Link Up Term 4 Week 8 2021

These final weeks of term have been a busy time for students and staff, not just for the exams and final assignments in Years 7-12 and the range of other events across the school, but also for the College in preparation for 2022. Following their exam period, our Year 11 students have been part this week of their transition days, working with our Stage 2 specialist teachers to ensure they are as prepared as possible to have a very positive start to their Year 12 studies from day one 2022.

It has been terrific to be able to have our R-6 Sports Day occur this week for our students. I’m indebted to all of those who showed such persistence after conditions conspired against us on two previous occasions. Most importantly, it was a day of great activity and enjoyment for all of our students. A special thanks to Nadia Honner for all of her organisation and the many staff who worked with her to create a day of such great success. Thanks also to our Year 9 students whose assistance was so crucial in the success of the day.

Whilst disappointed we were not able to have our usual Carols Evening this year, we recorded the presentations each year level have been working on to prepare and will share this with families soon. I hope it is a joyful way for you to begin the Christmas period!

I shared with you in our last Link Up the news of the outstanding young people in our Senior Student Leadership Team who are going to be working with Sophie and Lucas as our College Captains next year. Their work for the year continues post exams and transition lessons, as they gather this week for their planning time for their leadership roles in 2022. I am grateful for their commitment to their leadership roles for next year and for the involvement of the staff leading them through this process.

It has been wonderful this week to have a limited number of our family members on site for our Moving up Ceremony for our Year 6 students. This significant milestone for our students, as they make their transition into the Middle School next year as Year 7s, was a ceremony of great celebration and a sign of the great hope we hold for the significant contribution they will make as members of the Middle School in 2022.

We wish all of our Year 9 students well who, for the first time this year, will be undertaking a joint aquatic excursion and retreat in the first days of next week. Planned to support our students’ preparation for the Year 10 adventure camp in the Coorong early next year. Our Year 9s consequently had a separate Presentation Day Friday 3 December at the College. Again, whilst disappointed we are unable to have our whole community come together as is our tradition on Presentation Night, the rest of our community will be gathering in celebration next Monday for Presentation Day. I am sure it will be a fitting celebration in acknowledging the outstanding success of so many students this year.

I wish to acknowledge, in this last Link Up of the year, my gratitude again for the way our community has managed another year that has presented significant challenges due to factors beyond our control. The support that has been evident amidst a constantly changing landscape that presents difficulties for us all, is a shining example of what it means to live in community. We look forward to 2022 with great hope and optimism, and do so welcoming to the College 14 new staff; something that reflect our College’s growth and development.

On behalf of the whole College staff, we say thank you for the privilege to work in partnership with you again this year in support of your children. We wish you every blessing of this joyful period of Christmas ahead, when we are called to look past the commercial and grasp the true importance of the celebration of the Birth of Christ, and its ongoing call for us to lead our lives in His footsteps.

I wish every blessing of the Christmas period ahead for you and your loved ones.

Gavin McGlaughlin
Principal

Finishing with a win

For many, the worst thing about the end of a football season is not that their team was unsuccessful in winning the premiership. The thing that irks the most is that the season itself ends. When your team is eliminated from the finals or worse still, misses making the final eight, the emptiness and disappointment leaves a void that has to be filled with less gratifying tasks like tending the garden or planning a fitness regime for summer. The paradox is that for the winners, the season doesn’t actually end as that grand final is replayed over and over for months and years afterwards. When your team wins, you win and it is so much easier to negotiate the trials and tribulations of life because you can always allow your mind to drift back to that one day in September.

The end of each school year has its own finals series. From the start of Term 4, Year 12s face their destiny with milestones and examinations followed by graduation and celebrations. For Year 11s, their final days are actually the start of the new season as they commence their Year 12 orientation with additional classes after their Year 11 examinations. Other year levels finish the term off with a mixture of in class tasks and out of class activities that are usually best enjoyed when the weather smiles agreeably. (R-6 Sports Day comes to mind.) The pace of these days is hectic and as the final weeks of Term 4 slide by, they are punctuated with exhaustion. Each exhausting day is easier in the knowledge of what lies ahead – a well-earned break from the rigour and routine of school life.

It is at this time of the year when emotions can reach their zenith. Tempers can be short, resilience is stretched and even the Kiss and Drop zone can resemble a shopping centre car park in the week before Christmas.

All the more reason to make time to chill. Mindfulness, rest, relaxation and positivity make the festive season more tolerable, keep us in tune with our inner selves and make us more fun to be around. Our young people of St Francis de Sales are still developing the sophistication of what it means to chill. Life at full speed is more their style until they hit the last minutes of that final quarter and have to call upon the remaining reserves of energy to make it to the end. Our staff are committed to ensuring that this year’s final series is successful for everyone.

It is important to finish the school year with a win.

Paul Fairlie
Deputy Principal - Community and Wellbeing

Advent has begun! It is such a special beginning of the Church’s liturgical year as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Of course numerous events and activities are also happening during these last few weeks to finish our school year in style at St Francis de Sales! We acknowledge the significant efforts of our students and staff in working with energy and purpose to finalise everything for 2021 while excitedly preparing for next year. Recently, this has involved transition sessions for new and current students, visits to new learning areas and finding out about the different requirements for the next year level.

Our Years 10-12 students are already enjoying their well-deserved holidays after completing final assessments and exams, with Years 7-9 currently in this process. The last few weeks, in particular, have also been filled with activities and celebrations across the College, with excursions, camps, R-6 Carols, Sports Day and a myriad of other adventures!

The culmination of 2021 will occur tomorrow Monday 6 December, when we hold our Awards Presentation Ceremony to acknowledge the achievements of our students in a variety of aspects, such as academic excellence, excellence in endeavour and academic improvement. Most special too, are the other awards that recognise students who live our College Heart Values and give of themselves generously and whole-heartedly each day.

I wish to thank everyone who has contributed to our College community this year. It has been another tricky one, with families not able to be on campus as they usually would, and we acknowledge the connections you have maintained throughout, despite the challenges. We hope that next year will see a return to a more ‘normal’ way of living and learning together.

My heartfelt best wishes and blessings to you all. Enjoy a wonderful break filled with the joy of the true spirit of Christmas, and of course, the right amount of family, fun, food and festivity. I look forward to seeing you in 2022! God bless.

Sonia Nelson
Deputy Principal - Learning

As our school year draws to a conclusion, I acknowledge the wonderful contributions that our staff, students and families have made to the College community this year, especially amongst the unpredictability presented to us. Thank you so much! I ask that you also keep in your prayers the staff, students, and families who have faced significant struggles and challenges this year. May they know that we are here for them and support them as a community.

I sincerely wish all of you a joyous Christmas, as we celebrate and acknowledge the birth of Jesus. ‘Live in the now!’ with your loved ones and savour every moment with them during the school holidays. Until we meet again, keep well!

Below are updates about some of the most recent College activities:

Student Leadership Camp

As this edition of the Link Up is released, our Senior Student Leaders elected for 2022, concluded their Student Leadership Camp. It was held for two days at Adare Campsite at Victor Harbor, and was an opportunity for the students to deepen their relationships with each other, learn more about themselves, strengthen their leadership skills, and have lots of fun. I congratulate 2022 Senior Student Leaders Sophie McCallum (College Captain), Lucas Rutter (College Captain), Aimee Brooks, Stephanie Formby, Amelia Edwards, Matilda Lovelock, Macy Fox, Joseph Schembri, Nathan Sachse, and House Captains William Thomas, Layla Harris, Millie Tucker, and Flethcher Duffield.

Vinnies Activities Day, Written by Sophie McCallum, Year 11

I, Sophie McCallum, have been blessed to be the President of the College’s social justice group Vinnies Faith-In-Action (FIA) since it’s beginning in 2018. Throughout this time, as a group we have been able to accomplish incredible actions, raising thousands of dollars for charities such as Caritas and Vinnies, cooking food for the Homeless Men’s Shelter and Freds Van, facilitating the Vinnies Sleep Out, encouraging students to donate to the Vinnie’s Christmas and Winter Appeal, and focussing on our environmental footprint, by assisting with the recycling processes within the College, to name a few.

I am so incredibly proud of the work which this group has been able to achieve and the large positive impact which we have had on those in need in our local and broader community. On 4 November, the Vinnies FIA Group organised and facilitated the Year 4-6 Homelessness Awareness Day. Holly Paech (2021 Vinnie’s FIA Group Treasurer) and Toris Bynoe-Kinsley (current Secretary) assisted me with this and it was a successful event. The purpose of the event was to help students gain a deeper understanding of what it would be like to be a homeless person in our community. We had wonderful feedback from the students and staff, saying that this event gave them a new perspective on homelessness. It helped them understand that everyone’s situations is unique, and you never know what someone may have been through or is currently struggling with; therefore, showing kindness and compassion towards others is so incredibly important.

Moving forward into 2022, the leadership of the Vinnie’s FIA Group will be changing, I am pleased to announce that Holly Paech will be taking over as President, with myself as Vice-President/Secretary so that I can assist Holly and ensure that she is completely comfortable in her role as President before I finish my schooling and leave the College. The Treasurer in 2022 for the Vinnie’s FIA Group is Toris Bynoe-Kinsley and as we have a Vinnies mini’s part in the group for the younger students, there are two Junior School leaders for 2022, being Flynn O’Rourke and Sienna Herter.

I am extremely proud of the compassionate and enthusiastic attitude towards bettering our world which the members continue to show, and the amazing achievements which this group has completed over the past four years. I look forward to seeing how much of a positive impact we can have as a community on our world.

Vinnies Badge Day, Written by Holly Paech, Year 8

On Wednesday, 17 November, eight students were chosen to participate in Vinnies Badge Day. They were, Sophie McCallum, Holly Peach, Toris Bynoe-Kinsley, Sarah Morely, Chelsea England, Mitchell Jacobson, Toby Rymer, and Mia Phillips. These students were placed at three locations in the local Mt Barker area (Woolworths, Coles and Gawler Street), with members of the Mt Barker Vinnies Conference. Their aim was to raise money and awareness for Vinnies. All eight students where very successful in doing this, and as a group in two hours we raised $485. What I realised from this experience is just how much people in our community really want to help Vinnies. So many people stopped to donate and have a chat. I also learnt that a small donation can still make a huge difference in somebody’s life.

Vinnies Christmas Appeal

The Vinnies Christmas Appeal has now concluded for this year. A huge thank you to all members of our College community (students, families, staff) for the generous donations to this Appeal. The Vinnies Conference in Mt Barker are very grateful and will be preparing the donated goods into hampers for families in need this Christmas.

Year 6 Reflection Day

As part of their right-of-passage, our Year 6 students participated in their Reflection Day on 18 November. The theme was “One Body, Many Parts”, and the day’s focus was to reflect on how the uniqueness of each of them is God-created, and that the diversity that they are as a cohort comes together to form who they are as a Year 6 community. This of course, can only come together when genuine relationship is cultivated. To bring deeper meaning to this theme, the scripture passage, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 was unpacked and a number of physical activities were undertaken. The aim of the day was for the students to understand that they are loved-absolutely by God just the way they are, and that they contribute to the Year 6 community in a very special way. A sincere thank you to the staff who assisted in the planning and facilitation of the day, they are Liz Stewart, Lisa Penney, Roger Willcocks and Sr Shiji.

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

As we come to the end of another year, I have reflected on the challenges and achievements for our College in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to cause issues for students, staff and parents and as we did in 2020, we have found a way through. Our wonderful staff should again be commended for their efforts this year in ensuring the best possible education for our children is realised.

Our wonderful new Junior School has seen a full year of occupation and it is extremely clear the new learning spaces are first class and sees our youngest students flourishing. Our new facilities are that good that they have taken out a prestigious design award. We have beaten schools such as McAuley, Westminster, Trinity and Wilderness to be named winner of the 2021 Learning Environments Australasia South Australia and Northern Territory Awards.

After winning the Category 2: New Construction/New Individual Facility (or Facilities) over $8m award, we then went on to be declared the overall winner of the SA Award for Excellence in Educational Facilities. The judging panel, comprising educators and architects, described our project as “a clear winner”.

This is an amazing achievement and is an absolute credit to those involved in the design and construction of our new buildings.

This I am sure, has some part to play in our increasing enrolments. It is extremely pleasing to see our student numbers continue to rise, so much so that we have had to bring forward the final stage of construction for our Junior School buildings. The filling in of the wings was not scheduled to occur until the end of 2022 but due to higher than expected enrolments, we are bringing the final stages forward to enable future growth, whilst resourcing additional staff for the commencement of 2022 that will significantly lower student to staff ratios.

I was lucky enough to have attended the Year 12 Graduation at the Intercontinental Hotel and it was an amazing night. Our Class of 2021 were able to celebrate the completion of their schooling with many students recognised with awards. Our newest graduates looked resplendent in their gowns and suits as they celebrated the night with family and friends.

On behalf of your College Board, I would like to extend our warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas and safe and peaceful festive season.

We look forward to seeing you all in 2022!

David Kyriacou
Chair of the College Board

St Francis de Sales College Reception to Year 6 and Alive Catholic Early Learning Centre new facilities have been named a winner at the 2021 Learning Environments Australasia South Australia and Northern Territory Awards held on Thursday 11 November.

From a field of five finalists, the recent College build of Early Learning to Year 6 facilities won the New Construction/New Individual Facility over $8m Award, and then was subsequently declared the overall winner of the SA Awards for Excellence in Educational Facilities.

The educational brief for the project was founded upon an overarching aspiration for learning environments to be embedded in nature, with the built and natural environments brought together to positively impact on learners’ wellbeing, confidence, creativity, and spirituality. The project aimed to create continuous indoor and outdoor spaces that provide endless opportunities for discovery.

The judging panel, comprising educators and architects, described the project as “a clear winner”.

Judges Citation:

“A clear winner for all of the judges, this submission showed a comprehensive educational planning process that included extensive community consultation, student engagement and the use of an educational planner. The documentation of this process and the resulting educational objectives was thorough and thoughtful. The work put into this early of the phase of the project clearly paid off, with all objectives evident in the design outcome.

The scheme demonstrated extensive opportunities to implement contemporary pedagogical practice including team teaching (in pairs), the opportunity to move from theory into practice with the use of a shared maker space and the provision of direct access to a large covered outdoor learning area, well connected through large openings for each paired learning space.

The Reggio Emilia philosophy is very well applied, with the design capturing truly child centred spaces with plenty of opportunities for hands on learning and connection to nature. Furniture has been designed with an educator to respond to different teaching and learning modes and to cater for different ages. Student voice is clearly present throughout the space with clever treatment of windows at child height to allow for additional display space above and the natural finishes allowing students and their work to shine throughout the spaces.

The integration of environmentally sustainable design and a genuine connection with the hillside setting and nature overall is both intelligent and heartfelt, bringing both sustainability and improved learning and wellbeing outcomes.”

View the Category 2: New Construction/New Individual Facility (or Facilities) Over $8m Awards Gallery.

We acknowledge contributors of this project, in particular the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment, the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools, Catholic Education South Australia, Catholic Early Years' Services, Brown Falconer Architects and the secondary consultants, Rider Levett Bucknall Quantity Surveying, BADGE Constructions and past and present staff, students and friends of the College.

To tour the facilities call 8393 1000 or to register online go to stfrancis.catholic.edu.au/book-a-college-tour.

As we wind up another fantastic year of learning, our R-6 community have experienced an array of wonderful events to celebrate the year. One very significant event for our students was the Year 6 Moving Up Ceremony, held on Thursday 2 December.

This event is an exciting milestone for students in Year 6 as they make the transition from the R-6 community into the 7-12 community and is a wonderful celebration of their learning journey at the College thus far.

During the Ceremony each student had their Reception and Year 6 photo shown - what a difference seven years make! The students and families loved reflecting on their growth and development over this time. An important part of the Ceremony was when students received a candle and a cross, handed to them by the Year 8 leaders as a symbol of welcome into the 7-12 community.

It was particularly lovely to listen to our R-6 College Captains, Anneliese Coats and Mitchell Jacobson as they reflected on their leadership in 2021, as well as a reflection from Tayla Byrne and Hamish Debrowski about their time in the R-6 community. We were also lucky enough to hear from Jen Ness Ferry, our 7-8 Year Level Leader, who spoke some wise words of advice for our Year 6s at they begin their journey into high school.

Congratulations to all our students in Year 6!

Year 6 Blessing:

Loving God, we ask your blessing on these young people as they begin their lives in the 7-12 community. As we have committed ourselves to support them, we ask you to be at their sides, guiding their footsteps on the challenging road ahead.

May you find friends who will walk beside you in the challenging moments of life’s journey.

May you find happiness in every direction your paths take you.

May you never lose your sense of wonder.

May you go beyond the ordinary steps and discover extraordinary results.

May you hold on to your dreams and keep them safe in your heart.

May you meet every challenge you are faced with, recognise every precious opportunity, and be blessed with the knowledge that you have the ability to make every day special.

Know that you hold tomorrow within your hands, and that the way there will be shared with the makings of what will be your most wonderful memories.

And may you always remember each step of the way… to believe in yourself and your dreams.

Amen.

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

On Thursday, 18 November our Year 12 students became the graduates of 2021 with the Graduation Dinner at the InterContinental Adelaide, culminating the Awards presentations.

Each student was presented using the affirmations that their peers had written about them and our College Captains, Kayla Riddle and Neva van Raalte shared their insightful reflection and vote of thanks to the College staff.

Our students and families and friends enjoyed a three course meal and it was wonderful to see them all together again and sharing memories that they will remember for many years to come.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in the organisation and also our guests for their connection to our community.

We are proud to present our Award winners for 2021 and look forward to the final SACE results that will be available on the Students Online portal on the SACE Board website on Monday 13 December from 8:30am.

We wish our 2021 Year 12 students all the best for the future.

Ros Mattner
11-12 Leader, SACE Coordinator, Teacher

Year 12 Award Recipients

Written by Ruby Tydeman, Year 10

Labs ‘n Life is a program that comes into the College every Monday with some Labradors. It is wonderful to see the Labs 'n Life dogs (Egret, Zita, Kenzie, Sweetie and Napoleon) working their 'magic' on our students. The students have bonded with the dogs very quickly and love working with them each week. Increased confidence and self-belief are just some of the qualities that students have developed whilst being a part of this amazing program.

The students are each assigned a Labrador to get to know their personalities before they get to work with them. Once they have the meet and greet they can begin working with the dogs. We have taught them through the term, things like sit, stay, lay down, catch the treat, leave the treat and many other commands.

I believe the program is good for people with anxiety and can greatly improve their quality of life. All the dogs have different types of personalities just like humans. I would recommend the program to anyone who suffers anxiety or self-doubt.

The Labradors are trained to teach young people. They are trained well and they listen to you, and do the thing you tell them.

There have been four of us doing the Labs ‘n Life program with the Learning Centre, which started in Term 4, Week 1. We do the training on the Oval and the Trade Skills Centre.

The Labradors are good listeners, and they love meeting new people to be their best friends. They love their treat, and they love their pats and cuddles. It is good because you get to work with a dog at school, which makes it different to the daily schoolwork we do.

The Labradors are fun to work with as we learn new things and how to work with dogs. Labs 'n Life is an amazing opportunity for students at St Francis de Sales to make connections with animals when they may never have the chance to do so. The program gives these students a glimpse of how to train and reward, experiencing success and failure with the love and adoration of an animal to support them through this journey.

Throughout this semester, our Stage 1 Business Innovation students participated in the Shark Tank eSchool in conjunction with Adelaide University and MIELab.

This program encouraged students to work collaboratively to identify a problem in the community, ideate how the problem could be solved, create a prototype and look that how the product/service could be implemented into a marketplace. The finale of this resulting in a pitch to a panel of judges.

Thirty schools competed nationwide and nine teams were selected as finalists. Two of our teams were successful in reaching the national finals, which were held via Zoom on Friday 19 November. The teams pitched to an Adelaide University panel and presented their project professionally and confidently in the sustainability category.

The Zacuum Team were placed third, consisting of Benjamin Barrett, Sophie McCallum and Brooke Wooder who created an innovative app driven rubbish collector for beaches. While Edward Mato, Lachlan Maywald, David Swaine and Nathan Sachse presented X-TINGUISH an app that prepared residents in fire safety for Bushfire Prone areas. Both teams received certificates and monetary prizes to share between them.

Andrea Lambley-Robinson
Business Innovation Teacher

As part of our Pastoral Care program, the Year 7 and 8 students travelled to Adelaide to attend AFL MAX.

AFL MAX is a purpose built state-of-the-art facility which brings together the latest technology and traditional skills development to educate young people about the importance of living active and healthy lifestyles.

Our Year 7 and 8 students participated in a two-hour program, “A Day in the Life of an Elite Sportsperson” which focused on educating students about the importance of developing healthy lifestyles and positive wellbeing, utilising strategies used by elite sportspeople to create life-long learning. The program adopted resources and ‘tips and tricks’ used by elite sportspeople, and covered the following topics: respectful communication with others, resilience, courage, teamwork, caring for others, creating a positive environment and self- direction- setting SMART goals.

Our students had a wonderful session bouncing their way around the inflatable giants on trampolines in the Bump Zone and tidied up on their kicking, passing and tackling skills in the Test and Tackle Zone, and rock climbing and the Interactive Zone kept students on their toes. The activities at AFL Max certainly provided opportunities for our students to explore their abilities, work collaboratively and have fun.

Jen Ness-Ferry
7-8 Leader

On Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November our Semester 2 Dance production asked the question – How big is your brave? The Performing Arts Centre stage displayed this question to ponder as it was lit and covered with smoke to create an exciting atmosphere as Dance students from Dance Minis, Dance Crew through to Year 8, 10, 11 and 12 took to the stage to perform their production of This Is Me.

Over one afternoon and two nights, our Dance students presented their electrifying and self-reflective performances, all connected through narrative that represented exactly who they believe they are at this point in their journey through life – and that this is exactly where they should be and that’s ok! This Is Me was performed once for the Junior school students (who are a brilliant audience, and a performance we always look forward to) and another two evening performances for socially distanced, enthusiastic audiences, while at the same time filming the presentation for the streamed version of This Is Me.

A huge thank you must go to Aleks Bojanic who once again not only worked his magic with incredible light and sound production, but also for once again adding to his incredible talent to the post-production work. Thank you to Tayla Ward and Aaliyah Ferreira for their awesome work with the Dance Minis and Dance Crew, and to Kate Thomas and Rose Ward for their help with administration.

I am truly blessed to work with such amazing students and I am so incredibly proud of each and every one of them. I must also thank and say a heartfelt ‘goodbye and good luck’ to our wonderful Year 12 Dance students who returned to the College for their final performance. Thanks and acknowledgement is also given to Dawson Bojanic for his fantastic work as the 2021 Dance Captain.

The streamed production of This Is Me will be available via a private link shortly. The link will be emailed directly to all parents, caregivers and to the students involved in the performance; however, if you do not receive the link and would like to see the amazing Dance student’s performance of This Is Me, please email Peta Bojanic at pbojanic@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au to have the link sent directly to your email.

During Week 6, our Stage 1 Drama students worked incredibly hard to perform a difficult and confronting production of Scattered Lives by Sally McKenzie. This play provided an opportunity for the Drama students to extend their skills and work in a style of theatre that we have not tackled previously – verbatim theatre. Scattered Lives is a play dedicated to all those who seek asylum and refuge in Australia every year, a performance of true stories shared by refugees who give an insight into the profound experience of what it is to seek refuge.

Congratulations must go to all of the Stage 1 Drama students as they presented their performance of Scattered Lives with emotion and maturity beyond their years – I could not be more proud of the cast – they were amazing!

Again, a huge thank you must go to Aleks Bojanic for his assistance with, not only the sound and lighting, but also with the filming of the production, along with the immense work that he completes during the post-production period.

Please join me in viewing the streamed version of this incredible story which will be available shortly via a private link. This link will be sent directly to all parents, caregivers and students of Stage 1 Drama; however, if you do not have a child involved and would like view this production, then please email Peta Bojanic at pbojanic@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au and the link will be sent directly to you.

Peta Bojanic
Drama Teacher

R-12 Music and Ensemble Captains for 2022

We are delighted to announce the R-12 Music Captains for next year – Tilly Lovelock and Nathan Sachse! Both senior Music students, Tilly and Nathan are both long-time Music students and ensemble members. Tilly and Nathan are both primarily vocalists, however, you’ll often see Tilly playing bass guitar in our bands and catch Nathan working hard at the piano as he transposes or composes Music.

We again thank Bella Jenke and Lucas Pantano, our outgoing R-12 Music Captains, for their excellent work over the past year and we wish them all the best for their bright futures!

Our R-12 Music Captains are supported by our team of Ensemble Captains for 2022, and we congratulate these students on their appointment or ongoing commitment:

Max Maher - VoCo Small Vocal Ensemble
Tilly Lovelock - Heart'n'Soul Band
Nathan Sachse - JazZone Senior Vocal Ensemble
Charlotte Ernst - Musaic Senior Vocal Ensemble
Ethan Honner - deGroove Small Jazz Combo Band
Harry Lovelock - Mixed Bag Band
Lucas Rutter - Tech and Promotion Leader

Tunes@Twilight – a fabulous send-off to the year!

Once again, our ensembles were amazing as they proved their talent and flexibility as we were forced to move our Tunes@Twilight end of semester event to a recorded daytime format.

Featuring a whole-company song to finish, which included students from Reception to Year 12, a vast array of music displayed our many musical skills. Check out our set list:

The Angelicus Carols Choir at the Balhannah/Oakbank Community Carols

Our thanks to our awesome R-6 students in the Angelicus Carols Choir who did a fabulous job recording a set for the BalOak Carols! Stay tuned for the publication of the recording in the coming weeks from carols organisers.

JazZone/Musaic and VoCo at the Mount Barker Carols in the Park

We hope you had the opportunity to see our fabulous senior vocal ensembles at the Mount Barker Carols in the Park last night, Saturday 4 December. We also had a number of students performing after auditioning for the event. Senior students included Bella Jenke, Tilly Lovelock, Lauren Watson, Nathan Sachse and Max Maher, alongside former students Eliza Lovelock and Georgia Malchow. These carols also featured our fabulous vocal tutor, Lisa Duffield and is all brought together by our unparalleled band leader and woodwind tutor, Karen Redman, who is instrumental in organising many local band events throughout the year.

Instrumental Program Vacancies

We thank our Instrumental Music Tutors for an excellent year and remind families that now is the time to consider Instrumental Tuition for 2022 as places will fill fast. Don’t see an instrument you’re interested in? Just ask!

Please visit our website for more information > Beyond the Classroom. 

Yours in Music,

Emily Lovelock
Music Support

R-6 Sports Day

After two postponements it was wonderful to be able to finally participate in our R-6 Sports Day. We had fantastic weather and the students showed off their House pride through the wearing of bright colours and costumes. The day started with a whole school gathering for prayer, acknowledgement of country and welcome, which was followed by an energetic health hustle created by some Year 6 girls. All students then participated in a range of sporting activities which were run by our Year 9 students. The day ended with an R-6 Relay followed by presentations. Congratulations to Savoy for winning the House Cup and to Geneva for winning the Spirit Cup. A huge thank you to all teachers and support staff for making this day an amazing experience for the students.

Basketball Academy News

This term has seen the culmination of the amazing efforts of our Year 8/9 Basketball Academy students. Both the boys and girls made it to the finals day for the School Sport SA Statewide Competitions and performed admirably throughout their matches. Unfortunately, there were a few tight matches (only one-point margins) which meant the teams finished 5th and 6th in the state. Students this year also embarked on an accredited SASMA Taping Course, showing their skills in preventing and rehabilitating injuries.

St Francis de Sales College After School Cricket Program (R-3)

Next year in Term 1 we are planning to run a Woolworths Blast Cricket program here at the College. Further information is available in SEQTA Notices and will be emailed to families.

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

On Sunday 19 September, our Fathering Project Dad’s Group held its first event at the College with a total of 35 Fathers and their children attend. They met at the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) before splitting up into three groups. We had there different stations spread out around the College, which everyone could move between at their own pace.

The first was in the PAC with some large boxes and office equipment. The children and fathers were able to let their imagination go wild and came up with a variety of machines, buildings, and other creations.

The second station was set up on top of the hill in the nature play area behind the R-6 buildings. Dad's Group members brought an assortment of branches, rope, and other bits to create some cubby houses. This group made a variety of buildings from basic humpies to grand palaces. Some even had multiple levels.

The final station took place on the soccer pitch with a variety of sporting equipment available. The children challenged their father’s playing skills and were able to run rings around them after a short time.

Once the groups met back at the PAC after their afternoon activities, it was time for a BBQ which was kindly and precisely cooked by the one and only St Francis de Sales Principal Gavin McGlaughlin. This was a great opportunity to meet the other father's and the children were able to play with others from different year levels.

The first event was clearly a success with everyone having a great day.

Going forward, we are looking at locking in some dates in the new year to be held in the College Community Sports Centre. Sunday afternoons have been chosen for these events because generally at this time, there is no sporting or other commitments for families. More information will be communicated in 2022.

Thank you for the support so far and we look forward to seeing more fathers and father-figures and their children at the next event in the new year.

“The Fathering Project is to have a positive impact on fathering behaviour and fathers’ engagement with children through evidence-rich programs and resources that engage, equip and support fathers, families, schools, employers and community organisations”, thefatheringproject.org, 2021.

Ian Flottman
On behalf of the Dad’s Group Leaders

Thank you Sue Werts

Sue Werts has been a part of our College community for approximately ten years, since her eldest son, Michael, was in Reception. He is in Year 10 next year! Sue is also the mother of Lachlan in Year 9 next year, and Trinity in Year 5 next year. Due to work commitments, Sue is now stepping away from her role as Chair of our Parent Community Group (PCG).

Over the course of Sue’s connection with the College, she has been heavily involved in participating and assisting with her children’s classroom learning, College events, and associated community activities. When the PCG officially started some years ago, under the guidance of former staff member, Vanessa Grave, Sue took this opportunity to continue her dedicated association with the College. When I became the staff leader of the PCG, Sue was officially appointed Chair and the process began to formalise the operation of the PCG. The PCG has gone from strength-to-strength under Sue’s leadership, and she has done it through a lens of genuine care and dedication to the College community. This is evident in the number of new parents who have joined the group recently.

We sincerely thank Sue for her deep commitment to the College over the last decade, and her consistent organisation and leadership whilst in the role of Chair of the PCG.

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

Parent Community Group (PCG) Report

The PCG has again had another great year, albeit heavily restricted by COVID, but none-the-less, we have continued to meet and plan for events in 2022.

We celebrated another year with an end of year dinner at the Barker Hotel on Tuesday, 23 November and acknowledged the efforts from everyone in 2021. We reflected on events that could go ahead this year, such as the Mother’s Day Stall, Father’s Day Stall and Frankie’s Café and the challenges that had to be overcome to make them happen.

The Mother’s and Father’s Day Stalls ran slightly differently this year due to COVID restrictions allowing only the correct amount of money to be brought in by students. Additional requirements, such as a limit on the number of volunteers who could attend also provided challenges but were overcome to make for very successful events. A big thank you to all who helped in the planning, set up, pack up and on the day activities at both events. We hope the gifts were enjoyed by many.

Frankie’s Café was a new initiative established by the College and operated by the PCG in 2021. The Café was a wonderful way for parents to meet and catch up with a coffee at school drop off and it was lovely to see senior students involved too! Next year looks to be exciting for the Café.

On Tuesday night, the vote was held for the position of Chair and Secretary, and it is with great pleasure to announce Emma Petersen as the new Chair and Kristy How will remain as Secretary for 2022. Congratulations to you both! Next year looks to be bigger and better.

If you would like more information and would like to be a part of the PCG in 2022, please email Emma Petersen or Kristy How at PCG@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au.

We rely heavily on the support from leadership, staff, and teachers. Thank you to all the St Francis de Sales College staff for your continued support and efforts this year in helping us pull together what we could. And last, the PCG would not happen without the volunteers of our parents. Thank you to all for your continued efforts throughout the year. We could not run without you.

As the outgoing Chair, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported, contributed, helped, put forward ideas and volunteered their time to the PCG. As mentioned above, the group could not operate without volunteers. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time being part of the group and have many fond memories! Thank you to everyone.

On behalf of everyone from the PCG, we wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas!

Sue Werts
Outgoing Chair of the Parent Community Group

Gardening Club is intentional, spontaneous, fun and has inspired many projects as well as welcomed lots of new plants into our shared garden.

Before planting anything, both children and educators discussed at length what they like to eat and what they would therefore like to grow in their garden.

We have radishes, baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, carrots, potatoes, strawberries, climbing beans and lots of bees that love to come and visit every day. Pasta was one request; however, this was unachievable given the process in which pasta needs to grow.

Over the past few weeks, we have made three separate scarecrows. Scruffy, Bob and Frankie. All names of which the children have chosen.

We have had lots of community engagement with special guest Michelle coming to garden with us, donations from our families with clothes for our scarecrows, bags of garlic and avocado seeds.

Each and every day we are becoming environmentally aware, as we nurture, protect and care for our garden.

Liz Ewers
Educator