Term 2: Week 4

Dear Parents and Carers,
It was wonderful to see so many of our mums and other significant women in our children’s lives at our Mother’s Day afternoon tea last Friday. Thank you to Andrea and the PIP Team for another successful event for our community. I hope all our mums enjoyed their day on Sunday and were spoiled by their families in recognition of the amazing job they do each and every day.
Please check Operoo early next week for a comprehensive letter regarding our upcoming swimming program which is a mandatory part of every student’s education at SFA. We are pleased to be able to work in partnership with Westbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre to provide this in a cost effective and child friendly way for all families.
Over the coming weeks we will have videographers out to record some of our learning and teaching in action. Individual students and teachers will be interviewed about the successes they are having with the implementation of our Knowledge Rich Units of work as part of our Science of Learning approach. These recordings will also be used at the Core Knowledge Conference in late June that we have been invited to present at.
Myself and our school deputy principals have been meeting with prospective students and families for Prep 2026. It has been a pleasure to meet new faces and connect with existing families as the next member of their family joins our community. These interviews will continue to take place over the next few weeks. If you have a child who needs to be enrolled for Prep 2026 you will need to complete applications and hand these in during the next fortnight to avoid your child missing a place at St Francis in 2026.
As we head into winter this is a friendly reminder to keep your children at home if they are unwell. Particularly if they have runny noses and coughs. With continued teacher shortages it is extremely difficult to replace staff when they too are unwell. We will be enacting our split class protocols in the coming term when we are unable to replace staff for the day.
Enjoy the last of our warmer weather before winter truly sets in,
Michelle

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16 MAY 2025 - Walk Safely to School Day
23 MAY 2025 - 2:40 - 3:10pm School Assembly in the Billabong
4 JUN 2025 - 5:30pm Confirmation Family Workshop
9 JUN 2025 - King's Birthday - No Students
13 JUN 2025 - 2:40 - 3:10pm School Assembly in the Billabong
18 JUN 2025 - 7 - 8:30pm Sacrament of Confirmation Celebration
20 JUN 2025 - No Students: Learning Conversations
23 JUN 2025 - School Swimming Lessons Commence
30 JUN 2025 - Year 5 Camp
3 JUL 2025 - School Swimming Lessons end
4 JUL 2025 - 12pm Term 2 Ends
21 JUL 2025 - No Students: School Closure Day
22 JUL 2025 - Term 3 Begins
**Note: The School Disco Has been moved to Term 4

Coaching at SFA

We are fortunate to run an in depth Professional Development program at SFA. Part of this is to have continuous individual coaching time where leaders observe a teacher teaching and provide individual feedback in order to agree on an action step.

This diagram shows the continuous cycle that occurs with all staff, including class teachers, specialist teachers and co-educators.

This is a collaborative process that allows all teachers and coaches to learn and progress together. Some of the skills we have been practising include: using paired talk, asking questions and checking for understanding.

Year 1 Are Jetsetting Around the World

Our Year One students have been virtually jet-setting across the globe as they explore continents and countries. They are developing foundational geography skills, such as understanding that the Earth is round and learning how maps represent real places. Using tools like map keys and compass roses, students are learning to find their way around. Together, we are discovering the seven continents and the four major oceans, and practising how to locate them on maps and globes.

Year 2 are also exploring Ancient Cultures

Early this term, our Year 2 students explored the rich and vibrant culture of Ancient India. As part of this Knowledge Rich Unit, they enjoyed a hands-on incursion where they experienced the traditional sounds of the Tabla and Sitar.

Their journey through history has now taken them to Ancient Greece, where they are beginning to learn about the myths, daily life, and remarkable achievements of this fascinating civilisation. Exciting discoveries await.

**Please pray for our Year six students as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.**

Important dates:
Confirmation Immersion Day for students: Tuesday 3ª June, 2025
Compulsory Confirmation Family Workshop: Wednesday 4th June, 2025 at 5:30pm
Sacrament of Confirmation - Wednesday 18th June 7:00pm

SFA joins with the Universal Church in praying for and welcoming His Holiness Pope Leo XIV as he begins his papacy. We offer heartfelt congratulations to Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States and Peru as he assumes leadership of the Church. We rejoice that His Holiness will continue to build on the legacy of the late Pope Francis by encouraging peace, unity and a more compassionate world. This is a time of profound spiritual significance, renewed hope and guidance for us and for Catholics around the world.

Thank you to all of the wonderful Mums who joined us here at SFA last Friday for Afternoon Tea. We hope you all had a lovely day on Sunday and that you loved your special gifts which the children purchased for you at our Mother’s Day stall. Congratulations to the 22 lucky winners of our Mother’s Day raffle.

Throughout Terms 2 and 3 here at SFA, the wonderful PIP Team has arranged for the children to have the opportunity to purchase a tasty chocolate chip cookie every Friday afternoon for $0.50c. The PIP Team will also be selling Coles Ultimate Gluten Free Cookies. Once again, we are very grateful to Coles Hoppers Crossing for their generosity and continued support in assisting our fundraiser.

Our schoolwide PBL foci for this term are:

- I listen to and follow the instructions of all adults:

- I take responsibility for myself

- I am an active participant in my learning

Students who demonstrate that they are active participants in their learning will be acknowledged with an excellence token (black token). This token can be included in the token count when students redeem their tokens for a reward. You can see some of the current rewards available in the prize cabinet above.