Week 3, Term 1, 12th February 2019, ISSUE 2

From the Principal

Welcome to Week 3. Wellbeing was a whole school focus last week as our staff spent a number of lessons with students unpacking the meaning of what it looks like to have a positive mindset and live in partnership with friends, classmates and the wider school community. The children were also most entertained with our Wellbeing show which provided some great messages about resilience and persistence. My personal favourite was that NO doesn’t always mean NO when learning, it stands for Next Opportunity! Another great acronym that children and adults alike could use is F.A.I.L. When you fail at something it doesn’t mean you give up because a fail is really a First Attempt In Learning! We are very focused on having a successful year together at St Francis and we would love your help in promoting that positive focus on all we do, in class and as a school community. Your smiles, encouragement and positive approach with your children are a great help in getting the message across to our young people. We look forward to a great year together.

Last Friday we welcomed 2019 with our opening School Mass. The theme we have adopted for the year is; ‘Everybody Matters – Together We Shine! This theme will permeate our approach to everything we do this year and we encourage you to keep this phrase in mind as you share in your child’s journey at school during this year. Fr John at Mass talked about each of us having our own light to shine and that if we all shine brightly then the path forward will be illuminated and easy to follow. Our buddies provided a great light for their younger friends on Friday as we gathered to share lunch and some quality time together. There is a great positive atmosphere and wonderful energy present at the moment with our students. We are looking for ways to keep that energy flowing as we travel 2019 together.

This Friday morning in the piazza we are reintroducing our Community prayer time. Please join us every week at 8:55am as we gather as one to celebrate together. Each week a different class will host our prayer and we will have the opportunity to share in the Word of our Lord as we acknowledge and remember feast days, liturgical events and special times in our Church calendar. We look forward to your company and participation every week.

A practical matter to draw your attention to is that we no longer have official traffic monitors at the school crossing on Graves Street in the morning and afternoon. The ‘Children Crossing’ flags will be in place every day which is a legal and binding reminder for all drivers that children are present and the legal speed limit during these times is 25KPH. We trust that all road users respect this and I ask that if you are crossing the road with your children at this point please take care and wait for vehicles to come to a full stop before crossing the road with your child.

The parish kindly allow us to use the Church carpark in the morning and afternoons. I remind you that the children are in your care when you are using this carpark and it is your responsibility to ensure that your child makes it safely to the school gate. Please also only park in designated spaces as this will help smooth traffic flow and make for a safer area for all.

In this newsletter you will also find some simple instructions for payment of a range of school items through QKR. This app allows you to keep a great record of all payments, including the canteen, sports fees, school fees and camps and excursions. We are moving to this method of payment for all school services and you will find this new method a very simple and efficient mechanism for you in all the bills you pay. Like anything new it does take a little getting used to but I encourage you to have a go with QKR as we are very confident you will find this to be a great service and a practical way of keeping across your school fees and charges.

Have a great week.

James Meiksans

Wellbeing Week

Our Wellbeing week concluded with a shared picnic lunch with class buddies on the school oval.

'Everyone Matters - Together we Shine'

From the APRIM

Dear St Francis of Assisi Families,

I hope you had a wonderful break and are feeling energised for the year ahead. Here at St Francis of Assisi we are embracing our new 2019 motto, “Everyone Matters – Together we Shine.”

Everybody is a teacher of wellbeing and so families together with schools have the heroic mission to help children to listen to the music inside of them and to march to it without shying away. I quote Henry David Thoreau, “Each of us hears a different drummer and we must march to the music we hear.” “Don’t die with your music still in you”. We all have music playing inside of us, each with a different purpose to live it out and to feel fulfilled. If we can support children to know what their personal music is, help them hear it as it plays each day, to not fear their truth but to name it with confidence, joy and excitement then we have done our job. Everyone matters, everyone’s music is different and may sound strange, weird to others but that’s what makes us all interesting.

The music inside the ‘Shining Stars in 3/4 MF’ is a mix of taekwondo, sewing, chess, piano, swimming, netball, fishing, drawing, karate, dancing, gymnastics, soccer, singing and basketball. This term, so far, Andy and Levi have been great role models to shining their light no matter what the circumstance. Andy is new to our school community and his friendliness and joy has shone from the first day. He didn’t allow the thought of not knowing anyone come in his way, instead he has made new friends easily and feels like he’s been here for years. Levi recently participated in the Junior Supercross (dirt bike) competition in San Diego and came third representing Australia. His love for dirt bike riding led him to compete and to use his gifts and talents in this sport.

‘Shine! Let your light shine before people that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.’ Matthew 5:16

Look Closer at Sunday’s Gospel – Fishers of People (Luke 5:1-11)

Fish or Fisherman? There’s a difference between fish and fishermen. Fish live in schools and just follow each other. Fish don’t like to take risks. Fishermen are more daring. They can catch, breed and farm fish. Jesus does not want his disciples to follow him like mindless fish. He wants us to make his mission our own and use all our gifts and abilities to share his message of love for others.

Are you more of a fish or a fisherman? Do you just follow Jesus mindlessly or have you taken up the call to be a fisherman?

Prayer: Father, empower us to be fishers of people so that we might bring others to you. Amen.

Friendly reminder for Confirmation and First Communion Candidates

The Commitment/Family Mass is on Sunday, 24^th February at 5pm. Please bring along the registration form with payment and hand in to Josie Cochrane in the foyer before Mass.

Josie Cochrane

FINANCE NEWS AND INFORMATION

QKR – payment app

CANTEEN ORDERS:

As we previously advised, by the end of Term 1 we will require all lunch/recess orders to be done via the QKR app. This is a very efficient method for both families and the school.

As a family:

The order can be placed at your convenience (with orders for any day closing at 9:00am that day).
Orders can be placed in advance – just ensure you check the dates.
You have a record of both order and payment– immediately.

As a school:

The app simplifies the filling of orders
Provides a record for each day
Reduces the cash held in the canteen

If there is a reason why you would not be able to order via this method please come in and see me. We will not deny any child the opportunity to have a lunch order.

SCHOOL FEES AND SCHOOL EVENTS

The app is working well for school fees, with a number of people having used this method to make payment since November 2018. Simply choose the school fee option and then the year, input the amount and you are done. This will remain as one option available for fee payment with the previous options still able to be used.

During the year there will be school events added, e.g. camps, SAPSASA sports etc. Again, we will be using this app as the required payment method and in some cases will include the permission form. This will ensure that the staff member has all the required information along with payment.

As with the canteen ordering, if you are unable to use the app or have another reason for not using it please come and see me.

Instructions on how to install and use the Qkr app are here, or as previously sent home with the 2019 invoices.

SCHOOL CARD

The first round of School Card applications will be submitted on the 13^th February (including those that have been done online).

If your child started school at the beginning of the year and you are intending to apply for School Card this MUST be done no later than April 1^st 2019.

Please commence payment of school fees assuming School Card acceptance, should you not be approved, we will discuss this with you.

FEE PAYMENTS

The first instalment for weekly or fortnightly or monthly payments was yesterday 11/2/19, unless another date was authorised.

The due date for the first of the 4 payments is the 8^th March.

Jo Sayers – Business Manager

jsayers@sfoa.catholic.edu.au

Children's University

Our students, once again, have the opportunity to be involved in ‘Children’s University Australia’ (CUA). CUA provides high quality out of school hours’ activities for children aged between 7 and 14 years. In partnership with The University of Adelaide, CUA aims to develop a love of learning by issuing students involved in CUA with a ‘Passport to Learning’ which records their individual learning journey.

The children are rewarded for their achievements at a celebratory graduation on the

completion of set hours.

The following website is an excellent source of information.

http://childrensuniversity.com.au/students/?cu_region=SA

If your child is interested in becoming a member of CUA for 2019 please pick up an

expression of interest form in our school office or download one here.

Thank You,

Carmela Panetta (Children’s University Coordinator)

School Calendar dates

TERM 1 2019

Week 3

· Monday 11th February- Whole School Assembly—2.30pm

· Friday 15th February- Community Prayer in the Piazza - 8.55am

Week 4

· Friday 22nd February - Community Prayer in the Piazza - 8.55am

· Sunday 24th February - Mass of Commitment for First Eucharist and

Confirmation candidates - 5pm

Week 5

· Friday 1st March - Community Prayer in the Piazza - 8.55am

Week 6

· Monday 4th March - Whole School Assembly—2.30pm

· Tuesday 5th March - Shrove Tuesday

· Wednesday 6th March - Ash Wednesday Whole School Mass - 9.30am

· Friday 8th March - Student Free Day

Week 7

· Monday 11th March - Adelaide Cup Public Holiday

· Thursday 14th March - Catholic School’s Swimming Carnival

· Friday 15th March - Community Prayer in the Piazza - 8.55am

Week 8

· Thursday 21st March - Harmony Day

· Friday 22nd March - Community Prayer in the Piazza - 8.55am

· Sunday 24th March - Youth and Young Adults Mass 5pm