Term 3 Week 2 2024

From the Principal

Dear Families,

Over the past two days we have had our 2024 Athletics Carnival. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sports Committee led by Anna Lynch for their fantastic planning and organising of the event and the entire staff who pitched in to ensure a smooth running of the day. These events take a lot of work outside of school hours to plan with staff giving numerous hours of their time to ensure that the events are organised and that students are able to have an enjoyable time participating. I am grateful to each and everyone of our staff for the role they played in making the two days a wonderful experience for our students. Please join me in thanking them for their time, effort and dedication. I would like to send out a super special thank you to Peter Pattinson who volunteered his time to come in and mark out our running track, shot put and discus. We appreciate Peter’s time beyond words and we are so blessed to have him in our lives.

At St Francis we value having a go, regardless of whether you win or not and believe that events such as the Athletics Carnival should focus on enjoyment, personal growth, a positive mindset and participation rather than solely focusing on winning or achieving significant accolades. It’s about embracing the experience, learning from it and enjoying the process. It is always heartwarming to see those students who participate in every event despite knowing that they won’t win but for them it is about earning a point for their team, having a go and having fun.  

Participation in sports for enjoyment promotes a positive experience and allows for students to develop their skills through a growth mindset where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and improvement. It also encourages a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged to participate while cheering on teammates and the other teams. These values are essential for building character and positive relationships both in and out of the sporting arena. Taking a purely competitive approach can create stress and pressure for students. Choosing to emphasise participation and enjoyment helps alleviate these feelings, allowing students to engage without fear of failure or judgment. It is important for students to realise that not everyone can win and that we should celebrate the achievement of others as well as be proud of our own efforts. Finally by adopting a balanced perspective students learn that while competition has its place, the journey, camaraderie and personal growth that comes from participating are equally valuable outcomes.

Next week we celebrate Catholic Education Week.  During this week we celebrate the distinctive mission of Catholic schooling.  Catholic schools are wonderful places where we challenge our students to live out the message of Jesus and to develop into compassionate, contributing and life-giving members of society.  The theme for Catholic Education Week 2024 is Communities of Faith, Hope and Love.  On Friday we will join together with BCHS and St Colman’s for our Founders’ Day celebrations. During Catholic Education Week we also recognise a member of our school community who makes an outstanding contribution to the life of their school through the annual Spirit of Catholic Education Week Awards. Our recipient for 2024 is Kathy Giddy.

I began Prep Interviews for 2025 earlier this week. It has been wonderful to spend some time with our new Preps as well as meet many new families who will be joining our school community next year. We already have a lot of excited little people who are looking forward to starting big school; some even wanted to start this week! I will be continuing to meet with families over the coming weeks. If you know someone who hasn’t yet put their Prep application in for 2025, it's not too late! Please have them contact the Office to begin the enrolment process.

Have a wonderful week

Take care and God Bless

Amanda

Have a wonderful week.

Take care and God Bless

Amanda

Religious Life of the School

Dear families,

Next week is Catholic Education Week in Queensland. Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society. 

Our school captains, along with Amanda and myself will be attending the Catholic Education Mass in Townsville on Tuesday. This is a beautiful mass celebrated with many schools from our diocese to help promote our distinctive missions and ethos.

As part of the festivities in the Burdekin, our three Catholic schools will be joining together for mass and activities on Friday at BCHS. We are looking forward to a fun day celebrating our Catholic Schools and founders. Everyone is invited to join us for mass at 9:30 am in the Marcellin Centre.

St Mary Magdalene

Monday is the Feast of St Mary Magdalene and is celebrated on July 22nd each year. Mary Magdalene is a significant figure in Christianity, known for her close association with Jesus Christ. According to the Gospels, she was a devoted follower of Jesus who witnessed his crucifixion and was the first to see him after his resurrection.

Mary Magdalene's feast day honours her role as a faithful disciple and her profound witness to the resurrection, making her an important symbol of repentance and transformation. Traditionally, she is depicted in Christian art with a jar of ointment, referencing her act of anointing Jesus, and is often considered a patron saint of penitents.

God Bless

Nicole

Learning Corner

What does a cake have in common with A-E grades in a report?

Imagine you are given a task of making a cake. It is to look like a cake and be edible. You do have the freedom to make it in any shape or flavour as long as it is a cake that can presented and eaten at a morning or afternoon tea.

This is the expectation and will achieve the ‘C’ standard as this is the skill everyone is expected to demonstrate.

If the cake has all the ingredients but is not fully cooked so only some parts can be eaten, then a  ‘D’ standard has been demonstrated. The instructor will gather all students who missed one or two elements of successful cake making and revise and practice the skill that was missed until they understand and demonstrate the expected standard.

If the cake is missing some ingredients and is not fully cooked so cannot be eaten then the knowledge and skill of cake making are at the ‘E’ level, and one on one work to help achieve the ‘C’ standard will be provided.

However, a ' B' standard has been demonstrated if the cake is iced, has an easily identifiable flavour and is well cooked.

A cake that is carefully decorated to hint at the flavour which is easily identified when eaten and is well cooked and smooth to eat, an ‘A’ standard is achieved as the cook has added extra detail and been thoroughly focussed on the task of making a tasty tempting cake.

The ‘A’ and ‘B’ standard cake makers used the knowledge and skills taught but adapted them to create something more than expected.

Similarly, in school work, the ‘C’ standard is expected of all children to progress successfully with learning. We have children who demonstrate a ‘D’ or ‘E’ standard, highlighting the need for more teaching on the missing knowledge and skills.

At the ‘A’ and ‘B’ standards, we have students who are focussed on their learning and particular about how they can apply what they have learnt. This group thrives on a challenge and working independently when equipped with the ‘C’ standard knowledge and skills.

When you speak with your child about school work, ask what they have learned and what they did not understand. Share this information with your child’s teacher, who can then tell you how this will be addressed in class to progress your child’s learning.

 Enjoy your weekend!

Rita

P.A.T.H.

Community