Link Up Term 1 Week 8 2023

I have no doubt that all of us who saw the TV news this week reacted in a similar manner to the horrific dash-cam footage of the accident that occurred outside Marryatville High School. All of our prayers go out the young people so tragically injured, and to their families. These are sobering experiences to witness and remind us of the responsibility we all carry as drivers of motor vehicles, especially in areas around schools where young people are moving about in such large numbers. It provides a timely opportunity for us all to think about our movement in motor vehicles around our own College community, and how easy it is to drift above safe speed limits and become distracted in a manner that can have such potentially catastrophic consequences. Thank you for all you do to ensure the safety of your children, and other members of our community’s children, on a day-to-day basis as they are coming to and leaving school.

The last four weeks of term since our first Link Up have been a busy time for learning and community involvement. The Melbourne Arts Trip on the 1-3 March was an amazing experience for all involved, with some exceptional exposure to outstanding workshops and performances in dance, music and drama. Our Year 4 to 6 students excelled again in the pool for the 2023 Courier Cup, winning the overall trophy for the day. A special congratulations to Sarah Morley who won the fastest female swimmer at the carnival. A terrific performance!

There were also many great performances at the Years 7 to 12 Sports Day on Thursday 2 March. Congratulations to all on the great spirit of participation and competition that occurred on the day. Our congratulations to winners of the Spirit Cup: Lyon, and our overall Sports Day Champions: Savoy, and to all of our Age Championship winners, details of which can be found elsewhere in this Link Up.

Our congratulations to all our Year 10 students who participated so magnificently in their Outdoor Education Camp in Week 6. This important event in our annual calendar is a wonderful opportunity for students who have just moved from the Middle School to commence their final three years of schooling, to undertake a weeklong activity in the Coorong that presents them with significant challenges that they need to work through individually and in teamwork with their peers. I commend everyone one of our Year 10 students who accepted this challenge, coming away from it with an enormous sense of achievement. Thanks also to the staff who take themselves away for the week from their family and loved ones in order to provide this great opportunity for our Year 10 students. Our current Year 9s should already be looking forward to the Coorong Camp in 2024!

Three members of our Senior Student Leadership Team represented the College magnificently at the National International Women’s Day Breakfast on 8 March. Thanks Kiara, Steph and Aimee for representing your College so well at this event, on a day when our staff and students acknowledged the call to action to imagine a gender free world; free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. #EmbraceEquity

The last week or so has seen our Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students undertaking their NAPLAN testing. This is the first time that the assessments have been undertaken in Term 1. We look forward to receiving the results back much earlier in the year in order to be able to combine them with other data sources to continue to support our students in their learning.

Great events have been occurring this week through the Wellbeing room to celebrate Harmony Day. The inaugural Music Lunch Box performance on Wednesday this week was an enormous success with our students performing for their peers out in the yard at lunch time. The College will be represented this week with a stand at the Mount Barker Show and I want to acknowledge all those people who will be supporting that and to Sarah Sims for her incredible work to get it all organised.

I wish all of our families every blessing as we move into these final two weeks of Lent in the lead up to the most important weekend of our year, with the celebration of Easter.

Gavin McGlaughlin
Principal

Harmony Day and World Social Work Day – “Everyone Belongs” 

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 St Francis de Sales community, evidenced by this year’s Heart Value of “Respect” and our desire for every member of our community to belong for life. We celebrated Harmony Day through guided prayer in Homerooms, and with cultural storytelling and crafting activities at break times in our Belong Wellbeing Centre throughout Week 8.

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!”

It is fitting that on the same day that we celebrate the diversity in our community that we also acknowledge the social work profession and promote the vital work of social workers do within our community It is with excitement that we welcome new social worker Alisha Fleming, who will value-add to our wellbeing team and complement the work of our pre-existing counsellor and social worker for the remainder of the year. You can find out a little more about Alisha in the below article.

I wish our families all the best for upcoming learning reviews and the Easter season as we speed towards to end of Term 1. 

James Gill
Deputy Principal - Community and Wellbeing

My name is Alisha Fleming, and I’m excited to be joining the College Wellbeing team as a Social Worker for 2023. I would like to say a big thank you to the College community for the warm welcome I have already received.

I’m an Adelaide Hills local, and have had the pleasure of working across the Hills, Southern Fleuireu, metro Adelaide, and throughout the Murray Mallee within rural and remote communities. My experience has been predominately in the youth and family sector ranging in Youth Work, Case Management and Counselling, and prior to this, I started out in the early childhood education space. This experience has reinforced my passion for working with children and their families towards building resilience and promoting emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.

When a student's wellbeing is being negatively impacted, their ability to feel safe and think clearly is directly impacted. The importance of an authentic and purposeful wellbeing program heavily effects a students ability to learn at their full capacity. For this reason, I’m excited towards the opportunity to work collaboratively and holistically with students, families, College staff and external services in reducing barriers to education and working towards positive outcomes for the children and young people in our College community.

In the case that you feel your child or young person would benefit from additional wellbeing support or a general check in, you can direct this to their Homeroom teacher or their Year Level Leader, and they will be able to link you with the Wellbeing team. Alternatively, students can access the Wellbeing room in the McAuley building throughout the school day. Thank you for the welcome you have given me, and I look forward to getting to know you all and working with the College community to ensure the wellbeing of all students and families. If we pass in the school yard, please feel free to stop me for a chat!

Alisha Fleming
Social Worker

It is hard to believe that it is already the end of Week 8, and it is great to see students across the College engaged in their learning. Our new students have settled in well to the daily routines of the College and our Year 12 students are well on their way through the final year of their schooling!

In my first Link Up article, I encouraged all students to step out of their comfort zone regarding their learning and to ‘have a go’ at something new. Since then, students throughout the College have engaged in a vast array of learning opportunities, from Junior School swimming lessons to the Year 10 Camp, music and dance rehearsals, athletics carnivals, excursions and in class activities. I have been fortunate to speak with many students and staff and hear the stories of their successes and learnings, and I trust these experiences have been incredibly rewarding for them all. There are learning opportunities presented to us every day. Life-long learners demonstrate the characteristics of being open to, and indeed seeking out, these opportunities and embracing the new perspectives and understandings that come from them. As always, I continue to encourage our students to pursue and enjoy learning wherever and whenever the opportunity presents.

2023 NAPLAN Testing

Congratulations to all our Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students who have recently completed their NAPLAN tests. Thanks also to their teachers and the Directors of Learning (R-6 and 7-12), who did a great job of organising and supporting the students over this period.

We look forward to receiving the 2023 NAPLAN data and using it to further analyse our teaching programs, enhance our support for individual students and prioritise areas of improvement to help maximise student learning outcomes.

Upcoming Learning Reviews – Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 March

Learning Reviews are taking place next week, Week 9, an excellent opportunity for parents/carers to touch base with teachers about the progress students are making with their learning. We have been thrilled to offer a range of options for parents/carerss to make this contact, including the option of being on site and having face-to-face conversations for the first time for a while. Teachers are looking forward to these conversations with parents/carers and students, as an opportunity to discuss successes already achieved and to set learning goals for the remainder of the semester.

Learning Reviews are one way the College seeks to provide continual updates on student learning progress. Teachers also use SEQTA and Seesaw (in the Junior School) as ways of communicating and providing students with feedback about their learning and ways to continue to improve.

All families should now have access to SEQTA Engage and I encourage you to check your child’s progress regularly throughout the year and to discuss their classes, upcoming assessment tasks and teacher feedback with them.

If you do not have access or are unsure as to how to log in, please email Michele McDonald at mmcdonald@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au. R-12 interim reports will be distributed electronically at the end of Semester 1 through SEQTA.

As we approach the end of the Lenten period and begin the Easter season, I wish all families and students well and trust this time is full of hope, joy and positive reflection.

Paul Wadsworth
Deputy Principal - Learning

Year 7 Reflection Day

At our College we use the theme of ‘ecological conversion’ for our Year 7 Reflection Day, which explores the Pope’s message in his encyclical, Laudato Si, and gives the students a very practical engagement with the natural world.

We recently held our Year 7 Reflection Day at Laratinga Wetlands as a way to assist the students coming into secondary school with their transition and to help them form connections with each other and the natural environment. Kim Thompson from Environmental Connections co-facilitated the Reflection Day with us, and each of the three Year 7 classes rotated through three activities, including a Prayer Labyrinth exercise where students had the opportunity to form a mini labyrinth using air dry clay; a bid identification session through the wetlands with Fr Richard and Kim Thompson; and a team building exercise to reinforce the importance of working together to achieve a common goal. The theme of the day was ‘Go the extra Mile’, based on the scripture passage from Matthew 5:38-42, and the students were able to reflect upon how they ‘go the extra mile’ for others and for the natural environment.

I thank the following Kim Thompson, Fr Richard, and the following staff for their work in making this a very informative and enjoyable day: Jen Ness-Ferry, Nicole Elding, Adam Schembri, Emma Toohey, Sophie McCallum, Sr Shiji, and Carol Jarell.

Parent Community Group

The Parent Community Group (PCG) has sparked the interest of many parents within our College community, and we have welcomed a number of new members since the last article in the Link Up earlier this term.

We thank Lia Hooper, Chair of the PCG, for enabling Frankie's Café (located in Meya Watta building foyer, Reception Learning Community/Alive ELC) to start up again this year by volunteering to operate the coffee machine to serve coffees after our Community Mass on Tuesday this week. This is something that we want to keep occuring every fortnight after the Mass, as a way of continuing to build relationships with parents/carers within our community, parishioners, and College staff.

If you are interested in learning how to operate the coffee machine at Frankie's Café and be part of a fortnightly roster to make and serve coffees, you are most welcome. Please contact Lia Hooper if you are interested via email at pcg@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au.

The other two main activities that the PCG will be involved in is the Mother's Day Stall on 11 May and Father’s Day Stall on 31 August. We require some parent volunteers to operate the Stalls at the College, to sell the gift items to the students as they come to the Stall. Once again, contact Lia Hooper if you are interested in assisting with this.

International Women's Day Breakfast Student Reflection

"On Wednesday, 8 March, it was International Women’s Day. Stephanie Formby, Aimee Brooks and I had the opportunity to attend the Rotary Club’s annual International Women’s Day Breakfast with Mr Farrugia, at the Adelaide Pavilion. We are grateful for the Mt Barker Rotary Club for sponsoring us to go to this event. The guest speaker at the breakfast was Dr Melanie Bagg who is the CEO of the National Youth Science Forum. She shared some inspirational and insightful information that motivated us and that were life lesson ‘take-aways’ for us. A piece of information that stuck with me was that you do not have to be in love with Math or Science or spectacular at those type of subjects to get into a STEM career because there are many different aspects of the field which can cater for a vast range of people. Woman are capable of doing anything they pursue in life. The smart, brave, loving woman of this world deserve equality with men across all aspects of economic, political and social life." Kiara McInnes, Year 12 Student Leader

Year 11 Spiritualities, Religion, and Meaning Excursion

Our Year 11 students recently attended an excursion to the Mary MacKillop Museum in Kensington, as part of their Stage 2 Spiritualities, Religion, and Meaning course for Religious Education. They had the opportunity to take part in a quiz which took them around the museum and ‘Marys Walk’ around the Kensington area. This excursion was a very experiential learning opportunity which will assist the students with their current assessment task. One of our students, Ginny Thorne, was so inspired by the experience, that she wrote a poem whilst on the excursion. With her permission, you’ll find it below:

Mary’s Mission 

To saint Mary Mackillop of the cross many Australian Catholics pray,  
Hoping and having faith that her miracles will come into play, 
When a loved one seems as if they are seconds away from decay, 
They pray to her,  
Settled with the faith that she will save the day. 

I hope heaven is grateful, 
For her presence in their sky, 
She belongs there for she lived a saintly existence, 
It seems fair to say, 
For to help those in need of helping, 
She went out of the way. 

In helping Australia's homeless, 
The outcasts and down trod,  
She was one who devoted her life to her god, 

The life she lived, 
Was one of a higher power, 
The hope and kindness she bloomed in us, 
Much like a flower. 

The love she spread, 
Prominently in Melbourne, Portland, Penola, Sidney, and Adelaide, 
I hold my definition of purity, 
In the world she made. 

Even non-believers give credit where it is due, 
To her higher self, Mary Mackillop was one who was true, 
she devoted her soul to the poor and without,  
she lived as an earthly god of that there is no doubt.  

The Mary Mackillops of this world are rare,  
To no one else I could think to compare, 
So, when if I reach heaven, 
I would love to meet her there, 
I hope I don’t crumble under her loving stare. 

Project Compassion and lead up to Easter

The competition is on!!!!

After our first two fundraising events, Crazy Sock and Crazy Hat Days, the House tallies are as follows:
1) $458  Padua
2) $323  Lyon
3) $315  Savoy
4) $312  Geneva

Thank you to all who have donated money so far to Project Compassion, it is greatly appreciated. Two more fundraising events to be added to this tally - Crazy Wig and Crazy Tie/Scarf Days.

As we approach Easter, we continue to reflect deeply on the areas of our life that we need to work on, to help us to build better relationships with ourselves, others and God. It is a time of intentional prayer, fasting, and assisting others in need.

Please see the weblink below, which you may use to donate to Project Compassion through the House Team that your family belongs to.

> St Francis de Sales College - Mount Barker - Caritas | Project Compassion 2023

Farewell Fr Richard

I’d also like to take this opportunity to farewell Fr Richard Morris, our parish priest, as he retires at the end of this term. Words can not adequately describe the immensely positive impact that Fr Richard has on our College community. As I have worked very closely with him for the last seven years at the College, I greatly appreciate his support, wisdom, and understanding in the ministry that we do in inviting relationship with Jesus in all that we do.

I wish you well as we come to the latter half of our Lenten Season, and I encourage you to reflect and focus on what you can do for others in a very intentional manner.

In Peace,

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

It’s hard to believe that COVID-19 began three years ago and there’s no doubt we have grown closer and more resilient as a community. Through the same period, we have seen enormous change at the College, including but not limited to, the upgrade to our Junior School with incredible new learning facilities, the inclusion of the Early Learning Centre and significant increase in the volume of students and families at the College.  

With so much change, comes the need for authentic and inspirational leadership, and I commend the operations and teaching staff for their continuous guidance and support for our students and families. On behalf of the Board, we thank the staff for the significant effort and incredible outcomes they achieve each and every day, providing us all a place to “belong for life”.

The College Annual General Meeting (AGM) is fast approaching and will be held on Tuesday 23 May 2023. With several Board members leaving this year we will have a number of vacancies to fill, so if you are interested in joining the Board, please contact Lisa Andrew, Assistant to the Executive at info@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au. It is a highly rewarding way to participate in the ongoing success of the College. Having been a Board member for four years, it’s been a highly fulfilling experience.

Please keep an eye out for further information regarding the AGM in your email inbox in the near future. We have an outstanding and diverse group of people so if you are looking for a way to be involved in the future of our College, please consider joining the Board.

Nick Crowe
Chair of the College Board

Term 1 continues to be a busy and productive time for our learners in Reception to Year 6 as we settle into 2023.  

Extra-Curricular Learning 

As always, extra-curricular learning supports the learning happening in classrooms, and this term we have had quite a few enriching experiences. The R-4 students have enjoyed the opportunity to learn vital water safety and swimming skills with our annual swimming lessons held at the Mount Barker Mountain Pool. Students in Years 5 and 6 had the opportunity to develop water safety skills at their Beach Safety Day earlier in the term. Finally, we were blessed with lovely weather for the 3-6 Swimming Carnival, an exciting and fun day filled with team water games and swimming races.

Children’s University 

We have over seventy children from Years 2-6 again this year participating in Children’s University. This wonderful program encourages a deep love of learning and celebrates and recognises all the learning that happens outside of the classroom environment. We look forward to another year of exciting learning and growth for the children participating in the program. 

Reading at Home 

Reading is an essential skill that supports successful and joyful learning throughout life. At St Francis de Sales College our R-6 staff work tirelessly to support our students’ growth in this area. We know that to make strong reading progress, it is vital 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 readers, this means listening to your child read each school day, and for older students, ensuring that reading for pleasure is a daily habit. Reading to your child also has huge benefits for both language and vocabulary development and it promotes stronger general knowledge. The following link is a great guide for parents in supporting your child along their reading journey.

> PETAA Parent's Guide to helping children with reading and writing at home 

If you would like to volunteer at the College to listen to students reading, we would love to have you on board! Please email ataylor@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au for further information. 

Alice Taylor
R-6 Director of Learning 

Year 10 Coorong Camp

On the 6 March, our Year 10 students set off for the Coorong for our annual camp; this is an account of our adventures…

Monday 6 March

All students gathered at 8am (or slightly before) at the College, eagerly awaiting our departure. We packed the buses and the girls set off for Long Point, while the boys headed to Goolwa Beach.

The girls group arrived at Long Point and began setting up for their first day of kayaking. The conditions were challenging and resulted in only approximately 4km being covered in the space of about 2 hours. Several students, and one teacher (Mikaela Thomas), required the assistance of the Wilderness Escapes staff to tow them for part, or all, of the journey, but the group made it in one piece to their first camp site; Mark’s Point. This is not the usual location for the first night of the girls’ camp, but due to the challenging conditions, crossing the width of the Coorong wasn’t possible, so a site on the same side as Long Point was chosen. A challenging day, but also an opportunity to build resilience, demonstrate our Heart Value of Perseverance, and share the tough experience with friends.

The boys’ group were required to take the scenic route to Goolwa Beach due to a detour just outside of Strathalbyn, but when we arrived the boys were all quick to (wet)suit up and enter the water, dodging the dead fish on our way to the breakers. Significant skill was demonstrated in challenging conditions, with rain, sun and wind all needing to be accounted for. The boys threw themselves into the activity and got out of the water after a couple of hours just in time to experience a downpour, just as they were trying to get dry. After drying off, it was back on the bus for a short trip to Hindmarsh Island, where we packed bags and were then ferried across the water to The Young Husband Peninsula, where we hiked a short but challenging walk through the dunes to our first campsite at Barker’s Knoll. After dinner and a rain interrupted night walk, we all retired to our tents relatively early, for what would be an eventful night.

Tuesday 7 March

Conditions in the area did not improve overnight, in fact they became significantly more hazardous for kayaking, so a decision was made that the girls would not be able to get on the water at all on this day. So, the girls groups spent the day taking in some of the local sights of the area, including a nature walk, a trip to the (not so)-pink lake and then taking in the excitement and thrill of the bustling metropolis that is Meningie. A pay phone at Meningie proved to be a popular activity during the day and many-a-call home to parents were made to let them know about the crazy adventures the girls had already had. After some time lazing in the Meningie park, and making use of the luxurious public toilets, it was back to Mark’s Point for the remainder of the day, where the only toilets consisted of a shovel and a hole in the ground.

The boys began their day at 1:05am, when it became apparent that the tide had risen to such an extent that our entire camp site was about half a foot deep in water. All the group did an outstanding job of quickly getting as many tents and belongings as possible into the higher ground of the dunes. After stringing up some make-shift tarpaulin shelters in the dunes, the boys then put on the dry clothes they had and tried to get some sleep, or in most cases, just patiently waited for the sun to rise so we could get moving and start drying our equipment. A decision was made that the best drying spot would be back on Hindmarsh Island, so we could take shelter if it rained while we waited for our belongings to dry. So, the group were ferried back to Hindmarsh Island via tinny, where a bakery lunch made the task of waiting for things to dry slightly more appealing. Once belongings had been dried for as much time as we could spare, we were back on the boats, where we were taken to our campsite for the evening, Snake Pit. By about 7:30pm, we had all the group back together, ate dinner and went to bed early after a very long and tiring day.

Wednesday 8 March

The weather improved significantly on the Wednesday, meaning the girls could get on the water in their Kayaks and make the crossing over the Coorong in relatively calm waters, making the experience far more enjoyable than their paddling experience on the first day of camp. The girls spent the morning kayaking to our cross over point, where the boys and girls groups would meet to swap kayaks for backpacks and vice-verca, and to swap stories from the experience so far. The boys got going on their walk to the crossover point with their backpacks significantly lighter than on day one due to making their way through most of their food and water. This made carrying packs much easier than on the Monday, so although this walk was about three times longer than the one earlier in the week, it was easier due to the lighter packs. Also, the prospect of seeing the girls group at the crossover point enlivened the spirits of several of the boys, with Elliot Duffield demonstrating significant excitement as we approached the end of our walk.

After eating lunch, the boys and girls groups swapped activities and, after some difficulty squeezing all their belongings into the backpacks, the girls set off on their walk for the afternoon, while the boys packed their kayaks and set off for their first paddle. Conditions for the Wednesday afternoon were not as favourable as the morning, with rain and wind impacting both groups on their way to their respective camp sites. The choppy conditions in the Coorong made landing at the boys’ camp site quite difficult, with some boats becoming tangled and Krisitan Cooper having an unfortunate capsizing accident. The shovel got a workout on the Wednesday evening after dinner, before students retired to their tents for a well-earned rest.

Thursday 9 March

The girls’ group had their big walk on the Thursday, making their way through the dunes to the Southern Ocean side of the Young Husband Peninsula, before walking along the beach and then cutting back into the dunes and making their way to their camp site at Barker’s Knoll. Some of the group found the walk with the heavy packs hard going, but all completed the walk and enjoyed the coastal scenery along the journey. The girls learnt from the boys’ mistake from earlier in the week, and set up camp on higher ground in the dunes, rather than on the flatter ground of the camp site itself. This proved to be an unnecessary precaution as the area wasn’t flooded at all on the Thursday night, meaning that the high tide the boys experience on their first night was either a freakish event for this time of year, or the result of activity at the barrages, rather than because of tidal activity.

The boys had flat and calm conditions for their big day of paddling, and most of our paddle was completed in the morning. We stopped at some of the largest dune systems along the Coorong for our morning tea, and then, after some intense dune-long-jumping competitions, which saw Tyler Smith crowned as King of the Dunes, we walked through the dunes, taking in the incredible and unique views, making our way to the Southern Ocean, where the boys played some make-shift beach cricket and collected several kilos of cockles for their dinner. After lunch we made the short paddle to 9-Mile-Point, our final camp site for the week, where we set up camp, cooked dinner and then played some games, including spot-light and an interesting survival style test of strength game between some of the boys, which involved tea-towels and for some reason, no tops.

Friday 10 March

The final day of camp started with a short walk and a boat trip in the tinny for the girls’ group, after which they were bused from Hindmarsh Island to Goolwa Beach for their surfing session. Several of the girls were too exhausted by this stage to get in the water, but for those who did, the conditions were the best of the week. The boys had a short paddle across the Coorong before breakfast and packing up the kayaks and all other equipment, then making the short drive to Meningie for lunch and some relaxing in the park. Then both boys and girls groups then made their way back to school, where we unpacked and swapped stories with each other and the parents who had come to collect their children. The camp was challenging due to the conditions, but this is a part of the experience and all who attended gained something from the trip, and many indicating that, despite the conditions and the flooding, they’d still do it all over again if they had the opportunity.

A big thanks to Jo Matthews, Mikaela Thomas and Harry Cates for attending the camp; without these staff the camp would not have happened. Another big thanks to the parents/carers of all students who attended; helping to get your children prepared for the camp and working with the College to ensure your child attended, and has had the opportunity to grow from this unique experience, is greatly appreciated. Finally, thanks to all students who took part in the camp; your behaviour was outstanding and you all demonstrated significant grit in persevering through tough conditions, well done!

Mark Andrews
Years 9-10 Leader

On Wednesday 1 March, in the wee hours of the morning (5:15am to be exact), twenty one Arts students gathered at the College to commence their journey to Melbourne. Much excitement ensued as we embarked on a three-day Performing and Visual Arts immersion trip.

The students engaged in a visual arts workshop at Blender Studios, a guided tour of the Arts Centre and Malthouse Theatre, a dance workshop with the Chunky Move Dance Theatre, Characterisation workshop at Malthouse Theatre, Script writing and devising workshops at The Chanel (part of the VCA), discovering the courses and programs on offer at the Victorian College of the Arts, and a night out at the Regent Theatre to view a live performance of & Juliet. Time was spent exploring the city of Melbourne on a walking street art tour, the National Gallery of Victoria and a little bit of ‘mandatory’ shopping before travelling back to Adelaide on Friday evening.

Our time spent absorbed in the performing and visual arts of Melbourne was fabulous, providing a wonderful opportunity for the students to explore future pathways in the exciting and inspirational field that is The Arts. A huge thank must go to all the parents who support the students in their exploration of the Arts, along with immense gratitude to Karen Boswell who accompanied us on our tour. We could not be prouder of the way our students engaged in all of the workshops; they made the most of every opportunity that was presented to them irrespective of the genre of the Arts. As teachers, Karen and I felt incredibly blessed to have had the privilege of spending time with the students to witness the development and appreciation of the effort it takes to work within the fields of the performing and visual arts.

Peta Bojanic
Arts Trip Coordinator

Since our last edition of Link Up, where we talked about our focus being on giving every one of our students at the College the opportunity to enjoy the richness and rewards that music brings, this past week saw us stage our first lunchtime concert, The Music Lunchbox, which saw a cross-section of our vocal students, from Year 3 right through to Year 12, perform to their peers in the Courtyard. It was fantastic to see so many of our students come out in support of the performers singing and dancing to popular tunes by P!NK, Adele, Cyndi Lauper, Miley Cyrus and many more. We look forward to our next instalment of The Music Lunchbox #2 next term.

Our Generations in Jazz (GiJ) performers have been working hard on their chosen pieces in readiness for their trip to the annual Mt Gambier Festival, 5-7 May. This promises to once again be a rewarding experience for the talented members of vocal group, JazZone, and jazz combo, De Groove. Senior Music Teacher, Sarah Dodd, together with experienced GiJ maestro co-ordinator, Emily Lovelock, will be there in great support of our musos as will our nominated bus driver, our College Principal, Gavin McGlaughlin.

Our Year 5 Woodwind Immersion Programme commences in the coming weeks where our very talented multi-instrumentalist, Years 2-6 Classroom Music Teacher Nicole Moxham, will present a wonderful opportunity for the Year 5 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. Nicole will have great support from our specialist woodwind teacher, Karen Redman, who is also available for private lessons through our Instrumental Music Programme. As a College Music Department, we are very fortunate to be able to supply some 80 woodwind instruments to our students, something that will be a rich and rewarding experience but most importantly, be a fun experience.

…and just as a reminder, if you are interested in registering to learn an instrument or study voice, please visit the following link where you will find further details… limited spots remain for 2023.

stfrancis.catholic.edu.au/learning/beyond-the-classroom/music

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

Sarah Dodd, Nicole Moxham, Leanne Mibus and Aleks Bojanic
Music Department

7-12 Sports Day

This year our annual 7-12 Sports Day was held on Thursday 2 March. The day started with a House Parade with our House Captains leading their teams around the track with music, banners and chanting.

It was wonderful to see all of the students get into the spirit of the day by wearing bright colours and crazy costumes, especially the home-made efforts and the group designs.

Throughout the day the students were involved in various novelty games, indoor competitions and athletics events, culminating in the continuous House relay. All students participated enthusiastically in the novelty events and the indoor hybrid game, and there were a number of outstanding results in the Athletics events.

The final relay saw Savoy take an early break and then maintain the lead for the whole race, despite a close come-back from Padua. Congratulations to Savoy for winning the House Sport Cup, in an incredibly close final tally, and to Lyon for winning the House Spirit Cup.

Well done to all the Age Champions (see below) and a huge thank you to the staff and Year 6 volunteers who assisted in the running of a successful day.

House Sport Cup – Overall Points
1651    Savoy
1645    Padua
1535    Lyon
1290    Geneva

Age Champions
Year 7 – Thomas Stapleton and Mia Nixon
Year 8 – Dylan and Airlee Bell
Year 9 – Griffin James and Holly Clark
Year 10 – Kale/Elliott Duffield (joint) and Sienna Fox
Year 11 – Noah Roberts and Luella Koral
Year 12 – Benjamin Murphy and Stephanie Formby

Barker District Swimming Carnival

On Thursday 2 March we sent an enthusiastic team to compete in the Barker District Swimming Carnival at the Mountain Pool. The students competed hard in all events and represented the college superbly. Sarah Morely was especially successful, taking out the Thompson cup for being the fastest female swimmer at the carnival. After a slight delay in results we ended up winning the overall trophy. A huge thanks to Andy Gehling and Amanda Fairley for managing the team, and the parents for volunteering their time to assist with various duties.

Open Boys Tennis

On Tuesday 14 March Mateja Novakovic, Ben Murphy, Bryce Hutchesson and Cooper James travelled to Murray Bridge to compete in the first round of the Open Boys Interschool Tennis tournament against Unity College. They first competed in the doubles matches and neither team dropped a game, winning both 6-0. In the singles matches each of the boys also won their matches convincingly. They now move on to the finals day, held at Seacliff Tennis Club on Friday 24 March, and we wish them every success.

Knockout and Interschool Sporting Opportunities

Throughout the next two terms we will have an increased number of opportunities for students to trial for school representative teams. As these teams are nominated the coaches will communicate the relevant information to students through the classroom teacher, Seesaw and/or SEQTA Notices. Parents 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.

SAPSASA Success

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent the Barker District in the State Softball Carnival in Week 10. Lindsay Butler, Zara Peterson and Sophie Barnes. We wish them every success.

Often students in our community achieve great results across various sporting endeavours. If you know of someone who has achieved excellence in an event then please let me know so we can celebrate their success.

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