2026 Newsletter 11
Dear Parents and Families,
As we come to the end of another busy and successful term, I would like to thank our entire St Francis of Assisi community for a wonderful Term 3. It has been a term filled with learning, celebration and many opportunities for our students, staff and families to come together.
A special thank you to everyone who contributed to our Donuts with Dad Father’s Day event. It was wonderful to see so many fathers, grandfathers and special people joining us and sharing this special afternoon with our students. Events such as these strengthen the wonderful sense of community we have at St Francis of Assisi.
I would also like to acknowledge Abi and Rachel as they prepare to farewell our school community and move into new jobs at the beginning of Term 4. We thank them for their contribution to our school and wish them every success and happiness in their new roles. They will certainly be missed, and we are grateful for the time and care they have given to our students and community.
Congratulations to Bernie, Alyssa and the team supporting them for the outstanding success of our first SFA Art Show – Under the Ocean. What a wonderful evening it was! The creativity and talent of our students was truly celebrated, and it was fantastic to see so many families come together to appreciate and support their work. A tremendous amount of effort went into making the evening such a success, and we thank every student for the efforts they went to with their art work.
As we look forward to Term 4, we do so with excitement and anticipation. We will begin the term by celebrating our Feast Day, a very special occasion in our school calendar as we come together to honour St Francis of Assisi and reflect on his example of humility, service, kindness and love.
I hope all our families enjoy a safe, restful and happy holiday break. Thank you once again for your continued support of our school. I look forward to welcoming everyone back for what promises to be a wonderful final term of the year.
Warm Regards,
Michelle
🌟 CELEBRATE WITH US: SFA FEAST DAY MASS! ✨
All families are warmly invited to join our school community as we come together to honor our beloved patron, St Francis of Assisi! This year’s celebration holds an extra special place in our hearts as we mark the Jubilee Year of St Francis.
When: Friday, 9th October 2026
Time: 9:30 AM
Where: The Gymnasium at TCC
Important Information for Families Attending: Please ensure you sign in at the SFA Office by 9:15 AM before heading across to TCC so we can begin our service promptly.
We can’t wait to share this wonderful, faith-filled occasion with you all as we gather in prayer, thanksgiving, and community spirit. See you there! 🕊️🤎
🎨 Get ready to get colourful! St Francis of Assisi Colour Fun Run!
In celebration of St Francis Feast Day on Friday, 9th October, we’re bringing the excitement with our Monty the Monstar Colour Fun Run! Best of all, every dollar raised goes directly towards upgrading our school playground.
How to get started:
Check your child’s bag today for their Fundraising Booklet.
Head to myprofilepage.com.au to create your profile.
Share your profile link with family and friends to start collecting online donations!
Clothing & Safety Guidelines:
White T-Shirt: All participating students should wear a white T-shirt that you are happy to get dirty. While the powder used generally washes out of clothing, some staining may occur.
Red T-Shirt (No Powder Option): If your child prefers not to be showered with powder, they can wear a red T-shirt on the day to safely avoid the colour stations.
Awesome Rewards & Giving Back:
Unlock prizes early: Raising just $10 unlocks your child’s first prize!
Mix, match & choose: The more raised, the more rewards they can choose from—plus collect Monty Coins along the way!
Make a difference: Students can also choose to donate their fundraising rewards to one of six fantastic charitable causes.
Thank you for supporting our school—let’s make this event bright, fun, and memorable!
Happy fundraising!
📅 Term 4 Important Dates
September:
October 6 (Tue): Students return to school
October 9 (Fri): St Francis Feast Day - Feast Day Mass (9:30am @ TCC) and ColourRun
October 9, 16, 23, 30 (Fri): TK Tuckshop – Order via Spriggy before 8:00 AM.
October 12 (Mon): Year 2 Excursion - Arts Centre 🎭
October 17 (Sat): St James Parish Fete (10:00 am to 4:00 pm) 🎪 - See Flyer in Community News!
October 29 (Thu): Year 3 Sacrament of Reconciliation
October 30 (Fri): Year 4 Excursion - Sun Theatre 🎬🍿
Looking Ahead
November 2 (Mon): Student Free Day
November 3 (Tues): Public Holiday - Melbourne Cup Day 🏇🏆
We Are Now on Social Media! 📲✨
Great news, families! St Francis of Assisi is officially on social media. We’re excited to share more of our school life, student achievements, and upcoming events with our community.
Follow us to stay connected and see what’s happening around the school:
📸 Instagram: @stfrancistarneit
📘 Facebook: sfatarneit
Be sure to like, follow, and tag us so we can celebrate our wonderful community together! 🙏 Tag a fellow parent in the comments once you follow us!
📢 LATE PICK UP CHARGES NOW APPLY
Following our previous communications, please be advised that late collection fees are now being strictly enforced.
Any child who is not collected by 3:30 PM will incur a late fee of $10 per minute, which is payable immediately upon collection.
💡 How to protect yourself from unexpected fees:
We strongly advise all families to register their children with Extend, our Out of Hours School Care (OSHC) program. Registration is free and ensures your child has a safe, supervised place to go in the event of traffic delays, emergencies, or unforeseen circumstances.
🚀 Prep Science Incursion – Pushes and Pulls! 🧲✨
Our Prep students had a fantastic time exploring pushes and pulls during their Science incursion! They investigated how forces can be gentle or strong and discovered how changing the strength or direction of a force can change the way an object moves.
The students also explored invisible forces, learning about gravity and magnets. They investigated how gravity pulls objects towards the ground and how magnets can attract certain materials without touching them.
It was a hands-on and exciting way for our Preps to put their Science learning into action and see forces at work all around them!
Year 2 Hands-On Science with Supercharged Science! 🔬⚡
Our students recently dived headfirst into the fascinating world of science with an interactive session from Supercharged Science! 🧪 Through engaging, hands-on discovery, they explored the properties of matter and investigated the differences between natural and human-made materials. 🌿🧱
The session was packed with exciting experiments—including a few thrilling "don't try this at home" moments, like safely setting hands on fire 🔥 to demonstrate how heat creates irreversible changes in materials! 💥 Students made predictions, conducted real-time observations, and asked great questions throughout. 🕵️♂️✨
It was an action-packed, fun-filled experience that truly brought scientific inquiry to life!
🐾 Year 3’s Wild Adventure at Melbourne Zoo! 🦁🌿
On Tuesday, our Year 3 explorers set off on an unforgettable safari at the Melbourne Zoo! The action-packed excursion brought their science unit on biology straight to life in the most exciting way possible.
During a hands-on educational session, students tracked through diverse habitats to discover what makes each environment unique—and discovered exactly which creatures are built to thrive in them!
High-Flying & Tail-Wagging Highlights:
Global Spotting: Up-close encounters with majestic giraffes, adorable red pandas, and agile lemurs! 🦒
Crowd Favorites: The playful antics of the monkeys had everyone laughing, while the vibrant, fluttery butterfly enclosure was pure magic! 🦋
Young Scientists at Work: Our Year 3s dazzled with their curiosity, asking big questions and making brilliant observations all day long.
It was a fantastic day of discovery, hands-on learning, and wild fun. We are so proud of our Year 3 students for bringing so much enthusiasm and wonder to their big day out! 🎒✨
✨ Year 2 Students Celebrate Their First Mass Together! ✨
Our Year 2 students recently gathered in the Chapel at TCC for a truly special milestone—celebrating their first Mass together as a cohort with Fr Jude!
Throughout this term, the children have been exploring the Sacrament of the Eucharist and learning why gathering as a community to celebrate Mass is so important. All that learning shone through during this beautiful, joy-filled celebration.
Highlights from the Special Day:
Beautiful Readings & Joyful Song: The students read with confidence and sang with incredible enthusiasm, showing just how hard they had practiced!
Reverence & Respect: Demonstrating a deep understanding of the Mass, the children respectfully crossed their arms to receive a blessing from Fr Jude.
Curious Minds: Fr Jude was thoroughly impressed by their eagerness to learn—and the students even managed to stump him with a few of their thoughtful questions!
We are exceptionally proud of the reverence, enthusiasm, and joy our Year 2s showed throughout the service.
A heartfelt thank you to all the parents and families who joined us to support and celebrate with the children. Your presence made the occasion all the more meaningful, and your ongoing support of our school community is always deeply appreciated! 🙏❤️
🙏 Sacrament of First Reconciliation
Our Year 3 Baptised Catholic students are warmly invited to celebrate their Sacrament of First Reconciliation on Thursday, 29th October at 5:30 PM at St James Church, Hoppers Crossing! ⛪✨
👨👩👧 Parent Attendance: Each child must be accompanied by at least one parent during the sacrament.
🤍 Family Welcome: Whole families are warmly encouraged to join and support our students on this special step in their faith journey.
We look forward to sharing this momentous occasion with our school community!
🎮 Mario Kart Mania: St Francis Revs Up at the Fuse Cup! 🏎️💨
On Wednesday 9 September, four of our legendary Year 5 gamers took to the digital track to proudly represent St Francis of Assisi in our first-ever Mario Kart team tournament at the Fuse Cup Western Zone (hosted by CRC Keilor)!
The Fuse Cup is the ultimate inter-school esports arena for Years 5–8, and with seven schools battling it out, the energy in the room was absolutely electric!⚡
Our drivers pushed every drift, dodged every red shell, and gave each race their absolute all. More than just incredible gaming skills, our team put our school PBL values front and center:
Unstoppable Perseverance: They kept their focus and drive, powering through every tough race with relentless determination.
Top-Tier Sportsmanship: Win or lose, our team showed pure class—cheering on rivals and celebrating opponents with huge smiles!
Ultimate Team Spirit: The highlight of the day was their brotherhood—cheering each other on at every curve, shouting encouragement, and backing each other 100%.
We couldn't be prouder of how our students represented St Francis of Assisi. Their heart, resilience, teamwork, and positive energy made this inaugural esports run an absolute triumph! Huge congratulations to our Mario Kart superstars! 🏆🎉
Personal Learning Plans (PLPs)
Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) were sent home with students on Wednesday. Please check your child’s school bag if you have not yet received their PLP.
We ask parents and carers to:
👀Review the Term 3 goal review and Term 4 goals outlined in the PLP.
✍️Sign the PLP to acknowledge that you have reviewed the information.
✅Complete the NCCD acknowledgement, confirming that you have been informed of your child’s inclusion in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).
Once completed, please return the signed PLP to the school office. 🏫
Thank you for taking the time to review your child’s learning goals and support their ongoing progress.
A Deep-Sea Success! 🌊🎨
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Under the Sea Art Show! Walking through the gallery last week was truly magical as our school transformed into a vibrant underwater world complete with colorful coral, shimmering fish, and glowing jellyfish. 🐠✨
Our young artists worked exceptionally hard over the past few terms—exploring watercolors, clay sculptures, and recycled-material collages—to bring their ocean visions to life. 🦑🎨
A huge thank you to:
Our Students: For pouring your creativity and heart into every piece. 🌟
Year 5 & 6 Art Gang: For dedicating your lunch breaks to crafting our incredible magical props! 🐙👏
Bakers Delight (Pacific Werribee): For their generous donation toward our special evening! 🥐🍞
School Staff & Community: For setting up the displays and coming out to support our young creators. 🤝
Your encouragement means the world to our students, and we hope you enjoyed diving into their imaginations as much as we did! 💙
Warmly,
Bernie and Alyssa (SFA Art Teachers)
