Link Up Term 1 Week 8 2025

It is incredible to think that we have already arrived at Week 8. It has been a rich and rewarding term already, with a plethora of events, learning and faith experiences. I am continually amazed at the breadth and depth of what is offered to our students, and always delight in the enthusiasm they bring to our community.

In the past week our Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students have been participating in NAPLAN. Whilst we all know that NAPLAN is only one measure of student performance, it is nevertheless an important one. Our College utilises the data to support both individual students, and cohorts of students to implement programs and intervention strategies to improve all students literacy and numeracy skills. At St Francis de Sales College I believe we have a great balance between understanding the importance of NAPLAN and wanting our students to do their very best, without placing undue pressure on them to perform. As I often say, all I or any of our staff can ask of the young people in our care is their best effort. That will always be enough.

On Friday of Week 5 we held our Year 11 and 12 Formal at the Adelaide Festival Centre. It can be a little wearing at the end of a long week to then have to supervise a school event on a Friday night, but I can honestly say it was one of the best evenings I have been to of this type. Our students shone both in the way they presented themselves, and the way they represented the College, and it was truly a fantastic event. Thank you to all the staff who gave of their time to supervise, and a massive thank you to Ros Mattner and Bianca Evans who organised the Formal. It has been a highlight of the year so far.

I continue to be both amazed and pleasantly surprised by the unprecedented enrolment demand that we are witnessing for our College. This speaks volumes of the community that we are privileged to be a part of, and the people who have worked so hard to build an inclusive and faith filled community. As a result, our key intake years of Reception and Year 7 are nearing capacity. Indeed, some of our primary year levels are full and now have waiting lists. We will be making decisions about our class structures for 2026 very soon and therefore, if you, or someone you know is seeking enrolment at our College I cannot stress enough the importance of completing an enrolment form as soon as possible.

We are currently in the middle of the Lenten season, the ‘Holy Springtime’, during which time Catholic’s are preparing for the most important liturgical event of the year, our Easter celebrations. During this Lenten period, we are called to reflect upon the true meaning of our faith, and to take stock of those areas in our lives that we know require attention. As a Catholic community, we are called to renew our commitment to our faith, and to understand the true meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. As John’s Gospel tells us  ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ What a gift.

Andrew Baker
Principal

We are rapidly reaching the final weeks of Term 1 and it has been wonderful to see the many and varied learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom throughout the term. I was fortunate enough to spend some time at the Year 10 Coorong camp a few weeks ago where I witnessed our students pushing their own boundaries and stepping out of their comfort zones. More often than not, it is through the encouragement and assurance of being in community that allows us to safely reach beyond the boundaries of our comfort zone. This was certainly the case as our students kayaked long distances, hiked through sand dunes and surfed the Goolwa swell.

It was a pleasure also to attend the Year 11 and 12 Formal at the Adelaide Festival Centre recently. The event was a raging success – in fact the best school formal l have ever attended. It was a genuine community event, made richer by the presence of so many parents at the beginning and end of the evening.

Harmony Day 2025

Annually, the 21 March in Australia is a day that we recognise that diversity is at the heart of our nation’s identity. The same is true for our College community, evidenced through our Heart Values of Respect, Compassion and Justice; and our desire for every member of our community to belong for life.

We celebrated Harmony Day through writing chalk affirmations for students around the campus, art and cultural activities led by student leaders, and various learning activities in the classroom.

Harmony Day invites us all to consider what diversity means in our own context. For our College, we regard diversity as encompassing all learners across cultural, academic, social, emotional, personal and physical attributes. As Pope Francis says, “an inclusive education finds a place for all!”

Student Consultation – Wellbeing, Personal Responsibility and Pastoral Care

Early next term, every student in our College community will have the opportunity to have their say on wellbeing, developing personal responsibility and pastoral care. Each Homeroom will participate in the schoolwide student consultation where students will identify what elements of student wellbeing we should ‘keep’, ‘stop’ and ‘start’ in our community.

As has been previously communicated, we are currently developing a new Personal Responsibility Procedure to be launched in Semester 2, and also scoping and sequencing a Reception to Year 12 Pastoral Care program. The voice and agency of our young people is critical in this process and we look forward to the contribution of each student in our community.

Cyber Safety

We are currently securing dates for cyber safety sessions for middle school students, and a seminar for parents. Young people and adults are becoming increasingly present in, and reliant on the cyber world, yet the risk has never been higher.

We provide a number of learning opportunities to all students about their online identity and the dangers associated with the cyber world, but many of the risks that they face are beyond the school gates. To this end, it is critical that parents and caregivers have a high awareness of what their children are accessing online. Establishing boundaries and promoting healthy habits when it comes to screen time is also crucial.

Further information will be communicated in the coming weeks about these cyber safety sessions.

Term 2 Uniform Preparation

A reminder that from the beginning of Term 2, students in Years 7-12 are required to wear their winter uniform to school. We encourage parents and caregivers to plan ahead to ensure that students are ready to adhere to our uniform expectations from the first day of Term 2.

Winter (Terms 2 and 3)

• College blazer (Years 7-12) for formal occasions, including assemblies and excursions. The blazer is to be worn to and from the College, regardless of method of transport, in Term 2 and Term 3. The jumper or blue spray jacket may only be worn as the outer garment once inside the College grounds. The blazer is to be worn to Homeroom Admin.
• College skirt (to be worn at or just below the knee) or with College long sleeved shirt (tucked in) and College blue knee high socks or navy blue tights.
• College charcoal grey trousers with green/white long sleeved striped shirt (tucked in) and plain charcoal socks.
• College bottle green V-necked jumper, navy jumper (Years 10-12)
• Plain black lace up school shoes (not canvas style) or buckled, black, leather, school shoes.
• College blue spray jacket (R-12) College tie (Years 7-12).

As we reach the midpoint of Lent, I’m very much looking forward to our students engaging in Holy Week activities towards the end of the term. One thing I’ve admired throughout my time at our College is the students’ sense of occasion and reverence, particularly in liturgy.

The Passion of Jesus is often a strong connection point for our students and their faith, primarily because it reinforces a valuable life lesson – that suffering is part of the human condition. Each of us suffer through the routine of life, and we shouldn’t be afraid to seek the support of our community in times of suffering. As we move towards Easter, we are reminded of how quickly our darkness can turn to light. There is a message here for our perspective of wellbeing.

Finally, as the seasons change and we move into the cooler months, I’d like to take the opportunity to remind families to be mindful of cold and flu like symptoms, and to stay away from school if you are feeling unwell. This is critically important to stop the spread of many respiratory illnesses.

Wishing our community good health and wellbeing in the weeks ahead.

James Gill
Deputy Principal - Community and Wellbeing

Excellence and Equity

The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration of 2019, spoke of the concept of equity and excellence in education, incorporating an understanding that all young people are confident, creative lifelong learners and highlighting a commitment to realising the potential of every student. In a similar fashion, the core component of Catholic Education South Australia’s Living Learning Leading Framework is that all students are ‘thriving people, capable learners, leaders for the world God desires’, an understanding that drives our College’s desire to know, value and understand each of our students.

Throughout this term our College focus on Excellence and Equity has been evident in several ways, with our Class/Homeroom/Subject teachers focused on:

• creating classroom environments that promote a sense of belonging, welcome, inclusivity and accessibility
• ensuring that they know each of our students and their individual learning needs
• monitoring progress to ensure that students are on track for positive learning outcomes
• setting high expectations and processes to ensure each student is provided with appropriate levels of support
• differentiating by using a range of pedagogical approaches, content methodologies and assessment types.

As you know, our 2025 College Heart Value focus is Justice. The concept of Justice speaks straight to the heart of equity and excellence. What constitutes excellence is different for every student, as they each have varying abilities, goals and projected pathways through and beyond school. Likewise, the supports that each individual student requires to help them achieve to the best of their ability also varies. So, differentiation of content, teaching methods and assessments is an essential task for our teachers in ensuring equity for our students.

It’s been wonderful to see the enthusiasm, energy, and commitment that our students, staff, and families have shown towards the many learning opportunities that Term 1 has offered so far. As is to be expected, some learning may have come more easily, some learning has been more challenging requiring students to persevere and persist with more difficult concepts, and some learning remains a continuing goal into Term 2 or beyond.

Regardless, all our students have engaged in positive learning experiences that are helping shape them into wise young people who can thrive in their relationships and in the world. This is something we all desire for our students.

School Attendance and High Learning Outcomes

There are a variety of complex factors that may contribute to student absenteeism, but regardless of the reasons, the link between regular school attendance and high student learning outcomes is clear.

Regular attendance is crucial to maximising each student’s learning growth and every day that a student misses from school matters, as regular absenteeism contributes to an accumulative and compounding negative effect on learning engagement and outcomes.

Whilst students who are sick do need to stay home, other absences from school are unacceptable, including:

• Truancy
• Students selectively opting out of school activities and events
• Students taking time out of school to catch up on assessments
• Students avoiding assessment tasks or assessment deadlines.

Other absences from school require parents/caregivers to apply to the Principal for an exemption from school, but should also be kept to a minimum as much as possible, these include:

• Family travel or holidays during the school term
• Student exchange programs
• Longer term medical or health reasons.

As usual, parents/caregivers are asked to contact us to explain student absences. Should a student absence be unexplained, parents/caregivers will be sent a message asking them to substantiate the reason for the student’s non-attendance.

To maximise student learning outcomes, it is important that our College, parents/caregivers and students work collaboratively to help ensure students are at school and engaging proactively and positively in their classes. Should you have any concerns about your child’s attendance at school, please reach out to your Homeroom/Class teacher in the first instance.

2025 NAPLAN Testing

Congratulations to all our Year 3, 5, 7, and 9 students who have completed their NAPLAN Tests over the past few weeks. Thanks also to their teachers and the Directors of Learning (R-6 and 7-12) for their exemplary organisation and support during the testing period.

We look forward to receiving the NAPLAN results earlier than previous years, providing teachers with more time to consider these results alongside other assessments to further inform teaching and learning programs, enhance support for individual students, and prioritise areas of strength and improvement.

Results will be sent home to families as soon as possible after we receive them.

Learning Reviews – Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 March

We have just completed our first set of Learning Reviews for 2025. These meetings are a great example of our College’s Learning Pillars in action. They involve students, parents/guardians, and teachers coming together to discuss the knowledge, skills, and approaches students are discovering through their learning, and setting future-oriented learning goals to ensure student growth and high academic outcomes.

Thank you to all parents/caregivers who took the opportunity to meet with teachers during these learning reviews, and a special thank you to the students who engaged positively by discussing their learning knowledgeably and confidently.

If you missed the opportunity to attend these learning reviews or were unable to book a meeting with a teacher you wished to see, please email them to arrange an opportunity for feedback.

SEQTA and Seesaw

Learning Reviews are one way our College keeps families updated on student progress. Additionally, teachers use SEQTA and Seesaw (in some Junior School classes) to communicate and provide feedback to students about their learning and areas for improvement.

All families should now have access to SEQTA Engage, and those with students in Reception to Year 3 should have access to Seesaw. These platforms enable a continuous flow of information between students, families, and teachers regarding student progress in each learning area.

I strongly encourage parents and caregivers to regularly check these platforms to monitor your child’s academic progress throughout the year. Use this information to discuss classroom activities, upcoming assessments, and teacher feedback with your child.

If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s academic progress, please contact their Class/Homeroom teacher or the relevant subject teacher in the first instance.

If you do not have access to SEQTA or Seesaw (Reception to Year 3) or are unsure how to log in, please email us at info@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au or call 8393 1000 for assistance.

Years 7-12 Interim Reports will be distributed electronically at the end of Term 1 through SEQTA.

Lent and Easter

As we continue through this Lenten period and our preparation for the Easter season, I wish all families and students well and hope that when the term break comes and Easter arrives, you experience a time filled with hope, joy, family togetherness, and positive reflection and rejuvenation.

Paul Wadsworth
Deputy Principal - Learning

Lent
We are well underway within the Season of Lent, as our attention more intentionally shifts to reflecting deeply on the areas of our life that we need to work on, and working at building better relationships with ourselves, others and God. It is a time of intentional prayer, fasting and assisting others in need. In our usual fashion, our College celebrated Shrove Tuesday with a Pancake Breakfast, served as students entered the College gates. This was our first fundraising activity for the Caritas Project Compassion Appeal, and as a College we managed to raise $692.80 on the day. The next day, our Ash Wednesday liturgy was held and Fr Philip beautifully explained the purpose of Lent and our call to be attentive to the needs of others and take action to make things right.

Our College was very fortunate to participate in the Adelaide Archdiocese official Project Compassion Launch, at St Bernadette’s School in the suburb of St Marys. A Mass was held at the College, celebrated by Archbishop Patrick O’Regan, which was attended by a small group of our staff members and students. This was a very special celebration and during the proceedings, our College was named as the host school to officially launch Project Compassion for the Archdiocese, next year. What a wonderful honour.

As we continue to journey through Lent, a reminder of some key pieces of information: Rory's School Lunches have introduced a Lent Menu for Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent (except for Friday 11 April). Also, at our College, the sharing or gifting of Hot Cross Buns and/or Easter Eggs should only happen after Easter, which would be in Week 1 of Term 2.

In Week 11 this term, all students (R-12) will take part in a Stations of the Cross walk, within the hill of the Kookaburra Nest play area. This will be conducted class-by-class in a staggered manner over a number of days. This will provide an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the story of the Passion of Jesus, in a manner that gives them a small glimpse of the hardships Jesus faced, in their walking through the steep undulating land on the hill. This year, Martin Gray’s senior Drama class will perform at two of the Stations to further enhance the experience for our students. We thank Martin and his students for this.

Project Compassion (Caritas)

The Project Compassion Appeal has a two-fold aim for our College community. Firstly, its about awareness-raising of the great struggles and challenges that so many people in our world face on a daily basis. Our students and staff are using the many resources on the Project Compassion website to cater for this, and in particular the three stories of Toefuata’iga, Lam and Irene that are the main focus of the Appeal. Their story and other resources may be found on the website caritas.org.au/resources/project-compassion/

Our College’s main fundraiser for the Project Compassion Appeal, is the Walkathon being held as part of College Day on Friday 11 April. Below are some key points about the Walkathon, to take note of:

• All students are expected to take part in the Walkathon and collect money for their efforts (they may decide their own monetary target).
• All people sponsoring or donating to students have the option of doing this electronically via the QR Codes (below) or with cash.
• For our College, the Project Compassion fundraiser Appeal is House Team based.
• All cash/coins collected by the students must be labelled with their House Team name, and brought back to the College by Monday of Week 11.
• If students bring cash/coins to school for the Appeal, they may put them in one of the boxes in their Home Classroom.

Additional smaller fundraising activities for the Appeal are being held by Year-Levels over the coming weeks.

To donate to Project Compassion through the Walkathon, please use the QR Codes below. We are also looking for parent volunteers to assist with the Walkathon by walking with groups of students, and also assisting with serving at the sausage sizzle station. Please email Oreste Farrugia at ofarrugia@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au if you have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) and are able to assist on the day.

College Day

As you know, College Day is on the last day of this term, Friday 11 April. A reminder of some key points:

The dress-up theme for College Day is:

• Students and staff are encouraged to dress according to the College Day theme of “Your Team Colours”. Please note that shoulders must be covered and outfits must be school-appropriate and modest – no midriff or underpants exposed, no clothing that could offend members of our community (e.g. inappropriate slogans, swear words, clothing that demeans gender identities)

The main elements of the day are:

• Liturgy celebrating who we are
• Inflatable jumping castles
• Sports activities and games
• Walkathon Fundraiser
• Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser
• Talent Show

More detailed information will be sent to families soon. Thank you.

Service Activities

Hungry No More is a weekly outreach program offered at the Uniting Church at Mt Barker, which provides a hot meal for dinner for local homeless people or people in great need. Our College has had a long association with this program, and each year we seek volunteers from Year 11 and 12, staff, and parents to assist with it, by helping in the kitchen, serving meals, and assisting with clean-up. Volunteers are asked to arrive between 5:30pm - 5:45pm. It usually finishes at around 7:00pm - 7:15 pm.

We are seeking volunteers to assist on the following dates:

• Sunday 6 April
• Sunday 17 August
• Sunday 5 October
• Sunday 2 November
• Sunday 14 December

Please email Oreste Farrugia at ofarrugia@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au if you are available to assist. Even if you can do just one of these dates, it would be appreciated.

Our College’s first Hungry No More helpers attended last Sunday 16 March. We are grateful to the staff, students and parents who volunteered to participate. Below are reflections from two of our volunteers:

“Hungry No More was really good! Although I didn't know anyone else there, the other kitchen workers welcomed me in and helped me get set up with tasks. The food was already pre-made and was taken out of the oven, I helped serve it onto plates. Time flew quite quickly as well. Everyone was ready to help out and give it their all. I really enjoyed just being able to help out and work as a part of a team”. Jesse – Year 12 Student

“Feeding others brought a sense of joy and connection, as I watched their faces light up with gratitude. The act of sharing a meal created a warm atmosphere of community and kindness. It felt rewarding to know that something as simple as food could bring comfort and happiness and deepen my connection with the wider community.” Jade – Reception Teacher and College Parent

The Genesis Project is an R-6 program at our College which promotes service towards our environment. It supports the notion that a clean and well maintained environment reflects the care and responsibility of our students. That’s why, every second Friday after lunch, the Junior School Captains and I set out on a special mission - the Genesis Project.

Together, we visit Reception to Year 6 outdoor areas around classrooms, looking for the class that has put in the most effort to keep their space tidy and welcoming. Every time we walk through the Junior School, we are amazed by the dedication of our students. Their commitment to keeping their surroundings clean truly shines, and reflects the message in the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si.

To recognise and encourage this wonderful habit, each fortnight we award one Junior School class the Eden Award, celebrating their hard work and teamwork. At the end of the term, the class that earns the most Eden Awards will be honoured with the prestigious Genesis Trophy - a symbol of excellence in care for our environment, responsibility and school spirit.

Though only one class receives the trophy, the true victory lies in the effort every student puts in to make our school a cleaner and more beautiful place. By working together, we are not just tidying up - we are building a culture of respect, responsibility, and pride in our shared natural environment, and honoring our call to be custodians of the natural world.

Keep up the fantastic work, and let’s continue making our school a place we can all be proud of.

Sr Shiji
Chaplain

Caffeinated Care

Every fortnight on Thursday at 8:00am, Fr Philip celebrates our Community Mass in the Community Sports Centre Function Room, where a small group of parishioners, staff members, students and their caregivers gather for Mass as a way of starting the day nourished by scripture, the Eucharist, and each other. After the Mass, many of these people gather at Frankie’s Café near our Reception Learning Neighbourhood, and spend some time in social conversation over a cup of coffee. These coffees are lovingly prepared by our very own Dan Peterson, one of our Year 5 teachers. Dan is a qualified barista and has taken this volunteer role to another level. He has made a number of moulds to enable him to create images and letters with cocoa powder on top of the cappuccinos he makes. It’s a very special touch which the small group of community members very much appreciate. Thanks Dan for your work of service to our community!

Year 7 Reflection Day

Following the theme of Care for our Natural World, our Year 7s recently participated in their Reflection Day at Laratinga Wetlands, focused on building relationship with our natural world. We drew upon the Bible verse from Matthew 6, and also the wise words of David Attenborough, to frame the intentions of our day.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them”. (Matthew 6:26)

“No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” (David Attenborough)

The students worked in House Teams for the day and rotated through four practical based activities that gave them the opportunity to build connections with the natural world through various lenses. I ran an art activity that involved collecting rubbings from a diverse range of natural textures found within the Laratinga Wetlands. We were also fortunate to have three guest presenters run activities too. Kim Thompson ran the Wetlands Walk which included wildlife identification and water sample collection. David Booth facilitated a presentation about Aboriginal connection to Country and Zara from Wilbur’s Wildlife brought in native Australian animals, which she gave information about and then let the students hold. I thank the presenters and our College staff involved in the day. It was a very engaging and interactive experience for the students, which placed importance on the message within the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si.

Feast of St Joseph

On Wednesday 19 March, we celebrated the Feast of St Joseph, the steadfast guardian of Jesus and spouse of Mary, mother of Jesus. The Gospels record no words from him. However, Joseph’s actions speak volumes, his unwavering faith, obedience to God’s call, and humble strength make him one of the most inspiring figures in Scripture. As the earthly father of Jesus, St Joseph lived a life of quiet sacrifice, diligent work, and deep trust in God’s plan. On this Feast Day, we honour him not just as the spouse of Mary and earthly father of Jesus, but as a model of virtue, faithfulness, and the kind of steadfast love that shapes families and communities.

It is the qualities of this man that resonated so much with Mary MacKillop, our first Australian Saint. Mary MacKillop established the Religious Congregation called the Sisters of Saint Joseph, due to the qualities and characteristics of St Joseph, which encapsulated all that she wanted the Sisters of St Joseph to be.

Our Year 11 students recently went on an excursion to the Mary MacKillop Precinct in Kensington, as part of their Stage 2 Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning (SRM) course. The Precinct includes the Mary MacKillop Museum, Chapel that Mary MacKillop lived and worshipped in, and the Mary MacKillop Walk through Kensington. The excursion provided much of the information and imagery that the students need to complete their assessment task. We are grateful to Sr Mary Ryan who facilitated the day for us, and tailor made her presentation to align with the Stage 2 SRM assessment task. As well as being immersed in all of the artefacts, photos and information at the Museum, it was such a special time to physically be in the place that St Mary MacKillop lived, worked, ministered, and prayed. She was a very special woman who truly lived the Heart Values that we aspire to at our College.

I wish you well through our Lenten Season and the remaining weeks of this term.

In Peace

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

Term 1 is well underway as we make our way through another busy and productive start to the year. It was fantastic to see so many parents take the time to attend Learning Reviews this week, with some more scheduled in for next week. These valuable discussions provide a great opportunity to reflect on your child's progress and learning journey. If you were unable to attend, please reach out to your child’s teacher to arrange a convenient time in the coming weeks.

Our students in Years 3 and 5 have been participating in the annual NAPLAN tests over the last couple of weeks. Students are assessed in four categories. These categories are Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy skills. Congratulations to all the Year 3 and 5 students who have taken part in these national assessments.

This term, there has also been a wide variety of sports opportunities on offer for students. One notable event was the week of swimming lessons for students in Years 1-4. These lessons have provided a great opportunity for students to further their swimming and water safety skills, and students had a great time in the water with their classmates. We were blessed with good weather for most of the lessons too this year.

Reading at Home 

Reading is an essential skill that supports successful and joyful learning throughout life. Our teachers are passionate advocates for the development of strong literacy skills for all. We know that in order to make strong reading progress, it is essential that students have daily opportunities to practice reading and to listen to stories being read. We strongly encourage all families to make daily reading a priority at home. For our younger learners, this means listening to your child read each school day, and for older students, it is vital to establish positive daily reading habits that encourage reading for pleasure and for learning. Reading to your child also has huge benefits for both language and vocabulary development and it promotes stronger general knowledge. Daily reading at home is a powerful tool that will support your child reach their academic potential.

Words Grow Minds

Words Grow Minds is a fantastic South Australian online resource for families to support literacy development for our youngest learners:

While everyone wants the best for their little ones, sometimes it’s hard to know what they need. The Words Grow Minds campaign gets straight to the heart of how parents and caregivers can help babies and young children thrive — it’s as simple as talking, reading, playing, and singing together from birth.

Backed by the latest research showing how these simple interactions literally grow children’s brains in the critical early years, Words Grow Minds has been developed with input from early childhood education and health practitioners, literacy specialists, and researchers.

Words Grow Minds is funded by the Government of South Australia. Visit wordsgrowminds.org.au for more information or follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/wordsgrowminds and Instagram: instagram.com/wordsgrowminds

Alice Taylor
R-6 Director of Learning

Week 8 of Term 1 is drawing to a close and as we reflect back on what has already occurred this term we can see our days have been full and enriching. Learning Reviews took place this week, where our students had the opportunity to be proud of their learning and have meaningful conversations with their parents, caregivers and teachers about how they are demonstrating excellence in their learning. At this time of the term, assessment tasks are being issued and students are now working diligently to complete these tasks. NAPLAN testing for Years 7 and 9 has been completed for this year and we look forward to analysing the results once they are released.

Our Year 10s returned from a glorious week in the Coorong, where many new friendships were forged, and the students developed a great deal of resilience, surfing, kayaking, hiking, cooking for themselves and being at one with nature. Many returned to school tired but happy and proud of their achievements over the week.

The last three weeks of term looks set to be full of more learning opportunities with Interim Reports being issued on the last day of term, via SEQTA, to reflect student progress so far this year.

Kerin Tinnion
7-12 Director of Learning

The Year 7 students have made an outstanding start to their journey in the Senior School, embracing their new environment with enthusiasm and resilience. Settling into the McAuley and Dunn buildings, they have quickly adapted to the new routines, expectations and opportunities that come with this important transition.

Navigating their way through a maze of new teachers, padlock combinations and timetables, the cohort has demonstrated a remarkable ability to rise to challenges with confidence. They have taken on their responsibilities as junior secondary students with a strong sense of independence, showing a willingness to learn, grow and support one another along the way.

We are especially excited to welcome 47 new Year 7 students to our College community this year, taking our number of classes to five. These students have already made a positive impact, bringing with them values that align beautifully with our College ethos. Their enthusiasm, kindness and eagerness to be involved have enriched the culture of our school, fostering friendships and collaboration across the year level.

The first weeks of Term 1 have seen our Year 7s engaging in a range of activities designed to build their confidence and connection within the College. From team building exercises to their first experiences in specialist subjects and core electives, they have embraced each challenge with a positive mindset and a genuine curiosity for learning.

As the year unfolds, we look forward to seeing this group continue to flourish academically, socially and personally. With such a promising start, there is no doubt that our Year 7 students will continue to make us proud as they grow into capable and confident members of the Senior School.

Well done to all Year 7 students, we are excited to see all that you will achieve this year.

Jen Ness-Ferry
Year 7 Year Level Leader

Barker District Swimming Carnival

On Thursday 27 February, we sent an enthusiastic team to compete in the Barker District Swimming Carnival at the Mountain Pool. The students competed hard in all events with most students coming in the top three of each of their heats and competing in the finals. Together with individual races, the highlight was our team’s support and determination. Every swimmer contributed leading to a strong performance and being awarded the Champion School for the Barker District.

A huge thanks to Amanda Fairley and Lisa Penney for managing the team, and the parents for volunteering their time to assist with various duties.

A big thank you also to the Year 9s who attended and helped with timing duties for the day.

Years 7-12 Sports Day

At the end of Week 4, we held our highly anticipated Years 7-12 Sports Day, and were blessed with amazing weather. The day kicked off with a vibrant House Parade, where students showcased their fantastic costumes and house colours, setting the stage for an exciting event.

Throughout the day, students participated in a mix of traditional athletic events, fun novelty games, and an indoor ball competition. The level of sportsmanship on display was exceptional, with students giving their all while competing fiercely for both Sport and Spirit points.

The highlight of the day was the traditional All Years Relay, which delivered an exhilarating finish. While Savoy led the way from the start, the battle for second and third place was intense, with the lead changing multiple times.

In the final results, Savoy claimed the Sports Cup, with outstanding participation playing a crucial role in their victory. Lyon took home the Spirit Cup, demonstrating incredible enthusiasm and team spirit throughout the event.

A huge congratulations to all students for their efforts and energy - well done!

House Sport Cup Overall Points

Savoy 1193
Geneva 1048
Padua 1037
Lyon 961

Age Champions

Year 7
Sierra | Archer 

Year 8
Penny | Joze 

Year 9
Ellie | Finn 

Year 10
Airlee | Dylan 

Year 11
Hayley | Griffin 

Year 12
Sienna | Emmerson 

Years 7-12 Interschool Swimming Carnival

Thirty of our swimmers hit the water at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre for the School Sport SA Secondary Swimming Championship, delivering an outstanding performance. Our girls team claimed 1st place, the boys secured 2nd, and our College triumphed as the overall champions.

A huge congratulations to all our swimmers for their hard work, dedication and amazing effort in the pool.

Open Boys Cricket

Round 2

In Week 5, our Open Boys Cricket team took on Cornerstone College in our Round 2 fixture of the School Sport SA Open Boys Cricket Competition.

We won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to post a very competitive total. Our innings got off to a great start, with star performer for the day Tom batting extremely well and managing to score a century just after the drinks break. Unfortunately, Tom was run out, but top scored for the day with 100 runs off just 76 balls. In the end, we were bowled out in the 33rd over for 158 runs. 

Similar to our batting innings our bowling innings also got off to a great start with the boys having Cornerstone 3/15 in the first 8 overs. The combination of tidy bowling and fielding put Cornerstone under a lot of pressure, and despite some resistance after the drinks break the boys managed to bowl them out for 107 runs in the 33rd over, securing a 51 run victory. Notable bowlers for the day included Tyler (3/15 off 7 overs), Harry (2/6 off 6 overs) and Griffin (2/10 off 6 overs).

Round 3

Our Open Boys cricket team took on Sports College SA at Kingswood Oval in the Semi Final of the School Sport SA Open Boys Cricket Competition.

The boys won the toss and elected to bat first. Unfortunately, we didn’t get off to a great starting, being 4/26 after 7 overs. The middle and lower order managed to fight back though, and we finished at 9/143 after our 32 overs. Top scorers were Elliott (44 off 64) and Tyler (38 off 50).

Similar to our batting innings, our bowling didn’t get off to a great start either. As we worked into the match the boy's confidence lifted, but unfortunately Sports College SA managed to chase down our total in the 25th over, finishing at 6/146. Notable bowlers included Griffin (3/51 off 7 overs), Harry (2/33 off 7 overs) and Tyler (1/23 off 5 overs).

Well done to our boys for making it this far in the competition. Sports College SA will now take on Marryatville High School in the Grand Final next week.

Secondary Individual Golf Championship

On Wednesday of Week 6, Brock from Year 7 represented our College at the Secondary Individual Golf Championship. Competing in an open age bracket, Brock showcased impressive skill and composure on the course, finishing with a strong score of 7 over par.

A fantastic achievement—well done, Brock.

SAPSASA Success

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent the Barker District in the State Softball Carnival in Week 9. Max, Connor and Archer.

Congratulations also to the following students who have made the Barker District Swimming Team that will be competing at the State Championships in Week 11 – Charlee, Luke, Archer, Ben, Paige, Tilly and Raphaelle.

We wish them every success.

Knockout and Interschool Sporting Opportunities

Throughout the year we will continue to have a number of opportunities for students in Years 7-12 to trial for school representative teams. As these teams are nominated the coaches will place notices in SEQTA Notices with the relevant information for students. Parents/caregivers can also keep an eye on SEQTA Notices through SEQTA Engage. If there are ever any questions about these activities, please email Nadia Honner at nhonner@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au.

Nadia Honner
Learning Area Leader - Health and Physical Education and Specialist Sport Coordinator

Each year our Music Department selects a Music Captain to help in the running and direction of our Music program, and this year we are very pleased to announce that for a second year, our Music Captain is Year 12 student, Ethan (guitar). Ethan who is an exceptional guitarist, is a member of both de Groove (Jazz Combo) and Heart n Soul (Rock/Pop Band). Ethan gives great leadership and inspiration to our more junior Music students and will once again feature in a number of musical events throughout the year. Congratulations Ethan and all the best for your final year at St Francis de Sales College.

Now that we are well over half way through Term 1, the music surrounds are a constant hive of activity with an array of sounds coming out of the music rooms… at any given time you can hear a pounding drum beat, the strumming of guitars, soulful voices, pianos, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, sweet sounding strings and over the top of everything, we have everybody’s favourite, the recorders.

Our Year 5 Woodwind Immersion Program has now commenced where our very talented and versatile Junior Music Classroom Teacher, Nicole Moxham, works with students to engage in learning a woodwind instrument and to extend this into a practical experience via a class ensemble. The students were given a choice of either saxophone, clarinet or flute and have now all been supplied with their chosen instrument to be able to take home to practise and entertain their families. As a College Music Department, we are very fortunate to be able to supply some 80 woodwind instruments to our students and we hope that this will be a rich and rewarding experience for our budding musicians, but most importantly, that it is a fun experience.

We continue to encourage our Senior Students (Years 7-12), whether they are actively pursuing music or if maybe they just enjoy singing, to join our vocal ensemble, Musaic. Musaic has been a long standing senior vocal group who have over the years performed at many College and community events and have also previously competed at the Generations of Jazz Music Festival, where in 2022 we were awarded 3rd place in our chosen division. Musaic rehearse under the expert leadership of Senior Music Teacher, Shayne Tarling on Mondays at lunchtime… all are welcome.

We hope that music continues to bring a smile to everyone.

Nicole Moxham, Shayne Tarling and Aleks Bojanic
Music Team