EASTER

“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” - 1 Peter 1:3

Each year I’m amazed at how fast chocolate Easter eggs and even Hot Cross Buns start appearing almost as soon as Christmas ends and the new year begins. Within a few months, there is a proliferation of eggs and all types of chocolate confectionery in stores. By the time Easter arrives, there is the expectation that the “Easter Bunny” will deliver eggs en masse. Events such as the Royal Easter Show and even Easter fireworks can cloud the proper focus of Easter.

The ever-increasing commercialisation of Easter says much about our society. By no means should the joy of Easter Sunday be lost, but the completeness of life given by Jesus is often forgotten. The Easter Triduum reminds us that 2000 years ago, Jesus changed history irrevocably.

“… just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” - Romans 6:4

Within a week, Jesus, fresh from the joy and expectation of Palm Sunday, suffered death and, by His resurrection, allowed for a new creation—a new creation that He shared and allowed us all to be a part of. Hence, it is through sacrifice that we find faith. It is from death that we have life, and it is in this that the true meaning of Easter can be deciphered.

As Good Friday and Easter Sunday near, I hope that everyone has the opportunity to reflect on the fact that Easter allows us to follow in Jesus' footsteps and live a life of both sacrifice and resurrection.

It is very easy to have hollow words, but our aim is for the students in our Catholic schools is to demonstrate a “lived faith”, which is shown each day in a person’s actions and dealings with their peers and the communities in which they live. 

ANDREW FULLER - PARENT ZOOM - THIS COMING MONDAY 25th March 

I alert all of our parents/carers to an excellent opportunity to hear from an expert psychologist about recent advice and research on supporting children in the modern world.

This Zoom is on at 7pm this coming Monday (25th March). Please scan the following QR code to be registered and to receive Zoom instructions:

MORE DETAILS ABOUT ANDREW FULLER:

Biohacking Learning for Parents/Carers - helping your child develop the skills for learning success 

Andrew Fuller is a clinical psychologist, family therapist, author, speaker and creator of Learning Strengths ™.
Andrew has worked with over 4,000 schools in Australia, NZ, Asia and the UK and with more than 500,000 young people on core elements of resilience - connect, protect & respect (CPR) and building The Resilient Mindset, which he defines as "the happy knack of being able to bungy jump through the pitfalls of life to rise above adversity and obstacles”. Having worked with people who were at their last hopes, Andrew’s mission is to help people create futures they can fall in love with.
Andrew Fuller is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He has established programs for neuroscience and education, neurodiversity, the promotion of mental health in schools, substance abuse prevention, the reduction of violence and bullying, suicide prevention programs and assisting homeless young people.

PARENT/CARER ORGANISATIONS

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the first meeting of the Friends of Francis is upon us. 

When: Monday 25th March

Time: 6-7pm

Location: Face-to-face in the Middle Years Building (MG06 and MG07)

[NB: 1. Tea and Coffee will be available; 2. For those wanting to watch the Andrew Fuller Zoom (between 7-8pm) - the presentation will be shown on the televisions in these rooms)

We look forward to interested parents/carers of enrolled students joining us. For some further information, I have included here what was in the last newsletter:

Following last year’s Parent/Carer Forum and the follow-up Parent/Carer Forum Feedback Night, and in light of our burgeoning College community (over 1500 students and 1000 families in 2024), a restructuring of parent/carer groups for Saint Francis Catholic College has been decided upon.

Body One: The Friends of Francis

 THE FRIENDS OF FRANCIS

• This body will have opportunities to hear first-hand about the latest College news and/or initiatives. There will be opportunities to provide input (where appropriate)
• This body will be involved in fundraising activities - possibly school and/or family financial needs and/or student requests
• This body will be involved in organising parent/carer social gatherings and assisting in certain College events 
• There will be termly meetings

[NB: The Constitution & Group’s Leadership structure will be developed over 2024]

Group Two: The SFCC PARENT/CARER ADVISORY GROUP:

 PARENT/CARER ADVISORY   

 GROUP

• This group is more fluid in its structure
• This group Can be brought together at irregular times
• This group will be very guided - exploring specific policies & processes (as determined by the College)
• This group can review policies (and be involved from draft stages)
• This group will provide advice to help direct current and future College directions/approaches

HARMONY WEEK

I commend our Senior Year student leaders for their ideas and proactivity around upcoming initiatives. In particular, I commend them for their work on Harmony Week. In previous years the College has celebrated Harmony Day - an important day to recognise diversity in communities across Australia and the world. Given the considerable student interest, and desire to celebrate our diversity, we will now have a full week of activities in Week 11 this term. Look out for further details in the coming weeks.

PRAYER

A Lenten Prayer called the Passion

Dear Lord Jesus,
by Your Passion and Resurrection
You brought life to the world.
But the glory of the Resurrection
came only after the sufferings of the Passion.

You laid down Your life willingly
and gave up everything for us.
Your body was broken and fastened to a Cross,
Your clothing became the prize of soldiers,
your blood ebbed slowly but surely away,
and Your Mother was entrusted to the beloved disciple.

Stretched out on the Cross,
deprived of all earthly possessions and human aid,
You cried out to Your Father that the end had come.
You had accomplished the work given You,
and You committed into His hands,
as a perfect gift,
the little life that remained to You.

Lord, teach me to accept all afflictions
after the example You have given.
Let me place my death in Yours
and my weakness in Your abandonment,
Take hold of me with Your love,
that same foolish love that knew no limits,
and let me offer myself to the Father
with You so that I may rise with You to eternal life.

–Amen

The 2024 Diocesan Secondary Swimming Championships held on Wednesday, 6th March at Corrimal Pool was a testament to the spirit of athleticism and sportsmanship at St. Francis. Our students showcased their incredible talents, not just in the pool but also in the way they supported and cheered for each other throughout the day.

We are proud to announce that two of our outstanding students, Nicolas C and Accalia A, made waves by breaking Diocesean records in their respective events. Nicolas C shattered the record in the 15-year Male 50m Freestyle, while Accalia A achieved a remarkable feat in the Open Female MC 50m Freestyle. Their achievements underscore the dedication and hard work they have put into their training.

Furthermore, we congratulate Jewel A, Luchio K, Accalia A, and Nicolas C for being awarded Diocesan Age Champions in their respective categories. Their exceptional performances in the pool have earned them this prestigious recognition. We are thrilled to announce that these talented swimmers will be representing St. Francis at the NSWCCC Swimming Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Homebush, on Thursday, 4th April. We extend our heartfelt wishes and support to these students as they prepare to compete at the state level. Let us all rally behind them and wish them the best of luck in this upcoming event. Go Team St. Francis!

Finally, a special thank you to Mrs Cerrato and Mr Grant for their support in taking the team on the day. Your energy and commitment to the students is greatly appreciated.

Mrs Daniella Pavlovich
Sports Coordinator (Years 7-12)

On Wednesday, 28th of February a number of students from Years 3-6 also represented our college at the Primary Diocesan Swimming Carnival at Bradbury Aquatic Centre. Students participated in a range of various swimming style events on the day. Students demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship and dedication in their events.

Well done to the following students who represented our college at this event.

Nicola V
Isaac N
Chelina K
Christian L
Angus T
Hanna L
Sosefina M
Nicholas M
Emilia B
Mason P
Losaline M
Lucas F
Alexander P
Malia-Losa P
Violet V
Thomas T
Anthony M
Arabella F
Charlie C
Isabelle B

Well done to all the students who represented the college at the Primary Diocesan Swimming Carnival at Bradbury Aquatic Centre and thank you to the parents and teachers who came to support the students.

Congratulations to Violet V, Nicolas V and Chelina K who progressed to the next level at Corrimal but unfortunately did not proceed to the following round but we are extremely proud of their efforts. Great job.

Cross Country 

On Friday, 1st of March a number of students from Years 3-6 participated in our college Cross Country Carnival at the Botanical Gardens in Mount Annan. Students ran a variety of distances according to their age groups. All students displayed outstanding effort and sportsmanship.

The following students have progressed to the next level which is being held on the 7th of May in Nowra.

These students include Chelina K, Aurhay D, Grace P, Madeline S, Ivy K, Sosefina M, Ivy M, Kia Q, Arianna M, Sian V, Phoebe S, Alyssa B, Elijah A, Mason K, Tomi B, Treshane F, Max P, Rishi M, Liam P, Kristian S, Eduardo C, Joshy R, Luke S and Daniel D. We wish these students good luck in the next level as they represent our college in Nowra.

Well done to all the students who participated at our College’s Cross Country Carnival and thank you to everyone who came to support the efforts and achievements of all our students.

Miss Meli
K-6 Sport Coordinator

Year 1 
Adriana L
Sebastian S
Year 2
Ivan P
Year 4
Mackenzie K

Year 2
Benjamin M
Swati G
Hope T
Year 3
Steffan C
Evelyn F
Shyanne S
Srinaya S

JYL

Belle-Louise H, Austin M, Aishani C, Ethan N, Sinchana N, Piyush M, Aidan N