Dear Parents and Friends,

A very warm welcome to the new term. I trust that the time spent with your children over the holiday break was special. I thank you for having them so well prepared for the term ahead. Likewise, I would like to acknowledge the teaching staff who have been preparing learning programs over the holiday period to begin the term.

The commemoration of ANZAC Day has always been a very special occasion for me personally. My Grandfather fought at Gallipoli in the Lighthorse Brigade and I have had the privilege of being at Gallipoli on ANZAC Day in 2001 - an experience I will never forget. On Tuesday morning, I attended the Helensburgh Sub Branch dawn service along with our school captains and many Holy Cross students. I felt very proud of the representation of our Holy Cross community at the dawn service and was honoured to have read The Ode alongside Father Paul who led prayer. 

Yesterday, we acknowledged ANZAC Day with a service at school and once again it was an opportunity to acknowledge and give thanks for the incredible sacrifice given by thousands and thousands of young men and women for our country.

School Cyclic Inquiry

Throughout this term, our school will engage in the School Cyclic Inquiry (SCI) process as part of our Diocesan Continuous Catholic School Improvement. The purpose of this process is to:

1. Celebrate improvement (faith, learning, and wellbeing) at our school community over the past four years
2. Engage in an authentic review involving all stakeholders (Parish, students, staff, and parents) to identify strategic priorities for the next four years. 

The SCI was the focus of the Staff Development Day on the last day of Term 1. This was a highly successful day with great analysis and discussion of copious data sets including student learning and wellbeing data, teacher perception data and teaching programs. We were able to identify areas for celebration, areas of challenge and began to highlight areas to form our future strategic plans. Further data collection to support our SCI process will occur through the 'Tell Them From Me' survey which will be communicated to parents in the very near future.

LIGHTING THE WAY 23+

In the past two fortnight’s newsletters, I have shared two of the five focus areas that underpin the Wollongong Diocesan new strategic plan, Lighting the Way 23+: Formation In The Catholic Tradition and Student Learning and Wellbeing. Please find an outline of the third focus area Belonging In A Connected Community.

Belonging in a Connected Community

The aim of this focus area is to improve accessibility, communication and the experience at key transition points so all students and families, especially those who have experienced disadvantage, vulnerability or marginalisation, have the opportunity to feel a sense of belonging in their school community.

Outcomes and Indicators of Improvement

Students actively engage and feel safe and empowered to take co-responsibility for their learning and wellbeing at school 

Progress towards this outcome will be measured by:

• Students’ self reporting that their voice is being heard and is actively influencing decisions about their safety, learning and wellbeing
• Students’ sense of belonging 
• Student feedback on the support they receive from their school at key transition points 

Parents and carers feel a positive sense of belonging, especially those who have previously felt disconnected from their school community

Progress towards this outcome will be measured by

• Parent and carer feedback on the enrolment and orientation experience
• Parents and carers’ sense of belonging 
• Parent and carer participation and engagement in school life and student learning

Lighting the Way 23+ is a strategic plan that Holy Cross is very much aligned with. It will continue to provide guidance and direction for us as we move into the future always with the belief that every student is capable of improving in their learning and wellbeing while growing in their faith.

2023 ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Update

Goal 1 Improve students’ relationship with Jesus through the values of compassion, justice, hope and integrity.

Goal 2 By the end of 2023, all students will have increased their confidence and engagement in Mathematics so that all students achieve growth

On Monday, our staff attended a professional learning day along with staff from St Michael’s Thirroul. The focus of this day was to build a deeper knowledge and understanding of contemporary Numeracy research and pedagogies.

Thank you for your ongoing support,
Kaylene Duffin