Saint Francis Xavier - Principal's Report

Term 1 - Week 2

Dear Parents and Friends of St Francis Xavier,

Welcome to the 2026 school year and to the first edition of our school newsletter.

This newsletter is where you will find all you need to know about the wonderful things that are happening at St Francis Xavier Primary School. The newsletter will be issued fortnightly and will issued on these dates in Term One:

Thursday 19th February
Thursday 5th March
Thursday 19th March
Thursday 2nd April

Welcome to our New Staff Members

I would like to officially welcome our new staff members into the St Francis Xavier community.

Ms Kayla Miller - Grade 1/2 Classroom Teacher

Ms Kathryn Jonker - Office Administration

Ms Tracey Clark - Learning Support Officer

Welcome to our New Students

We are also extremely fortunate to have so many new students beginning their school journey with us this year. This includes both the amazing students in our Prep class as well as new students in Grade 1, 3 and 4.

A big S.F.X welcome to Felix, Alfie, Ethan, Seraphim, Finnley, Flynn, Amelia, Ezekiel, Casper, Tom, Summa, Matty, Leo and Lincoln.

Lent

Next Wednesday, both students and staff will head down to the church for the Ash Wednesday Mass at 10:00am. This special Mass marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. During this Mass, ashes will be distributed, and students will pray for God’s blessings as we journey towards the great celebration of Easter.

As Catholic Christians, we are called to experience a ‘change of heart’ during Lent. This means we are all called to:

Pray more often
Practise self-denial
Practise almsgiving or acts of charity

For the forty days from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, we strive to become more thoughtful, patient, generous, and Christ-like. This is what the children in our school are learning about and practising.

Welcome Picnic

On Thursday 19th March, we will be holding our annual Welcome Picnic at school. The event will run from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, and we hope as many families as possible can attend.

It promises to be a fun night, with a jumping castle, the Sikh Volunteers Food Truck, cake stall, sausage sizzle and lots of other activities. Families are encouraged to pack a picnic and take the opportunity to meet new members of our wonderful school community.

A notice with more details will be sent home in the coming weeks.

Assemblies in Term One

This term there will be 3 whole school assemblies. Assemblies will run from 2:30pm - 3:15pm on certain Friday afternoons. Parents, carers and family members are most welcome to attend.

The dates for Term One assemblies are;

-Friday 13th February (Grade 5/6L will lead a short presentation)

-Friday 6th March (Grade 3/4D will lead a short presentation)

-Friday 27th March (Grade 1/2LT will lead a short presentation)

Drive Through Each Morning

It is essential that cars move smoothly through the drive-through each morning. With limited parking in the surrounding areas, this is how the majority of students arrive at school each day. When everyone follows the rules, the drive-through operates efficiently.

For families using the school drive-through to drop off students in the morning, please remember:

Parents must stay in the car at all times. Children need to exit the vehicle independently.
Students must exit the car on the passenger side only—never from the driver’s side. (If you have baby capsules on the passenger side that cannot be moved, you may not be able to use the drive-through.)
School bags should be inside the car with students, not in the boot. Children should not step onto the driveway to retrieve their bags.
Please drive as far forward as possible before stopping to let your child out.

When everyone follows these guidelines, the process will be smooth and safe for all involved.

Physical Education Classes

All Physical Education classes will take place on Thursdays this year. We are very fortunate that Mr Brendan will again be our PE teacher in 2026. Please send students to school in their PE uniform every Thursday.

Running Club

Lace up your runners and start your Thursday the healthy way!

Running Club is on every Thursday morning at the Beauty Park Running Track from 8:10–8:30am. It’s a fun, friendly way to build fitness, clear your mind, and enjoy time with friends before school. Walking or running are both great options, and all family members are invited to join in!

nForma/Audiri

It is essential that all parents and carers have both the Audiri and nForma apps installed on their phones this year. These are the two apps that S.F.X currently uses to communicate important alerts and announcements, as well as to manage digital permission slips. Once you have logged into these apps, please ensure that notifications remain switched on.

nForma is also used to provide the school with relevant medical information for your child. Please ensure that this information is kept up to date and make changes as needed. This is done in the nForma for parents App, under the Medical tab. If you are yet to update this information, could you please do this as a matter of urgency.

If you need assistance with downloading or logging into your accounts, please contact the office, and we will be happy to help.

Fees

School fee statements will be distributed to all families over the coming weeks. The school’s preferred method of payment is CDFpay. Further information is available on the CDFpay page of this newsletter.

Health Care Card Holders

If you currently hold a Health Care Card, please provide a copy to the office. You may be eligible for a camp or excursion rebate, as well as a reduction in fees. Please collect the required paperwork from the office and return it as soon as possible

Lunch Orders

Subway lunch orders started this week. These are delivered to school on Wednesday for students who use the service. Just a friendly reminder that if you would like to order a Subway lunch for your child on Wednesday, orders are due by 12:00pm the Monday prior.

If you put in a late order, CanteenHub will add a $1 late fee this year.

https://app.canteenhub.com.au/

Icy Poles

Each Friday afternoon, the grade 6 leaders will be selling icy poles at the Green Gates. They cost 50c each. Please avoid sending students to school with large notes ($10, $20 etc...) as we find it difficult to give change.

Student Progress Meetings

Student Progress Meetings will be offered to families in Term One and Term Three this year. They will be spread across two days in Term One.

-Monday 23rd February from 3:30pm - 7:00pm

-Wednesday 25th February from 3:30pm 7:00pm

This year, we will use the nForma platform to make bookings for these meetings.

Information on how to make a booking will be provided to families tomorrow.

If your child has a PSG meeting with Ms Erin and your child's classroom teacher this term, you do not attend a meeting on these days as well.

Friends of SFX Group

The Friends of SFX team is a group of parents who work together to plan various fun activities and events for our school community. They are always looking for volunteers who may be able to help out at stages throughout the year. Some of the events that the Friends of SFX group are responsible for organising are the cake stall at the upcoming Welcome Picnic, the Easter raffle, a movie night, the school disco and Mothers/Father's day activities.

Please read through the flyer below and follow the Friends of SFX Facebook page for more information.

Grade 6 Bomber Jackets

Just a reminder that the Grade 6 Bomber Jackets for the 2026 school year are now available for order via Peninsula Uniforms and Embroidery.

The cost of the jacket is $68.00.

To ensure your child receives their jacket in the bulk delivery in Term 1, please finalise your order by the deadline below.

Order Deadline: Tuesday 10th Feb

Order Link: Click here to order your jacket https://peninsulauniforms.com.au/shop/st-francis-xavier-frankston/grade-6-bomber-jacket-2026-st-francis-xavier-catholic-primary-frankston/

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Steve Peart

School Principal

Loving Father,

As we embark on this sacred journey of Lent, bless our hearts with humility and our actions with compassion. Guide us in prayer, fasting, and acts of kindness. May this season be a time of reflection, growth, and unity within our Catholic primary school community. Grant us the strength to embrace challenges and draw closer to You. In the spirit of love and sacrifice, may our efforts bring us closer to the joy of Easter.

Amen.

CDFPay School Fees - Instructions