Term 4 Newsletter, 17th October 2025

Principal's Message

Welcome to term 4 St Francis de Sales Community

Striving to Be the Best Version of Ourselves

At St Francis de Sales, we continue to encourage our students and staff to strive to be the best version of themselves—whether in the classroom, on the oval, at assemblies, or during parades. This message is woven into the fabric of our school culture.

We understand that mistakes happen. Poor decisions, misunderstandings, or moments of frustration are part of life. What matters most is how we respond. At St Francis de Sales, we believe in learning from these experiences and using them as opportunities for growth. When faced with similar challenges in the future, we aim to make better choices and support one another in doing so.

Being a positive and active role model in our children’s lives is one of the most powerful ways we can help them grow into their best selves. Learning is not always easy, it can be demanding and sometimes discouraging. But through encouragement, engagement, and motivation from both school and home, every child can experience and celebrate success.

As we approach the end of the school year, it’s important that students continue to give their best effort. Your ongoing support and positive reinforcement at home can make a significant difference in helping your child stay motivated and finish the year strong. Thank you for your continued partnership in nurturing a culture of growth, resilience, and excellence.

Thank You – Footy Fundraiser Success!

A huge thank you to Ms. Kylie Hay and Mrs. Kate Patterson for their incredible efforts in organising our recent Footy Fundraiser. Thanks to their dedication and the support of our wonderful community, we raised an impressive $3,500! It was a fantastic event filled with great food, fun, and community spirit. All funds will go directly towards supporting our school with upgrading our facilities – maybe a new cricket pitch or improved play area for our P-2 students. It was also a fantastic night to witness four Queensland teams proudly holding four major trophies—a rare and memorable achievement. With victories from the Broncos men and women, the Lions, and the Qld Maroons, it’s a feat I doubt I’ll see again in my lifetime. Truly remarkable!

Support Our Show n Shine Fundraiser

We invite all families to continue supporting our school by donating goods, attending the event, and enjoying the fantastic food, drinks, and vibrant atmosphere. Your involvement, whether through contributions or simply being present—makes a meaningful difference.

All proceeds from the event will go directly towards supporting our Year 5/6 students in attending next year’s school camp.

Please take a moment to view our recent updates on Facebook for more details and highlights.

Please note: Our raffle has been postponed until February next year, as it closely coincides with our NRL Footy Grand Final Fundraiser. Thank you for your ongoing support and generosity.

Prep and School Enrolments for 2026

Prep interviews for 2026 are underway. Our numbers are looking very healthy in this cohort, so if you know of any interested families who have Prep aged children, please inform them to send in their applications in as soon as possible so they do not miss out on the chance to attend St Francis.  I appreciate your diligence in assisting the school. 

Families Leaving at the end of 2025

From time to time, family arrangements or factors in life can change which can bring about decisions that affect attendance at St Francis de Sales. As courtesy, if you are expecting your child not to attend St Francis de Sales in 2026, could you please let the school know, as enrolment numbers are important when making staffing decisions for the school. Thank you for your follow up on this.

School Fees for Term 4

Please keep an eye out for this term’s school fee invoices which are emailed to all families each quarter. If you haven’t received the email in the next couple of weeks, please contact the office. As term 4 is shorter, it is vital that all outstanding accounts are rectified. Some families will be receiving a follow up phone call over the coming weeks to double check current situation or change of circumstances. Chasing up overdue fees is a very time-consuming task. Your prompt payment allows us to successfully pay for class resources and extra-curricular activities. It also enables us to confidently enter the new year in a strong financial position to continue to offer quality teaching and learning experience, state of the art facilities and desired staffing levels. Your continued financial commitment to the school is an investment in your child’s education and future.

Week 2

Mon 13-15 Oct – Qld State Athletic Titles – Good luck Joseph Ramsey

Sat 18 Oct – Show n Shine Car Show at St Francis and the beginning of Country Week

Week 3

Thurs 23 Oct – Prep 2026 transitions

Sat 25 Oct – Clifton Races

Sun 26 Oct – Family Sunday Mass – 9:30am

Week 4

Fri 31 Oct – World Teacher’s Day; St Francis de Speech Competition

Week 5

Tues 4 Nov – Melbourne Cup Race

Fri 7 Nov – Back Plains Speech Festival

Week 6

Tues 11 Nov – Wed 13 Nov – Swimming Lessons

Tues 11 Nov – Remembrance Day Liturgy – 2:30pm MPC

Week 7

Tues 18 Nov – Swimming Lessons

Wed 19 – Fri 21 Nov – Tallebudgera Camp

Week 8

Tues 25 – Wed 26 Nov – Swimming Lessons

Tues 25 Nov – possible step-up day for P-Yr.5

Thurs 27 Nov – Swimming Carnival

Fri 28 Nov – Carols and Awards Night – 5:30pm MPC

Week 9

Tues 2 Dec – Yr.5/6 Cricket Match

Wed 3 Dec – Yr.6 Graduation Liturgy – Church and Dinner – Bowls Club

Thurs 4 Dec – End of Year Mass, Shared Christmas Lunch, Movie afternoon

Fri 5 Dec – Xmas Disco – 11:00am school finishes

God bless and thanks for reading…

Regards,

Brendan

Prep/1/2 News

This term, we’ve been exploring the wonderful world of Australian animals through our reading mentor text Silly Galah by Janeen Brian. This unique book blends poetry and information reports, inspiring us to begin writing our own reports on a chosen animal. Our vocabulary lessons have introduced words like burrows, creatures, and respect, helping us describe and understand the natural world.

In Science, we’re learning how living things change. We welcomed Mr Skillington, who taught us about the four basic needs of plants. We’ve planted bean seeds and are observing germination by looking for roots and shoots.

In Mathematics, we’re investigating measurement—comparing lengths, heights, and capacities in hands-on ways.

In Religion, we’re exploring our connection with Jesus and how we can show kindness and care in our daily lives.

It’s been a joyful start to the term, full of curiosity, creativity, and growing minds!

Mrs. Skillington

Yrs. 3/4 News

We’re excited to be back and ready for a fantastic Term 4!  

This term promises to be full of creativity, curiosity, and connection as we look forward to exploring new topics, building on our skills, and making the most of our final stretch of the school year. 

We warmly welcome Miss Shanaz Sheebo, a practicum student who will be joining our 3/4 class for the next three weeks. Miss Shanaz brings great enthusiasm and a love of learning. We are thrilled to have her as part of our classroom and St Francis de Sales community! 

In Maths, we’ve been exploring mixed numerals, proper and improper fractions and counting by fractions. Students are learning how to locate and represent these fractions on number lines, building a strong foundation in number sense and visual understanding. 

The Art of Storytelling is our term 4 english unit. Students have started to explore the different ways stories can be told—through writing, speaking, and visual formats.  

In Writing, students have been busy writing their speeches and practising how to present them confidently to an audience. It’s been wonderful to see their voices and ideas come to life! 

We look forward to a creative and inspiring few weeks ahead! 

Mrs. Malbon

Yr. 5/6

What a fantastic start to Term 4 it has been! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed joining the St Francis de Sales community and feel incredibly privileged to be working with the wonderful Year 5/6 cohort. The students have settled in beautifully and are already showing great enthusiasm for the exciting learning opportunities ahead.

In Literacy, we are continuing to refine our expression and pacing as we rehearse our Back Plains speeches, which will be presented to the class next week. We’ve also begun exploring information texts in preparation for our upcoming assessment task.

In Mathematics, we’re consolidating key concepts from earlier in the year, with a particular focus on operations and probability. It’s been great to see students making connections and building confidence in these areas.

Our HASS unit has sparked thoughtful discussions around the difference between needs and wants, and how we can make the most of limited resources to meet them.

One of the most anticipated parts of the term is our science unit: Electrical Energy – Transfer and Transformation. The students are especially excited about the prospect of engaging in hands-on experiments, where they will work with wires and batteries to build and test simple circuits.

It’s shaping up to be a term full of curiosity, creativity, and growth—and I’m looking forward to all the learning and fun still to come!

Mrs. Burrows

P.E with Mr. Red

Cricket Skills in Action – Prep to Year 6

Students from Prep to Year 6 have been actively developing their cricket skills this term, focusing on the fundamentals of batting, catching, fielding, and bowling. Through fun and engaging activities, students are learning how to hold the bat correctly, position themselves for catches, field with accuracy, and bowl with control. These sessions not only build physical coordination but also encourage teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship. It’s been fantastic to see students of all ages giving their best and enjoying the game. We look forward to seeing their skills continue to grow throughout the season!

All this sporty, Mr. Red!