2025 Term 3 Week 1 Newsletter

From the Principal

Drive Thru Pick-Up

Thank you kindly for all your cooperation and support with the Drive Thru Pick-Up and the other changes to pick-up this Term.  Your patience and positive attitude have made a big difference in helping things run smoothly.

A special thank you to all parents who have picked up their children from the Green Zones.  If you have two children, please wait in the Green Zone nearest your youngest child’s classroom. If you are picking up children from the Green Zones, we encourage you to park in High Street or Nelson Street and follow the footpath beside the High Street fields then enter the school through the Hall gate and wait in the Green Zones.

Students walking home will now wait in the hall with the bus students. They will not be released from school until 3.20pm.

For those using the Drive Thru, we kindly ask that if you arrive before 3.00pm please wait near the School Zone sign with flashing lights. Refer to the photo below. Please note that cars may only stop in the loading/pick-up zone (No Parking/No Stopping signage) for a maximum of 2 minutes. We want to avoid anyone receiving a fine from the ranger.

Reminder: Maldon Place gate is locked everyday between 9.00am-3.10pm. There is no entry/exit to/from the school through this gate during school hours. 

Please refer to the Updated Traffic Management Plan below for further detailed information.

We truly appreciate your continued efforts, support and dedication.

Staffing update

I would like to advise that Mrs Sarah Jennings will be leaving the school on 15 August. I sincerely thank her for her dedication and the care she has shown during her time at St Francis Xavier, and I wish her all the very best in her future endeavours. Moving forward, Mr Charlie O'Sullivan and Miss Tiffany Wishart will be working in a job share arrangement for the remainder of the year, ensuring a smooth and supportive transition for the students.

Naplan

The 2025 NAPLAN results reflect several areas of strong achievement across our school, particularly in writing, which has been our school goal for the last couple of years.  In Year 3, an impressive 91.4% of students achieved proficiency in Writing - well above both the diocesan target of 80% and the system average of 88.9%. Year 5 Writing was also a highlight, with 81.3% of students reaching proficiency, exceeding the system’s 71.9% average. These results affirm the impact of our focused teaching strategies and strong classroom practices.

However, our data also shows that reading is an area needing renewed attention. In response, we are prioritising reading improvement in our Strategic Plan - focusing on Phonics, fluency and comprehension strategies, from Kindergarten to Year 6. But we can’t do it alone - we need your help. Families play a crucial role in developing a love of reading. One of the most powerful things you can do is hear your child read regularly at home and talk with them about what they’re reading. It’s also incredibly valuable to keep reading to your child - even after they’ve learned to read and right through primary school. By working together, we can build confident, capable readers who are ready for the next stage of learning.

A hard copy of your child's Naplan results will come home with students next week.

Attendance Matters

Fete News

Date Saver

Join the Fete Committee

We’re looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our committee and help organise the Community Fete on  Saturday, October 25th, from 12.00pm to 4.00pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a fun community event while making a positive impact for our school!

Funds raised from the fete will go towards much-needed oval drainage - helping ensure our students will be able to play on the oval once the rain stops. Every contribution counts!

In addition, we’re hoping each class will be responsible for running one stall - so you can be part of a great team while supporting this amazing cause.

If you love planning, are passionate about community events, or just want to help out and have a great time, we’d love for you to be involved! There are lots of ways to contribute, from organising stalls to helping with logistics.

Interested? Please get in touch with the school or come along to our next committee meeting on Friday, 8 August , 9.00am-10.00am.

Donations needed

Market Stalls required

Major Raffle

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our School Fete Raffle - an exciting opportunity for your friends, family and neighbours to win amazing prizes while supporting a fantastic cause!

Each family will receive a book of 10 tickets to sell, with the chance to make a big difference for our school community. Tickets can also be purchased easily online via the link below or QR code above - making it simple and convenient for everyone to join in the fun! Please visit our school Facebook page and share the raffle ticket post far and wide to help boost ticket sales.

Important details: 
● Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 
● All tickets (sold and unsold) and money - must be returned to school by October 17. 
● For every book of 10 tickets sold, your family will be entered into a special draw to win some great prizes, including Fete Ride Wristbands and tickets to Airheads - carnival rides and monster inflatable obstacle course visiting Coffs Harbour in the next school holidays. 
● Need more tickets? Just ask! Families can request additional books from the Office to sell and boost their chances. 

All proceeds from the raffle and our upcoming Fete will go directly towards a much-needed oval upgrade - a project that will benefit every student and make our school grounds even better. Get ready to sell those tickets and help us create something amazing! 

Thank you for your support and good luck! 

Fete Sponsorship

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Community Fete on Saturday, 25th October! This fun-filled afternoon will bring our community together as well as raising funds for much-needed drainage improvements on our oval. Currently, after it rains, the field holds water, making it impossible for the students to play outside for days. With your support, we hope to raise enough money to purchase a drainage system, ensuring the children can enjoy the outdoor space even after it rains.

We are also seeking sponsorship for the fete. If you have any friends, family members, or colleagues who own a business or work at a business, we would greatly appreciate their support! We need large and small prizes for our main raffle and the cent auction, and any contribution will make a big difference. Please, we need your help – without your generosity, we won’t be able to raise the necessary funds to make this essential improvement. Thank you for your continued support!

School Community Forum

Faith & Mission

Tell Them From Me data

Thank you to all families and students from Years 4 to 6 who shared their voices in our recent surveys. Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping a stronger and more supportive learning community for all.

What we heard from parents:

• Parents feel welcomed and well-informed, especially about learning and behaviour.
• Clear strengths include high expectations and strong learning support.
• Families appreciate the school’s positive culture and safe, respectful environment.
• We’re working to improve communication around social-emotional learning and differentiated support, and making school events more accessible.

What students told us:

• Students are motivated, see value in their learning, and feel confident and challenged.
• Friendships, wellbeing, and reduced anxiety are strong indicators of a positive school climate.
• Faith and values remain central, with students feeling connected to Jesus through prayer, service, and community.
• A safe and inclusive environment, along with strong teacher-student relationships, supports student success.
  

Home - school partnerships are key to student growth. When families and schools work together, students thrive - emotionally, academically, and spiritually. Thank you for helping us continue to grow and improve.

Sacrament of Confirmation

Over the past few weeks, a group of our students have been prayerfully preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. This special time marks an important step in their faith journey as they deepen their relationship with God and accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Through reflection, discussion, and prayer, the children have been learning about the meaning of Confirmation, the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and how they can live out their faith with courage and compassion. 

We ask that you keep these candidates in your prayers as they approach this sacred milestone, ready to be strengthened in faith and sent forth as witnesses to Christ’s love in the world.

Family Mass

Vinnies Winter Appeal

This year Mini Vinnies is supporting the Vinnies Winter Appeal and the new Vinnies Van which has just begun operating in Woolgoolga. The Van will be operating each Monday afternoon, outside the Neighbourhood Centre. Vulnerable people will be able to access food, a hot/cold drink, a friendly face to listen and provide information about access to other services.

If St Francis Xavier families could donate ONE good quality item to the Winter Appeal, that would be much appreciated. We are asking for blankets, cotton bags and towels (if new please leave tags on). We will be collecting items from now until the second week of Term 3. Donations can be sent into your child’s classroom. Thank you in advance for your generous donations. 

Grandparents Day

We are looking forward to celebrating Grandparents Day this coming Friday. Kindergarten will be hosting the Liturgy starting at 9.15am. Tea and coffee will be available for visitors following the Liturgy, with additional home baked treats and barista coffee available for purchase from the canteen. During morning tea, all students will return to their classrooms to prepare for the Open Classrooms. All families are invited to visit classrooms for sharing of learning following morning tea.

Assembly - Friday 1 August

All Things Learning & Teaching

Book Week, Book Fair & Parade - Date Saver

Music Tuition

Music Ensemble Program

A Focus on Inclusion

Short Courses for Parents

OnLineTraining (OLT) was established in 2008 to provide flexible professional development for teaching professionals who support children and young people with special educational needs. Many of our teachers have undertaken training with this organisation over the years. 

OLT have released online courses for parents of children with ADHD and ASD. 

ADHD: This short course was developed with the help of Parents for ADHD Advocacy Australia (PAAA). This course is aimed at supporting the parents and carers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Other people may also find it helpful, such as other relatives, teacher assistants, and teachers.

Autism: This short course is directed at parents and carers of children with autism. Other people may also find it helpful, such as other relatives, teacher assistants, and teachers. Parents of children who’ve been identified on the autism spectrum have been interviewed to identify the issues that concern them the most. This is reflected in the videos throughout this short course.

Please find more information about the courses on the OLT platform linked here.

Sporting Roundup

Jump Rope For Heart 

Jump Rope for Heart kicks off this week! 

Jump Rope for Heart is the Heart Foundation’s primary school skipping challenge that helps kids move more, have fun, and raise funds for life-saving research and programs.

Register your child online, so they can receive the full benefits of the program and participate in online fundraising, simply follow the link below to get started www.jumprope.org.au/parents

 Students will be skipping throughout Weeks 1-5 in PE lessons as well as during Sports Club (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 8.30am). During this time you can share their online fundraising page with family and friends to help raise money for this great cause.

We will hold our school Jump Off Day in Week 5 during PE lessons. This will mark the end of the program and is a chance for everyone to come together to skip and show off their newly learned skills. 

Thank you for supporting the Jump Rope for Heart program!

Zone Athletics 

The Clarence Zone Athletics Carnival was held in Week 10 of last term where 37 St Francis Xavier students were given the opportunity to represent our school at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium. It was a fantastic day for all students and staff who attended and the school spirit that our students displayed definitely shone through on the day. Our students came away with  numerous top 3 placings. 

A massive congratulations to Mia Brown and Georgia Winn who were awarded age champions for their respective age groups. 

I am excited to announce that 15 of our students have now qualified for the Diocesan Athletics Carnival which will be held on Tuesday, 26th August at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium. 

Congratulations to the following students: 

NSW PSSA Cross Country

A massive congratulations to Max Ross who competed at the NSW PSSA Cross Country Championships in Sydney on Wednesday. What a huge achievement to make it this far and to compete against the best Cross Country runners in the state.  Well done Max!

Three St Francis Xavier students were selected to join the Mid North Coast representative rugby team and recently competed at the NSW State Gala held at The King’s School in Parramatta. The team delivered competitive performances against established Sydney teams. Congratulations to Harshind, Harrison and James!

Sport Club

Remember that all students are welcome to join the Sport Club on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings from 8:30am. The focus for the first 5 weeks of this term will be to pracice our skipping skills and boost our minutes of skipping for Jump Rope for Heart.

Wellbeing Corner

Wellbeing Groups

We are so excited to be back for term 3! Our Wellbeing Groups from last term will continue this term. These include 

• Cool Kids
• Seasons for Growth 
• Stop think Do
• Growing friendships 
• Friendship Group

We are also looking forward to running Seasons for Growth in Stage 1 this term. If you are interested in your child participating please contact Alee at alessandra.isgro@lism.catholic.edu.au. See below for more information about seasons. 

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

Wellbeing Wednesday

Free Webinar

Catholic School Parents Australia are offering a free webinar that may be beneficial to you and your family.

Click on the link below to register.

School Community Forum

Next Meeting

The next School Community Forum meeting will be held on Monday, 11 August at 6.30pm in the school library.  There is a Zoom link below for those who are unable to attend in person.

Bunnings BBQ - Saturday 23rd August

We are looking for volunteers for our Bunnings BBQ fundraiser.  Please click on the link below to donate your time.  All funds raised will go towards the school oval upgrade. We thank you in advance for your continued support.

Salina McIvor
President

Playgroup

Business Directory

The St Francis Xavier Primary School Business Directory is designed to serve as a valuable resource for our entire school community. This directory will be made available to all St Francis Xavier families, through our school newsletter and social media, with the intention of fostering a stronger sense of community and connection among us all. Not only will it facilitate networking and support between our families, but it will also provide our school with access to local businesses capable of meeting any needs or services required. Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen bonds within our community while also supporting local enterprises.  If you are interested, please complete this Google form.

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Awards

Well done to all students who received a Certificate of Recognition or a Pen Licence at the recent Assembly!

Gold Token winners

Well done to all token recipients for this fortnight and congratulations to the Gold Token recipients.  Keep up the great work everyone!

Open Day

2026 Enrolments

Handballs for sale

Privacy Collection Notice

Please read the following important information regarding the collection of data for the Non-Government Schools Census on 1 August 2025.

St John Paul College news

Please click on the link below and follow St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour to see the many wonderful academic and sporting achievements by their students, many of whom are former students of St Francis Xavier, Woolgoolga!

Congratulations to Keegan Ford! Keegan along with his three siblings are all former St Francis Xavier students. Keegan we are very proud of you!