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Dear Parents and Carers
Last Friday, we gathered as a faith-filled community to celebrate our Opening School Mass, marking the beginning of a new school year at St Francis of Assisi. Thank you to Father Damien and Deacon Lawrie for celebrating with us and to Ms Maloney and the team for preparing the Mass.
During this special occasion, we also commissioned our Year 6 Student Leaders for 2025. These students have committed to serving our school with humility and dedication, leading by example in word and action. Their willingness to take on this responsibility is a true reflection of the Gospel values we strive to live each day.
In the Gospel reading last Sunday (Luke 6:17, 20-26), we are reminded of Jesus' teachings on the Beatitudes, calling us to live with compassion, humility, and a heart for others. Just as Jesus spoke to the disciples and the great crowd who gathered to hear Him, we, too, are called to be people of faith, to uplift and support one another, and to find joy in serving others. Our Year 6 leaders have embraced this call, and I encourage all our students to follow their example in showing kindness, respect, and generosity in our school community.
I was especially proud of our students’ reverence and participation at Mass, particularly our Kindergarten students, who have only recently begun their journey at school. Thank you to all our parents, family members, and parishioners who joined us, it was a wonderful way to begin our year together.
This week also marks the start of our Meet and Greet meetings, which will continue into next week. It has been great to see so many parents taking this opportunity to connect with their child’s teacher. These meetings are an essential step in building strong partnerships between home and school, ensuring that each child is supported in their learning and personal growth. I extend my appreciation to our teachers for making this possible and for their ongoing commitment to our students.
A special thank you to all the families who attended our Welcome BBQ on Wednesday. It was fantastic to see so many members of our school community come together and enjoy each other’s company. We are especially grateful to our Parish Hospitality Team for generously organising and preparing the sausage sizzle—your time and effort in supporting our school is greatly appreciated.
Looking ahead, we warmly invite all families, including those interested in joining our school community, to our Open Day on Sunday, 23 February, at 11:30 am. This event marks the opening of our enrolment period, providing an opportunity for prospective families to experience the welcoming and vibrant environment of St Francis of Assisi. If you know families considering enrolment, please encourage them to come along and see all that our school has to offer. Thank you to our Years 4, 5 and 6 students who have volunteered to assist at the Open Day.
As we embark on this new school year, may we walk together as Pilgrims of Hope, guided by faith, strengthened by love, and united in service to one another.
Mrs Vicky Davidson
PRINCIPAL
St Francis of Assisi acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people, past and present, the traditional custodians on whose land we educate our students.
Parent Engagement
As a Catholic learning community, St Francis of Assisi strives to be welcoming and connected, supporting the engagement of parents as partners in their children’s faith, learning and wellbeing, and their involvement in the life and community of the school and parish. We encourage your active engagement with the school to support your child's learning. While the Meet and Greets are a formal opportunity to share information about your child, you are always welcome to arrange with the school office an informal meeting or phone call with your child's teacher throughout the year. Sometimes, you might just want to touch base with a teacher to see how your child is progressing and how you can support their learning. Please don't hesitate to contact the teachers.
Active engagement is one of the five principles in 'The Lighting the Way Together Parent-School Partnership Framework.' Please see a copy of the framework below.
17th Anniversary of the National Apology to Australia's Stolen Generations
On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd offered a formal apology to Australia’s Stolen Generations, those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who had been removed as children from their families and their culture.
On this date each year, we remember the apology that was made to all those whose lives continue to be impacted and deeply traumatised by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation. Although the apology could not take away the pain of the past, many felt it was a necessary first step in the healing process.
As 2025 has been declared a Year of Jubilee by Pope Francis, with the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope”, let us all join in walking alongside our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sisters and Brothers with HOPE in our hearts. We pray for healing and reconciliation for all Australians as we journey together as pilgrims of Hope.
School Emergency Management Plan
Safety in schools is paramount, ensuring a secure environment for students, staff and visitors. Each year, the staff reviews and update the school emergency management plan. In line with this plan, we must carry out practice drills to ensure we are ready for emergencies. Regular school drills are critical in preparing everyone to respond effectively to various emergencies. In Australia, schools are mandated to hold certain drills throughout the year. These drills help instil a sense of preparedness and calm during potential emergencies.
Fire drills are one of the most essential school drills, teaching students and staff how to evacuate the building quickly and safely in case of a fire. This drill ensures everyone is familiar with the escape routes and procedures for exiting the school site. Today, our students had the opportunity to practice a fire drill. The staff and children are to be commended for their prompt movement and cooperation during the drill. During the term, we will also have the opportunity to practice the lockdown and lockout drills.
2026 Kindergarten Enrolment applications are open ONLINE. Please submit your application via our school website, www.sfawdow.catholic.edu.au, and click ENROL NOW. Please do not hesitate to contact the School Office with any questions. Limited vacancies are available in 2025.
Friday Assembly - Achievements
At St Francis of Assisi, we celebrate our student achievements in faith, learning and well-being each Friday with a whole school assembly. Sometimes we may have assemblies on other days due to other events on the calendar.
As part of this, we would like to acknowledge any significant achievements that our students complete outside of school. To streamline this process, we have created a form to complete if you would like to share your child's achievements. This will allow you to add relevant details, and photos if you like, to support us in presenting this information accurately.
Please complete this form (link below) if you would like us to recognise your child's achievement at our Friday assembly. This could be a sporting achievement, dancing/singing/performing achievement, martial arts, etc. Anything that your child has achieved outside of school. We would love to share the good news stories of our students.
NOTE: All forms completed by the Monday of the week of the Friday assembly will be included. Any forms received after that will be included in the following assembly.
In addition to our weekly assemblies, we also hold Celebration of Learning Assemblies - 1 per class each year. These assemblies allow each class to present highlights of their learning to the whole school, and we also present Principal and Value awards. Please see below for the 2025 Celebration of Learning timetable.
PLEASE NOTE: Celebration of Learning Assemblies begin at the earlier time of 2:10pm.
2025 Celebration of Learning Timetable
Assembly starts 2:10 pm
| Term/Week | Date | Class |
| Term 1 Week 5 | Friday 28 February | 5 Gold |
| Term 1 Week 10 | Friday 4 April | 4 Blue |
| Term 2 Week 5 |
Friday 30 May | 3 Gold |
| Term 2 Week 9 | Friday 27 June | 1 Gold |
| Term 3 Week 4 |
Friday 15 August | 2 Blue |
| Term 3 Week 8 | Friday 12 September | K Blue |
| Term 4 Week 5 |
Friday 14 November | 6 Blue |
| Term 4 Week 9 | Friday 12 December |
Principal and Value Awards Only |
Term 1 Assembly Dates and Times
Please see the table below for the Assembly Dates and times. These can also be found on the calendar available on Compass. Parents/Carers of students receiving awards will be notified if their child is receiving an award each week.
| Week | Date | Time |
| 5 | Friday 28 February - 5 Gold Celebration of Learning | 2:10 pm |
| 6 | Friday 7 March | 2:20 pm |
| 7 | Friday 14 March | 8:45 am |
| 8 | Friday 21 March | 8:45 am |
| 9 | Thursday 27 March | 8:45 am |
| 10 | Friday 4 April - 4 Blue Celebration of Learning | 2:10 pm |
| 11 | Friday 11 April | 8:45 am |
NAPLAN 2025
Year 3 and Year 5 will sit the NAPLAN assessments in Term 1 this year. The test window runs from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March. Further details and dates will be provided to these cohorts in the coming weeks. Parents do not need to do anything additional to prepare for these assessments.
IMPORTANT NOTICES AND REMINDERS:
Please note: School supervision does not begin until 8:15 am.
Students should not be at school before this time.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE .....EVERY LEARNER, EVERY DAY!
- School attendance plays a critical role in enhancing the lives of students in school.
- Every day of attendance adds to a student's academic achievement and success.
- School attendance is compulsory for every school-age student.
Parents can help by promoting the importance of school by:
- ensuring your child attends school every day
- arriving at school punctually (school begins at 8:40 am)
- leading by example ... be organised and ready
We are keen to support parents in developing and consolidating good attendance habits in every student.
Appointments
Please make appointments outside of school hours where possible.
If your child has to leave school early for an appointment, please notify the teacher in writing on the morning of the appointment to avoid disrupting the class and their learning.
Absent Compass Notifications
Please respond to the absent notifications with an explanation for your child's absence.
Punctuality
It is important for children to learn punctuality and arrive at school by
8.30 am.
Stage Leaders 2025
For any issues regarding your child that can not be handled by contacting the class teacher, please contact the relevant stage leaders below.
Early Stage 1 / Stage 1 (K-2) - Ms Maloney
Stage 2 (Year 3 and 4) - Mr Murphy
Stage 3 (Year 5 and 6) - Mr Smith
Homework Policy
We are currently reviewing our Homework Policy. As part of the process, we would greatly value input from you - our parents and carers. You will have the opportunity to discuss this and answer some quick questions with your class teacher at the upcoming meet and greet sessions. Thanks to the parents and carers who have completed the survey. You will find QR codes to the survey at school in the waiting area for Meet and Greets. Additionally, the link is here for anyone wishing to provide feedback.
In the meantime, until our homework policy is finalised, our homework expectations will be that every student reads each day.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or feedback on homework.
NRMA Science and Road Safety Program
This year, students will complete an online learning program provided by NRMA around road safety and science. Please see the guide below for ways you can support your children with learning about road safety outside school.
Pivot 2025
We are excited to announce that in 2025 we will again be partnering with Pivot, an online tool to support student learning and wellbeing for all students K-6. Pivot involves a series of check-ins which provide important data for our staff to identify student needs and follow up as appropriate. Please see the guide below for further information.
If you have any concerns about your child using the Pivot tool, or have any questions, please contact me to discuss.
Healthy Harold
Life Education and Healthy Harold will be visiting St Francis this term in Week 6 from Monday 3 March to Wednesday 5 March. Please see attached Healthy Harold merchandise available to order online - Orders will need to be in no later than Thursday 27 February.
Life Education has been trusted to deliver education to over 7 million children and young people since 1979. You yourself may be a Healthy Harold graduate. Life Education offers schools a unique, curriculum-based program empowering children to make safer and healthier choices through education.
Life Education is a 60-90 minute interactive lesson delivered by specialist educators. The face to face lesson is also accompanied by a range of pre and post visit lessons to help extend and reinforce the learning. The face to face lessons will be delivered in the Healthy Harold Van on site.
The lessons cover a range of topics across the three core areas of physical health, safety and social and emotional wellbeing (each classes module is listed below). The lessons have been developed specifically to be unique, memorable and interactive experiences.
Kindergarten - Harold's Friend Ship
Year 1 - Ready, Steady, Go
Year 2 - Harold's Online World
Year 3 - bCyberwise
Year 4 - Friends and Feelings
Year 5 - Relate, Respect, Connect
Year 6 - Decisions
St Clare of Assisi Awards
Please be reminded that these awards started in 2024. Any Merit, RE or PB4L awards achieved from this time on will count towards the St Clare of Assisi merit awards (but can only be used once).
Process:
5 x Class Awards (Merit, RE or PB4L) = St Clare of Assisi Award - please bring the 5 awards into the school office. These will be recorded and a St Clare of Assisi Merit Award will be presented at the next assembly.
3 x St Clare of Assisi Awards = 1 St Francis Medallion
Please let me know if you have any questions about the awards system.
Mr Brett Murphy
Assistant Principal
School Value Focus - Respect
At St Francis of Assisi, we value respect because we honour the presence of God in those we meet, believing that everyone is created in the image and likeness of God. Over the last few weeks, classes have been reviewing why respect is one of our school values and how we can show respect. At next week’s first Celebration of Learning Assembly for the year, we will be presenting the value award for respect to a student from each class.Acknowledging our Catechists & School Staff
In our parish churches this weekend - Berkeley & Warrawong - catechists will be acknowledged & blessed. Strictly speaking, when we think of catechists, we think of those who go into state schools to teach the Catholic faith during special RE lessons. However, in recognition of the significant role our school staff play in teaching the Catholic faith in our school community, Fr Damien has extended an invitation to all staff from St Francis of Assisi to come along to one of the parish Masses this weekend to also be acknowledged for the important work they do and to receive a blessing.
Welcome BBQ - Thank you!
A special thank you to the parishioners from St Mary’s and St Francis of Assisi parishes who assisted with our Welcome BBQ yesterday. Your time and dedication to serving a tasty snack to the families in our school community is very much appreciated.
Upcoming Events
Shrove Tuesday - Tuesday 4 March
The Diocesan launch of Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion campaign, which runs during the Season of Lent, occurs on Shrove Tuesday. This year, St Francis of Assisi is hosting the launch. There will be visiting staff and students from all over the diocese joining Bishop Brian for this event.
Ash Wednesday - Wednesday 5 March
The whole school will be attending the 9 am Mass on Ash Wednesday. As always, parents and carers are most welcome to join us. For those who may be working Wednesday morning, there will be an evening Mass at 6 pm as well.
Formation Opportunity on the Wednesdays of Lent
This year, our parish will be offering catechesis during the Season of Lent. Each Wednesday evening of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday, Fr Damien will be facilitating formation evenings in the hall after the 6 pm Mass. The sessions will run from approximately 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, with tea and coffee available. If you are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, this would be a great opportunity!
Ms Marita Maloney
REC Coordinator
| Date | Event | Attending | Venue |
| Friday 21 February | Swimming Carnival | Years 2-6 | Berkeley Pool |
| Friday 28 March | School Cross Country | K-6 | Integral Energy Park |
| Friday 13 June | School Athletics Carnival | K-6 | Myimbarr Oval, Shellharbour |
If you know another family who may be interested, we’d love for you to extend this invitation.
All Parents & Friends positions will be made vacant and an election will be held for new committee members for the 2025 Parents & Friends Committee. The AGM has been scheduled to be held on Thursday 27 February at 3.00 pm-3.45 pm. All parents are welcome and hope to see you there.
Dear Parents
The following annual Insight consents are required to be completed on the Compass Parent portal:
1. 2025 Consent for the use of student's image and/or work
2. 2025 Acceptable Use of Technology
These forms are compulsory and are to be completed by Friday 14 February.
Please submit these via your parent Compass portal by clicking on the top two green "Insight" boxes on the right hand side of the Compass portal, and follow the prompts to complete the forms online as per the image and instructions below. Please note these two consents are required for each student. Please do not hesitate to contact the School Office if you have any questions.
Life Ed and Healthy Harold will be visiting St Francis this term in Week 6!
Healthy Harold merchandise is available to order online. Please see brochure attached.
Life Ed has been trusted to deliver education to over 7 million children and young people since 1979. You yourself may be a Healthy Harold graduate. Life Ed offers schools a unique, curriculum-based program empowering children to make safer and healthier choices through education.
Life Ed is a 60-90 minute interactive lesson delivered by specialist educators. The face to face lesson is also accompanied by a range of pre and post visit lessons to help extend and reinforce the learning. The face to face lessons may be delivered in a mobile learning centre; a pop-up classroom, in your child’s classroom and also virtually. We follow Covid safe practices and all Life Ed employees are required to have a Working With Children Check.
The lessons cover a range of topics across the three core areas of physical health, safety and social and emotional wellbeing. We have developed the lessons specifically to be unique, memorable and interactive experiences.
There are 3 preschool modules and 12 primary modules Life Ed delivers, covering popular topics such as:
- How nutrition and physical activity contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
- Online safety education including strategies for recognising, reacting and reporting predatory or unsafe situations.
- Strategies to deal with bullying and cyberbullying.
- Resilience, self-awareness, self-management and social awareness.
- Respectful relationships and consent.
- Decisions, peer pressure, responsibility and consequences.
- Alcohol and other drug education (in age appropriate contexts).
- Ways to keep safe at home, school and in the community.
Visit our module overview page to find out more and our Family Resources page to search for more information on the topics covered in your child’s Life Ed visit. Our family resources are free and support families in helping their children and young people to thrive.
Scholastic Book Club Issue 1 - ORDER ONLINE - by 21 February
Book Club is available for parents to order books for their children. This encourages their reading and supports the school. Orders are to be placed online by 21 February, please see the instructions below. Issue 1 Book Club catalogue is below.
How to order using LOOP?
- Sign in or register an account at: scholastic.com.au/loop
- Click on ORDER and select school and child’s class.
- Add your child’s first name and last initial (for book distribution).
- Enter product item number from the Book Club catalogue.
- Make payment via credit card
- All orders are attached to the school account until ready to be submitted to Scholastic by the school. Sorry, no late orders can be processed.
School Fee Payments
Attention Parents, 2025 Fee Statements have been emailed. This is an Annual amount for 2025, if you have nominated to pay by instalments this payment schedule will be on the second page of the statement.
Please log in to your Parent Compass Portal to view your school fee account by clicking the Payments Centre green box above "My News". Payments can be paid online by clicking "School Fees Action Required". Full payment is due by 28 February unless the below instalment form has been submitted and you have set up these payments on your Compass portal or Bpay using the details on the Fee Statement emailed. Fee instalments set up last year will roll over and continue automatically this year. See further details below.
School fees for 2025 have now been invoiced and statements have been emailed with annual or first instalment payment due on 28 February. You may also view your school fee account in the Compass Parent Portal. Further information is available below from the Catholic Education Office.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
▪ The invoicing of school fees and the distribution of school fee statements each month, is now a function carried out by the Catholic Education Office.
▪ Payment of fees, whether as an annual payment or payment by instalments is due on the date/s provided on your school fee statement.
▪ If an amendment is made to your school fee account eg your child changes subjects in a secondary school, etc. you will be emailed a statement which will provide a new schedule of payments and due dates. Please review this schedule to make any changes to your payments that are necessary.
Primary school families will note on the school fee statements a change in name in relation to the "SEDSO Levy". This levy has now been renamed and will be known as "Primary Building Levy". This is not an additional fee, merely a name change and funds are still used to provide capital grants to schools for new facilities and to meet loan payments for school buildings. We are currently in the process of amending all documentation and websites to reflect this variation.
REMINDERS FOR LATE PAYMENTS
SMS and email reminders are automatically generated by our accounting software based on the number of days a payment is overdue and are distributed by the Catholic Education Office. For those families that may have difficulty in paying their school fees, these reminders may cause some distress. This is not our intention. Our intention is to support the collection of school fee accounts centrally and in so doing,
alleviate some of the administrative work of our schools.
SCHOOL FEE ACCOUNT ENQUIRIES
Please note, despite the centralisation of various functions, your school/s will always be your point of contact for matters pertaining to fees. If you wish to discuss your school fee account, please contact your school office. The role of the Catholic Education Office is to action centralised tasks on behalf of schools.
IF YOU WISH TO PAY BY INSTALMENTS
Many families have already elected to pay their school fees by instalments. If you wish to avail yourself of this option please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on your school’s website or at your school’s office. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at your school’s office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your account and a schedule of payments and due dates will be provided on your next school fee statement. Please note it is only necessary to complete this form once during the period of child/children’s enrolment unless you wish to amend your payment frequency.
DIFFICULTY WITH PAYMENT
If you are experiencing financial difficulty, we encourage you to contact the school in which your child/children are enrolled to discuss an arrangement that will assist you meet your commitments. This may include the completion of a Diocesan Application for Fee Concession which is available from the administration office of each school. Be reassured that your situation will be treated with strict confidentiality and respect for your circumstances. If you wish to submit an application, please do so at your child’s school. Please note, if you have children in more than one school, it will only be necessary to submit one application. For those families that previously received a Fee Concession, you will receive an email prior to your annual review date attaching a further Application for Fee Concession. You may also initiate an earlier review if you wish to do so by contacting your school office. For further information regarding school fees, please access the Diocesan School Fee Management
Policy and Frequently Asked Questions which is available on your school’s website.
As an Allergy Aware School, we request no peanuts, peanut paste, peanut butter (including "dippers"), nuts, "Nutella" spread, or nutty muesli bars within the school. Education about food safety and the seriousness and potentially life-threatening nature of allergies takes place within the classroom environment. All students are reminded not to share or swap food. We believe an effective partnership between home and school will ensure the successful inclusion of students with life-threatening allergies.
We are committed to supporting our students with anaphylaxis within the school environment and request your support to ensure a safe environment for these students. Thank you.
2025 SCHOOL TERMS
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TERM 1 |
Friday 31 Jan -Friday 11 April |
TERM 2 |
Monday 28 April - Friday 4 July |
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TERM 3 |
Monday 21 July - Friday 26 Sept |
TERM 4 |
Monday 13 October - Friday 19 Dec |
2025 PUPIL-FREE DAYS
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TERM 1 PFD |
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TERM 2 PFD |
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TERM 3 PFD |
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TERM 4 PFD |
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