Term 4 Week 7 2023

From the Principal

Dear Families,

As the end of the school year rapidly approaches, students and teachers are beginning to wind down and prepare for a well-deserved break. The anticipation of the Christmas holidays is tangible, and everyone is looking forward to some rest and relaxation. Final assessments and reports cards are being completed, and there is a sense of accomplishment in the air. This time of year also brings reflection on memories made and lessons learned. Over the coming weeks we have plenty of time to reflect on the year that was. We hope that you can join us for some of these events.

On Tuesday the Webber Shield team is off to compete at this year's carnival. We wish them all the best and know that they will make our school proud. Wednesday our Year 6 students attending BCHS will be attending their full day transition day. Thursday we have our Christmas Hamper free dress day. Please ensure that your child/ren is wearing sun safe clothing and closed in shoes on this day and that they bring along a grocery item for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Please try to avoid sending chocolate as it melts in our climate. Friday is our Thanksgiving Mass where we will be giving thanks for the year that was and celebrating the Eucharist as a school community. All families are invited to join us at 9am. We also have our Volunteer Thank You Luncheon on Friday. Next Friday will also be our last newsletter for 2023.

Week 9 starts off with a bang with our Step Up Day where students will spend the morning with their 2024 teacher and classmates. Monday night sees our Year 6 students celebrating their Graduation. Wednesday is our Awards Morning. Should your child be receiving an award at this event you will be contacted by the Office. Thursday evening is our Christmas Concert and then Friday we have our final farewell before school finishes at 12pm. 

Staffing

I am delighted to inform you that Anita Julyan will be teaching both The Arts and Italian at St Francis in 2024. Anita has been teaching Italian at St Mary’s in Bowen this year and is looking forward to being at St Francis on a more regular basis. Please join me in congratulating Anita. 

We are still working towards finalising our classroom teachers for 2024. I’m sure that you have all heard about the significant teacher shortage that we are facing in Australia. This is particularly evident in rural and remote areas, where attracting and retaining teachers is a major challenge. Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to finalise our staffing as quickly as possible.

Logo and Motto

Thank you to those families who have provided their feedback around the logo and motto. I appreciate you taking the time to send through your thoughts. After taking into account some of the feedback we will be going back to the designers for review. I look forward to sharing some new ideas with you early next year. 

Volunteers

At St Francis we are incredibly grateful for all of our wonderful volunteers who have helped us throughout the year.  These people are worth their weight in gold as they share their time and talents with us. Without these people there are many events in our school that would not happen. To say thank you we are holding a volunteer luncheon to say thank you to all who have gifted us with their time this year.  We hope that all of our volunteers can join us on Friday 24th November at 12:30pm so we can say thank you.

Last Day of 2023

Just a reminder that school finishes Friday 1st December at 12pm.  Semester 2 reports will be available on the Compass platform after 12pm on this day. If you have forgotten your Compass details, please contact the Office so that they can be reset.

Have a wonderful week.

Take care and God Bless

Amanda

Religious Life of the School

Confirmation and First Holy Communion

We have students that have been preparing for their Confirmation and First Holy Communion over the past several weeks. This weekend they become fully initiated into the Catholic faith. Ceremonies will take place at BCHS on Saturday night and Sunday morning. We wish all the children well and thank Maria Johansen and Corinna Polga for working with them to prepare them for the initiation.

Confirmation is one of the sacraments of initiation in the Catholic Church. It is a rite of passage through which individuals affirm and strengthen their faith, becoming full members of the Church.

During the ceremony, the candidates renew their baptismal promises and are anointed with sacred chrism oil by the Bishop. The anointing symbolises the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the strengthening of the candidates' commitment to their faith.

First Holy Communion is another Catholic sacrament of initiation. The ceremony is a special Mass during which the children receive the Eucharist, the body, and blood of Jesus Christ for the first time. This moment is considered a significant step in their spiritual journey and one to be celebrated.

Both Confirmation and First Holy Communion are significant milestones in a Catholic's life. Confirmation strengthens the individual's bond with the Church and the Holy Spirit, while First Holy Communion allows them to partake in the central sacrament of the Eucharist. These sacraments are central to the Catholic faith, emphasising the importance of community, worship, and spiritual growth in the lives of believers.

CWL Luncheon

It was wonderful to witness the generosity and support from Year 6 parents in donating food and assisting in the kitchen on Wednesday at the CWL Christmas Luncheon. Such community involvement not only contributes to the success of specific events but also fosters a sense of unity and collaboration within the school community. The positive impact on the Year 6 students, as they served and engaged with the community was invaluable for their personal growth and development.

The morning was lovely and the ladies enjoyed the food and the company of the students. The entertainment was super cute with Prep classes singing some Christmas songs.

A huge thank you to all involved and I look forward to next year’s event.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

We will again be supporting the St Vincent de Paul Christmas appeal this year. There are baskets in each class for collection. We please ask that donations are not chocolate, undamaged and made by Wednesday, November 29 as this is when the donations will be collected.

Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this cause.

Save The Date

24th November, Thanksgiving Mass, 9am

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

29th November, Awards Ceremony, 9am

30th November, Christmas Concert 6:30pm

1st December, Final Farewell Liturgy, 11am

God bless

Nicole

Guidance Counsellor

A SPECIAL REPORT: Starting Year 7

When a child starts high school, they suddenly become one of the youngest and newest kids at school all over again - a small fish in a big pond! The transition between Year 6 and Year 7 is one of the biggest jumps in a child's life and is a very important milestone. This can easily become a daunting time for students and parents alike.

Starting Year 7 poses many new challenges, but also exciting opportunities. It comes with a number of mixed feelings. Some students may be feeling a little anxious about their expectations of starting Year 7 and finding their place in the “big pond”. As your child grasps new skills and engages in new study practices, it is important for parents to be supportive, but also realistic in their expectations. Parents and students can easily become overwhelmed during this time of transition but, there are a number of strategies that can be implemented to start things off on the right foot!

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school guidance counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help. Here is the link to your special report:

https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-starting-year-7

Class in the Spotlight - 5/6B

5/6B has been very busy this week.

In English, we have been looking at Newspapers.

In Science, Technology and Mathematics we have been doing investigations, Lego Robotics and a STEM Challenge. They loved building a trap out of boxes for their Elf.

We had Life Education this week.  We learned about the dangers of vapes and cigarettes.  They loved their cuddles with Harold. 

The Year 6s enjoyed their Scavenger Hunt where they had to find the titles of Jesus. 

This week the Year 6s helped serve at the CWL Luncheon. 

We also had two fluffy visitors, Radar and Barkley to brighten up our mornings.

5/6B

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