Hello friends and families,

How wonderful everyone looks today for the Book Week parade. It is so terrific to see everyone get involved and to have the celebratory atmosphere with parents, grandparents and siblings joining in. Its been such a long time since schools have felt such a connection with community and I am delighted to be a part of it. A very special thank you to Deb Harrip for all her work in organising the activities for the students this week connecting them to the Books of the Year.

This week we celebrate the life savers who are our exceptional education support officers, without whom we could not provide the high level of learning and wellbeing support for your children. Please make the time this week to say thank you to any staff you come into contact with this week. Help us to let them know they are appreciated. 

Speaking of community connections, we are hoping to start a Friday morning coffee drop in, welcoming parents and grandparents to stay for a cuppa and a biscuit. This will be in the cafe outside of the canteen starting this Friday morning. I promise this is just a 'say hello and nice to meet you' time. I will never ask you to do a job, or try to trick you into volunteering, just a way to meet you, say hello to other parents and start the day off in a gentle way. You are all welcome. 

Once again, if you see me at the front gate in the morning, please let me know your name.

Kindest regards

Angela Morrison

Acting Principal

Last week we gathered as a whole school for the Feast of the Assumption Mass. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates Mary entering heaven, body and soul. It is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. The belief that Mary’s body (as well as her soul) was “assumed” into heaven was defined as a true Catholic belief by Pope Pius XII in 1950. Mary is the mother of Jesus and 'full of Grace' therefore it is fitting that she did not suffer death and her body remained in perfect condition. Mary said "yes" to being the Mother of Jesus. Attending Mass as a whole school is a beautiful ritual that celebrations our religious traditions and teaches our students the importance of the Eucharist being central to our faith.

On Friday 1/2LC held a class liturgy on being thankful for God’s gifts. It was lovely to see so many parents attend. We will continue to have class liturgies and community prayer on alternating Fridays. The class liturgies provide an intimate prayful experience for classes and families. Community Prayer this Friday will be hosted by our Reception Team.

The Sacramental Program is coming along well with our students attending the final family workshop this week. These students have been spending time preparing with their families and the Sacramental Team of the Parish for the sacrament of their First Reconciliation at the end of this term. Please keep these children in your prayers.

Blessings for the week ahead,

Melissa Canil

APRIM

All parents warmly invited to attend our Cybersafe Families Parent Information Evening next week. 

CYBERSAFE Families Student and Parent Sessions in Week 6

Cybersafe Families are coming to St Francis to present the 2022 Cyber Safety Education Program to our students and parents. These students sessions will be held during the day on Tuesday 30^th August and the parent session will be 7pm in the school library. The Program will be run by Cybersafe Families, a trusted eSafety Provider endorsed by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. The aim of these sessions is to support positive online experiences and digital citizenship by encouraging students to navigate their way around their online world with responsibility, resilience, respect and empathy. Each session is customised, interactive and engaging for the students and covers the latest up to date information to complement the already valuable messages being shared by the our school community.

The student sessions will include the following topics:

• Digital reputation
• Online Gaming
• Social Media dos and don’ts
• Cyber bullying
• Online Grooming
• Strategies for online wellbeing and screen time management
• Staying within the law
• Online security and privacy, protecting personal information.
• Ways to stay safe where to seek help

The evening session will provide parents and carers with strategies to help make home environments cyber safe. All Cybersafe Families presentations are delivered by professionals in the field, who have an understanding that all children are at different stages in their online journey. Parents are encouraged to bring their device to the presentation, and will be guided through how to check the security settings.

The parent information session will include:

• Introduction to the most popular and current social media platforms
• Tools to recognise and manage cyber bullying
• Information about online grooming and other risks
• Communication strategies – how to start difficult conversations
• Strategies for supporing positive online behaviour, including tips on managing screen time

PLEASE RSVP for the parent evening by completing the form on the skoolbag app. 

Cybersafe Families Parent Information Session

***please note there will be a cheche available.

Please find the details in the following link for afterschool netball played at Golden Grove Recreation Centre.

Summer season is for term 4 2022 AND term 1 2023.  Two terms make up 1 season. 

Payment is via the QKR app.

Registration closes 9th September.

Summer season of Netball 2022/2023

If you have a younger child at home who is turning 5 between now and April 30th, 2023, they are eligible to start school in Reception in Term 1 of 2023. Now is the time to enroll them. Younger siblings of current students at St Francis still need to be enrolled to begin next year.  Please find a copy of the enrolment form here. We can supply you with a paper copy if required.  Please contact our front office for more information.