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Dear families,
Welcome back to Term 4! I hope everyone had a restful and rejuvenating break.
Term 4 is a time to celebrate achievements, reflect on growth, and prepare for the exciting transitions ahead. It’s also a crucial time for learning, and every day counts. Being at school — and being on time — helps students stay connected, engaged, and ready to make the most of every opportunity. We appreciate your support in ensuring students are here every day, ready to learn.
Staffing News
We’re excited to welcome back Mrs Barb McHatten, who will be teaching in 1 Ngadyung this term while Mrs Annette Maruskanic is on leave. It’s wonderful to have Barb back with us!
A warm welcome also to Ms Aisha Khairi, who is currently working alongside Mrs Jess Lewis this week in preparation to take over while Jess is on maternity leave. We’re thrilled to have Aisha join the team and wish Jess all the best for this exciting new chapter.
Additionally, Mrs Lauren Macdonald will be taking some well-deserved Long Service Leave in Weeks 2 and 3. During this time, we’re pleased to welcome Ms Kayla Murray into the role of Literacy Coordinator. Congratulations, Kayla!
Boorowa Touch and Netball
Next week, around 160 of our students will participate in the Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival. I’d like to sincerely thank Mrs Kaylee McCarthy for her efforts in organising the event, which was aptly supported by Mrs Dudley. A special thank you as well to the dedicated teachers and support staff who have volunteered to attend. Without their support, this carnival simply wouldn’t be possible.
I’d also like to acknowledge the parents who have volunteered to manage and coach on the day. Their role, while sometimes overlooked, is crucial to the success of our teams. I wish all our teams the very best as they compete and proudly represent our school.
Open Community Council Meeting
A reminder that our next Open community council meeting will be on Monday 27th October at 6pm. All school community members are invited to attend. If you intend to attend, please register so we can select the correct venue for the meeting. One of the topics at the meeting will seek feedback on a new podcasting series we are looking to begin as another community communication tool. Your presence is always appreciated. https://forms.office.com/r/7ywdcx9mVV
Leaving in 2025
If you will not be at SFA in 2026, can you please email the front office to notify them of your intentions. This will help us with planning and preparation for next year. As part of legislative requirements, we need to list the school you have enrolled in on our exit register.
Parking in Carpark
Please be mindful of parking in the car park around 3 pm. It can get congested, particularly in the back row closest to our neighbour's fencing. Please ensure you leave enough room for cars to get out and exit the gate. If you find it congested, please consider using our carline from 3:15 pm or parking at Calwell Oval and walking across to school.
Our students have already returned with great energy, and our staff are committed to making this term a positive and productive one. Whether it's Boorowa, Graduation, Christmas celebrations, Semester Reports, End-of-Year celebrations, or planning for 2026, there’s much to look forward to.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Let’s make Term 4 a memorable one!
Annie McArthur
Feast Week - Week 3.
During Week 3 we will be celebrating our patron saint- St Francis of Assisi with a number of different activities. Families are MORE THAN WELCOME to attend any or all of the events across the week. Please see the timetable below with details of each event.
MONDAY - GRAND FRIENDS DAY (12:45 -1:30pm): Grand parents are welcome to come to classrooms from 12:45 to see what their grandchildren have been learning. At 1pm we will then head out to the hardtop and grass areas for our shared picnic lunch. Grand friends are welcome to bring a picnic to share as a family. (BYO chair and picnic rug.) At 1:30 grand friends are welcome to sign children out for an afternoon as a family or they can say good bye and the children will have lunch playtime as normal.
TUESDAY - GEM-A_THON (2-3pm): Children will rotate through activities centred on our G.E.M Principles - Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness. This will occur in each grades classrooms.
WEDNESDAY - FEAST DAY MASS: We will gather as a school and parish community at 9:30am in the school hall to celebrate Mass together. Even if you are not catholic, you are more than welcome to come along to celebrate.
THURSDAY - SPECIAL LUNCH (Sausage Sizzle): Each child will be provided with a sausage sizzle and fruit juice popper. Please indicate dietary requirements via the QkR! app. If you child needs more than 1 sausage for lunch, please pack more food. No other lunch item will be available to be ordered from the canteen on this day. (Over the counter sales will still be available).
THURSDAY - TABLOID SPORTS AFTERNOON (2-3pm): Children will participate in a variety of sports rotations in either the Kinder/ELC shared space or on the ovals and playground.
FRIDAY - StFA HAS TALENT! (11:30 - 1:20pm): Our annual show case of talent once again hits the stage of the StFA school hall! Auditions will be held in grades with 3 performances chosen to be shared with the whole school community. A highlight of our Feast Week celebrations!
FRIDAY - DAY FOR DANIEL (All Day): Children are encouraged to wear as much or as little red as they would like in recognition of the national Day for Daniel.
Confirmation Congratulations!
On Wednesday Jacob, Mackenzie and Bethany received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic Church, alongside Baptism and Eucharist. It is a sacred rite that deepens a person’s relationship with God and the Church. It is a momentous occasion in a young person’s faith journey, where they are “confirmed in the faith of their Baptism, the faith of this community, the faith of our Church”. We congratulate all 3 students and continue to pray for all our Year 6 students and their families as they head into the last term of their primary school careers.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
A reminder that children in Year 4 who wish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation later this year need to be registered vis the Corpus Christi QkR! app TODAY. Preparation for the Sacrament begins with a parent formation evening on either Wednesday 22nd October (7-8pm) or Thursday 23rd October (5:30 - 6:30pm) at Holy Family Church. Parents only need to attend 1 evening. Children do not need to attend.
Gospel Reflection - Luke 18:1-8
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells his followers a parable about a widow who refuses to give up. She keeps asking a judge, again and again, to help her receive justice. Even though the judge doesn’t care much about right or wrong, he eventually gives in because of her persistence.
Through this story, Jesus reminds us to never lose heart in prayer. Like the widow, we are called to trust that God listens to us — even when it feels like our prayers are unanswered or when life seems unfair. Persistence in prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind; it’s about deepening our faith and keeping our hearts open to God’s presence in every moment.
As parents, we can model this persistence for our children. If they see us praying regularly, showing kindness, and trusting in God even when things are difficult, they learn that faith is not about quick answers, but about steady hope.
May we be inspired by the widow’s courage and Jesus’ reminder: “Pray always and do not lose heart.”
Have a great week!
Sharee Thomas
REC
As part of our Feast Week celebrations in Week 3, we will be offering the children a special sausage sizzle lunch. Every child will be provided with 1 sausage sandwich and a juice popper. If your child has dietary requirements, please ensure you select the correct type of sausage in the QkR! menu. If your child's appetite is larger than the 1 sausage allocation, please send them with additional food for lunch. No other canteen lunch items will be available on the day.
Don’t forget to get those raffle tickets in!
Once you return your tickets, you’ll be entered into the draw for Limelight movie tickets! ??
But here’s the best part:
If you don’t win the first time, your name stays in the draw!
So the sooner you get your tickets back, the more chances you have to win.
Child Safety – A Shared Responsibility
As we begin Term 4, it’s a timely reminder that child safety remains our highest priority at Calwell. Creating a safe and supportive environment for every student is a shared responsibility between staff, families, and the wider community.
We are committed to maintaining a culture where students feel safe, respected, and empowered. This includes:
- Safe physical environments – ensuring all spaces are supervised and secure.
- Supportive relationships – fostering trust between students and staff.
- Clear expectations – reinforcing respectful behaviour and personal boundaries.
- Open communication – encouraging students to speak up if they feel unsafe or unsure.
We ask families to continue these conversations at home and remind children that their safety matters — at school, online, and in the community. If you ever have concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our leadership team.
Together, we can ensure every child feels safe, supported, and ready to thrive.
BBFC SUMMER PROGRAMS
Our Junior Summer Kickers program returns for Term 4 this year, giving everyone a chance to continue to play football through the off season. The Program will run for 7 weeks leading into Christmas beginning Monday 27 October involving small-sided games with kids of the same age and skill levels. December 15 will be an extra “Bring a Friend Day” session with a free sausage sizzle to wrap up the Term 4 program!
Times:
4-5pm we'll kick off with our 5-9 year olds.
5:15-6:15pm will be our 10-14 year olds.
The BBFC Summer Sixes is back again and will be starting up on 3 November 2025 through until 16 March 2026. The tournament is a social mixed competition that is open to players aged 15 years and over, providing a fun, family friendly environment where football can be enjoyed by all participants. So start getting your teams together and your jerseys sorted to be ready when registrations open next week. Kick off times will be 6:30 and 7:30pm.
Where: Will be played at the Calwell Playing Fields on the top fields.
What to bring: Bring boots, shin pads and a water bottle.
Register at https://bbfc.majestri.com.au/shop
St Francis ELC is excited to, once again, be part of the Mango Fundraiser bringing delicious 7kg trays of Kensington mangoes, direct from the farm in North QLD to you.
Orders are open now on QKR! (St Francis Primary School account) to all 2025 ELC and primary school children, as well as our new 2026 ELC children.
Orders will close Week 3 of Term 4 (28/10/25)
Christmas is a time to come together with family, friends, and our community. To celebrate, Deborah Morris MLA, Member for Brindabella, is inviting students to take part in the 2025 Christmas Card Competition with the theme “My Tuggeranong Christmas.”
The winning artwork will be featured on the front of her official Christmas card, with three runners-up displayed on the back. These cards are sent across Canberra and to fellow Members of the Assembly.
Entries are due by Friday, 7 November 2025.
Students can submit their designs using the provided template, either by email or post.
? If you would like a copy of the competition details and template, please visit the front office.
Let’s get creative and show what Christmas in Tuggeranong means to us!