Link Up Term 3 Week 4 2023

Start of Term 3

Term 3 is an action-packed term, and it has started at a very high pace which, no doubt, will be sustained right through to Week 10. This week our Year 4 students have been engaged in various outdoor activities at the Mylor Adventure Camp. It has also been National Science Week and recently a number of our students have been involved in Science activities and excursions aligned to this event, including the Year 8 and 9 students who investigated the importance of Science and Technology in our everyday lives at the Science Alive STEM Day Out, and the Year 7 students who attended Monarto Safari Park to observe animals in their natural habitats.

College Celebrations

It was terrific to start this term with some celebrations that brought our whole College together in community. Our Mary MacKillop Liturgy in Week 1 was a wonderful celebration of our faith and a reminder for us to follow in the footsteps of Mary MacKillop by never seeing a need without doing something about it. In Week 2, we celebrated student academic achievements from Semester 1 at our Years 7-12 Academic Awards Assembly and R-6 Heart and Awards Assembly. We also welcomed our new students, including 30 new Receptions, and new staff to the College with the presentation of their Heart Badge. These assemblies related directly to some core aspects of our College; welcome, belonging and academic excellence. It was pleasing to have many parents/caregivers and other family members present to share in these celebrations, and we thank them for making the time to be with us.

Knockout Sport

Congratulations to all students involved in Knockout Sport so far this term, and to our staff who give generously of their time to enable our students to engage in these sporting opportunities. Already this term we have had students represent the College in Years 10-12 Girls and Boys Netball, Year 7/8 Boys AFL, Years 7-9 Girls AFL, Senior Boys Soccer, Year 9/10 Girls Netball and Years 7-9 Boys. Our students have been outstanding representatives of the College demonstrating great participation and respect for their opponents and officials, as well as having their share of success and a great time working together with their peers. We wish the Year 5/6 boys and girls and the Year 11 and 12’s well in their upcoming Knockout Basketball and Volleyball events respectively.

Dell Building Open House

The Dell Building Open House took place on Monday 7 August, and it was great to see a number of people take advantage of the opportunity to say a final ‘farewell’ to this building. The Dell was built in the 1950’s when the Mercy Sisters required more space to teach their students, and moved down into the valley below the Convent. The Dell undoubtedly holds many memories for current and past staff and students, so it was fitting to provide an opportunity for those who wished to come back one last time to reminisce. Visitors on the night included past staff, students and parents and there were many stories told of ‘the good old days’ throughout the night. Most visitors also reflected upon the tremendous growth and development that has taken place at St Francis since their time here, something that continues with the upcoming building work on the Dell. I would like to thank Sarah Sims and Michele McDonald who did the lion’s share of work to ensure the evening was successful and Ian Crossfield who came up with the idea that inspired this event.

2024 Subject Choices and Pathways

A big thank you to the families of our secondary students who joined us for the SACE Pathways Information Evening in Week 3. This evening was an important step in the educational journey of our students, supporting them to make the best possible subject choices from Year 9 into Year 10, Year 10 into Year 11 and Year 11 into Year 12. I’m grateful also to the staff who have provided their expertise in group and individual counselling sessions for subject preference selection over the last few weeks. We value the partnerships between staff, students and families that are demonstrated in many ways, including evenings like Wednesday last week when we have the chance to come together for the shared purpose of maximising student educational outcomes.

Living Learning Leading Surveys

Catholic Education South Australia’s Living Learning Leading (LLL) Framework gives us a foundation for understanding what we do in Catholic Education – who we are, what we value and how we partner with our families to ensure our students thrive. Parents and Caregivers can provide us with valuable feedback regarding St Francis de Sales’ performance in relation to the LLL Framework via the Living Learning Leading Survey. We warmly welcome your feedback which you can provide via NSIPartnerships.com.au, click on Start Questionnaire and enter the Access Code SFDSLLLP. Parents and caregivers have until Friday 25 August to respond to this survey. Thank you to everyone who has already taken up this opportunity.

2022 School Performance Report

The 2022 School Performance Report is available for community members to view on our College website at about/college-performance. Should you wish to view the report but are unable to access the Report in this manner, please contact the College on 8393 1000 or email info@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au and we will forward you a copy.

Upcoming Events

There are many more College events for students and families to be aware of coming up in the next four weeks, including:

Week 5

• College Photo Catch up (21 August)
• Catholic Schools Open Week (21-25 August)
• Year 10 Immunisations (23 August)

Week 6

• Year 8 Reflection Day (29 August)
• PCG Father’s Day Stall (31 August)

Week 7

• Child Protection Week (4-10 September)
• Years 7-12 Learning Reviews (6-7 September)
• Student Free Day (8 September)

Week 8

• Year 5-6 Hills Murray Lightning Carnival (11-13 September)
• Year 7 Canberra Tour Information Evening (12 September)

This is not a complete list, so please refer to the College Calendar on our website at news-events/college-calendar and Consent2Go approvals for further events and information.

We are also preparing for the upcoming Catholic Schools Music Festival (Tuesday 26 September) featuring some of our Year 5 students in the mass choir and two Senior School students, Ethan Honner and Lachlan Anderson, who were both selected to perform solo acts. It should be a great night, so please ensure you secure your tickets when they become available.

Paul Wadsworth
Acting Principal

Staff Professional Learning – Life Buoyancy Institute IMPACT Program

In the last edition of Link Up, I shared with the community that our College has been reviewing our approach to student wellbeing and that we resolved to establish a Collegewide Vision for Wellbeing which will build upon the strength and success of our existing wellbeing philosophy to create a cohesive, integrated, trauma-informed and evidence-based approach wellbeing vision and framework.

Our staff embarked on the first step of this journey at the beginning of this term, participation in a full day of professional learning with Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Life Buoyancy Institute, Dr Ivan Raymond unpacking the science of wellbeing; intentional trauma responsive practice, differentiated wellbeing strategies for educators; and brain development and functioning.

Importantly, all teachers and most education support officers participated in this foundations course to ensure that all educators in our community could engage in shared purpose and language.

A key component of enhancing student wellbeing is for parents/caregivers and educators to work in partnership. To this end, we are keen to engage with our parent community in the development of our Vision for Wellbeing, and there will be parent information sessions upcoming to provide an opportunity for engagement.

Thank to those parents who have responded to the parent Vision for Wellbeing Survey. The survey remains open and I encourage you to have a say.

College Photos – Uniform and Grooming

I had the pleasure last week of supervising our College photos. This is a significant event for students and families, as well as logistically. Thank you to Sarah Sims (Marketing and Communications Coordinator) and Michele McDonald (Coordinator of R-12 Support Team) for their coordination of College photos across two full days.

Our sense of community and identity was palpable across the two days as students from Reception through to Year 12 showed immense pride in their uniform and personal appearance. There is overwhelming evidence that connects a sense of identity and belonging to improved engagement and learning outcomes. For this reason, taking pride in uniform and grooming doesn’t just need to occur on photo day! I encourage parents and caregivers to familiarise themselves with the College Uniform Requirements in our policy document to ensure that your child is set for success each and every day.

Student Safety and Supervision

You may have noticed recent Police presence on Dutton Road during morning drop-off times. It is a good reminder for us that there is a 25kph limit through the pedestrian crossing that we would ask parents and caregivers to be attentive to both in the morning and afternoon deployment of crossing monitors. It is also a good reminder that we use the Kiss and Drop line in a thoughtful way.

Kiss and Drop requests:

• Do not leave your vehicle except to help your child/ren
• Please keep to the 20kph speed limit (remember it’s a maximum!)
• If you can avoid leaving a car length or two in front of your car, please do.

Some general commentary about carpark usage includes:

• Under Section 5 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the road rules apply to carparks
• The fine for using a handheld mobile device while driving, including while stationary but not parked (e.g. stopped in traffic), is $639 and 3 demerit points
• It is a separate offence to drive without due care, attention, or reasonable consideration for other road users (Section 45 of the Road Traffic Act). (e.g. a driver busy with their mobile phone instead of watching the road is “driving without due care”.)
• If the call or message is important, drivers should park and give the call or message their full attention
• Drivers should consider utilising hands-free and voice-to-text functions
• A reminder also that there is no right turn from the carpark onto Dutton road, as per the signage.

Community Sports Centre After Hours

Please be aware that there is no student supervision in and around the Community Sports Centre after school. Supervision is provided at the two crossings in front of the College, and at the Kiss and Drop area.

While many students are involved in basketball programs after school, these typically don’t commence until well after the final bell. It is the responsibility of parents and caregivers to ensure students are supervised at these times.

Encounter Youth - Free Alcohol, Drugs and Vaping Education Session for Parents

The Mount Barker District Council has partnered with Encounter Youth to deliver a free alcohol, drugs and vaping education session for parents, caregivers and community members. Attendees will learn about current use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) amongst young people, tips on how to talk to a young person about AOD and more.

The details are as follows:

• Date: 24 August Thursday
• Time: 6pm to 7:30pm
• Venue: Summit Sports & Recreation Park, 304 Springs Road, Mt Barker Summit (Mt Barker United Soccer Club)
• Registration: register online at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/parent-information-session-drugs-alcohol-and-vaping-tickets-688538325667?aff=oddtdtcreator. For further information see the flyer under Community Notices.

James Gill
Deputy Principal - Community and Wellbeing

As we are well into Term 3, it’s astonishing to think that we are also into the sixth week of a new semester of learning. As I think ahead about the events on the horizon – Camps, Retreats, Book Week, Junior School Sports Day, College Day, Learning Reviews, Tours of Learning; blink and before we know it Term 3 will be over! It’s in busy moments like these I try to be mindful of appreciating each moment and to reflect on the journey thus far.

Academic Assemblies

In Week 2 this term we celebrated the outstanding achievements of our students from Semester 1 in a Junior and Senior School assembly. Students in each year level were recognised for Academic Excellence, Excellence in Endeavour, Learning Excellence and Learning Endeavour based on their Semester 1 results. A special part of our assembly was awarding the College Heart Value award, where a student in each year level was acknowledged for demonstrating our 2023 Heart Value of Respect. It was wonderful to share in acknowledging these successes with the students’ families.

NAPLAN

Earlier this year, students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 participated in the NAPLAN assessments, which assessed students’ proficiencies in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy at their year level. Results from these assessments help to determine whether students are on track with attaining the necessary skills in literacy and numeracy using the Australian Curriculum as a reference. Reports were sent home at the end of Week 2 to provide information to families about their child’s achievement at the time of each assessment. Whilst NAPLAN provides a snapshot of performance in literacy and numeracy, it’s important to remember that this is one element regarding students’ overall learning and achievement in literacy and numeracy. We invite families to contact the College if they wish to discuss their child’s results.

Subject selection and counselling

While Junior School continues the normal rhythms that Term 3 brings, preparations are well-underway for 2024 subject selections for our current Years 9-11 students. In Week 3 students and families participated in subject information sessions, and this week we offered subject counselling to assist our students and families with understanding the specific requirements of SACE and the subjects offered so they are well-informed when making subject selections for 2024. We invite students and families to contact their homegroup teacher, Kim Bathe or Rosslyn Mattner if further guidance is required.

Learning beyond the classroom

It has certainly been a very busy few weeks of learning across the College with students involved in many opportunities in and outside of the classroom. Excursions, Career Expos, Music performances, Sporting Carnivals and Camps are just a few. Learning beyond the classroom offers students a chance to learn more about themselves, to build deeper relationships with each other and their teachers, and to develop the key capabilities that they will need in their future schooling and beyond. We are grateful for our wonderful staff who put in the extra time and effort to organise and support the students in these opportunities. 

These opportunities not only present themselves for our students, but for our staff as well! We congratulate Mark Billington who has been invited to be an on-court coach for the upcoming Adelaide 36ers Elite Academy!

Walking side-by-side

So much in such a short amount of time, we believe that learning journey’s such as these are not meant to be travelled alone. In walking side-by-side with our students, the College strives to work with families so together we can fulfill our fundamental belief that all students can fulfil their potential to be who they are and be that well. Whether in the early, primary, middle or the senior secondary years, the journey is enriched when we ‘walk together’ and assist to navigate the path ahead! 

Wishing all students and families a wonderful Term 3!

Carla Thomas
Acting Deputy Principal – Learning

Mercy

Welcome to Term 3 – our time to deeply focus on our Mercy Heritage and raise awareness of and funds for Mercy organisations who are working with those in most need. Our most prominent Mercy fundraiser this term, is College Day being held on Wednesday, 27 September. As is our tradition, on that day we will raise much needed funds for Mercy founded charity, Catherine House. It will be a fun filled day where as a community we gather together to acknowledge and celebrate who we are at the core, through following in the footsteps of Jesus and following the lived example of St Francis de Sales and Catherine McAuley. The day will begin with a liturgy, then a Carnival-like atmosphere will be created with Stalls, outdoor activities, jumpy castles etc. We will then end the day with our famous Talent Show. More detailed information will be communicated to families soon.

Vinnies Winter Appeal

A sincere thank you to all those who generously contributed to the fundraising for last terms Vinnies Winter Appeal, which included the Vinnies Sleepout.

Twenty students participated in the Sleepout, accompanied by Branden Hill, Emma Hill, Owen Davies, Devan Chalmers, Amy Plumridge and I. It was an evening full of activities and presentations focussed on raising awareness of the issue of homelessness in South Australia, which concluded with a box-shelter building competition. We slept outside under the veranda of Callen Quad, in solidarity with so many people who sleep outside each night for real, due to homelessness. I’d like to also thank Sr Shiji who set-up Breakfast Club earlier than usual to provide breakfast to those who participated in the Sleepout.

We were successful in raising funds beyond our target ($5,707), and this money will go to the local Mt Barker Vinnies Group to support those in most need in our local area. Thank you so much for the money you donated, awareness raised about homelessness, and for your support of the Appeal in general.

Inspirational Women

Since the last Link Up newsletter was published, we celebrated and acknowledged two women who have positively impacted our College narrative.

It was pleasing to begin Term 3 gathered as whole College for the Mary MacKillop liturgy. This featured the musical and singing talents of many students and staff, and the artistic talents of our Year 6 cohort with their visual art exhibition as people entered the sacred space. We also had the privilege of hearing reflections about the Gospel from Kathryn Peacock and Joze Wamayi. During the ceremony, we had a visit from “Mary MacKillop” (aka Amy Plumridge) who was able to share some of the significant moments in her life with us.

This week we celebrated the first disciple, Mary mother of Jesus, with the Feast of the Assumption.

Both women provide a brilliant example to us of how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and live life in service of others.

World Youth Day

Our College participated in the World Youth Day – Adelaide events this year, which coincided with the International event in Portugal. Sr Shiji and I took eight students from Year 10/11 to Victoria Park Wetlands, as part of the World Youth Day – Adelaide Diocesan event. Together with 130 students from other Catholic schools, we planted 1,500 seedlings in the wetland, as our way of putting into action the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si. In this encyclical, the Pope reminds us that it is the responsibility of all people to be custodians of the natural world.

Thank you to the following students who chose to be part of this important initiative:

Grace Coster, Ginny Thorne, Jordan Kerley, Caitlin Batge, Holly Hutchinson, Rachel Morris, Holly Paech and Cara Parker-Thomas

I wish you well as we journey through this term.

In Peace,

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

R-6 Heart Badge and Semester 1 Awards Presentation

Our R-6 community celebrated the Heart Badge and Semester 1 Awards Presentation on Wednesday 2 August 2023. The Heart Badges are a wonderful tradition at our College and are presented as a symbol of welcome to every student and staff member who join our community. The Heart Badge symbolises the foundational values of our College: Faith, Perseverance, Compassion, Integrity, Respect, Wisdom and Justice. It was lovely to see so many new students and staff be officially welcomed into our R-6 community and receive their Heart Badge at the presentation.

Our R-6 Semester 1 Awards Presentation was also a fantastic opportunity to officially acknowledge the special efforts and achievements of some of our students who have demonstrated excellence in one or more of the award categories. Selected students in each class received Semester 1 awards for Learning Endeavour and Learning Excellence. One student from each year level was awarded the 2023 Heart Value Award Respect. We congratulate all our award winners for Semester 1.

Year 4 Camp

This week, the Year 4 Students headed off to their three-day camp at Mylor Baptist Camp. Despite the chilly weather, the students had an amazing experience at their first camp, enjoying lots of fun and adventurous activities that foster personal growth, teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving. The Flying Fox and Giant Swing are always a big hit, and a big challenge too! It was fantastic to see our students grow and flourish, while spending time developing and solidifying positive relationships with their peers. There will be some tired children at home tonight!

Alice Taylor
R-6 Director of Learning and R-6 Literacy Leader

Years 7-12 learning has occurred in various ways this term. We are pleased to report that the Stage 2 Activating Identities and Futures (AIF) results have been released, and all our Year 12 students successfully completed the AIF as part of the pilot program. We can also report an A+ was achieved by one of our students which is a fantastic achievement in a pilot program. This course will become the mandatory 10 credit unit at Stage 2 in the SACE (from 2025) as the Research Project is being retired.

Our Academic Assembly celebrated those students who achieved Academic Excellence and Excellence in Endeavour in their year levels and those who demonstrated our Heart Value Respect in and outside of our College community.

The Year 10 students ventured to Aldgate for their Reflection Day, which aligns with learning in Stage 1 Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning.

Subject Selection information, selection and counselling are well under way with all our students from Years 8-11 endeavouring to select subjects for 2024. We encourage students to put in preferences for subjects that they find interesting, or students would like to deepen their understanding in.

Year 8 and 9 students were able to engage in an array of information and activities on the recent Science Alive excursion to Wayville showgrounds.

Our Year 7 students are eagerly waiting for their Canberra Tour which will be here before we know it. Year 7 teachers and Jen Ness-Ferry are finalising details ready for parent/caregiver and student information to be distributed.

Term 3 has begun with the busyness of the start to a new semester and also the anticipation for many upcoming events.

Kim Bathe
Year 7-12 Director of Learning

Semester 2 kicked off with a BANG where our very talented musicians created an AudioWave across the Performing Arts Centre at our aptly named Music Concert, AudioWaves. Family and friends were treated to some fantastic performances covering a wide range of musical styles.

Our jazz band deGroove got the feet tapping whilst the Alex Amos Band created a bit of head banging rock with a Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ classic. Our talented vocal combo, JazZone, reprised their soulful Generations in Jazz tunes and our group of aspiring younger musicians in Mixed Bag had the crowd humming some tunes. The Guitar Band played a Beatles’ classic and the night gave our newest group, Strings, the opportunity to grace the stage for the very first time. Year 10 soloists, the very smooth Harry Lovelock with his saxophone and our very own College ‘Axeman’, Ethan Honner on guitar, both showed the quality that is developed and nurtured in our ever-growing instrumental music program. Our pop rock’group Heart n Soul closed out the night with a couple of absolute crowd pleasers and the night would not have been the success it was without our compere, our 2023 Music Captain, Charlotte Ernst, who also treated the crowd with two fantastic vocal performances.

The second half of Term 3 is certainly full of action for the Music Department…

Tuesday, 26 September sees our hard-working Festival Choir, under the direction of our R-6 Music teacher and choir leader Nicole Moxham, join other Catholic schools as they take to the stage at the Adelaide Festival Theatre for the opening night of the annual Catholic Schools Music Festival. This is a huge event on the Catholic Schools calendar and this year we are being represented by one of our largest groups of Year 5-7s in recent years with 18 choir members, a fantastic achievement and furthermore, we are excited to be able to continue in our tradition of having soloists successfully audition to be able to perform on the main stage at the Catholic Schools Music Festival where this year, from a pool of over 100 students state wide who auditioned, our very talented Year 10s, Ethan Honner (electric lead guitarist) and Lachlan Anderson (musical cabaret vocalist) will have the powerful experience of performing in front of some 2,000 people at the Festival Theatre. A big congratulations to both Lachy and Ethan and we are certain that they along with our Festival Choir will represent the College with great pride. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketek.

Some other music dates on our calendar include; The Music Lunchbox #3 in Week 5, and the fourth instalment of The Music Lunchbox in Week 9, a good number of music students involved in the College Day Talent Show in Week 10 and also our annual College Music Cabaret on Thursday, 28 September which once again will be a massive night of great entertainment to be held in the Community Sports Centre (stand by for more details).

Thank you to our whole College community for supporting the Performing Arts and as Sonny and Cher sang in 1967, ‘…and the Beat Goes On’

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

Young Women in STEM

A group of our brilliant Year 9 girls recently had the opportunity to attend an excursion to Adelaide University as part of the Young Women in STEM program. The event was a resounding success, fostering curiosity, teamwork, and hands-on experiences in various STEM fields.

The day began with an enlightening lecture on nuclear science, providing the girls with a glimpse into the fascinating world of atomic structures, nuclear reactions, and their applications. Following the lecture, the girls tackled three different activities. The first activity centred around mathematics, where the girls were tasked with collaborating in groups to create a rope calculator. They applied their mathematical skills to develop a practical tool capable of solving increasingly complex problems. Next up was the field of mechanical engineering. The girls explored the intricate world of biomechanics by investigating hip replacements. They discovered how engineers design and improve prosthetic devices, and then did a hands-on activity where they crafted simple rockets. The final activity focused on electrical engineering, where the girls worked to create a DC motor from scratch. They gained an understanding of some of the mechanisms behind electric motors, and how to problem solve when things don’t quite work out. It was great to see how pleased the girls looked as their motors started whirring for the first time.

Throughout the day, it was evident that every student found something unique and captivating about the excursion. Some discovered a passion for mathematics, while others were surprised to find that they enjoyed mechanical or electrical engineering, having never considered it before. The diversity of interests and experiences highlighted the immense potential that exists within our young women to make significant contributions in STEM fields.

Apart from the engaging activities, the excursion also allowed the girls to witness firsthand the vibrant environment of Adelaide University. They were exposed to the campus atmosphere, interacted with enthusiastic university students and professors, and gained insights into the rich academic offerings available to them in the future.

Science Alive

Science Alive was run in partnership with National Science Week and aimed to build awareness of the scope and importance of Science and Technology in our everyday lives. The STEM Day Out program provided Year 8 and 9 students with a window into the wide variety of STEM careers now available. Students were involved in 80+ interactive exhibits and workshops and challenges and had the opportunity to engage with early career scientists and engineers. They had a wonderful day of exploring Science, trying new challenges and experiencing the depth of Science.

Science Week

As part of this week's National Science Week our Senior School students conducted an array of Science experiments for Junior School students. The students used their senses whilst exploring this year’s theme Innovation: Powering Future Industries with a number of different experiments in our Science Labs. The experiments demonstrated that Science is fun and applicable to many areas of everyday life.

Zonya Grear
Learning Area Specialist - Science

Throughout the end of last term and into this term we have had a number of teams across various sports compete in different competitions. Among these statewide competitions we have had some teams make it all the way to the finals series, which is an outstanding achievement.

Year 5/6 Soccer

Our Year 5/6 Boys Soccer team won their first round and travelled to Adelaide to compete against three other schools. They won the first game 1-0 thanks to a brilliant free kick taken by Kai Doyle. Unfortunately that was the end of the joy as they were comprehensively beaten in the next two games by strong opposition. Regardless the boys should be proud of their efforts particularly as more than half the side are not regular soccer players. They worked and trained hard and enjoyed the experience.

Year 11/12 Soccer

The girls played the one match against Adelaide High School down in town where the girls started strong and managed to keep a very strong Adelaide High School team scoreless until 20 minutes in. The first half finished at 4-0 with the final game score finishing at 9-0. This didn’t dishearten the girls who gave it their all and enjoyed the experience. The highlight of the day was Ebony McHugh saving a penalty in the second half and putting on a great performance in goals for the team. Thank you to volunteer Taylor Moffatt for accompanying the team and myself today.

The boys played in Murray Bridge against Murray Bridge High School and Birdwood High School. In their first game against Murray Bridge the boys got off to a cracking start winning 3-1. Their second game was shortly after against Birdwood where they lost in a very close battle that finished 3-2. Goal scorers for the day were Harry Coles x2, Joel Lamprill, Flynn Weatherstone and Michael Marafioti. The game between Murray Bridge and Birdwood finished in a high scoring 5-3 victory to Murray Bridge, meaning our boys went through on goal difference to the next round! Thank you to Daniel Lim and volunteer Jake Browning for taking the boys.

For the second round the boys played Tenison Woods first who were a very young but skillful side. Unfortunately, the game finished 6-0, making progression through to the next round highly unlikely. This was confirmed after Tenison Woods beat Encounter Lutheran 4-0 in the second match of the day. This meant that Tenison Woods would progress through to the next stage of the competition.

In the last match of the day our boys played Encounter Lutheran. Our boys got off to a great start taking a 1-0 lead early and as the match progressed the team became more confident before scoring twice more to take a 3-0 lead. With 5 minutes to go Encounter Lutheran scored two quick goals, making for a very nervy finish. The boys held on though for a 3-2 win. A standout performance for the day was Pierre, our French exchange student, who demonstrated outstanding talent and perseverance across both matches.

Senior Netball

As mentioned in the last Link Up, our Year 9/10 Girls Netball team won their first round of netball. The have since then also won the second round of competition against Mt Barker High School and Heathfield High School. This means they progress to the State Finals in Week 6. These girls have performed magnificently across all their round matches, with consistent and well drilled efforts across all areas of the court. We wish them every success in the finals.

Our Years 10-12 Boys Netball team also have performed well across the minor rounds. This is particularly impressive as half the team are made up of Year 10s and they are predominantly coming up against much older, bigger opponents. They beat Unity High School and Cabra College in the first rounds in hard fought matches against strong competition. This meant they then competed against Blackwood High School to get to the finals day. This match was incredibly competitive and, after a seesawing game, the boys finally ended up winning by 3 points. This means they will compete in the Statewide Finals, which is also held in Week 6.

Our Years 7-9 Boys Netball team also played their first round matches this term. They competed against Sacred Heart College (SHC), Unity College and Oakbank College. For some of these boys it was their first time playing netball but they adjusted well to the game and performed well. In the end their narrow loss to SHC meant they do not progress, but their efforts are still to be congratulated.

Our Year 11/12 Girls Netball team competed in their rounds against Blackwood High School and Concordia College. The team fought hard, even though illness affected the team, but unfortunately did not make it through. They are to be commended on their perseverance and supportive efforts.

Open Basketball

Earlier this term we hosted the Division 1 Open Boys and Girls Basketball minor round competitions. Our Boys team was a very young team, which meant they were competing against much larger, stronger opponents. They fought hard and displayed some moments of brilliance but were ultimately knocked out of the competition. Our Girls team were also made up of younger players and they played sensationally as a team. Against some really tough competition they made it through to the finals day. At the finals day in Week 4 the girls played in three hard fought games and ended up third in the state. This is an outstanding achievement and the team is to be congratulated.

SAPSASA Success

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to represent the Barker District in the State SAPSASA Carnivals:

Eve Bockman – Soccer
Beau Bockman – Hockey
Chelsea England, Ella Smith, Chloe McInnes, Lindsay Butler, Georgia Vickers and Bridie Rogers - Netball

What a fantastic achievement!

Out of School Success

We would also like to recognise the outstanding individual results of the following students and staff who have achieved in community events. If you know of anyone who has excelled in a sport/event out of school then please let Nadia Honner know so we can celebrate the successes.

Daisy Hocking, Ethan MacDermot and Kale – all recently competed in the National Basketball Competition for SA Country Basketball. It should also be noted that the U/16 Boys team finished with the silver medal which is the first time this team has placed in a long time.

Ethan MacDermot and Kale have also been invited to be part of the Adelaide 36ers Elite Academy. This academy brings together the best athletes born from 2004-2008 (both of these boys are 2008 so very young) from all over South Australia to train for an intensive 6 week block, twice a week under the guidance of the Adelaide 36ers coaches. This is the first time we have had any of our students

Leni Newham is an outstanding swimmer having represented SA and in Australian Junior development squads. At the SA Short Course Swimming championships she excelled once again, walking away a 6 x State Champion and placing in her other three events. Leni missed out on being the highest female point scorer by 1 point, and in her last event (50m Breaststroke) she missed the gold medal by 0.01 of a second which would have given her the extra point to win. So close but still an amazing achievement! 

Further Opportunities

Throughout the rest of the year we will still have a number of opportunities for students to trial and play 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/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 Specialist - Health and Physical Education and Specialist Sport Coordinator

Catholic School Parents SA (CSPSA) continues to present the Parent Engagement Program and welcomes all parents and carers of children in Catholic schools to attend.

They are pleased to have Madhavi Nawana Parker present their next evening Helping children and teenagers respond to friendship difficulties and bullying. Madhavi Nawana Parker, Director of Positive Minds Australia is one of Australia’s leading experts on Mental Health and Wellbeing.

This workshop will help parents and carers identify the difference between bullying and social clumsiness, whilst also providing practical and constructive ways for young people to cope with confidence and resilience.

The event has online and in person attendance options.

The details of the event are below:

Date: Wednesday 20 September 2023 @ 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: St Mary's College, Veritas Centre, 253 Franklin Street, Adelaide
Cost: Free
Registration: Register via the CESA Registration Centre