Dear Parents/Carers,

Lent Begins

This week, we have celebrated the start of Lent, one of the most important times of year for Catholics & Christians around the world.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is always held 46 days (40 fasting days and 6 Sundays) before Easter Sunday. While Advent (period leading up to Christmas) is a celebration and a time of great anticipation, Lent is more frequently seen as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.

From its start on Ash Wednesday until its conclusion on Easter Sunday, Lent has been a traditional time for fasting or giving something up or abstinence. Just as we carefully prepare for events in our personal lives, such as a wedding, or birthday; the commencement of Lent invites us to make our minds and hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ life, death and body resurrection.

These days, Catholics around the world observe Lent in many ways. At St Francis, we begin with the wearing of ashes on Ash Wednesday and abstaining from eating meat on Fridays until Easter Sunday. We also ask students to make charitable donations to ‘Project Compassion’ throughout Lent. This money goes to Caritas Australia which works to aid poor communities in Australia and around the world.

Students may also be encouraged to choose to give up just one item for Lent, more commonly a ‘luxury’ such as chocolate or desserts. It is also becoming increasingly common for people to give up other things in order to refocus their faith during this time; such as watching television or giving up social media.

Others may choose to ‘take up’ rather than ‘give up’ something during Lent. Many Catholics use Lent to study their Bibles and pray more intensively. Some may choose to focus on daily good deeds or being cheerful & charitable. All of these Lenten observances are good ways to prepare ourselves for Holy Week & Easter.

What commitment is your child or children making for this Lenten period? How can you support them? Are they aware of the various ways they can prepare?

I thank you for your support and encourage you to discuss Lent with them. It may be a great time to commit to something as a family.

Enrolments & Open Day 2020

Saturday the 7^th March is our College Open Day. Open Day commences for new, prospective and existing families at 11am and concludes at 1pm. This is the start of our official enrolment period and in particular we are looking for the enrolment of students in Kindergarten 2021, Year 7 2021 & 2022 and Year 11 2021.

Classrooms will be open for tours, there will be demonstrations and displays and enrolment packages will be available for pickup.

Please note that due to the busyness of the day, the earliest enrolment packages can be returned is Monday 9th March.

We look forward to seeing you on Open Day!

Building Update

Staff & students are enjoying teaching & learning in the new Innovation Centre and the ‘Performance Centre’ (Stage 2) is progressing very well.

Downstairs this will provide two specialist music rooms, associated music practice and tuition spaces, a storeroom, a room for the College Band, a large undercroft space leading into the new College Hall, tearoom for the Hall and elevator. Upstairs will be a full fitness gymnasium, a dance studio and drama studio. Morabito, our builders are looking to have the roof on the building early April and work will rapidly progress from there.

Earthwork directly behind the ‘Performance Centre’ has started this week to prepare for the new College Hall which will commence building in the coming months. The Hall will be a very large building and is designed to seat 1700 people with additional overflow seating capacity in its design. It will incorporate two basketball/netball courts and will provide the College with a greatly anticipated indoor sports space as well as an
all-weather venue for school celebrations (assemblies, Masses, presentations etc.) and significantly increase our wet weather playground area.

The architects designs for the Hall and that of several new buildings anticipated to commence construction this year, will be on display at our Open Day.

Full steam ahead!

Australian Air League

After a public meeting held at St Francis last Friday night, it was decided that an Australian Air League Squadron would be established. The meeting was well attended, attracting many potential cadets from the ages of 8 and above. Special guests including local politicians Anne Stanley (Federal member for Werriwa) & Mr Anoulack Chanthivong (State Member for Macquarie Fields) who offered his support.

We were fortunate that enough families from the Willowdale & Emerald Hills area applied for Opal bus passes and an Interline Bus service to this area was established this year.

Unfortunately, the afternoon service has not been departing St Francis until 3:30pm each afternoon. This is 45 minutes after the school day and is an unacceptable delay. It actually exceeds the time I can ask staff to supervise students (thanks to members of the Leadership Team who have gone above and beyond).

As a result, we have negotiated hard with Interline and the Department of Transport and this bus service will leave prior to 3:15pm as of Monday 9^th March. We will pass on exact details to families when they are made available. The morning service is unaffected.

There certainly is a great deal happening. St Francis remains an exciting and dynamic place!

May God continue to bless you.

Mr Simon Abernethy
College Principal