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Dear Parents and Carers,
Advent
Last Sunday was the start of the new liturgical year. Advent is a time of hopeful expectation. During this season, we reflect on Jesus’ birth and his second coming. Advent is a four-week liturgical period where we allow our hearts and minds to become focused on encountering Jesus, who is God’s gift to the entire world. We must be ready to walk in this hope which will light our way to peace. May the four candles of our advent wreath serve as a reminder of our journey with God.
Advent is also a time of great joy and expectation. Throughout December, students at St Francis of Assisi are learning what Christmas truly means and how we can prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus. Our prayer spaces in our classrooms and administration building have changed to the colour purple as a sign that we have entered into the Season of Advent. If you’re looking for ways to engage with your children during this special time, there are a few ideas in the link below.
Link to the article: https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/news/celebrating-advent
Advent Prayer
Lord God, You ask us through the words of the prophet John the Baptist to prepare a space for you in our hearts and a place for you in our world.
We pray that during these days of Advent we may do all we can to;
Love you more dearly,
Follow you more nearly
See you more clearly day by day,
Help us during these days of Advent to welcome you more deeply into our lives. Amen
Mrs Vicky Davidson
PRINCIPAL
If we are to be “Bearers of Christ’s love”, it stands to reason that we must see through his eyes, love with his heart, and be driven by his mission. Bishop Brian Mascord.
Staff Farewells
As the year concludes, we say farewell to the following staff members.
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Mrs Patricia Burrows |
 |
 |
Mr Kyle Smith This year, we welcomed Mr Kyle Smith into the temporary role of Creative Arts, PE and STEM Teacher at St Francis of Assisi. Kyle has brought incredible enthusiasm, energy, and creativity to our school community. As we prepare for the much-anticipated Christmas Concert, we extend our thanks to Kyle for all the work he has put into organising this special event. Kyle has been appointed to a temporary teaching position at Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Shellharbour, in 2025. Thank you, for everything you have contributed to our school community this year, Kyle! |
 Please join us in expressing our heartfelt thanks and extending our warmest wishes to Mrs Burrows and Mr Smith as they embark on this exciting new chapter in their careers. We wish them every success in the future. |
Welcome to St Francis of Assisi
After a substantive recruitment process, we welcome to St Francis of Assisi, Mr Shayne Smith and Miss Celeste Muvceska. Mr Shayne Smith joins our leadership team as Middle Leader and Instructional Coach, and Miss Muvceska as a highly valued classroom teacher.
2025 Staff
On Monday 16 December, the students will have the opportunity to visit their classrooms for 2025 and spend time with their teachers. This is always a wonderful afternoon where the students and teachers have an opportunity to meet each other.
| Principal | Mrs Vicky Davidson |
| Assistant Principal | Mr Brett Murphy |
| Kindergarten Blue | Ms Melissa Beckhaus |
| Year 1 Gold | Mrs Karen Agius and Mrs Glenda Grey |
| Year 2 Blue | Mrs Maria Matos and Mrs Sandra Briscoe |
| Year 3 Gold | Ms Marita Maloney REC and Mrs Kathy Zaffonato (Wed) |
| Year 4 Blue | Mr Rich Gilmore |
| Year 5 Gold | Ms Mia Maitland and Mr Shayne Smith (Friday) |
| Year 6 Blue | Miss Celeste Muvceska |
| Literacy and Numeracy Support | Mrs Rebecca Mansbridge |
| Instructional Coach and ML | Mr Shayne Smith |
| EALD Teacher | Mrs Julie Johannesen |
| PPT | Mrs Karen Agius and Mr Shayne Smith |
| Senior School Support Officer | Mrs Tracie Brabender |
| School Support Officers | Mrs Jimenez, Ms Martins, Mrs Staffiero, Mrs Adams, Mrs George, Mrs Kinnas, Mrs Logue, Mrs Stewart, Miss Ivancevic and Mrs Christodoulou. |
PB4L
Our focus areas for the last week have been:
PB4L focus - Being Responsible - It’s coming to the end of the year and we are cleaning up around our school. Taking care of our school classroom means being proud of how we use and look after it. As we move towards the last 2 weeks of the year, we are tidying up our classroom responsibly and being prepared to begin 2025.
SEL focus - Gratitude - As the school year comes to an end, it’s a great time to think about what we're grateful for. Maybe we're thankful for new friends exciting things we’ve learned, or fun experiences we’ve had. Take a moment to reflect on all the things that made this year special. Being grateful helps us appreciate the good things in our lives and brings a smile to our faces. What are you most thankful for this year?
Assembly Dates Term 4
Thank you for your support as we have been flexible in our assembly times this term. Please see below for the full details of Term 4 assembly dates and times.
| Week | Type | Date / Time |
| 8 | Celebration of Learning - Year 3 | Friday 6 December 2:10 pm |
| 9 | Christmas Assembly (No awards) | Friday 13 December 2:00 pm |
School Assemblies are communicated in the weekly overview, newsletter, school calendar, and Compass. Please check the date and time for the weekly assemblies.
The PB4L team updated the reward system, earlier this year, which we have been using since July this year, and was backdated to the beginning of the school year.
We introduced two new awards students can receive:
* St Clare of Assisi Award, and
* Franciscan Medallion.
The new merit award system:
-
Once students receive 5 merit awards (Merit, Religious Education, and/or PB4L awards), they take them to the school office. The awards will be stamped on the back of the merit awards and students will receive their St Clare of Assisi Award at an upcoming assembly.
- When a student has received 5 St Clare of Assisi Awards, they can take these to the Office and students will receive a Franciscan Medallion at an upcoming assembly.
- Assembly merit awards will be awarded for specific learning and behavioural goals and will continue to be presented weekly as a school community.
- Teachers in each class will write one award for Merit, Religious Education, and PB4L. Specialist teachers will also be able to give out one award per week per stage.
- All student merit awards and principal stickers will be entered into Compass.
- Parents will receive a notification, via Compass, that their child will be receiving an award that week.
Mr Brett Murphy
It may seem early to be considering New Year’s resolutions, however, in our Church, the new liturgical year began last weekend with the First Sunday of Advent. With that in mind, now is as good a time as any to be thinking about making some new year’s resolutions around our spiritual life and wellbeing. These ideas from CatholicLink might be a good place to start.
If you have visited any major shopping centres lately, you have probably noticed that it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Perhaps you have started getting into the festive spirit yourself by putting up your Christmas tree, nativity scene and other Christmas decorations. Maybe you have purchased an Advent calendar of some description to help you count down to the celebration of Christmas.
Arguably, one of the most widely recognised symbols of Advent is the Advent wreath. The Advent wreath symbolises our spiritual preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. During Advent, we prepare our hearts to receive the Good News that God has blessed our world with the birth of Jesus by allowing our loving God - who is with us always - to enter our hearts. It is a time of watching, waiting, hoping and praying. Perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions could be to invest in your family’s prayer life. You may like to set up an Advent wreath in your home and use it when you pray together as a family.
- The Advent Wreath’s evergreen, circular shape reminds us of God’s endless love
for us.
- The three violet (purple) candles remind us of our waiting, longing and preparation for Jesus’ coming at Christmas.
- The rose (pink) candle reminds us of the joy and hope that will replace our longing, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
- The white candle, if included, is the sign of Jesus’ birth and the new life that comes to us through his death and resurrection.
FYI - Lighting the candles of the Advent wreath:
* First Sunday & week of Advent: light only 1 violet candle.
* Second Sunday & week of Advent: light 2 violet candles.
* Third Sunday & week of Advent: light 2 violet candles and the rose candle.
* Fourth Sunday & week of Advent: light 3 violet candles and the rose candle.
* Christmas Day – light all candles.
Wishing you a blessed Advent and a happy liturgical new year!
Parish Sacramental Programs for 2025
A letter from the parish will go home tomorrow regarding the process for enrolling in the Sacramental programs being offered in our parish next year. This letter was given to children in Years 2 and 5 who have been baptised in the Catholic faith. If you have a child in Years 3 and 4 and you would like them to receive a note, please let Ms Maloney know by the end of week 9. After that, letters will need to be sourced from the foyer of our parish churches.
Parish Youth Gathering - Tomorrow Night
As noted in our previous newsletter, the parish is hosting a second Youth Gathering at the Parishes House in Berkeley this Friday, 6 December. Arnie Hurdoyal, the Diocesan Youth Coordinator, will be joining us this time. Attendees are welcome to start arriving at 5:30 pm. Dinner will be provided at 6 pm. Following dinner, Arnie will lead the group in some games and discussion and the night will end with a short, reflective Taize prayer. Students in Year 6 and above are invited to attend. Parents are also welcome to join us. For catering purposes, please register with Sr Anna (phuonglucop@yahoo.com) or Ms Maloney (maloneymullerm01@dow.catholic.edu.au).
Parish Luncheon for Seniors and Volunteers
Next Thursday, the parish will host its annual Christmas luncheon for seniors and volunteers in the hall. They will be treated to some delicious food, wonderful company and entertainment from our students. Each class will share the song they have been practising for the Christmas concert, and Year 3 and Year 4 will conclude the entertainment with some additional Christmas carols. Thank you to all of the students who will provide this entertainment for our special visitors and thank you to the Year 6 leaders who will provide wonderful hospitality.
Christmas Assembly Celebration - Friday 13 December
Next Friday, 13 December, our afternoon assembly will be a Christmas celebration. The classes have been preparing their performances all term and are looking forward to sharing them with the wider school community. Parents and parishioners are warmly invited to join us at 2 pm next Friday.
End of Year Mass - Wednesday 18 December
On Wednesday 18 December, the whole school will be joining the parish community to celebrate our End of Year Mass at 9 am. This will be our final opportunity to farewell our Year Six students. This is also a significant day for our youngest members, too, as they will be presented with certificates at this Mass.
Children’s Nativity Play
As advertised previously, this year there will be a children’s nativity play before the 6:3
0 pm Christmas Eve Mass at St Mary’s, Berkeley. The parish is looking for children to be involved in the retelling of the Christmas story. There will be an initial meeting/rehearsal on Monday 16 December @ 5:30 pm and another one on Mon 23 December @ 5:30 pm. Both rehearsals will be at Berkeley. If your child would like to be involved, please let Ms Maloney or Sr Anna know.
Ms Marita Maloney
Religion Coordinator
| Date | Event | Attending | Venue |
| Friday 21 February 2025 | Swimming Carnival | Years 2 - 6 | Berkeley Pool |
| Friday 28 March 2025 | Cross Country Carnival | K-6 | Integral Energy Park, Kembla Grange |
| Friday 13 June 2025 | Athletics Carnival | K-6 | Myimbarr Oval, Shellharbour |
Cost to play sport survey
To gather valuable insights, we'd like to invite you to complete a short online survey about expenses related to sports participation.
The results of this project will be used to make recommendations to inform the ASC sports policies and strategies to minimise the cost of playing sports.
We encourage you to complete the survey with the details below. The survey closes at 5pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 31 December.
Thank you for helping us foster an understanding of the costs involved in community sport.
Earlier this year, we were privileged to welcome Uncle Kevin Butler into our school community. Uncle Kevin is a highly accomplished and well-known Aboriginal artist who generously shared his knowledge of local Aboriginal history, his personal story and Dreaming Stories with our students and staff. Through his work, we gained a deeper understanding of the rich local histories and the vital importance of connection to the land.
Last Friday, we had the pleasure of unveiling a beautiful school mural that Uncle Kevin painted for our school entrance. As Uncle Kevin shared during our assembly "St Francis of Assisi was the last school on his bucket list, making this mural even more special." We are incredibly grateful to Uncle Kevin for this meaning and gorgeous artwork. Thank you Uncle Kevin.
End or Year Disco
Thank you to everyone for coming to our end-of-year school disco, last Friday night. The students danced, laughed, and had so much fun socialising across the grades.
Thank you to our amazing P&F and parent volunteers for their hard work in organising this event. We are also incredibly appreciative of the support from Domino's Pizza Warrawong - Thank you for making the night extra special.
A big shoutout to Mr Gilmore, our superstar DJ, for keeping the dancefloor buzzing, and to our wonderful staff who attended. The students loved having you join in the fun. An eveing filled with joy, music, and community spirit - thank you to everyone who made it a success.
Christmas Raffle
The P&F have sent out Christmas raffle tickets this week. The tickets sold or unsold are to be returned to school by Tuesday 10 December. Prizes will be drawn on Friday 13 December at the Christmas Assembly, starting at 2 pm.
Thank you to NAB Shellharbour for supporting our raffle as our major sponsor this year.
Get involved - Help our school
All parents, carers, and grandparents are welcome to join our P&F, at meetings and to volunteer at events. Your support is greatly appreciated and needed. If you would like to join the P&F committee and/or help at events please do not hesitate to contact the school. There will be more information during this term about meetings, events, and the AGM.
AGM 2025 Invitation - Thursday 27 February, 3.00 pm
Parents, grandparents, and carers are invited to attend the P&F AGM on Thursday 27 February at 3.00 pm. All positions will be made vacant. Please find enclosed the Nomination form for your information. We look forward to continuing our parent support for 2025. We hope to see you at the meeting.
Best wishes to Aaliyah in Year 5 who will be performing in the upcoming production of Seussical Jr at Wollongong High School Performing Arts Centre in January 2025. See the attached flyer for details and ticket purchases.
Student and Staff Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who are celebrating their birthdays in December:
Mikayla R, Sienna M, Karem Y, Mohamad J, Samuel D, Isabella G, Genevieve M, Sophie D, Joy R, Joshua C, Yazea L, Batoul S, Hudson S, Aya H, Mrs Christodoulou, Mr Murphy & Mrs George
A friendly reminder the Compass account for Year 6 students will automatically close at the end of the school year. Please remember to log in and download your child's school reports for your own records before Friday 20 December 2024.
2025 Enrolment applications are open ONLINE. Please submit your application online on our school website, www.sfawdow.catholic.edu.au, and click ENROL NOW. Please do not hesitate to contact the School Office with any questions.
Dear Parents
It is by law that when your children are absent from school an explanation is provided. Please respond to the text notification or log in to your Parent Compass and submit the absence. Many absences are unexplained and we require parents to check Compass and complete. Please see the attached instructions for your information. Thank you.
Students are required to be present at school every day. Please make appointments outside school hours, where possible. If your child needs to be collected early for an appointment, a note explaining this is required to be given to the class teacher by the student on the morning of the appointment. As a matter of courtesy, this communication assists in the organising of the day for the class and teacher. Telephone messages during class time interrupt class learning and we avoid this unless urgent. This explanation is documented in your child's attendance records.
All students are required to attend school unless they are unwell. Students should arrive by 8.30 am and finish at 2.50 pm. Daily attendance recording in the Compass Parent Portal notifies parents of their child being absent. Parents are required to record their explanation in Compass by completing the link they receive via text or by logging into the Compass parent portal.
All absences including early leave and late arrival must be reported by parents with an explanation and or a medical certificate if required. Please teach your children the importance of punctuality and arriving at school on time.
Parents are required to write a note to the teacher if their child needs to be collected early from school to attend an appointment.
When children arrive at school after 8.40 am, they must go to the School Office for a late note as the roll will automatically mark them absent and you will receive an absent notification.
| TERM 4 | |
| Wednesday 18 December | Last day for Students |
| Thursday 19 & Friday 20 December | PUPIL FREE DAYS |
| 2025 | |
| Tuesday 4 February | Students Year 1-6 Return to School |
| Wednesday 5 February | Kindergarten 2025 First Day of School |
| Monday 14 April - Friday 25 April | Term 1 School Holidays |
