Dear Parents and Friends,

We warmly welcome everyone back to a new term full of fun, wonder, learning, the Olympics, Book Week, special Feast days and Fathers Day celebrations! 

Next Thursday, we will celebrate mass as a school and parish at 9:15am Mass. This is

one of our school’s and nation’s important Feast Days- St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Please join us if you are able to!  
St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney

We, along with the rest of the world, turn our focus to Paris this month for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics—a celebration of athletic dedication, skill, and sportsmanship. I recently read that some past Catholic Schools Wollongong have past students competing in these Olympics, including Kieran Woolley (Corpus Christi, Oak Flats) in Skateboarding (Park), Blake Govers (St Joseph’s, Albion Park) in Hockey, Ellen Perez (St Joseph’s, Albion Park) in Tennis, and Natalie Van Coevorden (John Therry, Rosemeadow) in Triathlon.

The recent statement by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, titled "Open the Way to Christ”, highlights the unique opportunity sport presents for spiritual connection. It emphasises how sport fosters character development and growth in virtue, values which perfectly align with our school sports programs. As Pope Francis states, "Sports can open the way to Christ in those places or environments where, for different reasons, it is not possible to announce Him directly."

The Church has a long and proud association with sport, championing its true dignity, value, and purpose. With so many involved in sports nationwide, our entire school community—students, staff, and parents—has a wonderful opportunity to contribute to this mission. By exemplifying virtues such as perseverance, commitment, and teamwork, we can witness the Gospel and open the way to Christ. 

Sports programs allow students to discover and develop their talents. Sport is more than just competition; it's a valuable learning environment fostering essential values and strong character development. With respect and sportsmanship, athletic fields become classrooms where students strive for excellence, build healthy habits, work in teams and grow as individuals.

The Sacred Role of Grandparenting

Traditionally at Holy Cross, we have celebrated our Grandparents and Grandfriends with a special invitation to attend our Holy Cross Feast Day Mass and celebrations in mid September (13th September this year). However, did you know, that the official World Day for Grandparents occurs in late July? 

On Sunday the 25 July 2021, Pope Francis established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. This year it was celebrated this past Sunday 28 July, the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Grandparents of Jesus.

For the 2024 celebration, Pope Francis chose a line from Psalm 71--“Do not cast me off in my old age”--as this year’s theme. The Vatican stated, “By cherishing the charisms of grandparents and the elderly, and the contribution they make to the life of the Church, the World Day seeks to support the efforts of every ecclesial community to forge bonds between the generations and to combat loneliness.”

Grandparents and the elderly offer us immense wisdom, time, and creativity, especially in times of difficulty and uncertainty. They are a divine gift, harnessing and strengthening our communities to flourish. Their presence is a beacon of hope, illuminating the path for future generations.

Becoming a grandparent transforms one's understanding of grandparenting, enriching life in countless, wondrous ways. The joy of loving and being loved by such a vulnerable and precious soul, who embodies the essence of their parents, grandparents, and generations before them, is a profound blessing. This child, a unique gift to the world, grows before their eyes, reflecting parts of their grandparents and lineage.

As grandparents watch them grow, they are reminded that this child enters life with a divine purpose, a mission bestowed upon them by God. This realisation deepens their focus on the sacred responsibility God has entrusted to them. Grandparents are called to support the child's parents and contribute to their spiritual formation. Their role is to nurture the child's spirit, guiding them with love and wisdom, and helping them fulfill their God-given purpose in this world.

In this journey, grandparents understand that grandparenting is not just about sharing love and joy but also about being spiritual guides, beacons of faith, and steadfast supporters of the child's spiritual and personal growth. By embracing this divine role, they can bless the child's path and help them grow into the person God has intended them to be, fulfilling their unique mission in His grand design for this world.

Through their wisdom and life experiences, grandparents provide invaluable lessons and serve as pillars of faith, nurturing the child's connection to their spiritual and faith heritage. This profound relationship not only enriches the grandchild's life but also strengthens the family's bond, rooted in shared values and faith.

As we prepare to recognise and celebrate the wonderful gift of grandparents as a school community in September, let us reflect on the significant contributions they have made to our lives. Their influence has brought us to this ‘place’, where we can live out our calling and purpose, truly experiencing ‘Life to the Full.'

Ss Joachim and Anne, pray for all grandparents.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 3

A Term 3 printable Parent Planner has been shared with you already. This is a handy two page parent calendar for your fridge or home noticeboard! Any updates and changes will be posted either via Compass, the website calendar or as reminders on our weekly Infographic posted on both compass and our school’s Facebook page. All dates can also be found on the Parent online Calendar accessed also on our school’s website. 

The next PUPIL FREE DAY :

TERM 3 PUPIL FREE DAY - FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER. Focus Area ~ Staff Spirituality Day 

2024 ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROGRESS

Goal 1: Living Our Catholic Identity: In 2024, we will revise our school’s Vision and Mission. 

• Our staff further reflected upon our school’s Vision and Mission on our Staff Development Day last term.  As a result we identified four key areas of collective belief and actions we engage with as a community. These centre around four aspects of school life: Faith, Learning, Environmental, and Pastoral Care and Wellbeing. We examined each aspect in more detail, reflecting upon how we live out these, and why these are important to our school community. We also looked at possibilities for how we may continue to bring our beliefs more fully to fruition. 
• This term, Gary Quinn, from our CEDoW office, will join us to work with the students, parents and parish to revise and refine our school vision and mission. This work will also inform our school vision for learning.

Goal 2: Student Centred Environment: In 2024, we will develop a shared understanding of what student voice and agency is. 

• Our staff engaged with contemporary research to inform our collective understandings and school actions around student voice, agency, leadership and engagement. During our staff development day we also analysed recent “Tell Them from Me” student survey data. As a result, our staff have defined these ideas and identified how our school processes currently enable this for our students. This will also inform a review of our current student leadership policy. We are using the research of Amy Berry to unpack what student engagement looks like.
• This term, we will consult students about how they see their voice being enabled in aspects of wellbeing, play, faith and learning.

Goal 3: Excellence in Teaching: In 2024, we will develop alignment between curriculum teaching, learning and assessment in English and Mathematics. 

• All class teachers engaged with professional learning Staff Development Day last week in Mathematics, with a focus on developing further understandings around developing student skills in Working Mathematically, the role of assessment during the teaching and learning cycle, and a deep focus on Additive relations in the Number strand of the syllabus. Teachers have now completed a second round of professional collaborative planning release to program for Mathematics this term. As a result, teachers can identify and plan for assessment opportunities throughout a unit of teaching, as well as focus on identifying the essential mathematical content knowledge, and working mathematically skills like reasoning when problem solving, that their class will need to learn, know and apply.
• Continued focus this term will now be within classrooms, with supported professional practice with our leadership team working alongside class teachers and with students to put into practice our learnings.

Professional Learning

Research tells us that the quality of the teacher is the greatest in-school influence on student achievement. Therefore high quality professional learning for teachers must be a priority to ensure improved teacher practice that leads to improved student growth. Recent professional learning undertaken or other professional commitments by our staff this fortnight includes:

Every Blessing,

Milena Colussi
Principal