Dear Parents & Caregivers,
Welcome back to the first official newsletter of the 2023 school year! As noted above, we are in the hottest season of the year, the Noongar season of Bunuru where there is little to no rain. Being so close to the coast, the hot easterly winds continue with a cooling sea breeze most afternoons. Bunuru is a time of white flowers with lots of white flowering gums in full bloom, including jarrah, marri and ghost gums.
PARENT INFORMATION VIDEOS
This year, we have prepared parent information videos for parents to view at their own leisure for children in PP-6. The Kindy Parent Information afternoon will go ahead on Wed 15th Feb @ 3pm. If you child is in PP-6, next Tuesday you will receive an electronic copy of the parent information booklet along with a link to view a short 5-10min video by the classroom teachers about the upcoming year. Please take the time to view these videos and contact the classroom teacher should you have any questions.
I have prepared a video above for parents to view welcoming you to the school year along with some important information:
- 2023 Priorities
- Childsafe Framework
- Code of Conduct - parent/staff/student
- Attendance
- Francis Five
NEW FAMILIES
A big welcome to all the new families beginning at our school this year. Along with all our Kindy children who are starting their St Francis journey, we have a number of new children and families who have joined our community
Zoe Stevens (PPW)
Brianna (PPB) and Logan Marais (3B)
Henry (1B), Teddie Durant (2W)
Camdyn De Swardt (1B), Violet Gray (1B)
Indianna Robertson (2W), Toby Whitehouse (2B), Liam Fox (2B), Juvontino Raj (2W),
Semerra George (3W),
Benjamin Leken-Chapman (4W)
Lachlan Webb (5B), Zayden Evans (5B), Abby Menzies (5W)
Bailey Stone (6B), Tessa Cheong (6W)
We hope all our new families will be joining us for the upcoming Family Fun Night on Feb 24th!
YOUR MOVE SCHOOLS PROGRAM 2023
Thanks to the work of our Sustainability Champion, Mrs Sarah Kavanagh, in 2023 we will be participating in the City of Wanneroo Your Move Schools Program.
Your Move encourages students and their families to get active by walking, scooting and riding to school. Making a small behavioural change a few times a week can result in huge benefits for your child and the community, including:
- Reduced congestion, travel times and parking problems around schools;
- Improved safety for everyone at drop-off and pick-up times;
- Reduced carbon dioxide emissions around our school;
- Instilling positive exercise habits at a young age;
- More sustainable and cost-effective transport outcomes;
We earn Your Move points by posting stories and photos of our active transport adventures on the website; these can translate into grants to fund active transport facilities and activities for the school and other rewards. If you’re interested in volunteering to be part of our school’s Your Move program, get in touch with our Your Move Champion KB Teacher, Mrs Sarah Kavanagh.
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
In 2023, our School Advisory Council will remain the same. Thank you to the following individuals who have been instrumental in supporting the progress of our school in the past and will continue in their roles this year:
Chairperson - Mr Tony Summers
Vice Chair - Mrs Janelle Prunster
Treasurer - Mr Craig Grantham
Secretary - Mrs Laura Hampson Villalobos
P&F Representative - Mrs Stephenie Kunder
Council Member - Mrs Jevita Nilson
Council Member - Mrs Jacinta Lynton
Parish Priest - Father Darek
Ex-Officio - Mr Jason Baker
P & F EXECUTIVE
This year, we welcome some new members to our P&F Committee. Welcome and thank you for volunteering in an official capacity. To all the other parents who will volunteer at some stage this year (starting at the Family Fun Night on 24th Feb!), we appreciate all your support in providing some great community events throughout 2023.
Chairperson - Mrs Rose Canzirri
Vice Chair - Mrs Stephenie Kunder
Treasurer - Mrs Heidi Durer-Jones
Secretary - Ms Erin Hawes
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
The steelwork for the canopy between the Year 1/2 and 3/4 block is now complete and primed. Due to the need to rectify paving and painting to take place, the temporary fencing is now booked to remain for all of Term 1. The rest of the structure will be completed over the April school holidays.
MERIT ASSEMBLY FRIDAY - STREAMING LINK
Thanks to our wonderful P&F and their fundraising efforts in 2021, we are able to stream our merit and performance assemblies, along with our masses. This enables relatives or parents who are unable to attend to watch the stream from anywhere in the world. Tomorrow's first merit assembly will be streamed via the link below from 8:40am:
https://youtube.com/live/5C45TIAhQj8?feature=share
What a magnificent weekend of sport we just witnessed! As a born and bred West Aussie, it was great to see the Wildcats scrape into the play-offs and the Scorchers win in the most unlikely of circumstances through a young 19 year old with a shocking haircut! We now move on to the last frontier, the Aussies winning a test series in India.
Have a great fortnight ahead!
Jason Baker
Principal
A special welcome to all our new and returning families - hopefully everyone is settling in and making new friends. I hope all families were able to enjoy the break and spend quality time together in the holidays. We are hitting the ground running - as usual!
SACRAMENTS 2023
An Expression of Interest for the sacraments was sent home this week with all Catholic students in Years 3, 4 & 6. Please complete and return the form by tomorrow (Friday). Please note there is a Parent Information Night at St Andrew's Parish, Clarkson on Wednesday 15 February at 6pm for PARENTS ONLY of students receiving a sacrament this year. This is one of only a few commitments for the sacraments - please make sure you are there.
ASH WEDNESDAY MASS
I would like to extend a warm invitation to parents and other family members to attend the Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday 22nd February at 1:45pm in the SFoA Hall. Mass will finish just before school pickup.
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” St Francis of Assisi
Dee Campbell
Assistant Principal RE
Dear Parents,
As of today all families would have received their 2023 annual school fee statement. Please note the payment options available for parents to pay their school fees. Families who have already set up their direct debits with me please ignore the payment option form. For all other families the payment option forms must be signed and returned with your choice of payment option by Friday 24th February. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please contact me ASAP on 9562 9528 or email finance@stfrancisbutler.wa.edu.au
All families on Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) need to provide the school with their current card to continue receiving the discount for 2023.
Kind regards,
Geneve Bastian
Happy Birthday to the following students who are celebrating their birthday over this week and over the next two weeks:
Grace Maggiotto, Noah Hughes, Erana Davis, Darina Domkoc, Eliza Hommel, Sahara Makawa, Mack Lynton, Anger Ajo, Samarra Dock, Siara Westerhout, Oscar Thistlethwaite, Nevada Weko-Hauraki, James Curran, Piper Morrison, Vivienne Liron, Poppy Hicks, Chase Carrara, Jasmine Moffatt, Olivia Pearce, Tessa Cheong.
We wish you all a wonderful day!!
Mon-Thur: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Friday: 8:00am - 3:30pm
Email: admin@stfrancisbutler.wa.edu.au
Website: www.stfrancisbutler.wa.edu.au
Location: 1051 Connolly Drive, Butler WA, Australia
Phone: (08) 9562 9500
Facebook: facebook.com/stfrancisbutler
Mass Times:
Saturdays - 6:00pm
Sundays - 7:30am, 9:00am, 5:00pm
Email: standrewsclarkson@gmail.com
Website: http://www.standrewsclarkson.com/
Location: 53 Belleville Gardens, Clarkson WA, Australia
Phone: (08) 9407 7512
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/standrewsclarkson/