Dear Parents and Carers,

I had the pleasure of attending the year 6 Confirmation retreat day on Tuesday at Holy Family Church. The students engaged in several activities designed to deepen their knowledge of the sacrament before they are confirmed later in June. I thank our Year 6 teachers, Mrs Thomas and Mrs Gowen, for their support and preparation of the students for this important moment in our student's faith life.

I will take leave for the next 2 weeks beginning Monday and return mid-way through week 8. Mrs Annie McArthur will lead the school very capably in my absence. I also thank Sharee Thomas and Amanda Ducker, who will be the Acting Assistant Principal and Religious Education Coordinator while I am away.

Assessment and Reporting

It is the midpoint of the school term, and our staff are busily compiling assessments and beginning the process of writing reports. This is no small task, with every student assessed using multiple instruments and assignments across all subject areas and finally moderated against other grade teachers to arrive at the overall grade.

Like last year, general comments will not be required on Semester 1 reports, and Parent/Teacher Conferences for every family will be prioritised. Mrs Annie McArthur is currently working on scheduling these, and they will be available to book via the Compass portal in the coming weeks. She will communicate with parents once bookings are open.

These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, strengths, challenges and future focus areas. The Semester Report will still be sent home as in previous Semesters, providing A-E grading and attendance information via Compass.

In Semester 2 reports will require a general comment for all children. This general comment will provide a summative comment for the year, areas of achievement and areas to focus on for the following year. A-E grading and attendance information will remain the same as in Semester 1. We would encourage all parents/guardians to engage with their child/ren’s learning regularly, connecting with their class teacher/s to discuss learning progress.

Official Enrolment Period Closing

The official Catholic Education enrolment period closes today. We held our last open day on Wednesday, and I offer a big thank you to all our Yr. 6 leaders who volunteered to take interested families on tours of the school.  A reminder that all enrolment is completed online, and links to the portal can be found on or school website or via this link Primary ACT | St Francis of Assisi Primary School (stfa.act.edu.au).

Being a part of a Catholic system allows our school to illustrate our holistic approach to educating children who personify Catholic values and serve their communities. At St Francis, we are extremely fortunate to have strong connections with Catholic secondary colleges that have created a complete P-12 Catholic education pathway. 

We can accommodate people outside our open days for tours and to answer any questions. Please encourage those interested to contact the office to arrange a time to come in and see us.

Blessings and best wishes

Sean Rutledge

Principal

Dear Parents and Carers.

Lael and our TRP Team are so looking forward to your Connected Parenting Webinar on Monday 3rd June from 6:30pm to 7:45pm AEST (75 minutes)

What you can expect.
This Connected Parenting Webinar offers a valuable set of tools for parents and carers aiming to raise children through positive connections and communication. Tips for parents and carers will include;

• Guiding our children to become resilient adults. 
• Practical strategies to build stronger connections with your children.
• Ideas to support your children when they are frustrated or going through challenging situations.
• Simple ways to create co-operation. 
• Dealing with our own triggers as a parent. 
• Understanding big emotions and feelings and assisting your kids in becoming emotionally resilient. 

About Lael Stone
Lael Stone is an author, TEDx speaker, counsellor and parenting educator who specialises in navigating trauma and disconnection in families. She has spent the last 17 years working with families, as well as running programs in Secondary schools for teens on relationships and Well-being. She is a mother of three grown up children and the co-founder of Woodline Primary School - a new innovative school focused on supporting emotional intelligence in children. 

Registrations to the webinar are essential!!
Please click the link below to register.
https://au01web.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5wlfumtrz4rHNWb-AjF_vUEZkjh4VrHep3h 

Things to note:

• This presentation will be recorded and made available for 2 weeks after the live session for those who cannot make it or would like a recap.

If you wish to attend the seminar, after registering, please email Sharee Thomas so we can keep track of how many families will be in attendance
Sharee.thomas@cg.catholic.edu.au

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me here at school or via email.
Have a great day!

Sharee Thomas
REC

Recently there have been several cases of clearly labelled school jumpers and jackets going missing.

Some jackets and jumpers have been taken off in the classroom or playground, and then have gone missing, and they are not in the classroom nor lost property.

Can all families please check over the weekend that your child has their jumper and that it is correctly labeled and named. The jumpers that have gone missing do have names on them.

Please double check and ensure that it is your child’s and not another student’s. If your child has mistakenly taken home somebody else's uniform (including hats), please return it to school on Monday. 

Thank you for your co-operation.

Year 4 Mavericks

With teamwork and positivity, the Yr 4 Mavericks continue to grow their skills every week. This week was a tough game, but what shone most was the way every player supported the team both on and off the court. Congratulations to Audrey and Mackenzie as this week’s award winners. Thank you also to the parents of the Mavericks for the team spirit and support for the start of the season.

 

The Uniform Shop has some new opening times. 

Tuesday:       2:45pm - 3:15pm

Wednesday:  8:45am - 9:15am

                    2:45pm - 3:15pm

Friday:          8:45am - 9:15am