SFX SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES 2021

Mercy Charism, Writing, Problem Solving, Wellbeing and Partnerships Thursday 1 April, 2021

Dear Parents & Carers,

Last week (Tuesday – Friday) all school Principals from the diocese, gathered in Rockhampton for the annual Principals’ Gathering with our Diocesan Director, Miss Leesa Jeffcoat and the various Assistants to the Director. We heard the insightful and valuable input from guest speakers via Zoom including educational leadership and school governance specialist, Marist Brother, Professor Br David Hall FMS; experienced educator and schooling improvement consultant Dr Linda Bendikson; Law lecturer, qualified teacher, and Discrimination Act compliance expert Dr Elizabeth Dickson; and experienced child protection professional, Child Wise Director of Quality Assurance, Michael MacKay.

We were also most fortunate and privileged to be able to attend the Mass of the Oils, which was held on Thursday morning at St Joseph’s Cathedral.

Have a wonderful Easter Break

God Bless.

Olivia Rostirolla

St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, Mackay

Strategic Priorities 2021

1. Catholic Identity and Ethos • Effective Teaching and Learning

(NSIT Domains 2,5,6,7,8)

1.1 To embed and align Catholic Social Teaching and the Mercy charism throughout the Curriculum and the Teaching and Learning Framework.

Goal: To educate our school community on who the founders of our school are and what values they have imparted.

2.1 That our school has a culture of data informed practice where every student is engaged and learning successfully in their own ways.

Goal: To embed 6 + 1 Writing Traits to improve student writing. Goal: To plan and deliver deep learning opportunities in Mathematics enabling students to become proficient in problem solving strategies and terminology.

3. Pastoral Support and Wellbeing

(NSIT Domain 3)

4. Leadership, Partnerships and

Resourcing

(NSIT Domains 1,4,9)

3.1 Based on the Diocesan Wellbeing Framework implement a student wellbeing program that focuses on each child being the best version of themselves.

Goal: To identify and enhance the wellbeing of students through the BE YOU program (which is under the umbrella of the Diocesan Wellbeing Framework) to the school community.

4.1 To enhance and develop parent and community partnerships to improve student learning. Goal: To inform our parent body about our spelling practices and changes to spelling homework.

Assistant Principal Religion Education

Amanda Griffin

Making Jesus Real (MJR) GTS: Treat

Our MJR focus of GTS continues as we move from how we Greet people to how we TREAT them. We can treat others with respect when we interact by encouraging them to keep going when things get hard, or picking someone up: saying good try, better luck next time! When we treat others with love and kindness we are Making Jesus Real. Jesus knew how to treat people. Even on his hardest day when he was tired, he would still treat anyone who came his way, nicely.

PARISH MASS - BOOKING INFORMATION

Link for weekend Mass bookings; https://www.trybooking.com/BKACF

Booking availability commence 9am on the Monday previous. If you are unable to book on

line please phone your respective Parish on the phone numbers listed below.

For St Patrick’s, St Francis Xavier, St Mary’s and St Michael’s 0460 423 603 or 4957 4807 from 9am to 3pm Monday

to Friday.

MASS TIMES

Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton website http://rok.catholic.net.au/

Includes updates from Bishop Michael; the diocesan response to COVID 19; prayers and faith resources; useful links and lots of other information regarding our diocese. Join Bishop Michael for daily mass via the link above.

It was in Jerusalem that Jesus suffered his passion and died on the cross, giving his life

for us to save us from sin.

It was there too, three days later, that he rose from death.

A short time later, the first Christians started to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to pray

at the place where Jesus died and rose to life. They followed the same way that Jesus

had walked as he went to the cross.

When they returned home, they wanted to remember this ‘way’ and to continue to

meditate on Jesus’s passion.

That’s why today, there is a way of the Cross in every church.

Sacrament will be held at:

St Francis Xavier Parish Tuesday 20 April, 2021

St Mary’s Parish Wednesday 21 April, 2021

St Michael’s Parish Sunday 18 April, 2021

St Patrick’s Parish TBA

MISSION BOX CHALLENGE

During our Ash Wednesday Liturgy we spoke to the students about giving to their classroom Mission box as a way to support others who are in need. This was an opportunity to do extra chores around the house or give their ice block money to the mission box. This was not a time to ask mum and dad for money, but an opportunity for the students to

earn the money they wish to donate. This year we will hold a

MJR leaders have collected and collated the Mission Box money.

CLASS WINNERS THIS WEEK: 4SB

THIS WEEK’S TOTAL: $239.10

FINAL SCHOOL TOTAL FOR THE SEASON OF LENT: $1083.10

We have raised enough money to buy a 5000l water tank for a school in the Solomon Islands.

On Tuesday, students participated in some activities to raise awareness for the work that

Caritas Australia did. They read stories of people from a refugee camp in Bangladesh, who

had escaped fighting in Myanmar.

Children carried buckets of water around the playground to feel the weight of containers that

people in poorer communities have to carry once or twice a day. The water in some

communities is only turned on for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in

the afternoon. At times people may line up for hours, only to get to the front of the line when

the taps are turned off.

After thinking about how many meals they eat in a day, they had a spoonful of rice to

experience how much a person might eat in a meal. Caritas Australia provide food for those

people in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Children also shared a prayer in Mercy Place, reflecting on the trials of Jesus and the pain and suffering he went through before his death. They reflected on their own Lenten Journey.

WALK A DAY IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES

Assistant Principal Curiculum

Jodie Benfer

A NAPLAN Schedule will be available early next term. NAPLAN tests will take place from May 11th to May

21st. We are aiming for all tests to be completed in the first week with catch-up tests being set for the second

week if a child is absent. If you wish to access the public demonstration site, please use this link-

https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

STUDENT PROTECTION OFFICERS

All children have the right to feel safe all of the time and nothing is ever so awful that they can’t talk about it

with someone.

At our school, we have many people who will support students with personal issues that may relate to family

or other areas of life. Miss Olivia Rostirolla, Miss Mary Oxenham, Mrs Amanda Griffin, Mrs Jodie Benfer, Mr

Brendan Clews and Mrs Ninette Nell have special roles as Student Protection Officers, to support and

protect children.

LEARNING LETTERS Learning letters and sounds in Prep isn’t always serious business especially when we learnt about the letter M and

we got to eat our Marvellous Marshmallow Snowmen. We love to workout to the Letter Sounds with Jack Hartman

every day and know that by learning our letter sounds and names will help us read and write, as well as keep our

body strong. Using movement helps the brain retain information, while using everyday materials such as magazines

and catalogues link to real world items. During our letter hunt activity students look for letters, words and items that

begin with that sound. We have been learning to recognise beginning sounds and the difference between a letter, a

word and a sentence. Using all of these phonemic awareness skills will help to build our emerging reading skills.

From Mrs Wood (Prep W)

In Prep we imbed phonics across all areas of learning.

The ability to decode words is strongly reliant on children having phonological awareness skills, which are a gateway into letter-sound knowledge. Phonics knowledge allows children to understand the link between sounds (phonemes) and letter patterns (graphemes). Phonics can be introduced through emergent literacy experiences such as making letters with playdough or in this case, teddy bears and peg boards! While the students are engaging in the experience the teacher is deepening the learning through specific questioning techniques. Look what came out of the Story Bag today! I wonder what our letter/sound of the week was? We have Matilda, MJR, an M book, a Man, March, a Magic wand and Marnie! From Mrs Carney (Prep C)

What fun we had with the letter Hh

PHONICS, PHONICS EVERYWHERE!

Sound tables are

important and give the

students a hands-on

approach to learning.

We can find lots of

items starting with the

letter Cc from our

everyday lives.

We can recognise and sort

Upper and Lower case

Meet Dippy Duck and Annie

Apple our Letterland

We like to use our bodies to

build a letter

Letter of the week craft M is

for Maria and mouse. Learning our letters and

sounds is so much fun

in PREP!

We can build letters using lots of different

materials.

From Mrs Saye (Prep S)

As applications are increasing daily, we advise both current and new families to have enrolments completed

ASAP.

ENROLMENT FORMS WILL NEED TO BE COMPLETED ONLINE.

THE LINK CAN BE FOUND ON OUR SCHOOL WEBSITE:

www.sfxmrok.catholic.edu.au

PLEASE CONTACT OUR SCHOOL’S ENROLMENT OFFICER, MRS HEATHER HICKS, 49511861

FOR

ALL ENROLMENTS INFORMATION.

2022 PREP ENROLMENTS

Enrolments for Prep are currently being taken for the 2022 school year. If you have a child due to commence Prep

next year born between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, please complete an online enrolment form available from the

school website: www.sfxmrok.catholic.edu.au/

Enrolments for Years 1—6 are also currently being taken for 2022. Interviews will commence in Term Two.

We need to sight the original birth certificate or have a certified copy please.

2022 PREP INTERVIEWS

2022 PREP INTERVIEWS

WILL COMMENCE ON

TUESDAY 27 APRIL, 2021

AND CONCLUDE ON

THURSDAY 27 MAY, 2021

Assistant Principal Administration

Mary Oxenham

Dear Mums and Dads,

We are trialing a Parent Calendar for Term 2. We have added in all the dates we currently know. We need to advise you that some dates may change. We hope this will allow you to plan ahead. We will be asking for feedback from you, at the end of the term, to see if it has been of assistance to you. You will find the calendar on the next page. It would be a great opportunity to print it out and place it on your noticeboard.

The Easter Bunny 2021 visit went like this—Our new chickens laid some colourful Easter eggs, which Ms Rostirolla

and Mrs Benfer did NOT want the Easter Chicken to touch! However, the Easter Chicken turned up in the General

Lee and stole the eggs. Well the Easter Bunny was not going to have that! So, in came the police officers and one

Easter Bunny! And the chase was on! The Chicken went off to jail and the Bunny gave all the children an Easter

egg each! Thank you to Jason Spratt, Tony Lee, Karl Verri, Helen Ellis and Helen Caporn. You brought a lot of fun

and laughter to our children. Happy Easter to you all!

Our Preps had their Easter Bonnet Parade yesterday morning and it was such a joyful experience. Their smiles

were as big as their hats! Thanks to all the mums, dads, grandmas and grandads for coming along to cheer and

clap.

OUTSTANDING TERM 1 SCHOOL FEES

If you did not receive your account, please contact Pauline in the office.

Payments can be made in Cash, EFTPOS, Cheque, Credit Card, Direct Debit, BPay or Internet Banking

School fees are now well overdue.

INTERNET BANKING DETAILS

A/C: St Francis Xavier School

BSB: 034-210

ACCOUNT: 811093

REFERENCE: Account code at top right hand corner of invoice.

If you are having problems finalizing Term 1’s School Fee Account, please contact Pauline on 49511861 to arrange an appointment.

Pauline Hyde—Finance Secretary

Congratulations to Reece Benfer for receiving a Highly Commended award in the Week 3 Challenge for the Virtual Leaders Eco Challenge. His brochure about the Maori Wrasse in the Great Eight challenge has been singled out from over 100 other submissions, and one of only two Highly Commended awards given. Reece received a letter and certificate from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to keep as a memento of the excellent work that he has produced. We are proud of you Reece.

We look forward to seeing week 5’s challenge where students will research images of traditional watercraft used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. From there, they will make their own small scale traditional watercraft using recycled materials and test to see if it floats. Good Luck everyone and Happy Easter from the Reef Guardian Team.