Newsletter-Term 3-Week 6-Friday 25th August 2023
Book Week 2023...
Book Character Parade
Writers Festival-Inspiration Stations
Spelling Bee, Picnic & Open Classrooms
School Calendar...
Term 3
| Week 7 | Tuesday, 29th August | Father's Day Breakfast Orders due by 8:45 am |
| Wednesday, 30th August | Father's Day Stall (limited stock available) | |
| Thursday, 31st August | School Retreat Day | |
| Father's Day Stall (only open if there is stock to sell) | ||
| Friday, 1st September | Father's Day Breakfast-7:30 am to 8:30 am | |
| Week 8 | Tuesday, 5th September | Brainstorms Production Show (K-6)-12 Noon to 3 pm |
| Parent Forum Meeting (all welcome)-5:30 pm to 6:30 pm | ||
| Assembly-2:30 pm- Year 3 Prayer | ||
| Wednesday, 6th September | K2024 Transition Day 1-Parent Meeting (school library-9am) | |
| Week 9 | Wednesday, 13th September | K2024 Transition Day 2 |
| Thursday, 14th September | Whole School Mass-2:15 pm to 3 pm | |
| Week 10 | Thursday, 21st September | Last Day of Term 3 for Students |
| Friday, 22nd September | Pupil Free Day-Staff Development |
Pupil Free Day
(Staff Development)
Friday, 22nd September 2023
Assistant Principal Mission News...
Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER)
The Year 6 students from our school recently undertook an educational tour of the national capital. The Year 6 students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government is contributing funding of $90 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.
Holy Communion Candidates
Congratulations to the following students who completed their Sacrament of Initiation - Holy Communion last Sunday.
Jessica Aslin, Isabelle Comin, Luke Dogan, Jaxon Farrell, Molly Gerada, Vance Gisen, Frankie George, Ryan Kealy, Hugo Leturgie, Cassie Llewellyn, Lincoln Lockwood, Luke Maguire, London McGregor, Flynn McKay, Mason McMahon, Lilla Morley, Amy Sharpe, Alice Shaw, Alexander Twiname.
Father’s Day Liturgy
We will celebrate our Fathers and Father figures at our Father’s Day Liturgy next Friday, 1st September beginning at 9:15am in the Hall. We look forward to seeing you there.
Whole School Retreat
Our whole school retreat ‘Crescente Simul - Growing Together’ will take place next Thursday, 31st August. The retreat is for students only and centres around our 5 school values - Prayer, Education, Justice, Hospitality and Compassion. The students will be grouped from Kindergarten to Year 6 and will rotate around 5 different activities on the day. We will also have Xavier Catholic College’s CSYMA class here to assist with the activities.
We look forward to sharing the day with you in the coming weeks.
Whole School Mass
Our whole school Mass for this term will be on Thursday, 14th September. This Mass will begin at 2:15pm in the Church. We welcome our families to join us for this whole school Mass.
Light of Jesus Awards
Congratulations to the students who were awarded a Light of Jesus ticket at our last Assembly.
- Lewis Parker x 2 - Kinder
- Archie Hanrahan - Year 1
Congratulations to the following students on receiving 10 or 25 Light of Jesus Tickets. They now receive a certificate and a blue or green arm band.
- Ashley Turnbull - Year 6
- Maverix Thomas - Year 4
- Tate Creighton - Year 2 x 25 tickets
- Coen Loughrey - Year 2
- Benjamin Girardi Paciello - Year 2
- Matilda Sloan - Year 2
Bike Safety
A message for all students and parents of those children who ride a bike to and from school. We have had multiple calls to the School Office from concerned Ballina citizens letting us know about unsafe bike behaviour from some of our students.
We ask parents of students who ride, to please remind your children of bike safety and the rules associated with riding to and from school. This includes riding safely when near pedestrians, not riding on the footpaths past shop entrances and crossing the road in a safe manner.
Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Kasey Miles-Assistant Principal Mission
Parish News...
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish of Ballina
- St Francis Xavier Church-47 Cherry Street, Ballina
- Holy Family Church-94 Ballina Street, Lennox Head
Parish Mass Times
| St Francis Xavier Church Ballina |
Saturday Vigil Mass-5:30pm |
Sunday Mass-9am & 11am |
Weekday Masses-12 Noon (Tuesday to Friday) |
| Holy Family Church Lennox Head |
| Sunday Mass-7:30am |
Learning & Teaching News...
BOOK WEEK PARADE
St Francis Xavier has had a wonderful week celebrating Book Week. A big thank you to our parents and students for the incredible effort they put into their Book Week costumes. It was wonderful to celebrate all of our students at the Book Week Parade on Tuesday. Congratulations to our two winners from each grade.
WRITING INSPIRATION STATIONS
Our students were treated to 10 amazing writing inspiration prompts throughout the school yesterday. It was wonderful to witness the students engaging with them and writing. Some comments from Mrs Bateman’s Year 3 students say it all: "I was looking forward to this all week." "It was the best day ever!" A big thank you to our Book Week Committee who creatively put the day together.
SPELLING BEE
Congratulations to all of our Spelling Bee finalists. It was an incredibly challenging event and all of the students did an outstanding job spelling some very difficult words. A big congratulations to our K-2 winner Aria and our Years 3-6 winner Max.
Spelling Bee Finalists | |
Kindergarten | Rani, Morgan, Harley, Albie and Jessica. |
Year One | Locklan, Jaxon, Lea, Oscar and Scarlett. |
Year Two | Ari, Maxon, Aria, Ben and Anders. |
Year Three | Spencer, Isabella, Leo, Mac and Kace. |
Year Four | Cannon, Nash, Scarlett, Luke and Frankie. |
Year Five | Cooper, Max, Chaz, Beau and Bonnie. |
Year Six | Harley, Oliver, Alana, Alexandra and Coco. |
BOOK FAIR
A big thanks to Mrs Rule for organising the Book Week Fair and her team of volunteers. It was a great success! Mrs Rule is very passionate about reading and ensures our students have access to the most engaging texts. We are so appreciative of her dedication!
Lisa Conte
Leader of Pedagogy
Parent Assembly News...
Sports News...
Diocesan Athletics Carnival
On Tuesday, 15th August St Francis Xavier had twelve students travel to Coffs International Stadium for the annual Diocesan Athletics Carnival. Cool conditions in the morning greeted the 1500m with the track surface a little damp underfoot from the overnight shower however, the sun came out and eventually dried up the track.
Congratulations to Tweed who took out the Paddy Dent Shield as the winning Zone. Congratulations also to the following five students who placed in the top three in Track and Field events and will now progress to Homebush (SOPAC) in Sydney on Friday, 13th October for the Polding Athletics Carnival. Good luck boys and girls!
| Name | Event |
| Olivia O'Brien |
|
| Isla Parker |
|
| Luke Dogan |
|
| Jack Keough |
|
| Alexandra Dogan |
|
Richmond Zone Football Day
On Friday, 11th August Richmond Zone held their annual Gala Day at venues in and around Lismore. Traditionally St Francis Xavier sends Year 6 students. Unfortunately, the students only arrived back from their Canberra Excursion early that morning. We thank the Year 5 students for stepping up and punching above their weight, particularly in the Netball and Football.
I had the pleasure of Convening the Richmond Zone Football Gala Day at East Lismore Bowling Club which is home to the Richmond Rovers Football Club. A big thank you to Carlos who prepared the fields and to Vicki Bugden who assisted in the canteen.
The Year 5 boys had an outstanding day of competition. In their first match against St Brigid’s Kyogle the boys won 8 - nil. In their second match SFX were up against last year's winners St Carthages. After scoring first the boys were looking at an upset however three goals in quick succession from St Carthages put the reigning champions back on track and they eventually won 8-1. In their final pool match against St Mary’s the boys regrouped and were 10 nil comfortable winners.
St Francis Xavier then played St Joseph’s Alstonville in a play-off for third place. The boys played some outstanding football and ended up victorious, cementing their well deserved third place. St Carthages defeated Holy Family in the final and will now travel to Grafton at the end of the term to play against the other three zone winners in the Lismore Diocese. Thank you to Mrs Morley for managing the team on the day.
Multi Sports
The Multi sports was played at Hepburn Park Goonellabah. Students were able to participate in a variety of sports including Table Tennis, AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Cricket, Football and Hockey. The boys and girls enjoyed the opportunity to try different sports and meet new friends from the other Richmond Zone Schools.
Some of the student comments:
- "It was physically active and we participated in different sport which was really fun"
- "It was nice to meet people from other schools"
- "We got to learn the basics of different sports and see if we liked it"
- "It was fun tackling the bag at rugby and kicking goals at AFL"
Richmond Zone Netball Gala Day
The Netball Gala Day was held at Lismore Netball Courts. A big thank you to the Year 5 girls for stepping up and Mrs Carly Rule for supervising the students on the day. St Francis Xavier were always going to find it challenging against the older students. St Francis Xavier played six matches and came fourth.
Alex Wunsch Memorial Cup
Last Friday at our school assembly Noah Clarson and Alexandra Dogan were presented with their medallions for being the fastest Year 6 boy and girl in the school. Ian Wunsch presented the students with their awards. We are extremely grateful that Ian is able to present these each year in remembrance of his son. Thanks Ian!
Free Cricket Clinics in Ballina!!!!
Cricket NSW is offering students from St Francis Xavier Ballina a four week clinic absolutely free.
The Program will start on Tuesday, 29th August and run every Tuesday until the 19th of September. The venue is at Fripp Oval and all activities will be run by Cricket NSW Development Officers. Sessions start at 4pm and conclude at 5pm. What a great way to prepare for the upcoming cricket season.
Paddy Wilde-Sports Coordinator
Canteen News...
We Need Volunteers for our School Canteen
Tammy & Kaylene are looking for volunteers for the canteen. If you are able to spare a couple of hours, between 9am and 11:30am, once a month please contact the school office on 66863370 or contact Tammy or Kaylene in the canteen and let them know what day suits you.
__________________________________________________________
Canteen Roster-Term 3
Week 7
Monday, 28th August - Friday, 1st September
| Monday, 28th August | HELP NEEDED |
| Tuesday, 29th August | Hayley Piercy, HELP NEEDED |
| Wednesday, 30th August | Ashleigh Oke, HELP NEEDED |
| Thursday, 31st August | Barbara Jones, HELP NEEDED |
| Friday, 1st September | Sue Keough, Kirra Gordon |
Canteen Roster-Term 3
Week 8
Monday, 4th September -Friday, 8th September
| Monday, 4th September | Amiee Mattinson, HELP NEEDED |
| Tuesday, 5th September | Teegan Bruncke, HELP NEEDED |
| Wednesday, 6th September | Derinda King, HELP NEEDED |
| Thursday, 7th September | Barbara Jones, Sophie Base |
| Friday, 8th September | Kristie Pettit & Sharyn & Glenn Black |
Please click on the link to view the QKR App instructions
Wednesday Specials-Term 3
| Week 7 | Wednesday, 30th August | Nachos-$5.50 |
| Week 8 | Wednesday, 6th September | Martins Pie & Sausage Roll Pies-$4.90, Party Pies-$1.70 Sausage Rolls-$4.90, Party Sausage Rolls-$1.70 |
| Week 9 | Wednesday, 13th September | Pulled Beef & Gravy Roll-$5.50 |
| Week 10 | Wednesday, 20th September | Sausage Sizzle-$4.00 |
Sushi Specials Term 3
$3.90 each Chicken, Tuna, Avocado or Vegetarian-Sauce 20c each.
| Week 7 | Tuesday, 29th August |
| Week 9 | Tuesday, 12th September |
Father's Day Stall
Wednesday, 30th August 2023
&
Thursday, 31st August 2023
(only if not sold on Wednesday)
There will be a Fathers’ Day Stall in front of the Canteen starting at 8:30am until 8:55am, for the children to purchase gifts.
A variety of gifts will be available for sale, price range from $2.00 to $6.00.
Father's Day Breakfast
St Francis Xavier Primary School will be holding a Father's Day Breakfast on Friday, 1st September 2023 from 7:30am – 8.30am. All dads, father figures and grandfathers are welcome to come along with your family and enjoy a bacon and egg roll and a cuppa.
All dads, father figures and grandfathers will receive 1 free bacon and egg roll. All other family members are requested to pre pay $4.00 per bacon and egg roll.
If you wish to attend, please order via the QKR App no later than Tuesday, 29th August at 8:45am for catering purposes.
We look forward to sharing breakfast with you.
St Francis Xavier Staff
Student Awards...
Congratulations to all of our students who received an award.
Week 5
| Jesse Moreira-McLean | Hudson Sloan | Ruby Simpson |
| Phoebe Black | Matilda Watt | Alejandra Gonzalez |
| Frankie Daenerys Valdellon | Yindiana Pitt | Koah Matheson |
| Oliver Rose | Ari Hilyard | Tate Creighton |
| Tyler Bell | Pip Schirmer | Teo Amit |
| Oliver Seymour | Nash Whitton | Cannon Hamilton |
| Charlie Mattinson | Lily Hancock | Makayla Washington |
| Domenic Suffolk | Owen Holbrook | Sophia Davy |
Week 6
| Ariel Barnes | Florence Pickford | Clover Greenhalgh |
| Jude Peate | Ethan Kealy | Erica Clent |
| Tyler Eggleton | Ruby O'Donnell | Joshuah Jacobsen |
| Jack Judge | Mason Bompane | Albie Mather |
| Mila Bernardes-Skelton | Elijah Pearson | Dakota Bostock |
| Patrick Richardson | Scarlett Collins | Jackson Deacon |
| Einin Shannon | Michele Ciccia | India Bianchi |
| Harley Ainsworth-Puglisi | Dimity Jackson | Kai Colegate |
| Ariana Stock | Makaira Pignat | Gali Amit |
Welcome Awards
We welcome the following students and their family to our school community.
| Jaylene Chenhamo | Jayden Chenhamo | Courtney Chenhamo |
Happy Birthday...
Wishing all our students a wonderful birthday!!
Friday, 25th August to Thursday, 7th September
| Isla Muldoon | Victoria Reddan | Ryan Piercy |
| Manveer Jattana | Hugo Leturgie | Frankie George |
| Jack Hughes | Isabelle Comin | Xavier Andrews |
| Evie Whitty | Lincoln Lockwood | Olivia Harry |
| George Boyle | Harry Hughes | Hayden Kealy |
| Madison Ellis-Lang | Flynn McLennan |
Parent Information...
School Fees
Please note that Term 3 Fees for 2023 are overdue and payable now. Statements are sent each month via email from our Head Office.
If you have a current payment arrangement with the school office for the 2023 school year, please continue with your payments as per that arrangement.
Student Messages
If you need to contact the school to give your child/children a message regarding a change to arrangements for after school transport, please ensure you phone the school office prior to 1:45pm to ensure the message can be delivered in time. Unless it is an absolute emergency, we are unable to ensure messages can be delivered at such short notice and PLEASE NO EMAILS to notify your child/children of any changes, as we cannot guarantee that the message will be delivered in time to your child.
All after school care arrangements should be relayed to your child/children prior to arriving at school and in the case of infant’s children, the teacher should also be notified of any change to arrangements, particularly in relation to bus travel, by a written note/email.
As you can appreciate the school is a very busy place at home time, so your assistance and consideration in this regard would be greatly appreciated.
Parent Sign In
All parents are reminded that if they are entering the school grounds, for what ever the reason, you MUST sign into the school via the Ipad in the front office or via the QR codes at our gates. There are no exceptions.
Student Travel to and from School
Students are supervised at school from 8:30am. If your child/ren are walking, riding or being dropped off, they are not to arrive before 8:30am. When they do arrive at school they are to sit under the Shelter Shed until instructed by the teacher on duty.
When leaving school, students depart in one of four ways:
Bus - Children are to sit in bus lines and wait for teachers’ instructions to board their bus. Bus pass forms are available online.
Bike - Students are to move quickly to their bikes or scooters and walk these to the gate at the front of the school. They must not ride these on school premises and they should take the shortest and safest route home.
Walking - These children should leave through the front school gate without delay. Any child needing to cross Swift Street should wait at the crossing and be directed by the Crossing Supervisor.
Pick up - Children being picked up should wait in the School Hall with the supervising teacher until collected and then leave with their parent or guardian. Students should be collected no later than 3:20pm.
Parents are reminded not to ask their child/ren to wait outside the school fence or in an unsupervised area. This is for the safety of the child/ren. All students MUST be collected from the School Hall or Martin Street Gate.
Road Safety Around the School
In order to keep our students safe, please adhere to the road safety rules around St Francis Xavier when dropping off or collecting your child.
All roads surrounding and adjoining our school are signed and subject to School Zone Road Restrictions from 8am to 9:30am in the morning and 2:30pm to 4pm in the afternoon on all school days. Ballina Shire Council enforces these road rules and does issue penalties, particularly for double-parking.
There are two private residences, one on the corner of Swift St and Martin St, and one on the corner of Martin St and Crane St. Please ensure you are not parking in these driveways. These driveways need to be kept clear at all times for resident access.
Student Absences
Parents are reminded that if your child/ren are absent from school you must follow the following steps:
- Reply to the text message that is sent via Compass before 3pm, or
- Email the school office on balp@lism.catholic.edu.au
All absences must be received in writing.
Student Partial Absences
Parents are reminded not to enter a partial attendance note in Compass for their child/ren. To be compliant with the attendance SOP, we need to ensure that child safety is maintained as far as possible. Parents are to come to the school office to drop/collect the student. This gives the parent the opportunity to provide the reason for the early departure/late arrival at that time.
Kinder 2024 Information...
Kinder 2024 Transition Program
It is not long now before we commence our Kinder 2024 Enrolment Program. We look forward to seeing you again and working with our new kinders as they prepare for their first year of primary school.
The enrolment program will start with our first session on Wednesday, 6th September 2023. On all the transition days, parents will drop their children off via our Crane Street entry (at the back of the hall).
Throughout the enrolment program, the children will be introduced to a number of school routines and expectations. They will also meet their big buddies who will help them with their transition into their new school environment. All children will need to bring a hat, water bottle, closed-in shoes and a small fruit or vegie snack for “fruit break”.
The schedule for the enrolment program is as follows:
Date | Arrive | Depart | Activity |
Wednesday, 6th September Week 8 (Term 3) | 8.50am – Children go straight to the school hall via our Crane Street entry. | 10.50am Pick up from Hall | Parent Meeting-9am (Library) Play Based Learning Activities |
Wednesday, 13th September Week 9 (Term 3) | 8.50am – Children go straight to the school hall via our Crane Street entry. | 10.50am Pick up from Hall | Play Based Learning Activities |
Wednesday, 18th October Week 2 (Term 4) | 8.50am – Children go straight to the school hall via our Crane Street entry. | 10.50am Pick up from Hall | Play Based Learning Activities |
Wednesday, 25th October Week 3 (Term 4) | 8.50am – Children go straight to the school hall via our Crane Street entry. | 10.50am Pick up from Hall | Play Based Learning Activities |
Wednesday, 1st November Week 4 (Term 4) | 8.50am – Children go straight to the school hall via our Crane Street entry. | 10.50am Pick up from Hall | Play Based Learning Activities |
Wednesday, 8th November Week 5 (Term 4) | 8.50am – Children go straight to the school hall via our Crane Street entry. | 10.50am Pick up from Hall | Play Based Learning Activities |
This is a very exciting time for both students and parents but can be a time of some uncertainty. Through participation in the enrolment program we hope to cater for all the needs of both students and parents so that the beginning of your child’s formal education will be as smooth as possible.