St Francis of Assisi College - Term 1 - Week 8 - 2023

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College Athletics Carnival

The College Athletics Carnival, held on Friday 17th March was an outstanding day, showcasing individual excellence in sporting endeavours, perseverance, team spirit and fun.

Students and teachers have developed a strong sense of connection and identity to their house teams.  Celebrations like this bring our whole school community together and provide the opportunity for students to come together in their house team and work towards a common goal.

Congratulations and thanks go to Mr Sampson and Mr Prokopec for their planning and organisation for the day, and to our student leaders for maximising participation in their house teams on the day.

A big thank you to our Athletics Day volunteers. Our volunteers helped to set up for the day, provided baked goods, cooked the barbeque, worked in the canteen, assisted with timing for the events, and made announcements over the PA.  Everyone’s efforts contributed greatly.  $278.15 was raised from the sale of goods for Project Compassion.  

We look forward to the Combined Secondary Catholic Athletics Carnival on Monday 27th of March, and the School Sports SA Athletics Carnival in Adelaide on Wednesday 12th April.

Educators Professional Learning Day

On Friday 10th March, our College team participated in a day of professional learning with David Kelly from the Life Buoyancy Institute, where he facilitated sessions two and three of the three sessions.

The focus of our day was as follows:

Focus One:  A Collaborative Professional Learning Based Culture at St Francis of Assisi College

Our team re-visited what it is we need to continue to focus on as a group to ensure our school culture supports outstanding opportunities for our students, in a way that is satisfying and sustainable for our staff.  Our team also reviewed our 12-month priority areas and provided feedback to support this process.  Finally, we reviewed student perception data to understand how we can better support students with their learning, and sense of ownership over their learning.

Sessions two and three were facilitated by David Kelly, focusing on shaping our Catholic Identity, encouraging staff to think creatively, without limitations around what we would like to be achieving over the next ten years.

Focus Two: Remembering the Future of Laudato Si’

Staff members were asked to consider a shared vision for the future of our College, by travelling back in time and considering the following:

It’s 2030. You catch up with an old colleague from St Francis of Assisi College and reflect on the great things that you achieved together in the early years of the College……

Focus Two:  Blue Sky Thinking

Staff were encouraged to think big with no limits!  In small groups we explored:

Care for Self, Care for Others, Care for Creation
Laudato Si’ Ecological Conversation
Social and ecological justice:  beyond recycling, worm farms and fundraising.

Staff News

We welcome Nicola Hoffmann to our SFOAC Team!

As Human Resources Officer, Nicola’s main areas of work will be in HR and WHS, Nicola will also work the equivalent of one day per week providing Science laboratory support.

Nicola’s current role is with Renmark Paringa Council, as WHS Risk Coordinator.

Nicola will start at the College on April 11th, and we will have the opportunity to welcome her personally to the College community!

Student / Parent / Teacher Conversations

Parents will have received information about the learning conversations in Week 10, including how to book an interview with one of your child’s home group teachers.  Home group teachers play a key role in supporting students pastorally at school, and this is why the initial conversions in Week 10 are with the home group teacher.

I do emphasise to parents that you are most welcome to contact the College if you would like to make a time to meet with a specific subject teacher, in addition to the home group teacher.

Please contact the College administration office with any queries.

Board Annual General Meeting – Wednesday 29 March, 7:00pm

Parents and carers are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting, held on Wednesday March 29th, starting at 7pm in the Collaboration Centre (Year 7 – 9 teaching building).

School community members are invited to attend.

Stage 2 Build Program

Mossop’s Construction are now onsite, beginning to set up their site on the north end of the College, alongside Bookmark Creek.  Initially, Stage 2 of the program will begin with:

Year 10-12 teaching building;
two additional senior science buildings;
the first addition to our productive garden
The second side of the Technology Studies Centre, with a focus on metal work.

Nathan Hayes, Principal

Stations of the Cross

On Thursday 6th of April at 2.35pm (lesson 8), all RE classes will be participating in acting out all stages of the cross. The Stations of the Cross call us to remember the suffering of Jesus as he carried his cross to Calvary. Today many people in our World continue to carry the Cross of Christ, whether it be the burden of living in poverty, the lack of access to basic human rights or the fear of living in a world where there is no hope for the future.

The Way of the Cross is a pilgrimage: a journey that follows Christ’s path of suffering and death. Pope Francis encourages us to set out on a pilgrimage of conversion to become kinder, more generous people. Today our Way of the Cross focuses on the suffering of Mother Earth and its creatures. The earth, along with all of creation, is on a critical journey as we are challenged by poverty and climate change. Will we set out on a path of mercy, adjusting our patterns of consumption to lessen our carbon footprint and give Mother Earth a chance to heal? Will this journey become a pilgrimage towards sustainability, and ultimately resurrection?

Lenten Programme

Our Lady of the River Parish has created its own Lenten programme this year. It is called Encounter ‘Sitting with Jesus’ All catholic schools in the Riverland were invited to read and record the gospels for the programme. We were given the ‘Passion of Jesus’ gospel for Palm Sunday and student leaders joined in with this recording.

When attempting to understand the title of this year’s program the word Encounter can simply mean as a casual meeting with someone. ‘Sitting with Jesus’ is much harder to define because it can be so different for each of us. So, this is the challenge that is being offered as we move through Lent of 2023. Lent, our forty days of preparation for the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter always coincides with autumn, the season of beautiful mild weather after our hot summer days and nights. Finding time to ‘Sit with Jesus’ can be an enormous challenge, but this year’s Lenten Program is suggesting that it is by no means impossible.

An important component of Encounter ‘Sitting with Jesus,’ is that each of the six gospels (the 6 weeks of Lent) are linked to a key quote that was selected from Pope Francis’s most recent Apostolic Letter of June 2022 (Desiderio Desideravi) which focuses on the wonder and beauty of the Mass. These quotes have been chosen to challenge us that little bit more as we ‘Sit with Jesus’ and reflect on the gospel and the sacredness of the liturgy of the Mass.

During Lent our catholic schools in the Riverland have been participating in this programme, next week (week 9) four of our students will participate by recording our session an uploading to our Facebook page. You will be able to watch this session on Tuesday 28th March at 4pm via our Facebook page. Please join our students as they contribute to our OLOR Lenten programme Encounter ‘Sitting with Jesus’.

Katri Stavrou, Religious Identity and Mission

Student/Parent/Home Group Teacher Conversations

Student/Parent/Home Group Teacher conversations will occur over two nights, 4^th and 5^th of April from 4-6pm at the College. These meetings are a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child’s current progress with their teacher.

This term these conversations will occur with only your child’s home group teacher. If you wish to have a meeting with one of your child’s specific subject teachers, please contact the college or the subject teacher directly.

When making a booking, please only select one of your child’s home group teachers.

Bookings are made online through School Interviews

To log on, please use the following link 

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/vk3wr

If you have any questions or if you are unable to book an appointment but would still like to meet with a teacher, please contact the school on 8595 4500.

SEQTA 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?

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

Home Group

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.

Student Achievement

We would like to recognise the effort, skill and quick thinking from Year 8 student, Sophie Robertson, at Rowing training in Week 7. At the end of the training session, a teacher from St Joseph’s Renmark was returning home and was bitten by a snake in her front yard. Sophie acted immediately to apply first aid with support from Miss Camporeale. Thankfully, the teacher is well and paramedics remarked on how well Sophie applied correct first aid.

Great work Sophie! An excellent example of showing Care for Others!

We will formally acknowledge Sophie’s efforts later this term.

Harmony Week

The SLC organised a range of activities to acknowledge and celebrate Harmony Week at the College this week.

Activities included Koolchee (a First Nations game), Takraw (a game similar to volleyball from Thailand), Watermelon Chess (a Chinese strategy game), a cultural quiz through Kahoot!, and a First Nations art experience from local man Daniel Giles. On Wednesday, Year 8 student Luca Blackwell had his winning cupcake design featured in our bake sale through Zynski Bakes. We made over $160  which will be donated to Project Compassion!

Well done to our student leaders for their organisation and thank you to all students who participated in the activities!

Laudato Si’ Action Group

If any students are interested in joining the Laudato Si’ Action Group, please complete this form using the QR code above, or click here 

Wellbeing Article

Hosting a teenage party

With our College community getting a little bit older this year, parties are likely to begin occurring among our young people and their social circles, both in and outside of the College. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation have a good article to assist in understanding your legal requirements as well as suggestions on how to host a party successfully.

Parties are an important part of a teenager’s social life. While the prospect might seem daunting, it’s possible to host a fun and memorable party that everyone is comfortable with.

If you’re hosting a party at home, you have a legal duty of care to keep guests safe.

Read more

SafePartyPlanner.pdf 

“When we practice generating compassion, we can expect to experience the fear of our pain. Compassion practice is daring. It involves learning to relax and allow ourselves to move gently toward what scares us.”

– Pema Chodron

Luke Cotter, Leader of Wellbeing

Year 8 Food Technology have finished off their cultural food inquiry with a practical assessment. Students chose a country to focus on and made a dish that best represented a fusion between the culture and Australia. Some of the countries students chose included: America, Japan, Mexico and Italy.  Everyone pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones and produced some amazing food.

Leading up to this practical assessment students completed a research task, recipe card, food order and mise en place. A very well done to everyone involved!

This week was BIG for practical assessment! The Year 9 Food Technology class put their culinary skills to the test and celebrated with a High Tea Party! Students worked in groups to design, make, and critique their very own High Tea and were set the challenge to produce appropriate finger food options. This is an extremely hard working and organized group of students who mastered all of their recipes. The delicious food was shared with staff and students at the college.

This assessment required research, an action plan, recipe card, food order, mise en place and of course the practical component. Amazing efforts by all, well done!

Mrs Burgess, Food Technology

We have continued to see improvement in our on-water skills, excitingly getting 5 boats out on Monday night! The boys tested out the training sculls in near perfect conditions, while the year 8 and 9 girls continued to build on their team skills in quads. With only a few weeks of the term left, students are enjoying getting onto the water more often!
 

Students currently attending the College do not need to re-enrol. 

On Thursday the College was lucky to host a visit from the 2023 AFL, AFLW, SANFL and SANFLW Premiership Cups!

This was a great chance to get close to this year's football premiership cups.  Students (and teachers) were keen to have their photos taken with the cups

NEW Education Officer - Murraylands

We’d like to introduce you all to our new Murraylands Education Officer – Rosheen Blumson!

Rosheen is a graduate of the University of South Australia, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science.  While undertaking a Master of Teaching and working in schools, she become passionate about making environmental science accessible and engaging to people of all ages and abilities. Her passion lies in engaging young people and the wider community in their local environment, to help foster greater connections with nature and the landscape around them. With her enthusiasm for sustainability, Rosheen is dedicated to helping create healthier communities and landscapes.

Rosheen is full time based in our Murray Bridge office and excited to be supporting our Murraylands schools (and the Education program in general!). We are sure you will be seeing her very soon!

Week 9:

Karoonda Farm Fair
Friday 31 March and Saturday 1 April

Visit us at the Karoonda Farm Fair - at Site 17 and 18 Stokes Road.

Come and say hello to Rosheen! Learn about our programs and check out the animals too.

Week 10:

Riverland YEL Forum – still time to register!
THURSDAY 5 April, 10 am – 2 pm, Wilabalangaloo, Berri

Students will participate in activities learning about healthy natural landscapes and will have the opportunity to meet Bill the Murray-darling carpet python and speak with the RMMAC Rangers.

Register your school group to attend now: rlt1YEL2023.eventbrite.com.au

Contact for this event: cindy.kakoschke@sa.gov.au

https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/mr/native-plants-animals/native-plants

10 March - LAUNCH PARTY

Open to ALL High-School aged young people.

A safe, fun, engaging Christian Youth Group.

For more details contact the Riverland Central Church Office on: 0478243685 or message through our FB, Insta pages. Or parents can turn up on the night to register your young person(Emilie Menadue G1 Youth Leader).

RIVERLAND CENTRAL CHURCH, 11 Mortimer Road, Berri SA 5343