St Francis of Assisi College - Term 1 Week 11 - 2022

Laudato Si’ – Care for Our Common  Home

Pope Francis released Laudato Si’, meaning "Praise be to you”, in June 2015. It is clear from Pope Francis' encyclical – Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home – that, as Catholics, we are called to take action for climate justice.

It is the Church’s most profound clarion call yet: for us all to be protectors of creation and the poor. The Holy Father has called for a new global solidarity, where all individuals, communities and governments play an essential part in taking care of our earth and global family.

St Francis of Assisi College has begun work with Catholic Earthcare Australia, as a program of Caritas, Catholic Earthcare Australia is an ecological advisory agency to the Church and has been mandated through the activities of education, research and advocacy to give leadership in responding to Laudato Si’ to “stimulate and sustain the ecological conversion and implement integral ecology in Catholic institutions in Australia.”  The College in the early stages of progressing through the Catholic Earthcare certification process to support our work in meeting the challenges put forward to us all in Laudato Si’.

Further information about the certification process can be found using this link: ‘Cry of the earth cry of the poor’a certification process for Catholic Earthcare schools, parishes and families'.

Key Dates

Term 2:

Pupil Free Days                                                      Monday May 2nd and Tuesday May 3rd

AGM and School Board Formation                         Wednesday 18th May 6pm – 7pm

SFoAC Staff Retreat Day – Pupil Free Day            Friday June 24th

School Board and AGM

As the School Board Nomination period has come to a close, I am delighted to share our inaugural St Francis of Assisi College School Board Members:

1. Ex-Officio Members:

           President of the School Board                                   Fr Paul Bourke

           Executive Officer of the School Board                       Nathan Hayes (College Principal)

           College Finance Manager                                          Anthony Pickering

           Board Secretary                                                         Claire Smith

       2.  Nominated Members:

           OLOR Parish Pastoral Council Representative          TBC

            SFoAC Staff Representative                                      TBC

        3.  Elected Members:

             Tanya Allan                      Paringa

              Ben Dring                       Renmark

              Paul Searle                     Paringa

              Tim Pfeiffer                     Renmark

              Michael Atsaves             Renmark

              Prue Kempthorne           Barmera

Whilst not a formal AGM as we are in the process of establishing our first School Board, the College Team will provide updates on key progress, and key priorities of the College to date.

At the AGM the School Board Members will meet to elect the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and Chair of the Finance Committee.  The parent members of the Board bring an outstanding range of experiences, capabilities and a collective commitment in supporting St Francis of Assisi College to achieve our strategic priorities in the coming years.

Learning Continuity and COVID19

Term One has continued to have it’s challenges with the impact COVID has had on families and College staff, and it seems likely to continue into Term Two.  Whilst not ideal, all challenges present opportunities and as Principal, I have been heartened to see how students, parents and carers, and teachers have collaborated to maintain relative learning continuity for students.  Where it has been students or teachers isolating due to COVID impacts, we have been able to maintain planned curriculum and assessments, supported largely by the use of ICT’s such as SEQTA and Microsoft TEAMS.

Thank you for your continuing support to adapt to the changing circumstances throughout the term, and for supporting your child to engage with learning at school, and where necessary using our Learning Management System, SEQTA, to support quality learning from home.

You will recall that the year began with additional time set aside for staff to prepare for the term in the knowledge that COVID-19 would cause disruption. It is now clear that Term 2 will be at least as challenging as Term 1 has been to date.

In order to ensure we are best prepared to support learning continuity for and wellbeing of our students throughout Term 2, Catholic Education South Australia has endorsed two additional teacher preparation days ahead of Term 2 for all Catholic Schools in South Australia.

Our pupil free days will be as follows:

• the first additional pupil free day will be held on Holy Thursday (14 April),
• we have an existing pupil free day scheduled for the first day of Term 2 (2 May), where will participate in training for our whole school wellbeing framework with David Kelly from the Life Buoyancy Institute,
• the second additional pupil free day will be held on the second day of Term 2 (3 May).

The additional preparation days will be used by staff to undertake marking and reporting and to prepare teaching and learning programs for Term 2 with a focus on being ready to deliver blended learning where that becomes necessary, with our focus being to ensure SEQTA Learn is appropriately set up and prepared for Term 2,  keeping in mind the continued uncertainty around students potentially learning from home at different times due to the ongoing impact of COVID.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to our staff, students and our school community for the way you have supported each other during this challenging time.

If you have any immediate queries in relation to this correspondence, please contact me.

School Uniform Updates

The College uniform is the most visible symbol of identity for students at St Francis of Assisi College. It is expected all students take pride in their appearance and ensure their uniform is well-fitted, clean, neat, and worn in a dignified and respectful manner during the school day, while travelling to and from school and at school related functions.

I have been pleased with the pride students have taken in wearing our uniform, and the support parents and carers have given to ensure our uniform is worn to a high standard, acknowledging some garments have not yet been in stock. 

The Student Uniform Policy is available here

As Yates Menswear will have all outstanding uniform garments in stock by the school holiday break in readiness for Term 2.  I would like to highlight the specific policy expectations around the blue academic jumper and the sports jacket (this expectation will be in place once the academic jumper is in stock):

The sports jacket is not compulsory, it can be worn with the sport uniform, and can be worn over the academic jumper, not instead of, mainly on the particularly cold mornings.

The academic jumper is the jumper to be worn with the everyday academic uniform, and as listed above, the optional sports jacket is not to be worn with the everyday uniform instead of the academic jumper.

Given all compulsory uniform garments will be in stock by the end of Term 1, students will need to be wearing only St Francis of Assisi College approved uniform garments from the beginning of Term 2.

Nathan Hayes

Principal 

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.   Mark 11:9-10

The crowds greeted Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with joyful enthusiasm. A few days later some of those people were undoubtedly part of the hate-filled crowd screaming “CRUCIFY HIM!” Peter, who promised Jesus that he would never betray him, does so just hours later. How can something so wonderful take such an ugly turn? How does that happen in our world, lives, and hearts? How can it get so bad so quickly?

It isn’t easy to be a hero, or to stand alone. It isn’t easy to do what’s right when doing what’s right isn’t popular. It’s easier to go along with the crowd. When they shout, “Hosanna”, we shout “Hosanna!” When they scream, “Crucify him”, we scream “Crucify him!” The history of the Church, from Jesus to the present moment, is filled with the witness of saints and martyrs who didn’t accept the social and personal sins of their times as just “the ways things are” but instead followed the way of Jesus, even knowing it was the way of the cross. Sadly, many of us are too easily swept into the fear and hatred of the crowd, and willing to unleash our rage on the most convenient innocent victim.

Jesus, the Suffering Servant, who came to speak a word to the weary, who did not shield his face from spitting, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, who was obedient unto death—this is our Lord, who we are to follow no matter where he leads, no matter how difficult the path.

Perhaps we began this Lent with a firm commitment to pray more deeply, fast more faithfully, give alms more generously. But as the weeks went by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving became less appealing than arguing with one another about who among us is the greatest. Whose country is the greatest, whose politics, whose candidate, whose policies, whose ideologies.

There is still war. There are still refugees. There is still racism. The poor we still have with us. But because Jesus’ name is above every other name, because we bend our knee before him and confess him as our Lord, we will carry the cross that has been given to us. We must never go along with the violent angry crowd. We are not abandoned or afraid.

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Wishing you all a blessed Easter and a safe holiday break.

Nanda de Winter

Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission 

During Term 1 students have worked diligently to develop the College’s House Groups and House Group Crests which are now finalised.

Luke Cotter 

Leader of Wellbeing

Online Continuous Reporting

What is it?

Continuous reporting or progressive/ongoing feedback refers to the process of teachers providing timely and targeted feedback to students about their learning progress in a subject. At St Francis of Assisi College this is achieved through our learning management system - SEQTA. This term all teachers have been working hard to utilise this function in SEQTA by providing assessment information and specific feedback for assessment tasks. This is visible to students through SEQTA learn and similarly to parents through SEQTA engage.

What is the advantage?

The main advantage of continuous reporting is that students and parents receive feedback in a ‘timely’ manner about how the child is progressing. End of semester reports are often seen as too little, too late, with not enough targeted feedback and time for the student to improve their learning. Research shows high-quality feedback that is specific and on-going has immediate feedback on learning progress.

What is your role as a parent/care giver?

Continuous reporting not only allows students to constantly reflect on their progress and make improvements as they go but involves parents more in their child’s educational journey as they receive frequent updates of their progress.  If any situation arises where you, as a parent have a concern or question regarding the feedback provided, it is critical that as a parent you:

1) Initially discuss the feedback with your child.

2) If required, encourage your child to seek further clarification from their subject teacher.

3) If this is ineffective, or you have any major concerns with your child’s learning progress, then please utilise our normal channels of communication through the relevant subject teacher.

Supporting your child to take ownership of the feedback provided is critical in assisting them to develop into reflective and independent learners.

Natalie Meuret

Leader of Learning

On Saturday 23 April 2022, Royal Life Saving South Australia is hosting a River Safety Day at Bert Dix Memorial Park, Paringa.

Royal life Saving South Australia are the peak body for inland water safety education and drowning prevention. They have operated in SA for over 115 years, educating communities to be safe in, on and around water. Key activities in the community include:

• Engaging with local stakeholders to develop drowning prevention strategies
• Delivering swimming and water safety programs in key communities
• Educating communities in metropolitan and regional SA
• Upskilling residents with Bronze Medallion, First Aid and Pool Lifeguard training

The event is part of the ‘Make the Right Call’ campaign. It will promote the safe use of the river and other inland waterways. Details on the event are as follow:

Time: 9am - 12pm

Cost: Free

Activities:

• Safety demonstrations
• Water rescue demonstrations
• BBQ lunch and more
   

Week beginning Monday 11th April

As we enter Holy Week, we continue to reflect on the lives of people vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice and how we can respond through supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal. 

Your generosity is the pebble that allows Caritas Australia to create the ripples that will improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish and create opportunities for future generations to live to their full potential and thrive. 

Thank you!

Please return all Project Compassion boxes and envelopes to the school office by Friday 27th May or donate online via the Caritas website at lent.caritas.org.au