Filter Content
Dear Families
PRINCIPAL’S RETREAT
This week I am away, attending the Archdiocesan Principal’s Retreat in Bowral. Each year, all Principals within our Archdiocese and key Catholic Education staff gather on retreat to reflect on our roles as leaders in Catholic schools. This year Dr Caroline Thompson, Director of Formation Mercy Partners, will lead us through 2 days of prayer meditation and self-reflection.
I thank you all for allowing me the time to attend this valuable time away from school.
SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Last week we held our annual St Francis of Assisi Primary School Swimming Carnival. A big thank you to Debbie Cossettini and Michelle Marshall and our ‘Swimming Carnival Staff Committee’ for coordinating and planning this carnival. It was such a successful day. We were certainly blessed with spectacular weather. A big thank you to all those parents who volunteered on the day. Your help is always invaluable. Hopefully next year we can invite our parent spectator group back. Thank you so very much.
Results from the Carnival
- 1st Place – 242 Points – Polding
- 2nd Place – 237 Points – Morrison
- 3rd Place – 235 Points – Cunningham
- 4th Place – 224 Points – McCormack
Well done to Chloe Smith and Zak Olsson for leading their team to a great victory!
To see highlights of the day, click on the link and watch our Swimming Carnival video.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g850KeWbYfOOaXxr7l2-BAmb-rEWAqdV/view?usp=sharing
COMMUNITY COUNCIL NOMINATIONS
The role of the School Community Council is an advisory body. The Council provides the opportunity for members of the school, parish and Archdiocesan communities to support the mission of Catholic education in our school. Working with the Principal, Parish Priest and staff, the members of the Council and its committees provide leadership to the wider school community.
Meetings are held twice a term.
We have had a resignation from our council and now have a vacant position. If you feel that you are able to fill this position and work as a member of the council, could you please fill in the attached form and return it by 3.00pm on Wednesday 17 March.
Community_Council_Nomination_form_2021.pdf
We are also looking for someone to step in to the treasurer’s role. This is a specific role and requires a finance background. Christina Knobel has been the treasurer for a number of years and will be stepping down later this year. It would be beneficial for someone to work alongside Christina to allow the transfer of knowledge. If you are interested in this role, please also fill in the nomination form and indicate that you are interested in the Treasurer position.
200 YEARS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA
This year we celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia. With special events planned throughout the year, we saw the launch at a mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral last Wednesday. Thank you to Imogen Bond and Matthew Crawford, who accompanied myself and Mrs Reedy to this mass.
DEALING WITH AN ISSUE
I encourage you to keep in regular contact with your child’s teacher throughout the year and inform them promptly of any concerns or positive moments along the way. Teachers are your main contact for learning, pastoral care, student management, great achievements etc. The class teachers appreciate being informed of all issues well before you consult a specialist teacher or a member of the Leadership Team.
However, if you have met with your child’s class teacher and would like further information or additional support, please follow the protocols and contact the following staff:
- Contact your child’s class teacher/s.
- Consult with your child’s year level coordinator or staff with a specialist role or responsibility:
- Kinder - Mrs Tiffany Reedy
- Years 1 & 2 – Mrs Lauren Macdonald
- Years 3 & 4 - Ms Lisa Conroy
- Years 5 & 6 - Mr Jeremy Stevens
- Consult with the Assistant Principal or Principal.
Some things to consider:
- Teachers’ main duty of care is for their students, so please do not approach a teacher at morning assembly or straight after school for a formal chat. If you wish to speak to them at length about a matter, please make an appointment;
- Teachers may take a few days to respond to your email. Their main role is to work with your children, so they often will not see emails until the end of the day or even the following morning if there is a meeting after school;
- Teachers are always happy to meet with parents. However, appointments will usually be before school or straight after school. Like any specialist appointment, parents may need to rearrange their work schedule to make the appointment.
A reminder that Monday is a public holiday. I hope everyone enjoys the Canberra Day Long Weekend and if you are travelling this weekend, please stay safe.
Peace and Best Wishes
Kate Markcrow
Principal
2021 has seen some changes to the school counselling service. The major change is how to make an appointment. Referrals and requests can be made by completing the online referral form accessed via https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form
The St Francis of Assisi Primary School counsellor is Sharman Hampson - Social Worker who is onsite Wednesday, Thursday and every second Friday (even weeks).
If your child has worries big or small, here are a few quick tips to help support your child work through them:
1. Highlight that worrying is good
Worry and anxiety has a purpose and that purpose is to keep us safe, it is our own personal alarm system and everyone worries.
2. Bring your child’s worry to life
Ignoring worry doesn’t help so let your child externalise their worry by letting them create a picture or character that represents their worry.
3. Be a thought detective
Sometimes our own alarm system gives us as false alarm just like when we accidently burn toast and the smoke detector goes off. Teach your child that sometimes our alarm goes off when it doesn’t mean to. Teach your child to work through these thoughts just like a detective would and look for evidence to see if these thoughts are true or not and to challenge these thoughts.
4. Avoid steering clear of everything that causes anxiety
You don’t want your child missing out on life and fun activities so help them manage their anxiety by breaking it down into smaller manageable steps. Create mini goals to get to the bigger goals.
5. Create a calm down checklist
Create a checklist with your child of different activities they can do to help them calm down when they feel their worries getting too big. Your checklist can include breathing exrecises, puzzles, blowing bubbles and exercise.
If you are wanting to know more, check out this helpful website
There are also some great courses that can be done online or in person that are offered throughout the year. These courses are for parents or for parents and your child together.
BRAVE – Online https://www.brave-online.com/
Thank you to those families who have already settled their Term 1 school fee accounts. Term 1 fees are due for payment by Friday 19 March 2021 unless paying regular instalments by Bpay or Direct Debit.
For any school fee related queries, please contact me at susan.rowell@cg.catholic.edu.au or give me a call in the office from Monday to Friday on 6292 4500.
Kind regards
Susan Rowell
Thank you to the small group of volunteers who helped on hot dog day last Wednesday 24 February. This was a mammoth task but everything ran fairly smoothly with your help!
There will be no over the counter sales of slushies this week. As of next week, slushies will only be available at lunch time through the QKR app. If you are purchasing only a slushie you do not need to purchase a bag.
Kind regards
Kathy
Canteen Manager
6292 7477
The attached information was sent to Year 3 and Year 5 families this week.
Letter_to_parents_from_principal_re_NAPLAN.pdf
If you have any questions in relation to NAPLAN please contact your child's teacher or email tiffany.reedy@cg.catholic.edu.au
Welcome to the 2021 season of netball. This year netball will be open to both girls and boys in years 1 – 6.
The year 1 players will play in the year 2 competition (as there is no year 1 competition) following the modified rules of NETSETGO. All the games are played locally at the Calwell netball courts and training is held at the school courts after school on days that suit the team coach.
Registration Fees for 2021 are $150 for NETSETGO (Years 1 - 3) and $160 for juniors (Year 4 - 6). Each player will need to fill out and return to the front office a SFA personal details form:
SFA_Player_Information_Form_2021.pdf
Payment and registration can only be made via my netball website and this must be done no later than Monday 29 March 2021. Register and pay for your child online by one of links below:
Year 1 – 4:
Year 5 & 6:
Each team will require a coach and team manager before the start of round 1 (1 May 2021). Please consider volunteering for these roles as it can be a very rewarding experience.
TNA have rostered the Junior Rep players to umpire year 4, 5 and 6 games. Year 1, 2 and 3 teams will need to supply their own umpire at a small cost per player, I can help organise umpires if needed.
Each team will be rostered on throughout the season to run the BBQ, canteen or convenors office. These are all very easy jobs and can be shared amongst the team.
If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact me on 0432 778 267 or email on sfanetball@yahoo.com.au
Thanks
Krista Mackintosh
Please like and follow St Francis of Assisi Primary School on Facebook and Instagram to receive updates, reminders and much more.
