Newsletter-Term 3-Week 2-Friday 2nd August 2024

Principal's News...

Dear Parents,

This coming week, we will be engaging in a cyclical review process to support our school’s explicit improvement agenda. All schools in our diocese engage in this process every three years to help develop a strategic plan to improve specific practices that drive school culture. We welcome our review team, Christina, Brendan and Jacki who will analyse school data and documentation across the 9 domains of the ACER School Improvement Tool and meet with a range of members of our school community. Throughout the process, they will formulate a feedback report that provides affirmation of our achievements to date and recommendations for future planning.

It was lovely to see our Confirmation candidates at Mass on Saturday night. I wish all of these children well as they engage in this next stage of their faith journey and ask you all to keep them in your prayers.

Whilst it was very unfortunate that our Athletics Carnival was postponed last term, it was wonderful to see so many children nominate for our track events last week at Xavier Catholic College. I would like to extend a big thank you to Mr Wilde and all the teachers who supported our children in this make up event, and to thank all of our parents and grandparents who came along to support our children. I congratulate all of our children who made it through to zone and those who will now be competing at our Diocesan Carnival in Coffs Harbour.

As was communicated with our Year 3 and Year 6 class parents at the start of the term, Mr Chris Hosie has taken leave from his position at St Francis Xavier Primary School during Term 3 to explore opportunities to work in other schools within the Diocese. Mrs Hayley Loadsman will be responsible for Mr Hosie’s Year 3 class during his period of leave from St Francis Xavier. Additionally, Mr James Warren is now working Monday to Friday in Year 6 Blue.

Peace in Christ
Dan Gubby

School Calendar...

Term 3

Term 3

Pupil Free Day

Staff Professional Learning Day

 Friday, 23rd August 2024   

Assistant Principal Mission News...

The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This coming weekend's reading is from John 6:24–35 - Jesus teaches the crowds that he is the “bread of life.”

In this weekend’s Gospel, the crowd asks Jesus for a sign so that they can believe that he has come from God. This request came about because Jesus had just fed more than 5000 people with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. Sometimes we don’t recognise the wonderful things that God has done for us. And, sometimes, we simply forget and ask for further evidence of his love and care. 

As a family, talk about the wonderful gifts that God has given you, remembering it is important to count our blessings because we can easily miss the good things God does for us. 

This coming weekend's reading is from

Source: https://www.loyolapress.com 

Catholic Schools Mission Review

On Tuesday, 23rd July, our school participated in a Mission Review. This review looked at our Mission priorities and goals and provided commendations and recommendations for the work we are undertaking in this area.

We will use the report along with the recommendations to form our next three year strategic plan in the area of Mission.

We thank the staff, students and parents who met with the CSMR panel to join in a conversation around Mission and look forward to sharing our commendations and recommendations with you over the coming weeks.

School Community Group Meeting

Our next School Community group meeting has been postponed due to a clash of events. This meeting will be rescheduled in the coming weeks and the date and agenda will be shared to families via Compass.

Watch It Together Event - School Anxiety

The Lismore Catholic Schools Parent Assembly is providing parents of our school with FREE access to the webinar School Anxiety with experts Michelle Mitchell and Karen Young.

We will be hosting a Watch It Together Event here at school on the following dates:

• Wednesday 28 August - 2:00 - 3:30pm in the school Library (afternoon tea provided)
• Thursday 29 August - 5:30 - 7:30pm in the school Library (light supper provided at 5:30, viewing at 6:00pm)

An updated flyer to RSVP for this event will be sent home next week. We look forward to watching this webinar with our school community. 

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.

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.

Attendance Information - Healthy sleep, exercise and diet can make a difference.

Healthy sleep, exercise, and diet play critical roles in a student's overall wellbeing, impacting not only their physical health but also their cognitive function, emotional regulation and ability to focus. 

Encouraging healthy habits early on sets the foundation for a lifetime of wellbeing. Children who learn the importance of sleep, exercise and a balanced diet are more likely to carry these habits into adolescence and adulthood, impacting their overall attendance and success in school.

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.

• Rosie Bogetti - Year 1
• Rani McKirdy - Year 1
• Morgan Pham - Year 1
• Tao Stewart - Year 1
• Braxton Whitton - Year 4
• George Boyle - 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.

• Penny Base - Kindergarten
• Austin Reddan - Kindergarten
• Charlie Zhou-Roberts - Kindergarten
• Phoenix Andrews - Year 1
• Angus Currie - Year 1 (x 25 tickets - green band)
• Olivia Rosewarn-Reed - Year 1 (x 25 tickets - green band)
• Daisy Tozer - Year 1
• Ravjot Bhangu - Year 2
• Ariana Janezic - Year 2
• Poppy Sellen - Year 3
• Vincent Benfield - Year 5
• Olivia Harry - Year 5
• Jack Hughes - Year 5
• Hugo Leturgie - Year 5 (x 25 tickets - green band)
• Charlie Mattinson - Year 5 (x 25 tickets - green band)
• Lily Osborne - Year 5
• Maverix Thomas - Year 5 (x 25 tickets - green band)

Kasey Miles-Assistant Principal Mission

Parish News...

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...

A big congratulations to Miss Amelia Kearney who has finalised her accreditation requirements for NESA and was awarded Proficient Teacher status during the holidays.  Her commitment to teaching and learning is to be celebrated! Well done Amelia, we are very proud of you!

YEAR SIX POETRY

In Year Six the students have been studying, analysing and writing free verse poetry.  Their learning intention was to write a free verse poem about hope using the planning template and examples below:

Check out some of the free verse poems written by Bonnie, Ella and Willow. 

EXTENSION ENGLISH

In Year Six we had four students participate in our Semester One Diocesan Extension English program. Under the guidance of a High School teacher, our students participated in the writing enrichment program. Every five weeks they were required to submit a 600-700 word narrative piece. A big congratulations to Max, Adelaide, Cooper and Savannah for their commitment to this additional learning and the growth they achieved in their writing. Three of our Extension English students shared their writing to showcase in the newsletter this week.

Fantasy Writing Task-by Adelaide 

Sitting in bed, staring at the stars. The world slowly turns, without a feeling. My phone screen shines a bright, glowy white, turning off and on with every notification. I hate this world. I hate the world where we tell ourselves we need this device 24/7. The device which turns us against ourselves.

“Go to bed, Delilah!” Valerie yells.

Valerie is my older sister, she’s like a guardian angel. When our parents died, she flew all the way from England to come take care of me. She’s  only seven years older than me but still provides for me. 

Sometimes I feel guilty to burden my sister with a child, she’s only 20 and still has a whole life to live. I’m just here ruining it. I look back up to the sky. The sky, my solemn sanctuary filled with solace. I lay down and look up, our little cottage has holes in the roof. I see Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. To my left is Orion, and over there is Leo. The stars are perfect. Burning in place. Leaving a sparkling glow in the atmosphere. I wish I could see the planets up close. I wish that was my world.  

I’ve always wanted to be able to explain why the sun is bright, or why they say once in a blue moon. I want to be able to scream from the moon, “Look, I made it!”. I want to be the person to discover the world, and beyond. I want to be the first woman on Mars. I wish I could answer all the questions to have ever been asked. I want to give the information. I want to show the world that I can do things too. I want to be someone who matters to more than just one person. Someone who matters to the world.

I don’t care about money, or fame. I want a reason. A reason to explore a topic. A reason to do something new. A way to meet new people and go to new places. A Reason Why.

My eyes slowly flutter shut as I drift off into a dreamless sleep, but there is still an itch I can’t seem to soothe. I can’t seem to remember what today is.

July 20th is tattooed in my brain, I don’t know why. July 20th, the day men landed on the moon. But what does this day mean to me? The words circle my subconscious mind. Then it hits me. I burst up from my sleep in a cold sweat. July 20th, the day my parents died. Exactly one year ago today, my parents died. I scold myself. How could I forget! I’m a terrible daughter! I’m so horrible, it didn’t even cross my mind once today. I’m sure Valerie must have been delirious today, and I’ve just thought about myself. I stand up to break the chain of thought. I look up at the sky one more time, wishing I could see the star my mother is now. I slowly walk down the stairs, enjoying the silence. I walk past Valerie’s room, trying to be extra quiet. I walk all the way from the kitchen to the front door. I waltz out the door and into the darkness letting it swallow me whole. I let myself breath, and turn to let myself in. I open the door to find a deep, dark pit of nothingness. A forceful pull drags me through the door. I open my eyes to see the sky. My gaze travels around to notice I’m not moving. Should I not be falling? 

Beast - by Cooper

Chapter One: The Island

Like a ghost at twilight, its long slender silhouette snaked its way across the village. Blood dripping from its flanks, a burly sight to see. The beast howled its war-cry and unfurled its skeletal wings. The unicorn - not to be confused by its fairytale cousin, for this unicorn is the stuff of nightmares. The villagers yell and scream, trying to run. But it is far, far too late for that. The unicorn snorted and pawed the ground, destruction in every breath. Lightning struck, thunder rumbled, hell had come knocking at the door. The village now engulfed in flames, discarded and left to perish.

These nightmarish creatures lived on the isle of Galespire, nestled off the shore of Scotland. Haunted by the ever presence of the wild unicorns on the island, the villagers lived in fear of the beasts, with their only protection being an outpost and a wall made out of pine. Never deterred by this, the unicorns of Galespire continued patrolling the skies, stampeding across the grasslands, and terrorising the creatures of the wood. It was always easy to tell where the unicorns had been, for wherever they went, a trail of destruction was sure to follow. Among the villagers of Galespire was Gus. He was about sixteen years old when it happened. The day everything changed. Most villagers on the island don’t make it past their late thirties due to the unicorns purging the town of its inhabitants. Only a few survive.

Gus always loved adventure. His dad explored the island, and often took Gus with him when he was younger. Then, the unicorns arrived. Dutch citizens were at the time, fighting against the unicorns, and managed to capture a few of them. According to folklore, killing a unicorn made elemental spirits turn against you and your village. When the unicorns had been captured, they were transported across the North Sea, to the island, which was thought to be uninhabited, and left to roam free. Little did they know, this introduction was a catastrophe, with the population booming, and the villager’s innocent lives being taken. 

The day of the introduction of unicorns onto the island was Gus’ tenth birthday. At that time, Gus’ dad had taken him to the western fjord- the place the unicorns were released. The day was calm, no wind or fog, with the swifts moving in from the south. Then, charging across the valley, came the unicorns. Bloodthirsty and ready for battle. Gus and his dad didn’t know what to expect, afterall, they’d never seen a wild unicorn before. But from the look on the beast’s faces, you could tell they meant business. 

Gus and his dad started to run, desperate to get away. But they were no match for the charging unicorns thundering across the plain. In a panic, Gus was launched up the hill, clinging to a rock face as the beasts continued to charge. Gus uneasily hid behind a tussock, hastily leaving his father behind. This turned out to be his biggest regret. The unicorns powered through, devouring Gus’ dad, a light morsel for them. Gus was heartbroken. What would he tell the townsfolk? That a great big horse had eaten his dad? Who would believe him? Now, everyone.

In the village, there is a list of rules that everyone must follow:

Thou shalt not leave the village

Thou shalt be in bed by 9pm

Thou shalt help keep watch when asked

Thou must travel in groups

Thou must alert to unicorns

These rules were put in place after the first attack by the unicorns. Many people in Galespire have tried to film the unicorns attacking, and send it to the mainland, to finally prove their situation. Only one has ever succeeded in this task. The people of Scotland suspected a fraud and ignored the ordeal. Now, the islanders were left to suffer at the wraith of the unicorns.

Hell’s Dimension - by Max

‘A dimension of sorrow, a dimension of despair, a dimension where no one would want to be..’

It’s the year 2095, the world is burning down. Cries of the underworld screech across the world as the society burns to a crisp. Innocent lives heard violently gasping for a single pinch of air. ‘What happened here?’ Ben murmurs softly, clearly unimpressed by how the world has changed from a once utterly pleasant utopia, to literal hell. Ben strutters  across the blood-filled concrete pavement. ‘Jeez, a whole nuclear warzone type fallout..’ Ben groans inaudibly to himself. Plonk!

‘The hell?’ He glances over to the left. He glares over to a short, metal trash can. He puzzles at the bin for a few seconds. He inhales some air and strolls toward the ominous, menacing bin. On top of the bin is a piece of paper with a light shade of yellow. He inspects the note and yanks it out of the bin. He unfurls the scrunched up paper and it reads,

‘The government is corrupted, we are all doomed.

Phthisis is drawing near, his power unleashing.

Hades will take you when you least expect it.

The portal opens and withdraws the life of many.

Take the risk, but be careful. 

Some don’t come back.’

He analyses the note, his mind all over the place as if it were an all purpose item going everywhere. He glances over to his left, and spots a truck, with letters so big it’s unnoticeable. The truck spells out, ‘SLAM SPLASHES! Brought to you by the Hadean Government!’  He scrutinises the page, sweat descending down his face. He notices a tiny code of numbers, it reads, ‘Latitude: 51° 09' 51.23"  Longitude: 10° 27' 14.83 E.’  Ben studies the page. ‘WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?’ Ben panics to himself. He grasps for his phone. He types, ‘CORDINATS TRANSLATR’ not wasting a single second (or letter). He slams his finger on the first link and enters the coordinates.  ‘Oh no…’ Ben sobs.

‘I can give you a ride.’ an ominous voice booms out from behind him. Ben startles and turns to face the ominous man. ‘How?’ he replies. ‘There’s no way that you’re able to take me across the North Sea.  From here in Siberia all the way to Germany? You’d be crazy!’ Ben stutters. The old man chuckles, sighs, laughs and exclaims, ‘DANGEROUS?! HA HA HA! Nothing’s gonna be as dangerous as where we are as of now! Listen, meet me by the docks. I can take you there,’ the old man instructs. ‘I will give you a machine that can take you just about anywhere!’ Ben turns his gloomy look into a pleasant grin, his happiness growing larger and larger. ‘Please please please! Give it to me!’ Ben begs. The old man startles, his dead wrinkly eyes unbolting and his eyebrows raising. He ponders for a few seconds, and gives a slow reply of, ‘Are you sure?’ Ben clenches his fists into a ball, his pleading look going into a determined, stern appearance. "Give me that machine." he exclaims, rage crawling all over his body like ants. The old man hands over the machine remote and warns him to use it wisely. Ben inspects the contraption, clicks a button, and opens a portal ‘What the hell? I thought I would get placed into some weird old boat? Well, saves time.’ he chuckles silently to himself. He gazes at the portal, and steps in.

The world is very unpleasant. Dead bodies are scattered throughout the dimension, corpses overflowed by the incinerators, and the crack of a whip can be heard punishing the slaves. Suddenly, a figure with 3 heads reveals himself in front of Ben. ‘Who are you?’ Ben startles. The figure laughs and replies with an ominous deep tone.

‘That is not important..’ 

Ben’s heart pounds, knowing that he will have to fight him. He reaches for his pocket, remembering that he had brought a pocket knife along with him for self defence. He yanks it out of his pocket and points it at the creature. The figure doesn’t respond to this. Instead, he pounces at him and scratches him. ‘You’re gonna regret that.’ Ben doesn’t think he will; he impales the figure with the knife and stabs him aggressively. Blood flows out of the corpse and it drops down to the floor, dead. ‘Well that was… easy for a guard.’ Ben thinks to himself. He gazes around the flames that ignite the room with heat and spots a sign that reads, ‘HADES.’ He enters the door, knowing that this is life or death.        

‘Well well well, Hades.’ Ben laughs.

‘Huh. Who are you?’ Hades questions. Ben facepalms, his bravery soon going to a waste.

‘I’m here to kill you? Hello?’ he explains. Hades wastes no time for Ben to explain, and summons 10 rotting corpses from the Underworld and commands them to charge at Ben. Ben reaches for his knife again.  This time, it isn’t there. He panics, his weapon not being there. ‘Well you left your weapon in my guard’s body so here’s an M249 for trying,’ Hades beckons. Ben draws the LMG from his back and sprays bullets everywhere, killing the risen corpses making them descend into the rocks. Hades’ face turns into a frown. Hades dashes towards Ben, weaving past the NATO ammunition being sprayed past him. Ben boots Hades’ stomach, causing Hades to cough up a pool of rose red blood. He then laughs, takes a beer bottle from the ground, finds a tissue, and lights it on fire to make a molotov. ‘Last words before I end this world of horror and despair?’  Ben questions. Hades coughs, clearing his throat before making his final words. ‘Well fought, mortal,’ Hades replies. Ben scoffs. He lights the tissue and throws it down, ending the Underworld’s leader. He steps over to the desk where the glorious Hades once sat, and sees a big red button. It says, ‘END’ and makes Ben feel anxious. He hesitantly presses down on the button. Suddenly, Ben hears an explosion go off in the background, and Ben’s eyes turn white. He wakes up in a hospital, looks out the window, and looks at the utopia. He remembers what he had done and smiles. He reads the local newspaper and it reads, ‘YOUNG TEENAGE BOY SAVES WORLD AND ENDS THE UNDERWORLD!’ He sighs and laughs, letting his stress out and ponders to himself, “Ah, finally, the utopia I wished for!”

Lisa Conte-Leader of Pedagogy

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 - on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or 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 3

Monday, 5th August  to Friday, 9th August

Canteen Roster-Term 3

Week 4

Monday, 12th August to Friday, 16th August

REMINDER

Canteen is  CLOSED on Wednesday's

Sushi Day-Thursday

Chicken, Tuna, Avocado or Vegetarian-$3.90

Week 3	Thursday, 8th August
Week 5	Thursday, 22nd August
Week 7	Thursday, 5th September
Week 9	Thursday, 19th September

Book Week News...

Library News...

Orders need to be placed by Friday, 9th August at 9am. Methods of ordering are:

• Cash and order to the school office 
• Online via the Scholastic website

The School Photographer News...

Student Awards...

Congratulations to all of our students who received a

Learning or Class Award!

We would like to welcome all of our new students and their families to our school community.

All the students have made a great, confident start and have made our classrooms brighter!

Happy Birthday...

Wishing all of our students a wonderful birthday!!

Friday, 2nd August to Thursday, 15th August 2024

Freddy Pitt	Judd Hogden	Aria Smith
Jazz Smith	Aaliyah-Ann White	Olivia Rosewarn Reed
Mia Simpson	Max Mitchell	Cannon Hamilton
Lily Hancock	Layla Ross

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 is 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...