Week 9 - Term 3

Dear families,

Kia Ora! Greetings from Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand. This week, I have had the privilege of being involved in the Trans Tasman Principals Association conference, through my role as a board member of the Australian Primary Principals Association. The conference so far has been an illuminating and inspiring experience, where there has been a significant focus on Māori culture and language. There has been a deep level of respect and an embrace of First Nations, and all New Zealand based presenters have spoken fluently in Māori as part of their presentations. Earlier in the week, we were invited to a Marae, which is a communal Sacred Space in Māori culture, for what we in Australia would describe as a Welcome to Country. It was a beautiful and moving experience and I was struck by how much more we need to do in Australia to embrace our First Nations history and cultures.

There has also been significant learning as part of the conference, with prominent Australian futurist and Engineer Dr Jordan Nguyen a particularly inspiring presenter. If you aren’t yet familiar with Dr Nguyen, I’d encourage you to ‘google’ him. His story and contribution to the Australian community is amazing, particularly his work in making life easier for those living with disabilities.

While I have been here immersed in this wonderful experience, I am particularly grateful for the support and efforts of all those back at St Francis, especially Nives Kresevic and Angela DeNadai who have been steering the ship in my absence. I know all of the teaching and support staff are also working purposefully as we approach a well deserved term 3 break at the end of next week. I know all of the children will be looking forward to next Friday’s colour run! Sincere thanks to the P&F colour run committee for their hard work in getting the event going once again.

Last Friday, we celebrated the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, after whom our school is named and whose charism inspires us every day. The actual feast day is October 4, however that is during our holidays. Children have learnt about Francis, his life and his story, and participated in a whole school Mass, followed by afternoon activities. Thanks to Angela DeNadai for coordinating the celebrations.

As term 4 approaches, as a school community we will begin preparations for the 2025 school year, with staffing appointments being finalised, and some further classroom renovations commencing during the holiday period. While the initial work won’t impact on day-to day school operations, as the term progresses, there will be some classes impacted. There will be further information available in a timely manner, once we are ready to proceed. These renovations will bring the school into line with the new building in terms of form and flexibility, and enable each teacher and class to have their own room, while remaining flexible enough to still collaborate where appropriate.

Term 4 will also be a time for celebrating all that is good at St Francis, with our annual Sports Carnival in week 2, our annual tennis tournament kicking off, and our end of year concert celebration in week 8. Teachers will be working hard to ensure students have the opportunity to meet their achievement standards for the year, preparing reports and planning for student learning for 2025.

I hope all families have the opportunity to enjoy some family time when holidays arrive, and to rest and recharge ready for the last term of the school year. I look forward to seeing you all upon my return.

Dear Families,

Catholic School Music Festival

Next Tuesday evening, our choir will participate in the Catholic School’s Music Festival at the Adelaide Festival Theatre.

As always, I am confident the night will be a wonderful showcase of musical talents across Catholic schools in SA. Our thanks to our choir instructor, Olivia Bozzon, for her support and preparation of the students. The choir students can indeed be proud of their achievements and a truly memorable performance.

Personal Plans for Learning (PPL)

When working with students, the staff of St Francis are committed to providing supports, adjustments and interventions which lead to better learning, wellbeing and inclusion.

Adjustments and supports provided to students are at the school, class and individual level and can include teaching and learning, behaviour support, wellbeing support, co-curricular programs, and facilities and services, including collaboration with allied health services.

Teachers of students who require Tier 2 or 3 intervention in addition to high-quality classroom instruction have a Personalised Plan for Learning (PPL) developed from an assessment of needs and professional assessments and which informs their teaching, learning and wellbeing.

Staff have updated PPL’s for Semester 2 and will be sending them home at the beginning of next term for your perusal and input.  This latest update will also be one of the handover pieces of information for 2025 class teachers.

If your child is receiving supplementary or substantial adjustments at school, your class teacher will invite you to meet with them early next term to discuss their progress and to help evaluate your child’s PPL.

End of Term

As we approach the end of term, I take this opportunity to congratulate all students on a very busy and rewarding Term 3. Students have engaged in creative learning activities and experiences and continued to nurture their many relationships.  I know this will continue into next term and students will build onto their skills and experiences.

On behalf of the the staff, I take this opportunity to thank the families who have supported us in so many ways during the term and wish all students and families an enjoyable and relaxing holiday.

Last Friday, the school community celebrated the Feast of St. Francis with a school-wide Mass. Following the Mass, the children participated in various feast day activities. Although the official feast day of St. Francis of Assisi is on October 4th, which falls during the school holidays, we were delighted to commemorate it together beforehand.

Catholic Charities Month

Next week students will take part in various activities and competitions to raise money for Catholic Charities.

Farewell Joan Walsh

We bid farewell to Joan, our Parish Pastoral Associate, as she retires from her duties at Christ the King Parish at the end of this week. Over the years, Joan has provided invaluable support to many families within our school community through the sacramental program. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Joan for her dedication and hard work, and we wish her all the best as she embarks on this new chapter in her life.

Wishing peace and rejuvenation to students, staff and all during the Term 3 break.