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Dear Parents and Carers
Scripture Reflection
I hope you have had a good week and this message finds you well. As we take time to reflect on the weeks ahead, we are reminded of the importance of hope, connection, and renewal in our lives.
Last Sunday’s Gospel, the Transfiguration of Jesus, offers a powerful message about the glory of Christ and the hope we find in Him. As we journey through this Lenten season, reflecting on the Jubilee Year of Hope, we draw inspiration from Sunday's gospel reading from Luke 9:28-36. This passage, known as the Transfiguration of Jesus, illuminates the message of hope and transformation.
This powerful moment in the Gospel reveals Jesus’ divinity and foreshadows his resurrection, offering us a message of hope. Just as Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, showing glimpses of his glory, we, too, are called to find hope in moments of transformation and renewal.
Hope, as revealed through the Transfiguration, encourages us to deepen our presence and nourish our relationship with God. It reminds us that even in challenging times, we are called to remain steadfast in faith and connected in prayer. Through prayer and reflection, we can draw strength from the enduring message of hope that Easter brings the promise of new life and eternal grace.
As a school community, let us embrace this Lenten season with hearts open to transformation and minds focused on hope. Together, may we continue to grow in faith, strengthen our connections with one another, and embody the spirit of hope that sustains us throughout our journey.
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.
Staff Professional Learning
At St Francis of Assisi, we believe that learning is a lifelong journey—not just for students, but for our teachers and support staff. Our Professional Learning program supports staff in expanding their knowledge and skills to ensure the best learning outcomes for our students.
Research shows that high-quality professional learning is essential for improving teaching practice and student growth. At St Francis of Assisi, our staff is deeply committed to ongoing professional development, continuously striving to improve our teaching practice in order to improve faith, learning and wellbeing.
Our staff engage in a variety of professional learning experiences, including:
-
Classroom-based learning – observing practice, coaching and mentoring, participating in professional learning communities
- Face-to-face learning – attending conferences, meetings, training courses, and formal study
- Research-based learning – professional reading, inquiry cycles, and self-directed research
- Online learning – completing modules, courses, and webinars
As a school, we have a strategic plan for school improvement, upon which we base our professional learning priorities.
Please see below for some of the recent professional learning and formation opportunities our staff have been involved in. These professional learning opportunities may occur during school hours, after school, or during the pupil vacation periods.
- Leadering in Leadership - Mr Murphy
- Diabetes Level 3 Training - Mr Gilmore, Mrs Stewart, Miss Ivancevic, Mrs Christodoulou
- Gifted Education - Mrs Mansbridge
- Collaborative Data and Planning - Teachers
- Senior School Support Network - Mrs Brabender
- K-12 Leader of Mission - Ms Maloney
- Principals and Assistant Principal Network 1 - Mrs Davidson and Mr Murphy
- Lamplighters Spiritual Formation Leadership Program - Mrs Davidson
- Positive Partnerships - Ms Beckhaus, Mrs Logue and Mrs Ivanecvic
- Aspiring Leaders Course - Miss Muvceska
- CPR, Anaphylaxis and Asthma First Aid Training - All Staff
- Curriculum Implementation - Mathematics - Mr Smith and Mr Gilmore
- Weekly Staff Professional Learning on our 2025 Annual Improvement Goal.
Personal School Tour
For those families who missed our Open Day, you are welcome to contact us to book your school tour.
https://www.sfawdow.catholic.edu.au/contact/
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. 
Police Visit
Last Thursday, our Year 3-6 students had a visit from local police officers to discuss a number of safety issues from online safety to e-bikes and scooters. This was a wonderfully proactive approach to teaching our students about how to be aware of potential risks, in order to keep them safe. We thank the officers for their time and knowledge.
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 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 |
| 8 | Friday 21 March - Harmony Day Celebration + Award | 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 |
ICAS 2025
Within our school community there are students who shine brightly, displaying exemplary dedication and academic talent. They deserve to be recognised and this year we are giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Digital Technologies. These will be open to students in Year 2-6.
ICAS results are in-depth and meaningful, and ICAS evaluates student performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The data reveals student strengths and weaknesses and can help you recognise and support your child's academic journey.
Learn more about ICAS here: (icasassessments.com/products-icas/).
ICAS results and certificate
Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.
Your child’s ICAS certificates will show their results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”. - Use these to enter the Results Portal (https://orti.icasassessments.com/ortiStudent).
How to participate in ICAS
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the Parent Portal to register for your chosen subjects.
You can do this in one of two ways:
- Direct login link – faster!
Use this link to log directly into the shop and start registering:
https://shop.
- Log in using the PPS code
Visit our shop and use our PPS code to log in:
Shop link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
PPS code: BGY434
Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July at 11:59pm.
This year, our students can elect to sit the following assessments:
|
Subject |
Sitting Date |
Cost (AU$) |
|
Digital Technologies |
4-8 Aug |
$20.95 |
|
Writing |
4-8 Aug |
$24.95 |
|
English |
11-15 Aug |
$20.95 |
|
Science |
18-22 Aug |
$20.95 |
|
Mathematics |
25-29 Aug |
$20.95 |
Please note, we cannot facilitate refunds or make alterations as all money is paid directly to ICAS Assessments.
Read the terms and conditions here: (icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf).
Privacy collection statement
The following information is a privacy notification about how your child’s data is kept private and secure.
ICAS Assessment is owned by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd (We, Us, Our).
To deliver assessment products, Janison will require your child’s School to obtain your consent to provide Janison with certain personal information of students. Janison will collect, store, use, disclose and otherwise deal with such personal information in accordance with its privacy policy (below). We are aware of our responsibility to protect personal information related to children and students from being disclosed when we deliver an ICAS Assessments product. Unless you, as the child’s legal guardian consents, we will not:
- collect any personal information or data of children other than the information we need for the successful completion of an assessment, test, or exam.
- transfer any personal information we obtain from a child in the delivery of assessments and tests to any jurisdiction outside of Australia.
- share any personal information relating to children with any third parties (except for those third parties necessary for us to carry out our Services or provide our Products e.g., medal engraving).
- use any personal information or data relating to children for marketing purposes.
You can view our full privacy policy at https://www.janison.com/privacy-policy/.
We may retain personal information and data relevant to a child for their future purposes or for research purposes by Janison for the duration of the school life cycle of the child. However, if you or your child at any time wish to have their personal information or data removed from our systems, they or you may opt out by simply contacting our Privacy Officer at privacy@janison.com or by contacting icasassessments@janison.com.
We are proud to be offering ICAS to our students this year and encourage you to consider entering your child. Please do not hesitate to contact myself or Mr Smith if you have any questions.
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
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
Harmony Day
Tomorrow, we are celebrating Harmony Day at school. Our day will start with morning assembly at 8:45 where Harmony Day awards will be presented to a student from each class. Classes will also highlight Harmony Day in their classrooms. Students are encouraged to wear traditional cultural dress or orange clothing on Friday.
Significant Feasts in our Church
One of the most important things that helped St Patrick in spreading the Good News was his belief and faith that the Spirit of Jesus would surround him with love and protection.
Yesterday, the church celebrated the Solemnity of St Joseph, the patron saint of families, workers and the Universal Church. Joseph was a carpenter, a good and honest man, whom God called to care for Mary and her baby Jesus. Joseph was a faithful and trusting servant of God who wanted to do what was asked of him. We can learn from Joseph to listen to what God asks of us and become faith-filled servants caring for those in need.
Next Tuesday, March 25, the whole school will be attending the 9am parish Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, which refers to the time when the angel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin Mary to tell her that she would be the mother of our saviour. On this day, we do not only celebrate the announcement to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus, but also her willing acceptance of the news. May we be as generous in accepting the will of God in our lives as Mary was. As always, all are welcome to join us.
Fundraising for Project Compassion
Zooper Dooper Days
We will be selling Zooper Doopers for $1 at recess and lunch next Wednesday, 26 March, to raise money for Project Compassion.
 Second Week of Lent Toefuata'iga - (Toy-foo-ah-tah-ing-ah) is a 13-year-old primary school student from Samoa. Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result. This transformative story is just one example of how Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion creates waves of change around the world. Watch Toefuata'iga’s story here. Will you stand with students like Toefuata'iga this Lent?
Photo credit: Caritas Australia Please donate today.
Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent. |
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Third Week of Lent
Will you walk alongside people like Lam this Lent? |
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Photo credit: Caritas Australia Please donate today.
Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent. |
Upcoming Youth Event
Once again, the Sisters are organising a Youth Event for our parish. All youth from Year 6 upwards and their parents are warmly invited to the Parish/School Hall on Sunday 30 March for a Youth Gathering. For catering purposes, please let Ms Maloney or one of the sisters know if you would like to attend. Details for the night are as follows:-
-
- Arrival Time: 4:45 pm
- Dinner: 5:00 pm
- Games & Talk: 5:45 pm
- Taize Prayer: 6:30 pm
- Finish: 7:00 pm
-
Ms Marita Maloney
REC Coordinator
All details can be found on the Compass event. Please ensure that you have provided consent via Compass for this event. We also require parent helpers, please indicate on Compass if you are able to assist.
| Date | Event | Attending | Venue |
| Friday 28 March | School Cross Country | K-6 | Integral Energy Park |
| Friday 13 June | School Athletics Carnival | K-6 | Myimbarr Oval, Shellharbour |
During music lessons, our Year 2 students explored rhythm, beat, and dynamics using everyday objects. They were able to follow simple drumming patterns while developing their coordination and teamwork. Great work, Year 2!
We would like to welcome Sheree and Julieta to our 2025 P&F Committee. We look forward to working with you.
All parents and carers are welcome to join the P&F at any time. Please contact the school office to register your interest.
THURSDAY 1 MAY - Week 1 Term 2
School photo day will be held in Week 1 next term on Thursday 1 May. Students are to wear their full SUMMER SCHOOL UNIFORM (no sports uniform). Please note, hair must be neat and tidy and the girl's hair tied back. Orders are submitted online as per the details below, including family photo orders.
ORDER SCHOOL PHOTOS ONLINE TODAY
Visit: - www.advancedlife.com.au
Enter online order code
CZF PZ6 2FX
At St Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish Primary School we understand the importance of creating a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, families and visitors. Road safety is a fundamental part of this commitment and we work tirelessly to ensure our school community is aware of the rules and practices that keep everyone safe on and around our school grounds.
As part of our ongoing efforts, the Centre for Road Safety, in collaboration with Transport for NSW and Catholic Schools New South Wales (CSNSW) has provided schools with essential resources to enhance road safety education. These resources will help us continue to focus on road safety as a critical part of our students' learning and wellbeing.
Over the coming months, students will learn about road safety in their Personal Development and Health lessons. Teachers and students will focus on key topics such as passenger safety, pedestrian safety, wheel safety and bus safety. These areas will also be promoted in our fortnightly school newsletter. Additionally, students will take part in National Walk Safely to School Day on Friday 16th May. This day encourages families to walk to school together, discuss road safety and promote healthy habits while reducing traffic congestion. Students will also have the opportunity to look at road safety around the school environment.
We encourage all families to discuss key road safety messages at home and appreciate your support in helping us uphold our commitment to road safety. Together, we can ensure St Francis of Assisi remains a safe and welcoming environment for all. For additional resources, you can explore Safety Town Online at https://www.safetytown.com.au/ which offers fun and educational activities. Students will also use this website to enhance their learning on road safety at school.
The video below highlights the work of CatholicCare Wollongong's school counsellors in partnership with the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong. Find out more about the program here
CatholicCare – Growing Into Me
Growing Into Me is a program that supports schools in providing an opportunity for parents and children to understand and explore the physical and emotional changes experienced through the puberty journey.
Download the flyer here.
For more information or to register interest complete the online form here.
A NSW Parliament select committee has been established to inquire into and report on child development, early childhood intervention services, and other foundational and disability supports available for children and young people with developmental concerns, delays, differences, or disabilities in New South Wales.
Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, can be found on the committee's website here.
As part of the inquiry, the committee is seeking online submissions from NSW residents through the following questions. Responses are due by Monday 31 March 2025.
Responses may be used in the committee's report. Names and contact details of respondents will not be published. The questionnaire will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Individual contributors can complete an online questionnaire.
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.
All school information is available on the Parent Compass Portal. Please regularly visit your portal to keep up to date with your child's education including Parent permissions, Sport carnivals and excurions, school fee account, attendance and absences, school reports, school events and more. Do not hesitate to contact the School Office if you have any questions or require assistance to access your parent portal. Thank you.
2025 SCHOOL TERMS
|
TERM 1 |
Friday 31 Jan -Friday 11 April |
TERM 2 |
Monday 28 April - Friday 4 July |
|
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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