Filter Content
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to Term 3! I hope the break provided some rest and quality time with loved ones. I’ve unfortunately been unwell and away from school this week, but I’m feeling much better and looking forward to returning on Monday.
Over the holidays, we completed a Kindergarten playground refresh, which I’m told has been a huge hit this week! The new space makes better use of zones and areas, adds more opportunities for creative and physical play, and has made ongoing maintenance much more manageable. You can see some lovely photos of our students enjoying the area on our Facebook page. I invite families to take a look when dropping off or picking up your child—it’s a beautiful addition to our school environment.
NAIDOC Mass
Today we celebrated NAIDOC Mass as part of our school’s NAIDOC Week celebrations at St Christopher’s in Manuka. A huge congratulations to Oliver Cotton, whose stunning artwork was selected for the Mass booklet cover as part of the Annual Art Competition. Oliver was presented with a canvas print of his work, and we’ve also received a copy for display at school. Keep an eye on our social media for photos of Oliver and Mrs McArthur at the Mass.
A special mention to Ethan Steele, who was named runner-up; his artwork will be used by Catholic Education in the coming year. We’re incredibly proud of both students for their creativity, contribution, and connection to culture.
NAPLAN Student Reports
Families of students in Years 3 and 5 will have received their NAPLAN reports this week, or will do so shortly. Our students worked hard and should be proud of their efforts. Please remember that NAPLAN is just a snapshot of one day in your child’s learning journey—it’s not the full picture. At SFA, we use a range of assessments to measure academic growth and achievement, and we triangulate this data to capture a well-rounded picture of each student’s progress. I encourage you to celebrate your child’s achievements and reach out to your classroom teacher if you have any questions.
We’ve begun a high-level analysis of the NAPLAN data, which will help inform our strategic planning for 2026–2028 and contribute to the development of our 2026 Annual Improvement Plan (AIP). I look forward to sharing some of our insights and achievements in upcoming newsletters.
Wishing everyone a restful weekend after a great start to Term 3!
Blessings and best wishes
Sean Rutledge
Principal
GOSPEL REFLECTION
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer Luke 11:1-13
If we’ve ever wondered ‘how to pray’, we can find words of guidance in Jesus’ instructions to the disciples. He invites us to call God ‘Father’, an intimate term which indicates how God sees us, as his children. The words, ‘may your name be held holy’ could also be termed: ‘Father, may we always honour you, and know how special you are. There is no-one else like you’. Jesus encourages us to acknowledge and voice our desire to do God’s will in our lives, that God’s kingdom of love, goodness, mercy, compassion and salvation be our reality. We pray that our needs are met, and that our sins are forgiven. And just as God the Father forgives the sins of others. ‘And do not put us to the test’ could also sound like, ‘we pray that we can bear what life brings us, with your grace and with the help of the Holy Spirit’. God wants to hear from us more than we can imagine, and wants to give us all we ask for, in the name of his Son.
From God’s Word, Daily Reflections, 2025
EUCHARIST SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM
Children who are in Year 5 who wish to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist will begin their preparation next week. There is a Parent Formation Session being held next week for parents of these children. Parents only need to attend one of the following sessions, Wednesday 30th July: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm or Thursday 31st July 5:30 - 6:30. Both sessions will be held at Holy family Church. If you have not yet nominated your child and wish for them to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist, please contact Orla using TuggeranongSouth.Sacraments@cg.org.au
Have a great week!
Sharee Thomas
REC
3 Dhaura, will be creating nature inspired pinch pots in the sensory garden on Friday from 2:15-3:00 in week 2. If you have a current WWVP card and some time to spare we would love to invite parents, grandparents and families to come along. We will be in the garden, behind the junior play equipment from 2:15.
Please see below for the Term 3 Garden Timetable.
Jesse Waltmann
Year 3 Teacher
Parent and Family HUB -The Resilience Project
In case you weren't aware, our school is a Resilience Project School. TRP is committed to teaching positive mental health strategies to prevent mental ill health and build young people’s capacity to deal with adversity.
We’re proud to be implementing TRP’s evidence-based whole school wellbeing program to support positive mental health in the classroom, staffroom and wider community. Students engage in weekly lessons to understand and strengthen their practice of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy, with regular opportunity for parent/carer involvement.
As part of this program, you have access to the TRP Parent and Family HUB. Please see the attached flyer with a QR code for your free access.