Term 3: Week 9
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we near the end of the term, I am delighted to share with you some wonderful news and celebrations from our community.
Our recent school production of Aladdin was an outstanding success. The students dazzled us with their talent, energy and teamwork, while our staff and families provided incredible support behind the scenes. It was a true showcase of what makes our community so special—when we come together, magic happens.
We were also thrilled to see St Francis of Assisi Primary featured in The Age yesterday for our excellent growth results in NAPLAN Mathematics. You can read the article here. This recognition highlights the hard work of our students and the commitment of our teachers to ensuring every child experiences challenge and success in their learning. This complements the success of our first learning open morning, where over 150 parents experienced our maths learning first hand.
We are also proud to be hosting visitors from other schools who are eager to learn about the Explicit Maths Program (EMP) that we adopted in Years Prep to Two this year. It is affirming to know that the innovative practices used here are inspiring others across the system.
When we return next term, we look forward to celebrating the feast of our patron, St Francis. This is always a joyful occasion in our school calendar—a chance to reflect on the values of kindness, service and community that guide us. Andrea and her community of staff and family helpers have been busy organising a fun-filled celebration that will begin with a shared Mass at 9.30 am in the TCC gymnasium.
As the holidays approach, I want to extend my gratitude to each of you—students, families and staff—for your dedication and partnership this term. May the break be a time of rest and renewal for all.
Michelle
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3 OCT 2025 - 4pm Disco Ticket Sales Close
6 OCT 2025 - No Students - School Closure Day
7 OCT 2025 - Term 4 Begins
10 OCT 2025 - St Francis Feast Day Celebrations
10 OCT 2025 - 9:30 - 10:30am St Francis Feast Day Mass at TCC
10 OCT 2025 - 2 - 3pm P-2 School Disco
10 OCT 2025 - 4 - 5pm Years 3-6 School Disco
15 OCT 2025 - 5:30 - 6:30pm Reconciliation Family Workshop for Year 3 Families
18 OCT 2025 - St James Fete
22 OCT 2025 - 10 - 11am Sacrament of First Reconciliation at Thomas Carr Chapel
22 OCT 2025 - 7 - 8pm Sacrament of First Reconciliation at St James Church
28 OCT 2025 - Step into Prep Sessions for 2026 Preps
29 OCT 2025 - World Teachers Day
30 OCT 2025 - Step into Prep Sessions for 2026 Preps
3 NOV 2025 - School Closure Day - No Students
4 NOV 2025 - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday - No Students
10 NOV 2025 - 9 - 11am 2026 Prep Transition Morning #1
17 NOV 2025 - 9 - 1lam 2026 Prep Transition Morning #2
5 DEC 2025 - 9:30 - 10:30am End of Year Mass
10 DEC 2025 - 7 - 8:30pm Year 1 Graduation at Thomas Carr College Performing Arts Centre
16 DEC 2025 - 12pm Term 4 Ends
Our NAPLAN results were ranked in the Top 10 of Catholic schools in Melbourne!
This week, The Age published an article looking at the extraordinary growth that some schools are making as a result of shifting to explicit teaching methods. We are very proud to be ranked in the top 10 of Catholic schools for increasing the percentage of students who are ranked in the “exceeding” and “developing” proficiency bands for numeracy as they moved from Year 3 in 2023 to Year 5 in 2025.
Year 2 Excursion to Scienceworks Planetarium
On Monday September 15th, the Year 2 students went on an exciting excursion to Scienceworks to visit the Planetarium. It was a fantastic day filled with discovery, curiosity, and plenty of wonder!
The students had the opportunity to:
Watch an incredible show inside the Planetarium dome, learning about the sun, moon, stars, and planets.
Explore hands-on exhibits and interactive displays at Scienceworks.
Ask thoughtful questions about space and how our world works.
Back in the classroom, students have been working on their own Night and Day dioramas as part of their Knowledge Rich Unit. These projects represent their learning about how day and night happen because the Earth rotates on its axis. Through this activity, students could show how one side of the Earth faces the sun while the other is in darkness, helping them to clearly see the cycle of night and day.
We’ve also put together a short video capturing the highlights of the excursion. Make sure to watch it to see the excitement and learning in action!
A big thank you to our wonderful parent helpers and to all families for supporting this excursion. It was an experience the students will always remember!
Year 1 Excursion to Melbourne Zoo
On Monday 8th September, the Year 1 students enjoyed a fantastic day out at the Melbourne Zoo as part of our inquiry into what living things need to survive (food, water, air, and shelter).
We took part in an engaging education session where we had the special opportunity to get up close with two tortoises and even pretended to be zoo rangers. Throughout the day, we explored the zoo and saw many animals including meerkats, giraffes, monkeys, butterflies, and two enormous older tortoises that amazed us with their size!
The weather was perfect, which made the day even more enjoyable. Our bus driver and Zoo educators commented on how wonderful, polite, and well-behaved our students were. This was a lovely reflection of the kindness and respect they show every day.
It was a memorable excursion full of learning, fun, and discovery. Thank you to our dedicated parent helpers for supporting us on this excursion, we couldn’t do it without your support.
Year 6 Korean Food Experience Day – A Wonderful Success!
On Wednesday, September 17th, our Year 6 students took part in the Korean Food Experience Day, and it was a huge success! Students had the opportunity to explore a variety of delicious Korean food, gaining first-hand experience of Korean culture in a fun and interactive way. Throughout the day, they enthusiastically practised their Korean language skills, applying vocabulary and phrases they had been learning in class.
The event not only broadened students’ cultural understanding but also reinforced their confidence in using Korean in real-life contexts. Thank you to everyone who supported and contributed to making this special day possible – it was a truly memorable experience for our Year 6 students!
Year 5 Excursion to Holey Moley
On Wednesday, 17 September, our Year 5 students had an exciting excursion to Holey Moley. After learning about mini golf during their PE lessons, they had the opportunity to put their skills into practice on the mini golf course. They also enjoyed a game of bowling, adding to the day’s fun.
Throughout the excursion, students demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and behaviour, making the most of the experience while representing our school with pride. It was a fantastic day filled with laughter, learning, and teamwork.
All families warmly invited to join us for Mass to celebrate St Francis of Assisi's Feast Day in the
Fr. Tobin Gymnasium at Thomas Carr College
on
Friday 10th October, 2025 at 9:30am
Please be sure to enter via SFA and Sign In before walking across to TCC.
Please pray for our Year 3 students who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of First Reconciliation.
Important Date Reminders:
Reconciliation Immersion Day for students is Monday 13th October
There is a Compulsory Reconciliation Family Workshop at 5:30pm on Wednesday 15th October
The Sacrament of First Reconciliation will be celebrated on Wednesday 22nd October
at 10:00am in the Chapel at TCC
or 7pm at St James The Apostle Catholic Church
As part of our St Francis of Assisi Feast Day celebrations on Friday 10th October, the SFA PIP Team will be running a Hawaiian Luau themed School Disco fundraiser. Students with Entry tickets will have the opportunity to dance the afternoon away with DJ Christos from Eight Entertainment.
The Prep to Year 2 students will be getting their groove on from 2:00pm to 3:00pm.
Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students are invited to come back to school, to dance the afternoon away in the Year 6 De Piro space from 4:00pm until 5:00pm.
$10.00 Entry Tickets are now available for purchase in Qkr. All tickets include a Hawaiian Luau, a glow band and ring, a drink, a Zooper Dooper and a reusable Zooper Dooper sleeve.
Please note that ticket sales in Qkr will strictly close on Friday 3rd October at 4pm.
We are very grateful to our wonderful PIP Team for organising this awesome event for our students.
More parent support is required from 3:50 pm - 5:00 pm, so if you have a current Working With Children Check and you are able to help out, please let Andrea know via email at amansour@sfatarniet.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.
Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships
Next term, our students will continue learning through the Respectful Relationships program as part of our Wellbeing curriculum. This program is all about helping children develop the skills to build healthy friendships, show kindness, and treat others with respect.
What students will learn:
How to show respect to others, even when people are different
How to recognise and stand up against unkind or unsafe behaviour
How stereotypes (e.g. “boys do this, girls do that”) can sometimes lead to unfair treatment
Where to go for help if they or a friend ever feel unsafe
Why it matters:
These lessons give children practical tools to solve problems, build empathy, develop resilience, and strengthen their self-esteem. The program is part of the Victorian Curriculum and supports our whole-school approach to creating a safe and supportive environment for every child.
Last week, we took some students to the Divisional Athletics Carnival. It was wonderful to see them participating, supporting their teammates, and showing great sportsmanship throughout the day. The carnival was not only about competition, but also about achievement, resilience, and fun.
Special mentions go to Awec and Liara for winning first place in the Triple jump and Discus, respectively, and Jack, who placed second in the 200m. All three students will advance to the next round and represent our school at a regional level.
Once again SFA will be running a 'Harry Potter' themed Potions Stall, where children can come along and make their own fizzy drink with lollies.
We are asking families to support our stall by donating one of the following items:
A bottle of soft drink
A bag of Whizz Fizz Sherbet
A bag of frog lollies (any colour)
A bag of teeth lollies
A bag of Jelly or sour babies
A packet of Fruit or Muststicks.
Donations towards our stall can be sent to school from now until Wednesday 15th October
We thank you for your support!
St James Parish Fete
Unlimited Rides Wrist Band Passes
Once again, families are able to purchase Unlimited Wristband Ride Passes for the Parish Fete. These will be available from outside the Pedestrian Gate Double Doors, before and after school, from Tuesday 7th October until Thursday 16th October.
Cake Stall
We are calling on families to bake or purchase and donate a cake to be sold at the Parish Fete. Cake Kits will be available from Tuesday, 7th October at the wristband table and the School Office.
SFA Choir Performance
The SFA Choir will be performing on stage in the Paulist Centre at the Fete from 10am, so be sure to save the date and come along to support our students and our Parish.
We thank you for your continued support of our Parish Fete!
