we feel, and to discover all the good things our friends think about us. 

In conclusion, we had an amazing and fun day filled with cool, special and exciting activities and food and with the help of Sinaed, we now feel better prepared to be leaders of St Francis School in 2024. 

We thank everyone who made this day possible for us to enjoy and we are grateful for the experience. 

Lara DiLullo

Leadership Day

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Guidance Counsellor

In this edition of SchoolTV - SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL REPUTATION

Social media has become such an integral part of a teenager’s life. However, many miss out on some critical social skills with most communicating whilst looking at a screen instead of another person! Statistics show that 60 per cent of 10-11 year olds are using at least one social media site, with the majority using age-restricted platforms. What kids do, post and say online is permanent and most are not mature enough to manage their own digital footprint. Friendships, relationships and even future job prospects are all put at risk.

Parents need to be aware of what picture their children are painting of themselves online. Unfortunately, many parents do not see the dangers inherent of these sites, as they form opinions based on their own experience. But predators are usually not interested in grooming adults. Over the years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of primary schoolers owning mobile phones, highlighting the importance to teach kids about the dangers of social media and the implications it can have.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn how to talk to their children about the inherent dangers of social media and how to educate their kids to be responsible users in the online world we live in.

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 Social Media & Digital Reputation edition of SchoolTV
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/social-media-and-digital-reputation

Class in the Spotlight -

What a great week 3/4B have had.

ENGLISH

• Presenting information reports
• Revising, editing and giving feedback

MATHS

• Using rulers to measure and exploring area.

SCIENCE (Year 3)

• Collecting data on shadows
• Practicing orbits and revolutions of the earth and moon

MEDIA ARTS (Year 3 and 4)

• Using nature to frame photos of ourselves that reflect what we like about school.

EXTRA CURRICULAR

• Swimming at the pool
• Fun with Maths

3/4B

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P.A.T.H.

Library

Swimming Carnival

Tuckshop

Code of Conduct for Parents

Upcoming Events

Community