From the Principal Desk
Next week I will be attending the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress to be held in Anaheim, California, USA. Over a number of years, the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong has invited principals and school leaders to engage in this experience.
This Congress is an international gathering of some 40,000 Catholic educators, clergy, catechists and ministers who are actively involved in aspects of Religious Education in their dioceses, parishes or schools. The Congress includes keynote speakers, workshops, liturgical experiences, prayer and collegial gatherings. I will be on leave from 12-23 February. I look forward to this invaluable opportunity for spiritual growth, community building, and learning.
2024 - STAFFING
| Classroom Teachers | |
| Kindergarten Blue | Ms Beckhaus |
| Year 1 Gold | Mrs Burrows and Mrs Grey |
| Year 2 Blue | Mrs Matos and Mrs Briscoe |
| Year 3 Gold | Mrs Agius |
| Year 4 Gold | Ms Maloney and Mrs Zaffonato (Wed) |
| Year 5 Blue | Mr Murphy and Ms Maitand |
| Year 6 Gold | Mr Gilmore |
| Literacy and Numeracy Support | Mrs Mansbridge |
| EAL/D Teacher | Mrs Johannesen |
| Physical Education and Drama teacher | Mr Smith - Tuesday-Thursday |
| Administration | |
| Senior School Support Officer | Mrs Brabender |
| SSO Office Administration | Mrs Jimenez |
| School Support Officers (SSOs) | |
| Classroom Learning | Ms Martins, Mrs Staffiero, Mrs Adams, Mrs George, Mrs Kinnas, Mrs Logue, Mrs Stewart, Miss Ivancevic |
| School Counsellor | Mrs Neilson |
| School Leadership Team | |
| Principal | Mrs Davidson |
| Acting Assistant Principal | Mr Murphy |
| Religious Education Coordinator | Ms Maloney |
| Middle Leader and Instructional Coach | Mrs Burrows |
| Parish | |
| Parish Priest | Father Damien Ellis |
| Deacons | Mick Flew and Lawrie Burns |
| Daughters of Our Lady of the Visitation (Sisters) |
Sister Anna, Sister Lucy, Sister Mary and Sister Elizabeth |
Mr Brett Murphy has been appointed to the position of Acting Assistant Principal. Mr Murphy has worked as part of the leadership team at St Francis of Assisi since 2019, having performed the roles of Middle Leader and Acting Assistant Principal (for extended periods of 2023). A recruitment process for the substantive position of Assistant Principal will be held later in the year.
Mrs Patricia Burrows has been appointed to the position of Middle Leader for 2024. Mrs Burrows also holds the position of Instructional Coach and has been an integral part of the leadership team.
We take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Murphy and Mrs Burrows on these appointments.
Aboriginal Education Assistant
We welcome Uncle Kevin Butler to St Francis of Assisi school.
Uncle Kevin Butler is a well-known local Aboriginal artist and recognised by our local communities as a respected Elder. His traditional homeland is Gumbainggirr, originally from Nambucca Heads, and has lived in the Illawarra area for thirty years. Uncle Kevin's painting experience spans well over 35 years. He has been working across many Catholic schools in our Dioceses supporting Aboriginal Education where he shares his Aboriginal cultural knowledge with students and staff. Uncle Kevin's murals can be found in many schools in the area. His artworks are his legacy for future generations and constitute his personal step towards reconciliation.
The Catholic Education Office places great importance on the role of Aboriginal Education to raise awareness and support the learning and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' heritage. This role is connected to the integrated Improvement, Learning, and Wellbeing Service area of Catholic Education and supports cultural initiatives across our school community.
Connecting with the Community
We look forward to engaging and communicating with families on a regular basis through the following avenues. Please continue to use these forms of communication to keep updated with what is happening in and around our school.
The School Newsletter is emailed to families in even weeks of term. It is also available on the School Website.
The St Francis of Assisi School Website - https://www.sfawdow.catholic.edu.au
Includes information about our school.
The Compass App enables parents to engage closely with the school and ensures parents are informed by email, SMS, or push notifications. In addition, the app has many features that allow parents to actively engage within the school. Our school's Facebook and Instagram pages keep families and the wider community up to date with school events. Photos and videos of activities and events are shared regularly. If you have Facebook or Instagram, you are welcome to like our page. Class teachers will use Seesaw to share information about the learning that is taking place in the classroom and provide the students with an opportunity to share their work with families. The school email - info@sfawdow.catholic.edu.au is another way for families to communicate with the school.