From the Principal – 8 August 2024

Dear parents and carers,

The Semester has begun very well and our students’ pleasure in being back at school with their teachers and friends has been very heartening to see. They are already hard at work navigating their new programmes of learning and assessment schedules and I have been very pleased with the energy and confidence they are demonstrating in their classrooms and extracurricular activities. Thank you for the support and encouragement you provide to ensure our girls and boys succeed in their studies.

I was delighted with the enthusiasm and generosity with which Year 7 engaged with their first camp at the Collaroy Centre in Sydney last week. For some it was the first time they had been on a camp of this kind, and for others it was an opportunity to learn new skill and make new friends. They were certainly in their element as they learned to navigate rock walls, orienteering, high ropes and surf skills. Congratulations Year 7 on a fine achievement! We are all in great debt to Mrs Bakonji and the team of teachers and Classroom Support Assistants who accompanied our Year 7s to Collaroy.

Twenty students and their teachers Mr Sasaki and Mrs Yamaguchi from our sister school Takefu Higashi High School in Japan have been visiting the College this week as part of a cultural exchange between our two schools. Our visitors have toured Canberra and the surrounding region, participated in classes and have enjoyed the hospitality of our host families. Thank you to those parents, families, and staff who have welcomed our Japanese exchange students into your homes. Your generosity is integral to the success of the programme. St Francis Xavier College will be sending 28 students and their teachers to the Takefu Higashi High School in October.

This year I have reinstituted our Semester 1 Awards ceremonies in both our Junior and Senior schools as an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the achievement, application and community leadership of our students. This is also a great opportunity to inspire all students to achieve their very best throughout the year. Congratulations to all our students who received awards.

My very best wishes to all families,

Sandra Darley
College Principal