Principal's Update

Dear Families,

Sometimes, we Christians are so involved with the busy preparations for the Christmas celebrations, we forget that the main purpose in Advent is to prepare ourselves in heart, mind and deed to welcome Jesus. 

We should be ready to welcome Him whenever he comes, however He comes. 

In her autobiography, The Story of the Soul, St. Therese of Lisieux wrote that Christ was most present to her not “…… during my hours of prayer but rather in the midst of my daily occupations”. 

As we move through Advent we need to be mindful of the gift that God gives to us every day in Jesus.  It’s the gift of life, the gift that keeps giving. 

“Lord, in the rush of day-to-day things, we often leave You out of our life’s activities.  Enliven Your Spirit within us this Advent, so that we may engage You to be part of each day’s doings.  Amen.” 

I share with you an Advent Wreath prayer for Weeks 3 & 4 that you may wish to share with your family as you prepare for the season of Advent.   

Week 3 of Advent – Joy 

Prayer: 

 Lord Jesus, as we light the pink candle, we celebrate the joy You bring. 

Fill our hearts with happiness and gratitude. 

Help us to share joy with our friends, family, and everyone we meet. 

Thank You for loving us so much. 

Amen. 

Week 4 of Advent – Love 

Prayer: 

God of love, as we prepare for Christmas, 

remind us that Your greatest gift is Jesus. 

Help us to show love through our words and actions. 

May our hearts be ready to welcome Him with love and faith. 

Amen. 

Rainbow Run 

Tomorrow, Friday, 5th December at 1.50pm our P& F Committee will hold our school Rainbow Run. We will have an earlier lunch time at 12.45pm.   

Students are asked to wear a white shirt and/or old clothing.  We know from last year that the students will have a great time on this day. We thank our P & F Committee for their work in preparing and organising this great fundraiser for our school.   

The schedule for the Run is as follows: 

Year 5: 1.50pm  

Year 4: 2.00pm 

Year 3: 2.10pm 

Year 2: 2.20pm 

Year 1: 2.30pm 

Year 6: 2.40pm 

Foundation & Year 6 buddies: 2.50pm 

The money raised will go towards new outdoor basketball/netball facilities behind our shed or heating and cooling in our shed.  We invite all parents to attend this day and be part of the fun. 

Orientation Day 

Orientation Day will be held for all children on Tuesday 9 December.  All children from Year 1 to Year 6 will be placed in their 2026 classes from 11.30am. Children will be taken to their new 2026 classroom for a 11.45am start. New families to our school in Year 1-6 will be greeted out the front of the school and escorted to their classrooms.  

I ask the parents of our Foundation students to bring our 2026 Foundation students to the shed at 11.50am on Tuesday 9 December. Please move to where the 4 coloured balloons are - they will have the 4 class lists explaining who the class teacher for your child will be.   

Your child’s class teacher will be standing by the matching coloured balloon nearby. Please introduce your child and yourselves to the class teacher. Your child will then be taken to their 2026 classroom by their teacher. I ask that the parents remain in the shed for our information session.  

2026 Class Teachers 

The Class Structures for the 2026 Year have seen some changes from this year. 

This time of year is always an exciting and nerve-wracking time. Will our children be placed with their friends?  Will my child be placed with the teacher that I want? 

Please note that we have many parent requests – some of which are contrary to each other.  One parent will request, “Can Timmy be placed with Roger?”  Whilst Roger’s parents will ask that they be separated. 

At these times we need to trust that each teacher at St. Francis of the Fields knows, loves and cares for your child.  They have worked diligently on class lists for many hours trying to ensure each child will flourish in 2026. 

Parents have an enormous role in how their child views the changes for 2026. 

A positive parent will reassure that any new change will be a blessing – an opportunity for new friendships to be fostered and a chance to learn from a teacher who will support and care for them.  These parents will find that their child develops resilience – an essential commodity necessary for adult life. 

As a parent you have a choice – do I speak glowingly of the changes that my child faces, or will I model disappointment and anguish with my child? 

Graduation Mass 

Our Year 6 Graduation Mass will now be held on Thursday 11 December at 7pm.  

Prior to this all Year 6 children will come together with the teaching staff in the Community Centre at 6pm for a joint tea. I thank the Parents & Friends for paying for the meal for the children and staff. 

Thanksgiving Mass 

All children will come together with our staff to celebrate the 2025 year on Friday 12 December at 9.15am. Please come along and celebrate our year together.  

All parents are invited to attend this beautiful celebration of our Year 6 students.  

Term 4 School Closure Days

Please note that our school will be closed on the following days: 

• Wednesday 17 December - 2025 Planning Day (Last day of the school year for teachers) 

This means the last day of the school year for our children will be Tuesday 16 December. The school will finish at 3.20pm on this day.  

Parents & Friends and Advisory Council - End of Year Meal & Gathering

All parents, who have contributed to our Parents & Friends Community and our School Advisory Council, are invited to attend a meal, tonight Thursday 4 December to celebrate all that has been achieved in 2025.  

Where: School meeting room 

When: 6.30 - 8.30pm 

BYO: Own drinks 

Meal will be provided by Fiona Thompson 

Please let the school know if you would like to attend so we can cater appropriately.  

Please email on office@sfstrathfieldsaye.catholic.edu.au to clarify numbers attending and any dietary requirements.   

Please note that there will be no further P & F meetings or Advisory Council meetings for 2025.  

2026 Changes 

As we prepare for 2026, a number of significant changes have become necessary. 

In 2025, Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited introduced Magnify, a comprehensive suite of programs across the Sandhurst Diocese. Each school contributed financially to support its implementation. 

Next year, even more initiatives will be introduced to strengthen student learning, including:

• InitialWrite for Foundation and Year 1, 

• SpellEx for Years 3 and 4, and

• Nuffield Early Language Intervention for Foundation students. 

In addition, all Sandhurst schools will partner with TeachWell to assist teachers in embedding these new pedagogical approaches.  

At the same time, our Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) funding has been reduced significantly for 2026. These factors have impacted our budget by more than 11%, requiring some difficult decisions:

• Camps: The cost of Year 3–6 camps adds approximately $20,000 annually in teacher and LSO payments. Unfortunately, this is no longer sustainable. From 2026, Year 3 and 4 students will participate in extended day excursions instead of overnight camps, aligning with most other Sandhurst schools. Year 5 and 6 camps will remain as two-night experiences. This was a very tough decision made by our Advisory Council, as we all value the benefits of camps greatly. 

• Cost Reviews: We have undertaken a full tender process for services including cleaning, photocopiers, ICT hardware, After School Care, and Fire Watch leases. Electricity, gas, and heating/cooling contracts have also been reviewed. My sincere thanks to Deb McDermott for leading this important work. 

• Staffing: Several intervention staff will return to classroom teaching, with leadership roles incorporating intervention responsibilities. Unfortunately, reduced funding means some 12-month teaching contracts, and several LSO positions were unable to be renewed. 

These decisions have not been easy, but they ensure our students can access programs that would otherwise be beyond our reach. We are grateful that Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited has committed to providing Magnify at significantly reduced rates for all schools. 

Shed Unavailability

The shed will be unavailable for afterschool training use on the following dates:

• Thursday 11 Dec - Yr 6 Graduation Mass

Christ has no hands but yours.  

Tim Moloney 

Principal