Principal's Report
Saint Francis Xavier - Principal's Report
Term 1 - Week 9
Dear Parents and Friends of St Francis Xavier,
We have reached the end of Week Nine, meaning we are almost at the end of Term One. All our students have worked so hard this term, especially the Preps in their first term of Primary School, and will deserve a well earned break at the end of next week.
Lent
As we enter the fifth week of Lent, let us pause to remember that Lent is a season of reflection upon our own human struggle.
Let us think of ways we can:
- Be of service/kindness to others
- Live more simply in our own lives
- Make prayer and a relationship with God a priority
It is my heartfelt wish that you take the time to stop, reflect and ask our gracious God to guide you towards the Easter miracle where we all experience rebirth and renewal through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
School Reports
This year, the school has decided to engage with a new company to create our student reports, which are provided to families at the end of Term Two and Term Four. We will be working with nForma, who are a company that a large number of our local schools currently use to create their reports.
We believe that the new school reports will provide greater detail about each child's learning progression and achievements, whilst at the same time being much simpler to use from a teacher perspective. The new reports will also be provided as digital copies to each family through an online portal, meaning you will have a digital record of every report your child receives moving forward.
We will seek feedback from parents/carers early in Term Three in regard to the positive and negative aspects of the new report, but hopefully there are a lot more positives than negatives!
Friends of S.F.X
I met with Meghan T from our Friends of S.F.X group earlier this week to discuss some upcoming school events that we would like to run.
We have decided to lock in the following two evenings at school to take place in Term Two and Three.
Student Movie Night Thursday 1st June (Term 2)
Student Disco Thursday 10th August (Term 3)
More information in regard to times and cost will be provided closer to the dates. There will also be other events throughout the year that the Friends of S.F.X team organise, such as the Father's Day Breakfast, which will require support.
It is important for all families to be aware that for nights like these to run, parent volunteers are required to both plan and supervise the activities. Meghan, Mel, Anje, Shaunie and a few others have really carried a massive load in this space over the last 4-5 years. We are now hoping that some new parents may be in a position to volunteer some of their time to join the team and help with some of these amazing evenings. You may only be able to help with one night for the entire year, but even that makes a huge difference and would be greatly appreciated.
If you think you are able to help, could I ask you to please email Meghan and let her know. Realistically we need at least 6 new parents to volunteer if these nights are to go ahead. Meghan's email is meghanthomas00@gmail.com and she would love to hear from you.
I would also like to acknowledge the amazing wrapping skills of Miho, Shaunie, Kate, Rose and Meghan, who spent time earlier in the week packaging up the huge number of Easter egg baskets that will go home with raffle winners next week. They look so good and have been a huge source of distraction for students walking up and down the corridor this week!
Basketball Teams
Thank you so much to the families who have emailed me over the past few weeks indicating that your child is interested in joining a basketball team. Although I haven't responded to every email, I have been building a spreadsheet with all the names.
So far we have;
2 x Grade 4 boys
2 x Grade 5 boys
1 x Grade 3 boy
1 x Grade 1 boy
1 x Grade 2 girl
These numbers are great, but we probably need a few more students across all levels to be in a position where we could put a whole team together. If there are any families who have not yet emailed me but are interested, could I ask you to email me asap and we will see what the numbers look like.
principal@sfxfrankston.catholic.edu.au
Last Day of Term One/ First Day of Term Two
The final day of Term One is next Thursday 6th April. Students will be dismissed at 3:15pm
The first day of Term Two is Monday 24th April. It is a strange start to the term, with the following day being ANZAC day. Although many local schools are closed on the Monday, St Francis Xavier Primary School is open as usual.
In Term Two, there will be a school closure day on Friday 5th May. Please mark this date in your calendars. I also believe there will be one more school closure date during the term, however I will confirm this date with you all as soon as possible.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone.
Steve Peart
School Principal