Playgroup
Catholic Education Week
We would like to extend a warm invitation to all families to attend our Catholic Education Week Liturgy at 9.15am on Friday, 12 April followed by Sharing of Learning classroom visit and Kindergarten's 50 Days celebration.
Michaela O'Shea Miller
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
Forest Coach Lines changes
A Message from Forest Coach Lines
Due to the Coffs Harbour bypass roadworks, commencing 15 April 2024 vehicles will no longer be able to turn right from the M1 Pacific Highway onto Solitary Islands Way at Korora. This will affect the Northbound bus stops along Solitary Islands Way. Please find attached information to assist students that may be affected by the changes. This is only the Northbound bus stops affected at this stage the southbound bus stops will operate as normal. Any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Wayne at our Woolgoolga Depot, Susan at our Sawtell Depot or myself at Coffs Harbour Depot.
Bronwyn Porters | Operations
Forest Coach Lines
Parent Assembly - Conference
Parent Assembly Conference: Your child, our schools: nurturing hearts and minds - registration is now open and places are limited. Open to all Catholic school parents in the Diocese of Lismore. See attached flyer for further details.
Music Tuition
Parent Forum
Mother's Day Stall
The Parent Forum will be running a Mother's Day Stall on Tuesday, 7 May. All items will be $5.00. Students will visit the stall with their class during the day.
Parent Forum Meeting
The next Parent Forum meeting will be held on Monday, 20 May at 6.30pm in the school library. There is a Zoom link below for those who are unable to attend in person.
Yarrow Wade
President
Gold Token winners
Well done to all token recipients and congratulations to the gold token winners!
Sporting Roundup
Luis, one of our School Leaders, has been selected to attend an international Football Academy Tour to the UK, through West Ham FC. He was invited on the tour following a National Camp on the Gold Coast last September. This camp included players from across Australia and New Zealand for a week of football. The UK tour includes several coaching sessions and games against teams at West Ham United, one of the top Academies in England for developing young players. Luis will be joined by his sister Evie (a former St Francis Xavier student) who was also invited on the tour. Luis says he is excited to go on the trip and could not wait to train and play in England.
Hannah Haworth
Leader of Sport
Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) is Australia’s largest autism-specific service provider. A not-for-profit organisation, they work in partnership with people of all ages on the autism spectrum, and their families. No two Autistic people are the same and autism may not be what you think it is.
Please visit the Aspect website to learn more about World Autism Understanding Day.
As you read about the stories, browse the resources and watch the videos, one message stands out…. be patient and kind, don’t judge. So, if you can only make one change, this simple accommodation is a good starting point, but we hope you’ll be encouraged to do more!
Fiona Jupp
Leader of Inclusion
A Focus on Inclusion
Tuesday, 2 April - World Autism Awareness and Understanding Day
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.
Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race or socio-economic status. The term Autism Spectrum refers to a range of characteristics. Appropriate support, accommodation and acceptance of this neurological variation allow those on the Spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity, and full and effective participation in society.
Communicating Diversity
Jee Aaya Nu! Welcome to St Francis Xavier!
Jee Aaya Nu is a popular phrase in the Punjabi language that translates similarly to, ‘Welcoming with heart’ or ‘Heart to those who visit.’
At St Francis Xavier we welcome everyone with love and warmth and value the diversity of our local and global community.
This message of love and welcome is voiced in our school prayer as we ask God for the inspiration to ‘serve others with mercy, compassion and respect’, and to give us the courage to ‘spread your message of love with everyone we meet.’
We warmly welcome you all to the St Francis Xavier community!
Laura Cooke
Leader of EAL/D
Focus on Reading
We are delighted to provide a valuable resource to further support young readers (K-2) at St Francis Xavier. This resource complements the weekly readers your child brings home and can be used during the holidays. Sunshine Online is an innovative online reading program designed to enhance your child's literacy skills. Its comprehensive Decodable Library comprises 180 child-centered and relatable titles, including fiction and non-fiction texts. This library is meticulously designed to deliver a structured and sequential phonics instruction approach.
Sunshine Online presents three interactive digital activities for students at home:
Listen and Say: Students engage in activities such as listening to the articulation of focus phonemes, accurate segmentation, and blending of words, and recording themselves for self-assessment and enhancement.
Read: Students have the option to listen to the text with narration and highlighting, in addition to hearing individual words segmented and blended to aid comprehension.
Record: Students record their reading of the text, listen to playback, self-evaluate, and review. They can also engage in practise through repeated readings and have the autonomy to review, self-evaluate and self-correct through re-reading and re-recording.
We encourage you to actively participate with your child as they explore the Sunshine Online Decodable Library. By engaging in these activities together, you can further foster your child's literacy development and instill a passion for reading. Students can access this library via the website or the app and can be downloaded to your tablet or iPad. Each Kindergarten to Year 2 student has been provided with a unique username and password required for login, which can be found in the front of your child’s reading log.
Should you have any enquiries or require assistance accessing Sunshine Online, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you and your child every step of the way on their reading journey.
Suzie Coster
Leader of Learning
Early Bird Reading Club
Early Bird Reading Club takes place each morning 8.30am-9.00am in the library. Below are some happy faces in our Early Bird Reading Club.
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go" -Dr Seuss
Learning & Teaching
Year 5 and Year 6 Camps
2024
The Year 6 Camp will take place from Monday, 28 October to Friday, 1 November at Lake Ainsworth. Payment plans will be available from next term.
We are thrilled to announce that after a brief hiatus, our Year 5 Leadership Camp is back! This year, we will be embarking on an excursion to the Coffs Coast Adventure Centre in Bonville. The camp is scheduled from Monday, 4 November to Wednesday, 6 November. This experience promises to be an unforgettable opportunity for growth, learning and fun!
2025
In response to valuable feedback received from many parents, we've decided to introduce a Year 6 Camp (for our current Year 5 students) at the beginning of 2025, rather than the end. The Camp will be held from Monday, 24 March to Friday, 28 March. This strategic timing is aimed at fostering early bonding among the students, setting a positive tone for their final year with us.
We recognise that the cost of these camps can be a significant consideration for families. With this in mind, we are introducing flexible payment plans. These plans will be available starting from Term 2, 2024, offering you a convenient way to manage the cost of ensuring your child can participate in these invaluable experiences.
We believe these camps are not just trips but essential milestones in our students' educational journey, providing them with the skills, confidence and memories that they will carry with them long after they leave our school gates. Further information will be sent to families in Term 2.
Project Compassion
A big thank you to all families for your generous support of Project Compassion during Lent this year. Through a number of fundraising events, including Pancake Day, the Easter Raffle and personal donations through Project Compassion boxes, together we raised $1,036.60.
We are very proud of Willow from Year 2 who made a special effort to personally contribute to Project Compassion during Lent this year. Willow decided to seek out opportunities to raise money by doing odd jobs both at home and for her neighbours. With donations matched by her family, together they raised $240!
Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Mission
Mother’s Day
On Friday, 10 May we will celebrate all mothers and special women in our children’s lives. There will be a Liturgy at 9.15am followed by Morning Tea. Tickets for this event can be purchased on Flexischools for adults only (non-school age children and students are free) until Tuesday, 7 May. A gluten free option will be available. Please refer to the Compass communication sent earlier this week for further details.
For those who are unable to attend the Liturgy and Morning Tea, please come along and enjoy a coffee on us before school between 8am and 9am.
Faith & Mission
ANZAC Day Parade
The Woolgoolga ANZAC Day Parade will commence at 11.00am on Thursday, 25 April. Students are encouraged to attend and represent our school at this important community event. This year, St Francis Xavier School has been given the special honour of leading the parade.
Staff and students are to assemble outside the Post Office on Beach Street, Woolgoolga at 10.30am.
Students are to wear the correct and full school uniform, hat included. Students may carry a water bottle. In the event of rain, students are encouraged to bring a rain jacket or umbrella.
It is hoped that we will have a large number of students marching at this year’s ANZAC Day Parade. St Francis Xavier Primary School has a long and proud history of being very well represented at past parades.
Autumn Break
Thank you for a fantastic term filled with growth and learning. Wishing you all a joyful and rejuvenating Autumn break ahead. School resumes for students on Tuesday 30 April.
Caroline Lewis
Principal
2025 Kindergarten Enrolment Applications
Applications for Kindergarten 2025 enrolment are open in our school.
Interested families can access the enrolment application form and fee schedule by clicking on the link below.
Any enquiries can be directed to our school office on 6654 1981.
