Our School
Message from our Principal
Dear Families,
On behalf of the Staff at St Francis of Assisi Primary School and our Parish Priest Fr James Antony, I would like to extend to you a very warm welcome to our school. We are very happy and proud that you have chosen to send your child to our school and entrust him/her to our care.
Due to the influence and guidance of St Francis of Assisi, the school community has a vibrant Franciscan spirit. This results in a positive school climate characterised by staff and student cohesiveness, a firm sense of tradition and an environment where pastoral care, mutual respect and trust are evident. The Franciscan spirituality is central to our Mission. Our school motto ‘Peacemakers' permeates the life of the school. We strive to live out the Gospel values in a supportive, caring and nurturing environment that acknowledges and celebrates the gifts and talents of all those in the community.
At St Francis of Assisi Primary School, we offer a curriculum that provides quality teaching and learning programs to meet the learning needs of students living in the 21st Century. Our learning programs provide a range of educational experiences for all students that will challenge, motivate and encourage them to reach their full potential.
The future in education is exciting and our school enthusiastically embraces the challenges that lie ahead. With our modern, first class learning spaces and our new STEM Centre the children are immersed in inquiry learning where curiosity, wonderment and questioning are encouraged. Literacy and Numeracy remain a priority and our reading program has proven successful in motivating students and achieving improvements in reading outcomes.
Our current School Improvement Plan represents a collaborative overview of the school community’s aspirations and directions. It identifies a number of priorities based around: pedagogical practices in the teaching of Religious Education, Literacy and Numeracy as well as creating a culture of high expectations leading to improved outcomes for all students.
All staff at St Francis of Assisi Primary School are committed and dedicated to excellence in education and to providing a stimulating learning environment to cater for the individual needs of each student. We work as a team to lead children to discover the God who lives within them and to develop their relationship with Christ. We promote a love of learning through a rich and varied curriculum within an atmosphere of encouragement and challenge and we celebrate our community through an active partnership with students, parents, and parish.
As Principal of St Francis of Assisi Primary School, I am privileged to give leadership to a school of excellence that values positive relationships in a Catholic environment. We value and work in partnership towards a common vision and purpose. I am very proud of the achievements attained by students, the dedication and involvement of staff along with the support of the parish and families within our vibrant community.
It is with pride that I welcome you to our school community.
Sean Rutledge
Principal
Why Choose Us?
- Teaching and learning is at our core
- We develop resilient students who meet challenges and seek opportunity
- High level of pastoral care
- Innovative and engaging curriculum
- Quality before and after school care
- BYOD Program
- Interschool debating, chess club and environment club
- Home, school and Parish work together
- We value parental engagement and support within the school
Our Vision
School Vision
Together we are Peacemakers who grow and learn in the footsteps of Jesus
Together ~ we are in this together. The education of a child is not just left to the parent, nor the teacher. The home, school and parish all assist in raising the whole child- together. We value parent engagement and support at our school.
Peacemakers ~ is our motto. Our school draws on the vision of St Francis of Assisi who was a ‘peacemaker’ for all. St. Francis was a man of peace. In everything he did, he constantly sought to create peace between people, families, and cities.
Grow and learn~ Teaching and learning is our core business. With joy, love and respect, we want our students to grow and learn as resilient people, who will continually develop the knowledge and skills to meet challenges, see opportunities and actively engage in an ever-changing world.
Footsteps ~ Our school logo is based on the San Damiano Cross, the cross that is hung in the Basilica of St Clare in Assisi, Italy. It spoke to St Francis of Assisi in 1212AD. Our logo contains cobblestones that include symbols of community members and symbolises steps on the journey of primary education. We believe we are on a journey and our role is to support all community members on this journey.
Jesus ~ As a Catholic School, we believe that Jesus is central to our lives. In our school, we follow the life of Jesus and aim to develop a relationship with Him - the example of His life, His ministry of teaching, His healing and the Good News He shared.
School Values
School Prayer
Prayer of St Francis
Lord,
Make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred...let me sow love,
Where there is injury...pardon,
Where there is doubt...faith,
Where there is despair...hope,
Where there is darkness...light,
Where there is sadness...joy.
Lord,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled...as to console,
To be understood...as to understand,
To be loved...as to love,
For it is in giving...that we receive,
It is in pardoning...that we are pardoned,
It is in dying...that we are born to eternal life.
Amen
Student Wellbeing
Specialist Support
Counsellor
Catholic Care provides the school with the services of a Counsellor on a regular basis (at least one day per week). The role of the Counsellor is to be available to parents, students and teachers who seek some sort of advice or assistance with academic, social or behavioural matters. Parents may request an interview with the Counsellor. If teachers wish to refer a student to the Counsellor, parents are contacted and permission sought, prior to the Counsellor seeing the student. Please contact the Front Office to make an appointment to speak with the Counsellor.
Resource Team
The St Francis of Assisi Primary Learning Support Team includes our Learning Support Teachers, Reading Recovery Teachers, Numeracy Intervention Program Teacher and Learning Support Assistants. The aim of the Learning Support program at St Francis of Assisi Primary is to support and encourage those children in the school whom, for a variety of reasons are referred by the classroom teacher or are assessed as Students with a Disability.
The Learning Support team assists the classroom teacher to support students with their development with in-class support, small group support and individual withdrawal support. Trained volunteers from our parent and parish communities also provide valuable assistance in the classroom with Guided Reading, Literacy, Maths and Gross Motor. Our older students are also trained as Peer Tutors for the younger students in the school assisting with listening to reading and supporting their peers with reading strategies.
Homework
Homework is a method of communication between home and school. It enables you to become aware of the learning process and to monitor your child's progress.
Some classes use a weekly contract while others use a nightly homework activity. In addition, reading and listening to stories is strongly encouraged.
It is recommended that homework be consistent across each year level and be progressive from one year to the next. Upon completion of homework a parent's signature is required and the work is then returned to school for correction.
If students are experiencing difficulty with homework parents are urged to make contact with the class teacher.
Policy
Junior Primary
Teachers of Junior Primary classes may use their discretion in regard to a small amount of written homework. Apart from this reading, listening to stories and exposure to books is strongly encouraged wherever possible. A suggested timeframe is as follows:
Kinder - 10 minutes
Year 1 - 15 minutes
Year 2 - 20 minutes
Senior Primary
Written homework will not exceed 45 minutes nightly in senior primary classes. Additionally, reading and listening to stories should be encouraged as will the completion of unfinished tasks, when the child understands the concepts. A suggested timeframe is as follows:
Year 3 - 30 minutes
Year 4 - 30 minutes
Year 5 - 45 minutes
Year 6 - 45 minutes
Our Patron Saint
St Francis of Assisi was a man of peace, who constantly sought to create harmony and unity in everything that he did. Our school draws on the vision of St Francis as we strive to be peacemakers.
School Logo
Our school logo is based on the San Damiano Cross that hung in the Basilica of St Clare in Assisi, Italy, and spoke to St Francis in 1212AD. Our logo contains the cobblestones symbolic of our community members and the steps on our educational, supportive journey.
Parish
“To support and be supported”
PARISH TEAM
Parish Priest: Fr James Antony
Assistant Priest: Fr Joshua Scott
CORPUS CHRISTI PARISH
South Tuggeranong, ACT
167 Bugden Ave, Gowrie 2904
Ph. (02) 6291 6688
Email tuggeranongsouth@cg.org.au
Website www.ccparish.org.au
WEEKEND MASS TIMES
Holy Family Church, Gowrie
Saturday 6 pm and Sunday 8 am, 10 am, 6 pm
Watch Mass live-streamed from Holy Family Church Gowrie, Sundays at 8 am
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOAdf8aNPK5Vczl0GPLHixw
Our History
Our school began in 1988 and was founded by the St Francis of Assisi Parish Community and the Good Samaritan Sisters. It is situated around the oldest Catholic Church in the ACT, the Sacred Heart Church, which was built in 1902. From the beginning, the emphasis has been on community - family, parish and school - being the place of peacemaking, and in the words of the Parish motto: - "to support and be supported". During the first year, it was on site at Holy Family School, Gowrie while the first stage of building was completed at Calwell. The school continued to grow, being built in stages until the final stage was completed in 1992.
In 1994, a second Catholic primary school, St Clare of Assisi, commenced within our Parish to accommodate the increasing Catholic population of the Tuggeranong Valley. St Clare of Assisi draws on the suburbs of Bonython, Gordon, Conder and Banks for its enrolment, while St Francis of Assisi continues to draw on Richardson, Isabella Plains, Calwell, Theodore and rural surrounds.
In 2005, we became part of the newly formed Corpus Christi Parish, which was formed following the amalgamation of the Holy Family Parish, Gowrie and our St Francis of Assisi Parish, Calwell.
St Francis of Assisi accommodates three classes in each Year Level from Kindergarten through to Year 6, with the exception of Year 2, which consists of two classes. The school currently has an enrolment of approximately 470 children and is administered by a Leadership Team including the Principal, Assistant Principal, Religious Education Coordinator and two Primary Coordinators. The Parish Team and the School Community Council support the Leadership Team.
Almost 40 full-time and part-time staff including Teachers, Teacher Librarian, Specialist Teachers, Learning Support Teacher, Learning Support Assistants, Secretary, Bursar and other associated support staff all work diligently to support the students and families of the school community.