2022 Term 2 Week 9 Newsletter

Prayer Focus

From the Principal

Compass - School Communication Platform

From the beginning of Term 3, we will be joining with Catholic schools across Australia in transferring to a new Student Information System (SIS) called Compass.  The Compass platform offers many extra features and benefits, including a smartphone application (app). 

The Compass App will become our new school communication tool.

The Compass App will allow you to;

• Pay for excursions and school fees
• Enter in explanations for absences
• Update your family contact details
• Download and view your child's semester reports
• View news feeds of school announcements, alerts and updates-including the newsletter
• View the school calendar
• Provide consent for events.

Over the coming weeks, we will provide support, updates and reminders to fully prepare you for a smooth transition to this new platform. The PDF attached explains the steps required to download the Compass App and log in using your username and password which arrived on Monday 13th June.

Within this software there is an Events management module, which will enable parents to be provided with information about upcoming events, excursions and activities. This module also allows parents to consent to their child’s attendance and to pay for the event (if required) through the Compass App.

We are asking all parents of students who attend St Francis Xavier Primary School to sign and return an Agreement which allows us to stop using paper based event notifications and signed permission forms for future events.

This Agreement, once signed will remain in place for the remainder of your child’s schooling at St Francis Xavier Primary School.

Please complete the Agreement and return it to the school by Wednesday, 29 June 2022.

Change to school fees payments - starting Term 3

 Please read this information carefully. 

Staffing Announcement

Mr Troy Baker has resigned his position as Principal of St Francis Xavier Primary School, Woolgoolga to accept the substantive position of Lead, School Improvement and Performance with the Catholic Schools Office Lismore. Mr Baker led the school community of St Francis Xavier Primary School, for the last six and a half years. The recruitment process for a new Principal of St Francis Xavier Primary School, Woolgoolga will commence immediately. Mr Baker has written a special farewell he would like to share with the school community. We wish Mr Baker all the best in his new role.

School Counsellor Referral Process

To ensure that as a school we are “serving every learner” support provisions need to be in place for when school becomes a challenge for whatever reason for a student. Accessing our school counsellor could be a positive way forward when a student is struggling. There is now a clear referral process to access Miss Alee if you have concerns about your child’s overall wellbeing at school. Please refer to the flowchart, referral and consent forms below.

Yours in Faith
Warren Niethe
Principal

All Things Learning & Teaching

Semester 1 School Reports

Reports represent the formal communication of your childs achievements to date. The Semester 1 reports will be uploaded to the Parent Portal in Week 10. The link to the Parent Portal login is below.  The instructions for creating a Parent Portal, if new families haven't already done so, are also below. Both of these links are also on the school website. If you require assistance please contact the school Office.

For Stages 1,2 and 3 in Key Learning Areas there will be a 5 point common grade scale; please see below. It is important to note that a ‘C’ grade indicating the student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main content, highlights that the student is working at Stage level and this is a very positive result.

Celebrating your child's achievements certainly helps to build a sense of self confidence and contributes to positive engagement in future learning. Reports are a reflection of the learning that has taken place so far as well as an indication of the ‘where to next’. 

We all continue to learn each and every day, let's embrace and celebrate that learning with lots of positive affirmation.

Love of Learning - 3 Things I’m Proud of this Term

Term 2 has been another wonderful Term of learning and our students have excelled in a wide range of areas. One of our biggest goals is to try and instill a love of learning in our students. Learning, is a life long process and when fueled with enthusiasm and passion, almost anything can be achieved. Stage 2 students shared a snapshot of what they were most proud of this Term, here is what they had to say…….

I’m most proud of:

Max
*Improving my Maths skills
*What I did at Athletics Carnival
*Making new friends

Asha
* My learning this Term
*My improving writing skills
*Coming 3rd in shot put

Arli
*Achieveing my goals
*My writing this Term
*Improving my Maths skills

Ally
*My writing this Term
*Shot put at the athletics carnival
*working with others

Sharon de Dassel
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

Faith & Mission

Sacraments

Congratulations to these students who received the Sacrament of First Communion at the Parish Mass last Sunday. 

The Sacrament of Confirmation will take place next term on Wednesday, September 21 for those students who are baptised AND in Year 3 or above. Students must complete the Sacrament of Confirmation BEFORE they can receive Reconciliation and First Communion. If you wish to enrol your child for this sacrament, please complete the enrolment form by the end of Term 2. If you have already registered via the registration form shared last term, there is no need to re-enrol. More details about the preparation program, parent information evening and requirements for sponsors will be shared early next term.

Pyjama Day

Mini Vinnies are fundraising for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal.  Please wear your pyjamas and bring a gold coin donation on Wednesday, 29 June.

Please wear enclosed shoes, a hat and underwear!

Mini Vinnies are also running a lolly guessing competition on Monday and Tuesday, 50 cents for a guess at how many lollies are in the jar.

NAIDOC Week

Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Mission

Spotlight on High Potential Learning

Stage 2 Mathematics Extension

This term, Mrs Coster is working with Stage 2 students who have been identified as being high performing learners in Mathematics. Each day during Maths Warm-Up these students work in the CLC to develop and refine their problem-solving skills in Mathematics by applying a 4-step problem-solving process. 

There have been plenty of ‘crunchy eyebrows’ as students work hard to identify the mathematical operation required to solve the problem, the most efficient strategy to use and to answer the problem correctly. 

Suzie Coster
Leader of Learning HPL

World Refugee Day

Monday was international World Refugee Day. It’s a good time  to talk to our children about the hardships some people must overcome to have their basic needs and human rights met. We can reflect on the courage and resilience shown by those who have had to assimilate and start new lives in countries far from their homes.

Students were given the opportunity to develop understanding and empathy through investigating the important work of Caritas, singing songs and reading storybooks that explore this year’s theme of healing. 

For information about World Refugee Day visit:

Laura Cooke
Leader of EAL / D

A Focus on Inclusion

National Consistent Collection of Data

We are getting close to the time of year when all schools across Australia share information with the Australian Government about how we are supporting students with a disability.

• For the NCCD, schools count, in a consistent manner, the number of students with disability receiving adjustments to access and participate in education.
• School teams make professional judgements on eligible students based on the levels of adjustments provided, the categories of disability and the evidence to support the decisions made.
• This information is provided to education authorities and includes the year of schooling, the category of disability and level of adjustment provided.

No identifying information or personal details are provided to the Australian Government in the NCCD.

Fiona Jupp
Leader of Inclusion

Sporting Roundup

Stage 3 Basketball

Students are really enjoying completing Basketball clinics before school on Tuesday and Thursdays.

Stage 3 and Stage 1 Handball Competitions

Stage 3 students in the Sport and Play Team have been conducting Handball competitions on Mondays and Thursdays for different stages.

Below are some pictures and congratulations to the winners.

Athletics Announcements

These will occur at Wednesday’s Assembly in Week 10.

Tiffany Wishart
Leader of Sport

Coffs Harbour City Council advice

School Zone Infringement Flyer

Coffs Harbour City Council has been asked by Coffs Harbour Highway Patrol to issue the attached flyer which sets out the traffic infringements which apply to school Zones during their prescribed operating times each day. These fines and demerit points are reviewed each year in accordance with the CPI on July 1. This request is based on the high number of infringement notices issued during recent checks of school zones during morning and afternoon periods.

Diocesan School Review Commission

Communication from Diocesan School Review Commission

Below is a communication in regard to the newly established Diocesan School Review Commission.  The communication is to be distributed across all schools, staff and families in the diocese, not just those affected by the floods.

Gold Token winners

Well done to ALL token recipients over the last fortnight and congratulations to the Gold Token winners!