Dear Parents and Friends of Holy Cross,

As we reach the end of Term 3, it is with a grateful heart that I reflect on the many blessings we've shared as a community. This term has been a period of significant growth and rich learning for our students and staff, and the celebration of many vibrant events enabling the strong and welcoming community spirit that characterises Holy Cross and who we are.

A particular highlight was our recent Feast Day celebrations of the Holy Cross. It was a powerful reminder of our school's founding story and a beautiful opportunity for our students and staff to come together in faith. The day was filled with reverence, joy, and a shared sense of belonging as we honored the ultimate act of love and sacrifice, remembered our school’s history, and celebrated our grandparents who joined us for Mass, morning tea and classroom visits.

This year's celebration feels especially significant within the context of the broader Catholic Church's Jubilee Year. This special time is a call to renewal and hope, encouraging us all to deepen our connection with our faith and with one another. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what gives our lives meaning and to be a source of light for those around us.

My call to pilgrimage

As I reflect on my own faith journey, and prepare to be a pilgrim to Ireland, Rome and Assisi in the coming weeks, alongside a group of educators, and led by Bishop Brian, the concept of a pilgrimage is particularly relevant to me, and for us all in different ways too. A pilgrimage is not just a physical journey to a holy place; it is a spiritual journey of the heart. It’s an opportunity to step away from the ordinary and to intentionally seek a deeper connection with God and with our own purpose. In a world that prizes speed and efficiency, a “pilgrimage” invites us to slow down, to be present, and to recognize that our entire life is a journey toward God.

Every day presents us with small opportunities for pilgrimage—a quiet moment of reflection, a walk in nature, or a dedicated act of service. These "mini-pilgrimages" can help us cultivate a sense of inner peace and purpose. They remind us that our faith is not static; it is a living, breathing path that we walk each day.

Peace Be With You

These words are a part of our school’s motto, and are the words that the risen Jesus used in greeting. We repeat these each time we gather as both a school and Eucharistic community—the body of Christ. It is a profound expression of how we wish to be with each other and in the world.

In a world that often feels fractured, loud, and relentlessly chaotic, the concept of peace can seem like a distant and fragile dream. We are bombarded daily with headlines of conflict, images of division, and the constant hum of global unrest. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, to believe that peace is a monumental task, a political ideal achievable only by nations and leaders. Yet, from a spiritual perspective, true and lasting peace begins in the quietest, most sacred place: within the human heart.

Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is the presence of an inner stillness that can hold the world's turmoil without being consumed by it. This is the peace that transcends understanding, the one that we cultivate through intentional practice. It is found not by silencing the world's noise, but by finding a deeper, more resonant desire within ourselves—a desire for calm, compassion, and unwavering hope. This is being and living in relationship with God, the source from which all other forms of peace flow.

When we are centered in God, our actions, words, and even our mere presence become instruments of love and peace. We are able to see the shared humanity in those we might otherwise consider "other." We can listen without judgment, respond with empathy, and seek common ground instead of drawing lines. The path to a peaceful world is not paved with grand gestures alone, but with the millions of small, daily acts of kindness, forgiveness, and understanding that spring from a peaceful soul.

To a world in turmoil, the spiritual perspective offers a radical truth: the most powerful revolution begins not in the streets, but in the sanctuary of the heart. By cultivating our own inner peace, we contribute to a collective field of peace that can transform the world, one breath, one thought, one act of love at a time.

I encourage you to take some time in stillness and silence to be in relationship with God and to cultivate your own inner peace.

Reflect on the words of St. Francis of Assisi and consider how you are called to be an

instrument of peace in your own life.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Wishing all our families a safe and restful break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for a wonderful Term 4.

Staffing News

In my absence whilst on pilgrimage overseas, Lindsay Burns will be the delegated Acting Principal, over the holiday break and all of Week 1 in Term 4.

Staffing Announcement

Schools across our Wollongong Diocese have been in a process of recruitment this past month. In our profession, as with many other professions, growth, change and improvement are an integral part of our employment and vocation. This includes experiencing a different school setting.

It is with congratulations that I share that, after almost 7 years of teaching at Holy Cross, Elise Facci has successfully been appointed to Stella Maris Catholic Primary School Shellharbour, commencing in the 2026 school year. I acknowledge Elise’s passionate service and thank her for many contributions to Holy Cross over the years, and the wonderful teaching and nurturing of faith, learning and wellbeing she has given to many students. We will certainly miss her! Recruitment for her position will take place into Term 4. 

TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM

Our school’s Annual Improvement Plan’s impact on improving students’ faith, learning and wellbeing is highly dependent upon the ongoing professional learning and capacity building of our staff. The professional learning opportunities and official events that staff have engaged with the last two weeks: 

Students Return on Monday 13th October

TERM 4 PARENT CALENDAR- Term_4_2025_Parent_Calendar_.pdf

May the peace of Christ be with you,

Milena Colussi
Principal

Lindsay Burns
Acting Assitant Principal

On Sunday 14 September our Year 6 students received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is the Sacrament that completes Baptism by sealing the baptised person with the Holy Spirit, imprinting an indelible character and granting the seven gifts of the Spirit so that the faithful may bear witness to Christ with courage, wisdom, and love. Congratulations to all of the students and we pray…

Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon our newly confirmed students, granting them strength, wisdom, and a joyful commitment to live as true witnesses of Christ. Amen

In Peace, 

Mrs Debbie Turton 

Religious Education Coordinator

Term 2 Monday Morning Prayer 8:50-9am - If you have the time, we warmly welcome you, our parents, to join us every Monday morning on the Top Plaground COLA, as we gather to start the week and pray together. 

Parish Masses - As a parish catholic school, we seek to enable opportunities for our community to encounter the mass. Each term, our classes attend a weekday parish mash, as well as whole school masses for important Feast days. Parents are always welcome to attend. :

Sunday Parish Mass - Families are of course always welcome to attend the Holy Cross Parish Sunday Masses. 

BERRY ST EDUCATION MODEL

The Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) is an evidence-based framework that provides educators with practical strategies to enhance student well-being, engagement, and academic achievement. The model is built on five key domains: Body, Relationship, Stamina, Engagement, and Character. 

Module 1, Body, focuses on the fundamental principle that students must be regulated and feel safe before they can be ready to learn. Our staff have been utilising a range of strategies to support and enhance student engagement, learning and wellbeing these past two terms.

Key strategies from this module aim to help students increase their physical regulation of the stress response, de-escalate, and improve their focus. These include practices like  

• "Brain Breaks” which are short, physical activities designed to re-energize and refocus the class.
• "Ready to Learn" routines, which are predictable, consistent actions at the start of a lesson or transition that help students feel calm and prepared. 

By teaching students about the connection between their physical body and their emotional state, educators can empower them with tools like grounding techniques and mindfulness exercises to manage stress and anxiety, creating a more stable and productive learning environment.

Kindergarten: 

In Kindergarten, we love starting our day with a morning circle and personal greeting, which gives us a chance to connect and feel part of our class community. We use our 3-point ‘Ready to Learn’ scale to check in with how our bodies and minds are feeling, helping us understand what it means to be calm, focused, and ready to learn. Throughout the day, we enjoy a variety of fun brain breaks to move, laugh, and re-energise, so we can refocus and give our best to each new learning adventure.

Year 1:

In Year 1, we have been exploring a variety of movement brain break activities, both on our “brain break wall” and digitally on our tv, to re-energise our brains and give ourselves an opportunity to refocus for the next learning experience.

We also have a fun “Read to Learn” scale. This is an opportunity for us to self-assess our emotional state and communicate our readiness to learn to our teacher. 

Year 2:

Year 2 has been enjoying a variety of body activities for brain breaks, including body percussion, desk drumming, dodge games, “Would You Rather,” yoga, and running or walking laps in the beautiful sunshine. These short movement breaks have helped us to re-energise and be ready for learning.

We have also been learning to use our “Ready to Learn” scale, which helps us understand what it feels like when our bodies and minds are calm, focused, and ready for learning. By practising this, we are becoming more aware of ourselves and are making choices that help us stay engaged and do our best in class.

Our circle time has been a positive way to practise the skills of gratitude and to reflect on what went well. It has become a regular celebration of our learning and achievements.

Year 3:

Year 3 have enjoyed ‘welcome circles’ routines which have supported engagement in learning and wellbeing to start our days. We review key values and expectations and celebrate any announcements and successes. It allows the students to ground themselves, co-regulate and establish a common rhythm for the learning day. We start with a greeting in another language to each other and connect. 

We use positive primers at the beginning of a day to encourage the flow of positive emotions.They have been trying a whole class game of ‘popcorn’. 

End of day chats allow students to feel safe, engaged, and confident. Daily conversations and activities contribute to this by giving students a voice and a sense of belonging. The goal is to build trust and address underlying issues so the student can end the day feeling understood and supported.

Year 4: Fab Fours

What a fantastic term it's been in Year 4! We've made our days special with Welcome Circles, where we've greeted each other in different ways and used calming music to help us feel connected and ready to learn. We've honed our focus and teamwork by playing the Popcorn game, learning to co-regulate and work together as a whole class. And to keep our minds sharp and ready, we've used fun thumb and hand coordination activities as quick brain breaks.

We've also been working on building a positive mindset and resilience, especially when things get tough. We've learned to see challenges in our learning, particularly in subjects like maths, as a chance to stretch our brains—just like exercising at the gym! By acknowledging how we feel in those moments, we've practiced pushing through and celebrating our efforts.

All of these routines have helped us build a positive and supportive classroom environment, showing just how much we've grown in our focus, cooperation, and well-being. 

Year 5:

Year 5 use a “Ready To Learn” scale and although we aim to be in the green zone when we are in our classroom, we discuss how and why we aren’t always in the green zone and how each individual can help themself get there. 

We use brain breaks - we have learnt some new activities, but also enjoy a quick run outside to help us re-energise and reset.

Our Beehive is a place we love to be and take pride in - the buy in has been of an extremely high level and engagement levels reflect this.  

Year 6: 

This term, Year 6 have implemented Morning Circles and Positive Primers into their morning routine to help get students ready for the day of learning. These routines help us begin each morning with a sense of connection as a class, creating a positive classroom environment where every student feels prepared and ready to engage in their learning. Some of the Positive Primers like Popcorn have proved to be a fun challenge and a good brain-break for students between tasks. 

Creative Arts (Drama, Music) Lessons with Miss Maher:

This term in Creative Arts we have implemented the use of morning circles, positive primers to increase and decrease energy levels and wellbeing check ins. These 3 strategies have worked hand in hand in the CAPA space, being implemented at the beginning of each lesson as I have 5 classes in 1 day. This is a way for me to check in with students on how their day is going and what positive choices can be made/encouraged to make their day even better.  

I can see these strategies having a positive impact on my students' engagement and willingness to be vulnerable and confident when completing class activities. 

Physical Education lessons with Mrs Boyle: 

This term in PE, we have implemented a participation “check-in” to encourage student reflection and self-regulation. Students signal their level of participation and reflect on their engagement using a simple thumb signal (up, sideways, down). Guiding prompts include:

• How do I feel about my participation?
• Did I try my best?
• Did I contribute positively?

We have created a Positive Primer: Dance. These dance routines have been taught across the whole school, encouraging a sense of community and connectivity. The primer can be used at any time in PE or with class teachers.

• Energise students physically and emotionally.
• Build a sense of fun and connection.
• Provide a safe, inclusive way to express creativity and prepare for movement activities.

STEM MAD Innovate for Impact Newsletter

On Tuesday 23 September, two talented teams from Holy Cross were selected to showcase their STEM MAD project to industry professionals, CEDoW staff, teachers and over 200 students as part of the Innovate for Impact event at the University of Wollongong Innovation Campus. Our teams spoke confidently, explaining their design solutions to real-life issues and how they ‘Make a Difference’ in the lives of others.   

Our teams:

Anxiety Spray Kit - Sophie, Florence, Indigo

Frankie the De-Stress Dog - Sophia, Sadie, Vida

Both teams represented our school with pride and we are so proud of all the hard work and effort you put into your projects and presentation. 

A special congratulations to Vida, Sophia and Sadie who created Frankie the De-Stress Dog. This team won the CEDoW Primary Schools award. Their empathetic project, designed for people with neurodivergence, received positive feedback and praise. The judges were impressed by their exceptional knowledge of the design process and their strong presentation skills. As a result, this team has been invited by iAccelerate to attend a workshop next term to further develop their product and pitch. We are so proud of you and can't wait to see what you achieve next!

Emergency Management at Holy Cross

Over a school year, as part of the school’s WHS procedures, we conduct a range of emergency drills. This term we conducted a playground based evacuation and a Lockdown (from classroom time). Your children are shown safe ways to respond, listen and follow teacher directions to a safe place.

Bushfire Management Plan

Bush fire areas are a natural part of the Australian environment and occur regularly.  When threatened by bushfires, people will often leave it too late to make critical decisions.  This Bush Fire Management Plan has been developed for Holy Cross Primary School Helensburgh with rigorous consultation with the Rural Fire Service and aims to provide a clear and effective tool for the school to use during a bushfire emergency. The Bush Fire Management Plan is reviewed annually in consultation with the Rural Fire Service, prior to the Bushfire season. In 2025, for the 2025-2026 Plan, this consultation occurred on 21/9/25.

Please carefully read the following Parent Notification - Bush fire Emergency Plan. 

Of particular note:

It is important to understand that during the Shelter in Place procedures staff, students and parents/visitors on site will not be allowed to leave until advised by emergency services (RFS, POLICE) that it is safe to do so. Parents are asked NOT to attend the school site. It is advised that no parent should be travelling on roads during these events. 

The Rural Fire Service encourages parents to download and observe the Hazards Near Me app, as this will be updated with information regarding Hazard Reduction operations as well as active fire locations.

Students are also asked to bring a bottle of water to school each day.

PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning)

Our schoolwide focus for PB4L this week  

AWARD ASSEMBLIES IN TERM 4

Our school assemblies in Term 4 will be held fortnightly on even week WEDNESDAY afternoons beginning at 2:30pm, under the top cola. Any change to the time will be communicated to parents via Compass. 

Dates for Term 4:

• Week 2: Wednesday 22nd October
• Week 4: Wednesday 5th November including Kindergarten’s Celebration of Learning
• Week 6: Wednesday 19th November, including Principal Awards
• Week 8: Wednesday 3rd December
• Week 10: TUESDAY 16th December

IMPORTANT DATES

Please note - TOMORROW is a PUPIL FREE DAY 

WEEK 10, FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER. 

Focus Area ~ Student Engagement and Wellbeing- Berry St Education Model. Module 2 Relationship – Positive relational classroom management strategies that promote on-task learning.

PARENT COURSES AND WEBINARS

Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) Conference – Supporting Families:

Working Together in a Modern World

On 25 October 2025, the Council for Catholic School Parents (CCSP) is hosting a special anniversary celebration conference for all NSW/ACT parents and carers with children in Catholic schools! It’s going to be a value-packed day of connection and collaboration where their expert presenters will provide specialist advice on parenting in a modern world.

Dr Justin Coulson: co-host and parenting expert on Channel 9's Parental Guidance and the founder of happyfamilies.com.au 

Michelle Mitchell: sought-after author and speaker on parenting tweens and teens

Daniel Principe: a passionate youth advocate and educator, and nominee for Australian of the Year.

This conference will cover areas such as managing technology with young people, consent and respectful relationships, cybersafety, building your child’s resilience, sleep, managing anxiety, screens and brain development, supporting your child’s learning at home and at school and more!

Date: Saturday 25 October 2025

Time: 8.30 am – 3.30 pm (doors open at 8.00 am)

Location: Novotel, 350 Church Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150

Parking is available at the venue, Novotel Parramatta, for a day rate. Please contact the hotel for more information: (02) 9630 4999. Other options include Eat Street Parking. Novotel Parramatta is offering special rates for conference guests. Please call the reservations team on 02 9890 0850 or email novotel@nmsp.com.au to book and advise them that you are attending the conference. Valid until 9 October 2025, subject to availability at the time of confirmation.

Buy a ticket here: Supporting Families: Working Together in a Modern World Registration.

Find out more and book here: https://www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/2025-conference

ONLINE PARENT COURSES

Parent courses are also available through OnLine Training for parents seeking information or support around understanding ADHD and Autism and can be accessed via the OLT website.

Short courses are self-paced (approximately 2 hours) and include a variety of topics, with parents only able to enrol in only one course at a time.

Term 3 Environmental Highlights

At Holy Cross we are constantly striving to teach the next generation eco-conscious strategies for reducing, reusing and recycling waste that can have long-lasting, sustainable outcomes for the planet. There are lots of simple ways we can encourage sustainable behaviour and help students become more eco-conscious in their day-to-day lives. Click this link to see Term 3 Highlights Term_3_Environmental_Highlights.pdf

NEW BOOKS – STUDENT REQUESTS

As you know from the last newsletter, I have been able to acquire from Scholastic some ‘student requests’ to add to our collections - here are just a few that have been processed and ready for borrowing this fortnight:

Welcome To The World of Sonic (Popular Fiction Series)

Spiro (Junior Fiction)

Digger Digs Down (Junior Fiction)

LEGO - How To Build Everything (Non Fiction)

The Determined Kitten (Popular Fiction Series)

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all our parents who buy from Scholastic Book Club – our school receives reward points with each order which I use to purchase titles requested by our students. And of course, thank you to our wonderful parents and staff who cover the books!

Stayed tuned for more titles…

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB ISSUE 6

Book Club Issue 6 orders were sent home last week.  

TERM 3 IN REVIEW

All I can say is - what a busy term it has been for the Library! Here is just a snapshot of what a fantastic time we have had:

* the CBCA Shortlist books being processed and shared,

* new student requests acquired,

* our whole school Trivia Tournament,

* the completion of the Premier’s Reading Challenge,

* giving the Library a mini makeover – moving of furniture, new displays and event photos (next time you visit our Library, feel free to come and have a look – our students love them!), and

* the highly successful Book Parade.

The above of course has one important goal – to encourage a love for reading. Here at Holy Cross we are extremely fortunate to have a staff that is passionate about this and a Leadership team that supports it. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do – be able to offer our wonderful students’ opportunities to contribute to what is stocked in the Library as well as ample opportunities to discover the joy of reading. I truly believe in our Library’s mission and of course I have my fantastic Library Warrior’s who support me every step of the way.

With holidays upon us, I’d like to wish all of our Holy Cross community a happy, enjoyable holiday and I look forward to sharing with you what we get up to next Term!

Happy reading everyone!

Sue Murray
Library Coordinator

Appropriate Content

The content and media children consume plays a powerful role in shaping their understanding of the world, relationships, values, and even themselves. Whether it’s music, movies, games, or online content, these influences can have both positive and negative impacts, depending on the nature of what children are exposed to. For primary school-aged children, it’s especially important that the content they engage with is age-appropriate, developmentally suitable, and aligned with positive messages and values. Children at this stage are still learning how to process emotions, build social skills, and distinguish between reality and fantasy. 

We strongly encourage families to take an active role in monitoring and guiding their children's media choices. This includes checking classification ratings, previewing content when possible, setting screen time boundaries, and most importantly, having open and ongoing conversations. 

Creating safe and supportive media habits during these formative years not only protects children from potential harm but also lays a strong foundation for their wellbeing, self-esteem, and understanding of healthy relationships in the future. 

Music: It’s best to select songs with positive, age-appropriate lyrics and themes. Music that promotes kindness, confidence, fun, or learning is ideal, while songs with explicit language, sexual references, or violent content should be avoided. Many streaming platforms offer “clean” or kid-friendly playlists that are great options for this age group. Encouraging children to enjoy music that is uplifting and suitable for their stage of development helps support a healthy emotional and social environment.

Movies: It's important to choose films that are age-appropriate, with positive messages, gentle humour, and content suited to their developmental stage. Movie classification ratings, such as G and PG, are there for a reason. They help guide families toward content that is safe and suitable for young viewers. These guidelines consider things like language, violence, scary scenes, and mature themes. Choosing appropriate movies supports children’s emotional wellbeing and helps ensure their viewing experiences are positive and enjoyable.

Games: It's important to consider both the content and the level of supervision needed for primary school-aged children. Games like Minecraft and Roblox can be creative and educational when used in safe, controlled environments with privacy settings and adult supervision. However, some parts of Roblox and online games like Fortnite may expose children to inappropriate language, violence, or interactions with strangers. Games with cartoon-style action and no strong violence, such as Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, or Just Dance, are typically more suitable. Always check age ratings and monitor how children are interacting with games to help them play safely and responsibly.

Online Content / Social Media: Online content and social media use should be limited and carefully supervised. At this age, children are still developing the skills to navigate the risks of the online world, including exposure to inappropriate content, online predators, and cyberbullying. Most social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have a minimum age requirement of 13 for a reason. They are not designed for younger users. Instead, children should engage with safe, educational websites, age-appropriate video platforms (such as YouTube Kids), and apps that encourage learning and creativity. Parental controls, time limits, and open conversations about online safety are essential for building healthy digital habits early on.

Sara Ljuboja

School Counsellor

The Holy Cross Parish Bulletin is emailed to our families via COMPASS, but it is easily accessible on the Parish website: https://www.helensburghcatholic.org.au/bulletins

An Invitation to Sunday Mass

Holy Cross Parish would like to extend a warm invitation to all our beloved school families to join us for Mass on Sunday mornings at 8:30am. 

Attending Mass as a family is not only a wonderful opportunity to strengthen and nurture our faith but also a chance to deepen the bonds that unite us as a parish, school and a wider community. 

Some things you may not know:

• Sunday Mass goes for one hour, 8:30 - 9:30am. 
• We regularly gather for morning tea and a catch up afterwards. 

We look forward to welcoming you and your family at our next Mass as we come together to celebrate the gift of faith and the joy of community.