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Welcome to the 2021 School Year
A very warm welcome to another exciting year of faith, fun and learning. Together, as a community of students, parents, teachers and parish, we look forward to working in partnership towards providing a high level of quality Catholic Education to our students.
I trust you all had a lovely break with your family and friends and are looking forward to the year ahead.
Congratulations on a wonderful start to the school year by the Year 1-6 students. The students were very keen to meet up with their friends and teachers and have quickly settled into their new class groups. During my visits to classrooms, I have been very proud to see how settled the students are and how eager they are to embrace their learning tasks.
On behalf of the staff, students and school community we would like to welcome Father Damien Ellis, who has commenced his significant role as our new Parish Priest. We look forward to getting to know Father Damien as he embarks on the leadership of our parish. The staff joined Father Damien for Mass on the first day of school, where they received a special blessing for the year ahead.
My sincere thanks to all the staff for the way they have started the year. The teachers were in school over the last weeks of the school holidays to ensure that everything was ready and prepared for the students. They are an outstanding team of educators.
This year we continue to work together towards our vision, to be 'an engaged Catholic community, inspired by the Franciscan spirit, empowering all learners to reach their full potential.' Our priorities are focused on improving students’ growth in faith and learning, particularly in the areas of literacy (Oral language and Spelling), numeracy (problem-solving), reviewing our school vision and mission and a focus on social and emotional learning. We look forward to sharing our School Review and Improvement plan with the school community.
We ask for God’s blessings over our entire school community as we embark on the new school year. Thank you for your continued support. It is in partnership that we can achieve great things for our children.
Mrs Vicky Davidson
Principal
Welcome to our new familiesLast week we had the great pleasure of welcoming five new families to our school in Years 1-6. Welcome, Fatima (Year 1) Ruby (Year1) Mia (Year 3) Eunique (Year 4) Riott (Year 1) Hadassah (Year 4) Hirwa (Year 1) and Joshua (Year 4). We hope you have had a great start to your year.
Welcome Kindergarten
Today was an exciting day at St Francis of Assisi as we welcomed our 2021 Kindergarten students. They had the biggest smiles on their faces as they said goodbye to their mums and dads, ready to start their primary school journey. It is such an exciting time for them and their families.
Welcome... Ali, Mallek, Luca, Ella, Nevaeh, Lexie, Liz, Emilio, Andrea, Paulo, Petelo, Harrison, Batoul, Joy, Thayir, Mohamad, Oliver, Joseph, Sophia and Jala.
Welcome back Sienna
It was great to see Sienna join her Year Three classmates for the start of the 2021 school year. We are still working out who was more excited!
It's a girl!
Congratulations to the Lyon's family on the birth of their baby girl Isla.
I know you will join me in sending Mr and Mrs Lyons and big brother Harrison our congratulations and best wishes. Mrs Lyons worked at St Francis of Assisi last year, three days a week.
| School Captains | Grace T | Nicholas C |
| School Vice Captains | Shelby A | Benjamin A |
| Sports Captains | Lamar J Emma S |
Adrian G Corey M |
| Student Representative Council | Selina S Sophia R Sofia F Cam Ly H Aleya E |
Noah L Christian M Luke C Michael S Cruz V Joseph R |
School Newsletter
The school newsletter is a form of communication across the school community. All parents and carers are asked to read the newsletter and to take action if and when necessary. The newsletter is distributed on Thursday fortnightly via email and Compass. It is important to have the Compass app and ensure your email address is up to date to receive all school notices. Further school information can be viewed on our school website.
COVID-19 Communication and Information Link
We thank you for your support in keeping our school community safe. If you have any concerns, please email the school:info@sfawdow.catholic.edu.au.
During Week 4 and Week 5 this term, teachers will be meeting with individual families to discuss the year ahead. These sessions are 10 minutes in duration and replace the Parent Information Sessions, which will not go ahead this year due to current restrictions.
These informal sessions will be an opportunity to meet your child's teacher/s, briefly share information about your child, ask questions and check-in to see how they have settled into the new school year.
You will receive a Compass message next week which will inform you of when bookings will be open on the Parent Portal and instructions on how to make a booking using the portal.
All teachers will be reinforcing our school rules: BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE, and what these look like in all areas of the school. Each class will engage in explicit teaching, modelling and practising of these school rules.
Our initial school focus will be on the Assembly Area and Lining Up Routines. Children will be shown where they need to line up in the morning, at the end of each break, and the afternoon dismissal.
| Common Area | Being Safe | Being Respectful | Being Responsible |
| Assembly Area |
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Welcome to 2021 and a special faith-filled year. Fr Damien Ellis is our new Parish Priest, and already he is excited to meet the students and be involved with the school for visits, liturgies, sacraments and Masses. As you would be aware, we still have restrictions in our Church, but if possible try and attend Mass of the weekend. Father Damien would love to meet you!
The Masses for Warrawong and Berkeley have now changed with a 5 pm Mass at Berkeley on a Saturday night, and 8.30 am, and 10 am at Warrawong each Sunday. Berkeley is limited to 65 attendees and Warrawong to 100. Attendance at Mass is a first-come count and once the limit is reached no other parishioners can attend. It is a difficult time, but please be aware monitors are doing their best to check temperatures and support those who wish to attend Mass. Masks are also still compulsory.
RE Events Term 1
We have planned class visits, reconciliation, and some liturgies at this stage, but these are all subject to COVID-19 restrictions.
| Proposed Liturgies | |
| Wednesday 10 February | Commissioning of School Captains- Main playground (Each Year 6 student is able to have one parent attend by invitation) |
| Wednesday 17 February
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Ash Wednesday Liturgy |
| Wednesday 3 March | Catholic Schools Week Liturgy and Welcome Certificates for Kindergarten |
| Thursday 1 April | Stations of the Cross |
As a school, we will endeavour to video these liturgies and share them with the school community. Unfortunately, we cannot have all parents/guardians at these liturgies but parents will be invited if restrictions change.
Year of St Joseph
Pope Francis on December 8, 2020, published an Apostolic Letter Patris corde (With a Father’s Heart), commemorating the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of St Joseph”, running from 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021. The students will be learning about St Joseph in their Religious Education lessons.
On 11 February we will come together as a community to pray for the sick and those who care for them. In light of the events of the past year, we can do more to honour those who care for us and pray for those who are sick.
Here is what you can do to observe World Day of the Sick:
- Say the prayer tonight to thank the nurses, doctors and all the wonderful carers for taking care of us during COVID;
- Commit to washing your hands frequently, keeping surfaces clean and wearing a mask on public transport.
Please keep the sick and the people who look after them in our thoughts and prayers.
Mrs Madaschi
Religious Education Coordinator
Sports News 2021
A big, warm welcome back to the 2021 School Year. After a difficult year last year with many cancellations, we are looking forward to a year where we hope to get back on track with our sporting activities and events. As you will see below, we have already got lots planned for Term 1!
School Swimming Carnival - Competitors Only Yr 3-6
Our School Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday 11 February (Week 3) at Berkeley Pool. This carnival is only for competitors who can competently swim 50m, from Year 3-6. Please complete the nomination form on Compass if you wish for your child to compete, or contact us for more information.
We are planning on holding our normal school carnival in Term 4 which will be for every student in Years 3-6 to participate in and attend.
South Coast Swimming Carnival
The South Coast Swimming Carnival will be held on Tuesday 2 March at Corrimal Pool. The squad from St Francis will be selected following results from the school carnival, and further information will be provided to those selected students.
Diocesan Football Trials
On Friday 5 March, Emma (Year 6) and Julian (Year 5) will participate in the Diocesan Football Trials. From these trials, a Diocesan team will be selected to compete in the MacKillop Championships. Good luck Emma and Julian.
AFL – Paul Kelly Cup
Every year a senior team of girls and boys compete in the AFL Paul Kelly Cup. Teams will be chosen from students in Years 5 and 6 to compete at Hollymount Park, Woonona on Friday 12 March.
Rugby League and League Tag
This year we are entering a senior team of boys (Rugby League) and girls (Dragon Tag) compete in these competitions. Teams will be chosen form in Years 5 and 6 to compete at Reed Park, Dapto on 25 March.
School Cross Country
Our first whole school sporting event for 2021 will be the Cross Country. All students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will compete on the day. This carnival will be held on Thursday 11 March at Integral Energy Park, Dapto. More information will be communicated as we get closer to the date.
Best wishes for a successful and enjoyable year ahead in sport.
Mr Murphy
LIBRARY MATTERS!
A wonderful welcome back to our enthusiastic readers of St Francis of Assisi. Our library is opened and looking amazing! Library classes have commenced. See below for your child’s class Library day. We ask students to return their Library books the day before so they can be sanitised and put back on the shelves. Please remind your to child pack their library bag each week.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
| Year 6G | Year 4G | Year 2B | |
| Year 1G | Year 4B | Year 5B | |
| Year 3G | |||
| Kindergarten Blue |
The library is also opened during lunchtimes on Monday- Wednesday for some quiet activities. This is limited to 15 students.
BOOK CLUB - Online Ordering
This year St Francis of Assisi is moving into promoting Book Club orders to be processed online. This is an easy way to order and pay for your books. Simply follow the steps below. Your first Book Club Catalogue will be coming home this week and all orders need to be completed by Week 4 - Tuesday 16 February. Follow the online ordering steps below.
IT News
Welcome back to school for 2021! Over the coming weeks, all students K-6 will be participating in digital citizenship learning experiences which underpin all that we do with technology. This is all about how to safely and effectively use the technology we have available to best enhance student learning. This will be supported throughout the year in learning and teaching programs to ensure that our students are digitally aware and cyber-safe citizens. All classes will also work through and learn about the Responsible Use of Technology and Social Media policies. Please see the link below to access the CEDoW Social Media Policy. https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/about-us/policies/social-media-policy/
Year 3 School Managed iPads
As of 2021, we have moved away from the BYOD parent managed model to the school managed iPad program where the school purchases and manages the devices.
Students in Year 4-6 will continue with the model they have been using (BYOD). Every class entering Year 3 from 2021 onwards will have the School Managed Program (Information will be communicated with the parents of this cohort when they are in Year 2). Please note that these are ordered and set up specifically for this purpose - this option is only open to each Year 3 class and then every 2 years the option of upgrading will be presented.
Some of the many benefits of this model include:
➯ Parents can pay the iPads off interest free over two (2) years as part of their school fee account (or as a one off payment on their school fee account).
➯ This is cheaper for parents as we access a discounted price.
➯ Social Media & Games — children cannot add/buy apps so messages, social media or gaming apps are not accessible.
➯ Screen Time — iPad apps are unavailable from 8pm to 7am (can be altered to suit individual families).
➯ Provides content filtering while not at school.
➯ No issues around students creating AppleIDs and problems with them using parent accounts.
As your young ones head out for the new school year with their shiny new shoes, they may also have a shiny new device. The back-to-school period can also be a great time to review your child’s online safety and get ahead of any issues that may come up through the year.
eSafety’s top back-to-school tips include:
Watch out for cyberbullying — online bullying can have a devastating impact on young people, whose online life is a key part of their identity and how they interact socially.
Our complaints show most cyberbullying stems from the school yard with behaviour taking many forms, such as sending abusive messages, hurtful images or videos, nasty online gossip, excluding or humiliating others, or creating fake accounts in someone’s name to trick or humiliate them. See the signs to watch out for here.
‘Sharent’ responsibly— not heard the term ‘sharent’? Well, if you are a parent who shares then that’s you! Be mindful about sharing your child’s first day of school and other milestones on social media.
While it’s perfectly natural for parents to want to share photos of their kids with family and friends, it’s important to remember that we may be unwittingly creating our children’s lasting ‘digital footprint’, which might never be expunged. The reality is, photos of your children on public social media accounts could be searched, accessed and taken by anyone. See more information about sharenting.
Set screen time limits — our research shows more than half of parents are concerned about the amount of time their kids spend online. With screens increasingly being used at school and home, it’s important to ensure your child has a healthy balance of offline and online time. Setting screen-free zones in the home and negotiating switch off times are useful ways to do this. Screens should never be taken into the bedroom or bathroom. Don’t forget, quality over quantity! See more information about managing screen time.
Use tools—parental controls on smartphones, TVs and computers can help limit your child seeing inappropriate content and help manage their time online. Make sure the privacy settings on their apps and games are turned on and help show them how to block and report people online. See more information about using parental controls and privacy and reporting tools.
Stay engaged—as soon as we hand our child a device, we should be talking to them about the dos and don’ts of the online world. It’s also important let them know we’ll be there to support them if anything goes wrong. There is no substitute for taking an interest in our children’s online lives from an early age, to help establish strong foundations and open lines of communication. See more information about keeping your children safe online.
Stay informed throughout the school year as new online risks and issues emerge by visiting esafety.gov.au
28/01/21
St Francis P&F will trial operating the Canteen for our students on a volunteer basis while fundraising for the school. The Canteen will operate on Wednesdays and Fridays for Lunch only. Items can be ordered and or purchased from the Canteen at lunchtime.Parent Helpers are Needed
For this service to the children to be successful, we need help from parents. If you can help once a month on a Wednesday or a Friday for only 2 hours (12.00 pm - 2.00 pm). Please email the school your details and the date available to volunteer - info@sfawdow.catholic.edu.au.
The children love to see their parents in the canteen and this makes them all very happy.
Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who celebrated their birthdays in January:
Joshua.M, Jenna, Harrison.N, Hadassah.C, Tevita, Riott, Abbas, Mrs Grey, Mrs Agius, Mrs Brabender & Mr Green.
2021 School Term Dates
| TERM | START | END | STUDENTS |
| Term 1 |
Thursday 28 January Thursday 4 February |
Thursday 1 April Thursday 1 April | Years 1 - 6 Kindergarten |
| Term 2 | Monday 19 April | Friday 25 June | K - 6 |
| Term 3 | Monday 12 July | Friday 17 September | K - 6 |
| Term 4 | Tuesday 5 October | Wednesday 15 December | K - 6 |
The Catholic Education Office Wollongong manages the school fee accounts. Monthly fee statements are issued via email. Your school fee account can be viewed by logging into your Compass Parent Portal via the web browser. A summary of the school fees for 2021 is attached below.
Please do not hesitate to contact the School Office if we can be of any assistance.
IMPORTANT SCHOOL FEES NOTICE
Regular payments must be set up through your School Fee Bpay payment or Compass online portal of approximately $75.00 - $100.00 per week to ensure your account is paid by 30 November 2021.
New School Hat
The children look wonderful in the new school hat. The hat arrived in-store at Lowes Warrawong during the Christmas break. We were hoping to notify the school community last term. Unfortunately, there were delays with logistics for some time. The new school hat is reversible with your child's house colour. An email has been forwarded to families to confirm the house colour their child/ren is in. This is also available on the Parent Compass portal to check. The new hat is easy to place in school bags and washable. Please label your child's hat so this can be returned quickly if misplaced.
Students may continue to wear the old hat until it needs replacing.
2021 Compulsory School Uniform requirements
When returning to school for the 2021 school year, it is required all students are in the correct school uniform including sport polo, navy shorts, girl's summer tunic and wearing the correct black leather school shoes and predominately white school joggers for sport. Parents are requested to purchase predominately white joggers when your child requires new shoes or at the start of the 2021 school year, thereby adhering to the School Uniform Policy.
Pictorial examples of appropriate joggers.
2021 - Sports shoes do not need to be expensive; they can have some colour on them but must be predominately white. Thank you for your continued support.
Haircuts
Many thanks to those parents who ensure their children have haircuts that meet the expectations for students at St Francis of Assisi. Students are required to wear their hair in a neat and tidy manner.
- Haircuts should be of an even cut - extreme shaving.
- Hair should be brushed and combed.
- Hair should not be in a condition as to invite comment.
- Long hair is to be tied back or plaited, off the face and should not extend to cover the eyes.
- Only navy, blue or yellow headbands, ribbons or scrunchies are to be worn in the hair.
- Extreme styles, colouring or dyeing of hair is not permitted.
Lowes Warrawong Plaza
All school uniform items can be purchased at Lowes Warrawong Plaza. Please see the price list and information attached. Orders can also be placed online by visiting the link below
