2025 Term 2 Week 7 Newsletter

Prayer Focus

From the Principal

Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) School Improvement Tool (SIT) School Review

We sincerely thank the parents who participated in the recent School Review. Your support and feedback are deeply valued. The School Review highlighted many strengths of St Francis Xavier, including our strong Catholic identity, calm and respectful learning environment, and the positive relationships between staff and students. Reviewers commended our clear focus on student wellbeing, the successful implementation of our Strategic Improvement Plan, and the strong gains being made in student learning, particularly in writing.

The Review affirmed our commitment to evidence-informed teaching, inclusive practices, and a broad, engaging curriculum. Our focus on staff development through collaborative planning, peer observation, and instructional coaching was also praised. Initiatives like uninterrupted literacy and numeracy blocks, student council, and strengthened home-school partnerships were seen as key to supporting student success.

Moving forward, we will continue to refine our improvement agenda, strengthen teaching practices, and ensure all students are challenged and supported to thrive.

Staffing update

We would like to inform you that Mrs Colette Harris will be transitioning to part-time employment. Going forward, Colette will be teaching the class from Monday to Wednesday. We are pleased to welcome Mrs Almerie Devine, who will be taking over the class on Thursdays and Fridays. We thank both teachers for their dedication and look forward to a smooth and successful transition for the students.

Drive Thru student pick-up service – Launching next term 

We are excited about our new Drive Thru system, which will commence in Term 3, starting Tuesday 22 July. Collection and dismissal points will be as follows:

• Queen Street Drive Thru

• Personal pick up from Green Zones 

• School Bus

• Walkers and bike riders

• OSHC (onsite) and Woolgoolga Community OOSH

Please note that parking will not be available on Queen Street in the afternoons. Families are encouraged to use alternative parking on Maldon Place, the High Street council car park (a 4-minute walk), or Nelson Street. We appreciate your support in keeping our pick-up process safe and streamlined.

Further details about the Drive Thru and all afternoon dismissal points is attached below. Please read this information carefully to support a smooth transition. There is a link to a google form at the end of the letter that all families are required to complete.

Aspire OSHC at St Francis Xavier

We are excited to welcome Aspire OSHC to St Francis Xavier! Starting from Tuesday 22 July, Aspire OSHC will be offering high-quality Before and After School Care right here on our campus.

Engaging Vacation Care programs will commence on Monday 29 September.

This service is designed to support our families by providing a safe, fun, and nurturing environment for children outside of regular school hours.

Please use the link in the attached flyer to enrol into the service.
If you have any queries, please use the contact details on the flyer.

We look forward to seeing our students thrive in this new space in the hall!

Notification of Serious Infections

I write to inform you that a student in our school is currently receiving treatment which results in a lowered immune system, which means, the student is more prone to getting ill from infections. As the student is not contagious but has a chronic illness, it is important he/she participates actively in the day to day school program without any major limitations. A major concern is that if this student develops chickenpox, measles, COVID-19, whooping cough, influenza or another serious virus, he/she could become seriously ill.  I seek your cooperation in preventing this situation.

If your child is unwell and has or may have one of these infectious illnesses, I would ask that you please:

• Do not send them to school.
• Notify the School Principal as soon as possible.
• Take them to your GP or medical centre to confirm diagnosis if possible.

Attendance Matters

Caroline Lewis
Principal

Faith & Mission

Baptism

Congratulations to Raiden on his recent Baptism! This is a very special step in his faith journey, and we are proud to celebrate this milestone with him and his family. May God's love continue to guide and bless him always.

If you are interested in Baptism for your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We welcome and support families at any stage of their faith journey.

Thank You for Supporting Our Biggest Morning Tea!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser. Together, we raised an impressive $960!

We’re grateful to the talented bakers, generous buyers, and dedicated volunteers who made this event such a success. A special thanks to Irene and Wayne for their incredible help with organising, setting up, and packing down both stalls - we truly appreciate your contribution.

Last Wednesday, the Year 6 students participated in the GLOW retreat with hundreds of other students from our Diocese. The Theme was ‘God Is Light’ and we listened to two guests share their personal  experiences of getting to know God.

Some reflections from our students:

What I loved about glow was how everyone had fun and connected to God. From all the lovely stories we learnt about how God is our light and there is no darkness in him. Willow

My favourite thing was when me and my friends were dancing. I learnt at the Glow retreat that God can glow even in the darkest times. Gabby

I met heaps of new people and made friends. Summer

I liked how friendly the Year 10 ministry students were! Max

The Glow retreat was amazing! I wish I could do it over and over! Everyone there was so kind and welcoming. Jesus, God’s love, God’s light. Jazmira

GLOW! Love, stories, games, prayer, songs, fun! Sam

When everyone sang together and we were aglow with different schools and Wildfire! "God is light and in him there is no darkness." 1 John 1:5  Chelsea

Stage 1 - Prayers & Teddy Bears

Check Compass for more information, including RSVP link - required by Friday 13 June.

First Holy Communion

Week 8 Assembly

Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Mission

Premier's Reading Challenge

All St Francis Xavier students Yrs 1-6 are invited to join in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC).

The PRC is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, from now until 19 September.

To complete the challenge:
·  Stage 1 can read or experience at least 20 books
·  Stage 2 can read at least 20 books
·  Stage 3 can read at least 15 books

Experiencing books can include shared reading, listening to stories, or reading picture books. The aim for the 2025 challenge is to encourage students to make time to read. Last year saw more than 216,000 children from around the state participate.

Your child’s username and password have beensent home today. They can login via this link:
https://online.education.nsw.gov.au/prc/studentExperience.html#/

Book suggestions are available here:
https://prc.median.com.au/BookList

Every student who completes the challenge, and completes the online record reader form, will receive a Certificate of Achievement. We look forward to seeing as many of our students as possible take part in the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Communicating Diversity

Jubilee Art Competition Winners!

Special congratulations to Ella, August and Parneet - Jubilee Art Competition Winners!

Congratulations also to Sharlene and Camilla who were among the 10 Distinction Awardees for the Jubilee Art Competition.

We are so proud of all our students who participated.

Laura Cooke
Leader of EAL/D
Visual Arts Teacher

Sporting Roundup

Polding Cross Country

Well done to the six students who represented the Lismore Diocese at the Polding Cross Country Trials in Sydney this week.  All six students produced some amazing results ranging from 5th through to 27th. Congratulations to Max who will now progress to NSWPSSA (State)  in Sydney next Term. Congratulations also to Sam and Bobby who were part of the winning Diocese of Lismore 12/13 years team!

Athletics Carnival - Friday 13 June

Please read the Parent Handbook as it contains important information regarding all aspects of the Athletics Carnival.  A couple of points to note for parents are listed below:

• Volunteers sign in at office and collect slip
• Parents/visitors and non-school age children to use Hall toilet when at school or the High Street Fields toilets when at High Street
  

Sport Club

Sport Club is run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8.30am-9.00am.  This week we have begun skipping for Jump Rope for Heart taking place in Term 3.

Well done to Nalu, Lukali and Jimi who surfed against each other in the under 10s boardriders competition recently, and to Sam, Bobby and Koa who surfed against each other in the under 12s final.

Thank you!

A huge thank you to Bonnie's dad, Jason, who has donated four brand new basketball nets for both our indoor and outdoor hoops.  They look fantastic! The students appreciate Jason's kindness and will enjoy shooting hoops even more now!

Lisa Hutton
Leader of Sport

Wellbeing Corner

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

The Week 7 and 8 focus is “I look after school and sports equipment”. This is to further support students to understand the importance of valuing our resources at school and treating them with respect and care. 

Wellbeing Wednesday

School Community Tuckerbox Cook-up

On Monday 16 June, Hayley and Alee are whipping up some delicious meals for families in our community who could use a helping hand.

Would you like to contribute? We'd greatly appreciate any donations of food for the cook-up! Helpful ingredients include pasta, rice, mince, any vegetables, pasta sauces, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, beans, coconut milk, stock cubes, frozen vegetables, onions/garlic, herbs and spices and disposable containers. 

If you're able to donate, please drop off your items to the front office or wellbeing room before Monday afternoon. Your generosity will make a real difference to families in need!

Thank you for your continued support.

Alessandra Isgro
School Counsellor

Hayley Evans
Wellbeing Officer

School Community Forum

Community Fete - Saturday, 25th October, 12pm-4pm

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!

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, 27 June, 9.00am-10.00am.

Market Stalls required for the Fete

Soft Drink Can donations needed

Next Meeting

The next School Community Forum meeting will be held on Monday, 16 June at 6.30pm in the school library.  There is a Zoom link below for those who are unable to attend in person.

Whole School Disco - Friday, 27 June

The School Community Forum will host a Disco for students in Kindergarten to Year 6 on Friday, 27 June, with entertainment by The Toads. Tickets are available for purchase on Flexischools.

Please refer to Compass for further details.

Salina McIvor
President

Playgroup

Business Directory

We are excited to announce the development of a St Francis Xavier Primary School Business Directory, 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

Congratulations to all the Certificate of Recognition and Diocesan Participation award recipients at last week's Assembly! 

Gold Token winners

Well done to all token recipients for this fortnight and congratulations to the Gold Token recipients with a special mention to Harper who has received three Gold Tokens in the last couple of weeks!  Keep up the great work everyone!

2026 Enrolments

SEEN: The Film

A not to be missed FREE event for all parents. Screening at the St John Paul College Theatre.This is the film everyone is talking about, with well known and respected experts Maggie Dent, Dr Billy Garvey, Lael Stone and more. SEEN: The Film is a groundbreaking feature-length documentary that has new information and a fresh understanding about what our children and teens need most. SEEN: The Film will encourage parents to consider how their own past may be influencing their children. For more information: https://seenthefilm.com/

Please note this is an 18+ event. Register by clicking on the link in the attached flyer.

Free Webinars

Parents and carers of tweenagers and teenagers, these two webinars are for you!

Council of Catholic Schools Parents (CCSP) invite you to join two free webinars.

Register using the links below:

PARENTING TWEENS: WHAT KIDS NEED NOW, BEFORE THE TEEN YEARS

For parents and carers of primary school students 8+

Presented by Michelle Mitchell

Tuesday 24 June
7pm - 8pm

PARENTING TEENS: STAYING CONNECTED THROUGH THE TEEN YEARS

For parents and carers of high school students 12+

Presented by Michelle Mitchell

Wednesday 25 June
7pm - 8pm

Free Workshop