Term 4, Issue 1

Dear Families of SFX,

Well, it is hard to believe that we have only 4 weeks to go of the school term and the end of the year. It's been a vibrant start to Term 4 and we are excited to close out 2023 with some fantastic events to come and memories to be made. 

Children’s University 

On Tuesday night, I was fortunate to attend the Children’s University Graduation Ceremony for 20 of our students. It was a fantastic night for these children and their families to acknowledge the out-of-school learning opportunities and reward the children for taking responsibility for their own learning.

Class placements  

Class placements are being finalised by the teachers over the next two weeks. It is not an easy job and one in which we put a lot of time and effort into catering for the needs of all children. The teachers know the children extremely well, and place children based on needs and friendships. The children fill out sociograms and list five friends they work well with, and play with, and can include children in their current class or one of the other classes. 

St Francis Day activities 

St Francis Day this year promises to be a big celebration to acknowledge our 40^th year. We are having a Liturgy at 9:15am on Friday 1^st December followed by activities for the children. More details of events will follow soon. 

Parking 

Thank you to all the parents and Grandparents who are making an effort to park in the correct parking spaces. The council have been very active in taking photos of cars parked illegally and fines have been issued. It is important to remember not to speed in 25km zone and block neighbours driveways as this is causing angst amongst the residents on Carignane Street. 

Working Bee 

Our school grounds are amazing and Tony and Colin do a brilliant job in maintaining them in the condition they are in.

Unfortunately, some garden areas are becoming a little wayward with weeds, and we would like to have a short Working Bee to clean them up. 

The Working Bee will be held on Wednesday, 22nd November, from 6:00 - 7:00pm followed by a BBQ and drinks for the volunteers. 
Children are welcome to come along and help but must be supervised. 

Please bring along a pair of gloves and gardening tools to help dig out the weeds. 

The Front Office gate will be open. Please park in the Carignane Street car park, and we will meet just inside the gate near the oval.

Please reply to Anne-Marie Wesley by Monday, 20th November 2023, 4:00pm to pa@sfx.catholic.edu.au with the number of adults and number of children attending.

Sickness 

Just a reminder that if your child is sick to please keep them at home. We are having lots of children sick at the moment with a variety of ailments, including Covid, and do not want other children getting sick. 

All Souls Day

I know Rosanna will mention this in her report, but I feel it is worth mentioning again. It was great to have Fr Josh celebrate All Soul's Day with us and open the new Memorial Garden. As most of you know, the Memorial Garden moved due to the new buildings replacing the garden. The new location near the chapel is an amazing area and we are very proud of the new space. Thank you to Tony and Colin for all of their work in preparing the garden. It was fantastic to have the Fitzpatrick and Nash families present to add their loved ones to the garden. 

Principal Tour

Two weeks ago, we had our last Principal tour for the year. Once again, we had large numbers with up to 45 families present. The Year 6 leaders were wonderful in helping us on the tour and all of the parents were very impressed. We are in the process of working out dates for the 2024 Principal Tours. 

Please note: We are at capacity in Reception Term 3, Year 1 and Year 2 for 2024. 

Solar Panels

After lots of behind the scenes work from Enza Messina and the Sustainability Commitee, the solar panels were installed on the roof of Xavier Hall during the holidays, and are now fully operational. We hope to see a hefty reduction in power bills over the coming months. Thank you to Tindo Solar for doing such a professional job. It was a big project and took up most of the two-week holiday period to install the panels and system.

Molly 

Molly is settling in extremely well and has been a real asset to our school. The children love seeing her and having her around. Molly is now working Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

We met with Dogs Connect two weeks ago and they are happy with how Molly is tracking. 

The colouring in competition was a huge success with all the children participating. Thank you to the SRC for their organisation of this competition. 

Tree Near Office

As most of you have seen, the tree near the office has been trimmed significantly due to a branch falling on the front office during the holidays.  

This is a significant tree but is now a hazard and unsafe. The tree will be removed in the coming weeks. It has been a lengthy process with the council as it is a significant tree. My concern is student, staff and parent safety and the arborist has supported us with his documentation on the tree to support its removal.

School Concert USB

I am pleased to announce that a USB will be available for parents soon. We have organised for 200 USBs to be available for purchase. They will sell for $10 and this should go on sale next week. This is a great keepsake for families of both the concert and our 40th Birthday Celebrations.

Upcoming Events

Term 4 is always a busy term, and this term is no exception. We have already had some big events and there is still more to come. 

21/11   Parent Information Evening- Receptions 

28/11   Transition 2 and Christmas Concert 

1/12     St Francis Feast Day 

5/12     End of Year Dinner- School Board 

6/12     End of Year School Mass 9:15am 

7/12     Transition to new classes 

11/12    School reports sent home 

13/12    Last day of the term and year. 

Regards, 

Jason Mittiga 

Principal SFX 

Outreach-Working in Partnership with Gleeson College

Year 11 students from Gleeson College recently prepared a lesson on service for our Year 3 students. The Year 11 students planned three activities for our SFX students to participate in and discussed the meaning of service to others. The intention behind the activity was to build connections with our local secondary school and to highlight the value of Service to the students. The students had an opportunity to make cookies, a keychain and a card. Mr. Mittiga and Mrs. Samarzia took the beautiful cookies to Fred's Van and served them to the community. The cookies brought so many smiles to so many faces. Thank you, Gleeson College!

Sustainability

Mixed Recycling

We now have five mixed recycling bins across the school and were fortunate to have Lee Harrison from KESAB to speak at our Assembly during Week 4. The purpose of Lee's visit was to explain what goes in which bin and in particular, to explain the process of mixed recycling. We also hope that the visit will inspire Year 5 students to become Eco Warriors as they become our senior students in 2024.

Compost Bin and Veggie Garden

Our Year 6 Leaders have been lucky enough to work with Ray Gardener to set up our composting system. Thank you to Ray for his ongoing support. Our garden is flourishing. We are looking forward to seeing the fruits or vegetables of their labour as we did with some potatoes earlier this week.

Laudato Si Grant

Room 4 and Room 5 have incubated chickens for our school! Incubating eggs and raising the chicks is one of the best ways for children to learn about the wonders of nature and new life. Raising chicks also teaches children responsibility, patience and hygiene! It opens their eyes to how our food is produced. This experience has opened up many new learning opportunities for our new Receptions. Aren't they cute! 

Community Prayer - Grandparents/Special Friends Day

On Friday, 27^th October we gathered as the St Francis Xavier’s School Community, acknowledging and celebrating the gift of Grandparents and the vital role they play in our lives. Thank you to our new Reception classes and the Year 6 Leaders who led us in prayer. As always, it was heartwarming to gather as a community to commence this special event.

Whole School Mass - All Souls Day/Blessing of the Memorial Garden  

The Sacramental Students hosted a beautiful Mass to commemorate All Souls` Day and to Bless our new St Francis Xavier’s Memorial Garden. We gathered on All Souls` Day to remember all those in our SFX community who are no longer with us, especially those who are remembered in our Memorial Garden. We asked the Lord to bless our garden and the water that nourishes it.

Thank you to Father Josh for leading us in Mass and for blessing our garden. Thank you to the families in our community who also joined us. Thank you to the Nash and Fitzpatrick families for praying with us and for laying a remembrance plaque in the garden. We also thank Tony and Colin for all their hard work to make the garden into the cherished space it is today.

As you are aware our Twilight Christmas Concert is taking place on Tuesday, 28th November.

 (Week 7) Listed below is some important information about the evening:

• 5:00pm - Gates will open for families to find a place to sit to watch and watch the concert.
  •     The area directly in front of the stage is set aside for children to sit in their classes. A space will also be set aside for families sitting on rugs directly behind the students. Families sitting in chairs must do so behind this area.

• 5:30pm - The SFX Rock Band will be performing prior to the school concert
• 5.45pm – Students will be called to meet with their classroom teachers near the stage area. Students will sit with their teachers before and after their performance. Children can bring a drink bottle to keep with them throughout the concert.
• 6:00pm – 2023 SFX Christmas Concert Commences.
• Approx. 7:00pm - Conclusion of Christmas Concert – Children are to remain with their class teachers until a parent has collected them and had their name ticked off the class list.

Please Note:

• Students are encouraged to dress in Christmas-themed or coloured clothing, such as a Christmas t-shirt and accessories such as a hat, headband, etc.
• Families are most welcome and encouraged to bring a rug and picnic along to eat and share on the evening.

Our 2023 St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal starts next week!

Please help us to help others, by sending donations to your child's classroom over the next few weeks. This year we are kindly collecting the various options of donations below. 

Thank you for your support. 

St Francis Xavier’s School’s Reconciliation Action Plan

A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a formal commitment to reconciliation. St Francis Xavier’s School’s (SFX) newly established RAP, documents how SFX will strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school and with the community. Our RAP is aligned to, and supports, the charism and values of SFX which include respect, compassion, and service.

Our vision is to establish a space of cultural safety for First Nations students and their families, where reconciliation and cultural respect are meaningfully embedded into the daily actions of those in our community. Our vision for reconciliation includes ongoing attention to, and enhancement of, curriculum content, while fostering a community of learners that respect and celebrate over 60,000 years of cultures and continuing connection to Country. We see our RAP as a framework for sustainable change, which includes the continued development and support of actions and projects that will improve the outcomes for First Nations students.

SFX is located on Kaurna Yarta (Kaurna Country) and commits to building meaningful relationships with Elders in the community to facilitate opportunities to learn about Kaurna Miyurna (Kaurna People), Kaurna Warra (Kaurna Language), Kaurna ways of knowing, being, and doing, and more broadly, about all First Nations peoples, their perspectives, histories, and cultures. 

The SFX RAP Working Group have met regularly throughout 2023 to extend on existing reconciliation initiatives and formally outline a whole-scale approach to driving reconciliation. We are excited to announce that the SFX RAP has undergone a final approval process through Reconciliation Australia and has now been officially published.

The SFX RAP is supported by Narragunnawali (pronounced narra-gunna-wally). Narragunnawali is a word from the language of the Ngunnawal people, Traditional Owners of the land on which Reconciliation Australia’s Canberra office is located. Narragunnawali supports schools and early learning services in Australia to develop environments that foster a high level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions. 

For more information, visit: https://www.narragunnawali.org.au

Scott Hughes

On behalf of SFX RAP Working Group

Jason Mittiga (Principal), Melinda Whitford (Staff), Scott Hughes (Staff) Linda Reiss (Staff), Lisa Karanicolou (Catholic Education: South Australia), Simon Kelly (Staff) and Melanie Attard (Parent / Community Member)

On the 28^th September, twelve students from Years 5 and 6 were part of a spectacular performance participating in the Catholic Schools Music Festival. The Fesitval Choir performed nine songs, along with some fabulous musical support acts.

In preparation for this event, the choir rehearsed every week with Mrs Villano for seven months. Learning the nine songs as well as some very entertaining choreography. 

All the hard work certainly paid off at the final performance. Congratulations again to all the students involved.

Soundwaves of talent!

Big congratulations to two talented SFX students who have earned their certificates after completing their music challenge. To gain a certificate, students are required to learn 40 pieces of music, which both these music maestros did.

Chloe completed her challenge in Term 3 and is already about to complete her 50th piece!

Aanya has completed her 40 Piece Challenge for her piano lessons.

Special thanks to their dedicated tutor, Mary, who nurtures these talents and continues to inspire their love for music with guidance and passion.

The Rock Band performed a fabulous concert during lunch in Week 3.

It was a beautiful sunny day outside the Ignatius Building with lots of children from all year levels coming to watch. 

The Rock Band played 4 energy filled songs that had everyone bopping along. 

Well done to our amazing Rock Band, and James for supporting them.

The program will be released for the December - January holidays on Friday 25th November when bookings open via the SPIKE app.

We have some fantastic experiences, excursions and on site activities planned.

Numbers are limited to child - educator ratios so please book in quickly to ensure your child/ren have a confirmed place. Enquiries can be made to Tasharni via email at oshc@sfx.catholic.edu.au

We look forward to having students join in for lots of fun!

SACPSSA Athletics Carnival

On Monday, 6th November, 41 students competed at the SACPSSA Athletics Carnival at Athletics SA Stadium, Mile End. We would like to congratulate all of the students that attended and acknowledge their respectful participation, effort, and support of one another throughout the day. The SACPSSA Athletics carnival provides a great opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the diverse range of skills our students possess.

Final Results:

• Section 3 Boys: 5^th Overall
• Section 3 Girls: 6^th Overall

We would also like to recognise Jordan Gloria’s fantastic achievement as the Section 3, Year 5 Boys Age Champion, and for setting a new High Jump record (1.42m). This is Jordan’s second record, in 2021 he set the 400m record (1:14:31). 

Thank you to Mel Ainslie, Tom Ainslie, and Darren Esposito for their support on the day.

Scott Hughes (PE teacher) & Tania Krawczyk (Sport Coordinator).

SAPSASA T20 Blast Cricket Carnival - HOWZAT!!!

SFX students hit it out of the park recently and clinched all 4 games undefeated. Their tight bowling, stunning catches, electric fielding on the boundaries and letting the bat do the talking led them to victory!

Congratulations on the triumph to both the team and coach, Mr Stagg!

IMPORTANT END OF YEAR INFORMATION FOR THE LIBRARY

To assist Library staff to complete our end of year process, please note the following...

Friday 17/11/23 (Week 5), will be the final date for students to borrow library resources this year.  We ask that all resources be returned to the library by Friday 24/11/23 (Week 6), to allow us time to perform an end of year stocktake on our collection.  The library is open every day from 8.30am – 4.00pm for resources to be returned.

Please note, while we will make every effort to contact families on a number of occasions to advise of any resources held by their child/ren, families will be invoiced for any resources not returned to the library by Friday, 8^th December (Week 8).  Please ensure you check your email Spam/Junk folders and add lreiss@sfx.catholic.edu.au to your safe list, so you receive these email reminders/overdue notices directly to your email inbox.

Your support and cooperation is very much appreciated.

Library Staff