Dear Parent and Carers

Welcome to Catholic Schools Week. I can’t believe we are nearing the end of Week 6 and halfway through Term 1. It was wonderful to see so many parents at our Catholic Schools Mass last Friday where we presented our Kindergarten students with Welcome Certificates. Our Open classrooms and Morning tea on Monday provided another opportunity for parents to gather as school community and engage in their child’s learning.

Over the past few weeks, we thank you for taking the time to get to know your child’s teacher and developing relationships them. Gains in learning are most prominent when parents and school staff work together to facilitate a supportive learning environment at both home and school. Effective partnerships are based on openness, trust, mutual respect and in the interests of all students. We recognise that parents, carers and families are integral members of our school community and partners in student learning. We look forward to continuing to create a safe and positive climate for all members of the community where healthy relationships can be nurtured and sustained.

 “In everything we do we strive to follow the way of St. Francis of Assisi.
Each day we rise and remember our calling to praise God for his presence
among us, in all of creation.”

Thank you

Thank you to our P&F for providing Morning Tea during Open Classrooms this week. Thanks again for all you do for the students and families at St Francis. Please feel free to come along and help out at any time; we would love to see some new faces.

Principal and Values Awards

Last Friday afternoon we congratulated the first Principal and Values Awards recipients for 2019. Photos of our Principal Award winners can be found on our honour board in the foyer. Congratulations to the following students: -

Rocco.M KB, Angelina.D KB, Aidan.O 1G, Lunda.S 1G, Brock.F 2B, Daniel.R 2B, Jaeda.Y 2G, Tahlia.J 2G, Sekne.A 3B, Dominic.G 3B, Selina.S 4G, Grace.T 4G, Rukaya.M 5B, Emilia.P 5B, Noor.K 5G, Sophie.C 5G, Lara.H 6B, Amelia.C 6B. 

Parent Chats or Meetings

Our doors are always open to parents and carers. Just a reminder that teachers are unavailable to discuss school matters when they are lining up or on duty in the morning or afternoon. Please contact the office to make an appointment to see the teacher; this way the teacher will have your full attention without any distractions.

Thank You
Thank you to all those who joined us for our recent celebrations, Catholic Schools' Week Mass and Ash Wednesday Mass. We had many parents and carers celebrate with us. Our 2019Kindergarten students attended Mass for the first time as part of our school community. The children were very excited, some of our Kindergarten students took part in the Offertory procession and hymn actions. On Ash Wednesday Sister Elizabeth distributed the ashes to our Kindergarten students after our combined Parish and School Mass.

Ash Wednesday and Lent

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, which is 40 days, not the counting Sundays, of fasting and repentance prior to the celebration of Easter. The Church gives us Lent as a time to change, to become a better version of ourselves, and to become more like Jesus. The ashes we receive on Ash Wednesday remind us of our call to repent and believe in the Gospel. The disciplines of Lent  - prayer, fasting and almsgiving - help us prepare for Christ’s victory on Easter. The children will learn about Lent during their Religious Education lessons.

Diocesan Education Mass

Tonight our staff will join the staff from the Catholic Education and all Diocesan Schools at the annual Education Mass celebrated by Bishop Brian and the priests from around the Diocese. This celebration is the one time in the year where we all come together as a Catholic Community to be acknowledged and blessed for the work we do in education. Mrs Davidson our Principal will be presented as a new Principal at this Mass and will be accompanied by her family and our school captains.

Caritas Project Compassion Launch

On Tuesday, Mrs Davidson and the school captains attended the launch of Project Compassion at St Brigid's Catholic Primary School, Gwynneville. The theme for this year is ‘Give LENT 100% - Lives change when we all give 100%’. Samantha and Zane received a candle and Project Compassion Box from Bishop Brian. These will be displayed in the school along with posters of the Caritas projects. During Lent we will be learning about the projects undertaken by Caritas and how we can help at a school level.

Harmony Day

On the 21 March we will celebrate Harmony Day. There will be a Liturgy in the Church at 11.15am followed by an assembly in the hall, please see Harmony Day flyer with this newsletter. Parents are invited to a shared morning tea before the Liturgy in the school hall at 10.15am. Please bring a plate to share. Following the assembly, the P&F will be providing a "fun lunch" for the students. Please complete and return the attached order form. All are welcome to join us for the morning tea, liturgy and assembly to commemorate our diverse cultures which make up our wonderful school. 

Following media reports of the conviction of Cardinal George Pell in the County Court of Victoria, a statement has been released by the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, to the community. Please click on the link below if you wish to view this statement.
https://www.catholic.org.au/acbc-media/media-centre/media-releases-new/2174-statementon-cardinal-george-pell/file

AFL Gala Day, South Coast Swimming Trials and Diocesan Soccer Trials

It has been a huge week for the senior students at St Francis of Assisi with an AFL Gala Day, South Coast Swimming Trials and Diocesan Soccer Trials. As some of these events are still to be completed a more detailed report on these events will be in our next newsletter. Special thanks to Mr Gilmore, Mrs Briscoe, Mr Murphy and our parents who supported the students at these events. We look forward to hearing your news.

Cross Country – Friday 22 March
The school Cross Country Carnival will be held on Friday 22 March at Integral Energy Park. All students K-6 will travel by bus to the venue. A permission note with more details will be provided in the coming week.

Mrs Briscoe, Sport Coordinator

The school playground is a space where the students have the opportunity to develop strong friendships and to play in an unstructured, yet supportive environment.

The SPB4L Framework establishes a safe and respectful play environment outside the classroom at St Francis of Assisi. Consistency of expectations supports students in knowing what they can, and what they can’t, do within the playground environment at school. The following table identifies the playground expectations: -

In the event that a student needs to be corrected on the playground, school staff follow a consistent and simple approach of warning and reminders followed by positive feedback when the student complies with the teacher request. If the student continues to engage in inappropriate playground behaviour then a consequence would be put into place eg: shadow the teacher, sit out of play for a period of time. If a student is involved in a ‘major’ behaviour the student would be removed from the playground and the incident will be dealt with by a Leadership Team member.

School staff will record minor behaviours in order to collect data about each of the areas of the playground. The recording of student behaviours is not a consequence. Playground data collection is the means by which the school is able to make informed decisions about the play areas within the school.

Mrs Matos, SPB4L Coordinator. 

Technology is a fact of life for families these days – but do you feel confident that you’re keeping your kids safe online, plus making sure they’re accessing quality content on their iPad?

Control What Your Children Can Access On Their iPad
You can block explicit content, restrict which movies your kids have access to based on their rating, and restrict their access to apps, websites, social media, advertising and services like Siri, iCloud and FaceTime by turning on Restrictions.

HOW TO: Limit what your kids can access on their iPad by turning on Restrictions.
1. Go to Settings > General > Restrictions
2. Enable Restrictions and create a passcode
3. Choose the apps and features that you wish to restrict.

ONE TIP for this week…

Device curfews - One common rule among families is a device curfew, which will vary
depending on the age of the child and what works for your family. Device curfew routines from a young age will assist in your child having quality sleep which helps with behaviour, productivity and learning. Ideally, 90 minutes before your child sleeps is recommended to be screen-free, but even 30 or 60-minutes screen-free before bed will make a difference to kids’ sleep.

NEW Canteen Days & Menu

The Canteen will now be open 
MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY

Commencing Monday 11 March the Canteen days will change and will now be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please remember to bring your lunch on Tuesday & Thursday as the Canteen is closed.

A new Canteen menu is attached and will commence in Week 8 from Monday 18 March.  Special Meal Deal days are Monday - Lasagna, Wednesday - Toasty and Friday - Pizza.  The lasagna and pizza are made fresh by Napoli Pizza Wollongong and very yummy!

We are in need of Parent/Grandparent Volunteers in the Canteen.  Please contact the School Office if you can help 1 day a month - the children always love to see their relatives in the canteen.

Please find attached the updated Canteen Price List for your information.

Last Friday Kindergarten celebrated Catholic Schools Week Mass with the School and Parish community. They were very settled and respectful during Mass. A big 'thank you' to our Year 5 buddies, Mrs Matos and Mr Gilmore for all their help in preparing Kindergarten to celebrate Mass for the first time with our St Francis of Assisi community.

We just love spending time with our lovely Year 5 buddies. We enjoyed learning to throw and catch with you. Thank you for joining us for sport last week! 

Mrs Beckhaus, Kindergarten Teacher. 

SCHOOL HOURS  8.30-3.00

All students must arrive to school by 8.30am ready for assembly at 8.40am.  Dismissal is at 3.00pm and children must be collected promptly.

Why is arriving to school on time important?

• ensures that your child does not miss out on the important instructions and information for the learning for the day.
• helps your child to learn the importance of punctuality, being organised and lateness causes disruption to the class and their learning.
• gives your child time to greet their friends before class and therefore reduces the opportunity for classroom disruption.

SCHOOL MASSES

Commence at 9.00am and it is very important the children arrive to school on time at 8.30 to prepare for the day and make their way to Mass with their class. Please ensure your children are at school on time. 

ALL NOTES

Permission, Absences, Orders, Communication etc...

Each class has a "message bag" and every morning students are asked to hand to their teacher any notes they may have.  The teacher must receive these notes first.  Any notes required by the office will be sent down in the "message bag" every morning.  Excursion and sport costs are included in the school fees, no payment is required with permission notes.  The permission notes must be received from the student to the class teacher by the due date.

LUNCH ORDER

Each class has a lunch order basket and lunch orders are collected from the students every morning and delivered to the Canteen.  Parents are required to send the lunch order to school with their child and not order directly from the Canteen.  These procedures give the children independance and teach them responsibility. 

APPOINTMENTS

All student absences are recorded and appointments during school hours are recorded as absences. Please make appointments outside school hours.  If you require to collect your child from school early, you must provide your child with a written note with the explanation and a time for collection.

SCHOOL FEES

All families must have returned their Fee Payer Agreement form and commenced their payment schedule.  Fee statements will be emailed monthly.  Please ensure your check your emails and contact the Office if you have not received your Fee Statement.  

COMMUNICATION

The School Newsletter is the major form of communication across the school community.  All parents and carers are asked to read the newsletter and to take action when necessary.  The newsletter is issued fortnightly and using a new digital format.  The link is notified via the Skoolbag App and email.  All school events, documents and information is available on the school website.  Please visit www.sfawdow.catholic.edu.au for further information.  You can also stay informed by downloading the Skoolbag App and receive important notifications.

PARENT MEETINGS

If you would like to speak with your child's class teacher, please send a note with your child and the teacher will contact you to schedule a meeting time or you can email or phone the school office with your request. 

CHANGE OF ARRANGEMENTS

Rountine and consistency is important to the children.  If you need to change your child's normal pick up arrangements, a note to the teacher is required.  Please avoid this where possible as these changes can cause confusion to the children and routine procedures. 

Please ensure you are making correct amounts for weekly payments.  To check, please use the school fee calculator link attached or visit our school website.

In accordance with the Diocesan School Fee Management Policy, school fee accounts are issued as an annual invoice, which is due 30 days from the invoice date.

However, families may continue to or commence paying periodically.  To access this payment flexibility, families must complete a School Fee Agreement and return it to the school office prior to the expiry of 30 days.  If you have an existing Agreement, you are required to send in an updated School Fee Agreement.

The Diocesan School Fee Management Policy and School Fee Agreements are available on the school’s website.  Alternatively. You may access these documents from the school’s administration office.  A School Fee Calculator on the school’s website can assist with calculation of the payment required to meet your fee commitment.

Please note the 2019 School Fee statement includes all expenses, ie excursion fees, sport and carnival levies, transport expenses and visiting shows.  Permission notes will still be required for your child to attend these events and payment of your fees must be up to date to cover these expenses. It is no longer required to send cash to school.  

All permission notes must be handed to the class teacher by the students.

If you require to pay the account by instalments, it is your responsibility to setup regularly weekly payments by Bpay using the details on your fee statement ie $100.00 per week.  Please ensure you setup payments to have the account paid in full by 30^th November 2019.

Families who are experiencing financial hardship may apply for Fee concession by telephoning the school office to obtain an Application.

Catholic Schools Week morning tea for the parents and visitors on Monday was lovely, it was great to see familiar and new faces.  

The P&F will be providing a "fun lunch" to celebrate Harmony day on 21 March.  The order form is available with this newsletter and has been issued to all students.  Please complete and return the order form with the correct money to the class teacher no later than Monday 18 March, this is required for catering purposes. 

Easter and Mother's Day is fast approaching and parent helpers or grandparent helpers will be needed.  Please check the Skoolbag app for all updates and when you can help with any upcoming P&F events. 

The next P&F General Meeting will be held on Friday 10 May, after the Mother's Day breakfast, and we hope you can stay to join us.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Please be reminded that the student photo and work consent form includings all digital articles including Newsletter, Website, Facebook, Twitter.  

This Consent form is attached, and every child is required to have this form returned.  

Please indicate on this form if you do not give consent or complete a new form if you would like to update your consent.

Creator God, You are our constant hope! 

In the season of Lent, you call us to prayer, fasting and love of
those most marginalised.

As a community of faith and courage, let our gifts to Project Compassion be symbols of hope and solidarity with our one human family.

SIBS – Family & Sibling Support Program
CATHOLICCARE

Do you have a brother or a sister with a disability?

Disability impacts everyone in the family – most of the time this is an intensely positive and rewarding experience but sometimes it can also be really challenging! We understand caring for someone in your family can be hard at times; having a friend that knows what its like and understands disability can make all the difference.

SIBS is a social respite initiative designed to give the siblings of children with additional needs some time-out to relax, have fun, and just be kids. Fun days out, workshops, and an annual camp are just some of the things we do to build a network of support and friendship for young people aged 5-12 years (Saturday SIBSClub) and 12-16 years (TeenSIBS).

To find out more contact:

Kath Walsh on Mondays and Fridays

Phone: 4254 9332 or kathw@catholiccare.dow.org.au

Free ESafety training from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner

The Permanency Support Program has organised two e-Safety training sessions for foster carers this term. This free training is presented by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and provides current information on empowering children, carers and parents to  manage online issues.  We have found this session to be very informative, engaging and to provide great practical advice on keeping children and young people safe online.

We currently have spaces left for extra participants, so I would like to invite expressions of interest from school staff members who would like to be better informed about this important subject. Areas that will be explored include how our young people are using social media and technology, how to make a complaint about child cyberbullying and how we can help remove serious cyberbullying material.

Feel free to also include the flyers in your school newsletter as parent/carers are also welcome to attend.

Please find attached flyers for  the e-Safety training sessions at:

CatholicCare Wollongong, Auburn St office

Thursday 21 Feb, 10am-12pm

CatholicCare Campbelltown, Cordeaux St office

Tuesday March 26, 6-8pm

Please send your RSVP to Lisa Condon 0436 008 976 or at lisa.condon@catholiccare.dow.org.au

We are taking enrolments for Kindergarten 2020.

The Enrolment Application is attached herewith or can be collected from the School Office. Interviews are taking place this term.

Please let your family and friends know, as limited places are available.