2024 Term 4 Week 5 Newsletter

Prayer Focus

From the Principal

Staffing for 2025

We wish to take this opportunity to thank Mandy Hughes for her outstanding dedication and commitment to St Francis Xavier.

Congratulations to Shae Baker who has obtained a teaching position at St Augustine's Primary School.

We wish Amy Carroll well on her future endeavours as a registered teacher.

Alessandra Isgro will be returning as we farewell Joshua Dalton and thank him for his contribution to St Francis Xavier over the last year.

Future Year 6 Camps

Thank you to the Stage 2 parents who completed the recent camp survey. The results clearly show that our parents want their children to continue attending Lake Ainsworth. As a result, we will book this as our camp for Term 1 in both 2026 and 2027 for our Year 6 students. Our Year 5 leadership camp will take place in Term 4 each year at Bonville.

School Calendar

Term 4 is traditionally a very busy term so all families must be aware of important dates and events. In addition to the newsletter and Compass communications, the SCHOOL CALENDAR is a great way to keep up to date with what’s going on here at school. The school calendar is LIVE and updated daily. There are even lots of dates already populated for 2025. 

The school calendar can be accessed via the calendar icon on both the Compass desktop site (computer) or Compass mobile phone app. 

• With the calendar open, you can switch different calendars on or off so you see only what is important to you. 
• See upcoming EVENTS (excursions)
• View by day or week in the mobile app
• More filtering options are available on the Compass desktop site (computer), including view by day, week, month or term and the option to print
• TIP: Switch off the Student Schedule (your child's name) to declutter the calendar view (this outlines the classes the student is in throughout the day - this is more relevant for high school than primary).
• If you have a personal Google calendar and would like to add the school calendar, please get in touch for a link to sync. 

If you have any questions about accessing the calendar or any other Compass-related queries, please get in touch. We are more than happy to talk you through over the phone or provide in-person support with the mobile app - we are always here to help. 

Music Night

Our recent Music Night was a fantastic success, with teachers and students delivering outstanding performances that showcased our community's talent. We're excited that several students have already signed up for the Beginner Band! We have 24 positions available.  If the positions are not filled by Stage 2 2025 students we will extend the opportunity to Stage 3 students, and Stage 1 students for violin. If your child is interested in joining, please ensure you complete a form from the office or complete the google form (link below) by 1 December, 2024. There are still spaces available for a range of instruments, including:

• Flute
• Clarinet
• Saxophone
• Violin

Don't miss out on this incredible chance to be part of the band!

Attendance Matters

Each day’s learning builds on what has been learnt before. 

Regular school attendance is crucial for several reasons, and the cumulative nature of learning is one of them. Here are some important points:

• Sequential Learning. Subjects are structured in a sequential manner, where concepts and skills build upon each other. Each lesson introduces new material that relies on the foundation established in previous lessons. Consistent attendance ensures that students don't miss key building blocks in their education.
• Practise and Reinforcement. Learning is not just about exposure to information but also about practise and reinforcement. Regular attendance allows students to engage in activities, discussions, and assignments that reinforce what they've learned, contributing to retention and understanding.
• Social and Collaborative Learning. Beyond individual learning, school is also a place for social and collaborative learning. Regular attendance allows students to participate in group activities, discussions, and projects, fostering social skills and teamwork.
• Building a Growth Mindset. Consistent attendance fosters a growth mindset, where students develop the belief that their abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. This mindset is essential for tackling challenges and embracing a lifelong learning attitude.

School attendance is not just about being physically present; it's about actively participating in the learning process, building a foundation of knowledge and skills, and preparing for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Each day of school offers a valuable opportunity for growth and development, making regular attendance a key factor in a student's educational journey.

Caroline Lewis
Principal

Faith & Mission

Mini Vinnies visit to Amelie Lodge 

The St Francis Xavier Mini Vinnies were invited to visit Amelie Lodge on Wednesday, 13th November. This is the St Vincent de Paul Conference Centre for Woolgoolga. There they met the local president, Robin Harbidge along with several other members.

Robin ran a short 'mock' meeting with the students where they were able to share some of the things we do at school to promote and support Vinnies in our school and wider community. The students then enjoyed a sumptuous afternoon tea provided by the conference members, as a 'thank you' for their ongoing commitment to the St Vincent de Paul Society in Woolgoolga. A special gathering, enjoyed by all!

St Francis Xavier Day 

Parish BBQ Fun Day

Christmas Concert

Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Mission

Learning & Teaching

Stage 3 Incursion

On Tuesday, Stage 3 had the privilege of a visit from two NSW National Parks representatives, Mr Redman and Mrs Cazal, who conducted a fire management talk. They shared insights into the devastating impact of the 2003 Canberra Bushfire and explained the conditions that contribute to or help prevent bushfires.

Stage 3 students also investigated Woolgoolga's specific conditions for bushfire risk and examined the measures our school has in place to ensure our safety. We were fortunate to witness a live demonstration of fire behaviour, where we observed prevention and control techniques in action.

Stage 1 Incursion

On Wednesday, Stage 1 students had an incredible experience learning all about bees with Bee Keeper Di! She shared some fascinating facts and insights about different types of bees, their essential roles in the environment, and why they are so important to our ecosystems.

The students learned how to care for bees and even had the chance to dress up as beekeepers themselves! They tasted both light and dark honey from local hives and got a close-up view of a real honeycomb, buzzing with hundreds of bees.

It was such a fun and informative time, and we hope the students can teach you a thing or two about these amazing creatures that you might not have known before!

Michaela O'Shea Miller
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

Spotlight on Library

Library Borrowing Update – Term 4

As we approach the end of Term 4, we would like to inform you of important dates related to library borrowing and book returns. Please take note of the following:

Library Book Returns:
All books borrowed from the library will need to be returned by the end of Week 7. This is essential for our end-of-term stocktake and to ensure that all books are accounted for before the holidays.

Home Readers:
Students who have borrowed home readers will have an additional week to return them. These books are due back by the end of Week 8.

Summer Reading:
We strongly encourage all students to continue reading over the summer holidays. Reading is not only a wonderful way to keep learning and growing, but it can also be a relaxing and enjoyable activity during the break.

To support this, students can access a wide range of e-books through the Sora App and can also visit the local library for physical books. These are excellent resources to keep the reading habit alive over the holidays.

Books Make Great Christmas Gifts!
Looking for a special gift? Books are always a thoughtful and meaningful present. With a great selection available online or at local bookstores, we encourage you to consider books for your child this Christmas.

Suzie Coster
Leader of Learning/Library Manager

Communicating Diversity

Diwali Celebrations!

Thank you to the families and community members who joined us for Diwali on Friday. It was a lively, fun, and spiritual celebration for everyone, with our students and staff embracing this special day in Sikh culture. The Diwali Team taught students about the significance of this festival in classrooms, followed by an assembly featuring live drumming, our Punjabi Dance Team’s performance, and a school-wide dance. The celebration continued with a Diwali disco during lunch and recess!

This day wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our school and local community. Special thanks to Susie and Taj for dance coaching, drumming, and organizational support, as well as Rupinder, Sarabjeet, Gurmeet, and Amandeep for providing delicious Diwali treats. Thanks to Dave for his help with lights and decorations and to Abby, Zlata and team for creating a beautiful chalk mandala. We’re also grateful to Together for Humanity for their funding, which supports intercultural understanding.

Most importantly, thank you to our students, who bring light and love to our school every day. We are so proud of your respect, kindness, and dedication.

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Laura Cooke
Leader of EAL / D

Sporting Roundup

Kindergarten and Stage 1 - Water Safety & Awareness Program

Please read the attached Parent Handbook regarding the Water Safety & Awareness Program for Kindergarten and Stage 1.

Whole School Swimming Carnival - Friday, 22 November

Please read carefully the attached Parent Handbook for all information regarding the Swimming Carnival.
Please complete the nomination form by clicking on the link below:

Congratulations to Kalani Brown who has been invited, and has accepted the opportunity, to join the West Ham Football Club’s Development Squad Tour to England in 2025. This is an incredible chance for Kalani to train, play, and experience international travel within the West Ham Club and further develop his skills. Kalani's parents are thrilled for him to have this opportunity. Kalani's mum Belinda said "Thank you for all the support and encouragement from St Francis Xavier – it has definitely contributed to Kalani's growth and readiness for this next step."

Well done to Kalani and Bobby helping to raise funds for the Woolgoolga Surf Life Saving Club over the weekend.

CSNSW Sport Aquathlon – 19 December

Its on again!! Holiday fun time. The 2024 CSNSW Sport Aquathlon open to students in Catholic schools in NSW. Polding & MacKillop affiliated students register through csnsw.sport portal as per usual sport registration.

Click on the link below for Sport Registration Help. Non affiliated Catholic schools register through portal – select CSNSW Sport as your school.

• Thursday, 19 December 2024
• Heats from 8:30am Finals from 11:30am
• Amour Park & Max Parker Aquatic Centre, Revesby
• 8 – 11 yrs 100m swim, 1km run

  12 – 19 yrs 200m swim, 1.8km run

• Entries close 6 December $40. Late entries $55 up to 13 December

There is more information on the CSNSW website, link below.

Parent Forum

Parent Forum AGM

The Parent Forum AGM was held last week. Positions for 2025 are as follows:

Yarrow Wade
Parent Forum President

Gold Token winners

Well done to all token recipients this week and congratulations to the Gold Token winners!

Award recipients

Congratulations to all recipients of Pen Licences and Certificates of Recognition presented at Assembly last week.  Keep up the great work everyone!