Term 1 Week 3
From Mrs Suthers' Desk- Principal
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in education, that village is strongest when parents and teachers work together. When children see the adults in their lives communicating and supporting one another, they feel more confident and engaged in their learning.
A classic example of this partnership happens every year—parents and teachers both trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that is a child’s school day. A teacher might ask, “What did you do at home on the weekend?” only to get a response like, “Nothing.” Meanwhile, parents ask, “What did you do at school today?” and get the same one-word answer. The truth is, so much is happening, but sometimes children need a little help connecting the dots between home and school!
That’s why events like Open Classrooms are so valuable. They provide a window into your child’s daily experiences, spark meaningful conversations at home, and reinforce the idea that learning is a shared journey. Whether it’s admiring their latest writing piece, seeing them light up as they explain a math problem, or simply getting a feel for their classroom environment, these moments help bridge the gap between school and home.
To strengthen this connection, we warmly invite you to our Open Classrooms next Tuesday from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to see your child’s learning environment, chat with their teacher, and celebrate the wonderful things happening in our school.
We look forward to seeing you there!
From Mrs Grove's Desk - Assistant Principal Religious Education
Gullarn ngheeree - Welcome to this beautiful place,
The pace of school life always seems to be way faster than the lazy sun-drenched days of vacation where time passes like a gentle breeze. The smiles and conversations heard between and with our students is such a refreshing part of our time spent together throughout the term.
As we find ourselves in the direction of Easter and the promise of holidays once again, as a Catholic community we acknowledge an important season in the calendar of the church we know as Lent. The death and resurrection of Jesus is at the core of Christianity. Lent provides a time of 40 days before Easter to reflect on the mystery of the cross that leads to new life and the promise of hope through the resurrection of Jesus.
There are many ways throughout Lent to pause and reflect. For believers, this can be shown in tangible ways: through fasting, a time of restricting moments of indulgence, inviting a quieter and more simple way of living; through almsgiving, an invitation to share our blessings with those less fortunate; and through prayer, essential time purposefully set aside to sit in the presence of an ever-loving God.
At St Francis Catholic Primary, we mark the commencement of Lent through three times of gathering:
Shrove Tuesday (the day before Lent), where children are invited to commit to a slower, more compassionate and giving period through the writing of Lenten promises. They may commit to being helpful with household chores, to being welcoming at the start of a school day, or to times of quiet reflection. These promises once written, are burned in a moment of prayer with the ashes used the following day.
Pancakes are also on sale at 2nd break on Shrove Tuesday, marking a tradition of using up the ‘indulgent ingredients’ in one's pantry to prepare for fasting throughout Lent.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, where through a mass or prayer celebration, the ashes from the Lenten promises are blessed with a cross placed on our foreheads marking the beginning of this time of preparation for Easter.
The below fliers give the details of these events; parents are an essential part of our school life and are very welcome to join us for these events.
PAX et bonum - Peace and all goodness,
Meredith
Our St Francis Team 2025
Our ESO's and librarian staff at St Francis Catholic Primary School provide incredible support to our students in learning and wellbeing both in the classroom and in the yard at break times. How grateful we are for their experience and dedication to creating nurturing learning environments where students thrive.
Home/School Partnerships
Some key features of the Parent Orbit App:
- Instant Notifications: Stay up to date with the latest announcements and important alerts on your smartphone (be sure to enable Notifications)
- Events and Payments: Easily approve excursion attendance or make fee payments
- Medical Details: Keep your student’s medical details up to date
- Attendance Tracking: Easily track attendance and notify the School of your student's absence
- Event Calendar: Stay informed about school events, meetings, and important dates
- Parent Teacher Interviews: Schedule parent-teacher interviews and receive reminders
- Academic Reports: View and download your student’s school reports
- School Fees: View your school fees and make a payment
Parent Actions for Reporting Student Attendance
Parents may choose from a variety of communication methods to notify the school of absences (phone, letter, email, visit) however the Orbit App or Parent Lounge are the preferred modes. In the Orbit App, parents are presented with five options, these are listed below followed by an explanation:
- Illness and medical appointments
- Appointment, event or services
- Holiday
- School avoidance or refusal
- Family Reasons
- Other explained reason (If Other is selected, a mandatory comment box appears for parents to explain the absence)
Absence Reason | Description | List of examples |
Illness and medical appointments | Parent has informed school that student is sick and/or attending a medical appointment. |
|
Appointment, event or services | non-medical appointments, events or services. | Non-medical appointments, for example:
|
Holiday | Holidays during the school term including leaving early or returning late to travel. (If the holiday is beyond 10 school days, the Notification of Extended Leave Form must be completed.) |
|
School Avoidance / Refusal | Parents aware of absence. Student avoidance in attending school, despite parent/caregiver’s best attempts to support attendance or despite parental efforts, the student is refusing to attend school. |
|
Family Reasons | Student is absent due to family circumstances beyond the influence of the student. The parent is aware that their child is absent, and an explanation has been provided to the school. |
|
Other Explained Reason | If "Other" is selected, the mandatory comment box requires an explanation to be written | Use this option when the reasons above are not relevant |
School assembly 17th February 2:15 PM
Pupil Free Day- Next Friday
NAPLAN - Parent Webinar
If you are a parent or carer of a Queensland school student, you won’t want to miss this free parent webinar on Wednesday 19 Feb, 7 - 8.30pm.
NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) is a national test, conducted online, for school students in Years 3,5,7 & 9 from 12 - 24 March.
Thank you to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority for joining us for the webinar, which is brought to you by Queensland’s four peak parent bodies.
Click on the link to register your attendance:
Parents and Friends News
Welcome Banquet 2025
A big thank you to everyone who attended the welcome banquet last week!
It was wonderful to see our community come together to share great food, conversations, and laughter. Bringing our school community together in this way helps strengthen our connections and celebrate the support we share.
Interested in Getting Involved?
Getting involved in the P&F is a great way to connect with other parents, support our school, and make a real difference in our community. Whether you can spare a little time or a lot, your help is always valued and appreciated.
We still have vacant committee positions so we ask that you consider taking up a role.
Please have a read through the below role descriptions, some are event specific while others require a small contribution throughout the year.
Term 1 Sign Up Genius
Please use the link below for the Term 1 Sign Up Genius
Sign Up Genius is how our families can find out what help is needed at P&F events, and volunteer to help out. It’s a handy website that breaks down the what and when, so you can sign up in advance knowing what suits your schedule and commitments.
Please have a look at this Term’s Sign Up Genius and consider putting your name down to help out where you can. We hope to hold events that bring fun and memories for our students, while building a sense of school community – but they won’t happen without your help!
Save the Date!! School Disco, Friday the 28th of March. More information to come!
Please remember, you can contact us at any time via the P&F email SFTS_PandFSecretary@rok.catholic.edu.au, the feedback & suggestions box at the school office, or by attending the general meetings.
We appreciate and encourage your thoughts and involvement which nourish the St Francis community.
Parents & Friends Group
Community News
Messy Church - 2nd Saturday of Each Month
Boyne Tannum Netball Association Sign On Day
Gladstone Souths Hockey Registration
Gladstone Souths club training has started however our first games are not till March.
If anyone has any queries please do not hesitate to contact me directly or our club secretary at southshockey@gmail.com
