Term 2 Week 1 2025

From the Principal

Dear Families and Friends,

Welcome back for Term 2 and what a great way to start with blue skies and sunshine. 

Students have settled in beautifully and are demonstrating the importance of following our PATH - Persist with Learning; Act Safely; Treat all with Respect and Help your Neighbour. This was certainly shown during our liturgies. The week started with our Easter Liturgy led by our Captains and ended with our Anzac Liturgy. Two very important events that recognise sacrifices that were made by putting others before themselves so that we may live a life of peace and hope.

Students have hit the ground running, literally, for our Cross Country practice to be ready for the big day, next Thursday. It’s been wonderful to see students engaging so positively with their learning in class too. They’re already showing great thoughtfulness in how they reflect on our Easter journey, persistence with learning new topics and collaborating respectfully with their peers.

It’s amazing what you can pack into three days!

Tomorrow we will participate in the Anzac Parade. It would be lovely to have as many of our students able to march with us where possible. The information is shared below (with the right date this time). 

Next Tuesday we also have our FACE (Family and Community Engagement) catch up to talk about Mothers Day. I encourage anyone who would like to be a part of this to come along to the Board Room at 3:30pm (in the Administration Building). 

God bless, 

Lisa

Religious Life of the School

Dear families,

Welcome to Term 2. I hope you all had a relaxing and refreshing break, with plenty of time to rest, recharge, and enjoy special moments with family and friends. We’re looking forward to another exciting term filled with learning, growth, and new opportunities for our students.

Easter

During the holidays, we celebrated the most important events in our Christian faith—Holy Week and Easter.  As a school community, we came together on Tuesday morning to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection with a special Easter liturgy. A big thank you to our Year 6 leaders, who led the celebration so beautifully and reverently.

Our prayer cloths have now changed to white, symbolising the joy and light of the Easter season. This special time in the Church calendar continues for 50 days as we celebrate the risen Christ and look ahead with hope to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, before we return to Ordinary Time.

Project Compassion: Thank you to everyone who supported Project Compassion last term.  Your generosity will help change lives now – and for future generations. If you still have any Project Compassion boxes at home it is not too late to return them, just send them in to the office.

ANZAC DAY

Thank you to 6A for thoughtfully leading our ANZAC Day liturgy this morning. Their respectful and heartfelt presentation helped us to reflect deeply on the significance of this important day. It was a meaningful opportunity for our school community to pause and reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and service of the Australian and New Zealand men and women who have served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping missions. Through prayer, scripture, and reflection, we honoured their legacy and gave thanks for the peace we are blessed to enjoy today. Lest we forget.

God Bless,

Maria

Learning Corner

LEARNING and TEACHING

Every minute counts!

WELCOME BACK!

This is the first year every school in Queensland is expected to teach and assess Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum in English and Mathematics.

The following advice from TCE (Townsville Catholic Education) was provided to all schools during Term 1, 2025.

‘Beginning in 2025, schools will implement new time allocations for learning areas in each year level. I am highlighting a key change in the Preparatory (Prep) year.

This change has many benefits and aligns with the advice of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). It offers schools a perfect opportunity to reflect on their educational programs, ensuring a more focused and effective learning experience for your child. The following changes will occur:

Prep students will be provided with:

• English
• Mathematics
• Health and Physical Education
• Religion

 Provided means these learning areas will be taught, assessed and reported on.

Prep students will experience:

• Science
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• The Arts (including Music)
• Technologies
• Languages (if provided)

Experience in Prep means these learning areas are taught, and learning is monitored. These learning areas are not summatively assessed or reported on.

Monitoring involves collecting evidence and tracking (rather than summatively assessing and reporting) a student’s progress in understanding and skills. 

We are excited by these changes, which will allow a purposeful focus on literacy and numeracy development and consideration of how a range and balance of pedagogies assists children in having a smooth and successful transition to their first year of school.’

The changed format of the semester report reflects the responses received from parents and staff during a review of reporting held last year. All Catholic Schools in the Townsville Diocese will now use a common semester report format.

The changes are:

• One general comment instead of a comment for Religion, English, and Mathematics in addition to the General Comment.
• Learning Statements wll be written in point form listing the elements for the Achievement Standard that were taught and assessed in each subject.

Your child’s folio will provide the details of your child’s learning journey while the Semester Report will provide the level of achievement demonstrated at a specific point in time, the end of each semester.

If you have any questions or concerns about these changes please do not hesitate to contact me.

CALLING ALL 8-12 year old WRITERS

Well done to students who have registered for the National Young Authors Fair.

We are still  looking for 25 students willing to have a go at being a published author.

The student registration deadline has been extended to May 9 and the publication date to May 18. Writing is  completed online with built in assistance from AI.

Please find the registration link below. https://www.yaf.bribooks.com/events/student/signup/australia-NYAF-2025?sid=189430

Will you be your child’s biggest supporter as they dive into this awesome writing experience?

Rita

Guidance Counsellor

A Special Report: Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers have become powerful individuals who often shape the opinions and beliefs of others due to strong connections with their audiences. In today's fast-paced digital world, attention has become a valuable commodity.

However, the impact of social media influencers on youth mental health is a growing concern, most recently, the controversial actions and statements of Andrew Tate. His rise to fame has made him a polarising figure, amassing a significant following of mostly young males. Educators and families have raised urgent concerns about the damaging nature of Tate’s content, worried that his messages may radicalise students and create a generation of young men with regressive and harmful beliefs.

Young people often compare themselves to the idealised lives presented by influencers, leading to feelings of inadequacy, low self-worth and dissatisfaction. Social media algorithms may also expose them to inappropriate or harmful content such as explicit material, promotion of harmful behaviours, or distorted perceptions of body image or mental health.

It is important to guide a young person’s social media use and promote open communication. Be curious to comprehend why they might be drawn to radical influencers, like Andrew Tate, and actively seek understanding as part of the solution. While not all influencers have a negative impact, parents play a vital role in ensuring a balanced approach to social media. By actively modelling kindness, respect and positive values, parents can help tackle the sway of radical influencers and be part of the solution to countering unhealthy masculinity.

This Special Report provides guidance on how to respond to misinformation and disinformation, instead encouraging critical thinking and emphasising the value of real-life connections.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school 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-social-media-influencers-au

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day is this Friday 25th April and St Francis students are once again invited to join the ANZAC Day March and Service.

Students should be assembled at the assembly area on Queen St between Mitre 10 and Harvey Norman at 8:45am.  The main parade will march off at 9am.  We will march to the service at Anzac Park which will conclude at approximately 10:10am.  The march is for students only.  Parents are asked to meet us at Anzac Park at the conclusion of the march.  Parents are welcome to take their children directly after the march, however, those students staying for the service will need to sit with the school group for the entirety of the service.  

Children must wear their formal uniform (not sports uniform), school hats, correct socks and black shoes are a must. Students cannot march with water bottles but can collect them from their parents once we reach Anzac Park.

Cross Country

Cat's Coffee van will be serving drinks under the roundabout pick up area between 9am and 11am for all your caffeine needs.  Cat's Coffee accepts cash and card for your convenience.

Book Fair

Term 2 Calendar

Community