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- Principal's Message
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- Parish News
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- Welcome back!
- Celebration of Learning Assembly
- Principal & Value Awards
- NAIDOC Week
- Year 6 Art
- No Assembly | Friday 28 July
- Lowes 20% Sale
- Advancedlife Captains Group Photos
- Reminders ....
- CatholicCare Courses
- Pupil Free Day Term 3
- School Fees & Payments
- Canteen Menu - Term 3
- Book Week
- Book Fair
- Bearer's of Christ Love
- Lunchbox Program | Swap it
- Enrol Kindergarten 2024
- Parenting Insights
- Community News
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome to Term 3. I hope the mid-year break enabled all families the time to relax and prepare for the second half of the school year. It was wonderful catching up with students last week, hearing about their adventures, learnings and social connections during the break.
Yesterday our school community gathered to celebrate Grandparents Day on the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. This is one of our favourite times of
the year. It was lovely to see so many grandparents and special friends join us once again. Grandparents are a family’s greatest treasure, the founders of a loving legacy, the greatest storytellers, and the keepers of traditions that linger on in cherished memory. Grandparents are the family’s strong foundation. Their very special love sets them apart. Through happiness and sorrow, through their special love and caring, Grandparents keep a family close at heart. Pope Francis reminds us that “Their presence in families and communities is a precious one, for it reminds us that we share the same heritage and are part of a people committed to preserving its roots. From grandparents, we receive the gift of belonging to God’s holy people. The Church, as well as society, needs them, for they entrust to the present the past that is needed to build the future. Let us honour them, neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours.”
We give thanks to God for our grandparents and for their love and wisdom, and for being part of our lives. At this time, we also take the opportunity to remember and keep in our prayers those grandparents who are no longer with us.
Lord God almighty, bless our grandparents with long life, happiness, and health.
May they remain constant in your love and be living signs of your presence to their children and grandchildren. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mrs Vicky Davidson
PRINCIPAL
This term, our school calendar is filled with many exciting learning opportunities for the students. Please keep an eye on Compass, the Parent Calendar and other communication platforms for information on these events.
Uniform expectations
Reminders about uniform expectations are a frequent inclusion in the newsletter. Thank you to the parents/carers who consistently strive to ensure that their children are presented in the correct uniform each day. I acknowledge that it can be a challenge, and sometimes it is the children themselves who make the choice to wear the incorrect uniform. On rare occasions, when a student cannot wear the correct uniform, a written explanation should be provided to their classroom teacher.
Attendance and Illnesses
In addition to uniform reminders, we also remind parents about the importance of school attendance. Regular attendance at school for every student is essential for their improvement in learning, development and social-emotional well-being. While parents are legally responsible for the regular attendance of their children at school, school staff, as a part of their duty of care, have a responsibility to record and monitor school attendance. While school attendance is extremely important, it is also important to keep your child at home if they are experiencing signs of fever, vomiting or diarrhea, coughs and colds, etc... It is important they receive the appropriate treatment to help them get better faster. Those students who have been off for an extended period of illness should provide the school with a doctor's certificate. A few of our families have children who have or who are recovering from illnesses. Being mindful of this is the best way to protect others from infection.
School Cyclic Inquiry
Over the next two weeks, the school will be involved in the formal part of the School Cyclic Inquiry. A panel of colleagues and experts will be visiting the school to celebrate and acknowledge the past four years, and work together to look forward to the next four years. Thank you to all who participated in the 'Tell Them From Me Survey', providing valuable input and voice to the process. We look forward to sharing the findings with our school community.
Year 5 and 6 ZooSnooz overnight Excursion
Next week our Year 5 and 6 students will attend an overnight excursion at Taronga Zoo as part of their Science unit on Adaptations. On their first day, the staff and students will visit the Royal Botanical Gardens, Mary MacKillop Place and Dawes Point Battery before heading over to Taronga Zoo. We look forward to hearing about their experiences. Thank you to the teachers for all their organisation of this overnight excursion.
Term 3 will see the continuation of our Celebration of Learning Assemblies. Please see the timetable below. We look forward to joining together to highlight the learning that has been happening in these classrooms, as well as presenting the Principal and Value awards at these assemblies.
| Week 5 | Week 10 |
| 5 Gold | 6 Blue |
Parent Resources: eSafety
The eSafety Commission website has resources to help parents and carers be positive role models and online safety advocates.
For online safety information for parents and carers, visit eSafety.gov.au/parents.
For advice on how to set parental controls across home Wi-Fi, devices, software, and more, visit: eSafety.gov.au/parental-controls.
For online safety webinars for parents and carers, visit eSafety.gov.au/parents/webinars.
For advice on the latest games, apps and social media, visit eSafety.gov.au/esafety-guide.
Please note these competitions are completely optional and have a cost associated with them. Please see the attached information sheet and contact Mr Murphy if you have any questions. The closing date to order these assessments is Monday 31 July 2023. The tests will be held at school during August, and further information will be provided to students and families who have opted to take part.
NAPLAN results, which the students completed in March, were delivered to students in Years 3 and 5 this week. NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. The purpose of the NAPLAN data is to provide parents, and the school, with information about the student's literacy and numeracy skills. As students progress through their school years, it’s important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy.
NAPLAN testing is a snapshot of data from when the tests were undertaken and one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress. From 2023, proficiency standards replace the previous reporting of NAPLAN results that used numerical bands.
| Date | Event | Attending | Venue |
| Friday 28 July | Soccer Gala Day | Selected Years 3 - 6 students | Various venues - see details below |
|
Tuesday 8 August |
South Coast Athletics | Selected Year 2 - 6 students | Beaton Park, Wollongong |
|
Thursday 24 August |
NRL Gala Day - Girls League Tag, Boys Tackle | Selected Year 5-6 students | Croome Road Sporting Complex |
|
Thursday 14 September |
Junior Basketball Gala Day | Selected Year 3-4 students | Illawarra Sports Stadium, Berkeley |
|
Friday 15 September |
Senior Basketball Gala Day | Selected Year 5-6 students | Illawarra Sports Stadium, Berkeley |
| Age Groups | Location |
| Juniors (Years 3 and 4 boys and girls) | Lyrebird Park, Nowra |
| Senior Boys (Years 5 and 6) | Terry Reserve, Albion Park |
| Senior Girls (Years 5 and 6) | Darcy Wentworth Oval, Warrawong |
We are excited to announce that St Francis of Assisi is participating in Jump Rope for Heart this term – a fantastic fundraising and physical activity program by the Heart Foundation.
Starting in Week 4, your child will learn new skills, increase their physical activity, and learn about heart health. The program will end with our school wide ‘Jump Off Day’, where your child gets to show off their new skipping skills to their friends.
We will be officially launching this program at our Week 4 Assembly, and full details regarding the program will be included in the Week 4 newsletter. This is very exciting and for a great cause, we hope you are able to support as much as you are able to.
Welcome back for Term 3. It didn't take the students long to engage in their learning after a two week break. It was smiles all around as the students connected with the staff and their first on the first day of Term 3.
Year 6 students learned sketching and pencil drawing in their art lessons. The half portraits below show skill and talent. Do you recognise some of the faces of our school community? So talented!
Dear Year 6 Parents,
Student Captains group photos are available to order online from AdvancedLife Photography. Please follow the information below for ordering.
20% Discount on Sports & Co-Curricular Group Photos available until 1/08/2023
These school sports and co-curricular groups were photographed on 4/05/2023:
*School Captain and Vice Captain
*Sport Captains
You can now view and purchase the group images listed above if you place your order before 1/08/2023 you will
get a 20% early order discount. Please note the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
Images can also be viewed by visiting www.advancedlife.com.au entering the code: CZF PZ6 2FX and clicking on “Group Photos”
Important
Sports and co-curricular group photos can only be purchased online, PLEASE DO NOT return payment to your school.
If your child's group or team is scheduled to be photographed at a later date, you will receive an additional email notification when the images are ready to be ordered
Photos will be returned to your school for distribution approximately six weeks after the discounted early order period has closed
Past years' photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available at your school's advanced order and your child's advanced photo sites
advancedlife would like to express our appreciation to St Francis Of Assisi Catholic Primary School for placing your trust in us. Please remember we offer a 100% money-back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. We would also love to receive your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience, please contact us at www.advancedlife.com.au/contact
Dont' forget your HAT, DRINK BOTTLE and put your NAME on your property.
These costs are included in the school fee account and payment is required. Please check your account and ensure payment is being made. Thank you.
* Reminder texts are automatically issued by the Catholic Education Office *
* Weekly BPay Payments are Required *
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Book Week at St Francis of Assisi Each year since 1945, the Children's Book Council of Australia has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During this time, schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. Classroom teachers, teacher librarians and public librarians create colourful displays, develop activities, run competitions and tell stories relating to a theme to highlight the importance of reading. You will often see parades with students dressed as their favourite book character. |
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(It is not compulsory for students to dress up).
In conjunction with Book Week this week, our school Book Fair has been open for you and your child/ren to have the opportunity to explore a huge range of affordable books featuring characters and subjects kids love and want to read about. From newly released books and bestsellers to award-winning titles and perennial favourites. Every book sold benefits our school, adding resources to our library and classrooms. Scholastic Book Fairs help us show students the wonder of reading. After all, when kids choose their own books, they will be more excited to read, and they will naturally read more!
We will be open the week of 21 August to 25 August in the Sports Room
from 8.15 am-9.15 am and 2.45 pm-3.15 pm.
Thank you.
The Bishop of Wollongong, Most Rev. Brian Mascord DD, has published a new document on the nature and purpose of Catholic schools in our diocese. Titled Bearers of Christ’s Love — Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Wollongong, this document is the first of its type in our diocese since the 1970s. In it, Bishop Brian explores the purpose of Catholic schools as an expression of the Church experience, as well as the vital connection between schools, parents/carers, parishes, and the diocese itself.
Throughout the document, Bishop Brian reiterates:
- The significant role Catholic schools play in the evangelising mission of the Church and the nurturing of students’ faith.
- The commitment of Catholic educators to complement and support the educational rights and duties of parents as their child’s first educator.
- The essential requirement for Catholic schools to be places of educational excellence, where learning, wellbeing and actions of outreach and service are integrated in a holistic educational vision and practice.
- That Catholic schools are places where those seeking a Catholic education are welcome, reflecting the diverse mix of cultures, nationalities and religious traditions that currently make up our school communities.
I encourage you to take the time to watch the short video from Bishop Brian and read this important document on the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong website.
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