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.

Changes to Willowdale/Emerald Hills Bus Service

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

Social media is used in Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) to help create vibrant Catholic school communities of faith and learning.

In this context, social media is any form of online presence used in a valid educational context that facilitates inclusive relationships, contemporary communities and multi-directional interactive exchange of information, conversation or activity. Users of social media are required to manage their digital footprint by interacting responsibly and ethically, in line with our Catholic ethos, respecting the dignity of all involved.

Please click on link to CEDoW's Social Media Statement, which schools are required as part of the social media policy to publish at the commencement of each school year.

Social Media Statement

Also, please see following information sheet regarding DOW'S Social Media policy and what it means for Parents and Students.  

Last Wednesday, a Mass and class liturgies were held to celebrate Ash Wednesday which signifies the beginning of Lent.

Thank you to Fr Joseph from Mary, Mother of the Church Parish for celebrating Mass with Year 9 and 10 and all staff who led the liturgies.

The theme of the day was Project Compassion and social justice.

Mr Damian Sligar
Assistant Principal - Religious Education, Catholic Identity and Mission

Pancakes, maple syrup, honey, and jam were in abundance to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. 

Thank you to all members of the College community who supported the day by bringing a $1 coin to school. This was a great community event where both staff and students helped to make the event a success.

Approximately $300 was raised on the day for Project Compassion. 

Thank you to all who helped make the event a great start for our fundraising efforts.

Mr Damian Sligar
Assistant Principal - Religious Education, Catholic Mission & Identity

Congratulations to all of our Award recipients at our first Junior Years Assembly for 2020.  We would like to recognise in particular our Bronze and Silver Award recipients, as follows:-

Silver Awards
Sienna V, Evie K, Aleyah B, Lana A, Jessica J.

Bronze Awards
Lexi N, Isabella I, Marley M, Annabelle P, Juno Y, Izabela P, Siera A, Annabelle P, Harini A, Nathan C, Sinchana S, Mia C, Daisy B, Mithi B.

Congratulations to all of our Award recipients at our first Middle/Senior Years Assembly for 2020.  

We would like to recognise in particular our Bronze, Silver and Gold Award recipients, as follows:-

Gold Awards
Oliver K, Keira B, Courtney J

Silver Award
Isaiah J

Bronze Awards
Alexia C, Margaret L, Ryan W, Khloe A, Sebastian B

ST FRANCIS CATHOLIC COLLEGE

OPEN DAY

SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2020

11.00am to 1.00pm

For prospective and current St Francis Catholic College families

wanting to enrol for Kindergarten to Year 11 at the College for 2021,
as well as Year 7 for 2022.

Please come along and have a look at our College
and collect your Enrolment form.

Sausage Sizzle, Drinks, Popcorn, Fairy Floss,
will be available to be purchased.

College Tours, as well as a presentation by our College Principal
will occur throughout the day. 

We hope to see you then!

Mr Ammahr Khann is the Managing Director of Western Sydney Theme Park, who has plans to develop a new Sydney's Wonderland in Western Sydney.

St Francis Catholic College and Western Sydney Theme Park Pty Ltd have developed a partnership where students, studying iSTEM, will follow the Disney Imagineering design model to create an attraction for the new Sydney's Wonderland.