They say ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ and this has certainly been the case this term. It’s hard to believe that Term 1 is almost at its end. I would like to thank everyone for your support. It has been a very busy term, with a significant number of achievements and I feel very confident about the direction in which the College is heading. Our new building will progress next term and will be a game changer in terms of teaching & learning. 

However, the buildings are never what this College was about. The people are what make our community special and what I am most proud of. 300 new students and their families have now settled in and the vast majority are happy, comfortable and in routine. Over 25 new staff have added great value to our community. I am very proud of the cooperation and welcome they received from existing staff and the fantastic contributions they have made to make SFCC a better place. 

In this edition of the newsletter, I have included an article from the Australian Catholic University publication ‘Alum’ (Issue 11 2018), which discusses the virtues of Selective Schools. It remains a concern of mine, that some of our parents aspire to their children enrolling in Selective Schools and pay money for their kids to sit the selective school exams. Please read the article by Associate Professor Philip Parker & Menios Constantinou as it highlights concerns with the notion of ‘selectivity’.

St Francis thrives on diversity and meets the needs of our academically gifted children by regularly modifying school work to make learning more challenging and extending student knowledge. We have an identification process through Slosson testing and highly capable students may be offered opportunities to be in programs such Spliced, University of Wollongong Science Fair, Mini-Archies Art Competition and the DaVinci Decathlon.

Results of Parent Communication Survey

Recently we sent out a Parent Communication Survey to examine issues around how the College communicates with parents and the preferences of families.

Some parents asked in the survey why our Parents & Friends Committee is yet to be established?  Since its establishment, the College has been investigating an alternative structure to a Parents & Friends committee. The common experience of P&F committees is that they are often poorly attended, focused on fundraising and rely on the same group of parents to do much of the work. Last year a 'Principal's Advisory Group' was presented as an option. The answer is that approval to move away from a traditional P&F model required the approval of the Bishop.

This approval has now been given and we will shortly be establishing a Family College Partnership. More information on this will be presented early Term 2. 

A summary of the results are presented below:

• Approx. 85% of parents who responded to the survey were mums
• Percentage of parents to respond from each year group:

Kinder= 43% , Year 1= 29%, Year 2= 30%, Year 3= 27%, Year 4= 19%,
Year 5= 24%, Year 6= 27%, Year 7= 27%, Year 8= 25%, Year 9= 22%

• Parents who had students start in 2017, 2018 & 2019 were equally represented roughly 1/3 each.
• ¾ of families have English as their main language. ¼ have languages other than English as their main language. There is no real dominant language other than English with numerous languages spoken at home including Amharic, Arabic, Fijian, Hindi, Malayalam, Ilonggo/Filipino, Indonesian, Nepali, Polish, Samoan, Shona/ Ndebele, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu.
• Approx. ¼ of families have their children read/translate information from the College.
• Facebook remains the most popular Social Media tool with approx. 75% of parents ‘liking’ the St Francis Facebook page. 1/3 using it regularly, 1/3 using sometimes & 1/3 not using it.
• 97% of parents have downloaded ‘Skoolbag’. The vast majority of parents use Skoolbag to access the College newsletter & notes.
• 82% of parents read the newsletter every fortnight. 11% read the newsletter once a month. The remaining 7% read it infrequently.
• The information in the College newsletter is:
• Easy to Read & Understand: 90% mostly, 10% sometimes
• Interesting & Informative: 75% mostly, 24% sometimes, 1% not really
• Relevant to Your Child: 61% mostly, 38% sometimes, 1% not really
• Most parents access the College website infrequently once their child has enrolled. They find information on the website easy to read, understand & find. 40% say it is mostly relevant to their child, 45% say sometimes, 15% not really relevant to their child.
• 83% of parents access student reports using the parent portal. 88% use the parent portal to book parent/teacher/student interviews. 66% of parents check their child’s attendance using parent portal. Most parents are open to other forms of communication on the parent portal.
• 96% of parents prefer notes/consent forms coming home via email or Skoolbag. 70% also want a hardcopy to come home with their child.
• 95% want their school fee notice to be emailed. 10% would like them sent by post. (meaning some want both)
• 80% of parents want urgent messages from the College sent via SMS text messages & 75% want it sent via Skoolbag.
• 91% of parents have attended at least one parent information evening in the last 12 months. Week nights Monday – Thursday receive greater than 75% support. 90% of parents suggest they attend these nights because the want to be involved for their children. 76% say these nights are highly relevant. Approx 80% see this as an opportunity to network with other parents.
• 98% of K-4 parents would raise an issue with the class teacher as the first port of call. Parents of students in Years 5-9 would firstly go to Homeroom teacher (50%), Subject teacher (27%) or Year Coordinator (15%).
• Do you feel comfortable raising concerns with the College: 82% mostly, 17% sometimes. 1% No.
• If concerns are raised the College has listened and tries to respond appropriately: 70% mostly, 27% sometimes, 3% Not really.
• Do you believe that the College listens to feedback & suggestions from families? 68% mostly, 28% sometimes, 4% not really.
• Do you feel comfortable offering feedback & suggestions? 71% mostly, 21% sometimes, 8% not really.
• Do you think a formal suggestion box email would make it easier for families to offer suggestions? 75% yes, 20% not sure, 5% no.
• Overall do you feel well informed about your child’s learning/progress? 66% mostly, 25% sometimes, 9% not really.
• Overall do you feel well informed about College news & events? 83% mostly, 16% sometimes, 1% not really.
• Overall do you feel well informed about College policy & information? 83% mostly, 15% sometimes, 2% not really.
• Overall how well does St Francis communicate with families? 66% great, 28% good, 6% needs improvement.

As a result of the survey, what do we continue to do?

• Provide the newsletter digitally via email & Skoolbag.
• Provide photos and news stories on the College Facebook page.
• Provide promotional material & infrequently accessed info for parents on the College website.
• Provide notes & consent forms via Skoolbag, Email & provide hardcopies.
• Deliver academic reports & parent/teacher/student interview bookings via the parent portal.
• Deliver school fee notices digitally via email.
• Send urgent messages from the College via SMS text & Skoolbag.
• Continue to promote with K-4 families the notion of the class teacher being the first port of call for concerns.
• Continue to promote with 5-9 families the notion of the class teacher being the first port of call for specific academic concerns, the Pastoral Class teacher for specific Pastoral concerns & the Year/Stage Coordinator for general overall concerns.

What will we change as a result of the survey?

• Introduce a formal suggestion box email for parents, students and families.
• Commence a Family - College Partnership Group which will be a consultative group and allow parents/carers and students to work in partnership with the College Leadership Team.
• Conduct an information evening in Term 2 to update families on the progress of building works, the College master plan, future building projects, College facilities and developments.
• Promote the online translator function on the College newsletter.
• Increase support for students & families who have English as an additional language dialect.
  

Have a great student vacation break!

Mr Simon Abernethy
College Principal

Students will be celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus during a short 15 minute Easter Liturgy of the Word on Monday 29th April at 8:30am. 

Parents are welcome to attend.

Save the Date - Friday 10th May 6:30pm

To celebrate mother’s and significant female figures in our lives we will be celebrating Mother’s Day by holding a Outdoor Movie Night here at St Francis.   A note with further details and RSVP will be sent out to families shortly.

Edmund Rice Feast Day

As a College we will be celebrating Edmund Rice Feast Day on Friday 3rd May 2019. The day will begin with a Mass, followed by a morning tea for parents/carers. The students will participate in a range of activities aimed at developing an awareness of social justice issues. A note with further information is being sent home tomorrow (Thursday).

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day - 25th April is a day that we remember all Australians who have served our country and died during war or operational service. As a College community the students will be commemorating this significant day in HSIE classes throughout the first week of Term 2.

Edmund Rice Foundation Australia

As a College founded in the Edmund Rice tradition we have close links to both Edmund Rice Education Australia and Edmund Rice Foundation Australia.

Edmund Rice Foundation Australia has launched a new initiative, Gone Trekking. This fundraising adventure challenge is in support of the amazing work being done in Papua New Guinea.

Please see the brochure and registration below for further information.


Miss Lisa Christensen
Religious Life & Mission Coordinator

On Tuesday 9 April, the skies cleared and we were able to hold our assemblies!!

Congratulations to all of our award recipients, in particular our Bronze and Silver Award recipients who were as follows:-

Junior Years Learning - Silver Awards

(L-R) Ivanna D, Chloe C, Joshua E, Mr Abernethy

Junior Years Learning - Bronze Awards

(L-R) Alayna D, Sienna V, Rubi-Rose S, Mr Abernethy

Middle Years Learning - Bronze Awards

(L-R) Abbey T, Scarlett C, Marie-Desiree T, Mrs Agostino, Liam N, James K

Dear Parents/Carers,

SFCC now is offering an option for you to be able to pay your school fees via credit card online.  

Simply go to the College website at http://www.sfccdow.catholic.edu.au select the "Payments and Fees" option in the top menu bar, and then enter your details under the "Payment" tab. 

Once you enter your details, your payment will then be processed by the College. 

Please do not hesitate to contact College Reception on 4645 3400 if you have any questions regarding the above.

Kind regards

Mrs Elizabeth Rickard
College Finance Officer

CASH ACCOUNTS AT THE CANTEEN

From the beginning of Term 2, the Canteen will no longer be maintaining cash accounts for students** or staff.  This is due to the increased number of students and the time it takes to process the accounts during break times.

All orders should be placed online using flexischools, where you can set up a credit account https://www.flexischools.com.au/ or you or your child can order and pay directly at the canteen counter.

** Excludes students who have made special arrangements with Made Fresh Canteen Manager.

CONTACTING THE CANTEEN

If you would like to contact the Canteen regarding any issues with your child’s lunch or any other queries, please use the following contact information. 

Flexischools is an online ordering system and as such the Canteen does not process the lunch orders at the College.

• For student safety, parents are asked to park in the commuter car park off Airds Road (see attached image).
  
  
• It is expected that all students depart for the Athletics Carnival from the College so that rolls can be marked accurately. Students need to be at the College by 7.50am for 800m runners and 8.30am for the remainder of students.
  
  
• As this is a compulsory College event, parents/carers are permitted to sign students out at the conclusion of the athletics carnival, not beforehand. There will be an announcement made over the loudspeaker when students can be collected, and you will need to see your child's classroom/pastoral teacher for this.
  
  
• The grandstand is for student use only, however parents may sit with their child during break time only. 
  
  
• If students wish to use the canteen they will need to bring money with them. If parents are present they may purchase food for their child to be consumed during break time only.
  
  
• Only parent helpers are permitted onto the track.
  
  
• We advise that you bring a chair, hat, sunscreen, water, food and a jacket.

Kind regards

Miss Jessica Flegg
Sport Coordinator

Thank you to the parents/carers who have indicated on permission notes that you can assist us at the College Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 30^th April.

Please take note of the following details:

• All students need to travel from the College so we ask that you drop your children at the College and then arrive at Campbelltown Athletics Stadium by 8.30am.
  
  
• On arrival at Campbelltown Athletics Stadium please see Miss Flegg so you can be allocated your role.
  
  
• For student safety, parents are asked to park in the commuter car park off Airds Road.
  
  
• We recommend that you bring a chair, hat, sunscreen, water, snacks, jacket, etc.  Lunch will be provided for you.

If you haven’t already provided the College with your Working With Children Check details you will need to do this ASAP.

This can be completed at https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/working-with-children-check. 

Please send your full name, clearance number and date of birth to info@sfccdow.catholic.edu.au

Once again thank you for helping and ensuring the carnival runs smoothly. We couldn’t do it without you!

Miss Jessica Flegg
Sport Coordinator

A big THANK YOU to all of the parents and staff who attended our K-4 Numeracy Information Evening on Wednesday 27th March. It was wonderful to see our staff and parents come together to discuss the role of Numeracy in children's lives and the strategies we can implement both at school and at home to support them.  

All presentations from the evening can now be accessed via the College Website under “Academic Life” and then “Junior Years Learning (K-4)”.We appreciate the time taken to provide feedback on the evening and we are so pleased that the night was such a success!

Quotes from some parents on the night include:

“The session was very helpful!” - Year 3 Parent

“This session was very helpful. Thank you for your time. I liked the examples shared as I have studied overseas and although the concept is the same (maths being universal) the terminology used in class is very different to how I learnt Maths.” - Year 2 Parent

“Very informative, useful and practical. Good tips to use Mathematics with kids in daily life.” - Year 2 Parent

“Numeracy information evening was awesome and was full of information. Thanks” - Year 1 Parent

“Found this useful as I think that as adults we too sometimes have to get back to the basics to help give them the foundation :)” - Kindergarten Parent

“Very helpful, it gave me more ideas for helping my daughter have fun with Maths. Good job!” - Kindergarten Parent


Watch this space for more Numeracy opportunities later in the year!

Miss Libby Small
K-4 Numeracy Coordinator

On Wednesday 3rd April, I had the pleasure of taking my Year 9 Photography and Digital Media students on an excursion to The Rocks, Sydney.

Once we arrived at Circular Quay, we set off walking along the wharves, continuing to follow the path of the Sydney Heritage Walking Tour, taking in various sights around Sydney Harbour, including the Overseas Passenger Terminal, the area around the Park Hyatt Hotel, the foreshore under the Harbour Bridge and back around, up through the heritage buildings and walkways in The Rocks.

The students used the foggy weather conditions to their advantage, capturing some sound creative shots.  It was great to see students utilising their skills, getting down low, up high or balancing where possible to get the picture.

The enthusiasm of the students during the day was motivating, however after three hours of walking we filled twelve starving stomachs and walked twenty-four tired feet back to the train for the trip home.

A big thank you to Mrs Talevski for helping out on the day.  I can’t wait to see the amazing work captured by the students.

Miss Lauren Cusack
Visual Arts/Photography Teacher

Final (26/3): SFCC vs. Thomas Hassall Anglican College

Score: 3-1 Loss

The boys demonstrated excellent volleyball skills in a game which was much closer than the final score suggests. A huge improvement was shown by the boys of the course of the season and they should be proud to be the first St Francis team to make a MISA final!

Player of the Match: Whole team

Mackillop Swimming Trials

Congratulations to Stephanie G who competed in the Mackillop Swimming Trials on Wednesday 27th March.

Stephanie medalled in the 200m IM (2nd) and 50m Backstroke (3rd) and will now go on to compete in these events at the PSSA Swimming Championships on the 11th and 12th April.

We wish Stephanie all the best!

NSW Junior State Age Swimming Championships

Stephanie also won her first individual state age medal finishing 3rd in the 11 Years 200m Backstroke at the NSW Junior State Age Swimming Championships.

Bella will now progress to the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships on 13th May in the 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle events.

We wish Bella all the best!

Woolworths Earn & Learn is back for 2019

Anyone can help our College earn valuable resources by collecting stickers to support SFCC when they shop at Woolworths, whether they’re staff, parents or friends.

With every $10 spent at Woolworths, one sticker is collected.

These can be placed onto the Earn & Learn sticker sheets
OR on the Earn & Learn Posters at the student entry door
on the College Reception verandah.

There are collection boxes at the Parent Counter and on the verandah at College Reception.

Thank you for your support!!

Did you know that our Newsletter can be translated into other languages?

Please do not hesitate to give our translator a go.