St Francis of Assisi College - Term 1 Week 10 - 2024

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Annual General Meeting

A very successful Annual General Meeting of the College Board was held last Wednesday evening.  Retiring Board members, having served their two-year term, were:

• Tim Pfeiffer
• Tanya Allan
• Ben Dring
• Michael Atsaves

Each of the retiring members re-nominated and were reappointed for another term on the Board.

New nominations were received from:

• Natalie Coote
• Jodie Clark
• Jonathon Sutton
• Kirsty Johnson

The new nominees were also appointed to the Board.

Following the Annual General Meeting a brief meeting of the new Board was held to appoint office bearers, as follows:

• Chairperson, Tanya Allan
• Deputy Chairperson, Tim Pfeiffer

Finance Sub-Committee

• Ben Dring
• Michael Atsaves
• Jonathon Sutton

Industry and Community Engagement Sub-committee

• CourtneyTippet
• Emma Warner
• Jodie Clark
• Tanya Allan 

(above appointments are additional to existing Industry and Community Engagement Sub-committee members)

Learner Conversations

Conversations About Learning, our three-way conversations occurred this week, providing valuable opportunities for the teacher, student, parents and/or carers to share and learn more about the student socially, emotionally, and academically, while at the same time facilitating increased student agency and responsibility.

If any further school support, that has resulted from these conversations is needed, I encourage parents and carers to contact the relevant staff member to ensure the school and parent partnership remains strong to support your child.

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross are a beautiful, traditional practice for Roman Catholics to take part in during the Lenten Season. We recall and meditate on the events of the Passion of Christ and are reminded of all that Jesus endured for our redemption, and how deeply he loves us.

Our students participated in a live recount of the Stations of the Cross as the last thing we did together as a school before heading into the Easter Weekend.   The Stations of the Cross were then completed first thing Tuesday morning, with the resurrection of Jesus.

2025 Enrolment of Students

The College continues to experience significant demand in enrolments for the current school year, and the 2025 school year. Projections for 2025 indicate our two year 7 classes will fill to capacity. Parents/caregivers planning to enrol their child are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.  To assist with our medium and long-term planning I encourage parents to lodge an enrolment form with the school as soon as they have decided to enrol their child at the school.

Should you wish to discuss this further please contact our College Registrar, Claire Smith (phone 8595 4500, or email claire.smith@assisi.catholic.edu.au).

Mr Nathan Hayes, Principal

Holy Week and Easter

Last week, we spent time remembering the key events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Earlier in the week, staff and students took part in The Last Supper Liturgy, where we remembered the last gathering Jesus had with his apostles. We talked about the importance of the Holy Eucharist during Mass as a reminder of Jesus and his teachings. We also acknowledged how we often sit around a table with friends and family to reflect on memories and share experiences.

To finish Holy Week, our Year 10 students did a fantastic job reenacting the Passion of Jesus through the Stations of the Cross. We journeyed together reflecting on Jesus’ love for all people through his sacrifice and courage.

Returning from the Easter long weekend, we came together to celebrate the Resurrection occurring on Easter Sunday.  Each House had two representatives plant a Lilly Pilly as a symbol of starting fresh from any mistakes we have made in the past and learning from these to look positively towards the future. The Lilly Pilly plant represents inspiration for creativity and fresh ideas and is often associated with wisdom, intuition and reflection. We planted these along the path leading to the cross we used for the Stations of the Cross. 

House Mass

Terra house celebrated a Parish Mass with Father Hau this week. It was great to see so many student volunteers and involvement.

Ventus will take part in their first Parish Mass in Week 1 of next term, which is Wednesday the 1^st of May at 9:30am. All Ventus families are welcome to join us.

Caritas/Project Compassion

This term we have been promoting and fundraising for Caritas/Project Compassion. So far we have raised $473.35. Thank you to all the students and families for your generous support to help those in need around the world. 

Aqua are running their last fundraiser for this on Friday at lunch time next week. This will be a Spongeathon and more information will be released about how this will run.

If you have been raising your own money at home using the Project Compassion boxes, we ask that students please bring these back to school by the end of this term. Thanks again to those who have contributed generous donations and their own voluntary fundraising using the Project Compassion boxes.  

Resurrection Prayer

God of Resurrection,

We pray for the power to claim our own voice when we need to speak out.
We pray that we joyfully proclaim the good news of the resurrection through our lives.
We pray that we find new life in the resurrected Christ.
Living God, hear our prayer and empower us to live our lives with positivity and hope.
We ask this through Jesus, risen among us, and the Spirit.
Amen

Mrs Sheridan Bonney, Assistant Principal, Religious Identity and Mission

Learner Conversations

Thank you to all parents and students who participated in our recent learner conversations at St Francis of Assisi College. Your active involvement demonstrates a commitment to your child's education that we deeply appreciate.

At the heart of our educational philosophy lies the belief in student agency. By empowering students to take ownership of their learning journey, we foster independence, critical thinking, and creativity. These learner conversations serve as a platform for students to reflect on their progress, set goals, and articulate their aspirations.

Equally vital is the role of parents in a child's education. Your support, encouragement, and engagement provide a strong foundation for academic success and personal growth. Together, we form a collaborative partnership dedicated to nurturing the holistic development of each student.

Thank you for your continued dedication to fostering a culture of learning and empowerment at St Francis of Assisi College. We look forward to further enriching these important conversations in the future.

Learning Around the College

The first term has been a whirlwind of excitement and learning as students have dived into various activities. Our College believes in holistic education, offering a diverse range of experiences.

In Year 8 PE, students have enthusiastically embraced rowing, honing their teamwork and physical endurance on the water. Meanwhile, our budding musicians have been creating harmonies and melodies that resonate throughout the campus. In the science department, students have explored the wonders of seed germination. Through hands-on experiments and observation, they've gained a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

As we wrap up the first term, we're proud of the growth and accomplishments of our students. With their enthusiasm and dedication, we're confident that the rest of the academic year will be equally rewarding.

Mrs Natalie Meuret, Leader of Learning

LifeChanger

On Wednesday, our Year 7’s engaged in the third and fourth workshops of the LifeChanger program – Skills and Self. They were joined by their Year 10 mentors and engaged in activities that focussed on goal setting, problem solving, resilience and gratitude. Towards the end of the session, students were supported by their mentors to explore their emotions and how they project those emotions to the outside world. They worked on practical strategies to help regulate their feelings.

Parents of Year 7 students can download a family handbook summarising the workshops and have some great conversation starters for parents/carers to discuss our LifeChanger program at home.

LifeChanger 2024 Family Handbook

A reminder that if you have any concerns or questions or information to share regarding your child’s wellbeing or academics, please contact their home group teacher in the first instance via email or through the College phone number - (08) 8595 4500.

Mr Luke Cotter, Leader of Wellbeing

Our Athletics program for 2024 culminated last week with our second and final Athletics Carnival in Adelaide. After winning the F2 grade in 2023, we moved up to F1 against a range of schools from around the state.

Our students trained during lunchtimes for two weeks to improve their techniques, confidence and 4x100m relay changes, which were all evident through our performances on the day.

This event was our first with our new College set of running spikes, which certainly improved our performance and safety in running and jumping events, as well as making our students look quite professional!

Even without having any ‘Open’ aged students, we filled all but 6 events on the day, with many students receiving places in higher age groups. The highlight of the day was our strong performances in the 4x100m relays, with our teams proving the worth of practicing their changeovers.

Overall, we excelled in the results, winning the boys and girls divisions, therefore clearly winning the combined F1 grade by almost 200 points over the next best school!

A huge thankyou to Mr Sampson, Miss Ward, Miss Prokopec and Miss Gibbons for you support on the day. A special thankyou to Mr Prokopec for his tireless work with our Athletics program, as well as coordinating the purchasing of running spikes for the College. Miss Poulish, Miss Fenwick, Mr Goodman and Miss Prokopec have also been very important as coaches for our students during lunchtime trainings.

In Week 9, Mr Sampson and Miss Gibbons took our Year 10 Outdoor Education class to Middleton to participate in a 2-night Coastal Camp. Students initially travelled to Adelaide and competed/officiated at the SA School Athletics Carnival on the Monday, before then travelling down to Middleton.

The camp centered around two main assessments, surfing and human impact on coastlines. All students participated in 2 x two-hour Learn to Surf lessons, run by instructors from Surf & Sun. It was great to see our students go out of their comfort zones and quickly pick-up technical skills and confidence with surfing. While conditions were quite chilly and windy, our students demonstrated resilience by continuing to battle the conditions and strive to catch the perfect wave!

After our surf lessons, students completed a range of fieldwork and observations of local coastal areas around Goolwa and Victor Harbor. Students took photos, complete sketches, and took a range of notes in their fieldwork booklets. We camped at the Middleton Caravan Park in tents, and all students were required to purchase, pack and cook their own food for the 3 days.

This camp allowed students to develop their understanding of surfing and the South Coast, as well as build important skills in resilience, organisation, preparation, communication and teamwork.

Yr 8 HPE Riverfront Fitness

Year 8’s have 1 week left of their Riverfront Fitness unit, which exposure students to rowing, running and strength and conditioning circuits, similar to what they would experience as part of the College Rowing Program. We are now calling out interest from all year 8’s who would like to continuing to Learn to Row during Term 2. Be sure to complete the EdSmart forms or reach out to Rowing@assisi.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions. We will finalise enrolments and further details by the end of Week 11.

This is a friendly reminder to register your child’s interest to try rowing during Term 2. Be sure to complete the EdSmart forms previously sent or reach out to Rowing@assisi.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions . We will finalise enrolments and further details by the end of Week 11.

Attention Year 10's

Are you wanting to explore a career within the space industry?

You may be interested in attending a Space STEM School Camp during the April school holidays. There are currently a few places left.
 
There is a cost of $80 to attend the 3 night camp in Adelaide. Students will stay at Warradale Urban Camp.
 
Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) sponsors a scholarship to enable rural and remote students to attend the Space School. This scholarship can be used to help cover the costs of getting to the space school from a regional area. 
 
The application requires a statement from the

• Student
• students’ school/ science teacher

If you are interested please see Mrs Burgess.

A group of our students are involved in the Young RMS production of Frozen Jr at the Bonney Theatre in Barmera during the upcoming school holidays. Over 50 talented students, aged 7 to 17 years, from 15 Riverland schools are involved in the production and have been busily rehearsing all term.

Performances are on Saturday 20^th and Sunday 21^st April at 1pm and 3:30pm. Tickets go on sale on April 2^nd April at 8:30am through Trybooking www.trybooking.com/CPZOG

Renmark Paringa Council is providing a free mental health session for high school students in the upcoming school holidays.

The session, hosted by Mental Health Partners, provides an opportunity for high school students to learn strategies on how to help themselves and others.

It will take place on Tuesday 23 April from 10am to 11.30am at the Renmark Paringa Civic Centre.

To secure a spot email connect@renmarkparinga.sa.gov.au or phone 8580 3000 by Tuesday 16 April.

Many families are experiencing cost of living challenges as well as increased education costs.

Saver Plus supports eligible families to take some control of their finances by offering a matched savings incentive and financial education workshops.

If parents commit to saving up to $50 a month for 10 months, ANZ will match their savings up to $500 for families to put towards school uniforms, stationary, camps, laptops, sports fees and music lessons.

*The program accepts Child Support, Carers Payment and Cash in hand as regular income.

If families join in February 2024, they can claim their matched savings in December 2024 in time for 2025 school costs.

To learn more about Saver Plus attend an online Information Sessions: Register here.