PE News....

Upcoming Sporting Dates

• Regional Soccer (Yr 6 only) 19th August in Swan Hill
• Regional Netball (Yr 6 only) 19th August in Swan Hill
• Catholic Athletics (yr 3-6's qualifying on from our school sports) 29th August 
• Divisional Basketball (Yr 6 only) 5th September 
• Divisional Athletics (Yr 4-6's qualifying on from the Catholics sports) 15th September 

Year 3-6 School Athletics Sports

Congratulations to all the children on their participation at our school sports.  

So many wonderful performances, lots of sportsmanship and big smiles!  

Thank you to the teachers and staff for your efforts in supporting the students so wonderfully and every Bendigo Senior Secondary student for helping make the day run well. A special mention to Mrs Zealley, for the many hours she put into assisting me in preparing for the sports! 

All the very best to our strong team of athletes that we will be heading to the Catholic Athletic Championships on Friday 29th August. 

House Point Results - 2025

Blue (Backhaus): 1201 

Green (Francis): 1167 

Red (MacKillop): 1036 

Yellow (Clare): 994 

Best contributors - 2025 

12/13 year boys: Elliot Kelly 

12/13 year girls: Mackenzie Jackson  

11 year boys: Josh Rodda 

11 year girls: Bella Hope 

10 year boys: Will Campbell  

10 year girls: Hannah Millar  

8/9 year boys: Gus Arundell 

8/9 year girls: Hazel McDermott 

Congratulations, you will receive your medal at the next assembly. 

Records

Congratulations to the students below, on breaking records at our athletics sports on Friday.

Induction into our St Francis of the Fields, ‘Sporting Hall of Fame’

Noelene Arundell

Noelene’s induction into the Sporting Hall of Fame recognises her lifelong dedication to sport, education, and community wellbeing. Beginning her teaching journey in Bendigo, she was a finalist in the 1999 Bendigo Employee of the Year Awards and received the Holy Rosary Outstanding Service Award for her community contributions. 

From 2004 until her retirement in 2019, Noelene was a dedicated teacher at St Francis, where she led curriculum development and passionately served as PE Coordinator from 2006-2011. She organised school-wide sporting events, maintained equipment, supported staff with skill-development sessions, and introduced specialist coaching to enrich the PE program. 

A strong advocate for inclusive and engaging physical education, Noelene joined a regional Health and PE Task Force and championed the Blue Earth program, ensuring all students had access to quality skill-based lessons. One of Noelene’s most outstanding achievements while coaching within the school environment was taking a Grade 6 netball team all the way to the State Championship, where they went on to win in 2007. Even in retirement, Noelene has continued to guide and mentor PE Coordinators. One of her most valuable contributions was supporting the development of the school-wide scope and sequence for the Health and Physical Education curriculum—work that has left a lasting impact on the school community. 

Her passion for promoting sport was evident in her transformation of the school’s playing areas and in fostering a strong cross-country culture, with teams excelling at regional levels. Noelene’s legacy is one of enthusiasm, leadership, and unwavering belief in the value of sport for every child’s growth and wellbeing. 

Noelene, thank you for your service. 

SSV National Girls Football

Layla Hand is competing at the SSV National Girls Football Competiton this week. She has played 2 games to date, 1 in progress and 3 to come. The Vic girls comfortably won against both QLD (48-2) and NSW (54-9), with Layla kicking a spectacular goal!! 

Layla, we are so proud of you, and we’re pleased to hear you are loving every aspect of this wonderful experience. All the best for the remainder of the competition.  

Divisional Netball 

On Wednesday the 6th of August, the grade 6 netball team traveled to the Golden City netball complex to compete in the Sandhurst Division netball championship. The girls won through quite comfortably to the Grand Final, where they had a great match against St Therese's and prevailing at the Championship winners!! 

The boys played brilliantly all day, only dropping one game and finishing Runner’s up. 

Both teams will now head to Swan Hill on Tuesday 19th of August to compete in the regional netball tournament.  

Thank you to Mrs Mangan and Mrs Zealley for assisting in the preparation of the students for this event & Mrs Exell who also helped out on the day. 

Girls & Boys Divisional Footy 

Today our year 6’s headed off to the divisional footy competition. Both teams competed well and in a cutthroat competition, where dropping just 1 game will cost you. They had a blast, with both teams finishing 2nd in their pool, with only 1 loss for the day!! Well done, we’re very proud of your efforts!! 

Thank you Mr Morcom & Mr Zera for your time preparing the students and Mrs Zealley and Mr Freeman for supporting on the day. 

Basketball Victoria Jamboree 

St Francis is proud to celebrate the achievements of our talented basketballers, with the following students selected to attend the 2025 Basketball Victoria Under-12 Country Jamboree in Echuca during the September school holidays: 

Boys: 

• Xavier Connolly 

• Aiden McDermott 

• Nash McMaster 

Girls: 

• Poppy Baker 

• Belle Worthington 

Basketball Victoria’s Under-12 Country Jamboree, running from 20–23 September, is a key event in the junior basketball calendar. It marks the first step in the Victorian High-Performance pathway, welcoming 120 boys and 120 girls selected from more than 1,200 participants at Skill Days held across 10 regional centres. 

Across four action-packed days, athletes will enjoy training sessions, tournament-style games, and skill clinics in an inclusive, team-focused environment. With an emphasis on development and fun over competition, the Jamboree promotes equal participation, sportsmanship, and a love for the game. 

Now in its 25th year, the event also supports coach and referee development while helping players build friendships across the state. Athletes will be grouped into teams named after iconic Australian wildlife and culture—such as the Emus, Wallabies, and Kookaburras. 

Congratulations to our selected students on this outstanding achievement. We wish you all the best for this exciting opportunity! 

PE Awards 

Each assembly week, we present a tuck shop award. 

The criterion for receiving these awards is very straightforward. Students demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship, effort, and attitude will be the prime candidates for these awards.  

Congratulations:  

• Tilly Allan, Archie Dubyna, Daphne Shackcloth

Sporting News:Parents, if you have sporting news that should be shared in the newsletter, please send through a completed write up and picture to: dcoates@sfstrathfieldsaye.catholic.edu.au 

Danielle Coates- PE Coordinator