Principal's News

Mr Brian Anderson

Principal

Dear Parents & Carers,

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend and were able to spend quality time with your families.

First Eucharist

Over the past two weekends, we have had the privilege of joining our Year 3 students and their families as they celebrated the Sacrament of First Eucharist at our parish masses.

This is a milestone that our children will remember for the rest of their lives. As a school community, we continue to pray for them as they deepen their relationship with Jesus through the gift of the Eucharist. It is our hope that this sacrament marks the beginning of a lifelong journey of faith and participation in the life of the Church.

A special thank you to Father Richard for the time, care and dedication he invests in preparing our children for this important sacrament. His classroom visits and parish preparation sessions ensure that our students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of this life-giving encounter with Christ.

Thank you, Father Richard, for your continued support and leadership of our parish community.

I would also like to thank Mr Criniti, Mr Foster and Miss Spiropoulos for assisting at the parish masses. Congratulations to our choir students, together with Ms Lorena and Miss Biskupic, whose beautiful singing enriched the liturgy and helped create such a prayerful atmosphere. Thank you also to the many staff members who attended the masses to support our students and their families.

One of the great joys of being principal is attending these sacramental celebrations. It is always wonderful to reconnect with former students, older siblings, cousins and past parents. Hearing about the achievements of our graduates is a great source of pride. Many are now choosing electives, completing the HSC, attending university or TAFE, or beginning apprenticeships and trades. I often reflect that I attended many of their own First Eucharist celebrations, and it is a reminder of the lasting impact of a Catholic primary education and the strong foundation established during their years at St Francis Xavier.

Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass

Please join us tomorrow at the parish for our Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass at 9.15am.

This will be the first school Mass attended by our newly confirmed First Eucharist candidates, making it an especially meaningful celebration for our Year 3 students and their families.

Welcome to Cindy our Family Educator

I am delighted to welcome Miss Cindy Mui, our new Family Educator, who commenced at St Francis Xavier on Tuesday and has already immersed herself in school life. Many families would have received a Family Prayer Pack on Wednesday afternoon. I hope these resources support parents in nurturing prayer and faith within the home. Miss Cindy brings a wealth of experience to the role and has already begun planning a number of exciting initiatives for Term 3. We are very fortunate to have her join our community.

Parent teachers interview

In the coming week, families will be invited to book Parent-Teacher Interviews, which will take place during the week commencing Monday 22 June. Semester reports will be available to parents on Friday 19 June.

I would also like to remind parents that they are welcome to request a meeting with their child’s teacher at any time throughout the year. There is no need to wait for formal interview periods if you have questions, concerns or simply wish to discuss your child’s progress.

Incursions and Excursions

Throughout the term, many classes have been enjoying rich learning experiences beyond the classroom through excursions and incursions.

Year 1 recently visited Fields of Mars, while Year 3 Visited the Royal Botanical Gardens then attending Mass at St Marys Cathedral. Year 2 will be attending the Fairfield City Museum. Year 4 are going to Mary MacKillop Place and Church, Year 5 will travel to the Art Gallery of New South Wales then attend The Sistine Chapel Exhibition, and our Stage 3 students departed this morning for Canberra. Kindergarten will participate in an incursion during Term 3 before visiting the zoo in Term 4. All other grades will also attend a second excursion later in the year.

These experiences provide our children with invaluable opportunities to connect classroom learning with the wider world. Thank you to the many parents who volunteer their time to assist on excursions. Your support is greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank our teachers and Mrs El-Azzi for the tremendous work that goes into organising these experiences.

SCHOOL VISIT - Feedback On Year 3 Excursion

Dear Mr Anderson and St Francis Xavier School Community,

Just a short email to relay how well behaved the children were at Mass today and how impressive there knowledge and responses were as I spoke to them briefly after the Mass I celebrated at 1:10pm at St Mary’s Cathedral.

I just thought it’s nice to get some positive feedback every now and again on the good work your staff is doing.

God bless,

Rev. Dr Matthew P. Baldwin

Australian Catholic University

School Concert

Our Stage 3 students were excited to learn this week that this year’s school concert will be Peter Pan. Both Year 5 and Year 6 students will have opportunities to participate in the main cast. We look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks.

Upcoming

A few upcoming dates for your diary:

Staff Development Day Friday 3 July school closed to students

Staff Development Day Monday 20 July school closed to students

100 Days of Kindergarten and Grandparents Day Friday 24th July 8.50am

 Winter Sleepout Tuesday 28th July 6pm - 7.30pm

Canberra Camp 2026

Finally, this morning began very early for a number of staff members as we gathered at school at 5.30am to ensure the smooth departure of our Canberra excursion. Mrs Girgenti and the team have worked tirelessly to prepare this significant undertaking.

As many parents would be aware, fewer schools are now offering overnight excursions due to the considerable planning, staffing and compliance requirements involved. At St Francis Xavier, we are fortunate to have staff who continue to place these opportunities at the heart of the student experience.

I would like to sincerely thank Mrs Girgenti, Mr Criniti, Miss Buckley, Miss Deeb, Miss Economou, Miss Loupis, Miss MacMillan, Mr Sukkar and Mr Tropeano for generously giving up their time to accompany our students. These staff members receive no additional payment for attending overnight camps. They do so because like me, they genuinely care about our children and want them to create lifelong memories . Thank you also to Mrs Ayoub, Mrs Gaal and Mrs El-Azzi for ensuring the first aids kits are well stocked and organised.

Experiences such as Canberra provide our students with opportunities to develop independence, resilience, confidence and friendships. They also ensure that when our children transition to high school, they do so with the confidence that comes from already having participated in overnight camps and extended learning experiences away from home.