Dear Parents and Friends of Holy Cross,

Our shared Lenten Journey

Our Year 4,5 and 6 students led us through a very moving journey with Jesus with the Stations of The Cross. As pilgrims of Christ, we too journey with Jesus

through the remaining week of Lent, solemnly into Holy Week, The Passion, the Easter Triduum, and the joy of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. We journey with him as his weary legs and broken body make their way to be crucified. We remember Mary who stood,  tired and weak  at the foot of the cross, next to Jesus in unrelenting love and solidarity as he died on the Cross.

We may well struggle to connect with the story of Jesus, but in our reflection and connection to our everyday life, it’s struggles and joys, we too can may come to understand the great sacrifice Christ gave of himself, his life, for us. 

Try this: 

Close your eyes and focus on your legs as you stand | Bend your knees and feel the weight of your body | We are supported every day by our legs for our entire life | They engage and move us without any thought | Imagine standing with Mary at the cross as Jesus dies | Imagine the pain and also the sadness and anger at seeing Jesus die | Who did we stand next to yesterday in solidarity? | Who did we support through a challenging time?  |  When might we need to stand with someone today?

Read and reflect upon the Scripture:  Luke 23:1-49 (The Passion)  May you and your family experience the joy and peace of the resurrection this Easter.

Term 1 has been absolutely fantastic at Holy Cross!  Our whole school and grade masses, Monday morning prayerful encounters led by our students and classes during Lent, quality learning experiences, our fabulous P&F Fete community event and extensive professional learning for our teaching staff. Thank you to our hardworking teachers and support staff for their commitment to working in partnership with our parents to support our students in their learning growth. On behalf of all of our Holy Cross staff, we wish you all a safe and restful school break. 

Students return on Tuesday 29 April, as Monday 28th is PUPIL FREE DAY. 

A few snapshots gathered from our P&F Fete this term!

The Pilgrims of Hope - Jubilee Year Passports

Those who are regular parishioners, may already have a copy of the specially developed diocesan resource, The Pilgrims of Hope - Jubilee Year Passports. Bishop Brian is providing a copy of this resource to all Catholic school staff and students (Years 2–12).

Pope Francis has proclaimed 2025 a Holy Year of Jubilee, a special year of grace, prayerfulness and service. Held every 25 years, the goal of a Jubilee Year is to inspire and encourage us in embracing the Church's universal call to holiness and to mission, strengthening us in our witness to God’s love and mercy for all people. and to do so specifically in this Jubilee Year, as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.

These passports are a wonderful way to help our students, our families, and our staff to come to a fuller understanding of the purpose of this Jubilee Year, and to embrace some simple practices of prayerfulness, pilgrimage and service—helping us to open ourselves more fully to the love and mercy of God in the process.

Additionally, please include an explanation of the Jubilee Year and the Pilgrim Passports in your upcoming communication with

parents/guardians.

The Diocesan Jubilee Webpage is available for all to explore more about the Jubilee Year, and we will have some special opportunities at Holy Cross to further explore and engage with this wonderful resource. 

Celebrating a Millennial Saint

Did you know that Carlo Acutis, the inspiring teenager who used his computer skills to share his faith, will be officially canonised as a saint on 27 April 2025, during the Jubilee of Youth week?

Who is Carlo Acutis? 10 things you should know about him | Catholic News Agency

The Life of Carlo Acutis | Biography, Legacy, and Devotion | Catholic Answers Tract

To mark this special celebration, our system has developed digital resources that embrace Carlo's tech-savvy spirit and his passion for evangelisation. Created using apps and AI, these resources are perfect for exploring Carlo's life with your students:

• For primary students: An interactive digital school magazine. Access the magazine via Publuu here.
• For secondary students: A thought-provoking podcast and discussion guide. Access the guide via Publuu here.

These resources, inspired by Carlo's own use of technology to spread faith, demonstrate how to engage with and share faith in the digital age and can be explored for learning activities across Religious Education, English, ICLT, HSIE, Music and Art, and Civics and Citizenship.

ENROLMENTS FOR 2026 ARE OPEN

Enrolment Interviews have commenced and will continue throughout May! The online application form is accessible from the home page of our school website. https://www.hchdow.catholic.edu.au/enrol/

INTERVIEW BOOKING REMINDER : If you have a younger sibling enrolled, please hop online or call our school office to book a time for an interview. 

STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS 

ASSESSMENT This Friday 11th April, our teaching staff will join three other schools (Thirroul, Gwynneville and Port Kembla) offsite for professional learning around Assessment and moderation practices, as part of a Community of Practice (4 One stream schools) working together. We have an expert external professional, Professor Jim Toglonini, from the Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment, Sydney University guiding our work. 

STUDENT WELLBEING  On Monday 28th April, our staff will have a Professional Learning Day with the staff of St Pius X Unanderra, addressing one of our key school’s Strategic Improvement Plan goals around enhancing our whole school approach to supporting student emotional wellbeing. Both schools, over the next 2 years, will complete four days of training (two each year) with The Berry St Education Model (BSEM). BESM is a comprehensive approach used by many schools.

About The Berry St Education Model

In today’s changing world, many primary and secondary school students encounter daily challenges that can impact their success at school. These can range from ongoing stress when learning, to unsuccessfully meeting their own needs within the classroom. Despite best efforts and intentions, schools often require specialised strategies to address student needs for healing, growth, and achievement.

The Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) provides strategies for teaching and learning that enable teachers to increase engagement of students with complex, unmet learning needs and to successfully improve all students’ self-regulation, relationships, wellbeing, growth and academic achievement.

The BESM pedagogical strategies incorporate trauma-informed teaching, positive education and wellbeing practices.

This year, our staff will engage in professional learning Days 1 & 2

Day 1 (Term 2 Monday 28/4/25): Body – How to help your students to regulate their stress response, de-escalate in school and classroom contexts and provide strategies for increased focus.

Day 2 (Term 3 Friday 26/9/25): Relationship – Positive relational classroom management strategies that promote on-task learning

In 2026, these are the two days:

Day 3: Stamina – How to create a culture of academic persistence in your classroom by nurturing student resilience, emotional intelligence and a growth mindset. Engagement – How to motivate students with strategies that increase their willingness to learn

Day 4: Character – How to harness our values and character strengths approach for effective learning and for future pathways.

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: 

May the peace of Christ be with you,

Milena Colussi
Principal