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Dear parents & friends,
It was a historic week this week at St Francis, as we farewelled our first Year 12 cohort. I am very proud of these young men and women who I described at their Graduation Mass, as the pioneers and trailblazers of our community. A dictionary definition defines Trailblazer as:
- A pioneer; an innovator; a lifelong learner; a mover and shaker.
- A leader who leaves a path for others to follow.
- Most importantly, a person who builds a better world for others.
I am proud to see innovators, young adults who respectfully introduce new concepts, new ideas, have plans for how they shape their world. They have learnt to be inclusive. I had the privilege of being a group leader at their Year 12 Retreat and I know that experience helped bond them.
I am proud to see life long learners. Young adults who see mistakes as learning opportunities and realise that you never stop learning. Regardless of their career choice, they will be constantly developing new knowledge, be impacted by technological change and have to adapt to new situations.
I thank Year 12 for being leaders who leave a path for others to follow. They have set a good example, which is highlighted in the responsible and trouble free way they have left the college and have created traditions and experiences for future students to enjoy.
Most significantly Year 12 leave showing others what it means to be successful. They leave St Francis going out to apprenticeships, Veterinary Science, Law, Psychology, Nursing, the Defence Force, Policing and so forth.
They leave as a strong group who cares for each other. They leave demonstrating the importance of getting involved in the life of school and enjoying your time. They leave quality relationships with staff and students. They leave St Francis a better place for having been part of our community and leave as better, more determined, more connected, more respected, more spiritual and well rounded than when they arrived.
We wish Year 12 every blessing and I invite you to pray for them over the coming weeks as they sit the HSC.
May God continue to bless you.
Mr Simon Abernethy
College Principal
Religious Education, Identity and Mission
World Mission Month Launch
Lucas B & Christian P
On Tuesday 13th September, we got the privilege to be driven by Mrs Crescini, along with Isabella and Zoe from the Mini Vinnies team, to St Thomas More Catholic Church in Ruse. We were accompanied by all schools from the Wollongong Diocese along with their principals, staff and students. The Bishop and Catholic Education Office staff as well as Catholic Mission Staff were talking about the Catholic Mission Month Launch for this year. This year's country of focus is Ethiopia. Catholic Mission are working towards helping young Ethiopian children grow up in a nice lifestyle. They also include another theme this year, that being ‘SOCKTOBER’. Socktober encourages different schools to create their own adventure by kicking goals for kids in need. Even donating $50 can do so much for the community of Ethiopia. If you would like to be even more involved and donate $100 this can go towards purchasing more goats for the country’s milk supply.




See, Act, Judge - Social Justice Day
Hari S
In the Social Justice Workshop, we went to Corpus Christi Catholic High School at Oak flats in Wollongong. That place was very cool with its classrooms for exams, courts and much more stuff. It was a good school but I think that our school is better. Go SFCC! Many other schools were involved in this event and they were super nice to us and everyone tried their best in all parts. I did not see anyone grudging or talking about other stuff which is something that surprised me and I am happy with what everyone did at this event. We had a guest speaker named Stacey who is the founder of Escabags in which she told her story about her suffering from abuse and domestic violence. She is not alone in this, 1 in 6 women has experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner. This is not ok and it is up to us to promote equality for men and women who experience violence in the house. We did some activities in which there was one where there was a statement and we all had to stand near the sign of whether you agree or disagree and we were to explain our opinion to the rest of the group. Everyone was open minded and contributed in some way, even people who were shy were confident enough to give it a go which is something I loved to see and encourage you to do too. There were three themes in this event. They were "See, Judge, Act" and these three are the steps in solving an issue about domestic violence or any situation actually. The key takeaways from this event is the fact that we all can do something about domestic violence and it is up to us to stop this horrible idea once and for all in which we can live in a world with and open mind and a world that has women being equal to men in all areas in which we will support each other. You do not have to be a leader of a group to do this, be a leader of yourself and start spreading the word about stopping gender inequality and domestic violence. It all starts with a sentence. It will change the world.
Students from Stage 3 were invited to participate in the SFCC Public Speaking Competition. With over 40 students who auditioned for this event, the calibre was extremely high!
We wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate our finalists!
Year 5: Victoria, Casey, Aleyah and Trisha
Year 6: Harini, Sinchana, Ethan Z and Reet
These students presented their speeches to not only Stage 3, but Year 4 as well. They absolutely captivated their audiences and our external adjudicator. However only one person from each year group could win. It is with great pleasure to announce Trisha from Year 5 and Ethan Z from Year 6 who were voted our overall winners. These students will be presenting at the Diocesan Speaking competition early next term.
A massive thank you to our MCs: Lana and Zara from 5 Green who did a fantastic job ensuring the event ran smoothly.
Miss Sultana
Teacher
The next time you are feeling sick, maybe a little Wasabi will help?
Wasabi, or Japanese horseradish, is most commonly known as the spicy green paste served alongside Sushi. It has a taste similar to hot mustard, with a spice that stimulates feelings in the nose rather than the tongue, unlike the spice associated with chilli peppers.
True Wasabi is made from the plant stem of the Wasabia japonica plant. True Wasabi is freshly grated and appears bright green in colour, with a touch of quickly fading heat when eaten. The hit of heat provided by Wasabi when served with Sushi is meant to highlight the flavour of the fish.
Wasabi, which is now a crucial part of Japanese food culture, is known to have been used since the Asuka period (592 AD - 710 AD). Wasabi was used medicinally at this time, and it acted not only as a way to reduce the fishy smell of food, but also to stop bacteria from growing, and to prevent food poisoning.
The Wasabia japonica plant is incredibly hard to grow because it needs to be partially submerged in moving water, which is not a common farming structure. In Japan, wild wasabi grows in rocky riverbeds. The best place to find true Wasabi in Japan is in a prefecture known as Shizuoka. Nestled at the foot of Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka is blessed with a favourable climate for growing Wasabi, which includes heavy rain and robust soil. Shizuoka is also the place in Japan where Ms Tooby spent most of her time on exchange during her high school years, which meant she was able to eat a lot of great Wasabi during her time there.
The Japanese Club has also welcomed a new member - Mr. Wasabi! (Wasabi San)
Mr. Wasabi will take approximately 2 years to grow before being able to harvest from him, so the Japanese Club members will be patiently waiting until then!
If you like Wasabi, maybe your next trip to Bunnings will include picking up a Wasabia japonica plant of your own. Nothing teaches patience better than a garden!








Kind regards,
Ms Tooby
Classroom Teacher
Our College canteen is run by Cantina. If you have any issues, concerns or enquiries please contact Cantina on cantina1324@gmail.com
Enrolments for 2023
Just a reminder to families who have a child/ren attending St Francis and are not returning next year in 2023, could you please notify our enrolments officer at College Reception on 4645 3400 or via info@sfccdow.catholic.edu.au.