Dear Parents and Carers

In last Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 6:17,20-26), Jesus teaches the crowd the way to happiness. In the Beatitudes, Jesus describes happiness in the Kingdom of God, teaching us that things are not always as they appear to be.
The God of the beatitudes is a companion with us in every experience we go through either personally or as a community. Every blessing carries a call, every gift contains a duty to share it, and every right houses a responsibility.  Discover God's presence in the midst of these blessings.
One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is to share our faith with them. As we all know, life is unpredictable and sometimes the only thing that helps us through the hard times is the belief that God is always with us. Talk to your children about the help and consolation that your faith gives you, and your sense of God being present in your life. Though there are no promises that life will always be easy, our faith assures us that we are never alone.

Welcome to our 2022 Kindergarten students

Our Kindergarten students have made a great start to the year. They have embraced their new surroundings and have connected really well with their school community. Thank you to Mrs Beckhaus for setting up routines and preparing the students so well for learning. Thank you also to our wonderful Kindergarten parents who have been helping to support their children on this big step into 'Big' school. We look forward to sharing lots of our learning and special news in the future.

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 learning and wellbeing, and their involvement in the life and community of the school and parish.
Meet and Greet Phone Conversations
In Week 4 (this week) and Week 5, the beginning of year Meet and Greets with parents and teachers will be held over the phone due to current restrictions.
Thank you to all parents and carers who have booked a time to speak with your child's teacher. We value your time in beginning a positive relationship with the school for the year ahead. These conversations will continue next week. If you are having a  problem booking a time, please contact the class teacher.
We encourage your active engagement with the school to support your child's learning and wellbeing. While the Meet and Greets are a formal opportunity to share information about your child's learning and wellbeing, 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 going and how you can support learning. Please be don't hesitate to contact the teachers if you have any concerns.

Active engagement is one of the five principles in 'The Lighting the Way Together Parent-School Partnership Framework'. Please see the photo below to access the framework.

Applications are available online, please visit our website. www.sfawdow.catholic.edu.au 
Email: info@sfawdow.catholic.edu.au or collect an application form from the school office. Interviews will be held next term. 

UNIFORM
The students have returned to school looking smart in their summer uniform, complete with new, polished school shoes. Thank you to parents for assisting in maintaining the high standard of uniform that exists in the school. Just a reminder, that sport shoes should be predominantly white, with white laces and worn with white sport socks (not anklets).

HAIR

• Is to be kept neat and tidy at all times; 
• Is to be the child’s natural colour – colouring or dyeing of hair is not permitted;
• Is to be plaited or tied back off the face if hair is shoulder length or longer, or covers students' eyes; and
• Is to be tied only with navy blue or light blue ribbons, scrunchie or clips.

Hair cuts should not be too short – eg: no number one haircuts or unusual style/cuts. All hair must be cut evenly with no line mark styles.

JEWELLERY

• A watch, a pair of plain earrings for girls only, one in each ear (studs or sleepers only), cross, medal are the only items of jewellery permitted to be worn at school.
• No finger nail polish or makeup is to be worn.
• Please keep bracelets and fashion bangles at home. Thank you.

Parents will be contacted if there are any concerns regarding uniform.  If a situation arises and the children are unable to be in the correct uniform for a short period of time, could we please ask that a note or message be sent to the class teacher.

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
In 2019, the Wollongong Diocese’s Social Media Policy was implemented in every Catholic School. Social media is used in Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) to help create vibrant Catholic school communities of faith and learning. In this context, social media is any form of online presence used in a valid educational context that facilitates inclusive relationships, contemporary communities and multi-directional interactive exchange of information, conversation or activity. Users of social media are required to manage their digital footprint by interacting responsibly and ethically, in line with our Catholic Ethos respecting the dignity of all involved.

This Policy has been developed to support CEDoW, schools and staff to minimise the reputational risk of individuals, schools and/or CEDoW. It also ensures that schools meet their compliance requirements with the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the Australian Education Act 2013  (Cth).

To view the CEDoW Social media Policy: click CEDoW Social Media Policy

It would be an appropriate time, at the start of the school year, for parents to re-visit appropriate use of technology with their students and ensure that boundaries and rules are in place at home, which encourages responsible behaviour online.

The CEDoW Responsible Use of Technology Agreements outlining the expectations around the responsible use of iPads in the classroom were sent home via Compass last week. It is important that you read through this agreement with your child. This agreement is due back to your child's teacher, signed by both you and your child, by Wednesday 23 February 2022. If you have any questions regarding this agreement, please contact your child's teacher. 

Social_Media_Policy_Information_for_Parents.pdf

Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L)
Our whole school focus for the next two weeks will be on our main playground.  The expectations listed below will be shared and practised in each class. Teachers on duty will be reinforcing these expectations by acknowledging children who are demonstrating safe, responsible and respectful behaviours.

Mr Rod Green

School Swimming Carnival - Competitors Only
Our School Swimming Carnival was held today at Berkeley Pool for students who nominated for this carnival. Congratulations to all those students who swam so well this morning. A school team will be selected from this carnival to represent St Francis of Assisi at the South Coast Swimming Trials on Tuesday 1 March.

Thank you to Mr Green, Mrs De Andrade, Mr Brown and Mrs Whitmee
for officiating at this event.

Diocesan Sporting Trials 
Over the coming weeks, a number of Year 5 and Year 6 students will be attending Diocesan Sporting Trials. These are trials for individual students in the Wollongong Diocese to select a Wollongong Team to compete at the next level. 

Best wishes and good luck to:

Sienna M, Chanel T, Eva G (Yr 6) - Netball - Friday 4 March

Tevita T (Yr 6) - Rugby League - Friday 4 March

Julian G (Yr 6) - Football (Soccer) - Friday 4 March

Congratulations to Stefan B (Yr 6) and Luka C (Yr 5) who represented St Francis at the Diocesan Tennis trials last week. Both students played well and did themselves and the school proud. 

School Cross Country

We are looking forward to our first whole school sporting event for 2022, our Cross Country carnival, to be held on 10 March at Integral Energy Park, Kembla Grange. We will communicate further information closer to the date. 

Sporting Schools - Basketball

We have been fortunate to secure a Sporting Schools grant for Term 1 this year. Students in Year 1-6 will have the opportunity to participate in skills and games program later this term. Further details will be communicated closer to the date.

These events will be run in accordance with current NSW Health Covid-19 Public Health Orders, and St Francis of Assisi and CEDoW policies.

IMPORTANT FORMS
Students in Year 1 to Year 6 received the following two (2) annual forms last week to take home to their parents.  Thank you for the wonderful response.  Please note these forms are required to be signed and returned by Monday 21 February.

1. Consent form for use of student's image
As you are aware, we are very much living in a digital world including email communications, online parent portal, online excursion forms, online absences, school newsletters, website, school Facebook, etc... While we do not add the child's full name, we do like to celebrate photos of students' work, school events, achievements, and learning.  This Consent form, therefore, is required to include students in these communication channels.

This week, 1 Gold were ‘Spaghetti Scientists’. We investigated the properties of cooked and uncooked spaghetti. We then had to think about whether cooked spaghetti can be reversed back to its uncooked form. We learnt it’s an irreversible change. 

2022 School Photo Day
School photo day will be held this term, on Thursday 31 March ~ Week 10. 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. Order information below to order online including family photos.