Week 4 - Term 4

Dear parents and Caregivers,

It is so nice to have some warm weather! Everything seems to have sprung to life and there really is “Spring in our steps!” In the blink of an eye, we are in week 4 of what is a short school term. Like you I’m sure, my calendar is filling quickly with the events of the Christmas season! With that in mind, I’d like to remind families of some important end of year dates:

• Year four and five surf/aquatics programs
• Year five and six reflection days
• Friday December 3 – Carols and School Picnic. This will be a great way to celebrate the end of another school year, and to enjoy a celebration of the beginning of the Advent and Christmas season with Carols performed by each year level group.
• Tuesday December 7 – Year 6 graduation liturgy and dinner. We are looking forward to sending off our year 6 students in style!
• Wednesday December 8 – last day of school for 2021. As per my letter emailed to families earlier this week, school will finish on Wednesday the 8th. During that day we will celebrate our end of school year Thanksgiving Mass in the church. With the capacity of the church limited, this Mass will be a student’s only event.

This week, our Reception and year one cohorts have been travelling to Thebarton Swim centre for their annual Swimming program. My thanks to the teachers and Mr Daley for organising and leading the event, and for all parents who have volunteered to assist.

This Friday, we will be participating in the 2021 SACPSSA Athletics carnival, held at SA Athletics Stadium. This is one of the largest Catholic Schools Carnivals and students look forward to the opportunities to represent our school in the various Track and Field events. St Francis has been placed in section one for this year’s events and will be competing with some of Adelaide’s largest Catholic schools and colleges-this is a significant achievement! We will have over 60 students as part of our team. My thanks to James Daley and James Goldy for coordinating trials and organising our team.

With the end of the year fast approaching, there will be a steady stream of information and forms to complete, ready for 2022. I ask all families to be mindful of things coming home to complete and to return all relevant forms and information to the school as soon as possible. In the next couple of editions of our newsletter, I will be providing further information about end of year arrangements.

Last week, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mrs Karen Brandwood’s Father, who had been unwell for some time. Please keep Karen and her family in your thoughts and prayers at this most difficult time.

Have a great week everyone

God Bless,

Phil

Dear Families

Volunteering in the school

This week, the Reception and Year 1 students attended swimming lessons but regrettable, teachers ran into difficulties in finding enough parent volunteers to attend each day.

The Catholic Education Policy for Camps and Excursions dictates the ratio of adults to students that must be in attendance whenever we leave the school grounds.  In the recent update of this policy, the ratio has increased. Volunteers accompany our excursions for the safety and care of the students.  If we are unable to meet these ratios, excursions will not be able to proceed.

We are so appreciative of the time parents give to supporting school activities both on and off site. As there is a process for becoming a volunteer, many willing volunteers run out of time to either apply, or to update clearances which have expired if the process is left too close to the outing date.

If you are willing to be a volunteer, please check in with Tracy in the office ASAP as there are a number of steps to the process which could take up to 4 weeks.  Your clearance will then be valid for the next 5 years.

We sincerely thank you for your support.

Nives Kresevic

Deputy Principal

All Saints Day

“And what does the Lord require of you but to do act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8

The commemoration of the feast of All Saints on November 1 is about what God can do in our world through us. How God’s light can shine through us to be the face of God to everyone we meet.

The best description of the saints - in fact, “their identity card” - Pope Francis said, is found in the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which begins, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

And, he said, as Christian saints have done throughout the ages, Christ’s followers today are called, “to confront the troubles and anxieties of our age with the spirit and love of Jesus.”

He began to speak, and taught them saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:2-9

The following is a timely reflection as we endeavor to live well.

Every so often someone special comes into our lives. It might be a new friend, a special teacher, a doctor, an anonymous helper along the road who have been ‘like an angel’ for some period of time.

They stand out in our memories as people who were there when we needed them. Might these not be rightly also be called ‘saints’? We are called to think generally and inclusively as we remember, ‘all saints’.

Such saints are everywhere, quietly at work and it is these we also celebrate – they are known and unknown, living and dead, people from every possible status, class and ethnicity. We meet them in school, on footpaths, in Church, in trains, in shops or around a meal.

They have ‘switched on lights’ for us, helped us to see things differently, shown us that we can be different, and make this world a little better than we found it.

They are people who carry on when they would rather say, “No!”

They are environmentalists, scientists, activists, educators, artists, engineers, farmers, business people, journalists, parents and children. They are beacons for our lives.

Saints are God’s loving gift to us, as they in some way encourage us in our struggle to affirm our humanity.

Following the feast of All Saints is All Souls Day on November 2, a solemn day of commemoration for those who have died.

May they live on in the memory of the people who loved them and rest in God’s eternal peace.

“Be still and know that I am God”

Psalm 46:10

Meditation is an ancient form of prayer. Its aim is to bring the distracted mind to silence and stillness, and rest in the presence of God. Even in our modern busy lives this is possible.

Lawrence Freeman, the Director of the World Community of Christian Meditation, spoke of recognizing the presence of God in every situation in life.

We don’t have to be perfect in order to be contemplative. It is about accepting ourselves as we are which leads to the discovery of who we are.

Lawrence also referred to the biblical story of Martha and Mary to illustrate characteristics revealed in all of us.

At St Francis we use a mantra to help us focus our minds during Christian Meditation.

We use a sacred Christian word in Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke, using the word “Maranatha” which means, “Come Lord Jesus.”

Christian Meditation is a model of prayer that identifies the contemplative dimension of Christian faith and leads from the mind to the heart.

Children and young people can enjoy silence and stillness and this allows them to feed their yearning for the experience of meeting God.

During our sacred time of ‘Peace Time’ at St Francis, students and staff have the opportunity, to be still and silent, to take the time to contemplate and connect with God in the practice of Christian Meditation on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:40 until 11:50am.

Peace and blessings,

Helen Wilsdon-Smith

Assistant Principal Identity and Mission/School Chaplain