FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Nicholas Boyhan

Principal's News

Dear Parents and Families,

Principal Appointment Progress

Now that Fr Terry is back in the parish, the appointment process of our new principal has begun.  Fr Terry is in communication with the Regional Manager and Principal's Consultant at Catholic Education Melbourne.  An interview panel will soon be formed and they will be trained in the process involved.  Fr Terry will lead the panel in establishing a Local Criteria, which will be used to select the successful applicant, along with the System Criteria.  The position will then be advertised via the Catholic Education Victoria Network and Catholic Education Commission website. Father Terry will then work with the panel to shortlist candidates for the position.  The candidates will then be interviewed and the successful candidate will then be appointed. 

As this is quite a protracted process, it is not likely that an applicant will be appointed in time for commencement any earlier than the beginning of Semester Two.  It is also possible that the successful applicant may not be available for commencement at that time so it is possible that we may be looking at the commencement of Term Four before the new principal begins.  Until then, Adriana Bownds (Acting Deputy) and I look forward to the ongoing support we have received from our wonderful students, fantastic parents and the brilliant SFX Staff. 

Child Safety

This week the lifting of the suppression order concerning Cardinal George Pell’s trial and the sustained media focus has made for a challenging time for the Catholic Church in Melbourne. We will all have different ways of both responding to this news and making sense of it.

For some it heralds another chapter in the already painful journey that Catholics have been a part of over the last few years. Some of us may feel upset and saddened by the news. Some of us may just feel very weary about the way our Church is being portrayed in the media. There are those in our community who have been abused and the story touches on and may re-open already raw wounds.

The safety, protection and wellbeing of our students is of the highest priority and we continue to implement the evolving State Government legislation regarding Child Safety. St Francis Xavier’s School and Parish are steadfast in their commitment to supporting the dignity and respect of each student in partnership with our families.

Pick My Project Oval Renovation

The final paper work for the Pick My Project Oval Renovation has been submitted and we are very close to the commencement of the works.  We have sourced quotes from three suppliers and will book the works in as soon as we are given the go ahead by the Pick My Project Team.  It is anticipated that the oval will only be out of action for a few weeks.  We will update you once we have some definite timeframes. 

Twilight Sports

Our Twilight Sports have been scheduled for Thursday 4 April in the last week of term.  After discussion with staff and a number of parents, it was decided that this community event would be a great way to wrap up the term.  It also gives the maximum amount of time for our Preps to settle in before Daylight Savings ends and the cool weather settles in.  You will be updated with Start and Finish times a little closer to the event.

Update regarding the Momo challenge reported in the news

Some of you may be aware of news articles regarding the Momo Challenge which encourages children to self-harm. There are reports that the Momo challenge is being embedded inside YouTube videos, which makes them very difficult to detect. 

If you see someone promoting any challenge with an inherent risk or harm, please flag it to Google immediately using this link:

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802027?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

We advise parents to monitor very closely the children's use of Technology.  It is also advisable for parents to install filtering software on their home networks which help prevent inappropriate content from being accessed.  

Working Bee

Our first two Working Bees for 2019 will be held on Friday 23  and Saturday 24 March.  At these working bees we will be dismantling the old amphitheatre next to the oval in preparation for the upcoming Pick My Project oval renovation.   We will be salvaging the timber to be repurposed for another project we will be embarking on in this area following the completion of the oval. We will also be doing the regular clean and tidy around the school.

The Working Bee on Friday will be held between 5:00pm and 8:00pm and on Saturday between 9:00am and 12:00noon.  There will be pizza and drinks following the Working Bee on Friday and a sausage sizzle and drinks on Saturday.  We are hoping for a fantastic turnout in support of the school and look forward to sharing our trademark SFX hospitality with you once all the hard work is done.

World's Greatest Shave

Congratulations to Ruby in Year Five on her courageous decision to participate in the World's Greatest Shave. Click here to view Ruby's fund raising page.

Kind regards,

Nicholas Boyhan

Acting Principal