2026 Newsletter 2
Dear Families,
One of the highlights of my day is the time I spend at the gates during the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. It is truly lovely to have the opportunity to speak with so many of you and to see each of our families as you move through the school. Those brief chats and smiles provide a wonderful sense of connection and remind me of the vibrant community we are building together here at SFA.
Regarding our staffing news, we are delighted to welcome Hayley Ellis to our Year 5 teaching team! We feel very fortunate to have Hayley joining us to lead the class as Jamie Bartolome prepares to welcome a new baby into her family. To ensure a smooth transition, Jamie will continue to support our community in a Learning Enhancement role until she officially commences her family leave.
A huge congratulations to the students who represented our school at district swimming this week. It was wonderful to see so many ribbons and happy faces returning to school yesterday! We are incredibly proud of their efforts—stay tuned for our next newsletter, where we will share more details on their successes.
Thank you to everyone for the quick and efficient setup of the Compass app. We truly appreciate your cooperation in updating your details and ensuring all medical information is correctly recorded. To ensure information is easily accessible to everyone, we are continuing to send login requests to both parents and guardians.
With our Ash Wednesday celebrations this week, we have officially commenced Lent. This is a special time in our Church where we reflect on how we can be kinder and more generous to one another. I see these qualities of kindness and generosity in action every day at SFA, and I am constantly proud of the children you have entrusted to our care.
Warm regards,
Michelle
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27 FEB, 2026 - TK Tuckshop Available on Spriggy - Order before 8 am
6 MAR, 2026 - Student Free Day: Staff Faith Formation Professional Learning Day
9 MAR, 2026 - Student Free Day: Labour Day Public Holiday
11 - 20 MAR, 2026 - NAPLAN: Years 3 & 5
11 MAR , 2026, 5:30 - 6:30pm - 2027 Prep Information Night
12 MAR, 2026, 10 - 11am - 2027 Prep School Tours - Please Book Online
13 MAR, 2026 - TK Tuckshop Available on Spriggy - Order before 8 am
16 - 18 MAR, 2026 - Year 6 Camp
25 MAR, 2026, 2:30 - 3:15pm - Parents In Partnership (PIP) Meeting - All welcome!
27 MAR, 2026 - TK Tuckshop Available on Spriggy - Order before 8 am
2 APR, 2026 - End of Term 1: Students finish @ 12pm
20 APR, 2026 - Student Free Day: Learning Conversations
21 APR, 2026 - First Day of Term 2: Students Return
25 - 27 MAY, 2026 - Year 5 Camp (Day 1/3)
26 MAY, 2026 - Confirmation Immersion Day: Year 6
11 JUN, 2026 - 7- 9pm Sacrament of Confirmation
You can enjoy a 4 Day Weekend from the 6th - 9th of March for our School Closure day and the Labour Day Public Holiday.
Learning Starts at 8:50
Teachers mark the roll at 8:50 am when the bell rings. We ask that your child arrive a few minutes before this time to allow time to reach their room and prepare their resources for the day.
Cars that have not crossed the pedestrian crossing when the bell rings at 8:50 am will be asked to park and enter the office with their children to sign in. Families arriving at the school after 8:50 am need to bring their child to the office to sign in.
Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday
The staff and students at SFA all enjoyed eating some delicious pancakes on Tuesday. Our School Captains and our Faith and Community Partnerships Leaders proudly represented SFA by joining with Bishop Martin Ashe, Caritas staff and other students representatives at MacKillop College in Werribee, for the launch of Project Compassion. Our Year six students all had a terrific time flipping pancakes during their Shrove Tuesday relay and all around St Francis, everyone has been very busy learning about Lent and the Easter Season. One highlight was the Year Six and Year One buddies creating Lenten hats together. It was wonderful to see so many parents present for our Ash Wednesday Liturgy, and we thank you for your consideration of Project Compassion this Lent.
Knowledge Rich Learning in Year Two
This Term the Year 2 students are learning that the human body is made up of cells, tissues and organs which are organised into systems. This week the students were learning about the digestive system, and all of the organs that are a part of that system. They drew the human body and labelled the different organs that make the digestive system. They also had fun demonstrating their learning!
Crossing Safety
For everyone’s safety please avoid walking across the flow of traffic in the drive-through.
Using the Oval Gate: This gate is strictly for those arriving from or departing toward the Oval.
Crossing Fairview Parade: If you are heading anywhere else, please use the internal school footpath and exit via the Pedestrian Gate. This ensures everyone can cross Fairview Parade safely with the assistance of the Crossing Guard.
Meeting Thomas Carr Siblings
Help us keep the De Piro and Billabong areas clear for our Prep and Year 6 classes. If your child meets a sibling from Thomas Carr at the end of the day, please ask your Thomas Carr child to wait at the Oval Gate or the Pedestrian Gate rather than waiting near buildings. We appreciate your support in easing the afternoon "rush hour."
Helping Lost Property Find Its Way Home
Last year, our lost property basket was constantly overflowing with unnamed items that were never collected. To help manage this and ensure belongings find their way back to their rightful owners, we have implemented a new system:
Check Those Labels: Please ensure your child’s name is written clearly on all school gear, especially jumpers, hats, drink bottles, and any toys or balls brought from home.
Daily Returns: Items with a legible name will be sorted and returned to students through the Office trays each day.
Second-Hand Shop: To keep our space tidy, any items found without a name will be donated to the Second-Hand Uniform Shop.
Need a spare item? Parents are welcome to purchase items from the Second-Hand Uniform Shop by visiting the school office at any time.
A Paws-itive Return: Murphy is Back!
We are thrilled to welcome our favorite four-legged staff member, Murphy, back to school next week! Murphy have studied very hard to become a certified Therapy Dog, and she truly enjoys her time working with the children to support their wellbeing.
Murphy will begin returning onsite from Thursday, 26 February.
For full details on our School Therapy Dog Program, including our "Dogs in School" policy and a special Social Story to share with your child, please refer to the latest update on Compass.
Please Join us in the SFA Staffroom at 2:30 pm on Wednesday 25th March
Would you like to make some new friends and help out with things like:
Zooper Dooper and Cookie sales on Friday's
Planning School Fundraisers
Planning School Social Events
Organising Mothers' or Fathers' day stalls, and or special events?
Then we need you!
For more information contact Andrea amansour@sfatarneit.catholic.edu.au
Inform & Empower session moved to 2027
You may have spotted an Inform & Empower Parent Evening in the upcoming events in the last newsletter. Given that many families have attended this session in the past 2 years, we have decided to postpone this year’s presentation & will offer it again in 2027.
Students are asked to bring a healthy lunch and recess snack to ensure they have the energy to enjoy the entire school day. A refillable drink bottle with water should accompany their food. No juice or other drink types are permitted.
Please Note:
AVOID NUTS / NUT PRODUCTS - this includes Peanut Butter and Nutella
NO take away food (eg. McDonalds, KFC)
NO chewing gum is allowed in the school
Water only in a drink bottle - No glass or hot liquids
Celebrating Birthdays 🎂
All students’ birthdays are acknowledged in the classroom!
Cakes, lolly bags or trinkets are not to be sent to school for sharing.
Invitations can be handed to the class teacher to be distributed at the end of the day.
Positive Behaviours For Learning
This term, our PBL focus expectations are:
I transition silently and calmly.
I sit and eat silently.
I wear my correct school uniform.
These expectations help create a calm, respectful and focused learning environment for everyone. We appreciate your support in reinforcing these behaviours at home so that together we can ensure all students are meeting our school expectations.
Thank you to the parents and carers who attended our PBL Open Day on Wednesday 18 February. It was wonderful to connect with families, answer thoughtful questions and hear your valuable suggestions. We truly value working in partnership with you to strengthen our Positive Behaviour for Learning practices across the school.
St James Community Centre: Construction Update
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of all the St James parishioners, the final stage of the St James Master Plan is now underway. Construction has begun on the new Community Centre located to the north of the church. The new Community Centre will strengthen the life of our parish by providing dedicated spaces for ministries and meetings, a welcoming venue for guest speakers and retreats, overflow space for major liturgical celebrations, additional amenities to support our growing congregation, and a kitchen to foster hospitality and fellowship after Mass.
Timeline & Features Works are currently on track for completion by October 2026. Once finished, the centre will provide practical spaces to support our growing congregation, including:
Meeting Rooms: Dedicated spaces for parish ministries and guest speakers.
Event Space: A venue for retreats and overflow seating for major liturgical celebrations.
Hospitality Hub: A kitchen and gathering area for fellowship after Mass.
Upgraded Amenities: New facilities to better serve our community.
This project is a practical investment in our parish, ensuring we have the facilities needed to gather and support one another for years to come.
Register here: https://form.jotform.com/260347862814058
