Friday 13, June 2025

From the Principal's Desk

We have a busy end of term ahead of us. I am looking forward to going with the Choir to the Eisteddfod in Week 10 (Tuesday June 24th) and our Junior Athletics day on Thursday 26^th.

P & F Movie Night

Tonight is going to be a great night at the cinema with our movie night.  Thank you to our P & F for hosting this event and sourcing some great prizes for our raffle.  Enjoy the movie and the catch up if you are attending!

Staffing updates

We congratulate Miss Katrina Cazzulino on her recent appointment as Leader of Diversity at St Francis Xavier’s School.  A letter was sent to all staff and families earlier this week.

It is with a sense of sadness that I inform you of the resignation of Ms. Erica Savage – Indigenous Liaison Officer. Erica’s last day will be Friday June 27^th 2025. We thank Erica for her dedication, passion and compassion and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.  Erica is looking forward to catching up with families at the NAIDOC liturgy and morning tea afterwards to say farewell.

Spirit of Catholic Education Nomination

We are pleased to announce that SFC has a nominee for the 2025 Spirit of Catholic Education Awards ahead of next month’s Catholic Education Week celebrations.

More than 180 nominations were received from Catholic school communities across the state, recognising individuals and teams for excellence in their work, leadership, service, initiative and creating positive change for indigenous students.

Congratulations to Lana Ross for being nominated!  Lana is our Teacher Librarian and eLearn teacher but she does so much more! We are very fortunate to have her on our staff sharing her knowledge and skills with us every day.  She is always ready to go the extra mile and has taken on many lead roles within our school the past few years.

The full list of nominees for Queensland and each Diocese can be found at this link 

The full list of nominees for Queensland and each Diocese can be found at this link

Prep 2026

Enrolments for Prep 2026 are still open so if you have a child eligible for Prep (born between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021) or you have family or friends who are looking for a high quality education in a Catholic School, then please encourage them to contact the school, have a look at our website or come and visit to enrol their child. I have enjoyed meeting many of our new Prep families this term and interviews will continue into Term Three for any further enrolments. Our transition program will run in October/November so it’s important to get your enrolment processed before then so we can send information to families regarding this.

Building projects

During Week 7, Kristina Armstrong and myself travelled to Brisbane to present to a committee our case for Block Grant Authority funding to continue our renovation projects.  We have already been advised that we were unsuccessful in this round.  The number of applications far outweighed the amount of funding available in our pool. We will continue discussions into the future with the CEDC Building and Planning team about future projects.  

State of Origin casual dress day

Next Wednesday June 18^th, staff and students are invited to wear their colour of origin or their favourite sporting team outfits.  May the best team win……..Go Queensland!

Next Friday, June 20^th, I will be away at the Senior Leaders Intensive workshop, accompanied by Deb McGuinness and Kristina Armstrong.  Our middle leaders will be delegated responsibility of the school that day.

Best wishes for a wonderful week ahead!

Narelle Harney

Assistant Principal Administration

We are officially into the final countdown of semester 1 with only two weeks left of the term. Teachers and students are working hard to get all assessment finalised so that reports can be written. You might like to check with your child around how they are going with assessment and whether they need time at home to work on anything.

The Cairns Eisteddfod is coming up in week 10 and our school choir is competing on Tuesday the 24^th of June. They will be performing three songs, and we cannot wait to hear how they do. They have been working hard all year, so we wish them the best of luck! This year, we are also very excited to have the SFX Dance ensemble perform in the dance component of the Eisteddfod. They will be performing on Thursday the 26^th of June. Best wishes to them as well.

We have just done a big clean out of lost property here at SFX. Thank you to our year 6 students who assisted with this. They were excellent in going to all classes and returning items with names and asking if un-named things belonged to any students. We seem to have a rather large collection of unclaimed items at times. At the moment, we a re seeing an influx of socks. This is just a gentle reminder to all families to make sure your items are clearly labelled so they can be returned, and for all students to keep their socks on their feet until they are home.

As we enter the final two weeks of school, I’d like to remind everyone about the importance of attendance – being on time and attending school every day. Every day and every minute counts. Success at school – whether that be academically, or socially and emotionally – comes down to regular attendance and routine. Consistent attendance improves student outcomes and helps students build relationships and confidence.

Finally, just a quick reminder that the parent surveys that were emailed out are due today. They take about 10-15 minutes to complete and provide the school with valuable information, so I do encourage you to have your voice heard by completing this survey.

All the best for the week ahead

Kristina Armstrong 

Assistant Principal Religious Education

On Tuesday this week, our Year 5 and Year 6 students attended Mass with Father Biju to recognise Pentecost. Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus, is seen as the birthday of the Catholic Church, with the Holy Spirit coming to the apostles allowing them to spread the message of Jesus to all the nations of the world. Pentecost also marks the end of Easter season, and we are back to Ordinary Time, and our prayer spaces in the classroom have returned to having Green Cloths. 

On Thursday 19th June at 9 am, our Year 3 and Year 4 students will attend church for a Corpus Christi Liturgy led by Father Biju. Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, honours the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

We will also have Year 2 Liturgy Wednesday 18th June at 2pm and Prep Liturgy Thursday 19th June at 2pm. All families are welcome to attend any of these celebrations of our faith.

Thank you to Miss Erica for hosting activities in the library during Reconciliation Week,  the students participated in a range of activities including wonderful colouring activities to help our students talk about and recognise the importance of reconciliation.

On Monday 23rd June, we will start our celebration of NAIDOC Week with a liturgy in the Church at 8:45am. NAIDOC Week falls during the holidays, so we will celebrate this early this year. The theme of 2025 is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy. Thank you to Erica for the work you have done in helping our students recognise the importance of NAIDOC Week.

The fun continues with our Junior Sports Carnival on Thursday 26th June. We will have sprint races starting at 9am: Year 2, Prep then Year 1 races. After a short lunch break, will commence rotation activities including: Obstacle Course, High Jump, Long Jump, Ball Games, Bean Bag Toss, and Parachute with Circle Games. If any parent is able to support these activities, or at pack up time we will be starting around 11am until 12:30pm. 

Blessings 

Debbie 

Fr Biju Kuriakose Parish Priest

Dear SFX School family members,

This Month, we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is a special day for Catholics to remember the gift of Jesus in the form of bread and wine—symbols of His love, sacrifice, and presence. It reminds us of the importance of kindness, sharing, gratitude, and unity. These are values that people of all faiths and backgrounds can understand and live out in their daily lives.

As students of SFX School, you are part of a caring and diverse community. No matter your faith, you can grow into wonderful and compassionate children by showing respect, helping others, and being people of peace and honesty. Let us all continue to learn from one another and work together to make our school a place where love, understanding, and kindness are shared by all. God bless you all.

Fr Biju Kuriakose

Parish Priest

Mackillop Centre

This week during library lessons, students enjoyed the engaging picture book Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! by Drew Daywalt. The story captivated all year levels, sparking lively discussions and enthusiastic responses. A special mention goes to Billy, Jaxon, and Monato from 5B, who wrote a thoughtful review of the book and awarded it a 4 out of 5 rating.

Our new display for The Truck Cat is now complete and looks fantastic. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Reilly and Mrs. Havill for their continued creativity and dedication to our library displays throughout the year. Their work brings joy to students and helps create a vibrant, welcoming space.

We’re also excited to share that new signage has arrived for the library. The updated signs clearly distinguish the Senior Fiction, Junior Fiction, and Graphic Novel sections, making it easier for students to navigate the space. In addition, we are teaching students how to locate books using the author’s surname, supported by our new alphabet signage system.

Happy reading

Mrs Havill, Mrs Reilly and Mrs Ross

Leader of Learning and Teaching

SFX is currently transitioning to our new academic reporting application, The Learning Dashboard (TLD). From Monday 23rd June (Week 10), you will need to use the new app to access your child's Semester 1 report. 

The new report includes student cohort graphs that provide you with a visual indicator about your child’s grade and those of their peers. Student attendance can also be accessed via the ‘My Learning’ tab.

How do I access the new system?

You can access TLD via the Parent Portal or MyCE app. Once you have navigated to TLD you will need to login again using your Parent Portal username and password.

Staff will be available on Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th June from 8am - 8:30am to assist you in accessing the reports. Please bring your device with you.

Can I still have a PDF version of my report? 

Yes. Click the blue ‘Print PDF’ button on the top right-hand corner of the dashboard and a PDF of the report will be downloaded.

How do I access previous reports created in the old system? 

You will continue to access your previous reports via the School Portal as you have in the past. All future reports will be accessible via The Learning Dashboard. 

Meg Donnelly

Leader of Learning and Teaching

Parent Portal and MYCE App

This year, all CEDC schools are transitioning to a new online reporting platform called The Learning Dashboard (TLD). In order to access TLD later this term, you first need to be able to access the SFX School Portal or the MyCE app. You are strongly encouraged to use the next few weeks to check that you can locate and login to the Parent Portal and/or MyCE app. If you need assistance, please come into the office with your phone or ipad and we can help you. Information regarding how to access your children’s reports on The Learning Dashboard will be provided later in the term.

Accessing the MYCE App

Parent and Caregivers can download the latest version by clicking the following links:

• ​MyCE Mobile App - Apple App Store​
• ​MyCE Mobile App - Google Play

Accessing the Parent Portal

https://sway.cloud.microsoft/jjlLuzLFbAEbPGfC

Mary Amongst Us Awards - Week 7 & 8

PE News

Trinity Coast Central School Sport (TCC)

Students born in 2015, 2014, and 2013 have the opportunity to participate in Trinity Coast Central Sport Trials, which provide a pathway to Regional Championships at the Peninsula sporting level in their chosen sport.

Process for Interested Students and Parents/Carers:

1. Refer to the attached list of trial dates.
2. Download the Peninsula Student Booklet (attached to the Parent Slip or below).
3. Parents/Carers must complete the booklet in full, print it, and return it to the school for signing. Ensure all sections are completed and relevant areas are circled, or it cannot be signed.
4. Once signed, the Peninsula Student Booklet will be returned to the student, who must bring it to the trial.

Important: No signed Peninsula Student Booklet = No Trial.

For any questions, please contact Secretary.manunda@catholic.edu.au.

School Fees

Term 2 Fee Statements were emailed on Thursday 24 April. The due date for payment was 9 May, unless you have a direct debit or other payment arrangement in place.

If you have not received your statement via email or if you have any inquiries, please contact us on 4037 9900 or email accounts.sfx@cns.catholic.edu.au

When paying your account please inclund your 10-digit customer reference number eg. 956XXXXXX. 

Help Needed –P & F Uniform Shop

At the moment, we’re limited in how often we can open the uniform shop each week for our school community.

If you’re able to spare just half an hour once or twice a week to help us get the shop up and running more regularly, we’d love to hear from you.

Please contact our Front Office on (07) 4037 9900 or email us at secretary.manunda@cns.catholic.edu.au.

2025 Term Dates

Prep Enrolments for 2026

Children who were born between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021 are eligible to attend Prep in 2026.

Enrolment applications for the 2026 Prep year are currently being accepted! Interviews for placement in the 2026 Prep classes are underway, with offers now being made to families.

A friendly reminder to existing families: please ensure that enrolment applications are completed, and interviews are scheduled for younger children transitioning to Prep. It's important to note that having a sibling at SFX does not automatically guarantee the enrolment process.

For those with family or friends seeking a high-quality education for their children, we kindly urge our school community to share your experiences with St Francis Xavier’s School and the positive impact of a Catholic education. Encourage them to reach out to the school at 4037 9900, explore our website, or visit us in person so that we can engage in a discussion about enrolling their child.

Tuckshop News

Mr Walsh runs our tuckshop to keep our little tummys happy. Tuckshop is open Wednesdays and Fridays each week. Menu is below

Place all your school orders online quickly and easily with Flexischools. Flexischools is a well-established organisation allowing you to place all your canteen orders online at any time.

Download the Flexischools app from the App Store or Google Play for details on how to set up your account. https://www.flexischools.com.au.

Volunteering

Parents, grandparents, and carers are always welcome to come and assist with the preparations in the tuckshop. Please contact the front office on 07 4037 9900 if you are able to assist.

Community News