Dear Parents/Carers,

Easter:

As this will be the last newsletter for Term 1, I wanted to wish everyone a safe and joyous Easter break. The week leading up to Easter Sunday is known to Catholics as ‘Holy Week’ and is the most important series of events in the Catholic Church’s calendar. 

Christmas has become very commercialised and associated with gift giving and in Australia falls in a period of holidays for most people, as such Christmas seems to have more prominence in the community than Easter. 

Without the Easter story however, Christmas has no meaning. Without Jesus’ suffering death and then overcoming death through resurrection, His birth has little consequence. Good Friday is a solemn memorial of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Many people often question why we refer to it as ‘Good’ Friday when Jesus experienced such a violent death. As Catholics however, we believe that Jesus willingly went to His death understanding that this is what God required of Him. Jesus died so that we could be saved and hence the experience whilst very violent was ‘good’ for humanity.

There can be no doubt that Easter Sunday should be cause for a huge celebration. Jesus rises from the dead and reveals Himself to His followers. His resurrection proves His divinity and we celebrate Easter Sunday with feasting, prayer and fellowship. 

St Francis students will have an opportunity to experience the Easter story in Religious Education classes before the end of Term through the Stations of the Cross. I encourage you to ask them about the experience and to take the family to any one of a number of Masses during Holy Week in our local parishes. 

Sacramental Program:

The College has had numerous requests from Catholic families about the sacramental program run in Parishes. Parents who would like their children to participate in the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation should contact their local parish. Father Bosco, Parish Priest at Macquarie Fields is delighted to support families who have established a practice of regular worship at Mary Mother of the Church, Macquarie Fields. He also welcomes families who live within the Macquarie Fields Parish boundary which includes suburbs such as: Macquarie Fields, Macquarie Links, Badia, Edmondson Park, Denham Court. Please contact the Parish office Tuesday- Friday on 9605 6169 to arrange. 

Family College Partnership (FCP) Program:

The Care Committee met for the first time in 2022 on Monday evening. It was a small but enthusiastic group who are looking forward to supporting other families as needed throughout the year. A short article about the work of the Care Committee is included later in this newsletter. 

A reminder that the Social FCP Committee will meet next Tuesday 5th April at 6:30pm in the College Hall to discuss the organisation of social events throughout the year which encourage St Francis families to come together. Everyone is welcome. 

Guillemont Road Gate Opens!

The gate will open in the morning next week between 8am-8:30am and in the afternoons between 2:45pm-3pm. Please note that student supervision in the afternoons is only until 3pm. Junior students who are not collected by 3pm will be escorted by staff to carline which finishes at 3:15pm. Students in Years 5-12 who are not picked up by 3pm will be unsupervised. 

The new Guillemont gate should help reduce traffic congestion and improve the safety of students who walk home or walk to meet parents in cars. Our new extended car park will also greatly assist with traffic management and it is hoped that it will come online mid next term. Unfortunately there have been delays with significant rain events. 

Have a safe and peaceful Easter.

Mr Abernethy
College Principal