Dear Parents,

It was wonderful to see so many parents attend the Child Protection meetings over the last two weeks. At this stage, we do not have another meeting planned. However, we may hold one towards the end of term one for parents that missed out on the four sessions.

Yesterday we embarked on the forty days of Lent. In this season of Lent, let us Pray, Fast & Give.

Prayer - Thank God for our existence. This expression of gratitude to the Creator is itself Prayer,

Fasting - Live a little more simply imitating Jesus’ fasting before He embarked on his public ministry.

Almsgiving - Be generous during Project Compassion. Our common humanity obliges us to share what we can with others and the poor.

Meet the Teacher

Next week our ‘Meet the Teacher’ meetings will be taking place. These meetings are for you to meet your child’s teacher and to give information about your child. These meetings are very important and very helpful for teachers in getting to know the students in their class. I look forward to seeing many of you next week.

Welcome Disco

Tomorrow night, dancing shoes will be dusted off as SFX holds their annual welcome disco. The welcome disco is a wonderful way to meet other parents. Thank you to our Friends of Francis parent group, who have tirelessly worked behind the scene. A special mention to Mrs Alex Mediati, Mrs Margueritt Iannuzzi, Mrs Marea Soulos, Mrs Theodora Gregory and Mrs Belinda Gangi these five ladies will ensure that tomorrow night runs smoothly.

‘How was school?’ is a big question. This question that many parents ask their children every afternoon. To answer, your child has to sum up a whole day, and that’s hard for children (and even adults!) to do.

A child might really want to say, ‘My day was so jam-packed with ideas and classes and social stuff that I don’t know where to start’. So it’s easier just to say, ‘OK’.

Talking with your child about the school day shows you’re interested in what’s going on in their life. This interest boosts your child’s mental health, happiness and wellbeing. It can also have a very positive effect on your child’s behaviour and achievement. It shows your child that you value school and education, which encourages them to value it too.

Talking together about school also helps you get to know more about what’s expected of your child at school, how they learn and how they handle challenges. It can help you understand when your child is feeling less interested in school or having problems.

When you’re in touch with your child’s feelings about school, you’re more likely to see problems before they get too big. This way, you can work on overcoming challenges together.

Talking about school issues – like school projects or friendship problems – is also a great chance for you to express your family values about things like teamwork, respect for self and others, friendships, relationships, problem-solving and so on.

When your child first gets home from school, they’ll probably be tired and hungry or thinking about other things. So easing the transition from school or after-school activities to home can help your child feel more like talking.

It’s best to avoid asking your child a lot of questions straight away – this can be overwhelming for your child. You can just let your child know that you’re glad to see them and talk about non-school topics for a while. Younger children will probably also like unpacking their bags and going through any notes before you ask about school.

Saving questions about homework for later on can also take the pressure off!

Every afternoon or evening will be different. Even if your child usually likes to share their day with you, there’ll be days when they don’t want to talk. Sometimes it’s a matter of picking the right moment. Some days there might not be a right moment at all, and that’s OK.

Simple, positive and specific questions about parts of the day can get your child talking. It’s good to use questions that invite more than a ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘OK’ response. For example:

What’s the news from school today?
What was fun?
What did you like best at school today?
What does your classroom look like at the moment?
What did you do in class after recess?
Who did you hang out with today?
What subjects did you do today?
What topics are you working on in science at the moment?

If you have any concerns about your child, their learning or social interactions, your first point of call is their teacher, who will be able to give you information and clarify any situation.

I encourage you to read the whole newsletter as there is important information that will help you navigate and plan for the coming school weeks.

Kind Regards,

Grace Carlo-Stella

Principal (acting)

SFX Newsletter

Learn, Create, Thrive.

Issue 2 · 23 Feb 2023

In this issue