Dear Parents and Carers,

What a wonderful morning we shared today! It was heartening to see such a fantastic turnout for our Father’s Day and Male Role Model Breakfast. Thank you to everyone who joined us — your presence made the morning truly special. I know our students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate with you. A big shout out to our fantastic band of helpers who organised, shopped, cooked, prepared, served and then cleaned up. What a great community we have here at StFA!

As we look ahead to Father’s Day this Sunday, I want to wish all fathers and father figures a fabulous day. May you feel appreciated, celebrated, and well looked after. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge those fathers who are no longer with us. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families remembering their loved ones — may you find comfort in cherished memories and moments shared.

First Communion

Next weekend, many of our Year 5 students will celebrate their First Eucharist. This Sacrament is one of the most sacred and significant events in a Catholic’s life, marking the first time they receive the Eucharist. As our Year 5 students take part in this important milestone, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

BYOD Phase-Out

We’ve begun planning to phase out BYOD devices over the next three years. Starting next year, students in Year 4 will be provided with a school device for use during class time. These devices will be school-managed, eliminating the need for families to purchase BYOD devices for school use. Devices will be budgeted for and rolled out gradually, with no additional cost to families. Our ICT coordinators will be in touch shortly with details about an upcoming parent information session.

Staffing Update

Mrs Dudley has shared the exciting news that she and her husband are expecting a baby next year. We wish them all the very best and look forward to welcoming Mrs Dudley back after her maternity leave.

We currently have teaching positions advertised, closing this Sunday. If you know someone who may be interested, please share the link: Classroom Teacher - CALWELL, ACT, Australia

Cross Country Representation

Congratulations to Felix B and Taylor K, who are representing our school and the ACT at the National Cross-Country Championships on the Gold Coast. We wish them all the best in their races and look forward to hearing about their achievements when they return.

Term 4 Dates

Please note that Term 4 will begin for all students on Tuesday, 14 October. The final day of Term 4 will be Thursday, 18 December 2025 (Week 10).

Enrolments for 2026

We currently have waitlists in several year levels for 2026. If your child will not be attending St Francis in 2026, please notify the office as soon as possible via email at office.stfranciscalwell@cg.catholic.edu.au . It is a legal requirement to provide the name of the school your child will be attending, even if interstate, so we can update the student movement register. Early notification helps us with staffing and resource planning for 2026.

Next term, I will call for parent considerations for 2026 classes.

Kind regards,

Sean Rutledge

Principal