From the Principal

Today we welcomed back our Year 1 to Year 6 students to the 2026 school year. On Monday 2 February we look forward to welcoming our Foundation students as they commence their first day of school. It was great to see our students looking smart in their uniform, greeting friends and staff and ready to start their learning journey.

It was great to have children from all year levels attend school on either Wednesday or Thursday for a 1 on 1 session with their teacher. This was a valuable opportunity to get to know one another and some valuable time to conduct Literacy and numeracy assessments. The tests administered will not only provide teachers at SFS with important diagnostic information but are required by MACS for system wide data collection. Starting the year with testing completed before students officially begin, allows teachers to ensure that learning for students is personalised and meets their needs.

Christ Beside us: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus

The theme of this year is Christ beside Us; Walking in the footsteps of St Patrick.

The new icon of St Patrick by Sue Orchison, has St Patrick holding the Melbourne Cathedral and he holds a bishop's crosier  that is shaped like a shepherd's crook with a shamrock, a duel reference to his time as an enslaved shepherd in Ireland and to his role as a shepherd of the flock of God. This year as we walk in the footsteps of St Patrick we hold our students and school community in the palm of our hand. We have a key role as a staff member at St Francis de Sales, like Patrick we are shepherds guiding and leading our students by our passion for teaching and our interactions to help them know Christ who walks with them. 

Our staff room display is taking shape, The central cross is our St Francis de Sales cross but it is green in this display to remind us of the 2026 theme. The vertical beam of our cross turns into a Bishops Crosier and reminds us that we too our shepherds - teaching leaders with an important role of nurturing and supporting our students to thrive and flourish. Each step we take and in all we do we embrace our vision to being a faith community animated by love inspiring innovation and empowering learners. We walk in the footsteps of Patrick, St Francis and St Francis de Sales as our role models and know that Christ walks beside us.

The pope has also announced that 2026 will be a Jubilee year to mark the 800th year since St Francis' death.  Pope Leo said St. Francis' message of peace was needed now more than ever. That peace, the pope added, "is not limited to the relations between human beings," but extends to "the entire family of Creation." This resonates with particular urgency in our time, when our common home is threatened and cries out under exploitation," he wrote. "Peace with God, peace among human beings, and with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation." 

Pops Leo says, so let us open ourselves to peace! Let us welcome it and recognize it, rather than believing it to be impossible and beyond our reach. Throughout the world, it is to be hoped that “every community becomes a ‘house of peace,’                          

 So in 2026 let us embrace peace and create opportunities to listen with our whole self to one another, let us act with kindness and gentleness and passionately care for one another, our school and our planet and the creation we have around us. As we go through life in 2026, as a school community at St Francis de Sales, Lynbrook Let’s always be reminded of God’s presence in our lives, and Christ beside us and around us. 

Some of the thoughts from our staff team regarding our 2026 theme:

• How are we empowering our students to build a 'Home of Peace?"
• Be a light of peace.
• Build bridges instead of boundaries.
• Everyone is valued and respected
• Care for our community and environment.
• Look at, listen to and speak with kindness and respect.

• We are called to be shepherds of our flock, our students.

   

Staff News

This year we welcome the following teachers:

Michael Putinja - Teaching seniors in LS1

Michelle Murphy - Teaching seniors in LS2

Dimitri Willenberg - Teaching Music

Mary Lucas - Teaching Environmental Education a new specialist area

In 2026, we are integrating the teaching of LOTE - Italian across the curriculum. In this way we hope to get more regular opportunities to practice this language and support student learning. The Teachers as Co-learners (TCL) program, developed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) and Deakin University, transforms F-6 language education by having generalist teachers and students learn languages together.  TCL aims to improve language acquisition, boost engagement, by fostering a, collaborative, and inclusive learning environment. The program will be supported by our Italian language speakers already on staff. We will be informed by this program in our school's language implementation and supported by the MACS professional learning team. 

Our staff across the school including our Admin staff have embraced this opportunity to be co-learners with students. It would be great if families also embrace this learning with us. We will share our focus with you via our newsletters and See Saw posts.

Focus during SWEL week is my name is....

What is your name?

MACSeye

All Catholic Schools in the Archdioceses of Melbourne will transition to MACSeye by 2027. Many school have already done this. MACSeye will be the OSHC provider for Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS). The decision to change is a directive from MACS and we have extended the time to as long as possible. Existing OSHC staff in schools do have the opportunity to be employed by MACSeye.  The process for our school to transition will commence early in 2026 but will take time.  Further communication will be shared once MACS eye informs us. 

Uniform

It is great to see children looking smart in their correct school uniform. Thanks to parents who have ensured their child has all the correct uniform for the start of the school year. Parents please ensure the following errors are correct if your child was not in correct uniform today.

• School shoes are to be worn with the school uniform and not runners.
• Black tights are not to be worn with the summer uniform
• Children need a school hat for Term 1 and Term 4.
• Hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back.
• Jewellery is not to be worn with the school uniform. Stud ear-rings are acceptable.

Christine White

Principal