2022 Term 3 Week 5 Newsletter
Prayer Focus
From the Principal
School Calendar
I think it would be fair to say that schools these days are incredibly busy places. St Francis Xavier is definitely no exception! Just take a look at our school calendar that can be located on our recently updated school website or on your Compass App. Reading the school newsletter on a regular basis as well as keeping a close eye on the school’s Facebook page all point to a vibrant and dynamic school community focused on ensuring every student experiences the fullness of life. All these events need time, resources, energy and a team of motivated workers.
Nourishment
I would like to put forward the notion that for teams to be sustainable there needs to be fallow times to replenish those energy reserves. Taking into account we are now halfway through Term 3 there may be a number of you who may concur with this notion. In The Soul (link below) this week the theme is how we can nourish our mind, body and soul - a perfect way to replenish!
Some days our lives can feel like the desert, especially when our to-do lists are long and others are asking for more than what we feel we can give. Sometimes it takes everything to just show up in life, let alone at the table of the Lord. This is precisely the time that we need to come for nourishment. When we come and encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, his words echo in our hearts: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
School Review
In the last edition of the school newsletter I made mention of the forthcoming school review in Week 9 this term. The National School Improvement Tool (NSIT) will be used as a part of the school review process. It brings together findings from international research into the practices of highly effective schools with a focus on improving the quality of classroom teaching and learning. The NSIT uses nine interrelated domains to gauge a school's performance. These domains are:
Yours in Faith
Warren Niethe
Principal
All Things Learning and Teaching
Science Week
The school theme for National Science Week in 2022 is Glass: More than meets the eye.
It is based on the UN International Year of Glass. It celebrates the many roles that glass plays in our lives – from phone screens to optical fibre to glassware in labs – plus investigating glass as a part of our sustainable future.
The uses for and intrinsic nature of glass in science makes it a suitable topic for investigation across all strands of science education. Take a look at the fabulous opportunities our students have had engaging in a range of science experiments.
Spotlight on Stage 2
‘Wonka fever’ recently took over Stage 2. Students have been examining the rich text, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl as part of their English unit this term.
Students had to create their own unique ‘candy’ and convince the audience why they should buy their creation. The culmination was a Wonka Day that Stage 2 thoroughly enjoyed.
Dress Up Book Week Parade and Grandparents Day
We look forward to welcoming Grandparents and friends to our Dress Up Book Week Parade on Friday, 26th August.
The outline for the day is:
- Book Week Parade starting from 9:30am
- BYO family picnic (including rug) so Grandparents can enjoy time with their grandchildren and explore the Book Fair in the CLC (library)
The Pizza meal deal will be available to families for lunch if ordered at the Canteen before 9:30am. Cupcakes will also be available for $1.00 each from the canteen.
- Tea and Coffee will be provided
Reading Night
We are holding an evening to learn about what reading looks like in our classrooms on Wednesday, 31st August. There will be an opportunity to enquire and put the learning into action on the night. Your child/children will be able to demonstrate how amazing they are and share their reading goals.
This evening provides all families with a time to connect with the teachers and enjoy a little bite to eat, while supervising their children.
Sharon de Dassel
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
Faith & Mission
- The Tell Them From Me Partners in Learning Parent Survey will be open until Friday, 26th August.
- So far, 15 out of a possible 197 families have completed the survey.
- The survey is a great opportunity for parents to share their voice around what they think is working well and what could be improved. More surveys completed = a more accurate reflection of the parent community voice.
- All parents are encouraged to complete the survey.
- The survey is anonymous.
- Takes around 15 - 20 mins.
- Can be accessed via this link:
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On Monday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary with a whole school Mass. Fr Joy spoke about how special all mothers are. Just as Mary loved Jesus and he loved her, our mothers are special people in our lives who love and care for us and we show that love in return. It was wonderful to share our celebration with so many family members and parishioners who stayed on to enjoy morning tea after Mass.
Father's Day
Be sure to RSVP here:
Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Mission
Spotlight on High Potential Learning
Guessing Competition!
Layla Snedden’s passion is reading! She loves reading and wants to inspire others to read more. As part of Layla’s High Potential Learning (HPL) Passion Project, she created a novel way to encourage students to borrow more regularly from our amazing school library.
Layla created a ‘Guess the Teacher’s Favourite Book’ Competition where she surveyed teachers to find out what their favourite picture book and children’s novel is. With the support from Mrs Coster and the Year 6 Books and Arts team, she then created a wonderful display.
Each week, a teacher’s favourite book will be displayed alongside two other books and the students will have the opportunity to guess which of these books is the teacher’s favourite. There are two different sections: picture book section for Kindergarten to Year 2 and a novel section for Year 3 to Year 6. After students borrow, they will be given ONE entry to place into the box that corresponds with the book they believe is the teacher’s favourite. There will be a weekly draw which will be announced at assembly each fortnight.
The focus teacher in Week 4 was Miss Stuart. The winners from the draw for Miss Stuart’s favourite book were: Lolita Palasty (Kindergarten), Raiden Power (Year 2) and Ben Twarowski (Year 5).
This week’s focus teacher is Mrs Coster. I wonder who can guess her favourite book? The winner will be revealed at next week’s assembly!
Please encourage your child to borrow from our library. We have a wide selection of books to choose from. If your child is having difficulty choosing a book, please ask them to speak to their class teacher or to Mrs Coster for some wonderful recommendations. The Books and Arts Team also have some awesome books to recommend too.
Suzie Coster
Leader of Learning HPL
Communicating Diversity
Indigenous Culture
Stage 1 students have been learning about the ancient Arrawarra Fish traps this semester in Geography. We hope to be able to enjoy an excursion to Arrawarra Headland and learn more about the plants, animals and the fish traps. We are so lucky to have this unique conservation site so close by, which is now protected and respected as a site of Indigenous significance. We are also hoping to take advantage of the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre as we are learning the importance of caring for this precious land we live on.
If you are interested in learning more about our local Indigenous culture, check out their free upcoming family event and discover more by clicking on the link below:
Laura Cooke
Leader of EAL / D
A Focus on Inclusion
Dr Nicola Holmes Parent Talk
Last night we were lucky enough to have Dr Nicola Holmes join a group of parents to discuss anxiety in children and provide some strategies for parents to support their children. It was a lovely night with some fantastic information and practical ideas. We were also lucky enough to have some great pizza provided by the Parent Assembly. Dr Nicola was happy for us to record her talk so that we could share the presentation if you weren’t able to join us.
Click on the link below to view the slideshow that Dr Nicola used during her presentation.
Thank you to the parents who were able to come along and participate in this important conversation about how we can support our children to develop and maintain their mental health.
If you have any suggestions on topics for information evenings please email alessandra.isgro@lism.catholic.edu.au
Fiona Jupp
Leader of Inclusion
Sporting Roundup
Zone & Diocesan Age Champion
Congratulations to Ellie who is off to Newcastle to represent our school at the Polding Athletics Carnival in 100m, 200m and 800m after winning Age Champion at both the Zone and Diocesan carnivals. We are so proud of you!
Barney Barselaar Cup
The Barney Barselaar Cup team have been training hard over the last couple of weeks, this week under the watchful eye of volunteer coach Garth Plunkett. After a two year hiatus due to Covid restrictions, everyone is very excited that the competition is back on track. St Augustines, Mary Help of Christians, Bishop Druitt College and St Francis Xavier Primary schools will battle it out next Thursday, 25th August to see who will win this year's Barney Barselaar Cup!
Tiffany Wishart
Leader of Sport
Gold Token winners
Well done to all token recipients over the last two weeks and congratulations to the Gold Token winners! Keep up the great work!
