Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this publication contains

images or names of deceased persons in photographs or printed material.

The events of 2020 have certainly been testing, and on the whole, I feel we have all responded extremely well to the

unprecedented circumstances. The children have adapted very well to the necessary changes here at school and I thank

you all for your support and efforts to ensure we follow the appropriate protocols around social distancing and improved

hygiene standards.

Next term we will be engaging in our School Review process. The structure of this process has evolved over the years

but it will require similar input from our parent community as it has in previous years. This review process provides us

with valuable feedback to inform our future plans. In addition to this review process we will also engage in a process

that seeks feedback from all Catholic schools in our diocese, the Diocese of Lismore School Improvement Survey

(DOLSIS). This is an annual review that comes in the form of surveys for staff, students and randomly selected parents.

Understanding the busyness of your family lives, I encourage you to still take the time to complete any surveys to help

inform our school improvement initiatives. The period for DOLSIS is between July 27th and August 7th. Parents

randomly selected to complete the survey may choose to complete it online or on paper. More information in relation

to these surveys will be provided early next term.

In addition to these reviews, I will be up for appraisal next term, being in the fourth year of my contract at St Francis

Xavier Primary School. I value any feedback from our parent community and again encourage you to provide feedback

to the chair of the appraisal in due course. More information will be provided early next term.

The overall presentation of students this term was quite good, but a number of students have arrived at school with

inappropriate hair styles or incorrect uniform items without sufficient excuse. You will have sufficient time over the

next two weeks to address any issues in relation to our uniform expectations to ensure your child does not return next

term with any inappropriate hair styles or incorrect uniform items.

On Thursday 24th September, children from Years 4, 5 and 6 will have the opportunity to compete against me in the

ultimate times tables (multiplication facts) challenge. I have created a promotions page on the school online learning

portal to promote the event, Man vs Child (inspired by Bear Grylls’s Man vs Wild). Children will have the opportunity

to practise between now and then to improve their own personal standard. The five fastest children from each year level

from 4 to 6 will compete against me on the day for year level prizes and an overall prize (some of them are already

faster than me but don’t let them know). In the event that we are able to involve parents in on-site activities, it would

be great to have any competitive parents join us for the challenge. Please download the randomised spreadsheet from

the portal to print out and practise your times tables over the holidays.

I pray that you all have a lovely and safe holiday period.

Peace in Christ,

Dan Gubby

Principal

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Week 10 Term 2 Friday, 3rd July 2020

ST FRANCIS XAVIER PRIMARY SCHOOL

38-50 Swift Street, Ballina NSW 2478

PO Box 1647, Ballina NSW 2478

Phone: 66 86 33 70

Email: balp@lism.catholic.edu.au

Website: www.balplism.catholic.edu.au

Message from the Principal…..

Assistant Principal News…

As the semester draws to a close today, when you look back to January it would have been impossible to imagine

what was going to unfold across the globe causing, to say the least, a very different schooling experience in

Semester 1. It is a semester that we will remember for the rest of our lives and I am so very proud of how well

staff, students and families were able to quickly adapt to this mammoth change in their lives. The learning curve

for staff to reorganise the programming to an online system was incredibly steep and, thanks to a huge amount of

effort, every year level achieved this. Then, to improve the learning experience, we continually adapted the format

and the style of lessons to suit our learners. Everyone has truly earned these holidays and I very much look forward

to Semester 2.

I wrote about the Year 6 podcast/website biography project several weeks ago and I am very pleased to share the

results of the students’ hard work with everyone today. Each student has either created a website or a podcast on

a person who had an impact on the world. This project forms part of the Year 6 English program where they are

focusing on writing informative texts for a wider audience. Each of the students’ biographies can be viewed by

clicking on the different names below the photos of all the famous, and some infamous, characters. Once you have

viewed the projects there is a section that allows the reader to give some constructive feedback. Excellent work

boys and girls and thank you to the Year 6 teaching team for this great learning idea. To view the Year 6

biographies, please click on the link. PEOPLE POWER

Regards and God Bless,

Matthew Ritchie

Assistant Principal

Parish Mass Times

Praying with Music

The Blessing Australia - Churches of Australia

‘The Blessing’ (by Elevation Worship) was featured in an earlier edition as a timely declaration of God’s

blessing (from Numbers 6:24-26) over one another during the pandemic. Since its release, many countries

have united and released an ecumenical version. Here is the Australian version; God’s blessing over the

‘GREAT Southland of the Holy Spirit’. https://youtu.be/OOt7baaVSbE

SFX Ballina Parish (max 45 people)

Lennox Head Parish (max 20 people)

5.00 pm Saturday Vigil Mass 5.00 pm Saturday Vigil Mass

9.00 am Sunday 7:30am Sunday

11.00 am Sunday All weekday Masses will be at 12.00 noon in SFX Church with a capacity of 45

people at each Mass, including our weekend Masses. Registration is essential.

If you wish to attend a Mass, please contact the Parish Office on 66811 048

by 3pm on Fridays to register your name and contact details.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

Incitare Year 6 Retreat

In Term 1 a group of Year 6 students attended the Incitare Proclaim Retreat day with other students from the

diocese. Due to COVID-19 restrictions we haven’t been able

to present these students with their Incitare certificates and

pins. Thank you for your participation in this day.

Congratulations to these students-

Brayden Willems-Pracy Erica Regan

Chase Banfield Keely Monk

Elizabeth Quinn Kayden Thompson

Aidan McCarthy Shaelie Potter-Ross

NAIDOC Celebrations

As Lismore Diocese Catholic Schools prepare to

acknowledge NAIDOC in the coming weeks we are

invited to embrace the true history of this country – a

history which dates back thousands of generations.

This beautiful rendition of Geoffrey Gurrumal’s Jesus,

sets the scene for our contemplation leading into

NAIDOC. Click on the link to view.

https://youtu.be/N4LiJiiSlf8

Thank you to Miss Taylor Jarrett for organising the

NAIDOC Week activities. We started the week with a

Zoom Liturgy and then were involved in many cultural

activities throughout the week.

Community NAIDOC this year has been moved to November, however we

celebrated it this week as we normally do.

Our liturgy was a little different this year whilst being presented to the entire school

via zoom. The NAIDOC liturgy helps us to connect spiritually with our faith. I

would like to thank those students that were involved in the liturgy, they did an

amazing job. A video of the liturgy will be posted on the school’s Facebook page.

This year’s NAIDOC theme, Always Was,

Always Will Be, recognises that First Nation’s

people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65000 years.

The very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to the

First Nation’s people.

Australia has the world’s oldest oral stories that can be expressed

through different forms, one being art. This week each student and staff

member participated in Aboriginal dot painting on rocks as a connection to the land. The students had a great

time and were able to take their artworks home with them.

Year 6 showed true leadership on our Traditional Indigenous Games day.

They were given twelve different activities that they would present to their

younger peers in a half day sport rotation. I would like to say a very special

thank you to all of our year 6 leaders, teachers, Mr Patrick Wilde and our

very own Finely Wallace for playing the Didgeridoo for our change of

rotation signal. Without all of you, this day would not have been possible.

This term our wonderful CAPA teacher, Mrs Hallie Watt created a

beautiful unit influenced by Albert ‘Digby’ Moran, a very well known,

talented local Indigenous artist who recently passed away. Together we

curated a gallery in memory of Uncle Digby with the students' artworks.

Uncle Digby has been a part of our school's NAIDOC week for years.

He has shared his knowledge, culture and amazing artistic skills with our

students. The gallery was a huge success, with a special visit from Mrs

Kerry Kelly, Digby’s wife, who presented a unique gift to the school,

ochre that Uncle Digby used in one of his paintings titled Meeting Place

(2018).

We have had a fantastic time celebrating NAIDOC week and Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander culture. Check out our Facebook page for

photos and videos of our week.

Taylor Jarrett

Indigenous Education Aide

NAIDOC WEEK

CANTEEN ROSTER

TERM 3, WEEK 1

Monday, 20th July to Friday, 24th July

3rd July to 23rd July

Tuesday, 21st July Nicole Graham

Thursday, 23rd July Christiana Whitty

Friday, 24th July Sandra Gale & Sue Keough

Natalia Arias Archie Conomos Ellen Freeman

Charlotte O’Neill Evie Price Cody Flatley

Taylah Wooldridge Rhyah Bateman Jye Miller

Ruby Hernage Cassie Llewellyn Ava Ryan

Chaz Gibson Ava Morley Charlie Mattinson

Pip Schirmer Corey Brombal Ethan Macpherson

Emma Maguire Jax Vawdrey

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Qkr! App for

Canteen Lunch Orders

Please click on the link to view the

Qkr! “How to Guide”

Qkr! App Link

CANTEEN NEWS

Please Note

Students are only able to order from the

Normal Menu - Monday to Friday.

There will be NO Friday Specials or

Sushi Days.

Orders to be made via the QKR App or orders

to be placed on a paper bag.

ALL orders to be placed by 8:55am.

Please click on the link below to visit our website for enrolment information and an overview of our school.

SFX Website Link

If you are seeking to enrol your child in our school, please:

Download a copy of our enrolment form and school

prospectus from our school website

Complete the enrolment form and return by post or

drop it into the school along with copies of all relevant

documents (birth certificate, baptismal certificate and

Medicare immunisation records)

St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School

PO Box 1647

BALLINA NSW 2478

Please note that we will be holding Kinder 2021 Interviews from Monday,

27th July 2020 to Friday, 7th August 2020. Please contact the school office on

66863370 to make an appointment.

All of our enrolment decisions are made by the Principal, taking into account current enrolment numbers and

the needs of each student. Offers of enrolments to families will be prioritised in accordance with the School

Enrolment Policy.

Year 1… As part of a Year 1 Inquiry project this term, students were asked to design a solution to

the following problem:

Maintenance on all playgrounds was completed while playgrounds

were closed due to the COVID-19 virus. Council has noticed that

one local playground is in need of new slides. You and your team of

engineers have the task of designing two new slides for this

playground.

● One slide must be a fast-moving slide.

● The second must be a slower-moving slide for younger

children.

KINDER 2021 ENROLMENT INFORMATION

CLASS NEWS

Students were then asked, what do you already know about slides and

materials? What do you need to know to successfully complete this

design challenge? After exploring existing designs and conducting

scientific investigations, students used this information to draw and

label their slides, including scientific justifications for their designs.

Great design thinking and problem-solving Year 1!

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Year 3… The students in Year Three have been enjoying the time they

have been spending recently on their Inquiry Learning Projects. Through a

variety of activities and brainstorming questions they have investigated what

makes up their identities and what they value as individuals. The children then

planned Creative Arts activities based on their

findings around their identity. They planned a Music,

Drama, Dance and Visual Art item either individually

or in a group. The children enjoyed the process of

discovering what they value as individuals and what

makes up their identities then turning this information

into something creative through computer research, movement, colour/texture,

music and most importantly imagination. It was wonderful to see the students

embrace the opportunity to express themselves through various mediums and to

witness some be less inhibited than they would be normally.

Sonya Lovett and Marg Fitz-Bugden

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Year 4… As the term draws to an end we would like to thank you all for the amazing contributions

to your child's learning. This term has seen the most radical change in the way teachers, parents, grandparents

and carers have had to operate in a short space of time. It has seen a shift in mindset, an up-skilling in

technology, a change in the learning environment and a stronger level of independence for your child. You

have been at the centre of this and have most probably had to learn with your child so they are able to access

and contribute to the remote learning platforms we put in place. We thank you for your significant

contributions to your child's learning journey.

In other news, it is with great resignation that one of our families will be leaving us and will not be a part of

our school community for the next term. It is inevitable that Fraser Ironside and family, Duncan and Vera

will leave us for their home country Austria after spending a whole year in Australia.

It has been fantastic having Fraser in our Year 4 class and his willingness to learn and teach others, and his

friendly, positive approach will be missed. We wish the family all the success in the future and plan to keep

in contact.

In Year 4 this term we have been looking at communities and how they are built on connections. We have

linked this to our writing this term and each student has written a persuasive letter to Mr Gubby trying to

persuade him to build tree houses in our playground to strengthen our community.

Here is one example of writing from Citrine Healy: -

Dear Mr Gubby,

I firmly believe that our wish that cubby-houses should be allowed in our school should be granted. This idea

should be accepted or at least considered. I feel that cubby-houses will help staff and students in numerous

ways.

Firstly, having a cubby house would be another advantage of learning. You would have books or notepads

and pens and textas and kids would be begging their parents to go to S.F.X. People can play and make friends

there too.

Secondly building cubby-houses will be easy and when you have easy to use materials that are available, it is

a whole lot easier making cubby-houses. It will also be a great bonding experience for both staff and students.

Thirdly people will never be sad or left out and that is very important especially with the recent problems that

have been happening around the school. Everybody would also be so happy to go to lunch, recess or just

school in general.

Mr Gubby, wouldn't you like to see the children at S.F.X. having so much fun together and building our school

family up to its highest potential? Well, put 3 cubby-houses in our school. One in the big tree, one in the

fitness paperbark tree and one in the sandpit tree and you will see that happen.

Therefore, we NEED cubby-houses at our school to bring our school family closer together.

This week students had the opportunity to plan and build a design for their cubbyhouse using Lego with a

partner. We had a great time working together to create these and here are some photos of the amazing

creations.

Warm regards

Rob Cook and Bronte Doolan

The Year 4 Team

Year 5… Year 5 have been studying the Australian gold

rush. The students designed their own version of the Eureka

Stockade flag. The students included themes of freedom, unity,

equality and peace in their flags. Feelings of anger, frustration,

misery and perseverance were also included in the designs.

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Coding Club… Each Thursday at lunchtime this term the

children have had the opportunity to join the Coding Club.

This club is an introduction to computer science. It is designed to demystify

“code” and to show that anyone can learn the basics of coding. Coding is

an important skill to nurture problem solving, logic and creativity.

The children participate in self-guided

activities and can create a variety of activities including programing animals

to dance to music.

Coding Club will continue next term so all the children need to do is to bring

their Chromebooks and their headphones to the library each Thursday at

lunchtime.

Facebook Page

The school Facebook page has now been published. We will be using

this platform as a celebration of events that have happened within our

school community. This will not be the main communication page for parents, so please ensure you continue

to read our weekly school newsletters and class communication pages for other important information and

updates. Go ahead and like us @ St Francis Xavier Primary School, Ballina. Or click on the link below.

SFX Facebook Page

PARENT NOTICES

Change of Contact Details

Have you bought a new mobile?

Maybe started a new job?

Moved house?

Changed your email?

It is important that the school has up to date contact details for parents and carers in case of an emergency. It

is imperative that you inform the school office of any updates, you can do this via telephone 66863370 or

email balp@lism.catholic.edu.au

__________________________________________________________________________

Parent Portal Instructions

Please click on the link below to download Parent Portal Instructions. Families who are new to the school or

existing families who are yet to set up an account, will need to do so, to be able to access and view their

child/rens School Reports. Parent Portal Instructions.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Absences

Please remember to answer the SMS that will be sent out the day of the absence. This SMS must be answered

on the day it is sent. The SMS is for absences only. Remember, all

student absences need to be accounted for. Accounting for student

absences is a legal requirement for all schools. Your assistance in

providing the relevant information to us regarding your child’s absences

daily is appreciated.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Signing Students In and Out of School

If students are arriving late to school, they must be signed in at the school office.

If students are leaving school early they must be collected and signed out at the school office.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Students Feeling Unwell

We cannot stress enough the importance of the advice that if your child is sick

or exhibits any symptoms of being unwell, they must not come to school.

You must keep them at home and away from others. While most are following

this advice we do, from time to time, have someone who does not.

If a student falls ill while at school or exhibits symptoms of being unwell, the

current procedures apply and a parent or guardian will be contacted to attend to

collect the student. If the parent or guardian is not available to collect the student, contact will be made with

the student’s emergency contact who will be asked to collect the child.

Your cooperation and support are appreciated as it is important for the safety of all members of our School

Community. Student should not return to school until they are well and symptom free.

Enrolments for 2021

Could you please encourage anyone you are aware of who is looking to enrol their child in any year level in

2021 to do so now – we are starting to make decisions about 2021 and we would hate anyone to miss out on

a place.

Payment Received – No Reference

Please note that we have received a payment into our account with no reference - could

you please contact the school office if you have made a payment this month and it has not come off your

School Statement (Statements were emailed out last week).

DATES TO REMEMBER

SCHOOL FEES

First Day of

Term 3

Monday, 20th July

School Photo Day

Term 3 - Friday, 14th August 2020

Photo Envelopes will be sent home in Week 1 - Term 3

ACTIVE KIDS AFTER SCHOOL

CARE NEWS