Latest News

📢 You're Invited!
As we approach the end of a wonderful term at St Francis of Assisi College, we warmly invite parents, caregivers, and our entire college community to join us for our End of Term Assembly!
📅 Wednesday 9th April
⏰ 9-9.30am
📍 Multi-Purpose Room
This special gathering is a chance to celebrate our students' achievements, reflect on the term gone by, and come together as a school community in gratitude and joy. We look forward to sharing this moment with you all!
We hope to see you there! 🌟

The event brought together students, parents, and educators for a night of fun, food, and great conversation. Families enjoyed a delicious spread of pizzas, making for a perfect, relaxed setting to catch up with friends and meet the educators who play such an important role in our students’ lives. A big thank you to Domino's Pizza for providing us with a generous deal and preparing over 80 pizzas for the event!

The night was a wonderful chance for everyone to build connections and strengthen the school community. A big thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the evening a success. Your presence made it all the more special, and we look forward to more events like this in the future. Here's to more evenings filled with food, fun, and building lasting relationships within our school family!

Industry and Community Partnership Group 

The aim of this group is to focus on developing sustained community and industry partnerships to create pathways for our students. By joining this group, you will be part of an effort to: 

• Help students understand the skills most sought after by local businesses and industries, offering them opportunities to develop those skills in a real-world setting. 
• Ensure that both the College and our students are actively contributing to the growth and success of the Riverland region. 
• Establish sustainable connections between the school and local businesses, providing vocational pathways for our students. 

We believe these partnerships will significantly enhance the education and career opportunities available to our students. 

Parent Engagement Group 

Our focus for this group is to develop a positive and welcoming school community. The Parent Engagement Group will create opportunities for: 

• Parents and families to meet and connect socially with one another. 
• Parents to meaningfully engage with their child’s education and have a voice in school activities and initiatives. 

We want to create an environment where all families feel involved and supported as part of our school community. 

Your Involvement 

We welcome all parents and caregivers to engage with these groups in a way that works best for you. Whether you are able to attend regular meetings, participate when you can, or offer help on an occasional basis, your involvement will make a difference. 

Expressions of Interest and Meeting Invitation 

We would like to extend an invitation to all interested parents, caregivers and families to register their Expressions of Interest for either one or both of these groups. EOI's can be submitted by emailing Emma Warner. Please provide your name, email address and group/s you are interested in being involved in.

In Term 2, we will provide further communication to invite interested parents, caregivers and families to attend an initial meeting to learn more about the work of these groups and hear about the 2025 priorities. The meeting will also serve as an opportunity to register your interest in becoming involved. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Emma Warner at the College via email emma.warner@assisi.catholic.edu.au or phone 8595 4500.

Dear Parents and Carers,
We wish to inform you that due to the extreme heat forecasted, we were left with no option but to postpone our Swimming Carnival, that was scheduled originally for Friday 14th March. The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our top priority, and rescheduling the event is the safest course of action.
Due to the pool closing soon due to end of the swim season, the Swimming Carnival will now be held on Friday October 24, Week 2 of Term 4, with further details to be provided closer to the date. This outcome ensures all students can enjoy the event safely and engage fully in the experiences of the day.

2026 Enrolments Now Open for New Students!

Great news for those looking to join our school community! Enrolments for new students for the 2026 school year are now officially open. If you're excited to start your high school journey with us, now is the perfect time to secure your place.

St. Francis of Assisi College offers a nurturing and dynamic learning environment for students in Years 7 to 12. Committed to academic excellence, the college provides a broad curriculum, including opportunities in technology, sustainability, and the arts, all grounded in Catholic values. With a focus on wellbeing, community, and personal development, the college fosters a supportive atmosphere where students are encouraged to grow academically, spiritually, and socially. Through a range of extracurricular activities, including sport and experiential learning, St. Francis of Assisi College ensures that every student is well-equipped for future success.

If you have any questions or need assistance, or if you are ready to enrol your child, please contact Claire Smith, Executive Administrator for all the information you need. Claire can be contacted via email or phone 8595 4500.

At the end of last year we launched a College podcast "Our Common Home". Students worked tirelessly with staff to research, create, record, edit and launch our very own podcast.

We aim to connect our community through personal stories and inform people of current events and achievements. We will discuss topics that are important to our students and to the wider community.

Two episodes have been launched so far that includes interviews with our Principal - Nathan Hayes and our Rowing Program Coordinator - Stephanie Turnbull. 

Make sure to tune in to support Our Common Home by streaming on Spotify!

At St Francis of Assisi College, wellbeing isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a way of life.

Guided by our College values and the principles of Laudato Si, we have a genuine and deep commitment to nurturing the whole person—spirit, mind, and body—centred around care for each other, our local and broader community, and importantly, care for ourselves.

Here are some ways we integrate comprehensive wellbeing practices into every aspect of school life to support students, staff, and their families to be at their best:

A Holistic Approach to Student Wellbeing

We place the individual student at the heart of our wellbeing strategy, implementing many initiatives aimed at strengthening student resilience, confidence and general wellbeing:

• Pastoral Care Groups: Regular check-ins with teachers and peers ensure students feel seen and supported.
• Mindfulness Practices: Mindfulness sessions help students build focus and manage stress, encouraging a calm, balanced approach to learning.
• Faith-based, Values-Based Education: Inspired by the teachings of St Francis, we instil values like compassion, humility, and stewardship through reflective practices and community service projects.
• Supportive Staff: Our experienced internal ‘circle of support’ includes a dedicated Leader of Wellbeing, a Student Counsellor and House Group Teachers. All our staff members are committed to delivering personalised student wellbeing support.
• Positive Education: We incorporate the principles of ‘positive education’ to inform the way we support wellbeing in day-to-day interactions, our pastoral care programs and curriculum. This ensures a consistent, school wide approach to wellbeing. 
• Leadership Opportunities: We provide leadership opportunities from Year 7 onwards. Our Student Leadership Council is made up of four representatives from each year level. The student leaders ensure every student has a voice.
• Independent Wellbeing Management: All students receive a personal study diary sourced from the Institute of Positive Education which supports them to independently manage their time, events, homework, and assessments. Parents are encouraged to check their child’s diary on a regular basis.
• Wellbeing Week: Our annual Wellbeing Week promotes the physical, mental, and emotional health of students, staff, and the broader community.  A range of activities across the week encourage self-care and resilience including meditation, music, nature walks, art, yoga, sport, card games, cooking, workouts and talks from local health professionals.  
• Transition support: We provide personalised transition support and immersion opportunities for Year 5 and 6 students from local schools to engage in a range of specialist subjects and experience College life ahead of their transition.

Wellbeing Partnerships

We have engaged in multiple partnerships to foster resilience, emotional intelligence, physical health and a sense of belonging:

• Life Buoyancy Institute (LBI) Foundation: Since 2021, we have partnered with SA-based LBI which delivers local mental health, wellbeing and growth outcomes. We have four staff members who are trained and accredited IMPACT Coaches through LBI including our Leader of Wellbeing and Counsellor. All College staff have completed the IMPACT Foundations accreditation and have engaged in training on a variety of topics related to student wellbeing.
• LifeChanger Foundation: The Foundation develops inspiring mentors within communities and delivers holistic self-development workshops for teens. Our Year 10 students are trained annually as workshop mentors and support Year 7 students in their LifeChanger workshops that focus on goal setting, problem solving, resilience and gratitude. Together they explore their emotions, how they project those emotions and practical strategies to help regulate their feelings.
• Pastoral Care Programs: We have a range of partners for research-backed resources related to sleep, managing social media use, building healthy relationships, improving physical wellbeing and reducing anxiety. These partners also provide webinars each term to our parents.

Supporting Staff Wellbeing

We equally prioritise the wellbeing of educators and staff. Recognising that happy, healthy staff are crucial for a thriving school environment, we have implemented:

• Professional Development: Workshops on mental health, self-care, and work-life balance empower staff to manage the demands of their roles.
• Peer Support Networks: A collaborative and supportive workplace culture ensures staff can lean on each other for advice and encouragement.

Connecting with Families and the Wider Community

We extend our commitment to wellbeing beyond the school gates, creating strong ties with families and the local community:

• Parent Workshops: Regular sessions offer tips on supporting children’s mental health and fostering positive relationships at home.
• Community Partnerships: Collaborations with local health providers and cultural groups provide students and families access to additional resources and support.
• Celebrating Togetherness: Events like the annual Wellbeing Week and Family Nights bring the entire school community together for fun, learning, and connection.
• Inspirational speakers: In Term 2 2024, we enjoyed a visit from Mike and Ben from Real Life Resilience who are affectionately known as Legless & Blind, with Mike losing both of his legs at age 18 and Ben losing 98% of his eyesight overnight at age 16. Through powerful storytelling and humour, they shared their experiences and tools to help our students connect, build resilience and prioritise individual and community wellbeing.

The Role of Nature in Wellbeing

Inspired by St Francis’s deep connection to nature, we emphasise outdoor education and environmental stewardship.

• Outdoor Learning Spaces: Classes are frequently held in the school’s gardens, creating a serene setting that enhances creativity and engagement.
• Eco-Initiatives: Students take part in sustainability projects such as tree planting, recycling drives, and caring for the school’s vegetable garden.
• Nature Walks and Reflection: Regular walks in the nearby Riverland environment provide opportunities for quiet reflection and a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Measuring Wellbeing

Regular surveys and data analysis ensure we are meeting the needs of the community and continually evolve our strategies to address emerging needs:

• Classroom Pulse Check-in Survey: Each year, all students in Catholic schools in South Australia participate in an online survey aimed at ‘checking in’ with students and measuring how they are feeling about their experience in school, their identity as a person and a learner and their sense of belonging, safety, and friendships, to identify any potential social, emotional, or learning needs that they may have which we can then act on swiftly.
• Mood Checks: We gather data on the moods and feelings of our students to gain insight into students’ current emotions, energy levels, general happiness, levels of participation and engagement and what affects their moods as they go about their day-to-day activities.

Resilience and wellbeing are essential for both academic and social development. Our wellbeing practices exemplify our dedication to creating a vibrant, compassionate, and inclusive community. By prioritising the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of students, staff, and families, we are fostering a generation equipped to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and grace.

Our College was one of two Catholic Schools in South Australia to bring home National Wakakirri Awards. The other award winner was Whitefriars Catholic School located at Woodville Park.

Wakakirri is Australia’s largest performing arts event for schools with 180 schools from across the country taking part in 2024. Participating schools are inspired by the Wakakirri ethos ‘great stories inspire change’ to create and perform story-dances that reflect students’ thoughts, ideas and aspirations. This year’s theme was ‘Belonging’ and the event was performed at the Norwood Concert Hall across a number of days in August and September. 

Our students’ performance focussed on the understanding that each student has their own narrative, and experiencing the challenges of adolescence is like a rite of passage to becoming a young adult. Although there are challenges, there are also many positives, supported by one's ability to embrace and accept themselves, and their strengths, and finding comfort in people they feel safe with, and trust.

Congratulations to all involved! This is an incredible achievement and we are so proud. Thank you to the amazing Kiesha Barber and supporting staff for making it happen. 

See all the amazing 2024 Wakakiri Festival winners here!

On Thursday 24 October our Senior and Junior Squad took part in their Term 4 Day Camp.

The focus was on preparing for the upcoming Waikerie Regatta on Saturday October 26. We were faced with some windy conditions but students proved to be growing in skill and confidence, still completing all the three sessions as planned.

Another great day on the water improving our skills and working as a team. Best of luck to our crews on Saturday! From Stephanie Turnbull, Rowing Program Coordinator and Rowing Coach.

September marked another great milestone in the short history of our college.

We proudly hosted the official blessing and opening of ‘Stage 2’ of our college growth – celebrating our recently completed Connection Centre, a senior learning centre for our Years 10-12 students, senior science laboratories and kitchen garden.

Over 250 students, staff, families, and guests came together for the event which included a Blessing Liturgy led by Bishop Karol Kulczycki, SDS Bishop of Port Pirie Diocese.

We also welcomed Dr Neil McGoran, Executive Director of Catholic Education SA, Nichii Mardon, Director Catholic Education Port Pirie Diocese and John Neate, Chairperson South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools.

The ceremony began with an acknowledgement of country and smoking ceremony conducted by Sam Mitchell, a local Aboriginal representative. This traditional practice was held to bless the new buildings and to foster a strong, united community.

After Bishop Karol blessed the new buildings, Principal Nathan Hayes and student leaders led our visitors on a college tour.

Nathan said the celebration marked another significant milestone for our college community.

“These additions consolidate our commitment to providing an excellent Catholic education for our students as they progress through their senior education years,” said Nathan.

Our fantastic new spaces were intentionally designed and built to support students in Years 10-12 as they continue their learning journey.

The new senior learning centre features classrooms, informal flexible learning spaces, student kitchens, a wellbeing area and senior study hub. Two additional senior science labs will support the curriculum requirements of SACE Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

Located adjacent to the Food Tech kitchen, the kitchen garden area will enable our students to plant and grow their own vegetables, fruit and herbs to cook with during lessons.

Nathan added that the celebration was “an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of the many people who have contributed to the vibrant Catholic school community we have become.”

“We thank all who have contributed to designing and building these facilities - Swanbury Penglase architects, Mossop Construction and Interiors, Catholic Education South Australia Planning and Development team, tradespeople and Renmark Paringa Council who have become valued partners within this community.”

Nichii Mardon, Diocesan Director Catholic Education, Diocese of Port Pirie said St Francis of Assisi College has already made an indelible mark through what takes place within our buildings.

“Everyone has a place here and everyone contributes to the unique, vibrant community that has established itself quickly as a cornerstone, providing access to high quality, secondary Catholic education across the Riverland,” said Nichii.

We opened in 2022 with Years 7 and 8 as the first ever Catholic secondary college for the Riverland, proudly building on Catholic education in the Riverland which has been in existence for more than a century.

At the time of opening, we became the Diocese of Port Pirie’s first new Catholic school in over 20 years - and its first new Catholic secondary school in 59 years.

The official opening for ‘Stage 1’ of our college was celebrated in March 2022 after a year-long build process. The first of three planned phases, Stage 1 included our specialist middle years learning centre, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and arts centre, design and technology workshop, our administration centre, and some covered and outdoor learning and play spaces.

Now currently in our third year of operation with students in Years 7-10, we will continue to grow into 2025 as we welcome our first cohort of Year 11 students into our brand-new facilities.

We now look forward to Stage 3 of our planned development which will include a single court stadium with some performing arts facilities, additional parking, and expansion to the oval.

There are exciting times ahead as we continue to grow our community for current and future generations at St Francis of Assisi College!

During Week 10 of Term 3  we held our annual Showcase of Learning.

Parents and families were invited to come together and celebrate highlights of student learning, with the centre piece being the Year 8 students $20 Boss Market.

The real-world application of these initiatives led to high levels of engagement for the students, and allowed them to express their creativity, and critical thinking skills required to think like a business owner. 

It was terrific to see the high number of parents and families who attended the evening, sharing a meal organized by our Community and Industry Engagement School Board Sub-committee. 

On the last day of Term 3 2024 we celebrated the Feast Day of our Patron Saint, St. Francis of Assisi, with our very first ‘Assisi Day’.

We began with a Whole School Liturgy, reflecting on the legacy of St. Francis. Following this, we took a whole school photo and then broke into year-level groups for various activities. These included recycled artwork, protein ball making, a petting zoo with therapy animals, team-building activities, a nature walk, and a disco room.

Students created natural mandalas for their home groups, which will be framed to commemorate our inaugural Assisi Day. 

Our school community came together to form a human cross. See the amazing drone footage here.