Issue #2 - Term 4, 2022

Staffing News

STAFF BABIES

Over the last couple of weeks, two staff members have welcomed babies into their families. Sarah Wildy welcomed a baby boy called Rowan, and Scott Hughes welcomed a baby boy called Jordan. Please join me in congratulating Sarah, Scott and their families.

FAREWELLS

Each year at this time we find ourselves farewelling staff. This year we say goodbye to Katrina Brown, Karen Putnik, Luke Ferguson, Sonya Carroll, Donny Calabria and Bronte Platt, as well as Celine Barr who is taking leave for one year.

In addition, Deb Griffiths and Janette Burchell are also retiring from OSHC, and we wish them all the very best for their well-deserved rest!

We thank all staff who are leaving, and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

WELCOME

In 2023 we welcome:

Reception Teachers: Ashlee McCarthy, Victoria Szilassy and Malissa Jones

Year 4: Meaghan McCarthy
Year 5: Jane Glasson, Jarred Kelly

OHSC: Tasharni Nienaber - Director, Charlotte Cottrell - Assistant Director

2023 STAFFING

Room 01, RE, Ashlee McCarthy (1.0 M - F)

Room 02, RE, Victoria Szilassy (1.0 M - F)

Room 03, RE, Malissa Jones (1.0 M - F)

Room 06, Year 1, Julia De Nitto (0.5 M - W even) Jody Miskov (0.5 M - W odd)

Room 07, Year 1, Gail Macnamara (0.6 M - W) Selina Barona (0.4 Th - F)

Room 08, Year 1, Vanessa Marusic (0.6 W - F) Elaine Amos (0.4 M - Tu)

Room 09, Year 1, Anita Gagliardi (0.8 M, Tu, Th, F) Rita Buonsanto (0.2 W)

Room 10, Year 2, Melinda Whitford (0.8 M - Th) Roma Chiera-Garnelli (0.2 F)

Room 11, Year 2, Karen Luhrs (1.0 M - F)

Room 12, Year 3, Anita Doecke (0.6 M - W) Olivia Sloan (0.4 Th - F)

Room 13, Year 3, Lucy White (1.0 M - F)

Room 14, Year 3, Maria Lupone (1.0 M - F)

Room 15, Year 4, Damien Stagg (1.0 M - F)

Room 16, Year 4, Michelle Williams (0.6 M - W) Meaghan McCarthy (0.4 Th - F)

Room 17, Year 4, Jane Hamdorf (0.6 W - F) Meaghan McCarthy (0.4 M - Tu)

Room 18, Year 5, Jane Glasson (1.0 M - F)

Room 19, Year 5, Jarred Kelly (0.6 M - W) Maria Panagiotopoulos (0.4 Th - F)

Room 20, Year 5, Ian Denham (0.8 M - Th) Lisa Karanicolou (0.2 F)

Room 22, Year 6, Elisa Chillingworth (1.0 M - F)

Room 23, Year 6, Nathan Bruce-Gordon (1.0 M - F)

Specialists

Languages, Roma Chiera-Garnelli (0.6 M - W)

Music, Rosemarie Villano (0.8 Tu - F)

Physical Education, Scott Hughes (0.8 Tu - F)

Leadership

Principal, Jason Mittiga (1.0 M - F)

Deputy Principal, Greg Esposito (1.0 M - F)

APRIM, Rosanna Samarzia (0.6)

Curriculum

Leader of Learning, Lisa Karanicolou (0.8 M - Th)

ESO's / Other

Curriculum, Cathy Agostinelli

Curriculum, Cathy Turner

ICT, Chris Whalan

Curious Xavier's, Christine Ferguson

Grounds, Colin Amos

Counsellor, Daphne Vassiliou

Administration, Enza Messina

Curriculum, Giulia Canala

Library, Jan Wedmid

Library & Curriculum, Lynda Reiss

Curriculum & Playgroup, Marian Mullen

Curriculum & Music, Mel Ainslie

Administration, Nicky Dnistriansky

Curriculum & Playgroup, Paula Simionato

Curriculum & Playgroup, Rita Centofanti

Curriculum, Sam Purnell

Administration, Sue Sumsion

Curriculum, Uniform & Sport, Tania Krawczyk

Curriculum, Taylor Krawczyk

Grounds, Tony Thacker

Administration, Vickie Ivancic

OSHC

Director, Tasharni Nienaber (M - F)

Assistant Director, Charlotte Cottrell (M - F)

09.12.22

Restorative Practices at SFX - Scott Hughes (Physical Education & Student Wellbeing Support)

Restorative Practices at SFX – Scott Hughes (Physical Education & Student Wellbeing Support)

“The child who is not embraced by the village, will burn it down to feel its warmth”.

Relationships are at the forefront of all we do at St. Francis Xavier’s School (SFX), as such we believe in Restorative Practices (RP): a system of formal and informal processes that build and sustain a culture of kindness, respect, responsibility and justice. Rooted in Indigenous traditions and thinking, Restorative Practices help us recognise our inherent connections to one another and our community. We emphasise that healthy and respectful relationships are the key to developing and sustaining a sense of community, and taking the time to repair relationships when harm or conflict has occurred is fundamental to this belief.

RP is not just about responding to harm or conflict. At a preventative level, SFX staff and students build and maintain relationships through social-emotional learning programs such as The Resilience Project (TRP). TRP delivers developmentally-appropriate and emotionally engaging lessons, providing practical and evidence-based mental health strategies to build resilience and happiness. Through curriculum and children's GEM (Wellbeing) Journals, the benefits of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness are shared, together with easy ways to practise these in everyday life. We also use affective statements and questions, active listening, and restorative dialogue to build trust and a genuine sense of belonging.

RP posits that people are happier, more cooperative and productive, and more likely to make and sustain positive changes when those in positions of authority do things with them as opposed to to them or for them. In accepting this, when addressing incidents of harm or conflict, we seek to focus primarily on relationships and secondarily on rules. We give voice to the person harmed, give voice to the person who caused the harm, engage in collaborative problem-solving, encourage and nurture responsibility, empower change and personal growth, and plan for restoration. Our staff are prepared for this because we accept that conflict is a normal by-product of human relationships. By proactively building trusting and supportive classroom communities, and by working restoratively with your children when the need arises, we are fostering an environment where your children feel safe and secure, and are able to be the best versions of themselves.

For more on student wellbeing at SFX, you can visit our website: https://www.sfx.catholic.edu.au/why-our-school/student-wellbeing

For more on our use of RP at SFX, you can view our policy on our website: https://www.sfx.catholic.edu.au/__files/f/21105/Restorative_Practices_Procedure_Document.pdf

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09.12.22

Sustainability Committee

2022 has been an exciting year at SFX and saw the formation of the Sustainability Committee. This Committee consists of teaching staff, members of leadership, finance, grounds staff, Year 6 Eco-warriors, parents and grandparents. Our aim has been to work together with the wider school community to support and promote Sustainability Commitments at SFX with a future goal to promote zero waste and nurture the world God created.

For the first time at SFX, we have challenged students and staff to reduce their use of soft plastics through the use of Nude Foods or recycle their wastes through new soft plastics collection bins. With the help of the Year 6 Eco-warriors, we have already collected more than 30 large garbage bags which have then been taken to soft plastics collection centres and recycled.

With our continued commitment to helping those other than ourselves, the SFX community has continued to collect bread tags for the organisation ‘Bread Tags for Wheelchairs’ after becoming an official collection centre in 2021. Through this organisation, bread tags are recycled to make other products such as boards, bowls, pens which are sold and profits used to provide wheelchairs for disadvantaged people, mainly in South Africa.

The Sustainability Committee has also worked closely with Rory’s to provide sustainably resourced and recyclable packaging for school lunch orders, helping to reduce the waste produced at SFX.

As we continue to work towards our goal of becoming a Nude Food School in 2023, we wish to take this opportunity to thank the community for their continued support in producing Nude Food and wrapper free lunch boxes, and for choosing to recycle their waste appropriately. We are grateful for the commitment so many members of the SFX community have shown to reducing waste and supporting recycling initiatives both within the school and the wider community and look forward to working together into 2023.

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Issue #2 - Term 4, 2022

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