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- Message from Mr Abernethy
- Mary Mother of the Church
- News from the Religious Education, Mission and Identity Coordinator
- Classes of 2023
- End of Year Mass Ceremony
- JYL Assembly
- 2022 Christmas Concert
- Debating
- 10iSTEM
- Discover Engineering Workshop
- Year 4 Excursion
- Japanese Club
- Poziers Road Crossing
- Information for Parents
- College Fee Information
- Transitions and Pathways
Dear Parents & Friends,
Last night we celebrated our Inaugural Year 12 Formal. It was a great celebration with students and the families as well as an enormous number of staff. Our first Year 12 cohort may be the smallest in the College (35 students) but they worked hard with strong support to achieve great results. It is a real joy for me to announce that even before the HSC results are released our Year 12 students have already been offered the following university places:
Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)- Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Psychology- Macquarie University
Bachelor of Veterinary Technologies- Charles Sturt University
Diploma of Business - Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Business - Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Business- Australian Catholic University
Bachelor of Health Science/Clinical Medicine- Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts- Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Laws- Macquarie University
Bachelor of Advanced Health Science- Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Diagnostic Radiotheraphy)- Charles Sturt University
Bachelor of Construction Management (Honours)- Western Sydney University
Diploma Science/Bachelor of Medical Science- Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Nursing- Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Game Development/Music- SAE Institute Sydney
Bachelor of Science - Western Sydney University
Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (Games & Simulation)- Western Sydney University
In addition students have been offered apprenticeships and traineeships. HSC results are released on December 15 and we have invited our students back for a morning tea to check in with them and get further updates on their successes.
I would like to thank the parents and carers of our Year 12 students (many of whom who in the foundation year at St Francis) for their trust. Together, we have seen fine young men and women graduate and set the standard for the future generations of students.
I also acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the staff and in particular, I thank the Year 12 Pastoral teachers Mrs Kells and Mrs Holmes who played a significant role in supporting our graduates. Huge thanks goes to Mr Zakris who provided outstanding care and leadership of Year 12 and Mrs Lyons who worked closely with students on University admission and post-school pathways.
May God continue to bless us all.
Mr Simon Abernethy,
College Principal
Garage Sale
On the 27th November 2022 Mary Mother of the Church will be having a garage sale with special items such as candles, cakes, cookies, pre-loved clothing, books and plants. These items will be available to purchase from the church Hall from 9am until 12pm.
Your support to the parish is much appreciated.
K-6 Classes 2023
It is that time of the year as a College when we are starting to look at classes for 2023. It is also the time of the year when parents start to wonder what classes their child will be in for next year.
We do not allow ‘teacher shopping’ or 'friend shopping' at St Francis. We have dedicated teachers who do their absolute best to ensure that each student in their class is catered for academically, pastorally and spiritually.
No requests for your child next year are to be taken to the classroom teachers. If you have a specific request that is essential for your child’s learning, please contact me via email on melissa.vella@dow.catholic.edu.au to discuss your concerns. This must be done by Friday 2nd December 2022.
When we are deciding on classes for next year we keep in mind:
- Friendships that are a positive for the learning of the child
- Friendships that may possibly disadvantage the learning of the child in the class or any clashes of personalities that we can avoid
- A good academic mix between the classes
- Specific needs of the child that would suit one class over the other.
On Tuesday 13th December we will have a 'promotions morning' for students moving into Years 1-6. This will give students an opportunity to potentially meet their class teacher from Years 1-4 and pastoral teacher in Years 5-6 and get to meet the students in their 2023 class.
Mrs Melissa Vella
Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning
Bronze Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received their Bronze Award recently:
Kindergarten
Scarlett F
Heath P
Year 1
Viktoria D
Lucas P
Alessia M
Zachariah P
Jacob B
Arbelina K
Mason K
Marco I
Noel J
Year 2
Treshane F
Year 3
Eduardo C
Year 4
Sienna V
Silver Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received their Silver Award recently:
Year 1
Xavier V
Year 2
Luna M
Giorgio E
Oliver M
Mason P
Ivy K
Felicity M
Vihaan V
Jherson M
Isaac F
Year 3
Tabitha B
Sanvi R
Grace J
Emma H
Rishi M
Samantha C
Gabriel S
Year 4
Aaron A
Owynn C
Gold Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received their Gold Award recently:
Noah P, Madison P, Prisha G, Zeel M, Anna G, Erika O
The countdown is on to our first Christmas Concert! Mark it in your calendars, Thursday December 15th 2022 starting at 6:15pm. Be sure to arrive by 6pm.
Only 27 days to go!
In the first part of this workshop students were challenged to create an aircraft in teams, that could carry "vaccinations to a remote town, over a river". They worked with an aeronautical engineer and mechanical engineer to create the aircraft and then tested them to find the best design. In the second workshop students were asked to code an arduino bot to make a sensor for a blind person to be able to walk without bumping into obstructions. They worked with a robotics engineer to get their 'robot' to walk them safely with their eyes closed.
風呂敷 (Furoshiki) refers to traditional Japanese wrapping cloths and the traditional use of fabric to wrap and transport goods. Furoshiki are typically made from materials such as silk or cotton, and usually have an elegant, decorative design. Furoshiki has become increasingly popular with cultures around the world as it has transformed the art of gift-giving.
The practice of Furoshiki originated around 710 B.C. in Japan during the Nara period. During this time, furoshiki was used to wrap important goods and treasures found in Japanese temples. The name Furoshiki comes from the words 風呂 (furo) which means “bath” and 敷 (shiki) which means “spread”. This term was coined after high-ranking visitors to Japanese bathhouses during the Muromachi period would pack their clothing and belongings in a special cloth decorated with their family crest.
The use of furoshiki declined in Japan’s post-war period, largely due to the influx of paper and plastic bags available to consumers. However, there appears to be a renewed interest in furoshiki in recent years as environmental protection has become a greater concern. The use of furoshiki to wrap and carry objects offers greater sustainability compared to single-use plastic bags and wrapping paper.
The Japanese Club participated in a Furoshiki Workshop and practiced many different furoshiki techniques to wrap small boxes. All that is needed to tie furoshiki is the cloth itself. Furoshiki cloth comes in a variety of sizes, however the only requirement for a furoshiki cloth is that it be of a square shape. The gift wrapper can customize the look of the furoshiki, from the pattern of the fabric to the thickness and size of the furoshiki itself. Furoshiki wrapping can also include aesthetic touches such as special ways of tying to create a bow shape, which mimics the look of a gift in wrapping paper tied with a ribbon.
The practice of furoshiki makes the art of gift-giving that much more special and personalised to the recipient. This holiday season, you might like to use some of your unused fabrics at home to create an elegantly wrapped gift for someone special this Christmas season. See the images attached here for some furoshiki tips and tricks.
Happy gifting!
Kind regards,
Ms. Tooby
Classroom Teacher
The St Francis Community would like to welcome Vimal who has been assigned as our School Crossing Officer for Poziers Road by School Crossing Program, Safety Environment & Regulation, Transport NSW.
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.
If you are currently paying by instalments there is no need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment as your request carries over from year to year unless you wish to amend the frequency of your payments eg. Weekly to Fortnightly.
EXISTING FAMILIES IN OUR COLLEGE WITHOUT INSTALMENTS:
If you would like to pay school fees by instalments in 2023 and have previously not taken up this option for payment, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on the College website or from the College administration office. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.
IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc.