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Dear parents and friends,
Congratulations to the Year 5 students who last week nominated themselves for the 2024 student leadership positions and took the time to prepare their speeches. After a process of presenting speeches and voting by students and staff, we congratulate the successful students.
Congratulations to our 2024 School Captains and Vice Captains:
School Captains: Eddie Clare & Amelia Richards
Vice School Captains: Jimmy Smith, Isabella Eyles & Evie Angus
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Next week, we say farewell to the following Holy Cross staff and students:
Firstly, to our Year 6 students. It is always with mixed emotions that we say goodbye to the leaders of our school as they take the next steps in their learning journey at high school. These students have embodied our vision to learn, live and love and now are ready to take all they learned into the next chapter of their lives. We are proud of them and they will be missed. We will celebrate their farewell on Thursday at the End of Year Mass and Yr 6 Graduation ceremony.
Secondly, we will say farewell to Mrs Tami Hennock. Mrs Hennock has been successful in gaining a teaching position at St Paul’s Catholic Primary School, Albion Park in 2024. Tami has taught at Holy Cross for the past three years and we are very grateful for the commitment and care she has shown our community during this time. We wish Tami every success at St Paul’s. A recruitment process for a classroom teacher has commenced this week.
And finally, we farewell Miss Costello. We wish Emily all the best as she begins her Religious Education Coordinator role at St John’s the Evangelist, Campbelltown in 2024. Emily has contributed greatly to our school’s faith and religious education growth and development through facilitating liturgies, masses and prayer opportunities, not to mention coordinating our infamous Book Week parade. She will be greatly missed.
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As this is our final newsletter for the year, I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the entire Holy Cross, Helensburgh community for their constant support over the past four years. My time leading this very special community has been life giving. I do not take for granted the trust that this community has shown me and I appreciate that together we have been able to work in genuine partnership to develop the faith, learning and wellbeing of our students.
I would also like to thank the staff for their constant support and for their commitment to providing quality education. To Mr Miranda for ensuring our school grounds are immaculate and safe, to our office staff for the welcome and care they show our community each day and for maintaining the day to day runnings of the school and to our school support officers and teachers who are committed to learning alongside students in the classroom and playground each day. I would like to make a special mention to the Leadership Team and Father Paul for their counsel and support over the past four years.
Thank you and I wish you all a healthy, safe and blessed Christmas.
Kaylene Duffin
Principal
2023 ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Update
Goal 1
Improve students’ relationship with Jesus through the values of compassion, justice, hope and integrity.
- We are confident that over this year, we have achieved this goal. Our staff and student perception data along with our Religious Literacy Assessment data (conducted by Year 4 students) and Learning Walk data provide us with this confidence.
- Highlights of our work towards this goal include:
- prioritising staff professional learning sessions, and exploring diverse teaching styles that delivered engaging Religious Education lessons with specific focus on understanding scripture
- Focusing on teaching with the Bible and developing understanding of the context of the Gospels
- Developing an understanding of four Catholic values: hope, compassion, justice 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.
- We are confident that over this year, we have achieved this goal. Our staff and student perception data indicate improved confidence and our NAPLAN, PAT data and classroom assessments indicated growth for students in Mathematics.
- Highlights of our work towards this goal include:
- Implementing the K-2 Revised Mathematics syllabus
- Developing teacher understanding of teaching Place Value
- Using the Place Value Assessment Tool to identify starting points for learning and tracking learning growth
- Exploring ‘thinking classroom’ research
Christmas Art Competition
On Sunday Bella (Yr 5) and Joseph (Year 6) attended the Sydney grand final of the Christmas art competition. Making it to this stage is a HUGE achievement so CONGRATULATIONS to both Bella and Joseph. Additionally, on the day Joseph was awarded a highly commended award for his original and modern take on the visit of the Magi. The two art works remind us of the true meaning of Christmas and to continue to spread the good news to all.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Thank you to everyone who has donated a grocery item or taken a giving tree gift tag. Your generous contributions spread the joy of Christmas and really help out those in need this Christmas season. Gift tags can still be collected from the school office and donations are asked to please be brought to either the parish or school office by Wednesday.
The school Mini Vinnies team will be working with the Helensburgh Parish Vinnies to pack Christmas hampers on Monday.
The Season of Advent
On Sunday we entered into the season of Advent, a time of anticipation and reflection. During these four weeks leading up to Christmas, we are reminded to prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It is tradition that each Sunday of Advent a new candle on the Advent wreath is lit, reminding us of the virtues of hope, love, joy and peace. I encourage you all this Advent to pause and contemplate the true meaning of the season.
Thank you to Stage Three for leading us on Monday in our first Advent Liturgy and teaching us about the hope this season brings. This coming Monday, 11 December at 8:50, Stage Two will lead us in our second Advent liturgy. All parents and friends are invited to join us for this special prayer.
Dear God,
As we step into the season of Advent, we gather with hearts full of hope and excitement.
May the anticipation of Christmas fill each of us with joy and wonder.
Help us understand the beauty of waiting for the arrival of Jesus.
Guide our hearts to grasp the true meaning of love, joy, peace, and hope.
May this Advent be a time of growth in faith and understanding for us all.
In the name of Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
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.
- Every second week we have a children's liturgy which enables our kids to build some great friendships and learn about their faith.
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.
Academic Reports
Students’ Semester 2 Academic Reports, Kindergarten - Year 6, will be made available to parents via the Compass Parent Portal tomorrow, Friday 8 December. If parents would like to discuss their child’s Report with their class teacher in Week 10, please contact the school office.
2024 Staffing
I am pleased to announce the following staffing arrangements for 2024:
Kindergarten - Mrs Melissa McEntee & Mrs Bernie Baker 8.50am - 12.00pm (Mon-Thurs)
Year 1 - Miss Elise Facci
Year 2 - Mrs Debbie Turton & Mrs Natalie Baker (Thursdays)
Year 3 - Mrs Anne Rowles
Year 4 - Mr Jeff Bôdy & Mrs Natalie Baker (Fridays)
Year 5 - To be determined
Year 6 - Mr Chris Whitehall
Instructional Coach - Mrs Natalie Baker (Mon-Wed)
Diverse Learning and Gifted Education - Mrs Jenny Mirevski (Tue-Thurs)
Indentured Casual - Mrs Lucy Barbuto (Mon-Wed)
PE - Mrs Kate Boyle (Fridays)
Music/Drama - Mrs Kat Feil (Fridays)
Library - Mrs Kate Jennett (Fridays)
Senior School Support Officer - Mrs Erin Maguire
School Support Officers: Mrs Jo Carroll, Mrs Sue Mapp, Mrs Sue Murray, Mrs Larissa Timmins, Mrs Kim Attenborough
Transitioning between grades is an important part of our overall School transitioning process. This includes teachers sharing pertinent information regarding the students they taught this year to the teacher who will teach them in 2024. This process has begun and will continue next week. Students will spend time with the teacher they will have next year on Thursday 14 December.
2024 Return to School
Students in Years 1-6 will return to school on Wednesday 31 January wearing their Sports Uniform.
Kindergarten students will begin on Wednesday 7 February wearing their Sports Uniform. Kindergarten students will be at school for the full day, 8.50am - 3.00pm.
Dates for the Remainder of the Year
Friday 8 December - Swimming Carnival
Thursday 14 December
- 9.30am End of Year Mass and Year 6 Graduation Ceremony
- 12pm - Year 6 to Helensburgh Pool
Friday 15 December - Christmas Concert and last day of 2023 for students
Students’ final day of the year is Friday 15 December, 2023.
Tuesday 19 December - Last day of 2023 for staff
Pertinent Dates for Term 1
All school dates can be found on our school calendar -
Pertinent Dates Include:
Wednesday 31 January - First day of school for Years 1-6
Wednesday 7 February - First day of school for Kindergarten
Wednesday 14 February - Ash Wednesday
Wednesday 14 & 15 February - Year 6 Camp
Monday 19 February - P & F Annual General Meeting
Saturday 2 March - P & F 2024 Family Fun Day
School Fees by Instalment
NEW FAMILIES TO OUR SCHOOL
School Fees are invoiced as an annual account, due for payment in full 30 days after invoicing. However, many families elect to pay their school fees by regular instalments and as a new family to our school, we would like to offer you this
option. If you wish to take up this offer, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on the school’s website or from the school’s administration office. On completion of the request, either email it to
instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the school office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2024 school fees. Your school fee statements are emailed to you and they will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date.
IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying
by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment
request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc.
EXISTING FAMILIES IN OUR SCHOOL WITH INSTALMENTS
If you are currently paying by instalments there is no need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment as your request carries over from year to year unless you wish to amend the frequency of your payments eg Weekly to Fortnightly
EXISTING FAMILIES IN OUR SCHOOL WITHOUT INSTALMENTS
If you would like to pay school fees by instalments in 2024 and have previously not taken up this option for payment, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on the school’s website or from the school’s administration office. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the school office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2024 school fees. Your school fee statement will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date depending on the frequency you have chosen eg Fortnightly, Monthly, etc.
IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request
carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc.
SPLICED
SPLICED (Strengthening Potential through Learning in Interactive Challenging Environments in the Diocese of Wollongong) is a high potential and gifted education initiative allowing students to think and respond critically, creatively and contemplatively to a conceptual unit. The unit this year; A View From Afar: Examining and Dissecting, Marvelling and Wondering Through a Wide-Angle Lens has allowed students to explore an area of investigation of their choice. Students throughout the diocese presented work in the categories of The Arts and Humanities, Global Issues, History, Human Living, Mathematics, Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Spirituality, Sport, Technology and War. The students involved in the SPLICED program were: Isabella A, Tom A, Mia A, Joseph F, Amos L, Amelia R, Maya R, Lee K.
The following students were successful in having their work acknowledged in the SPLICED book and published on the SPLICED website.
Isabella A - Year 6
Movement of Our World
Viewing the huge environmental changes through the eyes of a 10 year old over the decades
Isabella’s story shares a girl’s perspective of the world from 1989 to 2023 and her positive outlook on the world as an adult as a result of living through these times.
Thomas A - Year 6
Zoom
A Boy on a Bike: Mind, Body and Soul
Thomas’ insightful and personal look into his world, via his bike and his spiritual and emotional connections to it. He invites the reader to view his bike through his eyes, engaging them in his poetic prose and capturing their imagination through his illustrated artwork.
Mia A - Year 6
Stitches
Piecing the Patches of my Life Together
Mia’s creation of a patchwork quilt captures her time during primary school. Each panel has been designed to present a pivotal moment in her school life.
Joseph F - Year 6
A Life in Pictures
What Rubber Cannot Erase
Seven years of school life presented in pictorial form. Joseph has hand drawn key events in each of his primary school years resulting in a collage of his school memories that
Lee K - Year 4
A Journey Through Domino Toppling
A Guide to Building and Creating Domino Patterns
Lee’s book aims to guide the discerning reader with a selection of domino builds with increasing complexity. Lee invites the reader to explore the physics behind domino toppling coupled with mathematical formulas.
Amos L - Year 5
Biomimicry
How imitating nature benefits human living
Amos’s magazine article educates the reader on the importance of biomimicry and the various and potential uses in today’s world
Amelia R - Year 5
Imagination Blossoms
Our imaginative mind leads to innovations, dreams, theories and creations.
Amelia’s artwork is inspired by her interest in the beauty of flowers and the fascinating characterics of our wondrous galaxy.
These students have spent many hours working on their areas of investigations, at school and at home and presented a wide variety of literacies. We are all so proud of everything these students have achieved. The students also showcased the multiple literacies they have been working on in the Library, our own Holy Cross SPLICED Launch. A diverse array of projects were displayed and the SPLICED students were excited to share their work with other students in the school.
There will be a video launch of the SPLICED website, Tuesday December 12 at 7PM, which contains all these students' work. Their published work is now accessible to a worldwide audience.
I would encourage you to go to the SPLICED 2023 website and view the amazing work of our students. Congratulations to all of these students. They have done a wonderful job. https://spliced2023.dow.catholic.edu.au/
Holy Cross SPLICED Launch
STEM MAD
The STEM MAD Student Showcase is a celebration of student learning designed to acknowledge and promote STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate the particularity of Catholic Schools; encouraging students to make a difference (MAD) in the world by acting for justice and the common good. This aligns with the papal call for action in Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home and demonstrates how students in Catholic schools take action that matters. Congratulations to all of the students who participated in STEM MAD.
This year, five teams from Stage 3 presented their research, innovation and prototypes to Mr Llamas, an education officer in learning technologies and innovation from the CEDoW. We are very pleased to announce that two teams went on to win the following CEDoW Awards:
- Laudato Si Award: The Seed Library (Keira P and Alice B)
- St. Francis Care of Animals Award: Koala Mittens (Isabella A and Lilly C)
Nationals
Subsequent to this, Keira and Alice, the innovators of The Seed Library went on to be recognised as an award finalist for the Best Application of Maths in Context (Primary) at the National Awards. We are so proud of you. What a wonderful accomplishment and a testimony to your dedication and hard work.
A huge congratulations to Keira, Alice, Isabella and Lilly. We are so proud of your commitment to making a difference in our community and the success of your achievements.
SEED LIBRARY - Laudati Si Award Winner - Best Application of Maths in Context (Primary) National Finalist
Keira P and Alice B
KOALA MITTENS - St Francis Care of Animals Award WinnerLilly C and Isabella A
Library News
A VERY SPECIAL GIFT!
This week, our Library was gifted with a very special text from one of our Year 4 students, Lee Kelleway. As part of the SPLICED program, Lee completed a comprehensive guide titled ‘A Journey Through Domino Toppling’. Lee (with the assistance of Mrs Mitrevski) gifted a copy of the guide to the Library and from a quick flick through, I believe it will be a wonderful addition, particularly for all our domino lovers! Thank you Lee for your thoughtfulness and I personally look forward to delving into it in more detail!
LIBRARY BOOK RETURNS
All outstanding Library books are now overdue and must be returned to the Library as soon as possible. If your child still has Library books, they can bring them to school any day.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB Issue 8
Book Club Issue 8 orders are due anytime now, all parents who ordered will receive a courtesy call to find out whether they would like to pick up from the office or send home with their child - just in case there are some Christmas pressies ordered!
SOME THANK YOU's FROM ME…
- Our wonderful P&F for their continued support of funds to attain wonderful titles – this has allowed me to purchase student requests, teacher requests and special interest titles.
- The parents who take home books to cover – this is such a vital job and there are simply not enough hours in my day to get this done – so appreciative!
- Mrs Duffin and Mrs Jennett who have always supported my passion for getting our students to read and above all, love books. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do half the crazy things I come up with!!!
- Our lovely staff, who entrust me to provide them with quality resources or work with me to make sure student reading needs can be explored and encouraged.
- The fantastic HCH students, who get excited to come to Library and able to find something that interests them – I love talking with each of them about what they have selected.
- And lastly (but not least), my Library Warriors, who without them, I could not do what I am able to achieve and our Library would simply not function efficiently without them.
Happy holiday reading everyone!
Sue Murray
Library Coordinator
Our school canteen run by Mrs Donovan, is opened three days each week, Wednesday & Thursday breakfast & lunch 1 and Friday Breakfast lunch 1 & 2 serving yummy treats and hot food. And don't forget homemade pizza's on Wednesday's!
