St Francis of Assisi News

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

Welcome to Term Three! We hope everyone had a restful couple of weeks off and it was wonderful to see that all the children have come back eager to learn this term. Coming back to school provides the students with a great opportunity to get back into routine which can make returning to school a little easier and with less anxiety. Be clear about your expectations but supportive at the same time. The way we support children around this will make them more willing to return and make them feel better about themselves and school in general.

NAIDOC WEEK CELEBRATIONS

Whilst we were on holiday, official NAIDOC Week celebrations took place around the country. Here at school, we recognised this important time last week when the students returned. We had a week full of learning and understanding, centred around recognising the significant impact and contribution our First Nation’s people have had on our country. We kindly thank the staff who are on the school’s Cultural Awareness Team who organised many activities across the week for our students to participate in and learn from. We started with a NAIDOC-themed liturgy on Monday morning, followed by before-school and lunchtime art activities, and our celebrations culminated in a performance from Wesley College’s Moodijt Dance Mob combined with a smoking ceremony led by Derek Nannup, a local Whadjuk elder. The students were thoroughly engaged all week and showed our visitors the utmost respect while interacting with them.

A WARM WELCOME TO NEW STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

This term we welcome five new students and their families to our St. Francis of Assisi (SFOA) school community. It’s great to have Hudson and the Scolyer family back at SFOA and we hope that Hudson has settled well into PPW. We have four new students starting in our middle and upper year groups, and we trust that Miguel Rojas Giraldo (3B), Lillian Nagi (3W), Riley Thorp (4B) and Eleanor O’Connor (5W), along with their families, have had a welcoming and enjoyable start to their time at SFOA. We have a wonderful community here and we look forward to sharing lots of memorable moments over the next few years with you all.

STAFFING NEWS

The school also welcomes a new staff member this term. Mrs Jodi Butterworth is joining our team as an Aboriginal Teaching Assistant (ATA). Jodi currently works at IMCC in a similar role and brings a wealth of talent and experience with her. She will work closely with the school’s Indigenous students (and at times the wider school community) enhancing the knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture. The fact that Jodi works at both campuses will also be advantageous when running joint initiatives between the two schools whilst also being another familiar and friendly face when our students transition to IMCC.

2024 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

The 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games are almost upon us and what a great celebration of human achievement and determination they are set to be. The Games are not just about sporting prowess, they are a great way to showcase culture and human endeavour. The school will be using this opportunity, both in the classrooms and as a whole community, to discuss Olympic history, its origins and relevance, and also acknowledge the great achievements of our able-bodied and paralympic athletes as the Games unfold. It could also be a great opportunity to the Games as an instigator for meaningful conversations about geography, culture, customs and languages. C’mon Aussies!

STUDENTS ARRIVING TO SCHOOL BEFORE 8AM

This is a reminder that students are not to arrive at school before 8am. We do not have the capacity to provide a duty of care to students who arrive unsupervised before this time. If they need to be dropped off at school before 8am, arrangements should be made with our before-school care provider, Camp Australia whose details can be found on our website. A reminder too, that all school play equipment is out of bounds before and after school. Thank you for your understanding on these matters.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Can you please ensure that your child is wearing the correct winter school uniform and that things associated with the uniform policy like hair, jewellery and make-up are also followed. We understand that at times uniform items go missing, don’t fit properly and need ordering, but as a school community we all need to be supportive of the policy agreed upon at the time of enrolment. This approach provides an equal playing field for all.

SCHOOL CENSUS – FRIDAY 2ND AUGUST

Please see the attached document regarding the collection of school data from the Australian Federal Government Department of Education. The census will take place on Friday the 2nd of August and we ask that parents follow the correct protocols if their child/children is/are absent from school on that day.

TERM 3 IMPORTANT DATES

Please see the attachment below for a list of important Religious, Sporting and School events for Term 3. As always, the most up to date reflection of school events are found in the live calendar link below. Please diarise the relevant dates to your calendars.

Have a great end to your week.

Best wishes

Geoff Clarke

Acting Principal

Over the school holiday break, Mr and Mrs Kinder welcomed their beautiful baby daughter, Mabel, into the world. From all of us in the SFOA community, we wish the Kinder family and Mabel the very best over the coming weeks and months as they create the special family bonds that will last a lifetime. Enjoy those newborn snuggles and cuddles and take the time to soak up every moment with the new addition to your family.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Term 3 is underway and we have a lot coming up!

CONFIRMATION

Confirmation is only a few weeks away now! We only have 2 commitments (Parent + Child) for this sacrament and you are expected to attend both with your child.

Commitment Masses

This weekend we have the commitment masses at St Andrew’s Church – you must attend ONE with your child and bring the completed RED card. During the Mass, the children will be invited to come to the steps where they will say their commitment and hand the card to Father. The parents will also say their commitment. A copy of these commitments & the red card were in the Confirmation Information pack sent home last term.

Mass times:

Saturday 6pm

Sunday 8am, 10am, 5pm

Confirmation Workshop

Tuesday 30th July 6pm – 7pm in the St Francis of Assisi CPS Hall. A parent or sponsor (or both!) must attend with the child being confirmed.

Please bring:

· White Confirmation Card (completed)

· Number of guests attending Confirmation

· Your child’s iPad

All other activities and commitments are CHILD ONLY and during school hours.

REA (Religious Education Assessment – Years 3 and 5)

Yesterday and today our Year 3 and 5 classes have completed Practice Tests in readiness for next week’s REA. The REA is a system-wide online assessment used to measure student learning of the Religious Education Curriculum mandated for WA.

Next week, Year 5 (Wednesday 31st July) and Year 3 (Thursday 1st August) will complete the assessment. The REA test questions are divided into 4 areas:

· Jesus

· Bible

· Sacraments and Prayer

· Church

A letter informing parents about the REA dated 13th June, is still available on seesaw.

Yr 3 CLASS MASS

On Friday 2nd August we have the Year 3 Class Mass. The Year 3s have been completing a unit of work centred on Confirmation, and their Mass will reflect this unit of work. Parents are invited to join us at 8:45am in the Hall.

St James – Apostle

Today is the feast day of St James, one of Jesus' disciples. Nothing much is known of St. James’ early life, though it has been established that he is the brother of John the Evangelist, another of Jesus' disciples.

Sometimes referred to as St James the Greater, the title "the Greater" was added to St. James' name because he was the first of TWO James' called to be an Apostle! The other Apostle, James "the Less," is believed to have been much shorter than James "the Greater!"

Saint James was one of Jesus' first disciples. He was fishing unsuccessfully with his father and brother John when Jesus came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee and called for them and told them to try their nets in the water once again. When they followed Jesus' instructions, they found their nets full, and after emptying the fish on board, the boats nearly sank from their weight!

Later, James was one of only three Apostles (Peter, James & John) called by Jesus to witness his Transfiguration. Following Jesus' Ascension, James spread the Gospel across Israel and the Roman kingdom as well. He travelled and spread the Word for nearly forty years in Spain, and is honoured as the patron saint of that country.

Term 3 Liturgies and Masses

Friday 2 August - Yr 3 Class Mass 8:45am

Thursday 8 August - St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Liturgy 8:45am

Thursday 15 August - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass 1:45pm

Friday 30th August - Kolbe Feast Day (Liturgy 8:45am)

Miss Dee Campbell

Welcome back to Term 3! We have a very busy term in regards to sport. If you are wanting to sign your child up for afterschool sport activities, please do so ASAP as they have started this week.

Congratulations to Leon Gilsenan in Year 6 for stepping up and becoming the new McCormack Sports Vice Captain for the rest of the year! I am sure you will lead McCormack with pride!

Miss Meagan Kruenert

Sports Teacher

Dear Parents,

In Week 3 school fee reminder statements will be sent out to families. There are still families who have not started any payment from the beginning of this year for their child's school fees. Could you please attend to this matter ASAP. Follow up appointments with Jason Baker will be made in Week 4.

All families on Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) need to provide the school with their current card to continue receiving the discount for 2024. If your card has expired, please bring in your new card to the school office ASAP. If we do not receive your HCC you will be charged the full fees.

Kind regards,

Geneve Bastian

Enrolment for Musicorp's music program is now open!

If your child is interested in learning a new instrument in Term 3, they are encouraged to sign up today. This music program provides students with an enriching and engaging experience, where students have fun and learn a new skill with their peers.

Lessons are currently available on a wide variety of instruments: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano/Keyboard, Percussion/Electronic Drums, Violin, Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxaphone, Trumpet, and Trombone!

HOW TO ENROL:

simply visit the website at https://rent.musicorp.com.au/tuition_online_eoi/ or call Musicorp at 1300 858 911 for more info.

Our next P & F meeting will be on Wednesday 31st July at Café Collective in Merriwa. Come along for a coffee and find out more about the P & F and what we do for our school. The meeting starts at 8:30am and we hope to see you there.

One of the highlights of the year for our students is the annual school Disco, which will take place on Friday the 13th September. This is a fun event where the children can enjoy music, dancing, and games. The Disco will be held in the school hall and there will be more details about the Disco, including the theme and the time slots for different year levels in the coming weeks. Please keep an eye on the school newsletter and the P & F Facebook page for updates.

We wish everyone a great start to term 3 and thank you again for your support.

Happy Birthday to the following students who are celebrating their birthday over the next two weeks:

Blake Brunton-Lamb, Stephen Garrigan, Spencer Cousins, Sophie Rubio Kobayashi, Preeti Martin, Willow Farrelly, Alexandar Srbinovski, Mia Reynolds, Rueben Smith, Jesse Smith, Juvontino Raj, Kian Prasad, Riak Chol, Miller Corrigal-Locket, Coby Morgan, Blanche Odongo, Noah Rapi-Beddall, Rose Barker.

We wish you all a wonderful day!!

Over the last month, we have welcomed new babies into our school community.

Congratulations to:

• the Dock family (Samarra in Year 3, Lincoln in Year 1 and Elijah in Kindy) on the arrival of their baby boy 'Matthew'.
• the Brunton-Lamb family (Blake in Kindy) on the arrival of their baby boy 'Chase'
• the Vaz Duffy family (Luiza in Pre-Primary) on the arrival of their baby girl 'Chloe'
• the Cullen family (Tadhg in Kindy) on the arrival of their baby boy 'Cailum'

We wish them all the best over the next few weeks and months as they create some very special memories together (as well as hopefully getting some sleep!).

Thursday 25 July - REA Practice

Friday 26 July - Merit Assembly & 'Friends of Francis' raffle draw / REA Practice

Saturday 27 July & Sunday 28 July - Confirmation Commitment Masses @ St Andrew's Church

Monday 29 July - Year 6 excursion to Fremantle Prison

Tuesday 30 July - Confirmation Parent Workshop (6:00pm)

Wednesday 31 July - Yr 2 excursion 'Charlie & the Chocolate Factory'/P&F Meeting (8:30am)/Yr 5 REA Assessment

Thursday 1 August - Footprints Installation Mayor visit/Yr 3 REA Assessment

Friday 2 August - School Census Day /Yr 3 class Mass (8:45am)

Tuesday 6 August - Yr 2 & Yr 4 Boogie Bounce incursion

Wednesday 7 August - Confirmation Rehearsal and Reconciliation

Thursday 8 August - Mary MacKillop Liturgy (8:45am)

Friday 9 August - Confirmation Retreat

Monday 12 August - Friday 16 August - Book Week

Thursday 15th August - Whole School Mass (1:45pm) Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Friday 16 August - Book Week Parade (8:45am)

Please see below for the latest Camp Australia newsletter.

Applications are invited from students entering Year 7 2025 for Instrumental Music & Choral Scholarships for IMCC. Apply online, applications close on Friday 20th September 2024. For more information, please see the details below.

The Uniform shop is open every Tuesday morning from 8:00am-9:00am during school terms.

Where: Operating out of the demountable at the rear of the school!

Ph: (08) 9204 1701

Email: mailto:sales@jfe.net.au

Address: 1/85 Guthrie St, Osborne Park 6017

Mon-Thur: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Friday: 8:00am - 3:30pm

Email: admin@stfrancisbutler.wa.edu.au
Website: www.stfrancisbutler.wa.edu.au
Location: 1051 Connolly Drive, Butler WA, Australia
Phone: (08) 9562 9500
Facebook: facebook.com/stfrancisbutler

Instagram: https://instagram.com/stfrancisbutler

Email: standrewsclarkson@gmail.com

Website: http://www.standrewsclarkson.com/
Location: 53 Belleville Gardens, Clarkson WA, Australia
Phone: (08) 9407 7512
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/standrewsclarkson/