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

Feast of Mary MacKillop - 8 August - Whole school Mass at 9:15

On Tuesday, 8 August, our school will unite with the parish community to honour St.

Mary of the Cross Mackillop, Australia's first and only saint, who played a pivotal role in establishing our school. Back in May 1900, Mother Mary MacKillop arrived at Helensburgh with her Sisters of St. Joseph and founded the school, starting with 56 pupils.

Mary took the religious name, Mary of the Cross.  Responding to the isolation of colonial families, she pioneered a new form of religious life to provide education for their children.  She and her Sisters shared the life of the poor and the itinerant, offering special care to destitute women and children.  She is remembered for her eagerness to discover God's will in all things, for her charity in the face of challenges, (often at the hands of Church authorities) and for her abiding trust in God's Providence.

In staff prayer this week, we reflected on the words of St. Mary MacKillop and our vocation as educators, following in the footsteps of the Josephite sisters here in Helensburgh.

Religious Literacy Assessment

On Monday 5 August our Year 4 students will sit the Religious Literacy Assessment Test. The Religious Literacy Assessment (RLA) in the Diocese of Wollongong is a Partners in Learning initiative between the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) and the Australian Catholic University (ACU). This initiative began in 2000.

This assessment project provides a sustained and systemic Diocesan approach to the documentation and reporting of students’ learning in the key learning area of Religious Education (RE) across the diocese and in particular, aspects of religious literacy. It is a means of celebrating and sharing the good news about students' learning in Religious Education and enables the story to be told on a continuing basis. 

Key Dates RE dates for this term:

Week 3:  Thursday 8th August, 9:15am  ~ St Mary of the Cross MacKillop K-6 Mass 

             Sunday 11th August, 8:30am - Kindergarten and Year 5 Buddy Mass

Week 4: Thursday 15th August, 9:15am ~ Feast of the Assumption K-6 Mass

Week 6: Thursday 29th August,9am Parish Mass ~ Years 1 & 6

             Friday 30th August  Fathers Day BBQ Brekkie, Liturgy in the playground

Week 8: Friday 13th September ~ Holy Cross Feast Day Celebrations (Grandparents)

Week 9: Thursday 19th September,9am Parish Mass ~ Years 2,3 & 4

Week 10: Thursday 26th September,9am Parish Mass ~ Years K & 5

Confirmation: Year 6 Parents - Please see COMPASS for enrolment details for the Sacrament of Confirmation

God of abundance,

As we approach the feast of Mary MacKillop,

strengthen us to walk the way of the cross in our own lives

and bring us to the glory of the resurrection.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen. 

In Peace,

Mrs Debbie Turton 
Religious Education Coordinator

Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

The Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee is a national on-line competition designed to expose students to unfamiliar words, providing them with definitions and word origins to help expand their vocabulary and encourage them to use knowledge of strategies to spell each word.  This year, 9 students from Stage 2 and 14 students from Stage 3 participated in the competition.  These students are spelling above their age level. Well done to the following students who challenged themselves: Henry M, William F, Alyssa E, Hannah B, Jenna P, Charlotte W, Max M, Asher M, Dylan M, Lachlan B, Lee K, Vida B, Nate B, Jesse B, Sadie W, Mattia W, Amelia R, Mollyrose M, Evie A, Isabelle R, Amos L, Elise P, Indiana S.

The top 200 ranked students from the competition school round will progress to the State finals based on accuracy and time.  Students will be notified if they are successful in September. 

“I liked it.  It was fun. I liked it because it was challenging”. - William F

“I enjoyed it.  There was a mix of different words. Some words were easy and some words I didn’t know”. - Charlotte W

“It was challenging.  It started off with words I was familiar with and then the words became harder as I didn’t know the words or recognise them.  Overall, I had fun.” - Lachlan B

“It was fun. I practised some words at home. The words were challenging and it was hard because it was timed and you only had 25 seconds.”  - Isabelle R

Year Six went STEM Mad!

Over the last term, our Year Six students have had a blast ideating, prototyping, testing and creating their STEM Mad projects with an environmental, social, and meaningful purpose in mind! Last week they presented for peers, other classes and their parents. Here are our creators of the future!! Checkout last week’s Facebook post for more photos!

Olympic Fun Facts

How cool is this... two of our students, Emma and Max have a family member who competed at two Olympics... their dad!

Brian Morton, an Australian sprint canoeist who competed from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s competed in four World Sprint Canoe Championships 1995–1999 and two Summer Olympics; Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. 

He earned his best finish of third in the Men's K-4 1000m event in the 1997 World Sprint Canoe Championships in Nova Scotia, Canada. His best Olympic placing was ninth in the K-4 1000m in 1996.

DID YOU KNOW?  The modern Olympics were restarted 128 years ago in June 1896- the same year our school started!

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 2024

Congratulations to everyone who attended and participated in our School Athletics Country Carnival last Friday held at The Ridge Athletics Track! It was a wonderful and busy day of competition, skill, sportsmanship and having fun. Thank you to everyone for your participation and encouragement of your peers. It was great to see friends cheering friends on and the excitement in the 100m finals.

A very big thank you must go to the parents who volunteer their time to help us to run our carnival. Without your help, we may have been there until well into the night!

Age champions are given to the top 3 athletes in the Junior, 11 year and senior (boys and girls) categories for being awarded the most points overall in their events.

Congratulations to the following students who were age champions at our 2024 Athletics Carnival:

Age Champions

JUNIOR BOYS
Junior Boy Age Champion- Cooper
2nd Place- Noah
3rd- Max

JUNIOR GIRLS
Junior Girl Age Champion- Asher
2nd Place- Sadie
3rd- Jenna

11 YEAR BOYS
11 Yr Boy Age Champions- Nate
2nd Place- Lachlan
3rd- Harry

11 YEAR GIRLS
11 Yr Girls Age Champion- Vida
2nd Place- Hannah
3rd- Amelia

SENIOR BOYS
Senior Boy Age Champion- Amos
2nd Place- Sebastian
3rd- Kaiden

MC Champion- Eddie

SENIOR GIRLS
Senior Girls Age Champion- Emma
2nd Place- Mikaela
3rd- Macie

MC Champion- Bella

Winning House

Congratulations to our winning house for 2024........ O’CONNOR!

2024 Diocesan Team

Congratulations to the following students who will now compete as part of the Holy Cross Diocesan Athletics Team:

Year 2 Noah, Blake, Arie, Lyla, Max

Year 3 Rustin, Archie

Year 4 Taeya, Sadie, Cooper, Max, Mila, Asher, Jenna

Year 5 Nate, Lachlan, Vida

Year 6 Hannah, Macie, Amos, Jake, Emma, Bella, Eddie, Kaiden, Mikaela, Sebastian 

Communication

I encourage parents to check their compass or email communications on a weekly basis.

Our weekly events infographic is posted each weekend, on our Facebook page and via compass. This includes the week’s events, uniform days, masses canteen days and relevant information. Any cancellations or last minute changes will be sent via a compass message. These can be referred to throughout the week, if you need a gentle reminder, before making a phone call to the school office, which does not open until after 8:20am. 

ASSEMBLIES in TERM 3

Our fortnightly school assemblies during Term 3 will be held on Wednesday afternoons at 2.35pm. 

• Wk 4 - Wednesday 14 August - Yr 2 sharing

• Wk 6 - Wednesday 28 August  - Principal Awards

• Wk 8 - Wednesday 11 September  - Yr 5 Sharing

• Wk 10 - Wednesday 25 September - Principal Awards

Library News

This year, we will celebrate BOOK WEEK in Week 7- week of 2nd September. This will coincide with our very popular Scholastic Book Fair. This year’s theme is “Reading is Magic”

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE (PRC)

Our PRC Champions for this fortnight are:

Year 4 – Max

Year 5 – Ally, Jesse, Vida, Harry, Evie, Emma, Sadie

Year 6 – Eddie

CONGRATULATIONS for completing the challenge!

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB ISSUE 5

Book Club Issue 5 catalogues will be sent home soon. Orders are due by 12 August 2024.

How to order:

* jump online to order: https://bookclubs.scholastic.com.au/

* if your order is a gift, you can nominate it online as ‘gift’.

* once the orders arrive, all parents are given a courtesy call.

PLEASE NOTE: all orders are done online, the school does not collect cash or cheques.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR IS COMING – SAVE THE DATE!

That’s right, we will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair once again from 2-6 September (Week 7).

The Book Fair is a wonderful way to encourage reading with our students, not to mention stocking up on a few sneaky Christmas pressies. More details on times will be forwarded soon…

An Interview With…Hanna (Year 2)

Note from Mrs Murray: Hanna is one of our new Library Warriors who has picked up very quickly where the books need to go – particularly the Junior Non Fiction. Hanna has been very keen to learn where books go and is always happy to help. Welcome to the team Hanna!

What section are you responsible for?

Junior Non Fiction

What is your favourite book?

The Vietnamese Cooking Book. 

What do you love about being a Library Warrior?

We get to explore new books when they come in.

What is your favourite Library task?

My favourite task is sorting the books.

Happy reading everyone!

Sue Murray
Library Coordinator

Supporting Friendships

Supporting friendships is crucial for children's social and emotional development. Friendships provide opportunities for children to learn important skills such as empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution. By encouraging and nurturing their friendships, parents help children develop a sense of belonging and connection, which are essential for their overall well-being. Strong friendships also contribute to positive self-esteem and resilience, as children feel supported and valued by their peers. Additionally, through friendships, children learn to navigate social dynamics, build communication skills, and develop a sense of empathy towards others. Parents/Carers can support their children's friendships by fostering a welcoming environment for playdates, encouraging positive social interactions, and teaching them how to be a good friend. By recognizing the importance of friendships and actively supporting them, parents play a vital role in fostering their child's social competence and happiness.

Here are some tips on helping your child with friendships:

Encourage Social Skills: Teach your child basic social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and listening actively. These skills form the foundation for healthy friendships.

Promote Empathy: Help your child understand how others may feel and encourage empathy towards their friends’ emotions and experiences.

Facilitate Playdates: Arrange opportunities for your child to spend time with friends outside of school. Hosting playdates or outings can strengthen bonds and create positive memories.

Teach Conflict Resolution: Guide your child in resolving conflicts peacefully. Encourage them to express their feelings calmly and listen to their friends’ perspectives.

Model Healthy Relationships: Children learn by observing. Demonstrate positive communication and problem-solving skills in your own relationships.

Respect Individuality: Encourage your child to appreciate differences and respect their friends’ unique qualities and interests.

Offer Support: Be available to discuss friendship challenges your child may encounter. Provide reassurance and guidance when they need it.

Set Boundaries: Help your child understand the importance of setting boundaries in friendships, such as respecting personal space and privacy.

Celebrate Friendships: Acknowledge and celebrate the positive aspects of your child’s friendships. Highlight their strengths and contributions as a friend.

Be Patient: Friendships evolve over time. Encourage your child to be patient and understanding as they navigate different social dynamics and changes.

By actively supporting your child’s friendships and offering guidance when needed, you help them develop meaningful connections and essential social skills that contribute to their overall happiness and well-being.

 Sara Ljuboja  School Counsellor

The Holy Cross Parish Bulletin is emailed to our families via COMPASS, but it is easily accessible on the Parish website: https://www.helensburghcatholic.org.au/bulletins