2023 Term 3 Week 1 Newsletter

Prayer Focus

Date Saver

From the Principal

Welcome Back

Warm greetings and a heartfelt welcome to Term 3 at St Francis Xavier Primary School! We hope this message finds you all in good health and high spirits as we embark on another exciting chapter of learning and growth together. We are excited to welcome both familiar faces and new additions to our school community. To our new students and their families, a special welcome awaits you. We are thrilled to have you join our close-knit family, and we look forward to getting to know you better.

This term promises to be filled with enriching experiences, vibrant classroom activities, and a range of opportunities for students to explore their passions, expand their knowledge, and cultivate essential life skills. From science experiments and creative arts projects to sporting events and community outreach initiatives, there will be no shortage of meaningful experiences for our students.

Parent Teacher Interviews

We encourage our parents and families to remain actively involved in their child's education. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school lays the foundation for success. Parent interviews will take place in Weeks 3 and 4 for Years 1 - 6, and Week 4 for Kindergarten. Bookings will be made via Compass. Information about the booking process will be sent early next week.

Caroline Lewis
Principal

Faith & Mission

Sasha competed at the NSW FISAF State Championships in Newcastle, winning gold and qualifying for the national titles!!

Bonnie has been dancing up a storm, placing in her classical, Lyrical and Demi character (Nemo) solos at the Coffs Eisteddfod last term. Bonnie also won all her sections at the Port Macquarie Ooh La La Dance Extravaganza in the holidays, qualifying her for Nationals in 2024!

Bonnie and Marley competed in the Fox Superflow Gravity Enduro competition, their first ever mountain bike comp, last term. Marley was by far the youngest rider in the event, keeping up with the very competitive under 13 boys. Bonnie rode all day long to place 2nd in the under 13 girls.

Ben, Sevak and Koby were selected to represent the Mid North Coast in the State Rugby Union. The trio traveled to Sydney in the holidays to compete, winning 4 out of 5 games!

Bella competed in the Special Olympics NSW North Coast Region at the Country Championships in Armidale during the school holidays for So Fun Gymnastics Woolgoolga.  This was Bella's first time competing at the Special Olympics and she won a gold medal!

Sacraments

Congratulations to the students who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Thursday  night (tonight) at St Augustines Church. Confirmation strengthens the gifts of the Holy Spirit, received in Baptism and is the second of the Sacraments of Initiation. 

St John Paul College Vinnies School Sleepout

Students and staff from SJPC will be spending a night out in the cold on Thursday 17th August to raise awareness and much needed funds for people in our community experiencing homelessness. Their fundraising goal is $10,000!

Please support them by making a donation via the following website:

If you are able to assist with some simple machine sewing (hems for prayer table cloths), please contact the Office. All fabric and thread provided. 

Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Mission

All Things Learning & teaching

Another Exciting Term of Learning

Welcome back to another exciting term of learning. Term 3 is traditionally a big growth term for our students as we continue to accompany them on their learning journey. Each Stage will be sending home an outline of learning for the term. This overview is a great way to engage with your child/children about the learning that is taking place, as well as being prepared for upcoming Stage events.

We look forward to seeing you here with us throughout the term

Stage 1 Learning

Stage 1 have been learning about the language of position in Maths. This week they demonstrated their understanding by following position-based instructions and using position vocabulary to navigate directions on a map. They enjoyed uploading their learning to Seesaw to share with their families.

NAPLAN  release

In the coming weeks Year 3 and Year 5 students will receive their individual NAPLAN reports. ACARA has released a NAPLAN individual student report video which provides parents and carers with clear information on their child’s achievement.

The upcoming parent interviews is also a good time to discuss any queries that you have about the results, remembering that NAPLAN is a point in time assessment.

Playgroup

St Francis Xavier Playgroup is back starting on Thursday, 3 August. Great fun for the kids and an opportunity to connect with other families over a cuppa. Playgroup is open to all preschool-aged children and their carers, with those associated with St Francis Xavier and those from the wider community welcome to attend. Please share this with any families you know who may be interested.

Playgroup needs some pre-loved books in good condition suitable for preschoolers and a book stand. If you can donate either of these items it would be greatly appreciated. Please bring them to the school office.      

Regional Speech Competition

The 2023 Clarence Schools Regional Public Speaking School Competition is on again this year.  The finals will take place at St John Paul College on Monday, 11th September. 

Students from Years 3-6 participate at school level first. That means throughout this term students will be working on their oral skills. We look forward to listening to our talented students participating and improving their skills. Class winners will be finalised by Monday, 4th September. 

Sharon de Dassel
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

Gold Token winners

Well done to all token recipents this week and congratulations to the Gold Token winners!

School Counsellor's Corner

Stage 2 Group for Term 3

In Term 3, Tree of Life will be run for Stage 2 students. Please see below for the information about Tree of Life. If you would like your child to participate please contact the office to receive a permission slip and consent form. 

Tree of Life: For Stage 2 ONLY
Number of sessions: 10
Facilitated by: Alessandra Isgro
The Tree of Life is a support tool based on narrative practices facilitated in a group setting. The intervention uses different parts of a tree as metaphors to represent the different aspects of our lives. It involves students drawing their own “tree of life” and unpacking their roots (where they come from), their skills and strengths, hopes and dreams and the special people in their life. The students then join all their trees to create the “forest of life”, and in groups discuss some “storms” or challenges they have faced or are currently facing and use their tree’s to explore different strategies to help them through these storms. The intervention helps students strengthen their relationships with their own history, culture and significant people in their lives in a positive way to build confidence, self esteem and emotional resilience. 

Alessandra Isgro
School Counsellor

Canteen News

Canteen Roster

If you would like to volunteer in the Canteen on a Wednesday or a Friday from 9am-10.15am or 10.15am-11.30am please contact the school office on 66541981 or click on the link below.

All volunteers will receive a free morning tea and coffee!

Menu Update for Term 3

The following changes have been made to the Canteen Menu for Term 3.

• Homemade Chocolate Slice is now available (by pre-purchase only on Flexischools)
• Party Pies are no longer available
• Half Fruit Ice Sticks are now available for 50 cents each

Coming later in Term 3 will be Homemade Pizza Slices and Fresh Garlic Bread.

Coffee for Parents before Assembly - Week 2

Coffee and Conversation will not take place in Week 1.

Coffee for Parents before Assembly will take place in Week 2 (8.45am-9.15am)

Parent Forum

The next Parent Forum Meeting is on Monday 31 July, 6.30pm in the school library.  If you are interested in finding out more about the 'Tell Them from Me Survey' response, this will be shared at this meeting.

Open day for Prospective Parents

Trestle Tables for Sale

We have 14 trestle tables for sale.  They are in good condition but very solid and heavy.

The measurements are 1800L x 750W x 700H. 

Please contact the school office if interested.

Issue 5 of Scholastic Book Club will come home this week. Please order online or in cash at the school office by Friday 28 July. Click on the link to view Issue 5.