Link Up Term 3 Week 8 2023

We are approaching the final weeks of Term 3, and take this opportunity to look back over what has been an eventful month since our last Link Up. As always, it has been a busy time, where staff, students and parents/caregivers have been engaged in a variety of events and activities promoting learning, wellbeing and community.

Book Week

The theme for Book Week 2023 Read, Grow, Inspire embodies the power of reading and the opportunities it promotes for those who regularly seek solace in the written word. Our College came alive with staff, students and parents reading together, immersing themselves in the creativity, imagination, and the joy of reading. I had a great time reading ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’ to the R-2 students and we were thrilled to be joined by some young people from Alive ELC. The best part of this experience for me was having the students demonstrate their engagement with the story by performing joining in the words and actions. I hope and trust that the other staff, leaders and parents/caregivers involved in reading to our Junior School students also had similar enjoyable experiences. Our Book Week celebrations culminated in the magnificent R-6 Book Week Parade, with students and staff dressing up as their favourite book characters. Our 7-12 students did not miss out on the fun with a number of our talented students demonstrating magnificent literary, collaboration and communication skills by teaming together to Write a Book in a Day as part of the Friday festivities. A big thank you to all of the staff, students and parents involved in this exciting week.

National Child Protection Week

Last week was National Child Protection Week and the message that ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’ was complemented with the theme ‘Where we start matters’. The week was a good opportunity for teachers to reinforce relevant and important child protection messages to our students, in an age and stage appropriate manner. Staff also took time to reflect upon the College’s Child Safeguarding and Child Protection policies and procedures. We know, as educators, that we make a significant difference to our students every day, and that maintaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive school environment is paramount to ensuring a positive educational outcome for all.

Learning Reviews and Tour of Learning

College Learning Reviews and Tour of Learning are strong reminders of the partnerships that exist between school, parents/caregivers and students to help students achieve their best. Across our senior years families recently had the opportunity to meet with teachers and talk through their child’s learning progress and experience of school during our Years 7-12 Learning Reviews. The R-6 Tour of Learning will take place next week (Week 9). We appreciate the time staff take to prepare for these meetings and also acknowledge the parents/caregivers and students who, through these learning focused activities, have demonstrated the desire to engage positively with their teachers in order to reflect on student learning, growth and development.

Staff Reflection Day

Our College Staff Reflection Day took place at the Laratinga Pavilion last Friday. The theme, in line with our Heart Value focus for 2023: Respect, was our 'Sense of Place' and Aboriginal culture. Our main presenter for the day was Mickey O’Brien (a Kaurna Elder), and staff also had the opportunity to experience silk painting, weaving, contemporary aboriginal dance, and bush tucker and didgeridoo sessions. It was a wonderful day of learning and reflecting on our place within this wonderful Hills environment, as well as creating an atmosphere of collegiality for our staff. Thank you to our College APRIM, Oreste Farrugia, for his key role in organising this great day.

New St Francis de Sales Principal

If you missed the communication last Wednesday, we are thrilled with the news that Andrew Baker will be commencing as the Principal of St Francis de Sales College at the start of 2024. Andrew is currently the substantive Principal at Nazareth Catholic Community and prior to that was Principal at Gleeson College. Andrew is known to many St Francis de Sales community members from his time here as Deputy Principal between 2005-2014. He brings a wealth of leadership skills and experience, a strong understanding of Catholic Education, our College and the broader Mount Barker community, as well as an ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. We look forward to having Andrew present at upcoming transition opportunities and to him beginning here fulltime from the start of 2024.

I also take this opportunity to again thank Gavin McGlaughlin for his leadership, vision and innovation he contributed to our College community as Principal over the last six years.

Barker/Hills District Schools Lightning Carnival

Earlier this week we hosted the annual Barker/Hills District Schools Lightning Carnival. It was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 5/6 students to engage in friendly competition with students from other local primary schools, and they did so with great energy, enthusiasm and respect. The community spirit of our College was on display with students from Years 9-11 involved in umpiring and coaching throughout the carnival. It was a great celebration of the R-12 nature of our College, with staff and students across these year levels working together to achieve a common goal and a successful outcome for everyone involved. Well done to Nadia Honner and her PE team for their organisation of this event, which showcases our fabulous facilities and people.

Paul Wadsworth
Acting Principal

RUOK? Day

On Thursday, we celebrated RUOK? Day, to inspire and empower our community to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling. The Wellbeing Team's goal was to ensure that everyone in our community had an opportunity to meaningfully connect with the themes of the day.

Each Homeroom participated in age appropriate RUOK? Day activities designed to raise awareness about the monitoring your own mental health, as well as being attentive to the welfare of others.

There were recess and lunchtime activities across the College, and staff also had the opportunity to check in with one another over a shared morning tea.

Fundamental to the message of RUOK? Day is knowing what to do if a friend, family member or colleague doesn’t appear to be coping.

• Ask
• Listen with an open mind
• Encourage action
• Check in

Country Cabinet Youth Forum

I had the pleasure of accompanying some of our Senior Student Leaders to the Country Cabinet Youth Forum at Mt Barker High School a few weeks ago. The forum was attended by representatives from many of the schools in the Hills and was facilitated by the Hon. Peter Malinauskas (Premier), State Member for Kavel Hon. Dan Cregan, and Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie.

Our students had a great deal to say about some of the key issues affecting them in the local community including public transport access to universities, ensuring that infrastructure and roads were meeting the needs of our growing community, and the importance of student agency in learning. I was extremely proud of the way in which our leaders represented their peers and our College community with their contributions at the forum.

Headspace Youth Forum

Our House Captains had the opportunity to attend the Headspace Youth Forum “AMPLIFY” in August, which was held at the Laratinga Wetlands Pavillion. This event was created by young people, for young people in the hills and provided our students with an opportunity to ‘amplify’ their voice on the things that matter to our community. There were a number of guest speakers, interactive sessions and opportunities to learn about the benefits of a fostering a safe and mentally healthy community of youth.

Beyond the Classroom – Year Level Camps

We are very much looking forward to facilitating camp experiences in Week 1 of next term for our Year 6s who are venturing to Wallaroo, and our Year 8s who are travelling to the Barossa Valley for their annual camp. Shortly after, our Year 7 students will be attending the Canberra Camp and our Year 5s will travel to Nunyara for their outdoor adventure experience.

College camps form a key component of the curriculum, as well as provide critical opportunities to build a sense of school spirit and community beyond the classroom and the school gates. Information for these events is currently in circulation and I encourage you to reach out to the respective Year Level Leader if you have any questions.

Summer Uniform

As we begin to experience warmer weather and the beauty of spring, we are reminded that Term 4 and a return to the Summer Uniform is not far away. I encourage families to familiarise themselves with the Term 4 uniform requirements on our College website > Uniform. A reminder also that College hats are compulsory and must be worn at break times in sunny areas throughout Term 4.

A reminder that winter uniform expectations are still in place for the remainder of Term 3. Students have been reminded that the blazer does not need to be worn in class or during break times, which will ensure the uniform is more comfortable on warmer days. 

Best wishes to all as we move quickly toward the Term 3 break.

James Gill
Deputy Principal - Community and Wellbeing

Spring is here!

As we come to the end of Week 8 of Term 3, there has been a distinct shift in the seasons. Although still a bit fresh in the mornings, the extra sunshine is certainly welcomed. Our days are noticeably longer and the students are showing a little extra energy and a brighter spring in their step. Spring has arrived!

So much to celebrate in the learning space over the last few weeks! Book Week celebrations again culminated in a wonderful parade with R-6 students and staff showcasing their favourite book characters. Some of our talented Years 7-12 students also demonstrated their literary skills in a Write a Book in a Day session as part of the festivities.  

Last week, students and families from the Years 7-12 learning communities engaged in discussions with teachers during this term’s Learning Reviews. In the upcoming week, our R-6 students will also get a chance to showcase their learning, insights, and reflections during their Tour of Learning. These events provide a forum for parents, students, and teachers to collaborate as co-learners and learning facilitators. Together, they celebrate achievements and set goals to support students on their ongoing learning journeys. If you need to discuss your child's progress further, please reach out to their teacher to arrange a time.

Over the last few weeks you might have heard your child discussing their learning community's "Bump it Up" wall. Students across the College have been actively collaborating with their teachers to create a visual aid that defines clear success criteria for achieving their learning outcomes. This approach encourages student agency by enabling them to self-assess their work, pinpoint areas for improvement, and establish goals for reaching the next level of learning. Although we are in the exploratory stage with this approach, the feedback from both staff and students has been positive.

7-12 Interim Reports for Semester 2 will again be distributed via SEQTA on the last day of term. A reminder that these are progress reports, and do not necessarily represent the final grade for the semester. If you should ever require support with SEQTA access or use, please contact the College and we will we happy to help.

As students across the College engage in various activities like sports, excursions, practicals, investigations, and assignments, we also recognise that our Year 12 students are at a key stage in their learning journey. Most are finalising assessments and some are gearing up for trial exams. This time calls for a focused approach to revising the year's learning, which often leads to better results compared to last-minute cramming. Some suggestions that may help with completing final assessments and preparing for exams include:

• Study in shorter, more frequent bursts, allowing for "brain breaks" and processing time.
• Break down tasks and study materials into manageable chunks, celebrating achievements along the way.
• Use visual aids like concept maps to connect and process complex ideas.
• Sleep! You can’t pour from an empty cup.

As we enter the time of year when life seems to get busier and faster, it’s important to take intentional moments to stop, reflect, and enjoy the present moment.  Go gently and have a very blessed end to Term 3.

Carla Thomas
Acting Deputy Principal – Learning

As we come to the latter part of our Term 3, we take a moment to reflect on the many things we are grateful for, and the wonderful things we have achieved. It is perhaps also an ideal time in our Week 8 weariness, to take heed of the words of St Francis de Sales, as he outlines, “Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself.”

College Day

A reminder that on Wednesday, 27 September we celebrate College Day.

This is an opportunity for us to celebrate who we are as a College and to acknowledge our patron (St Francis de Sales) and founders (Sisters of Mercy). A wonderful day of fun, connections and celebration.

There are a few things to be mindful of on the day:

• College Day is a student and staff only event, so unfortunately parents/carers are not able to attend.
• College Day is our main charity fundraiser for Term 3, with money raised going to Catherine House. Established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1988, Catherine House offers crisis, longer term accommodation and support services for women experiencing homelessness. All students are required to bring a gold coin to College Day as part of the fundraising for Catherine House.
• There will be Stalls and activities available for students on the day. Some of these Stalls and activities will require payment from students to use them or take part in them. Therefore, students will need to bring coins with them for this. As we will not be able to provide floats for the Stalls, students are required to bring $2, $1 and 50 cent coins to buy from or partake in the Stalls and activities. There are 20 Stalls and activities. Money raised by the Stalls and activities will go to the Catherine House fundraiser.
• Inflatable jumping castles will be available inside the Community Sports Centre for use for FREE.
• Sporting and outdoor activities will be available on the Oval for use for FREE.
• We will provide a sausage sizzle lunch for FREE, for all students and staff members. Dietary requirements have been taken into consideration.
• At Recess and Lunchtime, Rory’s will operate from the Canteen in the Community Sports Centre, for students to purchase food and drinks.
• Sunscreen will be made available for students and staff. Zinc Cream is not allowed to be worn, due to the potential for mess and staining of equipment.
• Students must bring a hat on the day, for protection from the sun.
• There is a dress-up theme to be aware of. All students and staff are strongly encouraged to dress-up in their favourite colour(s) on the day, and College uniform is not required. This theme may be interpreted as favourite single colour, favourite multiple colours, favourite sports team colours, College House Team colour, etc. Students may use coloured hairspray but this must be applied at home, not at the College. To align with our Uniform Policy, all efforts must be made to remove coloured hairspray from hair prior to attending the College on Thursday. Be creative, as there will be prizes for best dressed.

If you have any questions about College Day, please contact Oreste Farrugia via email at ofarrugia@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au

We look forward to celebrating this day!

Staff Reflection Day

Last Friday, our staff had the opportunity to step back from our daily routines, and engage with the theme of ‘Sense of Place’ at our Staff Reflection Day. It was held at the Laratinga Pavilion, Mt Barker, to capture the essence of our sense of place together as a staff community, and its main focus was learning more about the Aboriginal people’s sense of place and culture.

We learned a great deal from our main presenter Mickey O’Brien, who is a Senior Kuarna Man, about our history from the lens of an Aboriginal person. In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to work in smaller groups at one of the workshops, which were weaving, Aboriginal food and artefacts, silk painting, and contemporary dance.

The Staff Reflection Day provided us with the opportunity to make lasting connections with Aboriginal people within our community, who gave us a deeper glimpse into Aboriginal culture and perspectives of the past, present, and future. We aim to maintain our relationship with the presenters from the day, and work with them to enhance various aspects of our curriculum and community works. The Reflection Day certainly gave us a great deal to ponder and reflect upon.

Parent Connections

Our Parent Community Group hosted the Father’s Day Stall on Thursday, 31 August on the Junior School deck. Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to purchase items for their dad or father figures. The Stall made a profit of $979.85, which will go towards College community-works that the Parent Community Group will drive in the near future. A special thanks to Lia Hooper for coordinating the ordering of the items, and to Aisha Sirop and Geoff Kelly for their dedicated work in facilitating the Father’s Day Stall.

Some of the members of the Parent Community Group, senior students, and staff are volunteering for the Hungry No More (HNM) Program, which is run by the Mt Barker Uniting Church. As a College we have assisted them with the HNM Program for a number of years. It is a weekly service, which provides a hot meal for dinner for local homeless people or people in great need. Volunteers are asked to arrive between 5:30pm - 5:45pm. It usually finishes at around 7:00pm - 7:15pm. Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering for this.

Year 8 Reflection Day

Recently, our Year 8s ventured off to their Reflection Day, which was held at the Hall of St Francis Xavier Cathedral Parish. The theme of the day was ‘Mercy Connections’, which enabled us to delve deep with the students about our rich heritage, founded by the Sisters of Mercy. The day was facilitated beautifully by Maddie Kelly from St Aloysius College (a sister Mercy school), and Sr Meredith Evans, who is a Sister of Mercy.

They took our students on a journey of the world of Mercy, from a global perspective, Australian perspective, and then to our local Adelaide perspective. The students were engaged and were able to ask questions about how they fit into the puzzle of this Mercy network family. In the afternoon, we were all busy packaging care packs for Catherine House, which is a Mercy founded charity for women. This is the charity that we will be fundraising for on College Day. The care pack items were purchased from the money raised from the 10 cent deposit drink container recycling we are engaged with at the College.

Our Year 8s were Mercy immersed on the day, and had the opportunity to put the Mercy Core values of Compassion, Justice, Respect, Hospitality, Service, and Courage, into practice.

I wish you well as we journey together through the remaining weeks of this term.

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

Premier’s Reading Challenge STEM Competition

Congratulations to Simon, Reception student, who won a prize for his outstanding entry in the STEM competition!

This year there were 3,335 entries into the Premier's Reading Challenge STEM competition. The judging panel selected 38 outstanding entries. Of the 38 outstanding entries, there were 11 age-group winners.

All Reception students will also receive a certificate for their fantastic Possum artwork.

Book Week Celebrations

The theme of this year's Book Week held in Week 5 of this term, was Read, Grow, Inspire. We certainly enjoyed many inspiring activities across our R-6 community in celebrating Book Week. The week kicked off with Book Week launches in each learning community. The students particularly enjoyed listening to stories read to them by Paul Wadsworth and James Gill at the launch. Over the week, students enjoyed discovering the shortlisted books for 2023, and many classes participated in buddy activities and read and relax afternoons.

R-2 classes also welcomed parents and carers to come in to read stories to the students, which was a lovely time of connection for all involved. It was great to see many parents enjoy the coffee morning on the Wednesday as well.

We finished the week off with one of our favourite traditions of the year, the Book Week Parade. This is always a fun and exciting event, and it was great to be joined by the Alive Early Learning students as well. All our students looked fantastic with their costumes, and there were some absolutely amazing and creative characters to see!

A special thank you goes to all the parents and carers for your terrific efforts in getting costumes ready for the day! It was a fantastic celebration to end a great Week.

Thank You Prayer for Books

For the places they show us, and the people we meet,
We say ‘Thank You God for books’.

For fascinating facts and interesting information,
We say ‘Thank You God for books’.

For magical tales and funny stories,
We say 'Thank You God for books’.

For helping me with my homework,
We say 'Thank You God for books’.

For illustrations and cartoons,
We say 'Thank You God for books’.

For things to do on a rainy day,
We say 'Thank You God for books’.

For all the books I've yet to read,
We say 'Thank You God for books’.

Amen

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

The Order of the Quill’s Write a Book in a Day

It was with tremendous enthusiasm that 26 students from across Years 7-11 joined forces to compete in this year’s annual Write a Book in a Day competition. This event, held on the 25 August has been running for several years as part of our celebration of Book Week. It provides a wonderful opportunity for building community spirit and enabling the writers and illustrators of our school their chance to shine. All teams successfully completed their books by the close of the day and regardless of their chosen genre were able to incorporate this year’s Book Week theme: Read, Grow, Inspire.

As judges peruse the pages of each highly original and engaging book – we wait with great anticipation as to who will be awarded the illustrious Golden Quill. Results will be announced early Term 4. Keep an eye on the English Gallery to get a sneak peak at covers and story blurbs – coming soon!

Nicole Elding
Learning Area Specialist - English

VET Come and Try Days

Across Term 3, students have been participating in Come and Try Days at various schools in the Adelaide Hills. The purpose of the Come and Try Days is to provide students with practical, hands-on experience in their industry of choice prior to commencing a qualification. St Francis de Sales College hosted Come and Try Days for the Allied Health Assistance and Early Childhood Education and Care qualifications.

The Allied Health Assistance Come and Try Day was held at TAFE SA Mount Barker for students wishing to enter the health industry. They engaged in activities teaching them about proper hand hygiene routines, the correct process for PPE “donning and doffing” and common occupational therapy strategies.

The Early Childhood Education and Care Come and Try Day was hosted by training organisation MADEC at St Francis de Sales College. Students had the opportunity to make play dough, cloud dough and set up open-ended activities. They discussed developmentally appropriate activities for children, and the importance of strong communication skills in a childcare setting. At the end of the session, students had the opportunity to visit the children at Alive Early Learning Centre. This activity enabled the students to connect with the children and experience the routine of a childcare centre.

Izak Eckermann – School-Based Apprenticeship

This term Year 11 student Izak Eckermann successfully obtained a school-based apprenticeship with local restaurant, Lot 100.

Izak completed his Certificate II in Cookery in Semester 1. At the conclusion of his qualification, he sought an apprenticeship with his employer, Lot 100. They were very excited to have Izak working with them more frequently. Izak has worked hard to reach this goal and will have the opportunity to successfully complete his SACE whilst working and completing his qualification to become a chef. Congratulations Izak!

Katie Oliver
VET Coordinator

‘So, keep on, with the force don’t stop, don’t stop ‘til you get enough’ are lyrics that seem to describe what our very hard working music department is all about.

On any given school day, you can hear joyful musical sounds resonating from our usic classrooms, whether that be Year 7s and 8s playing guitars, drums and keyboards, the Year 3s with their recorders, the Year 5s with saxophones, flutes and clarinets, or percussion instruments being played by our enthusiastic Receptions, Year 1s and 2s or it might be from the near 100 instrumental students who are producing some amazing work with piano, drums, bass guitar, singing, saxophone, guitar, violin, cello and double bass…and not to mention our lunchtime rehearsals with bands, ensembles, vocal groups and choirs.

There is never a dull moment in music…

We are greatly looking forward to Thursday, 28 September where our extremely talented musicians will be performing a fantastic array of material at the Cabaret into Spring concert being held in the Community Sports Centre from 7pm. It’s time to book your Table of 10 for a night which we are sure will get you singing and tapping your feet, and who knows, maybe even having a ‘bop on the dance floor’. Bring your snacks, supper and drinks (non-alcoholic drinks only). Register online at > Instrumental Music Showcase Cabaret Registration.

In what will be a manic Week 10 for Music, other than the Cabaret evening, we will also have our Festival Choir, under the direction of R-6 Music Teacher Nicole Moxham, join other schools and colleges at the Adelaide Festival Theatre on Tuesday evening as part of the Catholic Schools Music Festival, which will also see our very talented Year 10 students, Ethan Honner (solo lead guitarist) and Lachlan Anderson (vocalist), take to centre stage as support acts…and on Wednesday, many of our music students will be taking to the Talent Show stage as the feature event on College Day.

If your child would like to join our Music Family, we are now taking registrations of interest for Instrumental Music lessons, with only limited availabilities in some instruments. To register, please visit the following link and we will be in contact with you to make arrangements.

St Francis de Sales College | Music

We look forward to continuing our musical journey together.

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

The Day the Internet Died (Drama) and The Best Disco in Town (Dance)

Wednesday, 22 November, Week 6, Term 4 is the date to mark for a wonderfully entertaining dramatic performance presented by the incredibly hardworking and dedicated Stage 1 Drama students of the insightful, relevant, and funny play The Day the Internet Died by Jason Pizzarello and Ian McWethy. This play is based around one sunny day when a devastating occurrence happens. The internet goes down! And it will continue to be down! For a week! A whole week! Pandemonium! In a world that is so dependent on the internet for shopping, mailing, and posting pictures of cute babies, how will society function? Not well as it turns out. The Day the Internet Died hilariously explores how inept we are at basic human interactions when we don’t have a screen to look at.

Tuesday, 28 and Wednesday, 29 November, Week 7, Term 4 are the next dates to mark in your calendar for the Semester 2 Dance production – The Best Disco in Town. This performance will showcase the talents of the Year 8, Year 9, Stage 1 and Stage 2, Semester 2 Dance classes, all presenting their choreographed routines. Junior School matinee performances will be held on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 November in The Dell, Performing Arts Centre at 2pm, with two evening performances for parents and friends on Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:15pm. This production will mark the final appearance by the 2023 Year 12 Dance class as they strut their ‘disco’ stuff for the very last time as our students – please keep an eye out for further information about bookings for this celebratory, and fun production (which you might even get to join in with!).

As Sir Ken Robinson says, dance allows students ‘who need to move to think’, and in providing Dance and Drama as part of the curriculum, we allow them to do just that!

Peta Bojanic
Drama and Dance Teacher

Galactic Quest: Satellite Expedition Excursion

Fast forward to 2042. Imagine that you’re on the Moon, not merely surviving, but thriving. Yet, disaster strikes. Our communication with Earth has been severed, with our satellites succumbing to relentless Solar Weather. The solution? Build your own satellite to restore the crucial line with our home planet. So gear up, assemble your team, and let’s embark on this Galactic Quest.

Five brave Year 10 students took on this challenge presented by Robinson Aerospace and the Adelaide University Space Society held at the Australian Space Discovery Centre on Monday, 21 August. The students participated in a satellite-themed scavenger hunt and were tasked to solve challenges to unlock the pieces required to build a real CubeSat. They worked collaboratively to explore the Centre and use their mathematical and engineering skills to build a working satellite. They also learned about the various career opportunities that are available in the field of space varying from astronauts to psychologists.

Overall, students found the day to be an exhilarating and eye-opening experience that ignited their curiosity about the vast realm of space exploration.

Amy Ashley
Year 10 Teacher

Science Week Monarto Excursion

Year 7 enjoyed a beautiful day at Monarto Safari Park on Tuesday, 15 August. We split into two groups and as one group was enjoying a bus tour through the park led by a park ranger the other was completing some detailed observations of the Meerkats, Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies and Chimpanzees. These activities supported our current work in Ecosystems, Habitats and Endangered Animals.

The bus tour was very informative and we all got to have a good look at the habitats that the animals at the park enjoy. Back at the College we analysed how the habitats at the park are similar and differ from the natural habitats in the wild. A big thank you needs to go to Wolly who shared his knowledge and jokes with the students keeping them enthralled and entertained.

Adam Schembri
Year 7 Teacher

What a Term 3!! We still have a couple of weeks left but this term has seen some outstanding achievements across the College.

Senior Netball

As mentioned in the last Link Up, our 9/10 Girls and 10-12 Boys were successful in their minor rounds and competed in the Statewide Finals in Week 6. The Boys competed on the Monday and were up against Millicent High School, Faith Lutheran School and Scotch College.

They went through the minor rounds undefeated and came up against a well-drilled Scotch College team in the grand final. It was tight right up until the last quarter where the Boys pulled away to end up winning by 5 points. All of the team members contributed throughout the day and they are to be congratulated on this outstanding result. The Girls competed on the next day and played superbly all day. There were eight teams in their finals draw and it was tough competition. They also went into the Grand Final undefeated and then, after a slow start that saw them behind at half time, they came away with an excellent win (42-34).

Both of these Netball teams are to be commended on their performance.

9/10 Basketball

Earlier this term our predominantly Basketball Academy students under the exceptional guidance of Mark Billington travelled to Encounter Lutheran to compete in the Division 1 9/10 Boys and Girls Basketball minor round competitions. Both teams were undefeated against their opponents and so have made it through to the next round. These matches will be played on Monday, Week 10. We wish them every success for the remainder of their campaign.

5/6 Lightning Carnival

Earlier this week (Week 8) we hosted our annual Barker/Hills District Lightning Carnival. Over three days we had 30 local primary schools attend to compete in AFL, Soccer, Netball and Basketball. This competition has a focus on fun and participation and is always a roaring success. Our Year 5/6 students were also involved as participants, coached by our Year 9 Health and Physical Education students. We also had a huge number of our Year 10/11 students assist over the week with umpiring. All students involved represented our College in an exemplary manner, and everyone had a lot of fun.

SACE Stage 2 Physical Education

As part of the SACE Stage 2 Physical Education course, our Year 12 students competed in an Interschool Volleyball Competition at Lights Community Centre. This competition is the culmination of their major assessment task, where the students are required to take on a specific coaching role and then analyse and evaluate their own impact on the performance of the team. The students competed well all day and are to be commended on their efforts.

SAPSASA Success

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to represent the Barker District in the State SAPSASA Athletics Carnival, taking place next week:

Jude Millard, Adhira Sharma, Jonathan Pardoe, Angus Jones, Jett Beeching, Zara Newman and Sandrella El Ghossini.

What a fantastic 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