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- Principal's Message
- From the Principal Desk
- Assistant Principal
- Religious Education News
- Parish News
- Sports News
- School Events
- Primary Student WEN Day
- Year 3 Celebration of Learning Assembly
- Celebrating Harmony Day
- Premier's Reading Challenge
- Birthdays to Celebrate
- Canteen News
- School Photo Day
- Vacation Care is Available
- Parenting Insights
- Happy Easter
- Enrol Kindergarten 2024
- Term Dates
- School Fees | Explained
- NSW Government Vouchers
- Community News
Dear Parents and Carers
I hope your week ahead and the holiday break is a special time with your family.
Thank you once again for your support and hard work during Term 1.
Have a happy and Holy Easter with your family and friends.
At the end of Term One, we give thanks to God:
For all the teaching and learning that has taken place in our school,
both in and out of the classroom,
For the talents and gifts that have been shared and the
challenges that have been faced;
For the respect and care that has been given.
We give thanks for the friendships that have just begun and for those that have grown.
For the hope that has lifted our hearts and for the love that has kept us going.
We give thanks to our school community, and we ask you, Lord, to bless our children and their families as we begin our holidays.
May our time together leave us with memories to cherish.
Pour out your love on us so that we return renewed and refreshed to continue our journey together.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen
Mrs Vicky Davidson
PRINCIPAL
Winter School Uniform - Changeover
Thank you to parents and carers for the high standards you expect of your children regarding the school uniform. Our school uniform is an integral part of our identity as a school and each student's sense of belonging. Students will begin wearing their winter uniform on Monday 8 May - Week 3 - Term 2.
Gastroenteritis
Over the past few weeks, some students and staff have suffered from gastroenteritis. This is a common illness that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Students with gastroenteritis should be kept at home for at least 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Keeping your child at home until they have recovered or received appropriate treatment is the best way to help them get better faster. It's also the best way to protect others from infection. Thank you for your understanding.
Celebration of Learning Assembly this week
Tomorrow's Celebration of Learning Assembly will enable our Year 4 students to share some of the wonderful learning experiences they have engaged in this term. Principal and Value awards will also be presented during this assembly. All parents, particularly those of Year 4 students, are warmly invited to attend this assembly.
Thank you to Ms Maloney, Mrs Burrows and our Year 4 students for preparing and leading the Week 10 Celebration of Learning assembly.
Congratulations to the Ormsby family on the birth of your baby girl Jasmine. A new sister for Azalea (Year 3) and Aiden (Year 5). Wishing you many joyful days ahead.
Staffing News Term 2
Mr Louis deVet will be leaving St Francis of Assisi at the end of Term 1 and is relocating
from Wollongong to be closer to his family in Queensland. Mr deVet has been a
Mrs Mansbridge will return from leave in Term 2. She will be teaching with Mrs Zaffonato in Year 2. We thank Mrs Agius for stepping into this role during Mrs Mansbridge’s absence.
Mrs Agius will replace Mr deVet in the role of Creative Arts and PD/H/PE for the remainder of the year. We congratulate Mrs Agius on this appointment.
School resumes for Term 2 on Wednesday 26 April.
Today, 30 March, our school joined students around Australia crunching vegetables. Thank you for your support and please join us in 2024 and lettuce try again!
PB4L News
Thank you for your support in helping your child understand what being safe, respectful, and responsible looks like at school. We’ve had a wonderful start to the 2023 school year. As the school holidays approach, remember our three school rules BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL and BE RESPONSIBLE can be used at home too. In this way, students will come back to school in Term 2 ready to continue with their learning in a positive manner.
Our whole school focus for the last two weeks of this term will be on our Recess and Lunchtime time eating and lining up routines. The expectations listed below will be shared and practised in each class. Teachers will be reinforcing these expectations by acknowledging children who are demonstrating safe, responsible, and respectful behaviours.
| BE RESPECTFUL | BE SAFE | BE RESPONSIBLE | |
|
Eating Time (Recess & Lunch) |
|
|
|
|
Lining Up (After Recess & Lunch) |
|
|
|
Congratulations!
As part of our PB4L rewards systems, students are awarded Happy Cards, for following our rules of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe while playing in our play areas. When a student has received 10 Happy Cards, they receive a Playground Award and a small treat. After they have received 20 Happy Cards, they receive a Citizenship Award and a Bronze Medallion. Congratulations to the following students, who received their awards at the Week 9 Assembly.
| Playground Award - Week 9 |
 Zakariah. J, Mia. C, Daniel. F, Batoul. S, Zander. P, Joseph. T, Ali. A, Harrison. N, Oliver. T, Jalal. Y, Mohamad. S and Ayva. N. |
Collaborative Professionalism Meetings
Our staff analyse the work of students each day. This could be reading and writing samples, mathematics tasks, test scores, or the work completed in class. This data is used to formulate lessons and when required interventions or differentiated learning tasks are implemented. Twice a term, teacher observation and data is taken to a meeting where it is shared with other staff, K-2 and 3-6. These meetings are half-a-day collaborative planning sessions, where teachers are released from their classes as they collaboratively work with their colleagues to reflect on the data that has been collected and plan for future learning. Teachers were involved in these Collaborative Professionalism Meetings during Week 10.
Mr Green
Assistant Principal
Congratulations - Sacrament of Penance Program
We extend our congratulations to the children in our school and wider parish community who will celebrate their first confession this evening. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you and your families tonight!
Whilst this brings a conclusion to the Parish’s Sacrament of Penance program, it is hoped that people will continue to access this Sacrament of Healing over and over again as part of a life-long commitment to developing a relationship with our loving and merciful God, who longs to fill us with grace, healing and peace.Our thoughts and prayers are also with Lily and Olivia who have completed the preparation for this Sacrament and will soon be preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism! Exciting times - we look forward to welcoming you into the Catholic faith!
This weekend, those who have completed the Sacrament of Penance program will receive a certificate and a medal at our Palm Sunday Masses.
Project Compassion Appeal
Since the beginning of Lent, we have had Project Compassion boxes in our classroom prayer spaces to remind us to be ‘other’ focussed and prompt us to practise almsgiving. This money goes towards supporting the work of Caritas Australia so it can continue to reach out to vulnerable communities across the world. So far, we have collected $ 125. See the flyer below to learn more about what the dollars raised can do.
This year, we were introduced to the story of four inspiring people - Laxmi, Tereesa, Priscilla and Thu - whose lives have been transformed thanks to the generous support of others. Today, they are creating a better world for their families, their communities and for all future generations.
As we enter Holy Week, we continue to reflect on the lives of people vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice and how we can respond through supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal.
Your generosity is the pebble that allows Caritas Australia to create the ripples that will improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish and create opportunities for future generations to live to their full potential.
A message from Caritas Australia:
Project Compassion is a demonstration of the faith, empathy and generosity of our supporters. It is the lifeblood of Caritas Australia – without it, we could not do the vital work we do. Thank you for helping transform lives today and for all future generations. Thank you!
Holy Week
The holiest week in the Christian calendar is just around the corner! Holy Week begins this weekend with Palm Sunday.
To highlight the significance of Holy Week at school, our morning prayer focus tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday will be around the events of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Next week, the students will also be given the opportunity to explore and reflect upon the events that took place in the final days of Jesus’ life by visiting a Holy Week display in the hall. Parents are also welcome to view this display between 8:30-9:00 am and 2:00-2:30 pm Monday, Tuesday or Thursday.
Ms Marita Maloney
Religious Education Coordinator
| Date | Event | Attending | Venue |
|
Wednesday |
NRL Gala Day | Selected Years 3-6 students | Reed Park, Dapto |
|
Tuesday 02 May POSTPONED |
Diocesan Cross Country | Selected Years 2-6 students | Willandra Farm, Nowra |
| Thursday 08 June | School Athletics Carnival | K-6 | Myimbarr Oval, Shellharbour |
Next Wednesday, 05 April, many of our students in Years 3-6 will participate in the NRL Catholic Legends Gala Day at Reed Park, Dapto. This day is a non-competitive gala day and will include safe tackling and landing skill development. Further details can be found on Compass.
Thanks to those families who have completed consent on Compass. If you have not done this, please do so at your earliest convenience.
Last Friday, at our school assembly, we had the opportunity to present our Cross Country ribbons, medallions and House Champion trophy. Congratulations to all students who were recognised for their efforts at our carnival.
Congratulations to our school Cross Country team who will represent St Francis of Assisi at the Diocesan Cross Country Carnival. This will be held at Willandra Farm, Nowra, next Term in Week 2 - Tuesday 02 May.
| WEEK 10 | |
| FRIDAY 31 MARCH | CELEBRATION OF LEARNING ASSEMBLY by Year 4, 2.10 pm Principal & Value Awards - Parents Welcome |
| WEEK 11 | |
| THURSDAY 6 APRIL | EASTER RAFFLE DRAWN at 2.10 pm Parents Welcome LAST DAY OF TERM 1 |
| FRIDAY 7 APRIL | GOOD FRIDAY - HAPPY EASTER SCHOOL HOLIDAYS |
| TERM 2 |
PUPIL FREE DAY - Monday 24 April |
| SCHOOL RETURNS | WEDNESDAY 26 APRIL |
Last Friday, four of our Year 5 students – Layla, Levi, Antonio and Isabella, joined primary students from across the diocese for a day exploring ecological issues and challenges, sharing ideas for environmental action and being commissioned as Eco Ambassadors for our school. Accompanied by Mrs Briscoe and Mrs Welch they experienced ecological prayer and reflection, a keynote address from Plastic Oceans Australasia, networking across schools and saw presentations highlighting green actions from other schools. A component of the day was also the sharing of waste free lunches and eco friendly name badges. Students were made aware of some of the environmental challenges that we face and how we can respond. The problem of "fast fashion" was explored and the students had the opportunity to "re-purpose" an old t-shirt and created a carry bag to raise awareness. They also co-constructed a "Creation Prayer" that as a school we can use for specific environmental days. The culmination of the day was each school's sharing of their piece of the jigsaw puzzle for environmental action and the commissioning of the students as Eco Ambassadors for our school.
Layla, Antonio, Levi, and Isabella: It was an exciting day meeting students from other schools and learning about the harm plastics can present to wildlife. We also learnt how we can make a difference and show care for our common home. A quote we will remember is “ You are never too small to make a difference”. Being presented with our Eco Ambassador badges made us very proud and we are eager to come up with initiatives to follow the Laudato Si message in our school.
On Tuesday 21 March, we had a fabulous day at St Francis of Assisi, celebrating the cultural diversity of our school for Harmony Day. Australia is one of the world's most multicultural countries, and our cultural diversity is at the heart of who we are. Harmony Day is about inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging. We loved seeing our students get into the spirit of Harmony Day by dressing in orange.
In order to complete the Challenge, students must read the following number of books based on their Challenge Level:
|
Challenge Level |
Number of books you must read |
Minimum number of PRC books |
Maximum number of Personal Choice books |
PRC booklists you can read from |
|
K-2 |
30 |
20 |
10 |
K-2, 3-4, 5-6 |
|
3-4 |
20 |
10 |
10 |
3-4, 5-6, 7-9 |
|
5-6 |
20 |
10 |
10 |
5-6, 7-9 |
Students in Kindergarten and Year 1 will complete this challenge in their classroom. All students from Years 2-6 were supplied with an information sheet and permission slip to return to school if they are interested. Please see Ms Martins and Mrs Burrows if you need any support or clarification. The students that have returned their permission slips will be provided with their login name and passcode (it’s the same as previous years) during week 11.
Happy reading
Mrs Burrows & Ms Martins
Staff and Student Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who are celebrating their birthdays in April:
Mahmoud.A, Nicholas.G, Malak. J, Tupou.N, Roukaya.A, Isabella.A, Ella.L, Charlie.M, Liz.K, Yehia.S, Marco.C, Ella.F, Ali.I, Hussain.H, Ellia.M, Brock.M, Andrea.N, Dikran.K, Natinee.P, Kendall.S, Angelina.D and
Mrs Staffiero
THURSDAY 2 MAY - Week 1 Term 2
School photo day will be held in Week 1 next term on Thursday 2 May. Students are to wear their full winter 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
Visit: - www.advancedlife.com.au
Enter online order code
CZF PZ6 2FX
Please let your family and friends know,
limited places are available.
| Last day of Term 1 | 6 April |
| Happy Easter | 7 April |
| School Holidays | 6 April - 26 April |
| PUPIL FREE DAY | 24 April |
| Public Holiday | 25 April |
| Term 2 commences | 26 April |
| Last day of Term 2 | 30 June |
| School Holidays | 3 July - 14 July |
| PUPIL FREE DAY | Monday 17 July |
| Term 3 commences | Tuesday 18 July |
| PUPIL FREE DAY | 8 September |
Dear Parents
School fee accounts are invoiced per family annually including Tuition and SEDSO fees. This fee of $2968 per annum is only charged once per family (even if there are one or five children in the family). This is not charged per student and equates to only $57 per week per family. This family fee covers the education provided to the students including expenses for teaching staff, equipment, school operations, facilities, curriculum resources, materials, building, and capital maintenance costs of school facilities.
Student Resource fees are for opportunities for the students and are expenses the school incurs to provide including school books, classroom equipment, arts and crafts, sports equipment, bus transport to carnivals, iPad programs, school camps, school excursions, incursions, and activities. This cost varies between grades and is an opportunity for the students. Prior to the new digital finance system, these student activity expenses were paid by cash with a permission note throughout various times of the year. As the system is now cashless these are added to the fee account and there are no longer additional expenses throughout the year. This system supports families to budget in advance. Please do not hesitate to contact the School Office if you have any questions or if we can be of any assistance.
School Fee Payments
Fee Statements have been emailed. 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.
▪ 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.
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 received a Fee Concession in 2022, 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.
Reminder there are vouchers to assist families in NSW
There are several vouchers available for parents and carers to assist families with school-aged children.
The Premier's Back to School NSW Vouchers program provides 3 x $50 vouchers, totalling $150 for each eligible student.
The vouchers can be used:
- towards the cost of school uniforms, shoes, bags, technology, textbooks and other eligible expenses
- before 30 June 2023.
- to apply click here
The $100 Creative Kids voucher may be used with a registered activity provider for registration, participation and tuition costs for a range of creative activities, including arts, drama, dance, digital design, coding, and music lessons. For more information Click here for more information and to apply for the voucher.
The Active Kids $100 voucher is for parents and carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year. Voucher 1 is valid January to December and Voucher 2 is valid July to December. For more information click here.
The $100 First Lap voucher is for children aged 3 to 6 years who are not enrolled in school. The voucher can be used for a structured swimming lesson program with an approved First Lap provider. The voucher is valid until 30 June 2023. Details of the First Lap program
CCSP thanks the NSW Government for creating these programs and suggests families use the vouchers to help reduce their living costs.
