Link Up Term 4 Week 4 2022

Farewell and Good Luck Year 12s!

At the end of Week 2 we were able able to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and contributions of our 2022 Year 12 students. It was delightful to see them presented to the community with their special Reception buddies. The liturgy and wider ceremony were a fitting conclusion to their formal schooling at St Francis. We wish them all well as they complete exams and begin new adventures.

You would have received notification of Gavin McGlaughlin's leave for the remainder of the year. Lidia, his wife, is experiencing some health challenges at the moment and so Gavin will be on Carer's Leave for Term 4. We keep Lidia, Gavin and the family in our thoughts and prayers during this time.

The term has started with a flurry of activity with various year levels participating in basketball, baseball, cricket and volleyball competitions. Our Year 6 students and their teachers returned from camp in Wallaroo last Friday happy but weary and spoke enthusiastically of the fun and activities they experienced. This week is a big one for our Year 7s, with a bus ride to the airport in the wee hours of Monday morning! They are having a wonderful Canberra trip and will certainly cherish the memories from this time together in the national capital. The weather has also been kind to the Year 5s on camp in Belair and they have been enthusiastically honing their leadership skills in the various team-building activities. 

The Junior School was abuzz last week as the annual Book Fair gave students some opportunities to 'help' their parents with some stocking filler material for Christmas - hint, hint! On Tuesday just passed, it was a privilege to present certificates to 56 of our primary students in the Children's University graduation ceremony in Bonython Hall at the University of Adelaide. It was obvious that our intrepid adventurers understand that learning is not limited to the classroom, with some being credited with over 250 hours of learning activities.

In contrast to saying farewell to our Year 12s, on Friday Week 3 we welcomed back some old scholars to the College. Graduating students from 2007, 2012 and 2017 gathered on the Junior School Deck to reminisce and share stories of their school years. Many had not yet seen the Community Sports Centre and new Junior School learning areas and were rightly amazed by the new facilities. We reminded them that they will always remain part of our St Francis de Sales family. 

We celebrated World Teachers and ESOs Day recently and shared a morning tea to acknowledge the significant contribution the St Francis staff make to the wellbeing and success of our students. I know first-hand the energy, enthusiasm, commitment and dedication they bring to their work and vocation, and want to thank them for always 'going the extra mile' to support and nurture those in their care. God bless you!

As a fitting follow-on from this celebration, it gives me great pleasure to share news of some 2023 staff appointments finalised since our last Link Up. In the Junior School we welcome Amanda Fairley to the R-6 PE role, with Nicole Moxham and Leanne Mibus teaching across R-6 Music. In the Senior School we warmly welcome Sarah Dodd as Music teacher, Rachel Dalby in the Food Technology area and Katie-Marie Oliver as the VET Coordinator. We look forward to having you all join our community in the new year!

We have finally been able to enjoy some beautiful SUNSHINE! May the much-missed light and warmth bring us all new energy to enjoy the weeks ahead and the lead up to the blessings of the Advent Season. 

Go well and God bless.

Sonia Nelson
Acting Principal

Sailing into Summer

Shorts, t-shirts and thongs are finally getting a wearing after what has been a long, cold, wet winter. Sunshine and daylight saving are a great combination for Australians to enjoy each year and from early November, when the days are long and the light is brilliant, wellbeing receives a natural fillip. Walking the dog on a crisp, sunny morning, having an afternoon at the beach, sharing an evening barbeque with friends and the promise of fun times ahead over the Christmas and New Year period excites the mood and builds optimism. Let’s face it, given the difficulties and challenges our country has and continues to face, little things can have a big impact. The late days of Spring are some of the best in the year!

Term 4 is everyone’s favourite. It is really busy and it goes quickly but there is more to it than that. Our Year 12s had their final days of lessons and have commenced examinations ahead of their Graduation event in late November. The Year 6 Moving Up Ceremony looms large as our eldest primary children experience an important milestone in their education journey. For them, secondary school is approaching and transition to Year 7 has enjoyed a sharper focus in SA over recent years. Next year they will be joined by around twenty new Year 7 students to the College who will eagerly commence their schooling at St Francis de Sales in 2023. Their journey begins with a Transition Day in Week 6 where they will spend a day with their new classmates. There are lots of newbies in other year levels too who will be anxiously transitioning to the College this term.

The calendar for Term 4 is replete with action, adventure and opportunity. Performances, presentations, assessments, reports and award ceremonies will dominate in the weeks remaining. All the more reason to make the most of every day. Plans are taking shape for the return of the St Francis de Sales Carols event in Week 8. Keep an eye out for this one.

Please note that College Leadership has taken the decision that the end-of-year Awards Presentation Evening, in the calendar for Monday, 12 December will now be a R-11 Awards Presentation Morning on Tuesday, 13 December following the End of Year Liturgy. This is the final day of classes for the year.

Paul Fairlie
Deputy Principal - Community and Wellbeing

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere

It has certainly been a very busy few weeks of learning across the College with students involved in many activities in and outside of the classroom. Students have had the opportunity to transfer the knowledge and skills they have been developing in the classroom to real-life purposeful contexts. The start of term saw our Year 6 students participate in a fun-filled camp at Wallaroo, where they deepened team-building skills and capabilities of resilience and perseverance through daily outdoor challenges; some of these new to the students.

The Year 10 students headed off to the Space Discovery Centre to learn more about mission control functions and Australia’s involvement in the growing space sector.

Our Year 10/11 students visited the Supreme Court and made real life connections with the theory around criminal court procedures, court hierarchy purpose and jury selection process.

The Senior Students performed their Back Again concert, covering unique ‘looping’, Musical and Acapella compositions that they have been working on over the course of the year. And our Year 5s and 7s are currently away on their own camps! The Year 7s are participating in a variety of educational programs in Canberra focusing on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy, and our Year 5s are having a great time developing personal responsibility, social skills and resiliency skills while away at Nunyara Conference Centre.

With so much more to look forward to – Year 9 Retreat, various excursions and Art exhibitions - these opportunities offer more than ‘fun’. 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.

An emotional end to Week 2 as the whole school gathered with families to celebrate our Year 12s at their Final Day Liturgy. There was not a dry eye left as our Year 12 College Captains passed the Light of Leadership onto our Reception students, and departed in a guard of honour one last time. A special performance by Voco of 'Lean on Me' demonstrated the strong connection the students have with each other and with the St Francis community. We hold all our Year 12 students in our thoughts and prayers as they prepare for their final exams or move onto the next stage in their journey. We look forward to celebrating with them at Year 12 Graduation in a few weeks.

As the end of the year starts to approach us, we begin to feel the holiday season creeping in. We encourage and expect that all students keep up their insistence, persistence and consistence in their learning, and use these last few weeks to put in their best efforts to end the year positively. Some suggestions that may help with completing final assessments and preparing for exams:

• Use a calendar to plan out tasks working back from due dates.
• Study in short bursts more frequently. Have ‘brain breaks’ and allow space for processing.
• Break tasks or study material down into manageable chunks and celebrate ‘the win’ when each one is completed.
• Sleep! You can’t pour from an empty cup.

With this time of year, there may be a level of uncertainty about what next year may bring.  We encourage families to speak with their child about how they are feeling, and to contact the College regarding matters of concern or ways we can further support.

I wish all members of the St Francis community a wonderful term, and I look forward to sharing in more celebrations as we approach the Season of Advent.

Carla Thomas
Acting Deputy Principal - Learning

Hope for all!

Last week we celebrated the important feasts of All Saints and All Souls Day. "The feasts of All Saints and All Souls are days of hope. The virtue of hope is like a bit of leaven that enlarges your soul. There are difficult moments in life, but with hope you go forward and keep your eyes on what awaits us. Today is a day of hope; our brothers and sisters are in the presence of God, and we, too, will be there in the Lord's arms as we follow the path of Jesus" Pope Francis. During this time we especially remember our loved ones who have died, and also our College Patron, St Francis de Sales.

Year 8 Reflection Day

Towards the end of last term, we were fortunate to have Umes Acharya, Vinnies Community Engagement Officer SA, facilitate our Year 8 Reflection Day, which was themed “Advocacy Starts With Us!”. The Reflection Day was based at the Hall of the Catholic Cathedral in Adelaide, where Umes guided an unpacking of ‘advocacy’ and ‘charity’. The students learned that both are important, and that ‘charity’ focused on short term support, and ‘advocacy’ focused on long-term support. Our local MP, Dan Cregan was able to arrange a personal tour for our Year 8 students, in the Parliament Building, which we are grateful for. The students had the opportunity to learn about how decisions are made in government, which can have a major impact on the opportunities of those who are most in need in our community. To compliment this experience, the Year 8s were also given a personal tour of St Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral in Adelaide, by Timothy Davey. Not only did the students learn about the history of the Cathedral, but they also learned how the Catholic Church through many of its agencies is an advocate for so many people in need across the planet.

College Day

College Day 2022 was a great success! Thank you to all of you! As is now our tradition, the day included: a liturgy celebrating St Francis de Sales and Catherine McAuley, inflatable jumping castles and Stalls of various kinds, and concluding with the Talent Show. We raised $2,845.30 for Catherine House – a tremendous effort and show of generosity. Well done! As a College, we are so blessed to be able to take a break from the usual school day and celebrate who we are as a Catholic community in a fun and collaborative environment.

Student Leaders

We thank the members of this years Senior Student Leadership team, for their commitment to their role and the service they offered our community. I have worked very closely with this team all year, and I am so proud of them and the terrific role modeling and service through a Catholic lens they have actioned. Lucas Rutter and Sophie McCallum have led this team in an outstanding manner. The College took the opportunity to acknowledge these students at the whole College liturgy which farewelled the Year 12s. The other members of the team include Aimee Brooks, Amelia Edwards, Stephanie Formby, Macy Fox, Matilda Lovelock, Nathan Sachse and Joseph Schembri.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome the members of the 2023 Senior Student Leadership Team, whom I will be working with next year. We congratulate the team members: Our College Captains for 2023 are Aimee Brooks and Stephanie Formby. They will be joined by Summer Henderson, Luella Koral, Kathryn Peacock, Charlotte Ernst, Kiara McInnes and Ben Murphy.

Parent Community Group

The Parent Community Group (PCG) are calling for nominations for the positions of Chair and Secretary for 2023. If you are interested in knowing more about the group, these roles or to nominate please email me at ofarrugia@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au. Nominations are open until Friday 18 November 2022.

The Fathering Project

The next gathering of the Dad’s Group, as part of the ‘Fathering Project’ is on Sunday 27 November 2022. This will be for dads and father-figures and their children, and will include sporting activities and a sausage sizzle lunch. For more information please contact the leaders of the group, Ian ianflottman@gmail.com and David david.clarke@y7mail.com.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

This is my last article for this year, as I will be on Long Service Leave from Week 6 until the end of the school year. Carol Jarell will be taking the reins as APRIM in my absence, so you are in good hands! I thank Carol for her willingness and interest in accepting this opportunity. I also sincerely thank Sr Shiji, Chaplain and Tahlie Jones, Youth Minister for their tremendous work and support as co-members of the Catholic Identity Team this year.

I thank all of you; students, families, and staff, for your wonderful contributions to our community this year. As we soon enter the Advent Season, I take this opportunity to wish all of you a safe, joyous, and peaceful Christmas. Enjoy the holiday time ahead, with family and friends, and I look forward to seeing you in the new year!

In Peace

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

On Friday, 28 October we farewelled our Year 12s with the final Reception to Year 12 Liturgy in the Community Sports Centre. Each Year 12 entered with the Reception buddy or in some cases two buddies and were presented to the College community. Our 2022 College Captains, Sophie McCallum and Lucas Rutter led the Liturgy and shared their reflection of the Gospel reading from Father Richard. Their insights and also leadership have provided the students of the College with outstanding leaders who have worked tirelessly this year and they embody our College Heart Values in all aspects of their lives. We thank them and the 2022 Student Leaders and House Captains for their work in the College community. It was wonderful to see the families and carers back for the liturgy this year to help us recognise the work that has been accomplished.

Following the Farewell Liturgy, the Year 12 students dressed up in a variety of wonderful costumes and enjoyed a light lunch while they participated in some water activities and many completed the day with the 'Benny' Cup, either as encouraging as spectators or players. We were also treated to a delicious cake made by the Plenderleith's and we thank them for their generosity.

We are very proud of the Year 12s and the respect and grace they showed, especially on the last day, and it has been good to see so many back studying in Week 3 and completing their final tasks ahead of the exam week, which begins on 7 November. We wish all of our students the very best for the future and thank them for the contributions they have made to the College community.

Rosslyn Mattner​
11-12 Leader, SACE Coordinator, Teacher

On Saturday, 30 October I had the privilege of attending the South Australian English Teachers Association Spring Poetry Awards Ceremony, held within the lovely grounds of the University of South Australia’s Magill Campus. The ceremony was to acknowledge the poetry of students from across the state whose work had been shortlisted for publication and for those lucky few, chosen as winners of their respective categories. This year, from over 400 entries six of our students had their works selected. Amongst those six, two were award recipients.

Congratulations to Annabelle Pham – First place for her poem Lethologica

Congratulations to Gisele Oakey – Third place for her poem The Complexity of Nothing

Congratulations to the following students whose works were selected for the anthology: Cara Parker Thomas, Elena Wamayi, Holly Abbott and Shaun Gador.

I would also like to acknowledge Lainie Jackson for having her poem The Hat recongnised and awarded first place in the Literary Junior Category for Writing at this Year’s Callington Show.

An incredible achievement by all students.

Nicole Elding
Learning Area Specialist - English

Year 6 Camp 

It was an exciting time of the year for our students in Year 6 as they headed off to their school camp at Wallaroo in Week 1 of this term. The Year 6 Camp is based near the lovely beach at Wallaroo and students had lots of opportunities to partake in many beach-themed activities. Our students enjoyed many team-building activities such as geo-caching, pizza making, fishing, tribal games, beach activities, para-cording and kayaking. 

Our camps are always carefully planned to develop memorable experiences for our students that promote the development of collaborative team building skills such as positive communication, active listening, and problem-solving skills. For our teachers and staff, it is wonderful to see our students undertake new and exciting experiences, and for the children grow and flourish, developing new and stronger relationships with their peers, and making lasting memories with their friends.

Thank you to all the staff who helped in the organisation of the camp and took time away from their loved ones to accompany our students. Thank you also to all the families for being great supporters of the camp, and finally, thank you to all our students who were all fantastic participators and represented our College proudly.   

Children’s University Graduation 

On Monday, 7 November, 56 students ranging from Year 2 to 7 were very excited to head off to Bonython Hall at Adelaide University for the prestigious Children’s University Graduation Ceremony. These students have worked hard over the course of the year to build their hours on their Children’s University passport to demonstrate the wonderful learning they have partaken in outside of school over the course of the year.

The graduation ceremony was attended by many proud parents who came to see their child step onto the stage in their university graduation gown and cap to receive their graduation certificates.

A big thank you to goes to the wonderful Kate Thomas, who has supported the students in documenting their learning journey over the year and provided lots of administrative support for this initiative.

All interested students in Years 2-7 will have the opportunity to participate in Children’s University in 2023.

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

We need your help!

One of the single most important things we can do to help low-progress readers is to hear them read every day.

St Francis de Sales College is seeking volunteers to assist with listening to reading. We understand that families are all very busy, so we are looking for many volunteers who could fill various time slots, morning and afternoon, in Reception to Year 6.

Volunteers are required to hold a current Working With Children Check, as well as submit the completed list of volunteer requirements on the College website in accordance with the latest child protection laws. The volunteer requirements can be found on our website at Community > Volunteering.

Volunteers can also access training in the best ways to assist children as they read via the College on request.

For more information, please contact R-6 Director of Learning, Alice Taylor ataylor@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au.

MultiLit – Reading Support

Assisting your child to read at home

Did you know that the best books for your child to read are those where they are reading with 90-95% accuracy?

To calculate this value, simply ask your child to read 100 words aloud to you from a book that interests them! Less than 90 correct words means that the text is too difficult, and more than 95 words correct means that the text is too easy and the child isn’t challenged.

Reinforced Reading is a strategy where child are best supported as they read. To access this training please view this video > http://vimeo.com/398400092/2e7f173f9b

For more information on how to choose the right book, or to ask more about the Reinforced Reading strategy you can use with your reader at home, please contact Emily Lovelock, MultiLit Support Teacher via email elovelock@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au.

On Thursday, 27 October, Holly Paech attended the Civics and Citizenship Year 9 and 10 Convention at the Stamford Plaza Adelaide Hotel, an invitation extended to Holly after being awarded the Muriel Matters Award in 2021. Holly was one of 102 students across the nation to participate in the convention; a day of conversations and debate about how to encourage the wider community to become engaged in active citizenship with a focus on the question, 'Should Australia have compulsory voting?'.

Active citizenship is so important, and this was communicated by three keynote speakers and throughout the day by students across the nation. Holly was part of a working group whose collective decision making considered the arguments for and against the question, whilst recognising different points of view. An outcome of the discussion was the recognition of the importance of the role of media and also the role of schools and education in contributing to Australian democracy. Senator the Honourable Sue Lines commended all students for stepping up and out of their comfort zone and for being an inspiration for deep thoughts. Holly represented the College with dignity, conducting herself with pride and purpose, are commented that she had expanded her knowledge about the importance of the education of civics and citizenship in the education of all students.

Jen Ness-Ferry
7-8 Leader​

The Super, Dooper, Spectacular, Sensational, Fantastically Marvellous and Extraordinary Talent Show!

Monday, 5 and Tuesday, 6 December, Week 8, Term 4 are the dates to mark in your calendar for our Semester 2 Dance and Drama production – The Super, Dooper, Spectacular, Sensational, Fantastically Marvellous and Extraordinary Talent Show!

This performance will showcase the talents of the Dance Minis, Dance Crew, Year 8, Stage 1 and 2, Semester 2 Dance classes, all presenting their choreographed routines; however, we have put a ‘spin’ on the proceedings this semester and the dramatic talents of the Year 9 Drama classes will also be showcased in this one of a kind production. 

Junior School matinee performances will be held on Monday, 5 and Tuesday, 6 December in The Dell, Performing Arts Centre at 2pm, with two evening performances for parents and friends on Monday and Tuesday at 6:15pm. It is expected that there may be family and friends who miss out on a seat at the live performance (bookings will open closer to the date – keep an eye out for this information which will be sent via email), therefore, to accommodate for this we will again stream the recorded performance, which will be available for a limited time via a private link.

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
Senior Dance and Drama Teacher

Term 4 is always an exciting time of the year as we prepare for the upcoming Festive Season and it is equally an emotional time as we farewell our Year 12 Music students who have become part of the fabric of St Francis de Sales College, performing at many events throughout their time with us, some of whom have spent their entire schooling life with us.

We wish our 2022 Music Captains, Nathan Sacshe and Tilly Lovelock together with Max Maher all the very best in their future endeavours and hope that the sounds created within our Music Department over their many years will remain with them during their continued musical journey. We also acknowledge Year 12s Lucas Rutter, Sophie McCallum, Lauren Watson, Erianne Alexander and Joseph Schembri who have all spent a large part of their College life as part of our Music Family… we will miss you all.

At our recent Senior School Concert, Back Again, we announced Charlotte Ernst as our Music Captain for 2023 and we are sure that this vibrant vocalist will bring great leadership and will mentor our ever growing younger music students with fantastic energy during 2023.

Since our last Link Up, our many talented Music students have performed at our annual Instrumental Cabaret, Junior Music Party, Back Again Senior Concert and also at the Catholic Schools Music Festival at the Festival Theatre, it has certainly been a jam-packed few weeks but that is what we are all about in Music, giving our ‘Young Musos’ the opportunity to experience live performance. This is not only great as far as music learning goes, there are also great benefits to overall education learning and personal development.

As we move to the final few weeks of term, Christmas Carols can be heard coming out of our instrumental music rooms and lunchtimes are ‘abuzz’ with rehearsals for performances at Mt Barker Carols by Candlelight on Saturday 3 December and also at the Balhannah/Oakbank Carols Evening on Saturday 26 November. Our Music students taking part in these celebrations will certainly represent our College with festive joy and spirit.

Until next time, keep to the musical beat that is life.

Bec Page, Amy Waters and Aleks Bojanic
Music Department

The end of last term and the beginning of this term has continued to see a number of teams compete in the various rounds of School Sport SA Interschool sports. It has been so pleasing to see students get involved in Baseball, Softball, Cricket, Basketball and Volleyball. All students who represent our College do so with pride and sportsmanship.

Some outstanding efforts to be highlighted include our Year 5/6 Boys Basketball team who competed in the State Finals Day in Week 1. Unfortunately, this date clashed with the Year 6 Wallaroo Camp but, due to the commitment of some parents, we were still able to participate in the day. The boys played exceptionally well and ended up second in their pool. They fought hard but lost the crossover. This means they ended up equal third in the state, which is fantastic. Our Year 9/10 Girls Basketball Team, won their minor round matches and will now be competing in the State Finals in Week 5. Our 9/10 Boys Cricket team played against Birdwood in their second round match and have also won through to the finals day. We wish them all the best for their upcoming matches.

This term has also seen the start of our Mini-Tennis After School Program, run by Elyse Edwards. The students love practicing their tennis skills and potentially starting a life-long journey. Next year we will continue to look at running our after school sports programs so keep an eye on emails for further information.

Later this term we will be taking a team of Years 3-6 students to Bridgestone Athletics Stadium to compete in the SACPSSA Athletics carnival. We wish our students all the best in this competition.

In Week 7 of this term we will also be holding our R-6 Sports Day. A separate letter will be sent our shortly with details about the day, but students have been practicing their events and are looking forward to a fun day.

Over the course of the year we are always looking for parents and volunteers to assist with the various teams. If you are interested in volunteering at the College please refer to the information available on our website under Community > Volunteering.

For all sports related information parents and carers can keep an eye on daily notices through SEQTA Engage. If there are ever any questions about these activities or other sporting related opportunities please email Nadia Honner.

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

One of our Strategic Goals focuses on developing our ecological custodianship through initiatives that minimise our impact on the environment and promote sustainable practices. To form a part of the actions that meet this goal, we have identified donated uniforms that are now either discontinued or in poor condition.

These uniform items have filled 17 large cardboard boxes and been collected by Upparel for re-use and recycling. Upparel is a textile recovery and recycling organisation, offering innovative and sustainable solutions and makes a positive impact for the next generation.

Items that are identified as discontinued lines, still in a good condition and without College logos, are recycled. This clothing is then provided at no charge to charities, not-for-profits, and social enterprises to make a positive impact in their activities. Any clothing with logos is broken down and reconstituted into cushion-like fibrous material to be used to produce pillows, furniture and insulation. 

I would like to commend our Finance team, Wendy and Jodie, for the work done to support this project and to the success they have achieved in doing so.

Paul McCabe
Business Manager