Dear Families

ASH WEDNESDAY, OPENING SCHOOL MASS AND LEADERSHIP INDUCTION CEREMONY

Yesterday we celebrated, as a school community, Ash Wednesday, our Opening School Mass and Leadership Induction for 2021. Thank you to the many parents and grandparents who attended - it was great you could join us. We pray that God will bless and guide us as we begin this new school year at St Francis of Assisi Primary School.

Many thanks to Father James and Father Josh who celebrated Mass with us. A big thank you to Ms Lisa Conroy, Religious Education Coordinator, our Year 6 teachers who coordinated our Mass and to the staff and students for their preparation. It was a wonderful celebration.

During Mass we inducted our Year 6 students into their role as school leaders. Each child received a leadership badge, and in return, they presented the school with their leadership promise for the year. I am looking forward to working with Year 6 throughout the year as they care for the other members of our school community. A big thank you to the Year 6 teachers for ensuring the students were prepared in taking on this role.

Thoughts for Lent

Mend a quarrel

Search out a forgotten friend

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust

Write a love letter

Share some treasure

Give a soft answer

Encourage youth

Manifest your loyalty in a word or deed

Keep a promise

Find the time

Forego a grudge

Forgive an enemy

Listen

Apologise if you were wrong

Try to understand

Flout envy

Examine your demands on others

Take pleasure on the beauty and wonder of the earth

Speak your love

Speak it again

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT

It was terrific to see so many parents taking the opportunity to meet teachers and attend our Parent Information Night last Monday evening. It is so important that a strong partnership is established as soon as possible between parents and teachers.

I would like to thank the teachers for all their hard work in preparing for this night and for staying back after work to present this information. They are truly a dedicated group of people.

Parents/Teacher Interviews will occur next week which will give you, as parents, the opportunity to have a sit-down chat with your child’s teacher and express your child’s successes and challenges and what you hope they will accomplish in the 202, school year.

A note with information and how to book was sent out on Tuesday through SZapp and can be found within this newsletter.

ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Each year, the school looks at areas of improvement and sets goals based on data and feedback. This year the teachers presented our focus for the year at our Parent Information Night.

We have set 3 areas for review and improvement this year.

1. To improve the quality of writing across all grades.

Our focus will have 2 parts

• Using regular conferencing with individual students to guide the teacher’s direction in lesson planning.
• Strengthen a school wide spelling approach that is consistent and differentiated to suit the needs of all students

2. To improve student achievement by using effective evidence – based/informed practices

• We will use succinct, displayed visible learning intentions and success criteria which are referred to during lessons to strengthen the teachers’ and students’ understandings.
• We will also enhance clarity, capacity and efficacy in conceptual inquiry when teaching Religious Education. 

3. To strengthen student performance in Mathematics

• We will be involved in school based Professional Learning and coaching combined with external Professional Learning focussed on strengthening our capacity to deliver high quality, evidence based instruction that features precision teaching practices.

If you have any questions about our Annual Improvement Plan, please feel free to come and see me.

LOCAL SCHOOLS COMMUNITY FUND – SENSORY PPLAYGROUND

It is with great excitement that I announce the opening of our sensory playground. We were very fortunate to be awarded the Local Schools Community Grant which went a very long way to make this possible.  A would like to publically thank Mr David Smith MP, Federal Member for Bean, for facilitating this community project and for his continual support of our school.

I would also like to thank the Community Council for donating some of our fundraising efforts to supplement this project.

Due to Covid-19 we had to scale the playground back a little however; we look forward to adding to this over the coming years. I am very grateful to Jeff Alcock who did the majority of the work himself. With parents not allowed on site we were unable to have assistance in the way of working bees.  This job was certainly outside Jeff’s duties and I am sure you will join me in thanking Jeff for his dedication to the students in our school.  

FRONT OFFICE REFURBISHMENT

We are nearing the completion of our Front Office refurbishment, with the hope that we can open in the next 3 weeks. The staff have been allowed back into the staffroom and the rest of the area is very close to completion. With carpet laid, there is not much left to do. We are looking forward to some of the furniture being delivered next week. Thank you to Catholic Education for your support with this project.  

OFFICE HOURS

This year our Front office hours are as follows:

Monday – Thursday 8am – 4pm.

Friday 8:30am – 3:30pm.

Please note that if you need to pay school fees or discus your school fee account, Susan Rowell, our Finance Manager, works till 2.00pm on a Monday and 2:50pm Tuesday through to Thursday. Fridays, Susan is available till 3:30pm.  Susan can be contacted in the office during these times or by email susan.rowell@cg.catholic.edu.au 

PLAYGROUP

Playgroup will recommence in 2021 and is due to start on Monday 1 March (Week 5). Our playgroup runs every Monday morning from 9:30 – 11:00am in our BASCA building with Mrs Liz Shore being the coordinator. Everyone with small children (all ages are welcome) are invited to come and meet new parents, share a cuppa and allow your children to participate in some fantastic activities. Please invite your friends, families do not have to have children in our school to attend, everyone is more than welcome. We are really excited to see you all again.

This year we invite those who are attending playgroup to visit our library between 9:00 and 9:30am on Monday mornings. Feel free to come in and read your child a story, you are also very welcome to borrow a book and take it home. Mrs Cossettini would love to meet you.

HOURS OF SUPERVISION

Please be aware that the hours of supervision here at school are between 8:30am and 3:30pm. Our morning assembly commences at 8:55am on a Monday morning and is a great way to gather together as a school community and welcome each other in prayer. Lessons commence each morning at 9:00am and conclude at 3:05pm. When children arrive at school in the morning they should make their way directly to the hardtop area where they will be supervised from 8:30am by a teacher on duty. Children should not be inside the building or in their classrooms before school. Kindergarten children will stay at their playground each morning. 

We have noticed that some children are arriving at school prior to 8.30am. The school provides before school care (BASCA) for families needing care for their children before school. Many parents do the right thing and pay for their child/ren to be cared for. If you need to have your child at school before 8.30am please contact BASCA on 62928034.

We also ask that you assist the school in the interests of the pupils’ safety by ensuring that your child does not or remain at school after 3:30pm. Children who remain at pick-up from 3.30pm will be asked to make their way down to BASCA.

LATE DROPOFF/EARLY PICKUP

A reminder that if your child arrives to school after 9.00am, they need to be signed in at the front office to complete a late slip for the classroom teacher.

Students leaving early need to be signed out at the front office.  If you need to pick up your child early, this should be done before 2.45pm.  After this time it becomes quite difficult to locate students in a timely manner before the afternoon transition begins.

Please keep in mind that student break times are 11.00-11.30am (recess) and 1.15-2.00pm (lunch) and it can be tricky to locate students during play time.  Please consider these timings when picking up students early from school.

EMAILS
I have talked to the teaching staff about when it is appropriate to answer emails. Please know that teachers are not able to check or answer emails immediately. If you have urgent information that needs to be actioned, please email the front office staff. Teachers spend most of their day either teaching your child or preparing for lessons. The staff will endeavour to get back to you by the end of the day however, with meetings etc this is not always possible.

I have also asked the staff to be mindful of their family time. Often emails appear in an inbox of an evening. Teachers will respond when they are back at work the next day.  The teachers are more than willing to communicate with you, however, it will be when they are not busy working with children.

Peace and best wishes

Kate Markcrow

Principal