Newsletter Week1 Term 4 2023

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to Term 4, perhaps our busiest term in any school year.

I hope you have all enjoyed a safe and fulfilling term break.

This term we have made a change with our Reception classes. We welcome Ms Rebecca Settecasi who is taking all of our mid year intake Reception children as a stand alone class. This gives those children the opportunity to get to know each other as the group who will go through school together, whilst allowing the other Reception children to begin their readiness for Year 1 next year.

2024 Classes

This week I will be meeting with Scott March, our new Principal, to discuss classes for 2024. Our class teachers will then begin the process of class lists. As always, we ask the children for their input into who they would like to be with next year. Generally the children will write down the names of three to five friends. The teachers then do their best to ensure that your child is with at least one of the children on their list. Many complexities are taken into account by the teachers in compiling the lists. On average it takes five to six hours for our current teachers to compile and finalise these lists. We attempt to meet the needs as we see them where and as we can, but it is an enormously complicated task. Some schools choose to use a computer program to construct the classes, but at this stage we believe our more nuanced approach is preferable. We are unable to take requests as all children’s learning needs must be taken into account. If you believe there is something about your child’s needs that we are not aware of then I ask you to please email me directly and confidentially, or phone the office to make a time to speak with me. principal@sfoa.catholic.edu.au

Quiz Night this Saturday 21 October

Our Parents and Friends group have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare for our Quiz Night. I know they have donations and support from many local businesses and none of that can happen without the committed volunteering from many of you. Details about the Quiz Night are in this newsletter. Please consider coming along if you have not already booked your table. We are looking forward to an outstanding community night.

Other upcoming events

Please be sure to keep up with Audiri, our newsletters and other information that comes home from your child’s teacher. We have Swimming Lessons from Reception to Year 4, other excursions for some classes, liturgies, Year 6 Graduation, and many other events and opportunities this term.

St Francis of Assisi Feast Day

Our patron saint’s day is always in the term break on 4 October. Our school celebration of St Francis is this Friday with a whole school Mass at 9.30am in the church. You are most welcome to join us. St Francis of Assisi leaves us with many legacies: his love of God’s creation and the environment (you may be familiar with Brother Son, Sister Moon…); his mission for peace (Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow your love…); and our Nativity scenes at Christmas time. This is not a bad legacy for someone who died in 1226! The wisdom of St Francis pops up in popular culture in places we may not recognise. If any of you are fans of the Irish band U2, you may be familiar with the song ‘Mysterious Ways’. Have a listen to the words, this is not a love song as it seems, this is a song about the Holy Spirit and references St Francis’s Canticle of the Sun.

I look forward to a fun and joy filled term with you all.

Peace and blessings

Kerri Dent

APRIM News

APRIM News Term 4 Week 1

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope you have all enjoyed some quality time with family and friends over the holidays. During the holidays it was the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi. We were proud to have a couple of students reading prayers at the Parish Mass. On Friday we have our annual whole school Mass to celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi (transferred from Oct 4^th). All families are welcome to join us.

St Francis of Assisi Feast – October 4^th

Here is a bit of history about our patron saint. Francis, the son of a rich cloth merchant, led a misspent youth. His search for conversion led him to the ancient church at San Damiano. While praying there, he heard Christ speak to him from the crucifix, "Francis, repair my church." Francis assumed this meant the crumbling building. Acting impulsively, he took fabric from his father's shop and sold it to get money to repair the church. His father dragged Francis before the bishop and in front of the whole town demanding that he return the money and renounce all rights as his heir. Francis not only gave back the money but stripped off the clothes his father had given him, and declared that from then on his true Father was God in heaven. Francis took the Gospels as the rule of his life, and Jesus Christ as his example. He dressed in rough clothes and begged for his sustenance. He visited hospitals, served the sick, cared for lepers, preached purity and peace, composed songs and hymns to God and nature, and regarded all people as his brothers and sisters. He began to attract followers, and in 1209, with papal blessing, founded the Franciscans. In 1212 Clare of Assisi became his spiritual student, which led to the founding of the Poor Clares.

Swimming Program

In Week 6 of Term 4 all R-4 students will be participating in a school swimming program at the ARC Campbelltown. This yearly program is designed to teach students basic swimming and water safety skills. It is designed for students of all swimming abilities including students who have never completed swimming lessons. Yesterday information was sent out about our Swimming Program. Please ensure that you sign the online permission for via Audiri AND return the paper copy of the Water Safety Consent Form.

Made in the Image of God (MITIOG) - Human Sexuality Curriculum

The Made in The Image of God (MITIOG), Human Sexuality curriculum is mandated for South Australian Catholic Schools, for Years R-12. Each year our students engage with age-appropriate curriculum content regarding sexuality through this (MITIOG) curriculum. The content descriptors include:

Identity
Relationships
Human Development
Reproduction and Reproductive Health

Catholic understanding is that all humans are made in the image of God and therefore deserving of the utmost dignity and honour and that our sexuality is a fundamental dimension of the human person. We acknowledge that the beliefs, values and insights of the Christian Tradition and Catholic moral teaching enrich our lives, whilst also holding an understanding of current family structures.

Our students will engage in this curriculum with their classroom teacher next week.

Kiss and Drop Zone reminders

In the holidays new lines have been painted on our basketball courts to indicate the ‘Kiss and Drop’ zone and new carparks. We hope that this will make it easier for parents to be able to pick up and drop off their children. Below is an explanation of the new lines.

Arrows and road lines are painted to show the direction and area to drive for Kiss and Drop. The Kiss and Drop zone is also defined by a yellow line. You must remain in your car when using the Kiss and Drop Zone.

Priority and short-term car parks are diagonal along the fence, no longer parallel parks. This is to ensure more cars can fit in the parking spots.

1. KISS AND DROP ZONE ONLY

2. PRIORITY AND SHORT-TERM CARPARKS

3. THERE IS NO PARALLEL PARKING ON THE YELLOW LINE AGAINST OUR SCHOOL OVAL FENCE - as this blocks cars going in and out the carpark

NO PARKING is permitted in the middle of the basketball courts. As always staff will be on duty before and after school. Thankyou for your cooperation and we look forward to welcoming families back to school in Term 4.

Melissa Canil

APRIM