Dear families,
Welcome to 2023! We have had a very positive start to the school year. Teachers and students are settling in well, with new routines and structures etc. One of the wonderful aspects of our school community is the “Building Connections” program that the teachers implement. This program assists teachers and students in building positive relationships, creates better understandings about ourselves and others and allows for classroom protocols to be set and established. Leonie Fitzgerald and Marisa Brown do a brilliant job of preparing the program for the staff and I am very grateful for their wisdom and expertise in this area.
As families will have seen, the building program is beginning to show signs of action. Over the next few weeks I expect to see increased activity in the building zone, as final approvals are gained and the work can commence apace. At the moment, there is some large machinery doing earthworks and other preparations – our children have been excitedly peering through the fence to see what’s happening!
I want to acknowledge and sincerely thank all families of R-2 children, for your patience and forbearance this year. While the new village is functioning effectively, it is a change from last year, and while safe and practical, not optimal. We are continually looking at ways to improve this experience and you can expect to see some changes in the near future.
Last Friday, we celebrated Beginning of the Year Mass in the church. It was a beautiful liturgy, organised by Angela DeNadai, and led by Fr Michael. The children were very reverent, and their lights were definitely shining brightly (our theme was let your Light Shine!) Our next liturgical celebration will be Ash Wednesday, on February 22nd. This marks the beginning of the season of Lent. During this time, we will be focussed on Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving and how we can, as a community better understand and support those in our world who aren’t as fortunate as us. Prior to Ash Wednesday, we will celebrate Shrove Tuesday in the Italian tradition- Carnevale! Information has already been sent home about what to expect on this day.
Last Wednesday, we hosted Cybersafe families to talk with students and parents about how to keep children safe in a digital world. The year 4, 5 and 6 classes enjoyed a lively presentation during the day, while parents in attendance gained new insights during the evening presentation.
This year, we have welcomed a number of new staff, as well as 68 brand new reception students! In our Administration team, we welcome Jamie Andrews as our new Business Manager. Jamie is as former parent of St Francis, and brings a wealth of experience to our school community. In our teaching team, we welcome Maddie Day in year 3, Fiona MacDonald in year 5 and Jo Harslett in year 2. In our ESO team, we welcome Kate Gaughan!
I remind all families that our major form of whole school communications is Szapp. Please keep an eye on the app for regular information about school happenings, as well as forms to complete etc. Our school calendar is on the app, and there are a variety of other features for families. While you should always receive an instant message when we send out information, it is a good idea to continually check the “Feed” tab, in case a message is missed.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Andrea Brown and her family, who lost their mum last week. In God’s care.
Have a great week everyone!
God bless,
Phil
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