St Francis Catholic School - Hughenden eNewsletter

From the Principal

Hi Families,

Last Friday was our Annual Rite of Passage and Awards Evening. It was a wonderful celebration for our Year 6 students and our award winners. We thank all of our families for supporting the event and our sponsors- Robbie Katter, Flinders Shire Council, Lions Club Hughenden, Hawkeye Helicopters and Hughenden Country Women's Association. Please see below my speech from the evening reporting on a wonderful year at St Francis:

Good evening, everyone, and thank you for joining us on this lovely warm November evening. Hard to believe it’s the end of another school year already! This year marks my second as principal and my ninth at St. Francis—though if we’re counting school days, I actually go back a fair bit longer!

Here at St. Francis, we’re incredibly lucky to have a wonderful school community, fantastic students, and the strong support of our local town. And what a year we’ve had! We’ve achieved a lot together, so let’s take a moment to celebrate some of the highlights.

Starting with the annual St. Francis Fete, a family event for all ages. Not only did we have a great turnout, but we also raised $10,669—shared equally with our parish! And that’s not just thanks to the event, but to the dedication of our FACE group, staff, parishoners and all of you who came, volunteered, and made it an evening to remember.

Another big success was the Flinders Mix and Mingle, which created quite the buzz around town and even landed us some local media attention! It was a fantastic evening out for everyone, bringing in $19,000. Emily Page even started pitching me next year’s plans before the night was over—so yes, get ready for 2025! If you missed out, you’ll want to join us next time.

This year, our amazing FACE group also raised $5,714.95 through the Athletics canteen and Touch dinners, making it possible for our students to have incredible camp and excursion experiences. Our Year 5/6s had a blast camping on Magnetic Island with students from Winton and Collinsville, which included learning experiences and, of course, a chance to make some new friends. Meanwhile, our youngest students came back grinning from ear to ear after their trip to Kronosaurus Korner, and our Year 2/3/4 students capped off their poetry unit with an unforgettable overnight stay in Winton, delivering poetry performances that were nothing short of legendary. Rumour has it, their verses echoed so strongly they might have stirred a few fossils to life! They also enjoyed exploring the Waltzing Matilda Centre and the Age of Dinosaurs—an adventure they'll remember for years to come.

We also continued our partnership with Prairie State School, Cameron Downs State School, and the Schools of Distance Education, hosting a very successful Athletics Carnival that saw over 65 students participate. I think everyone is still recovering from that one! And we’re excited to reunite with these schools next week for our Swimming Carnival, where we hope to see the same enthusiasm despite the heat!

Each year, our students, staff, and parents have the opportunity to share their thoughts through the School Satisfaction survey, which provides valuable feedback on our performance across three key areas. These insights are essential for identifying areas where we can grow and ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our school community. This year, we are thrilled to report a remarkable 100% overall satisfaction rate from students, staff, and parents alike—a fantastic outcome. Now, I’m not saying we’re perfect, but if that’s what the surveys say, who are we to argue? It’s a great reflection of the hard work everyone has put in, and its reassuring to know the school is headed in the right direction.

Our community spirit shone through last week when local bushfires broke out. The generosity of this school community was inspiring, with donations rolling in faster than we could pack them! Under Mrs. Crozier’s guidance, and Miss Margy’s packing expertise, our students were all hands on deck, sorting and packing supplies. It was a powerful reminder of the resilience and compassion we have in our small town.

Our Mercy Makers, led by Mrs. Howie, have kept our community spirit alive year-round. From supporting the Vinnies Appeal to visiting our aged care residents, creating a community garden, and even caring for our very own chickens—Dennis, Fluffy, and Super Chickee—our Mercy Makers have had their hands full. And our chickens have never been happier!

I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated teachers, school officers, and administration team for their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to our students. From shoveling in the community garden in 40-degree heat to creating magical bookfairs filled with pirates and mystical creatures, designing vibrant learning spaces, and crafting engaging lessons, you go above and beyond every day. Your efforts do not go unnoticed. You are the bright light that makes our school so warm and welcoming. Thank you for everything you do—you are truly the heart of St. Francis.

On a bittersweet note, we say goodbye to Miss Eriksen this year. For the past four years, she has been an invaluable part of our school and local community, and her departure will be felt deeply by us all. Miss Eriksen has brought endless energy, laughter, and joy to our staff, created wonderful learning opportunities for our students, and her lively spirit has brightened everyone’s day. From her vibrant dance outfits each week, to her infectious smile and extremely long winded stories, we are so grateful to have had you as part of the St Francis Family. You will always hold a place here in our school, thank you for your dedication, compassion, and selflessness throughout your time at St. Francis. You are pure sunshine and St Benedicts are very lucky to gain a wonderful teacher like you. I’d now like to invite Miss Eriksen forward to receive a gift from our Year 6 leaders.

Before we close, I’d like to take a moment to farewell our incredible Year 6 students. I’ve had the privilege of watching these young people grow from the days they were helping their parents in tuckshop to, to their very first day of school, to the leaders they’ve become today. I am so proud of the kind, compassionate, and resilient individuals they have developed into, and I know each of them is ready to go out into the world and achieve wonderful things.

Your time at St. Francis has given you a foundation built on kindness, respect, and a genuine spirit of service. I have every confidence that these qualities will guide you as you step into the next chapter of your lives. I look forward to following each of your journeys and seeing all the amazing things you accomplish. Thank you for being such an important part of our school, and thank you to your parents for guiding you through these years with determination, and maybe a bit of frustration along the way!

Parents, I know you sit here tonight extremely proud of all that they’ve achieved, and as am I. So, to Krystal, Bob, Rory, Maci, Kopelyn, Adley, Beau, and Alex—well done, and good luck. You’ll always be a part of the St. Francis family, and we can’t wait to see where life takes you.

Thank you all for being here tonight and for your ongoing support of our school. It’s an honor to work with such a dedicated, vibrant community, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together next year. Here’s to an incredible 2025—and a little bit of well-deserved rest before then!

Sharn Greenaway

Principal

School TV Topic of the Week-Sleep

Sleep

Students today have extremely busy schedules, with ever increasing responsibilities at school and at home. Many kids, especially adolescents, are going to bed later and later and are at risk of sleep deprivation. This affects three areas of a child’s development: psychological, physiological and psychosocial. All three are essential to a child's growth, learning ability and overall wellbeing. Sleep is vital to a child’s overall development and is as important as diet and exercise.

Sleep also strengthens a child’s immune systems and supports their ability to function properly on a daily basis. Children who do not get enough sleep show increased levels of aggressive behaviour, are less attentive and are much less active. Trying to catch up on sleep on weekends is not the answer and can still lead to severe sleep deprivation.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can have adverse effects on a child’s health and wellbeing.

Here is the link to your Edition https://sfsh.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/sleep

Assembly

No Assembly this week due to Swimming Carnival!

Student Of The Week

P/1: Angus Westcott

2/3/4: Danica Howie

5/6: Kopelyn Brennan

Bella Fryer 21/11

Rhianna Angus 21/11

Prep/1 Happenings

In Prep/1, we have been hard at work creating our very own class story, The Lost Princess! This imaginative tale features a dragon named Claw, a princess named Charlotte, a king called Rock, and a brave knight, Sir Tommy. After weeks of effort, we’re excited to announce that the final page is complete! Each student has illustrated their own pages, bringing the story to life with their unique creativity. Keep an eye out for the finished masterpiece—it’s something you won’t want to miss!

Miss Brown,

P/1 Teacher

Our recipe book is almost ready! The Year 2/3/4 students have typed up their recipes, and Miss Allison is putting them together into a fantastic book for students to take home. As part of this project, the students practised their procedural writing skills, focusing on using adverbs and adverbial phrases to describe each step clearly. It’s been a wonderful way to combine creativity and literacy! The students are so proud of their efforts and can't wait to share a sneak peek with you!

Miss Allison,

Year 2/3/4 Teacher

Year 5/6 Happenings

Year 5/6 have been exploring all things geometry over the past couple of weeks. Students identified and examined 2D and 3D shapes, with a particular focus on prisms and pyramids. We explored unique features like faces, edges, and vertices, and compared the shapes of real-life objects, such as boxes (prisms) and tents (pyramids). Students also constructed models, learning that prisms have two parallel, identical faces, while pyramids converge to a single point. These maths lessons helped students deepen their understanding of shape properties and apply their problem-solving skills to further help them with their upcoming Maths Assessment.

Miss Rowe,

Year 5/6 Teacher

Specialist Lessons- Miss Eriksen

Miss Erik

In our music lessons this term, the students have been learning how to play the recorder. The students in P/1 have been mastering how to play hot cross buns. This week we went downstairs to practise with our partners. Even the chickens enjoyed listening to the P/1 students practise!!

sen,

Specialist Teacher/Inclusive Practices Teacher