Newsletter-Term 3-Week 10-Friday 27th September 2024

Principal's News...

Dear Parents,

After another action-packed term, we head off this afternoon for a well-deserved break. I congratulate all children who pushed themselves this term and achieved their goals and beyond. With the range of activities held throughout the term, we saw great success at personal, team and whole school levels. I thank the staff who organised and facilitated these events to support our children with their varied talents. I also thank our parents who supported their children in these activities: from constructing book week costumes to organising transport to extra-curricular activities off site.

With a number of staff on leave throughout the term, we have maintained as much consistency as possible to minimise the impact on our students. We have a bank of very professional and personable casual relief staff who know our children and staff well. Where possible, we endeavour to provide consistent teachers to particular cohorts with which they have established strong positive relationships. We appreciate your understanding of the need for staff to take leave at times and our consequential efforts to maintain “business as usual” for our children.

It was a pleasure yesterday to attend the XCC Graduation Mass with our two captains, Ella and Damien. Following a beautiful service from Fr Anselm, our captains handed each graduate (our Year 6 Class of 2018) a special prayer card. Thanks Ella and Damien for representing us all so proudly.

This afternoon we say farewell to Ms Lovett who will be taking time off next term and throughout 2025 to focus on her personal health. I thank Ms Lovett and wish her all the very best on behalf of our school community. I congratulate Mrs Kelly Budnick on her appointment to the role of Year 1 Green Class Teacher for Term 4.

Unfortunately, with a number of key staff away at different times throughout the term, we were unable to hold our Term 3 School Community Group Meeting. From the parent survey earlier in the term, the current scheduled time slot of 5:30pm-6:30pm seems to be the most preferred time. We also received some great suggestions as to how we could best use our meeting time. We look forward to seeing as many parents as possible at our next School Community Group meeting at 5:30pm on Tuesday evening 29^th October.

Due to the dramatic change in the weather this afternoon, we had to postpone our school assembly. All awards will be presented at our first assembly next term.

I wish everyone a lovely break. Travel safely and rest well. We will commence Term 4 on Tuesday 15^th October.

Peace in Christ

Dan Gubby.

School Calendar...

Term 4

Please note-Dates and Events are subject to change

Pupil Free Days

Term 4

Monday, 14th October 2024

Wednesday, 18th December 2024

Students NOT Returning in 2025

As we have a number of perspective students on our wait list, parents of current students NOT intending to return to St Francis Xavier Primary School in 2025 are asked to notify the school in writing as soon as possible.

We are currently in the process of planning our 2025 classes and this information is essential.

Assistant Principal Mission News...

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This coming weekend's reading is from Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48 - Jesus teaches that whoever is not against him is for him. 

It is indeed an awesome responsibility to foster someone's faith. This weekend’s Gospel reminds us that faith is a lifelong journey toward God. We pray for the grace to acknowledge and build upon even the smallest signs of faith, in ourselves and in others.

As you gather as a family, observe the things in your life that nurture your faith and / or hinder it. Observe that Jesus teaches us in this weekend’s Gospel that we are to do everything we can to help one another have faith in Jesus and do all that we can to avoid creating obstacles that might hinder another person’s faith.

Source: https://www.loyolapress.com 

Altar Servers

• Have you completed the Sacrament of Holy Communion?
• Are you in Year 4 or above?
• Are you interested in becoming an Altar Server?

If you answered yes to these above questions and are interested in becoming an Altar Server, please see Miss Miles or contact the Parish Office on 6681 1048. 

Music program at St Francis Xavier Ballina

Earlier this year, we asked families to complete an expression of interest form in regards to learning a musical instrument. 

We are lucky to have secured Music Tutors for guitar, keyboard / piano, trumpet, clarinet and drum lessons here at St Francis Xavier. 

If you did not get the chance to complete the expression of interest form to learn an instrument and are interested, please contact Kasey Miles (kasey.miles@lism.catholic.edu.au) for the Music Tutors details.

Attendance Information - If your child is avoiding school, contact your child’s teacher so together you can explore what is happening for your child. 

If your child is avoiding school, it's crucial to proactively address the issue by contacting your child's teacher.  Teachers play a key role in observing and understanding students' behaviours and can collaborate with you to identify and address any challenges your child may be facing.

Share your observations about your child's behaviour and express any concerns you may have.  Be open and honest about the challenges your child is facing in attending school regularly.

Collaboratively work with the school and your child to explore possible causes for your child's avoidance of school.  This could include academic challenges or social issues.  Work together to develop and monitor strategies to address the identified issues.

You can seek advice free from NSW ParentLine 1300 1300 52.

Watch Help! My kid doesn't want to go to school by Maggie Dent.

Loud Shirt Day - Friday 18 October (Week 1 / Term 4)

Loud Shirt Day raises awareness for those who have hearing impairments. On Friday 18 October, we will celebrate Loud Shirt Day by wearing our loudest shirts in recognition and support of this great cause.

Recycled Art Competition - Ballina Salvage Shed

The Student Representative Council (SRC) have been working closely this year with Ballina Shire Council to reduce the amount of waste we produce at school. 

The Ballina Salvage Shed are hosting a competition to create a letterbox or backyard animal habitat out of recycled materials. 

If you would like to participate in this competition, please see the flyer in this newsletter or on the glass doors at the Hall. Entry form available here or from the School Office.

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. 

• Arabella Batson - Year 1
• Lucy McConnell - Year 1
• Macey Buchan - Year 2
• Ruby O’Donnell - Year 2
• Marley Harrison - Year 5

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...

SECOND TRANSITION SESSION

It was wonderful to have our 2025 Kindergarten students visit our school family again this Term.  They are already becoming familiar with their new friends, teachers and school routines.  Mrs Newton, our Additional Needs Teacher, and their 2025 teachers, Mrs Cotes, Mrs Darke and Mrs Gubby, visited their preschool teachers this week to further support their transition.  This partnership allows us to ensure we meet the needs of all of our learners at St Francis Xavier Primary School.

YEAR FOUR INTEGRATED ACTIVITY

In Year Four the students have been working on an integrated activity to make salt dough continents.  This integrated activity culminates all of the learning during Term 3 in Geography where the students are learning about the key natural features of planet earth and the processes producing the Earth’s distinct landforms and environment.  It also encompasses their study in English of the text ‘The Callers’ whereby the characters lived in two different continents.  Whilst in Religious Education they have been learning about creation.  During Mathematics they have been learning about measurement and millilitres and litres which assisted them in making the salt dough mixture.  After creating the dough and making the continent the students painted them and wrote about how their continent was formed and why.

KINDERGARTEN MATHEMATICS

In Kindergarten Mathematics the students were focussing on estimating how many objects they had in the handful they had grabbed.  They then arranged them so it was easy to see how many there were without counting them.  The students then went on a gallery walk and identified groups of objects that were easy to know how many there were altogether.  They needed to be able to justify why.  This time they ascertained it was easier to count arrangements that were arranged in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.  Everyone then had the opportunity to rearrange their quantities and share why with their learning partner.

BARKLEY

Barkley, our school therapy dog, has a very calming influence on our students.  He brings so much joy to our school family.  We wish him a rejuvenating holiday and look forward to seeing him back in Term 4.

BRAINSTORM PRODUCTIONS

Last week we had Brainstorm Productions present a performance about being brave.  Being Brave is a live show that gives students positive strategies to cope with emotions and adapt to change at school, at home and online.  Fly is a young boy whose parents have separated.  He misses his dad desperately and tries to be brave by keeping his emotions ‘bottled up’.  He meets Isha, who has been forced to come to a new country.  Tim is being bullied and Billie is learning to face her fears.  Mrs Russo wants to connect safely with her family online and Celia is coming to terms with loss in her family.  By connecting with the people in his community, Fly discovers the true meaning of being brave: sharing stories, showing feelings, keeping good memories and living life.  Please discuss this show with your child and the strategies they have learnt about..

JAPANESE

In Japanese the students have been learning to write a simple description of their pet.  They needed to describe its colour, size, and age.  They could read it in Japanese and translate it back into English.

Lisa Conte

Leader of Pedagogy

Sports News...

Polding Athletics Championships

On Friday 16th August, St Francis Xavier had three students competing at the Polding Athletics Championships at the Hunter Sports Stadium in Newcastle.  Mila Bomba, Isla Parker and Luke Dogan.

Polding sees the best Catholic Primary School athletes from schools North of the Harbour Bridge to Tweed Heads on the QLD border to compete for a place in the Polding/CPS Team.

Congratulations to both Luke Dogan and Isla Parker who placed in the top three and will now represent CPS and compete at the NSW PSSA Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park.

Luke also broke the Polding 1500m record by an amazing 6 seconds with a time of 4.52.89.  Congratulations Luke on an outstanding year of running. 

1st 11 Years Boys 1500m Luke Dogan 

2nd 11 Years Boys 800m Luke Dogan

3rd 11 Years Girls Long Jump Isla Parker

4th 11 Years Girls 100m Isla Parker

5th 11 Years Girls 200m Isla Parker

5th 11 Years Girls Discus Mila Bomba (PB of 19.77m!! Well done Mila!!)

Diocesan Primary Football Knockout Finals

The much-anticipated final of the Paul Wilson Soccer Cup took place in Grafton on Wednesday, featuring four strong finalists: St Agnes Port Macquarie, St Francis Xavier Woolgoolga, St Anthony's Kingscliff, and St Francis Xavier Ballina.  After a thrilling tournament, it came down to a nail-biting final match between St Anthony's Kingscliff and St Francis Xavier Ballina.

From the first whistle, both teams showcased their determination and skill.  St Francis Xavier Ballina took an early lead, with fantastic striking skills from Luke and Gali, who worked tirelessly throughout the match, consistently threatening the opposition's defence.  The game featured outstanding goalkeeping from Mason, whose critical saves kept his team in contention.

The defensive efforts from Chase were nothing short of remarkable.  Alongside him, Tom, Oscar, and Billy made critical tackles and clearances, demonstrating excellent teamwork and resilience in the backline.  In midfield, Owen, Punnakan, Michele, Carlos, and Domenic worked diligently to control the game and support both defence and attack.

As the match progressed, the tension mounted.  St Anthony's managed to pull ahead with a series of well-placed shots, but St Francis Xavier Ballina wasn’t going down without a fight.  Forwards Javier and Archie contributed significantly with their accurate passes at the front, creating scoring opportunities and keeping the pressure on the opposing defence.  It was a nail-biting game with St Anthony's leading 4-3 at the final whistle.  It was a thrilling encounter that kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very end.

Finishing in second place, St Francis Xavier Ballina should be immensely proud of their journey in this tournament, which featured an impressive 35 teams.  Their hard work and determination throughout the cup were commendable, and they displayed sportsmanship and skill that will be remembered for seasons to come.

A special thanks goes to their coach for the day, Mr Warren, whose guidance and support were invaluable.  We also extend our gratitude to the sports coordinator, Mr. Wilde, who goes above and beyond to ensure the success of all student-athletes.

Girls Football Match 

On Wednesday, 18th September St Francis Xavier Ballina played Holy Family Skennars Head in a Girls Football Match at Skennars Head Soccer Fields.

The girls were super excited leading up to the day and it was great to see a few girls who have never played football before, have a go.

The match was tightly contested however Willow Gordon was able to make a break and score a fantastic goal to see Ballina leading 1 nil.  Holy Family never gave in and eventually scored an equalizer. The final score was a 1 all draw.

Thank you to Mr Ben Crawford for organising the venue, Referee Phil Dalli for officiating the match and Kirra Gordon, Carly Rule and Sean Davy for transporting the girls to and from the Skennars Head Soccer Fields.  Congratulations to both teams on an outstanding game played in great spirit.

Matt King Cup Rugby League All School Challenge

Yesterday, Thursday 26th September, St Francis Xavier Ballina sent a squad of 32 boys to compete at the annual Matt King Cup Rugby League All Schools Challenge at Queen Elizabeth Park, Casino.

Matt King, a NSW State of Origin and Australian International Representative, started playing Rugby League at the age of seven for his local club side, the Casino RSM Cougars. 

The day saw schools from Independent, Catholic and Public Schools competing against each other in two Age Divisions (Under 10's and Under 12's) and two formats, competitive tackle and girls league tag.  SFX entered two teams in the competitive tackle format in Under 10’s and Under 12’s.

The boys played extremely well on the day against some formidable opposition.  This was made all the more impressive as the Under 10’s had never played together before and the Under 12’s had limited preparation as well.

The Under 10’s had victories against Tabulam/Casino West Public Schools (4 tries to 0) and St Carthage's Lismore (2 tries to 1) but went down against St Brigid’s Kyogle (4 tries to 0).  Archie Tozer was named player of the day with his tireless tackling against big opposition players and also his barnstorming runs through the middle, busting multiple tackles each time.

The Under 12’s started with a loss against Kyogle Public school 2 tries to 1.  The second game was a draw 3 tries each with Tabulam/West Casino Public School.   The boys had a victory in the last game against St Carthage’s (4 tries to 2).  Chaz Gibson was named player of the day displaying his talents in defence and attack.  Thank you to Mr James Warren for Managing the Under 12 Team on the day.

A big thank you to Jacob Richardson for his assistance in organising not only the Under 10 boys but also his own Under 12 team.  Well done Jacob.  Your help was greatly appreciated!!

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 4

Week 1

Monday, 14th October  to Friday, 18th October

Canteen Roster-Term 4

Week 2

Monday, 21st October to Friday, 25th October

REMINDER

Canteen is  CLOSED on Wednesday's

Sushi Day-Thursday

All orders need to be placed by 8:45 am

Chicken, Tuna, Avocado or Vegetarian-$3.90

Week 3	Thursday, 31st October
Week 5	Thursday, 14th October
Week 7	Thursday, 28th November
Week 9	Thursday, 12th December

Update for Qkr! Ordering for the Canteen

If your child is wanting to order any burger, wrap, sandwiches or salad bowls, they now have the option to de-select any unwanted ingredients. 

Canteen Parent Information

• Lunch items such as drinks, packet chips and fruit get put into the students lunch bag. These are then delivered to classrooms before the lunch bell. 
  
• For any sweet items, including brownies, slushies, ice creams etc. the students are asked to return to the canteen with their lunch bag to be given these snacks when the bell goes for play. 

Happy Birthday...

Wishing all of our students a wonderful birthday!!

Friday, 27th September to Thursday, 24th October 2024

Pearl Niland	Maci Whitton	Addison Hyde
Leeuwin Brown	Clover Greenhalgh	Joshua Rose
Luan Lang	Oscar McElroy	Rhona De Heer
Oliver Siviour	Monty Zhou-Roberts	Samuel Goodlet
Marlee McMahon	Winnie Gordon	Oliver Rose
Mila Bernardes Skelton	Harry Dayman	Kaydence Lindsay
Mabel George	Grace Hosie	Scarlett Collins
Alexander Twiname	Amy Sharpe	Lilla Morley
London McGregor	Vincent Benfield	Flynn McKay
Ryan Kealy	Noah Green	Willow Hilyard
Max Jarzynski	Ruby Oliss	Emma Piercy
Sophia Davy

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.

Helpful Tips For Parents...

• 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. 

Community News...