St Francis of Assisi School

Term 4 Week 7 29th November 2022 ISSUE:19

Blessing of the Cribs Liturgy - 30th November - 9.30am

Whole School End of Year Picnic at Thorndon park- 30th November

Twilight Nativity - 9th December

End of Year Mass - 14th December - 9.30am

Year 6 Graduation Dinner - 14th December - 6pm

Last Day of Term 4 - Thursday15th December

Pupil Free day - Friday 16th December

Term 1 2023 begins Monday 30th January

From the Acting Principal

Dear Families and Friends,

Arch D Radio and Podcasting awards

‘Congratulations to Hunter, Tallulah, Allegra and Josh for outstanding collaboration, effective communication and commitment to quality in the creation of your podcast.’ These four senior students were presented at an award ceremony last Sunday at Sacred Heart College. We are very proud of them all.

Awards Assembly

On Monday we celebrated the achievements of our sporting teams for their participation and achievements in basketball, soccer and netball. It was lovely to have the coaches present to present the awards. We are forever grateful to coaches who help our students build their skills as well as their social skills.

We also celebrated the students who have participated in the Premier’s Reading Challenge particularly those senior students who attained their Hall of Fame medals.

The graduates of the Children’s University were congratulated on their achievements this year and are to be commended on seeking additional knowledge in the free time. This program is a wonderful initiative of Adelaide University.

SA’s best teacher 2022

Congratulations to our very own Alice Chigwidden who was voted SA’s best teacher for 2022 Please follow the link to read the article.
Alice Chigwidden crowned SA’s best teacher 2022 | The Advertiser

School Picnic

The school picnic is tomorrow at Thorndon Park and we are excited that the weather should be brighter and hope many of you can join us. We will be celebrating the Blessing of the Cribs in the church before the picnic which is also an exciting time of preparing for the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
You will have received all the necessary information from the class teachers.

Twilight Nativity/Carols Night

Rehearsals have been in full swing and we are looking forward to celebrating with all of you on Friday 9^th December. Please see all the information you need in the flyer that went home.

Student Reports

Thank you to the work of all the amazing teachers in putting together the semester 2 reports which I am currently reading. It is a great reflection of all the learning that has been happening this year. I feel proud of them all.

Kindest regards

Angela Morrison

Acting Principal

Aprim News

On Sunday we began the Church Season of ADVENT. During Advent we wait in joyful HOPE for the coming of CHRIST, the Light of the World. The word Advent is derived from the word Adventus, meaning ‘to come’. During this season of Advent, we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Advent lasts four weeks and begins on the last Sunday of November. Each week we have a different focus, each represented by a candle, Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. During Advent, we prepare for the coming of Christ, and as followers of Jesus, we are all called to shine God’s Light of Hope and Love on Earth. Attached is a family Advent Calendar from Catholic Education SA.

At St Francis of Assisi, we show the light of Jesus through our outreach. Each class has a basket ready for donations to support the VINNIES CHRISTMAS APPEAL. Suggested items for each class are listed below. We will be collecting donations until the last day of school.

On Friday we held our annual Year 6 Reflection Day. The Day was full of activities that helped our young leaders prepare for the next step and also make some meaningful memories with the Primary school friends. We held a Liturgy where Secular Franciscans presented our students with handmade Tau Crosses which were blessed by Fr John. Earlier in the day boys were involved in a Rock and Water Workshop while girls had a visit from Rosalie from Enlighten Education to talk about Friendships.

Students discussed what it is to be a leader and how we can show Catholic Leadership. Nikki Wadewitz from Positive Minds Australia spoke to our students about transitioning to high school. Some of her tips for starting high school are:

Remember, you are not alone.
Most children worry about making new friends in a new class or new school.
Most children feel comfortable with people they already know.
Most children worry about getting to know new teachers or a new school.
Remember, getting used to something new takes time. You don’t have to feel comfortable about everything straight away. Give it time.
After enough time in your new class next year, you will get to know people and how things work. You will get to know your new teacher. Your new teacher will get to know you. You will get to know new children and they will get to know you.
Be kind on purpose and have the best chance of making and keeping friends.
No matter how other people behave, you can choose to be kind on purpose.
People feel comfortable around kind people and you will feel settled and proud of yourself.
Sometimes, people will be unkind to you. It happens to everyone, occasionally. Stay kind to yourself. No one can make you think or believe anything about yourself that isn’t true. Check for the facts. Tell an adult what happened and how you are feeling. Find kind people to be around.