Newsletter-Term 1-Week 2-Friday 14th February 2025

Principal's News...

Our School Newsletter

We want to keep everyone in the loop! Our fortnightly newsletter is here to update you on school activities and important information. By reading it each fortnight, you can better support your child and help them stay prepared for events like excursions or special dress days. The newsletter is sent out every fortnight on a Friday during term time and can be referred to anytime, as past newsletters are archived on our website and available through your Compass notifications.

Our Term 1 calendar was sent home with students last week. Just remember to check the newsletter each week, as changes can happen throughout the term. It provides current and vital information for parents, caregivers, and students. We know life gets busy, but taking a moment each week to read the newsletter will make a big difference for your child. Thanks for staying connected with us!

From Our Principal

It is fantastic to be back for the 2025 school year and to welcome our students and families back last week was wonderful. Our staff have been working hard to prepare for the return to school, and we are excited to begin the year with a strong focus on optimal learning environments by setting high expectations for learning.

I also acknowledge our dedicated teachers, all of whom have been in and out of the school throughout the holidays, setting up their classrooms to create warm and welcoming spaces for our children.

A huge thank you to our families for supporting the Mathematical Assessment Interviews (MAI). Our students returned to school happily last week to complete these interviews and it's been pleasing to see them reconnect with friends and teachers. This valuable data is helping us refine our approach to teaching Mathematics throughout the year.

Last Monday the 10th of February was a momentous day in the lives of 56 of our families as they had their son or daughter begin their school journey in Kindergarten. It was wonderful to see the students looking so smart in their new uniforms, wearing big smiles and looking so happy. We welcome all of our new students and their families from Kindergarten and look forward to a wonderful year of learning together.

Staff for 2025:- It is my great pleasure to announce the staff for this year.

Parish Priest: Fr Peter Padsungay & Fr Anselm Okeke (Assistant Priest)

Leadership Team
Principal:   Mr Tony Hunter
Assistant Principal Mission: Miss Kasey Miles
Acting Assistant Principal  Learning & Teaching: Mrs Lisa Conte
Acting Leader of Pedagogy:  Mrs Hayley Loadsman

Positions of Added Responsibility
Additional Needs Teacher: Mrs Laurel Newton
Leaders of Sport:   Mrs Katrina Miles and Miss Abbie Beecher

Class Teacher/s  Learning Support

MiniLit Sage: Mrs Carly Rule
EMU: Mrs Laurel Newton

Release from Face-to-Face
Creative Arts: Mrs Abbie Beecher
Japanese: Mrs Tamara Gubby
PE:Mr Patrick (Paddy) Wilde

Music Specialists (lessons provided onsite by external professionals)

• Drums: Mr Peter Jaggle 
• Guitar: Ms Sangeeta Jones
• Trumpet: Mr Brendan Flanagan
• Keyboard/ Piano: Mrs Anna Honeychurch

Additional Roles
School Counsellor: Ms Pamela Kirkley 
School Wellbeing: Mrs Amber Ekwegh
Administration Staff: Mrs Kathy Buckley and Mrs Karen Raudonikis
Groundsman: Mr Dave Christie
Indigenous Education Worker: Miss Ryah Whitby
Librarian: Mrs Carly Rule
ICT Support: Mr Marc Bagatan

LEADER OF SPORT 2025: After a number of years leading sports in our school, Mr Paddy Wilde has decided to take a break from this role. I would like to thank Mr Wilde for his hard work and excellent leadership in this space.  Mrs Katrina Miles and Miss Abbie Beecher have been appointed in the role of Leader of Sport for 2025. These 2 ladies bring with them a strong skill set and a passion for sport and we know they will do an excellent job.

DIGITAL INNOVATOR 2025: Mrs Hayley Loadsman is our appointed Digital Innovator in 2025 and I know she will do a wonderful job in supporting our teachers to embed technology authentically into the learning and teaching at St Francis Xavier.

Digital Technology Student User Agreement: At St Francis Xavier Primary School, we prioritise responsible and safe digital citizenship. To foster this, we use a variety of digital technologies to support and enhance engagement and creativity within learning. 

To ensure a shared understanding of our expectations, all students and their parents must sign a Digital Technology Student User Agreement each year. This agreement outlines the expectations for using digital technologies within our school and informs parents how digital technologies are managed and supported within our school and across the Diocese.

Please take the time to read through and sign the attached Digital Technologies User Agreement for 2025 with your child by Friday, 28th February.

Please note: A new form is to be submitted for every year for each child at our school. We ask that you use your child’s name as per Compass - first and last name only.

To further support this, teachers will be exploring each of the dot points over the first term with students in class.  

We appreciate your continued support in guiding your child towards responsible digital citizenship.

The agreement is available below: 

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT 

All families are invited to our Parent Information Night on Monday, 24th February. Session times are 5:30 pm to 6 pm & 6 pm to 6:30 pm. 

School Calendar...

Assistant Principal Mission News...

Pilgrims of Hope - Year of Jubilee

What does this mean? 

In biblical times, a Jubilee year was proclaimed every 50 years. It was a year for the community to start again. It was a kind of ‘reset’ when the land and the people would rest.

This was a year of releasing people from their debts, releasing all the slaves and returning property to those who owned it.

This year, we celebrate the Year of Jubilee. In front of the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, on 9 May 2024, Pope Francis delivered a speech declaring that 2025 would be a year of Jubilee. The Holy Door was opened on 24 December 2024 and will close on 6 January 2026. 

A Year of Jubilee is a special time of pilgrimage, reconciliation and spiritual renewal that occurs every 25 years.

As a school community, we will be celebrating the Year of Jubilee throughout 2025 with different activities and opportunities for our staff, students and families. 

The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

This coming weekend's reading is from Luke 6:17,20-26 - Jesus teaches the crowd the way to happiness.

This Gospel offers contrast to many of the messages we hear in society today. We often think that the key to happiness is having money, being successful and having many possessions. Jesus teaches us through the Beatitudes, that this is not the case. Our way of life must change if we are to gain the lasting happiness of eternal life.

As a family, discuss what society tells us makes a person successful. Discuss the traits of these people. From the Scripture, reflect on Jesus' description of blessedness in the Kingdom of God. Pray together a Prayer of Petition, to thank God for all that we have and for all that makes us successful in our lives. 

Source: https://www.loyolapress.com 

Sacramental Dates 2025

We will celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation on the dates below. 

The Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion are for students in Years 4 and above who have completed the Sacrament of Confirmation. Registration form can be located here.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is for students in Year 3 and above who have completed their Sacrament of Baptism. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Year 4 and above

• Family Session 1 - Tuesday 4 March @ 5:30pm
• Family Session 2 - Tuesday 18 March @ 5:30pm
• Sacrament of Reconciliation - Tuesday 25 March @ 5:30pm

Sacrament of Holy Communion - Year 4 and above

• Family Session 1 - Tuesday 3 June @ 5:30pm
• Family Session 2 - Tuesday 17 June @ 5:30pm
• Sacrament of Holy Communion Reflection Day - Friday 20 June @ Holy Family 
• Sacrament of Holy Communion - Saturday 21 June @ 5:30pm

Sacrament of Confirmation - Year 3 and above

• Family Session 1 - Tuesday 29 July @ 5:30pm
• Family Session 2 - Tuesday 5 August @ 5:30pm
• Sacrament of Confirmation Reflection Day - Thursday 14 August @ St Francis
• Sacrament of Confirmation - Thursday 14 August @ 5:30 / 6:00pm

School Community Group Meeting

Our first School Community Group meeting of the year will take place next Tuesday 18 February 5:30 - 6:30pm in the Library. We welcome all parents in joining us for this meeting. 

The agenda will be as follows:

• Prayer
• Welcome to 2025!
• Code of Conduct / Group norms 
• Objectives of the School Community Group for 2025 
• School Improvement Plan - goals for 2025
• Role of Class Parent Liaison 
• Playground - soccer goal placement

We look forward to seeing you there. 

Family Faith and Fun Night for K - 2 Families

On Wednesday 26 February we will be hosting a Family Faith and Fun Night for our K - 2 families. The evening will begin at 5:30pm and involve games, food, faith and fun. 

To register for this event, please scan the QR code or click on the link on the flyer in this newsletter. 

Parent Assembly - Prepare for Easter

The Catholic Schools Parent Assembly warmly invites you to attend 'Prepare for Easter'. Over 6 weeks you will be immersed in six one hour sessions centered on Gospel Reflections utilising the Lenten Resources from the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

To register for this event, please see the flyer below. 

Parent Assembly - Parenting in the age of Distraction workshop

Parenting in the Age of Distraction is a practical and engaging workshop designed specifically for parents of school-aged children. Although the digital space has impacted on our children’s ability to focus and connect there are many other distractions vying for our children’s attention.

The workshop will take place at Holy Family Primary School, Skennars Head on Tuesday 4 March from 5:15pm. 

For more information and to register for this workshop, please see the flyer below. 

Lunchtime Clubs

At lunch, our staff offer different activities for the students to participate in. Sometimes the playground can be a very overwhelming place. These activities offer a quiet space for our students to interact and play. 

Please see below the activities on offer each day during lunch play

Music Tutors

We are fortunate to have Music Tutors again this year, offering their services to teach our students the following instruments: trumpet, guitar, keyboard / piano and drums. 

Lessons will take place on the following days:

• Guitar - Tuesday
• Singing - Tuesday
• Keyboard / piano - Thursday / Friday
• Drums - Thursday
• Trumpet - Friday

If your child is interested in learning a musical instrument here at school, please contact Kasey (kasey.miles@lism.catholic.edu.au) for the Music Tutors details. 

Please note: the cost of the keyboard / piano lessons this year is $40 / half hour lesson

                           the cost of guitar and singing lessons this year is $40 / half hour lesson. 

Kasey Miles-Assistant Principal Mission

Parish News...

St Francis Xavier Church-47 Cherry Street, Ballina

Holy Family Church-94 Ballina Street, Lennox Head 

Parish Mass Times

St Francis Xavier Church Ballina

Saturday Vigil Mass-5:30pm

Sunday Mass-9am & 11am

Weekday Masses-12 Noon (Tuesday to Friday)

Holy Family Church Lennox Head

Sunday Mass-7:30am

Learning & Teaching News...

Dear Parents and Families,

Welcome to another great year of learning at St Francis Xavier Primary School! It was wonderful to have our existing students return to school last week, with smiles on their faces, and to welcome many new families and students to our school. Monday morning this week was very special, as we welcomed our Kindergarten students for their first day of big school. Please visit our St Francis Xavier Primary School, Ballina Facebook Page to see photos from this exciting day, as well as other special school happenings and events.

Mathematics Assessment Interview Data (MAI)

Our teaching teams have been analysing their year level MAI data gathered from the Mathematics interviews carried out during Week 1. This data informs how teachers will differentiate the learning to ensure that each student achieves growth in Mathematics. We thank you for your support that enables us to complete these assessments prior to the first day of school.

Parent Information Evening

Our Parent Information Evening will be held on Monday 24th of February. Teachers will facilitate two sessions. Session 1 - 5:30-6pm, Session 2 - 6:05-6:35pm. These sessions will be held in your child’s classroom.

We encourage you to attend if you are available. These sessions are an opportunity to connect with your child’s class teacher, hear key information regarding their school year, and ask any questions that you may have.

Student Learning Conferences

These meetings are an opportunity to establish partnerships between parents and teachers to support student learning. Our student learning conferences remain one of the primary ways that families and schools meet to discuss a child’s progress and set learning goals. They are an opportunity to check-in with how your child has settled in, and discuss early progress and learning goals. 

Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 will not attend these meetings. Students in Years 3-6 will attend these meetings to share their learning goals. 

These conferences will be held in Week 7 (February 17th-20th). It’s very important that all families schedule a meeting time with their child’s teacher. Bookings will occur via the Compass app. You will receive further information in the weeks to come.

Hayley Loadsman

Acting Leader of Pedagogy

Canteen News...

We Need Volunteers

for our School Canteen

We are looking for volunteers for the canteen.  If you are able to spare a couple of hours, between 9am and 11:30am - on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, once a month please contact the school office or Kristie on 66863370  and let us know what day suits you.  Volunteers MUST sign into the school via the school office.

Canteen Roster-Term 1

Week 3

Monday 17th February to Friday, 21st February

Canteen Roster-Term 1

Week 4

Monday, 24th February to Friday, 28th February

Student Awards...

We would like to welcome our new students and their families to our school community.

Isla Maylor	Jack Attenborough	Hazel Moane
Yuvakshi Sharma	Max Jacobs	Marisa Williams
Matthew Connor	Aria Dean	Oliver Gregory
Audrey Moane	Savannah Cashman	Tyler Faulkner
River Markham-Lee	Milla Harris	Xavier Dean
Logan Faulkner	Luwanna Sharma	Olivia Attenborough
All Kindergarten Students

Happy Birthday....

Wishing all of our students a wonderful birthday!!

Friday, 14th February 2025  to Thursday 27th February 2025

Archie Warnick	Jaxon Kealy	Edie Ringe
Lucas Land	Otto Schmidt	Poppy Ford
Sophie Dorey	Soli Edwards	Tegvir Mangat
Lily-May Budnick	Oliver Seymour	Jarrah McGauran
Alice Shaw	Benjamin Girardi Paciello

Student Travel...

Bus - Children are to sit in bus lines and wait for teachers’ instructions to board their bus.  Bus pass forms are available online.

Bike - Students are to move quickly to their bikes or scooters and walk these to the gate at the front of the school.  They must not ride these on school premises and they should take the shortest and safest route home.

Walking - These children should leave through the front school gate without delay.  Any child needing to cross Swift Street should wait at the crossing and be directed by the Crossing Supervisor.

Pick up - Children being picked up should wait in the School Hall with the supervising teacher until collected and then leave with their parent or guardian. Students should be collected no later than 3:20pm. 

Parents are reminded not to ask their child/ren to wait outside the school fence or in an unsupervised area. This is for the safety of the child/ren. All students MUST be collected from the School Hall or Martin Street Gate.  

Road Safety Around the School

In order to keep our students safe, please adhere to the road safety rules around St Francis Xavier when dropping off or collecting your child.

All roads surrounding and adjoining our school are signed and subject to School Zone Road Restrictions from 8am to 9:30am in the morning and 2:30pm to 4pm in the afternoon on all school days. Ballina Shire Council enforces these road rules and does issue penalties, particularly for double-parking.

Student Medical Plans & Medications...

Please note that Student Medical Health Plans, such as an Asthma Plan, Allergy Plan, Epilepsy Plan or an Anaphylaxis Plan, is now due to be reviewed by your GP and updated at the school office. If you have any questions, please come and see our staff in the school office for more information. 

Medication Administered Forms 2025- We have a new electronic form for any student who requires to have medication administered during school hours. Please click on the link below or follow the directions below to complete the form. Please note this form MUST be completed for all Medical Plans for 2025. 

Instructions on where to find the form on Compass:

1. Open your Compass App
2. Click on the more button on the bottom right hand corner of the screen
3. Click on School Documents
4. Click on Parent Resources
5. Click on School Forms
6. Click on Medication Form and complete
7. This form will then be sent directly to our school email account

Administering Medication Standard Operating Procedure-click on the link below to view.

Parent Reminders...

• Q-When should a parent/visitor sign into the school?
• A-All parents/visitors when entering the school grounds, for what ever the reason, MUST sign into the school via the iPad in the front office or via the QR codes at our gates.  There are no exceptions.  This is to ensure we are keeping our students safe whilst at school.

• Q-Where do I find my School Fee Account details?
• A-Parents are emailed a statement from Catholic Schools Office at the end of each month with all account details.  Or alternatively you can access your Compass account to check your fees. 

• Q-When does the School Newsletter come out?
• A-We publish our School Newsletter on a fortnightly basis.  The newsletter is published in Week Two, Four, Six, Eight and Ten of each Term.  All important notices and events will be communicated via Compass on a regular basis.  Our school Facebook page will be updated regularly with exciting events that have happened at school.

• Q-What are the School Bell Times?

Please note- Supervision of students begins at 8:30am and finishes at 3:30pm.  Please do not drop your child earlier than this and remember that after school care arrangements need to be made if your child cannot be picked up before 3:30pm.

• Q-What do I need to do if my child is late to school?
• A-Parents MUST come into the school office to drop their child off. This gives the parent the opportunity to provide the reason for the late arrival at that time.  Your child needs to collect a late slip from the office. Parents are reminded not to enter a late note in Compass for their child.  To be compliant with the attendance SOP, we need to ensure that child safety is maintained as far as possible. 

Community News...