Principal's Report

Saint Francis Xavier - Principal's Report

Term 3 - Week 6

Dear Parents and Friends of St Francis Xavier,

Congratulations to Our RoboCup Team!

A huge congratulations to our RoboCup team — Esha, Ema, Sam, Otis, Daniel, Kevin and William — who represented our school last week at the Outer Eastern Regional RoboCup Event at Ramlegh Park Primary School, Clyde North. Mr Cam was very proud of the team, commenting that all of our students worked together positively and did an amazing job throughout the event. RoboCup gives students an opportunity to apply their coding, programming, problem-solving and teamwork skills through practical challenges. These experiences encourage students to think creatively, troubleshoot problems and collaborate with others — all valuable skills as digital technologies and computational thinking become increasingly important in the world around us.

A special thank you to Sam’s dad, Kevin Kissell, for once again offering his assistance on the day, as well as to the parents who helped transport students to and from the event. We really appreciate your support in making opportunities like this possible. Finally, thank you to Mr Cameron for leading the team, preparing the students and supporting them throughout the day. We are very proud of the way our students represented our school!

Prep–2 Swimming Lessons

Our Prep–2 students have had a fantastic time at swimming lessons this week, with today marking Day 4 of our 5-day program! It has been wonderful to see the students enjoying themselves while developing valuable swimming skills and learning important water safety tips. Beyond the pool, the week has also provided some fantastic opportunities for students to build their independence — from organising and looking after their belongings, to dressing and undressing themselves, managing their swimming gear and taking responsibility for their own routines. These are important life skills, and we have been so proud of the progress and confidence the students have shown throughout the week.

A huge thank you to all of our parents and families for their organisation and support throughout the week. Getting swimming gear, towels, clothes and everything else ready five days in a row is certainly no small task! We really appreciate the effort that goes on behind the scenes to ensure our students can participate each day, and it has been fantastic to see the rewards of that preparation in the smiles, confidence and enjoyment of our students.

Communication with school

At S.F.X, we aim to have a clear communication chain in place to ensure that questions, concerns and incidents are directed to the right person and can be addressed as efficiently as possible. In most situations, the classroom teacher should be the first point of call. Classroom teachers know their students well, are across the day-to-day context and are often best placed to provide information, clarify concerns and work with families to find a resolution.

If a matter cannot be resolved following this initial discussion, it can then be referred on to the appropriate member of our leadership team. Depending on the nature of the concern, this may be the School Engagement Team — Miss Erin, Miss Renee or Miss Melissa — or it may be referred directly to me. Following this process helps ensure that concerns are handled consistently, respectfully and by the person best placed to assist. It also allows us to avoid confusion or duplication, while ensuring that important matters are followed through and resolved appropriately. We appreciate families working with us through this communication chain, as strong and respectful communication between home and school is an important part of supporting our students.

School Driveway Safety Reminder

A reminder to all families using the school driveway in the morning that students must never exit the vehicle from the driver’s side. Students should only exit from the passenger side, directly onto the footpath. While we ask that parents and drivers never overtake another vehicle in the school driveway, it is still extremely dangerous for students to step out of a vehicle directly onto the roadway. Please help us keep all of our students safe by ensuring they exit from the passenger side every time. Thank you for your cooperation and support with this important safety request.

Don't forget - Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Monday and Wednesday next week. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. 

Steve Peart

School Principal