Principal's Report
Saint Francis Xavier - Principal's Report
Term 3 - Week 8
Dear Parents and Friends of St Francis Xavier,
Welcome to Spring! It is wonderful to see the days becoming longer, the sunshine returning and our gardens and surrounds will soon burst into colour. We are hoping the new season brings us some beautiful Spring weather and plenty of opportunities to enjoy being outdoors.
With just over two weeks remaining in Term 3, we are heading into a busy and exciting time in our school community. It is wonderful to see our students continuing to learn, grow, connect and make the most of every opportunity. As we move towards the end of the term, we thank our families for their ongoing support, encouragement and partnership. Our school community is at its best when we work together, and we are grateful for the role each of you plays in making our school such a welcoming and positive place for our students.
MACSSIS Surveys - Have your say!
We are inviting all families to have their say through our 2026 MACSSIS Survey. On Monday, 31 August, families received an email from the school containing their unique login details to access the survey. If you did not receieve an email, please contact Ms Kim who will be able to send you a link.
MACSSIS is our annual school improvement survey and provides a valuable opportunity for families to share their experiences and perspectives about our school. Your feedback helps us celebrate what is working well, recognise the positive changes and improvements you have noticed, and identify areas where we can continue to grow.
While participation is voluntary, we strongly encourage all families to take the time to complete the survey. Your voice and feedback are an important part of our ongoing commitment to improving our school and ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our students and families.
The survey is open from Monday, 31 August until Friday, 18 September.
As a thank you for participating, families who complete the survey can enter the draw to win a $50 Woolworths voucher. Simply let Kathryn or Kellie in the office know that you have completed the survey, fill in a slip, put it in the box and you are in the draw. The winner will be announced on the last day of Term 3. We would love to hear from you — your voice matters!
SAC Meeting
A sincere thank you to our School Advisory Council members — Carolyn, Petrina, Mehefin, Gillian, Brady and Isabel — for their ongoing commitment, time and contribution to our school. A well-functioning SAC provides a valuable forum for discussion, sharing perspectives and ensuring the voices of families and our wider community are considered in important school decisions.
We met last Thursday evening, with one of the many agenda items being the increasing cost of school camps. As families will appreciate, camp costs are rising for a number of different reasons, and we considered both the positives and negatives associated with our school camp program.
While we recognise the financial challenges camps can present, we also reflected on their many benefits. Camps provide experiences beyond the classroom, helping students develop independence, resilience, confidence and teamwork. They strengthen friendships, encourage students to step outside their comfort zones and create shared experiences and lasting memories.
We agreed that it is important to seek feedback from our wider school community before making any decisions about what the camping program may look like at S.F.X moving forward. Please keep an eye out for a survey, which will be emailed to families early next term. We encourage all families to share their thoughts, as your feedback will help inform our ongoing discussions and decision-making in this space.
Attendance at school
Regular attendance at school is one of the most important ways families can support their child’s learning, wellbeing and sense of belonging. Every day at school provides valuable opportunities to learn new skills, build relationships, participate in classroom activities and develop confidence. When students are frequently absent, they can miss important learning and may find it more difficult to keep up with the rest of the class.
Just as important is arriving at school on time. Being punctual helps students begin their day calmly and positively, settle into the classroom and be ready to learn from the very beginning of the school day. Arriving late can mean missing important instructions, routines, learning experiences and opportunities to connect with classmates. Starting the day on time also helps students develop positive habits that will support them throughout their education and beyond.
We understand that children will occasionally be unwell or unable to attend school. However, whenever your child is absent, it is imperative that parents and carers contact the school office to inform us of their absence. This allows us to accurately record attendance and, importantly, ensures we know that your child is safe and accounted for.
Thank you to all our families for prioritising regular attendance and punctual arrival each day. Working together, we can help ensure every student has the best possible opportunity to learn, participate and thrive at school.
Key Dates for the remainder of the year
Term 3
Friday 4th September - Father's Day Breakfast
Friday 11th September - Book Parade and Grandparents/ Special Friends Morning Tea
Tuesday 15th September - Grade 3/4 Excursion to ACMI
Wednesday 16th September - Footy Colours Day
Friday 18th December - Last Day of Term 3 - 3:15pm finish
Term 4
Friday 9th October - Grade 5/6 JPC Lightning Premiership
Wednesday 14th October - School Closure Day - School Review Preparation
Wednesday 21st October - Grade 1/2 Excursion
Friday 23rd October - Assembly
Wednesday 28th October - P-6 House Sports morning
Monday 2nd November- School Closure Day
Tuesday 3rd November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
Friday 6th November - Grade 3-6 Water Safety Day @ PARC
Friday 13th November - Assembly
Monday 23rd November - Italian Day
Thursday 3rd December - St Francis Xavier Feast Day
Monday 7th December - Final Assembly of 2026
Wednesday 9th December - Choir Excursion
Thursday 10th December - Christmas Carols
Monday 14th December - Grade 6 Graduation
Tuesday 15th December - Gratitude Mass @ 1:45pm
Final Day for students - finish at 3:15pm.
Father's Day
This Sunday, we celebrate Father’s Day and take the opportunity to recognise and thank the fantastic group of dads, grandfathers and father figures in our school community. Thank you for the encouragement, support, laughter, time and countless ways you help our children learn, grow and thrive. We hope you all enjoy a wonderful day surrounded by family, with plenty of time to relax and perhaps even enjoy a well-deserved sleep-in!
Dear God,
Thank you for dads, grandads and all the special father figures in our lives — for their love, guidance, support and terrible jokes.
Thank you for the laughs, the lifts, the bedtime stories, the weekend adventures and all the little things they do to support their families.
Bless all the dads this Father’s Day. Give them a relaxing day, a hot cup of coffee and a few minutes of peace and quiet ;)
May they know how much they are appreciated.
Amen.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Steve Peart
School Principal