St Francis of Assisi College - Term 2 Week 5 - 2022

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National Reconciliation Week

I thank staff and students for their commitment to National Reconciliation Week. At the heart of reconciliation is the relationship between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To foster positive race relations, our relationship must be grounded in a foundation of truth. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long called for a comprehensive process of truth-telling about Australia’s colonial history. Our nation’s past is reflected in the present and will continue to play out in the future unless we heal historical wounds. National Reconciliation Week, 27 May to 3 June, is a time for us all to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia

Reconciliation Mass

This week we were able to celebrate our first Parish Mass at the College, and this will continue to be a regular occurrence on the first Wednesday of every month, at 9.30am.

This week’s Parish Mass centred around National Reconciliation Week and was a significant celebration of Catholic Education in the Riverland.  It was terrific to have several parishioners there to celebrate with our school community.  This Mass was symbolic of local investment over many years of having an Early Years to Year 12 Catholic Education pathway for Riverland families.  

Further to the significance of this celebration, Fr Paul Bourke sourced wheat from a Loxton family, and Ms de Winter and Miss Linnett’s Religious Education Classes use some of this wheat to make flour, and unleavened bread, some of which was blessed and used as the Eucharist for Mass.  The consecrated wine during Mass was home-made wine from a local Riverland family.

We thank one of our year 7 students, Max Cozens, who with the assistance of his father Tom, restored a wheat grinder donated by Fr Arno Vermeeren, and this was used to grind the wheat.

2023 Year 7 – 9 Enrolments

The early 2023 enrolment inquiries for year 7, 8 and 9 have been terrific, particularly for the early stage of the current school year.  As Mr Cotter has outlined in this newsletter, we are currently in the middle of our first series of Year 6 Immersion Days for the year, and it has been wonderful to welcome the year 6 students and their teachers into our College and participate in a range of learning experience.

As enrolments are coming in quite quickly for 2022, to assist in our planning for 2023 we encourage families to contact College Enrolment Registrar, Claire Smith on 8595 4500 to gain further information and to confirm an enrolment conversation.

Nathan Hayes

Principal 

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

Before anyone experiences a loved one’s death someone else’s grief is only a formality. Before you feel humiliated yourself, you can never know how painful the daily paper can be to those who find themselves in it. And only until your own reputation is at stake, can you look at another person’s shame without the grace to turn away.

This struck me when Jack Charles, the aboriginal actor, said on the ABC’s Ahn’s Brush with Fame, “I do not know how to love, because I have never in my life experienced love. I have never felt loved. I have never had someone tell me they loved me. How can I be expected to know how to love another human being?”

We cannot experience night without experiencing day.

We cannot experience victory without a loss.

We cannot feel strong without having felt weak.

And without the experience of sadness, we can never experience happiness.

The human experience is one of struggle. Out of struggle we come to see what is important. No one comes out of suffering, the same kind of person they were before they went in. It’s possible, of course, to come out worse. Struggle at times, turns into bitterness. But it is also possible, if we choose to reflect on it, to come out stronger and wiser than we were when it began. What is not possible, is to stay the same.

The biblical meaning of community invites us to consider the significant relationship between Jesus and us. Jesus intended to fuse people together in groups where they could grow in character and live generously. Community is about two or more people who make a deliberate choice to accept one another. To commit to each other in this context is no incidental event. It requires discipline, humility, selfless love, grace, and the heart of a servant. It demands staying power, flexibility, and loyalty.

This National Reconciliation Week, let us all be brave and make change for those in our community, who struggle and become inspired by the last line of John Denver’s song ‘Perhaps Love’:

My memory of love will be of…..you!

Nanda de Winter

Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission 

Student Transitions

The College have welcomed Year 6 students from St Joseph’s School Barmera and St Joseph’s School Renmark in the last two weeks as part of our Transition to High School Program. The students were immersed in a day of lessons including Science, Cooking, Coding, and Physical Education.

The College will continue to welcome Year 6 students during the remainder of Term 2 and Term 3 in the first stage of our comprehensive transition program. In Week 6, we welcome Our Lady of the River’s Year 6 students before the St Albert’s students join us in Week 7.

The four catholic primary schools have two Immersion days scheduled and students from non-Catholic schools will have two opportunities to be immersed in a day of learning at St Francis of Assisi College.  

The College will share further communication via your child’s classroom teacher at all four catholic primary schools. If your child is enrolled at a non-Catholic school, please contact the College on (08) 8585 4500 or via email info@assisi.catholic.edu.au

Pastoral Care

All students have been participating in a variety of specialised Coaching Clinics including Football, Netball, Soccer and CrossFit during Pastoral Care. Next week, we complete our four week cycle. Thank you to Mr Sampson and Mr Prokopec for their coordination. 

“We must seek progress over perfection. We must make mistakes in order to grow.”

Luke Cotter

Leader of Wellbeing

Feedback on Teaching

Feedback is a compelling influence on learner achievement. When teachers seek or at least are open to what learners know, what they understand, where they make errors, when they have misconceptions, when they are not engaged - then teaching and learning can be synchronised and powerful. Feedback to teachers makes learning visible. 

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning, Oxford, UK: Routledge, p173​

At the College we greatly value the importance of feedback and recognise that feedback for teachers from students is one of the best ways to develop a rich learning environment and set a standard of high expectations. Therefore, this week students have completed a feedback form for their teachers for each specific subject. By developing a continuous cycle of gathering and valuing student feedback it will lead to engaged students, responsive teachers, and collective efficacy. Collective efficacy is the shared belief that the school's staff can have a positive impact on student achievement, in spite of other influences. This feedback is aligned to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and will enable teachers to reflect on their teaching practice and gain greater clarity of their collective impact. Teachers will collaborate with other colleagues and use this data to identify a specific area which they can focus on as part of their professional development, leading to improved student engagement and learning outcomes.

Open Community Night

On Wednesday 22nd of June, from 5:30-7pm, the College will be holding an Open Community Night. This night will showcase students learning and their achievements. Please join us and celebrate in our students’ successes.

Natalie Meuret

Leader of Learning

On Friday 27th May, three of our students travelled to the Marion Aquatic Centre to compete in the School Sports SA individual category for swimming.

All students tried their best, with Hugh Riedel obtaining first and two second place positions from his five races. Imogen Lyons and Denver Kimberley also competed in their own age groups and, although they didn’t place they represented the College proudly.

Thanks to parents, Janet and Mark, Lawrence, and John, for attending and supporting the team.

Our Year 8’s having been utilising our St. Joseph’s Technology Centre to learn about fundamental skills and safety requirements with Mr. Sampson and Adrian Hunt. Their first task was to create a rustic planter box using recycling pallet timber. Here are some of the finished products and students in action!

This week we commenced our additional Come & Try Rowing sessions after school.

Year 7 & 8 girls unfortunately didn’t make it onto the water on Monday due to windy conditions, however they did a great job on the rowing machines. We focused on correct sequence of the stroke and how to row hard.

Year 7 & 8 boys were lucky with the change in conditions and made it out on the water on Wednesday. Our focus was on communication and working as a team to manoeuvre the boat.

A reminder that if students are unable to make a session to please email Stephanie.Turnbull@assisi.catholic.edu.au or call the front office the morning of (at the latest). Rowing is considered an ultimate team sport, as we rely on our peers to form a crew to safely row a boat. Planning is required to ensure all participants get an opportunity to row and cox, as well as ensuring we provide adequate adult supervision and support based on numbers. If a student wishes to opt out of these sessions please advise.

Stephanie Turnbull

Rowing Coach

The College has the opportunity to offer instrumental lessons through Music Alive, dependant on the level of student interest. Please make contact directly to Music Alive for inquiries.

In addition to instrumental lessons, with enough student interest Cathy from Music Alive can also support us with a College Band and Choir. Students interested in either participating in a school band or choir, please register your interest at the College Admin Office by Wednesday 8 June (at the latest).