Term 1 Week 6 2024

From the Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome to Week 6. It is hard to believe that we are already in the second half of this term. All of our classes have been working diligently and our Year 3 and 5 students have also been getting ready for NAPLAN which is coming up in just a few short weeks.

Parent-teacher interviews

As we come close to the end of Term 1, teachers will be holding Parent Teacher Interviews across Week 9 and 10.  This is a great way to hear about what areas your child is shining in and where they may need a little extra support. I encourage all parents to make the most of this opportunity for the following reasons:

• It provides parents with an insight into their child’s classroom
• Helps you as parents understand your child’s progress and areas they still need to work on
• It allows teachers to provide positive feedback to parents 
• It is another opportunity for you to raise any concerns you may have
• It helps to build partnerships between the school and home

Parent Teacher Interviews will be booked via Compass.  More details to come next week.

Staffing Announcements

We will be saying goodbye to Kaylaha Malaponte on the 14th March. Kaylaha has been accepted into a traineeship program and is very excited for her new adventure. I would like to thank Kaylaha for all that she has contributed to our school community and we wish her all the very best for this next chapter. 

Today is also Melinda Gianni’s last day before heading off on maternity leave. We hope that Melinda enjoys the next few weeks and we look forward to sharing exciting baby news with our school community in the near future.

Additional Pupil Free Day in 2024

Townsville Catholic Education Office has approved an additional professional development day in 2024.  The date will be Friday 26th April, 2024 and will be a pupil free day. This day follows on from the ANZAC day public holiday on Thursday 25th April. The reason for granting this additional professional development day is to provide the time and opportunity for all teachers to prepare for the implementation of V9.0 of the Australian Curriculum at the commencement of 2025. This planning day will focus on supporting teachers to have a deep understanding of the changes to content and assessment from the current Australian Curriculum to the newly revised curriculum.  There is much planning already occurring in all schools to ensure all teachers are well placed to provide rich learning experiences for their students.  This additional professional development day (pupil free day) will only occur in 2024.

I will be away at the Principals’ Meeting from Monday to Wednesday next week.  If you have any concerns during this time, please contact Nicole O’Connor. 

Have a great week.

Take care and God Bless

Amanda

Religious Life of the School

Third Sunday of Lent

Over the past two weeks, our school community has embraced various Lenten practices, such as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These intentional efforts are not only personal but also contribute to a collective spirit of compassion and understanding. Whether it's students sacrificing a favorite snack, teachers dedicating extra time to prayer, or the school community coming together for acts of service, each gesture plays a vital role in shaping our shared Lenten experience.

As we approach the third Sunday of Lent, it is a time to reflect on the progress we've made individually and as a community. Have our chosen practices deepened our connection with our faith and with one another? How have acts of kindness and self-discipline transformed our perspectives and relationships?

The Gospel readings during Lent invite us to consider the themes of repentance and the transformative power of God's mercy. It is a reminder that, in our journey, there is always room for growth and forgiveness. Let us use this opportunity to examine our hearts, seek reconciliation, and embrace the grace that accompanies genuine repentance.

May the remaining weeks of Lent be a source of inspiration and spiritual growth for each member of our St Francis family. Together, let us strengthen our bonds, deepen our faith, and emerge from this season of Lent transformed and renewed.

We encourage everyone to attend the BCHS Youth Mass this weekend and help celebrate the third Sunday of Lent.

Youth Mass

Our Youth Mass was a lovely celebration of the second Sunday of Lent. Thank you to Fr. Manoj and all our families and friends that were able to attend. A big thank you to the students who offered to assist with readings or offertory, your help is greatly appreciated.

Assembly

Thank you to 3/4B who led our assembly on Monday. They taught us about Project Compassion and how our fundraising helps different communities. They shared this year’s focus stories of three amazing women and how Project Cpmpassion has helped them to achieve and support the people around them in a sustainable way.

Project Compassion

Third Week of Lent

(Week beginning Monday 4 March)

Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result.

Leaia lives with her five children, husband, brother and sister-in-law on the island of Upolu in Samoa. Not having access to a reliable source of clean water caused Leaia a lot of worry.

Their home is not connected to a piped water system, so they had to rely solely on rainwater collected in old fridges. When their water ran out, Leaia had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets and containers from a neighbour down the street.

With the support of Caritas Australia's local partner, Caritas Samoa, a water tank was installed at Leaia's home. She and her family now have a steady supply of clean drinking water at home. Next year, they

will also have a toilet built, with the support of Caritas Samoa, which will further improve their health and living conditions.

“We are very thankful and grateful for the water tank. It has helped us so much and made our daily life easier,” Leaia said.

Watch Leaia’s Story

Please donate to Project Compassion.

Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow for all future generations.

You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes, online by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion or by calling 1800 024 413.

Have a wonderful week

God bless

Nicole

UR STRONG

10 Reasons to NOT Call the Other Child’s Parents

Put down the phone. Trust us on this one… It won’t be worth it & here are 10 reasons why!

Let’s start with this: You love your child. That love you feel for your child is raw and visceral – that kick-in-the-stomach kind of love. And, because of that, nothing hurts more than to see your child in pain. With physical pain, you pull-out the first-aid kit, the homemade chicken noodle soup, or your favorite little boo-boo buddy! With emotional pain, you give your child a hug, you try to console them, and you wipe away their tears. But, the second you find out the pain came from another child, that sweet, warm mother hen morphs into Mama Bear! What once was warmth and compassion is now anger.

Wait…what? What did Riley do to you? Riley did WHAT? What did the teacher do? Riley didn’t get in trouble? Is Riley like this to all the kids in your class? What else has Riley been doing?

One of the most surprising omissions that we hear from moms (we have yet to hear this from a dad!) is that their response to this intense, protective, emotionally-charged feeling is to call the other child’s parent. While we get and understand why, here are the top 10 reasons this is a really terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea:

1. Your child doesn’t want you to. This has emerged as the #1 reason why children do not open up to their parents about issues with friends – they’re worried you’re going to make it worse. Calling the other child’s parent is humiliating, embarrassing, and erodes trust. Believe me…this is the last thing they want you to do and risks your child shutting you out.
2. You can’t view the situation or your child objectively. No matter how hard you try to see things from all perspectives, you will naturally have a bias towards your own child. You not only love your child, you also have a very large sample size of their behavior (i.e. their entire life) to draw conclusions. You know them inside-out and you are very familiar with who they are, albeit you see these things through rose-colored glasses. You will naturally not see the other child in the same light. And, unless you are a teacher or you work with children their age, it is very hard to have an accurate, fair take on what’s ‘normal’ behavior for children. If you do feel there is a situation that requires adult-intervention, see if there is a teacher or Guidance Counsellor who can work with both parties as an objective mediator.
3. Your Mama Bear instinct kicks in and, let’s face it, she tends to over-react. This is totally out of your control. When we picture anything negative happening to our child, we immediately experience an innate, sometimes even physical reaction. When we hear a tragic news story on TV and imagine it’s our child, tears or those gut-wrenching feelings are immanent. These powerful emotions are animal-instincts designed to protect, not to have delicate conversations about our daughter or son’s Friendship Fires® at the local café.
4. Get off the rollercoaster. We all have our own rollercoasters called, “My Life.” You should not ride anybody else’s rollercoaster, but your own. You can cheer your child on and offer support from the ground, but don’t ride the rollercoaster with them…and we all know you don’t have the ‘stomach for it’ like you used to!
5. Your perspective is different than your child’s. What’s huge to you might be small for them or vice-versa. As an adult, you are lucky to have the Grand Scheme of Things and, because of that, you have one of life’s greatest gifts: Perspective. A child has not developed this yet and is finding their way through the weeds. They’ll get there, but don’t project your perspective onto them. They might have situations that are water off a duck’s back to them (while you’re still steaming!) and situations that seem bigger than they should be. It’s their reality, not yours.
6. Rescuing them isn’t helping. Empower them to put out Fires on their own. Getting over-involved to swoop in and save the day is right in line with today’s “Helicopter Parenting” phenomenon. Solving our children’s problems for them does more damage than good and deprives them of the chance to learn these critical conflict-resolution skills. Use these opportunities as Teachable Moments to empower, equip, and train your children to stand up for themselves. These Teachable Moments are golden…take advantage of these real-life learning situations.
7. It often makes the situation worse and rarely ends well. Not only will your children resent that you discussed their personal issues, it often makes matters worse for them at school. Telling your parents about a Friendship Fire is not considered a ‘cool thing to do’ (we’re doing our best to change that!) and word travels fast. Plus, 9 times out of 10, the conversation with the other parent will not go well…there are too many factors working against you to have a productive, harmonious conversation.
8. It makes things unnecessarily awkward between you and that parent. In the 1/10 times where the conversation seems to go relatively well, even if both parents are well-meaning, it is often the beginning of the end. Your relationship with that parent will naturally feel awkward and one or both of you will come away feeling defensive (it’s instinctive). There will be a hypersensitivity that develops and the next time you see or hear of HER child doing something, it will bug you…even if it’s a little bit. It just will.
9. Relax… Give it some time. The truth of the matter is, your child could be “Besties” with this other child tomorrow. Just relax. Your child will not grow up to be a push-over with no friends, as long as you’re coaching them along the way. Interpersonal skills develop over time and, like everything, they need to practice.
10. Your child’s got this! Don’t deny your child this amazing opportunity to learn and grow. It’s in our struggles that we strengthen, so give them this chance to dig deep. Use this platform called friendship to allow your child to learn valuable life lessons. Conflict-resolution, interpersonal skills, and resiliency don’t just happen…they are formed through experience. These qualities are critical in developing healthy relationships. Success in life, no matter how you define it, relies on the ability to form and maintain relationships.

Your child. has. got. this. 

Written by Dana Kerford
Friendship Expert and Founder of URSTRONG

Learning Corner

Good, Better, Best     /     Never let it rest     /     Until the Good is Better     /     and    /      The Better Best.

I first heard this mantra when I started school, and it was repeated daily for seven years.

It is a mantra still relevant today. Different words may be used, but the message is the same. Focussed competitors live it as they work on improving their skills and times. The goal is always an improvement.

The Goal of TCE is for all schools to improve and to support schools on their journey of improvement. We know we have a good school, but can we become better?

On Monday, I attended an APPL (Assistant to the Principal, Pedagogy and Learning) network day. The emphasis was on the qualities and features of a high performing school that were identified from research involving high performing schools. We examined how improvement is achieved because it does not happen by accident. As every school is different, with different student needs to meet, our first step was reviewing student learning data. We were told to keep our improvement goal specific, measurable and achievable within a realistic time frame.

At St. Francis, we had already identified the area of Mathematics as our focus, with the improvement evident through data by the end of the year. At the twilight meeting on Tuesday, teachers planned the pathway for improvement for their class.

Together, we are working on moving from ‘Good’ to ‘Better’ and then to ‘Best’.

We welcome your feedback, suggestions and questions.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN TEST ADJUSTMENTS 

Children who receive adjustments for assessments in class can access the same adjustments when participating in NAPLAN. Your child’s teachers will contact you if your child is eligible for any adjustments.

NAPLAN Participation

We encourage all students in years 3 and 5 to participate in NAPLAN, but participation is a parent's choice.  If you do not want your child to complete NAPLAN testing, please contact the school office to request a ‘Parent Withdrawal’ form.

Rita Cranitch

APPL (Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning-Acting)

Inclusive Practices Teacher

Guidance Counsellor

A SPECIAL REPORT: Wellbeing Barometer Survey: 2024

The Wellbeing Barometer survey has proven to be an invaluable tool for schools, providing insights into the state of youth mental health and wellbeing. Whilst last year’s results focussed the spotlight on areas of concern, there were also many highlights that demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of students and emphasised the necessity of prevention strategies.

Participating in this year's survey, will assist in identifying areas of strength and concern, as well as pinpointing opportunities for early intervention. Previously gathered information has helped support families as they navigate difficult conversations that enable understanding and foster connections to build relationships.

This survey is part of an ongoing, longitudinal study, with the results being instrumental in tailoring support for students and their families. Participation is strongly encouraged, as it provides a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements over the past year. Its aim is to capture a comprehensive picture of young people's lives, allowing for a tailored approach to enhance mental and emotional wellbeing.

We encourage you to take a few moments to complete a survey for each of your children. This will help us determine the nature and extent of your concerns and how best to support families in the months ahead. Responses remain anonymous and will only be reported on an aggregated basis. You are asked to base your responses on observations made in the last 12 months.

Acquiring the skills for future independence, taking healthy risks, and giving young people the opportunity to emancipate from parents, are key developmental tasks that are essential if we are to stave off the impact of mental illness in the future.

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

Here is the link to your special report:
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2024-au

Class in the Spotlight -6A

What a time we have had in 6A so far! We’re over halfway through the term and it has definitely flown by! 

This week in 6A we were lucky enough to have Krystal and Tilly our Adopt-A-Cowboys and Natasha from Wilmar in our class for reading rotations on Monday. Whilst Tilly read a group the Lion King, Krystal and Natasha helped us with segmenting our spelling words. 

In Science we conducted an experiment where we tested the rate of reaction when we dropped a dissolvable tablet into cold water, tap water and hot water. We noticed that the hot water dissolved the tablet the quickest as the atoms were bouncing around faster and breaking down the tablet more quickly than the other two. 

We were very excited this week to finally be able to go out for PE and to play outside at lunchtime instead of being stuck inside with wet weather. 

Playing outside also meant that, if we were rostered on, we were able to head out to the P-2 playground and spend playtime hanging out with our Prep buddy. Our buddies are the best and we have so much fun hanging out with them! 

We cannot wait to see what else is in store for us this term!

6A

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