Dear Parents/Carers,

Last Sunday’s Gospel reading at Mass was Matthew 14: 22-33. The disciples of Jesus were sacred as they were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee fishing and a storm came up. Rough waves threatened to capsize the boat and they feared drowning. Jesus appears to them by walking on the water and initially this scares them further as they thought He was a ghost.

This reading means a great deal to me. In January, I was fortunate enough to have had an opportunity to travel on pilgrimage to the Holy Land with our former Bishop, Peter Ingham and other teachers from the Diocese. We celebrated Mass on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee which was very special and helped make so many of the Gospel stories come to life.

The most important message in this Gospel story is to trust in God. God is always present in our lives, sometimes we don’t get a sense of His presence because of the storms. In these stormy times of COVID, it is very easy for us to ask ‘how could He let this happen?’ but it is very unrealistic for us to expect to cruise through life without challenges. Instead we need to turn to God in prayer and trust that He will deliver us to the place He needs us to be. Sometimes the destination we expect to get to, is not where God wants us to go. Trusting that God will never leave us is key.

Building Update

I am very pleased to say that Morabuilt Constructions are on track to deliver our new Performance Centre on time and we will look to moving in over the holiday period. The building is looking fantastic. This fortnight will see the remaining pinboard installed, the Harlequin dance floor laid, whiteboards and acoustic tiles installed. Balcony and hand rails will soon be completed. Technology such as projectors, TVs & WIFI access points will shortly follow.

The recent rain has temporarily turned our Hall construction site into a lake. We hope to have fine weather so that concrete floors and huge steel frames can be erected in the coming weeks.

Stage 4 Commences!

Our Middle Years Block which has a large undercroft area, 18 general classrooms and 2 practical activity spaces, will commence construction next fortnight on Monday 24^th August. FAL were the successful tender for the building and they will operate in the area pictured below. It is an exciting time for St Francis with our Performance Centre opening in Term 4 and the Hall and Middle Years Block opening in the middle and later part of 2021.

A reminder that a new 3D walk through of the scope of completed building works is available on our college website.

Assembly

It was a pleasure to finally be able to have a very brief assembly to hand out Bronze and Silver Awards to our hard-working students.

There are still a couple of students who are awaiting the presentation of Gold Awards. These are so significant we have delayed the presentation to hopefully allow parents to attend. 

Congratulations to our Bronze Award Winners

Congratulations to our Silver Award Winners

Congratulations our Diocesan Swimmers

Our Diocesan representative swimmers have waited some time to be presented with their ribbons. 

Please see below for their achievements at Diocesan level:-

Congratulations to Stephanie G

1st - 50m Breastroke
2nd - 50m Butterfly
2nd - 100m Freestyle
3rd - 50m Freestyle
3rd - 50m Backstroke

Age Champion - 13 years Girls

Congratulations to Bella G

1st - 50m Butterfly
1st - 50m Freestyle
1st - 50m Backstroke
1st - 100m Butterfly
1st - 100m Freestyle
2nd - 100m Backstroke
2nd - 200m Individual Medley
3rd - 100m Breastroke

Diocesan record-breaking Swim for Female Intermediate 100m Butterfly
Age Champion - 15 years Girls

Congratulations to Zach H

2nd - 50m Backstroke
2nd - 100m Freestyle
3rd - 50m Butterfly
3rd - 50m Freestyle
3rd - 50m Breastroke

Runner Up Age Champion - Senior (Primary) Boys

May God continue to bless you all.

Mr Simon Abernethy
College Principal

Mrs Kristina Sulentic and her husband Josip welcomed their son Ante.

Ms Siobhan Moore and her husband Ben welcomed their son Fionn.

Mr Stavros Arzapitian and his wife Paula welcomed their daughter, Adeline.

Mr Anthony Glynn and his wife Georgee welcomed their son, Theodore.

Mr Tim Stibbard and his wife Claire welcomed their daughter, Georgia.


We send the above families all of our love and best wishes.

Mrs Melissa Vella
Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning

A number of students I have spoken to recently admitted to only receiving around 6 hours or less of sleep per night.  Students stated that they were accustomed to staying  up late for various reasons and could not retrain themselves to get to bed earlier.   

Good sleep is essential for good health. Lack of sleep can affect one’s immune system, mood and increase one’s chances of developing conditions such as heart disease.  But many of us struggle to get enough rest. 

The Raising Children’s Network recommends between 11-13 hours sleep per night for young children, 10-11 hours for primary school children and 8-10 hours for secondary school-aged kids. 

Below are some sleep tips recommended by Michael Grose, one of Australia’s leading parenting educators to help your child get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep is regulated by a 24-hour body clock that manages the secretion of melatonin to send us to sleep and cortisol to wake us up.

This amazing body clock is reset every day when light first hits our retinas. Sleep in late and the clock goes out of sync.

When your child works with the rhythms of their body’s 24-hour clock they will give themselves the optimal chance for sleep success.

The sleep-wake cycle for teenagers is delayed by up to two hours. That is, they are sleepy later and awake later than when they were children. Melatonin, which makes them sleepy, is secreted as late as 11.00pm for some young people, which makes the time before bed-time a sleepless zone. Cortisol, the chemical that wakes them up is released at close to 8.00am for many teens. If this is the case, your young person’s brain wants to be asleep when they need to be awake for school.

Develop good sleep hygiene habits

• Start a regular bedtime routine at least 45 minutes out from bedtime to help kids get ready for sleep.
  
  
• Eat and exercise at the right time. Sleep likes a relaxed body and a calm nervous system, so schedule exercise and active movement before mealtimes.
  
  
• Create a sleep sanctuary. Restrict bedrooms to sleep and relaxation quarters and find other places in the house for time out and reflection, school work and active play.
  
  
• A child’s bedroom should be cave-like: that is, dark, cool and free from electronic devices. Darkness encourages melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake patterns.
  
  
• Get up at a regular time. For optimal sleep, bed and wake up times need to be as regular as possible.

Lifestyle habits that promote sleep

• Teach your child or young person to put away digital devices at least ninety minutes before bed-time.
  
• Minimise weekend sleep-ins and limit them to an hour more than usual, to keep the sleep clock operating on a regular basis.
  
  
• Encourage your child to go outside every day – take a walk, meet a mate (subject to COVID restrictions) or do an errand.
  
  
• Keep homework out of bedrooms, or at least out of beds. The brain associates activity with location, so if kids work while on their beds, it will be hard for them to mentally switch off from their schoolwork when the light finally goes out.

Sleep is a critical component of enhancing a child’s wellbeing, learning, development and overall performance. Helping your child to get enough quality sleep will ensure that their brain and body are being used at full capacity.

For further information access https://www.parentingideas.com.au/

Mrs Agostino
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

 
School Photography Date: Thursday 20/08/2020
Catch up & Sibling Portrait Date: Wednesday 26/08/2020

Online Order link:
 https://www.advancedimage.com.au/keycode/keycodefinder.aspx?keycode=EBQQLX2H1

ONLINE ORDER CODE: 
EBQ QLX 2H1

Dear Parents/Carers,

College Photo Day is being held on Thursday 20 August 2020 (Term 3, Week 5A). Catch up and sibling portrait date is Wednesday 26 August 2020.

Portrait photographs can be purchased by following the link above and entering the online order code. 

Due to COVID restrictions, class photos will not be taken in groups, they will be provided in a booklet as a group of student class portraits.

Important Information:

• Don’t forget to order your sibling photos now.
  ONLINE Sibling Orders will close at 11.59am on 19/08/2020.
• Late fees/additional charges will be applied for purchases made after photo day.
• Photos will be returned to your school for distribution approximately six weeks after photos are taken.
• Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups available at school’s advancedlife & youradvancedyou photo sites
  (follow the link above).

*Sibling photographs (if available) must be ordered online prior to the day of photography. A sibling photograph will not be taken without an order. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at the College.

• All students are to be in full winter uniform. Please ensure that that your child's uniform complies to the SFCC uniform policy.
• There will be no sports uniform that day - any classes that were to have a practical sport lesson on this day will have a theory lesson in a classroom.
• Please ensure that school shoes are polished.
• Hair to be brushed and tidy, with correct College ribbons for the students who tie up their hair.

Advancedlife would welcome your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience as fast as possible, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments and/or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience please contact  enquiries@advancedlife.com.au 

During Week 2, I had the pleasure of introducing myself to the Junior Years students by visiting their classrooms. I read them a story about Jesus and had a discussion with them about their learning in Religious Education.

A great time was shared by all and I cannot wait to make more visits to classrooms during Religious Education lessons to support teachers and students with their learning.

Religion activities to share at home

Kindergarten: Talk with your family about the special things you do together and how your family shows love.

Year 1: Talk with your family about the Bible and the stories that you have read in class during Religion. Why are these stories special to you?

Year 2: As a family discuss how it feels to be forgiven. Celebrate the love in your family and how you make good choices to help this love grow.

Year 3: Talk with your family about Saints. Discuss the names of some Saints you have been learning about in class. 

Year 4: Talk to your family about how you can live more in harmony with others and the world by being a steward of creation.

St Mary of the Cross Mackillop Feast Day

Mary MacKillop Feast Day is held on August 8, in honour of the revered Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. She was the first Saint of Australia.

Mary MacKillop is recognised for her commitment to the poor, educating children and helping those who needed it the most in any way she could.

To mark this special occasion students in K-4 participated in a variety of activities to learn more about the life of Australia’s one and only saint. 

Prayer to St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.

With confidence in your generous providence
and through the intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop
We ask that you grant our request of ...
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit
so that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and openness.

Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. 

Amen

Year 4 Artworks

See below for some wonderful artwork completed by Year 4 students to commemorate this special feast day. 

Artwork by Harini A

Artwork by Jacob M

**************************************************************

that "ordinary time" is the longest liturgical season of the church year?

Mrs Jade Weaver
Acting Religious Education Leader (Junior Years)

On Thursday 30th of July, the Year 7 and 8 SFCC MISA debating teams competed in the first debate of the 2020 MISA Debating competition via Zoom, against Thomas Hassall Anglican College. 

Year 7 Team

Thalia, Alina, Joban and Daniel
(Habron - Yr 7 reserve)

Year 7 debated the topic "Children under the age of 12 should have mobile phones"

Year 8 Team

Nicholas, Honey, Sienna and Adalina
(Pakeeza - Yr 8 reserve)

Year 8 debated the topic "Daily exercise should be part of the school timetable".

Both teams put up a great debate, with our Year 8 team winning their first debate for 2020. 

Whilst Year 7 did not win, they debated confidently for their first ever debate.

On Thursday 13th of August, the Year 8 SFCC MISA debating team competed in the second debate of the 2020 MISA Debating competition via Zoom, against William Carey Christian School. 

On this day the team consisted of Pakeeza, Honey, Sienna and Adalina (Nicholas - Yr 8 reserve).

Year 8 debated the topic, "Homework is a waste of time".  The Year 8 team put up a great debate, however William Carey was announced the winner of the debate. While Year 8 did not win, they debated confidently.

Our Year 7 and Year 8 teams will debate again in Round 3 via Zoom on Thursday 28th August against Mount Carmel Catholic College.

Well done SFCC MISA Debating teams! We are proud of your amazing efforts. 

Mrs Vaga, Mrs Sanchez, Miss Shoard and Mrs Kelleher
Debating Coaches

Throughout the course of the 2020 school year, the PB4L (Positive Behaviours for Learning) team endeavours to promote the voice of students and the amount of student-lead initiatives.

The 'Eddie's' is a playground leadership group that has been named after Blessed Edmund Rice.  The 'Eddie's' are students in Year Seven and Eight who have volunteered their time during breaks to promote positive interactions between the Kindergarten to Year Four students.

This year we have also introduced the 'J-Eddie's (Junior Eddie's) who are a group of Year Four students who will undertake a similar role to the 'Eddie's.

The focus of the 'J-Eddie's/Eddie's' is to encourage the Touchstones of Edmund Rice in order to foster positive interactions between students during break time.

The Touchstones of Edmund Rice are Gospel Spirituality, Inclusive Community, Justice and Solidarity and Liberating Education.

Mr Watson

The Year 8 NET Encounter Day was such an amazing day and experience.

We played a variety of games like “The Laser Eye” and “The Phantom Winker”. We were given an inspirational talk by Ariana, one of the members of NET team, about social justice. 

One of the highlights of the day was the prayer session where we were given a 'letter from Jesus' which was a quick reminder that Jesus loves us and that he was always there for us no matter what, which is so relevant in times like this. We were also prayed for by the members of NET team.

I personally loved the experience as I went into it with an open mind and a positive attitude which allowed me to get the most out of the day. I truly grew closer to God and I was able to grow spiritually by having a deeper connection with Jesus.

I would like to thank all the teachers who were at the Encounter Day for making this day possible, I would also like to thank the NET team for such a great experience.

Abigail A
Year 8

Since the beginning of Term 3, there has been an air of excitement building around our school and it's all centred on the topic of Mathematics.

It is not unusual for teachers to walk around the playground in the morning to find pockets of students actively trying to solve a Mathematics puzzle and talking about the patterns that they notice.  

The great St Francis Catholic College Mathematics Challenge Wall involves students solving a range of mathematical problems to win points for their house and to prove that Mathematics is indeed fun and exciting. 

Each Tuesday morning a new set of challenges is presented for students to solve. There are 5 points allocated to each puzzle that is answered correctly and additional bonus points are allocated to students who provide correct answers to each puzzle, with explanations of their thinking. 

It is truly rewarding to see our students not only build their capacity to solve mathematical problems but to witness the positive attitudes that our students are developing for this subject.

Our Junior Years Leaders are commended for their role in sharing this initiative with junior years students as they have done a truly remarkable job. Students in Years 5 and 6 have also risen to the challenge and are working hard to contribute to the fun and learning.

Mrs Bridgeen Pritchard
K-4 Numeracy Coordinator