Newsletter-Term 4-Week 2-Friday, 25th October 2024

Welcome Back-Term 4...

We warmly welcome all our staff, students and families back to what’s shaping up to be another big term! 

On Monday we shared in a whole school Retreat, led by our Year 6 students. As part of their learning in Religious Education, the Year 6 students encouraged us to be stewards of God’s Creation and asked us how we can better care for God’s creation. It was a wonderful day of learning and fun and again we thank our Year 6 students, Mrs Niland and Mr Warren for a great day. 

Whole School Retreat

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Here are some of the other events we are looking forward to this term:

Our Year 6 students and teachers are eagerly awaiting their excursion to Brisbane next week. The bus will be packed and boarded at 6:30am Monday morning and we will see their return on Friday afternoon around 5:30pm. It will be a busy 5 days for our teachers and students and we can’t wait to hear all about it upon their return.  

We thank Mrs Niland, Mr Warren, Mrs Newton and Mrs Bertram for supporting our students during this time. 

Our School Community Group meeting will take place next Tuesday 29 October. Janita Thomson - Lead, Family Partnership from the Catholic Schools Office will be leading this meeting. Janita will be presenting two items - The School Community Group model and Puberty.  The meeting will begin at 5:30pm in the school library. We look forward to seeing you there. 

The Intensive Swimming program for Kindergarten to Year 6 will take place in weeks 4 and 5. During this time the students will walk to and from the Ballina Memorial Pool for their lessons. Thank you to Mr Paddy Wilde for all his organisation of the Intensive Swimming program this year. 

Our main fundraiser for Catholic Missions this year will be our Mini Fair on Tuesday 3 December. This fundraiser will coincide with the Feast Day of St Francis Xavier, the Patron of our school. More information in regards to the Mini Fair will be published in the coming weeks. 

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.

School Calendar-Term 4...

Term 4

Pupil Free Day

Term 4

Wednesday, 18th December 2024

(Staff Spirituality Day)

Assistant Principal Mission News...

The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This coming weekend's reading is from Mark 10:46-52 - Jesus restores sight to the blind man, Bartimaeus.

This weekend's Gospel is a powerful example of faith and persistence in Prayer. Bartimaeus called out to Jesus. His persistence and confidence in that Jesus would show mercy on him and do what he asks, showed that he had a great confidence that Jesus would help him. 

As a family, recall a time where you have been persistent in Prayer and confident of the outcome. Conclude by praying the Glory Be together.

Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, world without end.

Amen. 

Source: https://www.loyolapress.com 

Attendance Information - Absences add up.

5 days absent per term means that your child misses 10% of their learning.

The impact of school absences, even seemingly small ones, can accumulate and affect a child's learning significantly. 

The cumulative effect of absences over time can lead to gaps in knowledge and understanding. 

Consistent attendance is vital for academic success, as each day in school provides valuable learning opportunities.

If your child is expressing reluctance to go to school regularly, it's essential to address the issue promptly. 

Watch My child refuses to go to school, what can I do? for some simple strategies – Problem solve, Validate and Hope.

Attendance Information - On-time to school means your child is on track to unleash their potential.

Arriving on time to school is a fundamental aspect of a child's educational experience and plays a crucial role in unlocking their full potential. Here are several reasons why being on time to school is important for a child's academic and personal development:

• Consistent Learning Opportunities. Being on time ensures that your child doesn't miss the beginning of lessons, announcements, or important information shared at the start of the school day. This consistency in attendance provides a steady flow of learning opportunities.
• Establishing a Routine. Timely arrival helps children establish a morning routine, promoting organisation and time management skills. Consistent routines contribute to a sense of stability and preparedness for the day's activities.
• Reduced Disruptions. Arriving on time minimises disruptions for both the child and the class. Late arrivals can interrupt the flow of lessons and can be distracting for the child and their peers.
• Building Respect for Punctuality. Punctuality is a valuable life skill. By consistently arriving on time to school, children develop a sense of responsibility.
  

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...

CELEBRATING PROFESSIONAL GROWTH:

CONGRATULATIONS TO  MR BRADLEY KLIESE

We are thrilled to announce that Mr Kliese has achieved Proficiency in Teacher Accreditation! This is a significant milestone in a teacher's teaching career and a testament to their dedication, hard work, and commitment to providing high-quality education to our students. 

Achieving proficiency involves meeting rigorous standards in teaching practice, student engagement, and ongoing professional development. Brad has consistently demonstrated a passion for learning and a drive to improve his skills in the classroom, ensuring that our students benefit from innovative and effective teaching strategies. Congratulations Brad, we are proud of you!

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - WHOLE SCHOOL RETREAT

What a wonderful religious retreat we experienced this Week. Year 6 led a Whole School Retreat that centred around the theme of Creation. The students designed engaging learning opportunities for all classes throughout the school. It was incredible to see their ingenuity and differentiation across the Year levels. The creativity and use of technology ensured our students were highly engaged in their learning. Check out some of the activities below. A big thank you to our Year 6 teachers, Mrs Niland and Mr Warren, for leading this initiative and their thorough organisation. To our Year Six students, congratulations on your leadership, creativity and ingenuity. What a wonderful tradition you have begun!

HAPPY WORLD TEACHERS DAY!

Today, we come together to celebrate World Teachers' Day and recognise the incredible contributions of teachers around the globe, especially our amazing educators here at St Francis Xavier in Ballina.

Our teachers play a vital role in shaping the future by inspiring, supporting, and nurturing our students every single day. Their dedication goes beyond the classroom, they instil a love of learning, build confidence, and empower young minds to reach their full potential.

To all of our teachers, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your passion, commitment, and hard work. Your influence is felt in every lesson, every encouraging word, and every breakthrough moment your students experience. You make a difference in their lives and our school family.

Let’s take a moment today to appreciate and celebrate the incredible work they do. Thank you for being the heart of our school family!

Happy World Teachers' Day! 

KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION for 2025

Our 2025 Kindergarten students attended their third transition day on Tuesday morning this week. It was wonderful to see them back in our school family. They are an amazing group who already know the developing routines, expectations and their wonderful teachers. The students had so much fun, check out the photos below. We can’t wait to see them back next week, on Tuesday 29th October from 9-11 am.

Lisa Conte

Leader of Pedagogy

Sports News...

Richmond Zone Summer Sports Trials

The Richmond Zone Summer Sports Trials are occurring in Week 4 of this Term at various venues across Lismore. Students in Year 4 or 5 who nominated or trialed needed to be of a representative standard. 

Students who were successful will receive a Compass Event notification via email where parental consent is required to attend the event. All transport to and from the venue is private.

Boys and Girls Tennis 

• Date: Monday 4th November 2024
• Time: 12pm - 3pm
• Venue: On Tour Tennis Courts Lismore

Boys and Girls Basketball

• Date: Monday 4th November 2024
• Time: 4pm - 5:30pm
• Venue: St John’s College, Woodlawn

Boys and Girls Cricket

• Date: Wednesday 6th November 2024
• Time: 4:00pm - 5:30pm
• Venue: St John’s College, Woodlawn

Boys and Girls Touch Football 

• Date: Friday 8th November 2024
• Time: 10am - 2:00pm
• Venue: St John’s College, Woodlawn

Boys and Girls Softball 

Nominations only

Students who were successful at the Richmond Zone trials will be invited to attend the Diocesan Summer Sports Trials which will be held at various venues across Lismore.

Skipping in PE

Last week the students started skipping in PE lessons. The students have discovered that, not only is skipping a sport and they have their own Australian Skipping Championships but also, skipping is challenging and requires lots of practice to get better. Boxers and Professional athletes use skipping to keep fit and improve their cardiovascular fitness and heart health. It has been fantastic seeing the students embrace this sport and practice their skipping skills during morning play and also at Lunch and Recess time.

Kinder - 6 Intensive Swimming

St Francis Xavier’s annual Intensive Swimming Program is fast approaching and will start in Week 4 of this Term - Monday 4th November.

Intensive Swimming Dates and Times 2024

Years 3-6  

Monday 4th November to Friday 8th November & Monday 11th November 2024 (6 sessions)

• 9am - 11am Stage 3 (Year 5 & 6)
• 10am - 12pm Stage 2 (Year 3 & 4)

Kinder - Year 2

Monday 4th November to Friday 8th November & Monday 11th November to Wednesday 13th November (8 sessions)

• 11:30am - 1:30pm Stage 1 (Year 1 & 2)
• 12:30pm - 2:30pm Kinder

Ballina Shire Council Pool Passes will be accepted, please note that Fitness Passports cannot be accepted by the Pool. A copy of the Pool Pass needs to be supplied to the School Office. If you have a Pool Pass please contact the school office before you give consent and pay on Compass. All children should come to school with their swimmers underneath their school uniform, they will need to take a towel, wet shirt and a pair of thongs to the pool with them.  They will return to school after they have dried off and will change at school into their school uniform.  Please ensure that you have packed goggles, a towel, underwear and a bag for wet towels and swimmers.  All clothing MUST be marked with your child’s name. Students will walk to and from Ballina War Memorial Pool under the supervision of teachers.

NSW PSSA Athletics Championships

On Wednesday and Thursday of this week the NSW PSSA Athletics Championships were held in Sydney at the Olympic Park Athletics Centre. St Francis Xavier had two students competing, Luke Dogan and Isla Parker, both in the 11 years age division.

Luke ran his 1500m Final on the first morning of the Championships and placed 9th. In his 800m heat Luke placed 4th in his heat and 15th overall.  

Isla competed in the 11 Years Girls Long Jump on Day One as well. Isla was unfortunate not to be competing in other events having just missed out by one or two places (finishing 4th and 5th) in two other events at the Polding Athletics Championships last Term. Isla jumped a PB of 4.18m and came 9th out of 19 competitors.

Congratulations to both Luke and Isla for reaching this level on the Catholic School Sport Representative Pathway. An outstanding achievement!!

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 3

Monday, 28th October  to Friday, 1st November

Canteen Roster-Term 4

Week 4

Monday, 4th November to Friday, 8th November

REMINDER

Canteen is  CLOSED on Wednesday's

Sushi Day-Thursday

All orders need to be placed by 8:45 am Tuesday.

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

Student Awards...

Congratulations to all of our students who received a

Learning or Class Award!

Tommy McDermott	Charlotte Hosie	Harli Brandscheid
Penny Base	Kyro Harris	Tahlo Makin
Jessica Dogan	Lewis Parker	Frankie Daenerys Valdellon
Zoe Layt	Cooper Base	Benjamin Girardi Paciello
Tyler Smith	Coen Loughrey	Winnie Gordon
Lottie Lubrano	Spencer Baldwin	Kaydence Lindsay
Ayla Eggleton	Brianna Bailey	Aurelia Houghton
Luke Dogan	Evie Whitty	Molly Gerada
Pavraj Grewal	Violet Bogetti	Archie Scott
Bonnie Chason	Indiana Buchan	Makaira Pignat
Soli Edwards	Matilda Watt	Ella Rule
Ethan Kealy

Roxie Kubelka

We would like to welcome our new student and their family to our school community.

Happy Birthday...

Wishing all of our students a wonderful birthday!!

Friday, 25th October to Thursday, 7th November 2024

Djalu Edwards	Ambria Aubusson	George Hanrahan
Ohdi Darnell	Indigo Ansell	Moon Nguyen
Myla North	Lucy McConnell	Ravjot Bhangu
Emily Nguyen	Coen Loughrey	Patrick Richardson
Mason Glasby

Library News...

Book Club orders for issue 7 will close

Friday, 1st November 2024 at 9 am. 

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.