Dear Parents/Carers

This afternoon in addition to receiving this newsletter, you will receive information about our annual St Francis Feast Day which occurs at the end of Term 3 each year.

Unfortunately, this year due to COVID restrictions, we have had to completely re-imagine the event. Normally we start the day with a Mass and families are invited, followed by carnival rides for our students. In an effort to reduce risk and ensure safety, we have significantly scaled back our celebration. There will, however, still be opportunities for our students to learn about St Francis of Assisi, participate in trivia and several competitions as part of the day. Further information is provided in the separate letter that will go out via Compass. Please read the information in that letter carefully. 

The last two weeks have been very busy with our new Performance Centre reaching completion. The building had its final inspection on Wednesday and is looking amazing. The team at Morabito Constructions and JDH Architects have delivered a high quality building on budget and on time. We are very pleased and between now and the beginning of next term we will be moving in furniture and equipment, ensuring that the building is ready for the students to use in Term 4.

We have also been busy this last fortnight, organising the recruitment of teaching staff for 2021. We have had a great response with both the number and the standard of the applicants being very high.

With an additional 200+ students for next year, we expect to have student population of over 1050, and a staff of over 100 for 2021. In our final newsletter for the term, I hope to make some announcements to parents of the incoming teachers.

Thanks for your ongoing support

Mr Simon Abernethy
College Principal

Our summer uniform transition period started today, Monday 14 September 2020, 
and finishes on Friday 25 September 2020.  

During this period, as the daily temperatures can vary, either Summer or Winter uniform can be worn, however the uniform worn must be either completely Winter
OR completely Summer uniform. 

Uniforms cannot be mixed and matched.

All students must be in full Summer uniform from the beginning of Term 4,
(Monday 12 October 2020)

COLLEGE UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS

It is the expectation that every student from K-10 wear their uniform correctly each day.  The majority of students are exceptionally well groomed and wear their uniform well.  Teachers will challenge students if they arrive at school in the incorrect uniform.  If for any reason your child is not in their correct uniform, a note identifying the reason they are not in uniform must be provided to the class/homeroom teacher. Uniform infringements are monitored and recorded and breaches will be documented in your child’s yearly report.

If you are unsure about the grooming and uniform policy, please visit the College Website or the College diary (Years 5-10) or contact your child’s class/homeroom teacher.

 A few gentle reminders:

• Hats are to be worn at all times, including upon arrival and when exiting the College.
• One pair of plain gold or silver sleeper or stud earrings
•  A plain silver or gold necklace with a small crucifix worn under the blouse.
• Makeup, coloured nail polish, acrylic/fake nails are not permitted.
• Smartwatches, bracelets and rings are not permitted.
• Hair must be neat and tidy and not cut, coloured or styled in a way to draw attention.  Girls' hair must be tied up and hair accessories must be modest and in the College colours.  Boys' hair should be blended and no shorter than a No. 2 blade.
• Boys must be clean shaven.
• Students are to arrive at school in their PE uniform only on Sport days or scheduled PE practical lessons.

Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Mrs Rita Agostino
Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care

Thank you to our families who have met their school fee commitment.

A reminder that the balance of fees is due by Friday 4 December 2020. Please note that fee credits will be processed this term.

If you would like to discuss your College Fees statement, please contact our College Finance Officer, Kerrie McDonald on 4645 3400 or via email to accounts_sfcc@dow.catholic.edu.au

The MISA Youth of the Year Public Speaking Competition is an inter school competition that focuses on student awareness and understanding of current affairs. 

Two Year 9 students were interviewed before a three-person panel made up of members from the Campbelltown Toastmasters Club.

During the interview, the panel engaged in a conversation with each student for five minutes on issues such as religion, social, educational and political events in Australia and the world at the present time. 

The students were also required to present a speech from a topic of their choice drawn from current everyday life, which is of some relevance in today’s world. 

The two students who represented the College for 2020, were Elliana V and Liam N. 

Elliana and Liam were both well prepared, demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and were able to express their views on Equal Rights and Environmental Activism with passion.

Congratulations to both students on representing St Francis Catholic College with pride.

On Thursday the 10th of September four students (Aarna, Namratha, Shandesh & Isaiah) represented the College in the MISA Chess Tournament.

These students were selected through trials that were played in the lead up to the tournament. The students then routinely played against each other in order to hone their skills and provide feedback to one another.

On the day of the tournament, they versed other schools in four rounds of competition.

The four student participants have written some reflections about their experiences of the tournament and their matches below:-

Aarna

The first game was difficult but intriguing. It was an enjoyable and fun game for both players. It was a good opportunity for both players to learn from their mistakes.

The second game was better than the first. It was extremely captivating for both players. Both players played well and had a good time. 

The third game was an even better game.

Both players played well and we had a good time.

The fourth game was a good game as well it was very intriguing for both players. We had a good time and we learnt from our mistakes.

Namratha

The first game was a tough game. Both teams played really well, but in the end, it came to a draw by repetition. 

The second game was a rough game. The opponent played really well, resulting in success for that person.  

The third game was more of a success. I attacked my opponent’s pieces, which made them continuously ask for a draw. I continued the game, and I eventually won as the opponent resigned from the game.  

The fourth game was very quick. The opponent did the four move checkmate and won. 

Shandesh

The first game was a very intriguing game. Even from the start, the other player had wished good luck and I replied with wishes back. Eventually, the other player came out successful. This was mainly caused by a mistaken move involving the queen that radically changed the game.

The second game was a bit more of a success. The game began with the opponent aggressively attacking for my pieces. I realised the player’s strategy was to capture as many pieces as they could. This changed my strategy to a passive-aggressive play style and ultimately resulted in a win for the team. 

The third win came down to their abundance of pawns compared to me. This allowed them to convert two pawns into queens and eventually trap me in a corner. 

Game four was a very very interesting game, the other opponent was a very character filled person. They constantly were asking questions between the round and my position in the team. Eventually, although he took my queen early on, a mistake move from him eventually led to his loss. In the last 5 minutes, the situation became dire as he recovered a queen with a move I was not familiar with, he had one possible move every time, which was to put my king in check with his queen. This was because I had a move with a rook ready for a checkmate and he realised that. After 4 minutes of back and forth with nothing to show for it, he moved a pawn which allowed me to checkmate his king and win the game. 

Overall, the 4 games (two wins and two losses) I played today were a great, fun experience that I hope to continue on for the rest of my time here at St Francis and I would like to thank the teacher for providing me with the opportunity to compete and represent the College at such a prestigious tournament. 

Isaiah

The first game was even, making for a long match. However the opponent was quick to see a wrong move from me and got my king in a terrible position. The opponent chased my king back and forth, but it was only a stall. I was eventually checkmated and lost my first game.

The second game was a bit better. I was reduced to just my king but achieved a stalemate.

The third and fourth were both losses, one a stalemate and the other a checkmate.

Congratulations to our MISA Chess team on your efforts!

Miss Jessica Flegg
Sport Coordinator

On Thursday 10th of September, the Year 7 and 8 SFCC MISA debating teams competed in Round 3 of the 2020 MISA Debating competition, via Zoom against Oran Park Anglican College. 

Year 7 -Thalia, Joban, Daniel and Habron (Habron - Yr 7 reserve)
Year 8 -Nicholas, Honey, Sienna and Adalina (Adalina - Yr 8 reserve)

Year 7 debated the topic, ‘Coaches should be required to give equal playing time to school age athletes regardless of skill’

Year 8 debated the topic, ‘That films tell a story more effectively than books.’  

Although both teams debated extremely well they did not win this round.

We wish our teams well as they prepare for round 5.

Well done SFCC MISA Debating teams! 

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