Newsletter-Term 2-Week 10-Friday 5th July 2024

Principal's News...

Dear Parents,

As we come to the end of Term 2 and reflect on the wonderful activities and opportunities we have engaged in so far this year, it would certainly be too difficult to attempt to acknowledge all those responsible. I would therefore like to thank everyone for their respective contributions to the special events and extra-curricular activities that have made Term 2 so memorable for our children.

I commend our Year 4 children (and teachers) on their strength and resilience in participating in the Camp Goodenough experience last week. Some children found challenge in attempting heights related activities such as the giant swing, others in participating in group tasks and others in being away from home for three days. I thank Mrs Ons and Ms Flynn for their dedication, being away from their families for the duration of the camp.

Next term, we will be hosting an 8 week Bible study for parents interested in finding out more about the books of the Bible and the place of biblical events throughout history. This course is open to all our parents / guardians irrespective of your faith background. The program will commence on Wednesday, July 31st in the Parish Room next door to the school and conclude on Wednesday, September 18th . The weekly sessions will be run from 8:45am to 10:30am. We appreciate that this time will best suit parents with flexible working options, however, we do hope to offer the program at an alternative time at a later stage that might suit others better. I encourage you to participate in the course to learn more about our sacred text for your own understanding and to better enable you to support your children in their understanding. Each session will consist of a 30 minute video presentation from 9am to 9:30am and conclude with a discussion on the content presented that week. Please see the flyer at the back of the newsletter for more information and use this link to register.

I appreciate the disappointment in missing out on our Athletics Carnival this term. Whilst the weather conditions are completely out of our control, Mr Wilde has provided the best alternative possible at this stage. With any luck we will be able to hold the track events at XCC in week one next term for those who have nominated by Monday, 15th July.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing break and look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday, 23rd July.

Peace in Christ
Dan Gubby.

Assistant Principal Appraisal-Kristie Coster

On Tuesday 30th July, Mrs Kristie Coster will be involved in an Assistant Principal appraisal process as part of her contract conditions with the Catholic Schools Office. The appraisal process seeks information from a variety of people associated with the school. The process aims to highlight the positive aspects of the Assistant Principal’s performance and identify areas for further development.

A timeline will be constructed to suit the needs of the school community. A panel consisting of the school Principal as Chair and a Regional Service Leader from the Catholic Schools Office will conduct the appraisal.

The full Assistant Principal appraisal process involves:

• a survey and self-appraisal statement completed by the Assistant Principal
• surveys of school staff, Catholic Schools Office personnel
• input by the Principal
• input as arranged with the Parish Priest
• interviews with school staff
• interviews with any parents who wish to present
• a formal interview with the Assistant Principal by the panel

Any parents who wish to make contact with the panel are welcome to do so by contacting Dan Gubby daniel.gubby@lism.catholic.du.au before Wednesday 24th July. Not all those that wish to be interviewed may be accommodated.

Thank you for your support of our school’s leadership team.

School Calendar...

Term 3

Term 3

Pupil Free Days

Staff Professional Learning Days

Monday, 22nd July 2024

                           Friday, 23rd August 2024   

Assistant Principal Mission News...

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This coming weekend's reading is from Mark 6:1-6 - Jesus is rejected in his hometown. 

Our family plays an important role in shaping who we are. But sometimes, influences from the outside can make it difficult to recognise those who know us best. Some of these outside influences can lead us away from God. 

In this weekend’s Gospel, we see that the people of Nazareth did not recognise Jesus as the Son of God. Through our family life, we are encouraged to look at our lives through the lens of faith, so that we become the people that God calls us to be. 

As a family, remember the people and events that have influenced your lives. Observe that Jesus allowed his relationship with God to be the most important thing in his life. 

Source: https://www.loyolapress.com 

Sports House Patron’s Day - DOYLE

The second of our Sports House Patron Days took place on Monday 24 June. Students in Doyle along with our Sports Captains learnt about Jeremiah Joseph Doyle (the Patron of the House) and participated in team building activities. Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 joined together for an afternoon of learning and fun! 

Did you know, Jeremiah Joseph Doyle was born in Ireland in 1849. He was the first Bishop of Lismore and made a lasting impact on the Catholic Church. One of his greatest achievements was the building of the beautiful St Carthage’s Cathedral, a feat that was not without its challenges.

Today’s successful Catholic school system in the Lismore Diocese is a testament to the foresight and work of our first Bishop and this is why he is patron of Doyle House.

Sport House Patron’s Day - POWER

Our next Sports House Patron Day will be Friday 9 August for students in POWER House. 

We look forward to our Sports Captains sharing the experiences of Power House with the school at our Assembly in Week 4 as well as the Week 4 newsletter. 

Sacrament of Confirmation

The second of our Initiation Sacraments, Confirmation, will take place on Thursday 15 August at St Francis Xavier Parish Church. This Sacrament is for students in Years 3 and above who have been Baptised and would like to make their Sacrament of Confirmation. If you haven’t already, please complete the Registration Form here. 

Please note the following important dates for the Sacrament of Confirmation

• Welcoming Mass for Confirmation Candidates Saturday 27 July at 5:30pm followed by pizza provided by the Parish. Please indicate numbers attending on the registration form. 
• First Family session Tuesday 30 July at 5:30pm in the school library
• Weekend Parish Mass for Confirmation Candidates Saturday 3 August at 5:30pm / Sunday 4 August at 9:00am or 11:00am
• Second Family session Tuesday 6 August at 5:30pm in the Year 3 classroom
• Weekend Parish Mass for Confirmation Candidates Saturday 10 August at 5:30pm / Sunday 11 August at 9:00am or 11:00am
• Confirmation Reflection Day Thursday 15 August at St Francis Xavier School
• Sacrament of Confirmation Thursday 15 August (time to be confirmed)

NAIDOC Week

As a school, we will recognise and share in NAIDOC Week on Friday 26 July. The day will begin with an Assembly, led by our Aboriginal Education Worker, Ms Whitby and our Indigenous students. Our families are invited to join us for this Assembly beginning at 9:15am in the School Hall. 

Following Assembly, the students in each year group will participate in a variety of activities and enjoy a sausage sizzle lunch. Parents who are able to assist cooking the BBQ, please contact the school office.

Wet weather donations

Unfortunately, wet weather days at school are not much fun! We are looking to provide some other activities for our students to do during wet weather days. If you have any unwanted puzzles or games you would be happy to donate to us to use during wet weather it would be much appreciated. Please send any donations to the school office. Thank you for your support with this. 

Light of Jesus Awards

Congratulations to the students who were awarded a Light of Jesus ticket at our last Assembly. They now receive a canteen voucher. 

• Sienna Bompane - Kindergarten
• Charlie Zhou-Roberts - Kindergarten
• Luan Lang - Year 1
• Yindiana Pitt - Year 2
• Charlie Mattinson - Year 5

Congratulations to the following students on receiving 10 or 25 Light of Jesus Tickets. They now receive a certificate and a blue or green armband. 

• Odhi Darnell - Kindergarten
• Mila Wilson - Kindergarten
• Franky Mather - Year 1 (green band x 25 tickets)
• Flynn Haysom - Year 2
• Tegvir Mangat - Year 2
• Lucy Mulder - Year 2
• Millar McElroy - Year 5
• Mason McMahon - Year 5

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

Learning & Teaching News...

2024 PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION

Congratulations to our finalists who competed in Monday's inaugural 2024 Public Speaking Finals. The competition was robust and all participants were well-rehearsed delivering polished performances. 

Congratulations to our two winners from each Stage who will go on to compete at our Diocesan Coastal Cluster finals at Tweed Heads on Thursday 8th August 2024.

YEAR SIX EXPO

On Monday afternoon our Year 6 students held a RE Expo that promoted learning around the mission of Jesus. The students created engaging stalls that taught the Year Five students about Jesus’s mission. The intention was to educate the Year 5 students on this and encourage them to go out and evangelise God’s word to others.

KINDERGARTEN WRITING

In Kindergarten the teachers have been celebrating the growth and progress the students have been making in their writing. To be successful they are using a capital letter at the start of a simple sentence and a full stop at the end. They are writing simple high-frequency words correctly eg the, I and etc. and making appropriate approximations when spelling unknown words.

EXTENSION ENGLISH & MATHEMATICS CANDIDATES

Congratulations to all of the Year 5 candidates who applied for the Lismore Diocesan Extension English and Mathematics in Semester Two. All four applicants for each KLA were successful with some being accepted into both English & Mathematics. Congratulations to Lilla, Hugo, Luke and Lincoln for being accepted into the Mathematics program. Mila, Lilla, Hugo and Luke were all successful candidates in the English program. They will commence studies via zoom in Week three of Term three and conclude in Week six of Term four.

Sports News...

Brian Kelly All Schools Rugby League Gala Day

Last Wednesday, 26th June St Francis Xavier had two teams of  Stage 3 boys participate in the Brian Kelly All Schools Rugby League Gala Day which was held at Kingsford-Smith Park in Ballina. This event was a non-progressional development competition which was 7 a side, with the day having a focus on enjoyment and participation. The boys had a fantastic time and enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

A big thank you to Mr Brad Richardson who managed the boys on the day and to Mr Rob Cook who assisted Brad and also supervised the students over the duration of the event. Well done boys!!

St Francis Xavier Athletics Carnival Track Events

Unfortunately we had to postpone our Athletics Carnival for a second time due to the wet weather this week. As a result the students will be nominating for the running events they would like to enter on a Google Form. Track events will be run over consecutive afternoons after school at Xavier Catholic College, Skennars Head. The 100m & 1500m races will be run on Wednesday, 24th July and the 200m & 800m races on Thursday, 25th July (Week 1 of Term 3) commencing at 3:45pm. 

Students will have until the second week of the holidays to nominate for track events. Late nominations will not be accepted. Please fill in the Google Form sent to all parents on the Compass News Feed on Wednesday and submit before Monday, 15th July.

If, by chance, the weather is inclement in Week One of next Term and we cannot run the track events we will, unfortunately, have to resort to last year’s Carnival results to select the students to compete at the Richmond Zone Carnival being held at St John’s College Woodlawn in Week 2.

Students will obviously be extremely disappointed missing out on participating in the Athletics Carnival this week. For those students who would like to pursue their athletics development or participate in fun athletics games and drills, Ballina Little Athletics is a great Club to make contact with.

The track times below are the entry times for the Richmond Zone Carnival last year. Please keep this in mind when nominating your child/ren for events.

Richmond Zone Event Qualification Numbers:

100m - Top 3 boys & girls in 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13yrs

200m - Top 3 boys & girls in Jnr (8, 9 & 10yrs), 11yrs, Snr (12-13yrs)

800m & 1500m  - Top 2 students in Jnr (8, 9 & 10yrs), 11yrs, Snr (12-13yrs)

200m Times 2023

100m Times 2023

Paddy Wilde

Sports Coordinator

Canteen News...

We Need Volunteers for our School Canteen

We are looking for volunteers for the canteen. If you are able to spare a couple of hours, between 9am and 11:30am -Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, once a month please contact the school office or Kristie on 66863370  and let us know what day suits you.  Volunteers MUST sign into the school via the school office.

Canteen Roster-Term 3

Week 1

Monday, 22nd July to Friday, 26th July

Canteen Roster-Term 3

Week 2

Monday, 29th July- Friday, 2nd August

 REMINDER

Canteen is  CLOSED on Wednesday's

Student Awards...

Congratulations to all of our students who received a

Learning or Class Award!

Happy Birthday...

Wishing all of our students a wonderful birthday!!

Friday, 5th July to Thursday, 1st August 2024

Parent FAQ's...

• Q-When should a parent/visitor sign into the school?
• A-All parents/visitors when entering the school grounds, for what ever the reason, MUST sign into the school via the iPad in the front office or via the QR codes at our gates. There are no exceptions. This is to ensure we are keeping our students safe whilst at school.

• Q-Where do I find my School Fee Account details?
• A-Parents are emailed a statement from Catholic Schools Office at the end of each month with all account details. Or alternatively you can access your Compass account to check your fees. 

• Q-When does the School Newsletter come out?
• A-We publish our School Newsletter on a fortnightly basis.  The newsletter will be published in Week Two, Four, Six, Eight and Ten of each Term.  All important notices and events will be communicated via Compass on a regular basis.  Our school Facebook page will be updated regularly with exciting events that have happened at school.

• Q-What are the School Bell Times?

Please note- Supervision of students begins at 8:30am and finishes at 3:30pm.  Please do not drop your child earlier than this and remember that after school care arrangements need to be made if your child cannot be picked up before 3:30pm.

• Q-What do I need to do if my child is late to school?
• A-Parents MUST come into the school office to drop their child off. This gives the parent the opportunity to provide the reason for the late arrival at that time.  Your child needs to collect a late slip from the office. Parents are reminded not to enter a late note in Compass for their child. To be compliant with the attendance SOP, we need to ensure that child safety is maintained as far as possible. 

Student Travel...

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.

Community News...