Term 2: Week 8
Dear Parents and Carers,
Our Year 6 Confirmation candidates have a big week ahead of them as they engage in final preparations to receive this sacrament. We ask you to keep all our candidates and their sponsors in your prayers throughout the week. The SFA staff are excited to be celebrating such an important faith milestone with our students next week at St James Parish.
Congratulations to Olivia in Year 4 who represented St Francis at the Victorian State Championships for swimming recently. Olivia placed fourth in the 50m backstroke, an amazing achievement and one we are very proud of her for attaining.
Thank you to all our families for promptly responding to our upcoming swimming program. We are looking forward to collaborating with Westbourne Sports and Aquatic Center to provide this valuable education to all our students. Please be sure to read all the latest updates in Operoo and double check all swimming bags and equipment that is being sent in.
There's excitement down in the Damiano learning space as our Year 5 students and their teachers are counting down till they leave for camp. The Year 5 Team will be immersed in experiences of the gold rush and schooling during that era when they head to Sovereign Hill. I hope the students or teachers will be lucky enough to find some gold as the pan in the river and learn all about this remarkable era in our Australian history.
Next week myself, Denice and Tom will be heading to Orlando as we have been invited to present at the Core Knowledge National Conference. We will be talking about the knowledge rich curriculum that has been developed by our staff and the impact this is having on our students and their learning from an Australian perspective. A huge thanks in advance to Gill (Acting Principal), Andrea (Acting Deputy Principal) and Angela (Acting Deputy Principal) in ensuring our school runs smoothly in our absence.
Go gently over the next fortnight,
Michelle
Subscribe to the SFA Parent Calendar
18 JUN 2025 - 7 pm 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 - 12 pm Term 2 Ends
21 JUL 2025 - No Students - School Closure Day
22 JUL 2025 - Term 3 Begins
23 AUG 2025 - 10:30 - 11:30 am Sacrament of Eucharist Celebration
25 AUG 2025 - 9am Book Parade
Remember to book a Learning Conversation for your child for Friday 20th June (or Monday 23rd June for Year 1 Georgia students).
Parents can book this event by visiting the School Interview website, entering the event codes below, and filling in their details.
1 Georgia code: bddb3 https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/bddb3
All Other Classes code: hz6pu https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/hz6pu
Bookings will close on Wednesday, 18th June, at 5:00 pm
From Monday 16th June, you can shop centre-wide at Pacific Werribee to help our school win a share of $30,000!
Shop centre-wide* between 16th June - 27th July and every dollar you spend goes towards helping our school win. Plus we receive double the points when you shop for fresh food.
Fresh food retailers include: Aldi, Bakers Delight, Breadtop, Coles, Ferguson Plarre Bakehouse, Global Meats & Groceries, MarketPlace Fresh, Pacific Asian Supermarket, Pretty’s Prime Cuts, Best Bazaar, Fish Pier and Woolworths.
The top 3 schools with the most points at the end of the campaign will win a share of $30,000.
1st Prize: $15,000
2nd Prize: $10,000
3rd Prize: $5,000
How to enter
STEP 1: Spend at participating stores*. Customers must hold onto their receipts to go in the draw to win a weekly prize.
STEP 2: Upload receipts below, enter your details and nominate your school of choice, please make sure you choose ‘St Francis of Assisi Primary School’ (Link for receipts to come, we will pass on the link when it is available).
Every dollar goes towards a point for our school. A list of all the shops that are participating in the Shop for your school program is listed below.
SAVE THE DATE!
St Francis of Assisi Book Week Parade
Pack your imagination for this year’s theme, “Book an Adventure!”. Join us as we celebrate the magic of stories through costumes, creativity, and fun!
🗓 Monday, 25 August 2025 🕘 9:00 AM
Come dressed as your favourite book character and get ready for an unforgettable journey through the world of books! 🚀
Year 3 - Visit from Fr John MSSP.
On Wednesday 11th June, Fr John popped in to visit with our Year 3 Assisi Community. He talked about the importance of forgiveness and making good choices with our Year 3 students, as they are beginning to prepare for their Sacrament of First Reconciliation later this year. Fr John was most impressed with the student's knowledge of Moses and the Ten Commandments, and he especially enjoyed answering lots of questions about the Sacraments and what it is like to be a priest.
Preps Learning about Baptism
This week on Tuesday, 10th June, Andrea popped into Prep to explain what happens when we are welcomed into God’s family during the celebration of Baptism. Our Preps did a terrific job of naming the sacred objects and symbols that are associated with Baptism, and they have been enjoying sharing their Baptism photos with everyone in the community.
Year 6 - Sacrament of Confirmation
Our Year 6 Community were filled with the Holy Spirit when Fr. John came to visit during their Confirmation Immersion Day last Tuesday. It was also wonderful to see lots of families here for our Confirmation Family Workshop last Wednesday evening. The Year 6 students were very excited to meet with Bishop Martin when he came to share his wisdom about Confirmation, the Saints and the Holy Spirit with them on Wednesday morning, and His Grace was very impressed with all of the learning taking place at St Francis when he walked through our school. Please remember to pray for all of the Candidates who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation or a Special Blessing from Bishop Martin next Wednesday, the 18th of June, in St James Church at 7pm.
Year 4 Lume Excursion
This term in Visual Arts the Year 4’s have been learning about the iconic Post Impressionist Artist Vincent Van Gogh. They have been learning about his life story and his famous artworks. We were lucky enough to go on an excursion to the Lume Melbourne to see the Vincent exhibition. This amazing exhibition has now closed, we were so lucky to be one of the last schools to visit. We were immersed in this multi-sensory experience and we were able to enjoy his artwork being brought to life all around us. We had the best day!
Year 4 Excursion to the Werribee Zoo
As part of their Knowledge Rich learning, the Year 4 students have been learning all about Ancient African Kingdoms, so this week on Wednesday, they headed off to the Werribee Zoo to experience the Cultures and Connection to Place workshop. Students experienced what an African village was like, busying themselves with the daily tasks such as gathering water, crushing corn to make porridge, basket weaving and searching the village for predators. All of these activities are what African children living in small villages would do each day. Students were also able to get up close and personal with some of the animals who live in the Savanna.
Prep MOPA Excursion
Our Preps had a wonderful time experiencing Art during their first Excursion to MOPA on Thursday 12th June. Highlights were painting a real car, and racing Lego cars on ramps. Everyone was delighted to finish the day with an energetic dance party, and as expected, there were some sleepy Preps on the bus, during our ride back to SFA.
Healthy child development
Child development refers to the physical, social, emotional and cognitive changes that occur in the early childhood years from birth to school age.
Early experiences shape children’s development and can have a lasting effect on mental health and wellbeing. While families are the first and most important influence on children’s development, educators also play an important role in supporting and promoting positive child development.
Relationships with families and educators influence children’s development and learning.
From the time they’re born, children rely on the adults around them to meet their physical and emotional needs. When caregivers provide nurturing care, children learn that their actions such as crying or cooing lead to a response.
Relationships also give children models of how to interact with others in their environment. They learn new skills by watching those around them and practicing what they learn through their play and behaviour.
The interactions between a child and their caregiver has been described as ‘serve and return’ and they provide the foundation for healthy brain development. When caregivers respond appropriately to an infant or young child’s needs, the neural pathways responsible for communication and social skills are formed. If a caregiver is consistently warm and responsive to the child, the brain develops in an optimal way.
If a caregiver is inconsistent, absent, unreliable or inappropriate in their responses, this can have a negative impact on the child’s brain, affecting future learning and behaviour.
Children’s sense of safety comes from warm, responsive and trusting relationships, as well as nurturing, predictable and calm environments. When children feel safe they are confident to explore their environment, try new things and feel supported in their attempts to develop new skills.
Winter Gala
Congratulations to the year 6 students who competed in the Winter Gala recently. It was a beautiful day sport. Our students did a wonderful job in representing the school, and everyone did an amazing job, particularly our Netball team, who finished first and our AFL team, who came 2nd. Thank you to all the staff and parents who came along to support our students.
Swimming
Swimming starts on Monday 23rd June
If you have a child in Year 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6, remember to prepare these items:
Swimwear that they feel comfortable in
Towels labelled with your child’s name
Flip Flops / Thongs / Slides / Crocs
Wet Bag and Dry Bag
Survival test clothing: T-shirt/shorts/long pants to swim in on Wednesday 2nd July
Optional: Goggles and/or swimming cap
Volunteering at St James
On Saturday, 21st June, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, and on Wednesday, 25th June, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, there is a Volunteer Induction Session at St James the Apostle Catholic Church for anyone who would like to participate in a Ministry as a volunteer.
Farewell Mass for Brothers Luan and Linh
On Sunday, the 22nd of June, following the 10:30am Mass, you are invited to come along to the Paulist Centre for a special morning tea to farewell Brs Luan and Linh before they return to the Philippines MSSP House of Formation to continue their theological studies.
Parish Formation Series
During the first three weeks of July, you are invited to join us for our Annual Parish Formation Talks, as part of our Parish Feast Day Celebrations. The theme for this year is: Interfaith Dialogue – Building Bridges in a Diverse World. In our increasingly diverse world—both globally and locally—interfaith dialogue is more vital than ever. This year’s Parish Formation Series will explore how we, as a Church, are called to be bridge-builders and witnesses of God's inclusive love. Over three evenings, we will reflect on the importance of listening with respect, seeking shared values, and working together for peace. The series will begin with a focus on Nostra Aetate, the landmark Vatican II document that reoriented the Church toward openness and dialogue with people of other faiths. All are welcome.
When: Each sessions is from 7pm-9pm
Wed 09 Jul—Sr Mary Raeburn
Wed 16 Jul—Fr Daniel Madigan SJ
Wed 23 Jul—Fr John Dupuche
Where: St James the Apostle Parish—Church
Annual Parish Feast Day Party
Be sure to save the date for our Annual Parish Feast Day Party on Sat 26th of July at 7pm in the Paulist Centre. We look forward to celebrating Fr Jude's 20 years of missionary service at St James and Red's 20 years of ministry to the youth of our Parish with you.
Family Movie Night
The St James Young Paulists invite you to come along to their annual Family Movie Night!
On Fri 18 July from 7pm-9:30pm in the Paulist Centre (next to the church). Tickets are $5 per person.
