Dear parents and carers,

With this being the final newsletter for the Term and before the Easter break, it is worth reflecting on what has been an extremely busy term. It is so wonderful to see the continual growth in our students and the significant commitment by our staff, who, together with the support and encouragement from our parents, carers, parish and wider community, make up the vibrant community that is Holy Cross. I wish to express how grateful I am to all who have contributed to ensuring Holy Cross continues to thrive throughout what has been a very challenging yet rewarding Term.

Throughout Lent and indeed during this coming Holy Week, we prepare ourselves for Easter Sunday – the ultimate high point on the Christian calendar. The Easter story is about the hope that we can begin to see the world as God intended. The hope that the Easter story gives to people, especially those struggling, is what Easter is all about. The risen Christ’s story is just as relevant today as it was to the first women and men who found the empty tomb.

I wish everyone a Happy Easter where the message of Jesus and His suffering and eventual rising is central to our thoughts and actions as we enjoy some time for reflection on what is truly important in our busy lives.

School Uniform Updates

I would like to update you on the position we are in regarding our uniform provider and uniform options.

Our contract with our current uniform provider, Claudine’s, is up for renewal and as such we are following a process for securing a new contract. This process comes under Section 83C of the NSW Education Act 1990 and requires undergoing a tender process to various uniform providers, including Claudine’s. The process involves the support of CEDoW personnel, representatives from the P&F Executive and staff. The new contract will begin in the 2023 school year and therefore Claudine’s will remain our uniform provider for 2022.

There is no intention to introduce a new uniform, however we are keen to provide options for girls to wear trousers in winter and shorts in summer if they wish. However, due to the current state of our uniform contract, we will be providing the following temporary options in 2022:

• Long grey trousers, long sleeve blue shirt and school tie will be made available for all students (winter)
• Grey shorts and short sleeve shirt will be made available for all students (summer)

Once we have secured our uniform provider for 2023 we will consult with our student voice and parents for more permanent options.

We are very interested in your thoughts around options for uniform and welcome any feedback or ideas and would encourage you to send these via email to the school office.

Attached is our interim School Uniform Policy (inclusive of the options above). A reminder that our official change to mandatory winter uniform is Monday, Week 4, Term 2, 16 May 2022. Students are able to wear either winter or summer uniform, depending on the weather, for the first three weeks of Term 2.  

Mrs Kaylene Duffin
Principal