Principal's News

Dear Parents,

I certainly didn’t expect to be writing about an uprooted tree falling on power lines in my final newsletter of Term 2!

As I often say to the team, you never know what will come across your desk each morning—and yesterday proved just that. Thanks to the swift support of Sydney Catholic Schools, emergency services, and our very own Diandra from After School Care, we were able to ensure the site remained safe and secure all before 7:30am.

A special thank you to our staff who leapt into action to ensure learning continued uninterrupted at St Francis Xavier. Any events postponed due to yesterday will be rescheduled for Term 3.

We end the term on a high note, grateful to God for the many gifts he has bestowed on our children and community over the past ten weeks.

Highlights from Term 2 include the launch of our new lunchtime robotics clubs, a beautiful Mother’s Day celebration, multiple gala days, and a spectacular sports carnival. We also welcomed our new Family Educator, Mrs Seric, who has already made a wonderful start in our community.

The children participated in art competitions, performed exceptionally at Eisteddfods, and enjoyed a rich variety of lunchtime activities including martial arts, chess, and craft clubs. Stage 3 students shone at our first sports camp in over a decade and attended performances of Matilda at St Ursula’s and Grease at Domremy College—featuring our very own SFX alumni, Addison.

A particularly special moment this term was when our Year 3 students received the Sacrament of First Eucharist in our parish. We also gathered as a whole school last Friday to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart—a joyful expression of our Catholic identity.

As I say to many parents, St Francis Xavier, we are committed to developing the whole child. Everything we do is rooted in our Catholic ethos. While we maintain a strong focus on English and Mathematics, we are equally proud to offer a wide range of opportunities for every child to discover their passion and grow in confidence. 

Our philosophy is certainly working as we continue 

 to see an increase in the amount of children participating in extra curricular activities as evidenced by our recent student Tell them From Me Data. 

We have recently finished our subscriptions to Mathletics and Bug Club which have both been used in our school since 2019. As we aim to reduce screen time in school and support parents to do so in the home I believe this will allow our children to more readily pick up traditional books and enjoy a love of learning. 

Please be reminded that tomorrow, our school will be closed as staff participate in a professional learning day focused on staff wellbeing.

As we move into the winter break, I wish all of our students, staff and families a safe, restful, and happy holiday.

Take care

Brian 

Principal