Term 1, Week 7 Newsletter

From the Principal

A big thank you for everyone’s patience as we continue to clean up after the recent cyclone. Damage to the school included losing trees, shade sails and a leaking roof. Overall we fared well and were one of the first schools in the district to return to normal operations. We will continue to use the front school gates for entering and exiting the school premises. This avoids congestion in the front office and can help with transitioning students to school.

We welcome Genevieve Sciascia who began working last week in Year Five with Mrs Plain. Genevieve has previously worked at Catholic schools in the Lismore Diocese and is excited to be joining the school team. Great to have you as part of our team, Genevieve.

Attendance Reminders
The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools has recently updated the procedures for monitoring and supporting schools to promote student attendance. Every school day builds upon the previous one, making it essential for students to attend regularly. Regular attendance is crucial as it fosters resilience and enables students to form vital social connections. Across all NSW education systems, the expected level of student attendance is above 95%, and we aim at St Finbarr's to support all of our students to achieve this. 

If your child’s attendance is below 90%, you will receive communication via Compass in the coming weeks. We acknowledge that there may be many reasons for absences, and you may have already provided information to the school about why your child has been away. However, this communication is to ensure all parents are aware that their child’s attendance is currently at or under 90%. We believe that by working together, we can ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed. 

Please ensure you contact the school, if you require any further support with your child’s attendance. 

Running Club
In preparation for our upcoming Cross Country Carnival (Friday 4th April) we are organising a Running Club on Wednesday and Friday mornings on the school oval from 8.15 - 8.50am. This session is open to all students from K-6 and will aim to build stamina for running as well as some fitness drill sessions. Children can join in at any time during the session upon arrival at school. Joggers can be worn however all students will need to change into their school shoes when completed. Parents are most welcome to join in the fun as well. 

Xavier College Visit
Ex-students Harlan and Sophia represented Xavier College on their recent visit to St Finbarr’s. Principal Mr Lee McMaster spoke to the Year 6 students about the High School journey and how to prepare for the transition from Primary School.

Congratulations to our swimmers who represented the school at the Diocesan Carnival last week. Our senior boys relay team won gold with Roley, Hugo, Willy and Rupert performing sensationally under pressure. Special mention also to Roley who was the runner up in the Senior Boys Championship.
Congratulations to Frankie Smith (Yr 5) who will be representing Polding in the State Tennis in May. A fantastic effort Frankie! 

Thank you and farewell
We are sad to be saying goodbye to Learning Support staff member Keira Brandscheid this week. Kiera has been a dedicated student helper who has had a positive impact on the many students she has taught. Kiera is taking a break from her work however we hope to see her back from time to time on a casual basis.

Parents in Partnership
Our postponed PIP meeting will be held in the staffroom at 6pm on Wednesday 2nd April. We welcome all parents, especially new faces as we work together to plan for the year ahead. The PIP is a great opportunity to be more involved in school life and meeting new friends with our  shared goal of building stronger school / family partnerships. 

A reminder that the students have a Pupil Free Day on Monday 31st March, Week 9 as the teachers will be engaging in professional learning. 

Yours in Partnership,

Tim Bleakley - Principal

From Our Student Leaders

Hi, my name is Eva Brook, I’m one of your Student leaders this year and I’m also in the school Rugby league team. Last Wednesday was our first official training session and you may have seen us practicing on the oval at lunchtime.
Many thanks to Mr Asser and Mr Bermingham for giving up their time to teach us the skills of the game, it’s a really fun experience. 
Many of us are new to the game of Rugby League. We learnt how to tackle safely without hurting ourselves and how to pass the ball properly. The tackle bags are really fun and you can tell that our two coaches know what they are doing.
We are training to play in Ballina in two weeks against other schools. If anyone wants to join our team please talk to Mr Asser, we’d love to see more kids getting in there learning new skills, being active and having fun at lunchtime. It’s open to boys and girls in Yr 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Rugby Training

Catholic Faith & Identity

ASH WEDNESDAY & LENT

Students at St Finbarr's observed Ash Wednesday on Wednesday the 5th of March with a Liturgy in our school hall.  Father David ensured we had ashes to distribute to all staff and students despite us being unable to observe this special day as a Mass due to cyclone Alfred. This was a beautiful liturgy to mark the beginning of our Lenten journey where we are invited to walk a path of hope grounded in Christ’s sacrifice and the promise of new life. Lent is a time for drawing closer to God through reflection, repentance, and renewal.

Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, we are also called to journey through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These practices are not burdens, but ways to deepen our trust in God. When we surrender our worries, serve others, and open our hearts to grace, we come to realize that true hope is not found in our own strength, but in the love of Christ.

This Lent, may we journey with courage. Let us seek hope in the face of challenges, trusting that beyond the cross lies the joy of the resurrection.

PROJECT COMPASSION

For over half a century, Project Compassion, an initiative of Caritas Australia, has raised funds to support people living in poverty around the world. Spanning across the 40 days of Lent, Project Compassion brings thousands of schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for the most marginalised communities around the world. The theme for Project Compassion 2025 is, “Unite against poverty this Lent”.  There are Project Compassion boxes on the prayer tables in each classroom.

Any contribution to this worthwhile cause  is greatly appreciated.

Yours in Partnership,

Mrs Sonya Piccoli 

Assistant Principal -Mission, Inclusion & Diversity

Inclusion & Diversity

Harmony Day

St Finbarr's students will be celebrating Harmony Day on Friday, March 21st. Harmony Day is celebrated on the 21st of March each year, and is a day to recognise Australia's cultural diversity and promote inclusivity. We invite all students to wear casual clothing and bring along a donation, which will go towards supporting Project Compassion and their incredible work.

Let’s celebrate together to make this day a meaningful celebration of unity and generosity!

HARMONY DAY POSTER COMPETITION

WHO CAN ENTER?

The Harmony Day Poster Competition is open to school students in all schools in Australia. Entries are based on the student’s school year for 2025.

PRIZES

The competition will be divided into two sections:

• • Junior, years K to 6
  • Senior, years 7 to 12

And, within each section, into groups based on year of study.

An entry may be made by an individual student or a group of students. In the case of multiple students’ entries the highest class of the students entering will be used for judging purposes

• • The overall winner in each of the Junior and Senior sections will receive $250.
  • The group winners will each receive $150

Please submit entries to  Sonya Piccoli by no later then Friday the 4th of April.

https://movingforwardtogether.org.au/poster-competition/

Yours in Partnership,

Mrs Sonya Piccoli 

Assistant Principal -Mission, Inclusion & Diversity

Learning & Teaching

Parent, Student & Teacher Goal Setting Conferences

This year at St Finbarr’s we are introducing 3 Way Conferences as part of our assessment and reporting cycle. A three-way conference allows students to take the lead as they provide the teacher and their parents with examples of their academic progress. It encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and to share their work and learning goals. 

How are 3 Way Conferences different from parent teacher interviews?

3 Way conferences involve the student in the discussion about their learning. The student will provide information about what they have been learning so far, what their next steps in learning are, and the progress they are making towards their goals as they will share learning samples and discuss them. 

Three-Way Conferencing

• Is a celebration of learning
• Allows students to talk about their strengths, areas for improvement and goals in subject areas and learning skills
• Provides positive feedback for student successes
• Is a vehicle for explicit teaching and modelling of active listening skills
• Caters to and supports the range of abilities within a classroom

What happens during a 3 Way Conference?

3 Way Conferences are scheduled for Week 8 in Term 1. This allows time for the students to adjust to a new grade / class, learn some content and start working on some goals with their classroom teacher. 

Each conference is timed and facilitated by the teacher, and to ensure we can keep to schedule, teachers will help students select their 2 goals prior to the 3 Way Conferences, based on their learning progress so far. 

Your child will then continue to work on their goals at school. As students achieve their goals, they can adjust them in class in consultation with their teacher, to ensure that they are always motivated to progress.

Research Shows that student achievement increases when parents, students and teachers work as a team. A three-way conference is an opportunity for parents, students and teachers to engage in conversations about students' learning. 

What is my role in a three way conference as a parent?

Realise that this is an opportunity to: 

• View learning experiences through the eyes of your child
• Listen to your child as he or she presents the information
• Question and encourage whenever appropriate
• Ask specific questions and give positive feedback
• Focus on what your child can do and has successfully achieved
• Compliment your child on a job well done

3 Way Conferences take time (10 minutes per family), and to ensure that all parents and students have the opportunity to meet with their class teacher, please choose an interview time on the Compass platform. If you would like to discuss issues outside of the goal setting process please make an alternate time to meet with the teacher. 

NAPLAN 

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual and nationwide literacy and numeracy assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. 

The National Assessment Program (NAP) provides useful nationally comparable evidence about student achievement. The data can be used to inform future policy development, resource allocation, curriculum planning and intervention programs.

The NAP can support school improvement by enabling teachers to monitor their students’ progress over time against the national measure, to identify strengths and areas to improve in teaching programs, and to set goals.

This week our Yr 3 and 5 students are completing their NAPLAN Assessments. On Monday all students participated in the Writing component. Over Week 7 and 8, the students will also participate in Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. 

The results will be sent home later in the year as they become available. 

Yours in Partnership, 
Lauren Magnus
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching 

Writing

Celebrating writing in Year 2 and Year 6. 

                               Year 2 - Assumpta                                                                       Year 2 - Chey

                                                                                             Year 2 - Maeve

                                                                                          Year 6 - Florence

                                                                                                      Year 6 - Eva

Yours in Partnership, 
Rachel Mitchell
Leader of Pedagogy

Sport Update

DIO SWIMMING
The 2025 Lismore Diocesan Primary Swimming Carnival was held at Murwillumbah  on Tuesday, 4th March—a successful day with some very good results in the pool.

Aurelia. H

• 5th Junior Girls 200m IM

Esther. H

• 1st Girls 8yrs 50m Freestyle (Qualified Polding)

Rafa. Y

• 2nd Boys 8yrs 50m Freestyle (Qualified Polding)

Rupert. M

• 1st Senior Boys 4x50m Freestyle Relay Team (Qualified Polding)

Willy. P

• 1st Senior Boys 4x50m Freestyle Relay Team (Qualified Polding)
• 4th Boys 11yrs 50m Freestyle 
• 5th Boys 11yrs 50m Backstroke

Hugo. P

• 1st Senior Boys 4x50m Freestyle Relay Team (Qualified Polding)
• 2nd Senior Boys 50m Backstroke (Qualified Polding)
• 3rd Senior Boys 200m IM (Qualified Polding)
• 4th Senior Boys 50m Breaststroke

Roley. C

• 1st Senior Boys 4x50m Freestyle Relay Team (Qualified Polding)
• 2nd All Age Boys 100m Freestyle (Qualified Polding)
• 2nd Senior Boys 50m Backstroke (Qualified Polding)
• 2nd Senior Boys 50m Freestyle (Qualified Polding)
• 2nd Senior Boys 50m Breaststroke (Qualified Polding)
• 3rd Senior Boys 50m Butterfly (Qualified Polding)
• Runner -Up Senior Boys Age Champion

WINTER SPORTS TRIALS

Good luck to Frankie. S (Netball), Willy. P, Luca. W, Darcy. S, Sander. K (Soccer)  and Roley. C (Rugby League) who will be trialing for their representative sports in Grafton on Thursday 27th March.

Joe Keane - Sports Coordinator

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