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Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the 2024 school year. The start of a new school year is always a time of new beginnings and opportunities; this year is no exception. I am pleased to report we have had a very calm and settled beginning to the school year, with students in great spirits after the holiday break.
First and foremost, I want to warmly welcome all our new and returning students, families, and staff members. Our school community is enriched by each of your unique talents, perspectives, and experiences. Together, we create an environment where learning thrives and everyone is valued and respected.
We are also excited to see the official beginning of the school year for our foundation ELC classes. These students began in the Hall on Wednesday and Thursday and have loved being a part of school life. My thanks and appreciation go to our ELC staff, who have adapted our hall to become a beautiful learning space for an interim period while our ELC building is completed. This is scheduled for completion in the first week of March.
Parent and community involvement is crucial to the success of our students and our school. We encourage you to get involved through volunteering, joining our Community Council, or participating in school events. Your engagement and support make a significant difference in the lives of our students and are shown to enhance your child’s progress. The average impact of the parental engagement approaches is an additional four months’ progress over a year. There are also higher impacts for students with low prior achievement. If you are interested in reading more, visit Parent Engagement.
We will hold our opening Community Council meeting in Week 4 and then call for any new members to replace current members who have stepped down at the end of 2023. Watch this space.
Change to Pick Up Arrangements
This year, we will trial a change in pick-up areas and routines just a little to take us closer to our pre-COVID routines. We are asking teachers to dismiss their students from the classroom and ask them to WALK to their pickup areas. They are as follows:
- Peace Garden – all students who will be using the drive-through pickup option are to head to the Peace Garden where they will be supervised by two staff members. Students will sit in the shade in the grade groups. Pickers will begin at 3:15 pm in the drive-through ring road.6 of our classes open onto the peace garden. Please do not stop on the ring road until the cones are removed in the afternoon. This creates traffic congestion on Casey Cres.
- Classroom Pick up – some parents may wish to pick up outside their child/rens If you wish to use this pick-up option, we ask that you inform your children which classroom they will need to meet you at each day. Wait outside the classroom (not in the breakout spaces), as this allows the teachers to complete end-of-day tasks with minimal distractions.
- Peace Garden Pick-Up – some parents may wish to continue using the Peace Garden pick-up, which means that those students also head straight to the Peace Garden.
- Walkers – walkers are to meet outside the old canteen near the hall and are not to leave until the teacher on duty walks them along the ring road to the corner of the school.
- Early Bus/Crossing – all students catching an early bus and those crossing the road at the crossing can leave class on the 3 pm bell. They meet the teacher on duty at the end of the Year 2 block. The teacher will walk them to the road and watch as they cross the road at the supervised crossing or walk to the bus stop around the corner.
- Bus – all other bus students are dismissed at normal time and are to walk to the fake grass at the end of the Year 2 block and wait for the bus teacher to walk back up and meet them. They will be taken to the driveway to wait for the bus and supervised by the teacher on duty.
- Bikes/Scooters – those students either biking or scooting will walk to the bike area, put on their helmet, walk their bike to the outside of the school (walkers or back gate) and follow teacher instructions.
We are doing this to give our students the opportunity to be somewhat more self-aware and self-directed. We ask that you discuss these new routines with your children as we will do so in the classroom environment.
Phones
We are now asking that ALL students who bring a phone to school take their phone to the front office and place it in an envelope with their name on it for safekeeping for the day. The students may come and pick up from the office in the afternoon. Early leavers may come before 3 pm and the remainder of students may come after the 3:05 pm bell.
PIN Information
On Monday, Week 3, 12th Feb, we will have our Parent Information Night (PIN) on the Hardtop from 5:30 pm. A compass notification will go out early next week with more information and a link to a form to register your attendance for catering purposes.
Google Translate
Do you speak a language other than English at home? Did you know that our newsletter can be translated into over a hundred languages at the click of a button? Simply look for Google Translate at the top of your newsletter and select your preferred language.
Lastly, I want to emphasise the importance of open communication. We value your feedback and ideas. Please do not hesitate to contact teachers, staff, or myself with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Together, we can ensure that this school year is successful and rewarding for everyone.
Thank you for being a part of our St Francis of Assisi School Community. Here’s to a fantastic 2024 school year!
Blessings and best wishes
Sean Rutledge
Principal
Welcome back to 2024!
I hope you had a very happy and holy Christmas with some down time over the break.
Sacrament Information
As we begin our new year a message from Fr James that registration for the Sacraments will occur a little differently this year. ALL SACRAMENTS (Confirmation in Year 6, Eucharist in Year 5 and Reconciliation in Year 4) will have the same registration period at the beginning of the year. You will receive information about this process and the key dates for each of the Sacraments in a separate document via compass today.
If you have any questions about the Sacraments, please do not hesitate to contact me here at school or via email sharee.thomas@cg.catholic.edu.au Alternatively you can contact Anne Gowan, the parish Sacramental coordinator via email TuggeranongSouth.Sacraments@cg.org.au
Please "Save The Date" Ash Wednesday Liturgy and Leadership Mass
As the ELC are using the Hall in the upcoming few weeks, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday as a school in the Peace Garden on Wednesday 14th February at 2pm. We welcome all families to come and celebrate the beginning of Lent with us.
Our Leadership Mass where all Year 6 will receive their badges will occur on Wednesday 21st February at 10am at Holy Family Church Gowrie. All children (except Kinder who will be on their last rest day) will catch buses across to the Parish Church. The SRC students will also be given their badges at this mass. We welcome all Year 6 parents and families as well as those from the SRC (you will receive a notification if your child is their class SRC nomination) to attend this mass.
Class Masses
This year classes will once again be rostered to attend the local Parish Mass on Wednesday morning's at 9:30am. We would love to see families come along to this Parish Mass if they are able. I will attach the roster below for your information as to when your child's class will be going. All Parish Masses are held in the 'little church' across the ring-road and are a wonderful, intimate opportunity for prayer and sharing the Eucharist.
Gospel Reflection: Mark 1:29-39- Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
He cured many who suffered from diseases of one kind or another.
This week’s gospel follows directly on from last week’s reading and, as is typical with Mark’s gospel, the events occur on the very same day. The urgency of the gospel is obvious in this week’s reading; Jesus had a very busy 24 hours! Having launched his public ministry in the synagogue earlier that day, Jesus accompanies his new disciples to meet some of their family and have a meal. However, on arriving at the home of Simon and Andrew, they find Simon’s mother-in-law is sick. Unlike the public displays of his healing power that preceded and will follow this episode, Jesus does not say anything but simply takes the woman by the hand and helps her up. Her response of beginning to wait on Jesus and his disciples is a faith response and a recognition of who Jesus is. A theme that runs through this gospel is that the disciples never fully understand who Jesus is. Here, a woman who has just met him recognises him as the Messiah and begins to serve him.
Still on the same day, we see the expansion of Jesus’ healing ministry. On this one day he has cast an unclean spirit out of a possessed man in the synagogue, healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever and then healed the crowds of people who came to the door. The next morning he announces that they will take the ministry to the whole region of Galilee. In a very simple way, the gospel of Mark has described the growth of Jesus’ ministry from very humble isolated examples to a deliberate reaching out to the people of an entire region. Adapted from Greg Sunter
If I can be of ANY assistance during the year, please do not hesitate to contact me at school or via email.
Have a wonderful week!
Sharee Thomas
REC
This year we are once again using The Resilience Project in our school to support student well-being and mental health. Attached is a flyer explaining TRP and why it is so important for EVERYONE in our community to have positive mental health strategies to prevent mental ill-health and build our capacity to deal with adversity.
As part of the school TRP Program, we also have access to The Parent Inspire Program,
This includes:
- Access for your school community to our dedicated Inspire Parent and Carer Hub (can be accessed any time via a secure link, no login required). This hub will introduce families to the program and our GEM principles, as well as links to research, additional resources, and well-being activities for families to try at home.
- Tools to support engaging families in the program that the children will be involved in through their weekly lessons at school.
Why?
The Resilience Project works with parents and carers in the school community, not only because well-being is relevant to you too, but because it helps to build the school-home connection. Families will be introduced to the key concepts of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness & Emotional Literacy, and the benefits of regularly practising these.
I will be sending home details of the Parent and Carer Hub over the next few weeks, but until then please find more information about TRP in the attached flyer.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me here at school or via email.
Thank you!
Sharee Thomas (REC)
Hope everyone has had a wonderful start to 2024!
Just a couple of reminders regarding Finance. Fees will be a bit different this year, so please ensure you read this information. I have alsio attached the letter sent to families at the end of last year regarding 2024 school fees.
Fee Statements
Fee statements will go out in the next couple of weeks. This year, fees will be billed annually, rather than per term. These can still be paid off in weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalments. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need assistance calculating instalments.
BPAY Codes
All old BPAY codes are no longer functional. Please ensure you use the new BPAY information, which will be on your recent statements. The BILLER Code is 394734 and your reference number will now be a 13 digit number beginning with 204.
Concessions/School Fee Reduction
School Fee Concessions need to be reapplied for each year. Once the 2024 School Fee Reduction application form is finalised, I will send it to families who were receiving a concession in 2023. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please get in touch to see how we can assist you.
Systemic Discount/Building Fund
We no longer require families to notify us if they are entitled to a systemic discount. This is now applied automatically. Building fund will not be applied to your account unless you opt in.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me Julie.Rummukainen@cg.catholic.edu.au
Please make sure your child is in the correct class for 2024 when ordering either Recess or Lunch through QKR.
There will be no Canteen services next Wednesday 7th February 2024.
What happens to lost property?
The key question here is: does it have a name on it?
Yes
Teachers and front office staff do all they can to return the item back to the student via their classroom.
No
Teachers and staff all keep an eye out for items that are left in the classroom or playground where their students are. They will ask the students to identify their items and may keep the items in the classroom for a short time.
Any lost property we get at the uniform shop is added to the lost property boxes in the front office.
Items in lost property for 6 months or more that don’t have a name on them are donated to the uniform shop for sale.
What else you can do
The lost property boxes are in the front office and BASCA.
You or your child are welcome to go through these boxes and find their lost items.
You could check if your child’s teacher has any lost property in the classroom.
Lent is an especially sacred time of year so here is a list of ways that you may enter into the spirit of the season.
- 10am Sunday 11th Feb – Staff Commissioning Mass at Holy Family Church.
- The Parish Lenten Program, Pieta, will run on Monday evenings from 7pm – 8pm from 12th Feb to 18th March. Sign-up sheet in the foyer or let us know if you want to join in.
- 14th Feb: Ash Wednesday – Masses are at Holy Family Church at 10am and 6pm.
- Fridays during Lent – 6pm Mass at HFC, followed by Stations of the Cross.
- Wednesdays at 7pm from 21st Feb to 27th March at HFC – Contemplative Masses – Silence is an integral part of the celebration of the contemplative Mass and I am aware that it is not necessarily appealing to all. Children at Mass, if they are distracted for some reason, our beautiful church foyer or children’s liturgy room will be a useful place. I would love to see children in the church and I also want them to understand the sacredness of our worshiping place. Fr James T Antony.
- 1st Rite of Reconciliation is available each Saturday from 10am to 10:30am and 5pm to 5:30pm plus each Sunday from 5:00pm to 5:30pm.
- 2nd Rite of Reconciliation is at 7pm on Thursday, 21st March at Holy Family Church.
You can stay up to date by referring to our website: http://www.ccparish.org.au