Activities and Events
Dynamic Assessment Training
On Wednesday 30th April, Mrs Hatton and Mrs Nott attended a professional development session at the Armidale Catholic Schools (ACS) Hub in Tamworth, focused on supporting Year 3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their full potential.
Led by Professor Graham Chaffey from the University of New England, the training introduced puzzles based on the Raven’s Progressive Assessment. These are used in a dynamic assessment approach to help students develop confidence in their cognitive abilities through continued learning success.
Only 10 staff across the Armidale Diocese have completed this specialised training, and we are proud to have two of them at our school. We are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs Hatton and Mrs Nott bringing this expertise to our students.
Narrabri Show Art
The annual Narrabri Show, held last weekend, was once again an exciting and proud moment for our school community. Each year, our students love participating in the Schoolwork Section, working together within their Stage groups to create beautiful displays.
Embracing this year’s show theme, ‘Let’s Grow Together’, Kindergarten, Stage 2, and Stage 3 each entered one display per cohort, while Stage 1 students submitted individual artworks.
Their creativity and effort shone through in the results - 1st Place was awarded to Kindergarten, Stage 2 and Stage 3. A huge congratulations as well to the Stage 1 place recipients: 3rd Place - Cooper Lewis, 4th Place - Matilda Dalton and Millicent Irwin, Highly Commended - Amirah Destreza, Mila Mulholland, George Stoltenberg, Fred Lampe and Chester Burgmann.
What an outstanding achievement by all involved!
We were also incredibly proud to see so many of our students participating in other show events, from ring events to pavilion displays, as well as volunteering their time in various roles. This is a wonderful reflection of the strong community spirit we value so deeply at St Francis Xavier’s School.
Professional Development - Spirituality
On Tuesday, 6th May, staff participated in their first of two twilight professional development sessions. This session was led by Anne Finlayson and Carol Wheaton from the Armidale Catholic Schools (ACS) Spirituality Team. With a focus on this Jubilee Year and the guiding theme, Pilgrims of Hope, the session offered staff a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the significance of hope both personally and professionally.
Together, the staff engaged with an excerpt from the Late Pope Francis’ papal bull, which powerfully states: "...hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring." This inspired rich discussions as staff shared their personal hopes for themselves and their families, and explored how we might extend that hope to others, especially those less fortunate.
A key message of the session was the call to humility. To look beyond ourselves and spread hope to others. The Late Pope’s papal bull, titled Spes non confundit (Latin for Hope does not disappoint), reminds us that while outcomes may sometimes fall short, the act of hoping itself is never in vain.
This reflective and spiritually grounding session was a timely reminder of the power of hope in our lives and in our work as educators.
NSW Little Athletics
With preparations for the Athletics Carnival in full swing, the students were excited to attend an engaging information session presented by NSW Little Athletics last Thursday. We were fortunate to welcome Mr Darren Wenser, who shared his expertise and enthusiasm about the wide range of fun activities that take place at Little Athletics.
Darren captivated the students using a variety of visual aids. A highlight was when he used a tape measure to demonstrate the incredible distance of the current men's long jump world record. It was set in 1991 and is a jaw-dropping 8.95 metres! He also compared a child-sized shot put to the much heavier version used by Olympic athletes, sparking curiosity and discussion among the students.
A big thank you to Darren for visiting our school and helping ignite a passion for athletics in our students!
Mother's Day Breakfast
Last Friday, we focused on celebrating all the wonderful women in our students’ lives with our annual Mother’s Day breakfast. We began the day under the COLA with a delicious bacon and egg roll, tea and coffee.
The students loved sharing this time with their loved ones, and we couldn’t think of a better way to start the day! A big thank you to the families who donated eggs, as well as to our staff for setting up and assisting with breakfast.
Assembly Accompaniment
Two of our talented school band members confidently accompanied the school in singing Advance Australia Fair at last Friday’s assembly. The live music provided excellent experience for the players.