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Dear Families,
A very warm welcome to the 2021 school year. I hope you all had a happy Christmas and a great break with your family before our busy school year begins.
This year we have many new families joining our school community. On Monday we welcomed 17 new students from Years 1-6 and 63 new Kinder students on Tuesday. A very special welcome to all. Welcome to those parents who are joining our community for the first time and I hope your time with us is rewarding for both children and adults. If you are a returning St Francis of Assisi Primary School family please help the new members of our community feel welcome.
A special welcome to new staff who are joining us this year: Mr Nathan Hosie (Kinder Kanbi), Miss Natalie Radanovich (Year Two Dhaura), Mrs Amanda Ducker (Year 3 Ngadyung), Mr Tom Johnson (Year 5 Ngadyung), Mr Jeremy Stevens (Numeracy Coordinator and Year 5 Dhaura), Mr Steven Joyce (Year 6 Ngadyung), Mrs Emma Harris (STEM Teacher), Mrs Alison Bond (Library), Miss Charly Lehmensich, (Classroom Support Assistant), Mr Ashley Day (Classroom Support Assistant), Mrs Alicia McManus (Classroom Support Assistant), Miss Sophie Markcrow (Classroom Support Assistant) and Ms Jill Buik (Classroom Support Assistant).
Our new staff will be commissioned into their role as teachers and staff in our Parish Primary School at mass on Sunday 14th February by Fr James. I am excited by the contributions our new staff members will have within our school community and wish them every success for the year.
FIRST WEEK OF TERM
It was wonderful seeing so many bright and cheerful faces on Monday morning. The children looked excited as they went in to their new classes, and as I visited the students throughout the day it was evident that they were very happy and settled with their new teachers.
Tuesday marked the first day of Kindergarten and once again the children entered their classroom with enthusiasm. With hardly any tears, (from the parents) the children happily farewelled their families and had a wonderful first day.
All learners are empowered to be successful, creative, curious and critical thinkers through collaborative and inclusive relationships based on high quality planning and best practice teaching.
With this in mind the school will undergo a review process later in the year, showcasing the new initiatives that we have put in place to support the learning of all students. The staff are looking forward to working on our new programs and seeing the successes it will bring in all our students.
SCHOOL UNIFORM
Thank you to everyone for such a great start to the year. The children have arrived at school looking exceptional in their school uniform. Being part of St Francis of Assisi Primary School means adhering to correct uniform. It is essential that your child has a school hat. Play on the playground is only allowed if a hat is worn. Jewellery is not part of the uniform and, apart from watches and ear studs, should not be worn. Long hair must be tied back and be of the child’s natural colour. Does your child have black shoes and a St Francis of Assisi school bag? Thank you for your cooperation with this.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL DROP OFF AND PICK UP
As we come back to school I would like to remind parents and carers about our drop off and pick up arrangements. This is probably the most dangerous time during a school day and it is imperative that we all work together to ensure all children are safe getting to and from school each day. I do ask that you are patient during these times, as rushing or overtaking cars in our drop off zones can be dangerous to our children. Dropping off a little earlier in the morning or collecting a little later in the afternoon can alleviate some of our traffic congestion. Getting all children to and from school safely is of paramount importance. Supervision for students begins at 8:30am and finishes at 3:30pm.
A reminder about ‘Pickers’ in the afternoon;
If the cones are out, you have 3 choices:
- Drive to the car park, park your car and collect your child from the hall;
- Continue to drive around the block until the cones are removed;
- Go and run a quick errand and come back when the ‘Pickers’ lane is open
No one may line up behind the cones until the children are assembled in the ‘Pickers’ area and the cones are removed. This assists with the traffic congestion and easy exit for the busses on Casey Crescent. Please note: Pickers does not open till 3:20pm.
If we all follow these simple steps it makes ‘pick up’ in the afternoon safer and easier for all.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR
This year we have a new school counsellor. We welcome Sharman Hampson to our school community. We have been fortunate to secure extra counselling hours this year. As such, Sharman will work on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9am -5pm and every second Friday.
A new online referral system will come into place later in the year. For now, if you would like your child to access the school counsellor, please ask for a referral form from your classroom teacher.
DEATH CAP MUSHROOMS
Death Cap mushrooms have been found growing in the ACT. The growing season has started early this year, due to wet weather and mild temperatures. Death Cap mushrooms are one of the world’s deadliest mushrooms and can be found across the Canberra region.
Children should be encouraged not to touch, pick or eat any wild mushrooms. Please discuss this with your child and we will remind the children at school as well.
SCHOOL HOURS - CHANGES TO LUNCH TIME
Lunch: Due to changes in our timetable, we have had to adjust our lunch break. Eating time will now be at 1:15pm and the children will go outside and play from 1:30 until 2:00pm.
Beginning of the day: Please know the bell rings at 8:55am in the morning. The teachers will meet them at their classroom door at this time and they will enter their classrooms and be ready for their first lesson at 9:00am.
ASH WEDNESDAY AND OPENING SCHOOL MASS – Including School Leadership Induction
Please note that we have had to change the time for this mass. The mass followed by the induction will now take place on Wednesday 17th February at 11:45am. Due to Covid, we are still restricted by the number of parents who can attend but we will send out further details about this next week.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram! We find it is a great way to disseminate information.
Thank you to everyone for your efforts in preparing your child/ren so well. It has been a very smooth start to the year.
Peace and Best wishes
Kate Markcrow
Principal
RE News
Welcome to the 2021 school year!
This year at St Francis of Assisi our focus is ‘Be still with God’s Spirit’.
We will develop our understanding and experience of Christian Meditation as a form of intentional contemplative prayer, which will enable us to lead the students in our ancient faith tradition of stillness, silence and simplicity.
Ash Wednesday Opening Mass and Year Six Leadership Induction time change
Our Opening School Mass will be celebrated on Ash Wednesday in week 3 on February 17th at the new time of 11:45am. Apologies for this change to the calendar which was necessary as parishioners will attend Ash Wednesday Mass at 9:30am in Sacred Heart Church as usual, to follow COVID-19 restrictions.
The Year Six Leadership Induction Ceremony will occur at the conclusion of Mass, in the Peace Garden, weather permitting.
Year Six parents will need to RSVP to attend. Details will be sent home.
With blessings
From Lisa Conroy
Religious Education Coordinator
Welcome to the 2021 school year!
Term 1 fee statements will be sent out in the next week or so. To ensure your fees are billed correctly, please notify me if:
- You do not wish to pay the building fund of $183.00 per term (this is a voluntary, tax deductible payment to the Canberra Catholic Schools Building Fund)
- You have older students attending a systemic high school - this will ensure you are charged the discounted Catholic Education tuition fee, and you will not be charged the building fund contribution at St Francis Calwell
Many families have already provided me with this information through the sibling discount form that was sent out last year. Attached is a copy if you have not yet returned this form.
I will also be happy to assist with your 2021 fee calculations. Please send me an email requesting this assistance and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Kind regards
Susan Rowell
Just a friendly reminder to please book your child in for their Kindergarten Best Start Assessment with their teacher, through SZapp. The two remaining days are Friday 5th Feb and Wednesday 10th Feb.
If you are unable to make either of these dates please contact your teacher via email to arrange an alternative time.
A reminder to all families to update their SZAPP subscription to reflect the appropriate year levels for 2021.
Open the SZAPP app for St Francis of Assisi Primary School Calwell, click on 'Manage' and select the groups you would like to receive messages for.
You can also update your notification preferences through your phone settings.
The Clothing Pool is open at the following times:
- Tuesday afternoons 2.45 - 3.30pm
- Friday mornings 8.45 - 9.30am
The Clothing Pool is located in the hall foyer. When attending the Clothing Pool, please ensure you check in using the Check In CBR app, and adhere to social distancing requirements at all times. Only one family will be served at a time.
The Clothing Pool sells second hand school uniforms and we accept donations of good quality pre-loved uniforms. Please bring your donations to the front office.
Thank you to our parent volunteers for providing this service to our school community!
Please like and follow St Francis of Assisi Primary School on Facebook and Instagram to receive updates, reminders and much more.
