2024 Term 3 Week 9 Newsletter
Prayer Focus
From the Principal
Special Considerations
As we begin planning for 2025, we kindly request that families leaving the school inform the office as soon as possible to help with our organisation. Additionally, we will accept special considerations for 2025 class placements from Monday, October 14 to Friday, October 25. A great deal of thought goes into class placements, including factors such as gender, ability, mix and friendship. Therefore, after October 25, we cannot accommodate any further requests. Thank you for your cooperation.
Thank you for a great Term 3
As we wrap up Term 3, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of our parents and carers. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work have made this term a success, and we are incredibly grateful for your continued support and commitment to our school community.
Thank you also to our students. Their perseverance and achievements this term have been truly inspiring. We’re proud of their efforts and progress, and we hope all families enjoy a well-deserved break over the holidays.
A shout-out to our fabulous staff. Your hard work and creativity have significantly impacted our students' lives, and we deeply appreciate all that you do.
As we head into the holiday season, we wish you all a safe and happy break. May it be filled with joy, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming you back refreshed and ready for the exciting opportunities that Term 4 will bring.
Last day of Term 3 for students is Friday, 27 September
First day of Term 4 for students is Tuesday, 15 October
Monitor your child’s online activities. Negative interactions can lead to school avoidance.
Monitoring your child’s online activities is a crucial aspect of parenting in the digital age, and it can indeed play a role in addressing and preventing issues like school avoidance. Here are some reasons why monitoring online activities is important and how it can help prevent negative interactions that may contribute to school avoidance:
- Early Detection of Issues. Regular monitoring allows you to detect any early signs of negative online interactions, such as cyberbullying or social media conflicts. Addressing these issues promptly can prevent them from escalating and negatively impacting your child's well-being.
- Understanding Social Dynamics. By staying informed about your child's online interactions, you gain insights into their social dynamics and relationships. Understanding the online environment helps you identify positive and negative influences on your child's emotional and social wellbeing.
- Communication and Trust. Open communication about online activities fosters trust between you and your child. When children know that their online experiences are open for discussion, they are more likely to share concerns or challenges they may be facing.
- Setting Boundaries. Establishing clear expectations and boundaries for online behaviour is essential. By monitoring your child's activities, you can ensure that they are adhering to these boundaries and engaging in positive online interactions.
- Providing Guidance on Conflict Resolution. If negative interactions do occur, use them as teachable moments to guide your child on conflict resolution and appropriate ways to handle disagreements. This skill is valuable both online and offline.
By actively engaging in their digital world, you can create a safer online environment and contribute to their emotional and social resilience.
Caroline Lewis
Principal
Faith & Mission
R U OK? Day
R U OK? Day is the National Day of Action to remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, ‘are you OK?’ and start a meaningful conversation whenever you spot signs someone you care about might be struggling with life. For students, learning how to support their peers and talk about how they feel is an important life lesson. This year, the RUOK? Day focus is around how to ask a friend “Are you OK?”
Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Faith & Mission
Learning & Teaching
Clarence Region Public Speaking Finals
Well done to the 12 finalists who delivered their speeches last Friday! The quality of both content and delivery was exceptionally high, making the judges' decision incredibly tough. A special congratulations to Olive, Sophie, Georgia and Ava, who will represent St Francis Xavier at the regional finals at St John Paul College in Week 10. The students will be competing against 8 other schools in the region.
Michaela O'Shea-Miller
Assistant Principal Learning & Teaching
Communicating Diversity
Diwali Lanterns on display at Woolgoolga Art Gallery
Stage 2 students have begun preparing for Diwali celebrations next term, with these festive lanterns. We were grateful to have help from Glenda, a dedicated volunteer from Woolgoolga Community Centre to support us with this fun task. Glenda and her team were so impressed, that word got out and we have been invited to showcase a selection of our masterpieces at the Woolgoolga Art Gallery.
Come check out the Woolgoolga Art Gallery display, ‘Celebrating Diwali’ running from Friday, October 4th to Sunday, November 3rd.
A big thank you to Rashmere and Glenda from Woolgoolga Neighbourhood Centre for partnering with St Francis Xavier to support and promote cultural diversity!
Laura Cooke
Leader of EAL / D
A Focus on Inclusion
Multiclass Event
One of our Year 5 students, Lola Hammond, attended the Polding Athletics Carnival in Newcastle last Friday 13th September. She participated in the 100m Multiclass.
Her mother, Kristen, shared of her pride in Lola and she has given us permission to share her beautiful words with the school community.
“Lola's journey has been nothing short of inspiring. Her growth in confidence, from a couple of months ago needing dad to run down the side lines to today, running in front of a big stadium at Catholic Schools NSW Sport - Polding event speaks volumes about her determination and beautiful little spirit. As our new multi-class athlete, she's not only blazing her own trail but also showing others the power of resilience and the beauty of inclusion. Along the way, she sure melts hearts, reminding us that the smallest victories are often the most powerful. Every little moment whether it's been a new word for her, a new experience or simply sharing that beautiful lil smile of hers, shows the incredible impact of what support and encouragement can achieve, and a whole lot of love!
Inclusion is not just about opening doors, but about ensuring every child knows they belong and can indeed soar.”
Disabled Surfers Association
Fiona Jupp
Leader of Inclusion
Sporting Roundup
Polding Athletics Carnival
Well done to the Lola, Mia, Max, Sam, Elka, Lani and Zali who competed at the Polding Atheltics Carnival in Newcastle last week. It is terrific to have so many students attending Carnivals at this level. We are very proud of their efforts!
Congratulations to Ethan and Richie who were lucky enough to participate in the Little Legends Lap (representing Woolgoolga United Football Club) at the Socceroos match on the Gold Coast. What a wonderful experience!
Barney Barselaar Cup
This week St Francis Xavier School hosted the 14th annual Barney Barselaar Cup. This year we were very excited to have eight local schools participate in this soccer gala day. All eight teams were evenly matched across the day with Woolgoolga Public School and Corindi Public School competing in the grand final with Woolgoolga winning the Cup in a close contest over Corindi. Thank you to all schools who attended the day. We look forward to seeing you all again next year! Special thanks to Woolgoolga High School for supplying the referees and to Woolgoolga United Soccer Club for opening their canteen on the day for the students, staff and families.
Diocesan Football Knockout Finals
Next week the school football (soccer) team will compete at the Diocesan Football Knockout Finals in Grafton. This is the first time our school has reached this level in this competition. The team will complete against the winners from the other three Zones in the Diocese of Lismore.
Good luck boys and girls!
Elective Sport
Stages 2 and 3 are still enjoying their Elective Sports on Fridays until the end of term. Last Friday's howling southerly produced some beautiful clean waves at Woopi Main Beach for our surfers.
Hannah Haworth
Leader of Sport
Canteen News
Late Lunch Orders
A big shout-out to our canteen convener, Caroline! We’re lucky to have a fantastic canteen that serves delicious home-cooked meals. To manage the high volume of late lunch orders on Canteen days and ensure timely meal preparation for all students, we will continue to close online orders at 8.30am and over the counter orders at 9.00am. Any late orders received after this time can now only be provided with either a vegemite sandwich or a cheese toastie. Thank you for your understanding!
Parent Forum
Parent Forum AGM - Monday, 4 November
As we approach our upcoming AGM, on Monday, 4 November at 6.30pm, we are seeking individuals who are interested in taking on roles such as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. There is a Zoom link below for those who are unable to attend in person.
Trivia Night - Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who came to the St Francis Xavier 30th Anniversary Trivia Night. It was great to see our community of parents and friends having so much fun. Our Trivia Night was the biggest trivia event the Seaview Tavern has ever had!
I also want to take a moment to send an extra special thank you to the teachers and their families. The staff had four full tables and having them there was a testament to how wonderful our school is. Their support, joy and enthusiasm made the night extra special. Not every school has such a fabulous bunch of teachers who not only go the extra mile after work hours, but also do it with frivolity. We can’t wait for the next adult event!
Special thank you to the Trivia Night sponsors!
- Big Banana
- XS Surf
- Inspirations Paint
- La Hacienda 101
- Melissa Parisi - Holiday Home Stylist
- Peach and Wolf Bakery
- Promised Land Produce
- Woolgoolga Pharmacy
- Hair by Tearne
- Coffs Coast Accommodation (donated Wildlife Sanctuary passes)
Pie Drive
On behalf of the Parent Forum, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous contributions to the Timbertown Pie Fundraiser. We are delighted to share that the fundraiser was a great success, and we look forward to delivering your orders next week. Thank you for your support.
The pies will be available for pick-up from the school Accessway from 3pm to 4pm on Tuesday, 24th September.
Alternatively, if you would prefer the pies to be sent home with your child, please contact the school office by 2pm on Tuesday to make arrangements.
Yarrow Wade
Parent Forum President
Gold Token winners
Well done to all token recipients this week and congratulations to the Gold Token winners!
Assembly
