Link Up Term 1 Week 8 2024

The term is rapidly moving with only a few weeks to go. There has been so much activity at our College that it is hard to know where to start. This edition of Link Up will provide a great snapshot of the dynamic community we have here at St Francis de Sales.

Our Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students recently completed their NAPLAN testing. I spoke to all of the students in these year levels explaining to them the importance of doing their best in NAPLAN. That is all I, or any of the staff will ask of them. I outlined how our College uses the data from NAPLAN, and other sources, to support both individual learning plans and whole school approaches to literacy and numeracy. I think that some of the students were surprised at the level of analysis and planning that staff use NAPLAN data for. Yes, NAPLAN is only one measure of a young person’s development, but it does provide us with excellent data to improve the learning outcomes for all children in our care.

There are a number of ingredients for students to be successful at school. One that is vitally important to the continuity of learning is to ensure that young people attend on time every day. In 2019 the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) released a report entitled Attendance Matters, in which they presented significant research into the impact of non-attendance. The report can be accessed at attendance-matters.pdf (aitsl.edu.au)

There is no doubt that there is a strong correlation between student attendance and learning outcomes. AITSL’s conclusion was that “Every day counts, there is no safe threshold for absences”. (Hancock et al 2013). Here at St Francis de Sales College, we will be placing a special emphasis on students attendance this year. We want all students to thrive and flourish in their education, and being here at school every day is a crucial element to achieving this goal.

Once again there have been so many extra-curricular activities offered to our students, and it has been a pleasure to note the level of commitment and enthusiasm with which our students embrace these opportunities. Of note, the Year 10 students recently completed their Wilderness camp in the Coorong. It was quite a warm week, but the feedback from the camp organisers and our staff was just fantastic regarding our student’s resilience and engagement. A parent wrote an email expressing their thanks to staff for this experience, and I couldn’t have captured the sentiment of gratitude better myself.

“I wish to thank you for offering and providing my child (and all the other Year 10s) an opportunity to engage in a wilderness experience that they may never again experience. I wish to sincerely thank all of you for choosing to take time away from your families, your other personal and school commitments and priorities, to provide the opportunity for this lucky group of Year 10 young adults.”

Next week, Holy Week, is the most important week in the Catholic Church. Our Lenten journey is coming to an end, and we prepare to celebrate the powerful story of Jesus’ death and triumphant resurrection. This week is at the very heart of our tradition. John’s Gospel reminds us of the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I do trust that all our families enjoy a safe and peaceful Easter together.

Andrew Baker
Principal

I’m very much looking forward to our students engaging in Holy Week activities next week, in particular, through participating in the Stations of the Cross. One thing I’ve admired throughout my time at our College is the students’ sense of occasion and reverence, particularly in liturgy.

The Passion of Jesus is often a strong connection point for our students and their faith, primarily because it reinforces a valuable life lesson – that suffering is part of the human condition. Each of us suffer through the routine of life, and we shouldn’t be afraid to seek the support of our community in times of suffering. As we move towards Easter, we are reminded of how quickly our darkness can turn to light. There is a message here for our perspective of wellbeing!

Stymie Launch

The Stymie Anonymous Reporting Wellbeing Tool was launched in our community last Tuesday by wellbeing educator, Founder and CEO of Stymie, Rachel Downie. Through the Stymie anonymous reporting tool, we’re able to challenge the social norm of staying silent, and in doing so empower bystanders and people who are being harmed to take action. Stymie ensures all students can have a voice through their encrypted anonymous notification system that delivers notifications within seconds to authorised staff, who then respond according to the College’s Wellbeing Framework and Personal Responsibility Procedure. To explore Stymie further, I’d encourage you to access the For Parents section of the Stymie website.

Harmony Day 2024

Annually, the 21 March in Australia is a day that we recognise that diversity is at the heart of our nation’s identity. The same is true for our St Francis de Sales community, evidenced through our Heart Values of Respect, Compassion and Justice; and our desire for every member of our community to belong for life.

We celebrated Harmony Day through writing chalk affirmations for students around the campus, art and cultural activities in the wellbeing room at lunch time, and selling Harmony Day cupcakes for Project Compassion in the Junior and Senior School.

Harmony Day invites us all to consider what diversity means in our own context. For our College, we regard diversity as encompassing all learners across cultural, academic, social, emotional, personal and physical attributes. As Pope Francis says, “an inclusive education finds a place for all!”

Pulse Check In

Each term during Weeks 5 and 6, our students complete the Pulse Check In, where they are asked respond to what extent:

• I matter to my teacher.
• I’m thriving at school.
• I have positive relationships.
• My teachers support me.
• My learning needs are being met.
• I am involved in my learning.
• I feel safe.
• I belong.

Throughout Weeks 7 and 8 in Pastoral Care time, Home Class teachers have been checking in with individual students and discussing their responses to ensure that each of our students are being supported in their wellbeing and learning. I’ll take this opportunity to once again reinforce the importance and value of the relationship your child has with their Home Class teacher!

Finally, as the seasons change and we move into the cooler months, I’d like to take the opportunity to remind families to be mindful of cold and flu like symptoms, and to stay away from school if you are feeling unwell. This is critically important to stop the spread of many respiratory illnesses.

Wishing our community good health and wellbeing in the weeks ahead.

James Gill
Deputy Principal - Community and Wellbeing

It has been a very productive and positive start to our year of learning.

As you know, this year we are focusing on the Heart Value of Wisdom. Wisdom is not an easy concept to define. Indeed, it is a very complex concept that encompasses many facets including deep understanding, insight, compassion and the ability to learn from experience, both our own and that which we see happening around us. Whilst wisdom implies a level of intelligence or knowledge, it is more profound than this; involving a deeper sense of critical discernment and empathy, and the ability to apply what we know in practical and meaningful ways. At its core, wisdom is about understanding the complexities of oneself, others, and the world around us. This is no mean feat!

However, we are in the business of supporting our young people to develop wisdom. Through their daily classes, camps, retreats, excursions, trainings, practices, sport activities, relationships, etc… (the list could go on and on), our students are learning more and more about themselves and how they relate to others, to their God and to the world around them. They are building a tool kit of coping mechanisms that support their resilience and are further sustained in these endeavours by their families, friends and our College staff.

It has been fantastic to see the enthusiasm, energy and commitment that our students, staff and families have directed towards the multitude of learning opportunities that Term 1 has offered. Some of this learning has come easily, some has required a far greater level of persistence and perseverance, some has yet to be achieved and remains a goal for Term 2 or beyond. Regardless, all our students have engaged in learning experiences that are helping define them as young people of wisdom; young people who can be successful and thrive in their relationships and in the world around them. This is something that we all want for all our students.

2024 NAPLAN Testing

Congratulations to all our Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students who have completed their NAPLAN Tests over the last two weeks. Thanks also to their teachers and the Directors of Learning (R-6 and 7-12), whose organisation and support for our students throughout the testing period was exemplary.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) have recently indicated that schools will be receiving the 2024 NAPLAN results early in Term 2. This is approximately eight weeks earlier than they were received in 2023. It means schools and teachers will have more time to consider NAPLAN results, alongside other assessment and testing that is completed, to inform teaching and learning programs, enhance our support for individual students and prioritise areas of strength and improvement.

As in previous years, we will pass on results to families as soon as possible after we receive them.

R-12 Learning Reviews – Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 March

We have also just finished our first set of R-12 Learning Reviews for 2024. These meetings are a great example of our College’s Learning Pillars, that I wrote about in our first Link Up earlier this term, in action. They involve students, parents/caregivers and teachers coming Together to discuss the knowledge, skills and approaches students are Discovering through their learning, and establishing future orientated learning goals aimed at ensuring student Growth and high academic outcomes.

Thank you to all parents/caregivers who took the opportunity to catch up with teachers during these learning reviews and a special thank you to the students who engaged so positively with this experience by talking so knowledgeably and confidently about their learning.

If you missed the opportunity to attend these learning reviews or were unable to book a meeting with one of the teachers you wished to see, please email them to arrange an opportunity for feedback to be passed on to you.

SEQTA and Seesaw

Learning Reviews are one way our College seeks to provide continual updates on student learning progress. Teachers also use SEQTA and Seesaw (in the Junior School) as ways of communicating and providing students with feedback about their learning and ways to continue to improve.

All families should now have access to SEQTA Engage and families with students in Reception to Year 3 should have access to Seesaw. These platforms allow students, families and teachers to have a continuous flow of information about student progress across each of their learning areas.

I strongly encourage parents/caregivers to regularly check your child’s academic progress throughout the year using these platforms and to use this information to discuss what is happening in student classes, upcoming assessment tasks and teacher feedback with your child.

Should you have any concerns or questions regarding your child’s academic progress please contact their Homegroup teacher or a specific subject teacher in the first instance.

If for some reason, you do not have access or are unsure as to how to log in, please email the College at info@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au or call 8393 1000 for assistance.

Years 7-12 interim reports will be distributed electronically at the end of Term 1 through SEQTA.

Easter

As we approach the end of the Lenten period and begin the Easter season, I wish all families and students well and trust this time is full of hope, joy, opportunities to enjoy being with family and for positive reflection and rejuvenation.

We look forward to seeing our students back at school after the Easter break to finish off the final weeks of Term 1.

Paul Wadsworth
Deputy Principal - Learning

Holy Week and Easter

As we journey through Term 1 and enter Holy Week in Week 9, we get closer to the most important and joyous celebration in the Church’s Liturgical Calendar: Easter; the resurrection of Jesus.

“In this time of Lent we are reminded of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Some of the disciples and many of his followers, including family and friends, thought it would all end there – with a dead Jesus. When they went to the tomb on that resurrection day that`s precisely what they were expecting. They forgot about the promise of Jesus that, on the third day, he will rise again. The empty tomb is a sign of LIFE in the midst of suffering and death. The message is clear that with the resurrection of Jesus death is conquered. While we face the anguish of senseless and unnecessary deaths in the world today, we are reminded that the suffering servant who died on our behalf not only suffers with us, but also brings life to all. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25).” (World Council of Churches)"

As a College we are celebrating the Passion of Jesus during Week 9. The hillside on our College site, adjacent to the Year 1/2 and Year 5/6 Learning Communities will be used as a Stations of the Cross trail, representing the 14 Stations of the Cross depicting Jesus’ final days on Earth. Each class has been rostered to journey through the marked trail and stopping to reflect on each of the Stations. What does Jesus’ response to his suffering tell us about faith, love, and hope? How can we strive to walk in the footsteps of Jesus in the way we relate to our family, friends, and people we meet? This is a wonderful opportunity for students to be in stillness and ponder their own life, and what it means in relation to our Catholic Tradition and/or their own belief system.

We then obviously have our Easter break, where families may wish to attend the many Church services at Our Lady of Mercy Church, Mt Barker. Please see below Parish service times.

Parish Mass times during the Easter period

Palm Sunday Masses
6:00pm (Saturday), 9:00am at Our Lady of Mercy Church, Mt Barker. 10:45am at Good Shepherd Church, Strathalbyn

Holy Thursday Mass
Good Shepherd Church, Strathalbyn at 7:30pm

Good Friday Stations of the Cross
Good Shepherd Church, Strathalbyn at 10:50am

Good Friday Commemoration of the Passion
Our Lady of Mercy Church, Mount Barker at 3:00pm

Easter Vigil Mass
Our Lady of Mercy Church, Mount Barker at 7:30pm

Easter Sunday Masses
Our Lady of Mercy Church, Mount Barker 9:00am
Good Shepherd Church, Strathalbyn at 10:45am

It’s important that during Holy Week we especially focus on what Jesus went through for us. It is still a time of preparation and reflection. In light of this, a reminder that at our College the sharing or gifting of Hot Cross Buns and/or Easter Eggs should only happen after Easter, which would be in Week 10 this Term.

On our return to the College in Week 10, we will celebrate Easter as a community, with the celebration of the whole College Resurrection Mass.

I wish you and your family a special time of reflection as we enter Holy Week, and a joyous time of celebration on Easter Sunday!

College Day

This year, we have moved College Day to Term 1, Friday 12 March, to make the most of the beautiful weather and to start the year in celebration and acknowledgment of who we are as a community and what is at our core. This of course encompasses our Mercy heritage, the narrative of St Francis de Sales, our Heart Values, the way we nurture our students to ‘be who they are, and be that well’, and the excellent learning achievements that take place within our community.

College Day is the main fundraising activity for our Term 1 Caritas Project Compassion Appeal, with the fundraising component being a Walkathon, that all students will participate in. We are asking students to collect sponsors or ask for donations for their efforts, from family members, friends, etc. The Sponsor sheet was sent out to families in previous correspondence, but will soon also be given to students in hardcopy. All students are expected to review the Caritas Project Compassion ‘Fundraising Levels’ below, to determine their own fundraising target total. The money collected is due to be brought back to the College on Monday of Week 11 (8 April), so that it can be counted and finalised prior to College Day.

Caritas Project Compassion ‘Fundraising Levels’

$25         Support farmer in Malawi to buy disaster resilient seeds
$35         Provide hand sanitiser to communities in Samoa
$100       Support health workers administer essential medicine in the Philippines
$150       Provide a family with a safe toilet in Malawi
$200       Provide support to households in need of house repairs and toilet construction in the Philippines
$250       Provide a handwashing sink to household in Samoa
$500       Provide skills training to 15 people for income generating activities in the Philippines
$1,000   Support 3 health workers in attending to the needs of their community in the Philippines

For the Walkathon to be successful, we are also seeking parent volunteers to walk with the students. Please email Oreste Farrugia if you have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC), ensuring you have completed the College's volunteering requirements, and are able to assist on the day. Thank you to those parents who have already responded and offered to volunteer. I’ll be sending more detailed information to you shortly, about your involvement.

Other components of the day include a liturgy, inflatable jumpy castles, sports activities on the oval, and the famous Talent Show to end the day of fun and connection.

Year 7 Reflection Day

At our College we used the theme of ecological conversion for our Year 7 Reflection Day, which explores the Pope’s message in his encyclical, Laudato Si, and gives the students a very practical engagement with the natural world.

We recently held our Year 7 Reflection Day at Laratinga Wetlands as a way to assist the students coming into secondary school with their transition and to help them form connections with each other and the natural environment. Kim Thompson from Environmental Connections co-facilitated the Reflection Day with us, and each of the Year 7 students rotated through three activities, including a Prayer Labyrinth exercise where students had the opportunity to form a mini-labyrinth using air-dry clay; a bird and wildlife identification session through the wetlands with Fr Richard and Kim Thompson; and a team building exercise to reinforce the importance of working together to achieve a common goal. The theme of the day was Go the extra Mile, based on the scripture passage from Matthew 5:38-42, and the students were able to reflect upon how they ‘go the extra mile’ for others and for the natural enviromnent.

I thank Kim Thompson, Fr Richard, and the following staff for their work in making this a very informative and enjoyable day: Jen Ness-Ferry, Adam Schembri, Emma Toohey, Sophie Cope, Dale Hoffman, Jade Pace, and Sr Shiji.

Year 11 Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning Excursion

Our Year 11 students recently attended an excursion to the Mary MacKillop Museum in Kensington, as part of their Stage 2 Spiritualities, Religion, and Meaning course for Religious Education. They had the opportunity to take part in a quiz which took them around the museum and Marys Walk around the Kensington area. This excursion was a very experiential learning opportunity which will assist the students with their current assessment task. It was also a terrific connection point for the students, with our one and only Australian Saint, as we walked in the area that she lived, worked, and connected with community.

Early next term, our Year 11 students will take part in their two-day Year 11 Retreat, being held at the Mylor Campsite. We look forward to it and the brilliant presentation that our guest faciliator, Sam Clear, delivers for us.

The Genesis Project

The Genesis Project is an initiative created to assist our community members to be mindful of, and take care of, our natural outdoor environment. Each fortnight, the Eden Award is awarded to the Junior School Learning Neighbourhood who has shown great effort in keeping their area tidy, during that two week period.

We congratulate Year 1 and also the Reception cohorts for their efforts in keeping their outdoor areas tidy, and using their recycling bins correctly during Term 1 thus far. As a result of their Term 1 efforts, each of these communities were awarded the Eden Award, which they have placed as a symbol on their classroom prayer tables. At the end of each term, the Genesis Trophy will be awarded to the Junior School Learning Neighbourhood who wins the most Eden Awards in that given term.

The Genesis Project was based on the scripture passage of Genesis in the Bible, which speaks of Gods creation of life and Gods deep and unconditional love of created life. The Pope has written an encyclical about our call to be custodians of the creation, and it's called ‘Laudato Si’ - “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words within this encyclical, the Pope reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life, and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.

In essence, this is the Easter story!

In Peace,

Oreste Farrugia
APRIM

It has been a pleasure to get to know the St Francis de Sales community in Term 1, after joining the College as the new Director of Equity and Inclusion. The staff and students have been incredibly welcoming, and it has been such a pleasure to get to know our College families and meet with parents and caregivers.

We are in the process of revising Personalised Learning Plans (PPLs), consulting regarding student supports, and meeting with families. Please contact your child’s teacher and myself regarding any queries you wish to share, or to engage in conversation regarding your child’s inclusion at our College. As an inclusive school, we are consistently examining how we can best facilitate communication between families and our College. My conversations with families have shown me that we share a belief that students are best supported when families and schools work together in partnership.

This year, we are working with other Catholic schools in South Australia and engaging in professional learning and planning regarding inclusion, with a focus on inclusive curriculum and assessment planning. Renowned inclusion expert Loren Swancutt is leading much of this learning and we look forward to continued implementation of best practice in inclusion across the College.

Thank you again for such a warm welcome!

Melissa Symonds
Director of Equity and Inclusive Education

Term 1 is in full swing as we make our way through a busy and productive time of year.

Learning is of course at the heart of all we do. It was wonderful to have so many parents make the time to come in for the Learning Reviews this week to have meaningful and productive conversations about your children and their learning and progress. If you were unable to come in for a Learning Review with your child’s teacher, please contact them to organise a mutually convenient time over the coming weeks.

Extra-curricular learning supports the learning happening in classrooms, and this term we have had quite a few enriching experiences.

Our Years 1-4 students enjoyed the opportunity to learn water safety and swimming skills with their swimming lessons that were held at the Mount Barker Mountain Pool over the last couple of weeks. We also enjoyed a fabulous day of fun in the water at the Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival earlier in the term. The weather was perfect, and it was great to see our students enjoy the array of fun team games, and for those so inclined, the various swimming races.

We have over fifty children from Years 2-6 again this year participating in Children’s University. This wonderful program encourages a deep love of learning and celebrates and recognises all the learning that happens outside of the classroom environment. We look forward to another year of exciting learning and growth for the children participating in the program. 

Reading at Home 

Reading is an essential skill that supports successful and joyful learning throughout life. At St Francis de Sales College our R-6 staff work tirelessly to support our students’ growth in this area. We know that in order to make strong reading progress, it is essential that students have daily opportunities to practice reading and to listen to stories being read. We strongly encourage all families to make daily reading a priority at home. For our younger readers, this means listening to your child read each school day, and for older students, ensuring that reading for pleasure is a daily habit. Reading to your child also has huge benefits for both language and vocabulary development and it promotes stronger general knowledge.

Words Grow Minds

Words Grow Minds is a fantastic South Australian online resource for families to support literacy development for our youngest learners:

While everyone wants the best for their little ones, sometimes it’s hard to know what they need. The Words Grow Minds campaign gets straight to the heart of how parents and caregivers can help babies and young children thrive — it’s as simple as talking, reading, playing, and singing together from birth.

Backed by the latest research showing how these simple interactions literally grow children’s brains in the critical early years, Words Grow Minds has been developed with input from early childhood education and health practitioners, literacy specialists, and researchers.

Words Grow Minds is funded by the Government of South Australia.
-        Wordsgrowminds.org.au

You can check out this fantastic resource here:
Words Grow Minds

Or follow them on Socials:
www.facebook.com/wordsgrowminds
www.instagram.com/wordsgrowminds

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

As we come to the end of Week 8 it is interesting to reflect on all that has occurred so far this term. The Year 10s have returned from a glorious week in the Coorong, where many new friendships were forged, and the students developed a great deal of resilience, hiking, cooking for themselves and being at one with nature. It was such a contrast seeing their faces full of anticipation and trepidation beforehand returning with tired but happy faces at the end of their week.

Learning has continued across all year levels, with assessment tasks being issued and students now working to complete these tasks before the end of term. NAPLAN testing has been completed for this year and we look forward to analysing the results once they are released.

The last 3 weeks of term look set to be full and enriching, and interim reports will be issued on the last day of term, via SEQTA, to reflect student progress so far this year.

Kerin Tinnion
7-12 Director of Learning

Year 7-12 Sports Day

At the end of Week 4 we held our 7-12 Sports Day. We were blessed with amazing weather and it was fantastic to start our day with the House Parades where we could see all the fantastic costumes and colours be displayed. Throughout the day the students were involved in a mix of traditional athletic events, fun novelty events and an indoor ball game. All students competed with exceptional sportsmanship whilst still battling hard for Sport and Spirit points. Our day ended with the traditional All-Years Relay and this was definitely an exciting event. The lead changed multiple times throughout the race and a few dropped batons had an impact on the end result. In the end it was Geneva who took out the race. The final result showed that Padua won the Sports Cup, with high participation numbers playing a huge roll in this. Savoy took out the Spirit Cup. Well done everyone.

• Padua - 1149    
• Geneva - 1119 
• Savoy - 1110    
• Lyon - 1101      

AGE CHAMPIONS

Year 7
Penny Douglass
Joze Wamayi

Year 8
Ellie Jones
Thomas Stapleton

Year 9
Airlee Bell
Dylan Pfeiffer

Year 10
Amelia Gilligan
Griffin James

Year 11
Sienna Fox
Emmerson Forbes

Year 12
Summer Henderson
Mitchell McGregor

Catholic School Interschool Athletics

On Tuesday of Week 8 we took a team of athletes to the Athletics SA Stadium, Mile End, to compete in the Catholic Co-educational Schools Athletics Carnival. It was a surprisingly cool day, however, the students all performed magnificently. We had a number of outstanding individual results across various age groups and events and in the end we finished 2nd in two age groups and 3rd and 4th across the other events. All athletes should be proud of the way they represented the College.

Open Boys Cricket

During Week 7 our Open Boys Cricket team played their Round 3 away match against Blackwood High School for a spot in the Grand Final. Unfortunately, we lost the toss and were sent out to field first in some cold and drizzly conditions which was going to make it difficult to get off to a good start.

Blackwood batted extremely well in their 30 overs, finishing up with 310/2, which including 3 players scoring over 50 runs, one of which made 154* not out. Wicket takers for our boys included Cooper Clayfield and Beau Riddle with one wicket each.

With 311 runs required to win, we had a slow start but wickets in hand. At the 15 over drinks break we were 3/69, requiring 242 runs to win in our remaining 15 overs (just over 16 runs per over required). Unfortunately, it was not to be our day, being bowled out for 88 runs in the 23rd over. Some notable innings from our batters included Zavier Goodrich (35 off 61), Harry Lovelock (16 off 26) and Thomas Vickers (16 off 8).

The boys played with great sportsmanship and spirit throughout their matches and should be proud of making it so far in the Open comp.

11/12 Futsal

During Week 7 we took a boys and a girls team to Campbelltown to compete in an Interschool Futsal Competition. Although the results did not go our way, the students competed hard, had fun and demonstrated sportsmanship and fairplay throughout the day. A number of the losses were incredibly close and the teams showed improvement in each match.

11/12 Beach Volleyball

On Friday of Week 7 we took four teams down to Glenelg to compete in a Beach Volleyball competition. It was a brilliant day with perfect weather and a fun atmosphere across the day. The students played with enthusiasm and sportsmanship and it was so good to see the teams interact positively. One of our boys’ teams finished 2nd overall which was an exceptional result.

Knockout and Interschool Sporting Opportunities

Throughout the year we will continue to have a number of opportunities for students in Years 7 to 12 to trial for school representative teams. As these teams are nominated the coaches will place notices in SEQTA Notices with the relevant information for students. Parents/caregivers can also keep an eye on SEQTA Notices through SEQTA Engage. If there are ever any questions about these activities, please email Nadia Honner at nhonner@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au.

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

#one - Upcoming Dance Performance

Week 7, Term 2 is the week to mark in your calendar for the Semester 1 Dance production - #one. Our Year 8, 9, Stage 1 and 2, Semester 1 Dance classes will present their choreographed routines in both a live and an exclusive streamed performance for family and friends.

One evening performance will be held on Wednesday 12 June at 6:15pm in our Community Sports Centre. A performance for our students will also take place on Wednesday 12 June during Lesson 6 and 7. 

So… get ready to tap your toes as our Dance students take you on a journey through a few #one chart hits - some certainly more obscure than others! More information will be made available soon about how to book seating (and access the streamed version) for this much anticipated event - Watch This Space!

Peta Bojanic
R-12 Dance and Senior Drama Teacher

Each year our Music Department selects a Music Captain to help in the running of and the direction of our music program, and this year we are very pleased to announce that we have joint Music Captains. Year 11 students, Ethan Honner (guitar) and Lachlan Anderson (vocals/guitar) will give great leadership to our more Junior Music students and will feature in a number of musical events throughout the year. We know that the importance and respect generated by this role will be something that both Ethan and Lachy will take on with enthusiasm and pride. Congratulations to you both.

Since our last edition of Link Up, where we talked about our focus being on giving every one of our students at the College the opportunity to enjoy the richness and rewards that music brings, last week saw us stage our first The Music Lunchbox for the year. On a warm and sunny day, several of our vocal students, from Year 2 through to Year 7, performed to a large crowd on the Music Deck. It was fantastic to see so many of our students singing and dancing to a number of popular tunes by artists such as Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. We look forward to our next instalment of The Music Lunchbox in Week 11.

Our Generations in Jazz combo, DeGroove, under the direction of our band guru Karen Redman, have been working hard on their chosen pieces in readiness for their trip to the Mt Gambier festival, 3-5 May. This promises to once again be a rewarding experience for our talented musicians who this year will be accompanied by our Senior Music Teacher, Sarah Dodd and Nadia Honner who will be taking the wheel of the DeGroove Minibus.

Our Year 5 Woodwind Immersion Program has now commenced where our very talented Years 2-6 Music Teacher Nicole Moxham, will be working with students to engage in learning a woodwind instrument and to extend this into a practical experience via a class ensemble. The students were given a choice of either saxophone, clarinet or flute and have now all been supplied with their chosen instrument to be able to take home to practise and entertain their families. As a College Music Department, we are very fortunate to be able to supply some 80 woodwind instruments to our students and we hope that this will be a rich and rewarding experience for our budding musicians, but most importantly, that it is a fun experience.

Now that we are half way through Term 1, the music surrounds are a constant hive of activity with an array of sounds coming out of the music rooms…at any given time you can hear a pounding drum beat, the strumming of guitars, soulful voices, pianos, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, sweet sounding strings and over the top of everything, we have everybody’s favourite, the recorders!

We hope that music continues to bring a smile to everyone.

Your Music Team
Sarah Dodd, Nicole Moxham, Leanne Mibus and Aleks Bojanic

The Parent Community Group (PCG) have started another school year strong, having already secured the rest of the calendar year with some exciting community and fundraising events.

I will continue my role as Chairperson and I am delighted to have the support and incredible organisational skills of Aisha Sirop as Secretary.

Our College has a wonderful relationship with the Mt Barker Uniting Church and we have assisted them with the Hungry No More Program for many years. We are looking for volunteers to assist them in 2024.

The dates that have been allocated to St Francis de Sales College are listed below. 4-6 volunteers are needed for each date:

• 14 April
• 16 June
• 14 July
• 22 September
• 15 December

Hungry No More is a weekly service offered at the Uniting Church at Mt Barker, which provides a hot meal for dinner for local homeless people or people in great need. Volunteers are asked to arrive between 5:30 - 5:45pm. It usually finishes at around 7:00 - 7:15pm.

Please email Oreste at ofarrugia@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au if you are interested in supporting the program.

Mothers Day is fast approaching and our PCG will again be managing the stall on Thursday 9 May – a wonderful opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the wonderful women in our community.

On a final note - parents and carergivers are incredibly important to the success of our College and how we interact within the community. Your ideas, experiences and suggestions are invaluable. If you would like to make a difference, share ideas and of course have some fun, please contact us by email at PCG@stfrancis.catholic.edu.au.

Lia Hooper
Chair of the Parent Community Group