St Francis of Assisi News

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

As we approach Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the significance of this sacred time in our Christian calendar. Palm Sunday marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, greeted by enthusiastic crowds waving palm branches and proclaiming Him as King. This event not only encapsulates the essence of hope and jubilation but also sets the stage for the events that will unfold in the days to come. It's a reminder of the duality of our faith—going from jubilant celebration to the solemn reflection of sacrifice.

During Holy Week, we embark on a spiritual journey that deepens our understanding of Christ's love and commitment to humanity. Each day serves as a poignant reminder of the events leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection. Given our school community concludes Term 1 on Friday, we will observe the upcoming events of Holy Week with our Stations of the Cross on Friday 11th April at 11:30am. This reflection will hopefully encourage us to engage more deeply with our faith and serve not just to commemorate Christ’s journey, but also to inspire us to embody His teachings in our own lives.

A special thanks to Mrs Mieschbuehler and the team from IMCC - the Stations of the Cross on Friday will be a joint performance from the IMCC Drama students and selected SFOA Year 4/5/6 children. I encourage all parents to please avail themselves of this opportunity prior to the P&F Community Lunch beginning at 12:30pm.

P&F EASTER RAFFLE & COMMUNITY LUNCH

The P&F Easter Raffle will also take place on Friday morning at 8:40am. Thank you to all the parents for their generous contributions. The children are always very excited at the chance to win a raffle and I'm sure we will have a visit from a special guest in the morning! Friday will also see us celebrate the end of term with the P&F Community Lunch after the Stations of the Cross. Lunch will begin from 12:30pm and parents are encouraged to bring a picnic rug and enjoy the broader community.

Should you wish to take your child/children home after the Community Lunch, please ensure you have signed them out via the iPads with leadership at the front of the school (or teachers for K/PP children).

SOCIAL REPORTS

These were released via Seqta Engage yesterday for children in PP-6. This is a snapshot of your child's transition and work habits throughout Term 1. A formal academic report and meetings are scheduled at the end of Term 2. Please contact the classroom teacher should you wish to discuss your child's social report or progress to date.

AFL GIRLS CARNIVAL & INTERSCHOOL SWIMMING

Last week, I was fortunate to attend the AFL Girls Carnival at North Beach on Wednesday and the Interschool Swimming Carnival at Perth HPC in Claremont on Friday. Both events were a fantastic example of our children challenging themselves in new and uncomfortable conditions, the foundation for growth.

I was super proud of the efforts on both days as both the AFL Girls (27 girls in Year 4/5/6) and the Interschool Swimmers (16 children in Year 4-6) represented our school proudly. Most importantly, they did it with smiles and had a lot of fun! Thank you to Mr Rebeiro for coordinating the two events and the parent helpers, Tyson Magistro, Sandra Makawa (AFL Girls) and Alannah Flick and Kerry McSheffrey (Interschool Swimming).

TERM 2 WINTER UNIFORM

As we conclude Term 1, we make the transition to our Winter Uniform for Term 2 and 3. A copy of the Winter Uniform policy can be found on the school website or via this link.

https://www.stfrancisbutler.wa.edu.au/uniforms

If you are unsure of uniform requirements please contact the office. All parents and children agree to the uniform policy at enrolment and therefore it is an expectation that children and parents follow this policy. There will be a two-week changeover period to start Term Two.

NO RUNNING CLUB TOMORROW!

As tomorrow will be the last day of term, there will be no running club before school. Thanks to all the children and parents who have made the effort to get down on a Friday morning this term to get in some exercise and fun!

KISS N DRIVE

A reminder to all parents that the Kiss and Drive is designed for efficient use to ensure children are dropped off or collected safely and in a timely manner before and after school. Throughout this term, I have been shocked to see parents ignore the flow of the kiss and ride by doing U-turns after collecting or dropping off their child. This is not only an unsafe practice, but also disrespectful to the other 300 families trying to collect children. Every parent is looking to be as quick as possible when using the kiss and drive and no single parents' time is more valuable than any others.

There is no perfect scenario to ease traffic when trying to dismiss 400 children at one time, therefore I ask parents to please follow the rules when using the kiss and ride. This means staying inside your vehicle when dropping or collecting your child, following the traffic around the roundabout at the end of the carpark as designed and ensuring no child walks across the carpark unaccompanied by an adult.

DISABLED PARKING BAYS

We have two disabled parking bays that are designated for parents with an ACROD Permit. Once again, as with any public car parking space, these bays are soley reserved to support individuals with a disability (which is evidenced by a valid ACROD permit on display). Throughout this term, I have noticed many parents pulling into the disabled bays to 'drop off' their children. Again, all parents are keen to drop off quickly and safely and by disregarding the alloted disabled bays, this is disrespectful and against the law.

Whilst I am not in the position to issue fines, parents or drivers found doing u-turns in the kiss and drive or accessing the disabled parking bay without a valid ACROD will be warned. Should they continue to disrespect other parents' and the school, they will be asked to park outside the school grounds and their access to the carpark revoked. I will be policing this in Term Two.

TERM 2 EVENTS

Please see the attachment below for a list of various religious, sporting and school events for Term 2. As always, the most up-to-date list is accessed via the Live Calendar below.

HOLIDAYS

With the holidays beginning and the preparation for Easter starting this Sunday, let us use this Holy Week as an opportunity for introspection and growth. It is a time not only to remember the sacrifices made but also to renew our commitment to living out the values of compassion, kindness, and service. May we approach this important week as a community united in faith, hope, and love, supporting one another in our individual and collective journeys. I wish you all a blessed Palm Sunday and a meaningful Holy Week ahead.

For those travelling over the holidays please stay safe and for those making the most of the break from lunches and uniforms, enjoy! Thank you to our parent and staff community for their efforts throughout Term One and we look forward to seeing families return happy, healthy and refreshed in Term Two.

Enjoy your holidays!

Jason Baker

Principal

Year Two Liturgy

The Year Two cohort performed their class liturgy on Friday 4th July. The students presented their prayers, songs, and readings beautifully. Thank you to the Year Two parents for the large turnout, your support and enthusiasm made this event truly special and memorable. A big thank you to our dedicated teachers, Mrs Rossi and Miss O’Farrell, your guidance and commitment to nurturing their spiritual growth is truly appreciated.

Sacrament of Eucharist (First Holy Communion)

Last week, all students who have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, were given Eucharist packs to prepare families for the upcoming Sacrament in June. Please note that the yellow Sacramental commitment card, is to be filled out and handed in to St Andrew’s parish at the end of commitment masses on the weekend of the 17th and 18th May. If there are any questions in regard to this sacrament, please do not hesitate to contact via email- sarah.kavanagh@cewa.edu.au.

Project Compassion Fundraiser

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your generous contributions to Project Compassion. Your kindness and support have made a significant impact on the lives of those in need. The generous donations have enabled us to provide essential resources, support, and hope to communities facing challenges.

We are proud to announce that with the coin donations, the Big Walk for Water and our Crazy hair day, we have raised a huge $2002.60. We are beyond grateful and very proud of our school’s community generosity.

Year 4/5/6 Lent Reconciliation

On Tuesday, students in Year 4,5 and 6, who had already received the significant sacraments, had the opportunity to receive reconciliation, experiencing God's forgiveness and renewing their hearts with grace and peace. We thank the six priests from local parishes for their time in allowing our school to participate in this special day.

We are pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee year. Let’s continue to move upward into Holy Week as Christ’s chosen, praying that we might be agents of his forgiveness and mercy in all the situations of our lives.

Upcoming dates:

Stations of the Cross- 11:30am- Friday 11th April

Palm Sunday- Sunday 13th April

Holy Thursday- Thursday 17th April

Good Friday- Friday 18th April

Holy Saturday- Saturday 19th April

Easter Sunday- Sunday 20th April

Have a wonderful, safe and happy Easter/school holiday break!

Sarah Kavanagh

Assistant Principal

Whilst I normally reserve this space to recognise some of the amazing achievements by the children in our school community, this week I would like to recognise Mr Brad Lynton who was recently awarded 2024 WA Firefighter of the Year. The Lynton's have Paige (5B), Mack (3B), Duke (1W) and Beau (PK) at our school and the kids are extremely proud of their Dad's efforts and contribution to the wider community.

Brad was recognised for his outstanding work in fire investigation and the compassion he brings to supporting his mates when in need. A significant achievement to be celebrated throughout our community. Congratulations to Brad and the Lynton's on this prestigious honour.

If your child is interested in before and after school activities please see the information below to find out what is on offer for Term 2.

Chris Rebeiro

Teacher

Dear Parents,

Please remember to send in your current Centrelink concession card to continue receiving the discount for 2025.

Kind regards,

Geneve Bastian

We will be commencing our Kindergarten 2026 sibling interviews early next term, places are filling up fast. If your child is born between 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 they are due to commence Kindergarten next year. If you have not already submitted an enrolment application please let the office know.

This year we have raised over $1800 through the sale of the Cadbury Easter Egg boxes and donations. This is a tremendous effort and thank you to everyone for participating.

Tomorrow, we have the Community lunch and don't forget to bring in that loose change for an Icy pole. Only $1 each !

The Easter raffle will also be held in the school hall from 8.45am on Friday morning with all raffle tickets needing to be submitted by this afternoon (Thursday 10th April) for entry into the raffle. Thank you for the team of volunteers who put the exciting prizes together and for the families who donated the Easter items.

For next term, we have a couple of "Save the Dates"
Mothers Day stall on Wednesday 8th May
Paint and Sip on Friday 20th June.

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

Libby Deans, Chester Peacock, Lorenzo Brizzi, Tate Watson, Hailey McGowan, Makebele Gelaye, Matilda Ladner, Keon Austria, Saskia Flury, Lucas Moore, Isla McAllister, Landon Thompson, Ally Williams, Summer Ireland, Knox Underwood, Shivay Deswal, Logan Scott, Leo Hunt, Isabella Banghi Lago, Luca Jones, Camdyn De Swardt, Aazarnah Farmer, Hyeon Kim, Penelope Quiceno, Oliver Smith, Samara Makawa, Aria Everest Pearson, Katie Everest Pearson, Braxton Peck, Benjamin Ennis, Mckinleigh Watson, Laurienne Musenge, Lily Bassanelli, Caroline Odongo.

We wish you all a wonderful day!!

Friday 11 April - Last Day of Term 1 / P&F Easter Raffle / Stations of the Cross / Community lunch

Monday 14 April to Friday 25 April - School holidays

Sunday 13 April - Palm Sunday

Thursday 17 April to Sunday 20 April - Holy Week

Monday 28 April - Students (PP to Year 6) commence term 2 / ANZAC Liturgy

Friday 2 May - Year 2 Class Mass (8:45am)

Please see the information below to read what is happening in Camp Australia this week.

The Panthers Sports Academy at Irene McCormack Catholic College is expanding to include Netball in 2025!

They are launching with a Year 7 class and have the potential to add Year 8 in semester two. By 2026, Netball will be fully integrated with our sports programs, offering equal opportunities for Years 7-10.

We're calling all students in Years 5-9 to reach out today!

Visit our website for more details and to apply: https://imcc.wa.edu.au/.../college-sport-and-panthers.../

The Uniform Shop opens every Monday afternoon during school terms from 2:45pm to 3:15pm.

Orders can also be placed online and will be delivered to the office the following Tuesday.

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

Holy Week and Easter Celebrations

Palm Sunday (12/13 April):

6pm (Saturday Vigil Mass), 8am, 10am & 5pm (Sunday Masses)

Holy Monday (14 April):

8am Mass

Holy Tuesday (15 April):

8am Mass

7pm Chrism Mass at the Cathedral

Holy Wednesday (16 April):

8am Mass

Holy Thursday (17 April): **No morning Mass at the Village;

7pm - The Lord’s Supper Mass

8pm - 10pm; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Good Friday (18 April):

10am - Stations of the Cross

3pm - The Lord’s Passion Celebration

Holy Saturday (19 April):

10am - Blessing of the Food

7pm - Easter Vigil Mass

Easter Sunday (20 April):

8am, 10am & 5pm Mass

Divine Mercy Sunday (26/27 April):

6pm (Saturday Vigil Mass),

8am, 10am & 5pm (Sunday Masses) &

3pm - Adoration of the Blessed with the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

24:7 Clarkson Youth Ministry

Every 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays of the month; 6pm – 8pm in St Andrew’s CPS Hall.

All youth in Years 6 – 12 are welcome.

For more information contact Michaela (0493 213 389) or Michael (0493 447 917) or visit the Parish website: https://clarkson.perthcatholic.org.au/youth/

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/