Dear Families

END OF SEMESTER REPORTS

This Friday each student will bring home their Semester 1 report. Although these reports are different this semester, they are still a celebration of the achievements your child has made over the past two terms. Please spend some time with your child discussing the report. I offer some insights from an article written by parenting educator Michael Grose:

Kids of all ages take their cues from their parents, so your reaction to their school report can affect the way they see themselves as learners and as people. Before you rip open the sealed envelope containing the report do a little self-check to see if you are in the right frame of mind.

Are your expectations for your son or daughter realistic and in line with their ability? Expectations are tricky. If they are too high, then kids can be turned off learning. Too low and there is nothing to strive for. Pitch your expectations in line with your child’s abilities.

Do you believe that children learn at different rates? There are slow bloomers, late developers and steady- as you-go kids in every classroom, so avoid comparing your child to siblings, your friends’ children and even yourself when you were a child. Instead look for individual progress.

Are you willing to safeguard your child’s self-esteem rather than deflate it? Self-confidence is a pre-requisite for learning, so be prepared to be as positive and encouraging as possible.

Here are some ideas to consider when you open your child’s report:

Focus on strengths.

Do you look for strengths or weaknesses first? The challenge is to focus on strengths even if they are not in the traditional 3Rs or core subjects.

Take into account your child’s effort and attitude to learning.

If your child is not trying hard enough or is easily distracted, then you have something to work on. If your child is putting in the required effort, then you cannot ask any more than that, regardless of the grading.

Broaden your focus away from academic performance to form a picture of your child’s progress as a member of a social setting.

How your child gets along with his or her peers will influence their happiness and well-being, as well as give an indicator to their future. The skills of independence and co-operation are highly valued by employers so don’t dismiss these as unimportant.

The reports distributed this week have been prepared in line with the school’s Assessment and Reporting policy and the Australian Government funding requirements and associated legislative regulations. The teachers have worked extremely hard throughout the semester to ensure assessment strategies are implemented to develop clear and fair assessment tasks; to make consistent and reliable judgements about a student’s work; to ensure effective, explicit teaching has occurred and that assessments are placed within those parameters; to ensure that the assessment process is known by the students prior to being conducted; and that assessment data is utilised to inform teaching and learning programs.

If you would like an opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher, we will be holding conferences (via zoom) next week. We find that these meetings are a valuable way to talk to and make parents aware of their child’s progress thus far and to set goals for the remainder of the year. Please ensure you make time to meet with your child’s teacher. Simply click on the following link to make an appointment https://stfranciscalwell.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/10

STUDENTS LEAVING ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI

It is the time of the year that places of offer are being sent to parents of children enrolling for Kindergarten in 2021. Other schools are also offering placements at this time. It is important that our school is informed about students leaving the school in 2020. This may be due to enrolling in another Catholic school or moving interstate or within Canberra.

For staffing and budgeting purposes we need to estimate enrolment numbers for 2021 in all year levels, so we would appreciate notification of your intentions when you are certain of your plans. Please email the front office at office.stfranciscalwell@cg.catholic.edu.au if your child will not be returning in 2021.  Year 6 students need not respond to this request.

SPLIT CLASSES

Recently we have had to split some classes when teachers have been absent from school. This is due to the difficulty in finding available relief teachers at this time of the year, despite many, many calls being made from members of our school Leadership Team. If we can’t get relief teachers we have no other option. Every attempt is made to keep classes settled and we hope that these situations are not too common. Thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.

SICK CHILDREN

Thank you for your support in keeping home children who are sick. We understand that this can be problematic for some families but appreciate the extra effort parents are making in keeping sick children at home. We ask that all children who have coughs, cold and fevers do not come to school. We will continue to enforce this and all children who present with these symptoms will be sent home. 

ABSENCES

A reminder that when your child is absent we require a written explanation of that absence. It is a legal requirement and this correspondence is archived for future reference. It can be very frustrating for a classroom teacher, trying to meet legal obligations, when they are constantly chasing these notes. Please know that a written explanation MUST be submitted to the school 7 days from when your child was absent. To make this easier for parents, you can send in this correspondence via email or SZapp.

PARENTAL CONCERNS

In a school community there can be times when you, as a parent, find situations frustrating. Communicating these frustrations with other parents does not always solve the problem, in fact, it often makes things worse. A reminder to all families that if you have any concerns about your child’s education or well-being at school, or about something happening here that is causing you a worry, please speak to your child’s teacher, the staff at BASCA (if it is a BASCA issue) or to me rather than other parents. That way we can address problems or concerns quickly and appropriately. Thank you for your understanding.

SECURITY IN THE HOLIDAYS

With the holidays approaching, I urge everyone to keep an eye on the school during the holidays and report any suspicious behaviour directly to the ACT Police on 131 444. As you walk or drive past the school, cast an eye across the grounds!

SCHOOL UNIFORM REMINDERS

With the holidays approaching, it is a good time to get all uniform requirements ready for the start of Term 3. School uniform seems to be a constant battle recently! We are persistently reminding students at school that they must wear correct uniform to school. We need parental support in ensuring we follow Catholic Education Uniform guidelines and School Uniform Policy.

Some reminders please:

• Navy jackets only;
• Navy or black scarves, gloves and beanies only;
• A St Francis School bag;
• Winter uniform only - no shorts or polo shirts (short or long sleeved)!

Could you please ensure that your child comes to school with either a jumper or tracksuit jacket depending on what uniform is required on that day. We have many children turning up to school in minus temperatures with only a thin shirt on. It is far too cold and children are getting sick as a result.

SCHOOL FEES

Thank you to the many families who have finalised their fees for this term. Term 1 school fees are now overdue, and Term 2 fees are due for payment by next Friday 3 July.  Should you be experiencing difficulty with your fees please come and see me.

Peace and Best Wishes

Kate Markcrow

Principal

We have had our second Community Council meeting for the term, again in the comfort of our lounge rooms, we are all getting very tech savvy on Zoom now! 

Fantastic five - Notes went home last week, we look forward to seeing what groups get up to and hope some new friendships are formed. Please send through pictures to share on the school's Facebook page. 

Morning/Afternoon collections - We all understand the frustrations that are going on at the moment with everything a little different to normal, however, at this present time this is our normal, our message on this is to be patient,  kind and considerate of all others around you, this includes each of the parents/grandparents, children and our teachers. 

Remember when you exit the hall after pick-up we need to ensure our social distance and please no gathering in the carpark. 

Teacher thank you lunch - We hope this can occur in Term 3, however, we are waiting until the teachers can enjoy lunch together, we will keep you updated on this one.

Our next meeting will be in Term 3 and we are looking forward to this hopefully being face to face. 

While the clothing pool will not be re-opening this term, if you are in need of any items please send an email to office.stfranciscalwell@cg.catholic.edu.au and your order will be filled if possible and sent home with your eldest child.  You will be informed of the amount owing and we ask that all payments be made by QKR! 

We are accepting donations of second hand uniforms for the clothing pool.  If you have any pre-loved uniforms in good condition that you are willing to donate to the school, please bring these to the front office.

All proceeds from the sale of second hand uniforms go to the Community Council.

Thank you for your support.

Several parents are expressing their frustration, when they have gone to the trouble of labelling their child’s jumper and hat, and it now cannot be found.

We ask that all parents check that their child is wearing items belonging to them.

If you find that you have someone else’s jumper or hat at home, please return it to the school so it can be returned to its rightful owner.

Brindabella Blues Extend Registrations for 5 to 8 year old All-Girl Football program

Tired of being in lockdown? Want to run around outside in a safe, protected environment? Want to make new friends and learn new skills? Want to learn the game that took the Matilda’s Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter to play with the biggest football clubs in Europe? Want to have fun?

The Brindabella Blues have extended registrations and dropped the cost for its popular 5 to 8 year-old All-Girl Football program. Running Saturday mornings from late June to mid-September the program has a focus on fun, friends, family, fitness and football.

For registration information see the Brindabella Blues website https://www.bbfc.org.au/ or contact Michael, the Brindabella Girls Coordinator on juniors@bbfc.org.au or 0423 824 192.

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