Filter Content
Dear Parents and Carers,
Last week, we celebrated the blessing and opening of our renovated ¾ classrooms and new ELC. It was a beautiful event that was well-attended by a large contingent of people from Catholic Education, project contributors, previous principals, and parents. I want to thank Fr Richard Thompson (Vicar General), Ross Fox (CECG Director) and Yvette Berry (Deputy Chief Minister for their support in blessing and opening these buildings. I would also like to thank the Commonwealth Government (BGA ¾ project) and ACT Government (BSK ELC) for their generous contributions towards these projects. I would also like to thank our choir, who performed three songs and provided a beautiful ambience to the ceremony. I gave a vote of thanks on behalf of the community and have included some of this below:
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to Total Project Construction, Munns Sly, and Moore Architects for their exceptional craftsmanship, creativity, and expertise in bringing our vision to life. Their attention to detail and commitment to excellence have resulted in spaces that inspire learning, creativity, and innovation. We are immensely grateful for their collaborative spirit and dedication to creating environments that will foster the growth and development of students at St. Francis for many years to come.
To our educators and staff, thank you for your unwavering dedication, passion, and tireless efforts in creating nurturing learning environments for our students. Your commitment to excellence and your steadfast belief in every child's potential is commendable. I especially want to thank you for your diligence in establishing temporary learning spaces while the Year ¾ block and ELC were renovated and constructed. The impact of your work extends far beyond the walls of these classrooms, shaping the future of our community one student at a time.
Last but certainly not least, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the students and their families. Your enthusiasm, resilience, and unwavering support have been the driving force behind this project. Your eagerness to embrace change and your commitment to lifelong learning serve as a beacon of inspiration to us all.
As we celebrate this momentous occasion, let us remember that the true measure of our success lies not only in the bricks and mortar that surround us but in the lives that are transformed within these walls. May these newly renovated classrooms and the Early Learning Centre serve as a testament to our collective commitment to providing every child with the opportunity to thrive, learn, and succeed.
Once again, thank you to all who have contributed to this remarkable journey. Together, we have laid the foundation for a brighter future filled with endless possibilities. In the words of St Francis, ‘Start by doing what is necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible’.”
Drilling and machinery
You will have noticed machines and drilling occurring on the ring road in the last week which are a part of the electrical upgrade required as we add the ELC and electrify more of the school's heating. The new connection should be established in the July holidays. We are currently working with the contractors to ascertain how or if this may impact any school holiday care arrangements.
Carpark
In the coming weeks we will be undergoing some maintenance in the carpark. Works planned include:
- disability parking at the ELC
- remarking of parking spaces to utilise areas of the carpark better
- Stump removal
- Repair of potholes
There should be minimal disruption to the carpark, and some of the work will be scheduled during the next school holidays to minimise impact on pick-up arrangements.
Mothers’ Day Celebrations
I would like to wish all of our mums a very happy Mother’s Day for last Sunday. I hope you were justly spoiled and had a day where you felt affirmed and blessed for the immeasurable gift you are in the lives of your child or children. This year, we tried something different with the support of the Community Council and ran an open classroom and afternoon tea. The comments I received from parents were overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting that it was nice not to rush out the door in the morning to try and make the traditional breakfast that we have run in previous years. I would like to thank our organising committee who made this special afternoon happen. Like anything, there are always things we can improve upon. There is currently a feedback form on Compass if you want to comment.
Enrolment Period
All Catholic schools are in the formal enrolment period. Parents are strongly encouraged to submit any applications for 2025 enrolments before the end of May. Our final Open Day is on Wednesday, May 29th, from 9 am – 11.00 am and again from 4-6 pm. We will have students on hand to provide school tours. If this date and time doesn’t work, please contact the school at 62924500, and we can arrange an alternate time to visit the school.
We have already received a large number of enrolments for the school in all year levels and also the ELC. There will likely be a waitlist in some grades next year. Get your application in before the end of May to ensure you don’t miss out.
Community Council
The new Community Council Executive met on Tuesday and welcomed a number of new members. We are currently working on a get to know your council document, which will be released in the coming weeks.
Siloam & Leave
I will be away Tuesday and Wednesday next week at a Principal Professional Development Day and Siloam retreat. Later this term, I will be taking two weeks leave from 3rd June to 18th June. I will be back at school in Week 8. Annie McArthur will be the Acting Principal during this period and lead the school capably in my absence.
Blessings and best wishes
Sean Rutledge
Principal
PENTECOST SUNDAY YEAR B
John 20:19-23- As the Father sent me, so I send you: Receive the Holy Spirit.
‘At Pentecost,’ says Pope Francis, ‘the Spirit made the apostles go forth from themselves and turned them into heralds of God’s wondrous deeds.’
The Pope mentions this in Evangelii Gaudium, his Apostolic Exhortation focused ‘on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world.’ In it, he points out that ‘Jesus wants evangelisers who proclaim the good news not only with words, but above all by a life transfigured by God’s presence.’
Highlighting that we are called ‘to pray and work,’ the Pope is concerned to encourage Christians to joy-filled action. Pentecost is not only about what we receive, but what we do in response.
However important or useful our interior prayers and personal pieties might be, any authentic response to the Spirit should make us look beyond ourselves. ‘Mystical notions without a solid social and missionary outreach are of no help to evangelisation,’ the Pope suggests. We are not called to be passive receptacles, storing up fuzzy feelings.
Action, therefore, is crucial for Christian living. While acknowledging the worthiness of initiatives like regular Eucharistic adoration, the Pope stresses that the Christian calling should never become ‘a privatised lifestyle.’ Our prayer should direct us to sharing the love of Christ with others, especially those in need.
‘In union with Jesus,’ the Pope says, ‘we seek what he seeks and love what he loves.’ So, at Pentecost we recall that having received the Spirit we are not meant to retreat from the world, but rather become Spirit-bearers to and in it.
Adapted from Nick Brodie
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
All children who wishes to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year and is registered, needs to attend a commitment mass this weekend.
Mass times are as follows:
Saturday - 6pm
Sunday - 8am, 10am or 6pm
Please bring your commitment form with you. There will be extra's in the back of the church in case you forget at all masses.
Any concerns or problems, please email Anne Gowan on TuggeranongSouth.Sacraments@cg.org.au
Have a great week!
If you would like to attend, please Register for event here.
National Simultaneous Storytime
Next Wednesday the 22nd of May, St Francis of Assisi will participate in National Simultaneous Storytime. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read in libraries, schools, pre-schools, family day cares, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. This event promotes the value of reading and literacy and engages children in a book just for fun.
All children in the school will listen to a reading of Bowerbird Blues, written by Aura Parker, sometime throughout the day. They will also participate in a fun craft activity and scavenger hunt.
Did you know that Bowerbird’s decorate their nests with blue objects? To help students engage with the text we encourage children to wear a ‘splash’ of blue next Wednesday (22nd May) with their school uniform. This might be a blue ribbon, blue hairclip, blue bracelet, blue feather, blue bowtie, blue badge, blue scarf, blue bandana or blue hat.
Scholastic Book Club
Reminder that Scholastic Book Club Issue 3 orders close this Sunday the 19th May.
Year 3 Firebirds - Net Set Go
The Firebirds had a fantastic game against St Anthony’s on the season opener on May 4th. It was the first netball game for many of the players with each displaying great teamwork, enthusiasm and encouragement. Most of all, everyone had fun and there was an abundance of smiles. We were very much looking forward to round 2 but unfortunately the rain had other ideas and the game was cancelled. Onto round 3 this week. Go Firebirds!
“Domino’s Conder” Player of the Match: Lola
“Goodberries” Good Sport Award: Lyla
Wow! What a fantastic day 24, Year 3 and 4 boys had on Tuesday 14th May at the Basketball Gala Day in Tuggeranong!
We had 3 teams represent St Francis and each played 4 games against other schools (and each other), before the semis and grand final. Some of our boys had never played competitive basketball before, and we were playing against some schools who entered their regular basketball teams. Our boys did so well!
The coaches and parents are very proud of their efforts, teamwork and good sportsmanship. They learnt new skills and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Two of our teams played in the semi-final, then we played each other in the grand final for the bronze position. Congratulations to the Blue team for third place overall!
Thank you to the boys for trying their best, listening to coaches, encouraging their team mates, and excellent behaviour to positively represent our school.
A huge thank you to Erin Steele for introducing our school to sport gala days, running trials to select teams, registering players, and all the background work that goes into organising a successful day, as well as coaching the Red team!
Thank you to Daniel Irvine for giving up his work day to coach the Blue team and Mrs Way for being a coach, scorers and teacher on the day. Thank you to the parents and Mrs McArthur who were able to take time out of their busy day to support our boys and do some bench duty, and thanks to parents for delivering and collecting their boys from the stadium.
Well worth it to give our kids a very positive and enjoyable experience!
Join the Musical Journey at St Francis of Assisi!
Musicorp students at St Francis of Assisi have made a wonderful start to the year. From guitar to keyboard to drums, they learn a diverse array of instruments, practicing their skills individually and uniting as a band.
Get ready to groove to popular hits like ‘Another One Bites the Dust’, ‘Young Blood’, and ‘We Will Rock You’ in our upcoming performances. As the Year 6 Band prepares for their graduation ceremony, they are on the lookout for a drummer to complete their sound. Could you be the missing piece?
A standing ovation goes to Matthew Hart from 2 Dhaura who has made an exceptional start to learning the guitar and mastering his craft.
Are you ready to join the musical fun? Whether you’re an experienced musician seeking new challenges or a beginner looking to explore the world of music, there’s a place for you in our ensemble.
Enrol now or learn more about our program by contacting Musicorp at 1300 858 911 or visiting www.polygon.ws/lessons