Dear Parents and Friends of Holy Cross,

Welcome back to a new term full of fun, wonder, learning at Holy Cross! We are still very much in the midst of winter flu and illness, so I encourage you to keep healthy, and be mindful of symptoms your child may present with when feeling unwell. Help us to keep our school community well by ensuring your child remains home and recovers before returning to school. Returning to regular home routines after holiday breaks also helps your child settle back into their daily learning routines at school. Sara, our school counsellor provides some great parent tips around the importance of routines in this newsletter edition.

We have the following events to look forward  to including Book Week, Fathers’ Day celebrations, our school and parish feast day and special masses, the first of these being the Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop. 

 Friday 8th August

 K-6 Mass @ 9:15am

 Parents warmly welcome!             

As a school with a strong Josephite history and charism, the Feast of Mary MacKillop is a special liturgical mass we celebrate every year on the 8th of August, honouring Australia's first saint and her significant contributions to education and social justice. The Feast of Mary MacKillop is a significant occasion that celebrates her life, encourages acts of kindness and service, and promotes the values she stood for throughout her life.

The Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop commemorates her life and legacy as a pioneer in education and a champion for the marginalized in society. Mary MacKillop, who lived from 1842 to 1909, co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph and dedicated her life to providing education to children in rural and impoverished communities across Australia. Her motto, "Never see a need without doing something about it," reflects her commitment to social justice and compassion. 

Mary MacKillop's legacy continues to inspire many, and her feast day serves as a reminder of the importance of education, compassion, and social justice. The Sisters of St Joseph, which she founded, continue to operate schools and support services that align with her mission. 

Enjoy this beautiful story with your children:

St Mary MacKillop- Beneath a Cross of Stars Picture Book-

by Andrew Chinn and Sr Jill McLoughlin RSJ

I wonder if your child can name why St Mary MacKillop is important to Holy Cross Helensburgh? 

2025 NAPLAN RESULTS

2025 NAPLAN results were received and sent home to Year 3 and 5 parents this week. Our students achieved fantastic results. Holy Cross performed either at or above the State, National and Diocesan averages in every domain in both Year 3 and Year 5 tests. 

• • READING: 86% of our Year 3 and 89% of our Year 5 students performed at either the strong or exceeding levels, and were above the diocesan and national mean (average).
    
    • Nationally, the average proportion of students who achieved at “Exceeding” and “Strong” levels in 2025 was 68.2% (Years 3 and 5 average).
      
  • WRITING: 97% of our Year 3 and 84% of our Year 5 students performed at either the strong or exceeding levels, and were above the diocesan and national mean (average)
    
  • SPELLING: 76% of our Year 3 and 84% of our Year 5 students performed at either the strong or exceeding levels, and were above the national mean (average)
    
  • GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION: 69% of our Year 3 and 79% of our Year 5 students performed at either the strong or exceeding levels, and were above the diocesan and national mean (average)
    
  • NUMERACY: 76% of our Year 3 and 68% of our Year 5 students performed at either the strong or exceeding levels, with Year 3 above the diocesan and national mean (average)
    
    • Nationally, the average proportion of students who achieved at “Exceeding” and “Strong” levels in 2025 was 66.8%  (Years 3 and 5 average)
      

Commenting on the latest NAPLAN National Results, ACARA CEO, Stephen Gniel, said: “The 2025 results across all domains and year groups are broadly stable, with 2 out of 3 students at the “Strong” or “Exceeding” proficiency level for their reading, numeracy and writing skills”. (Acara Media Release, 30/7/25)

Exceeding: the student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.

Strong: the student’s result meets challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing.

We celebrate our Reading and Writing results, but know that we have areas of focused improvement to engage with. At a school leadership team and teacher level, we have already analysed aspects of this year’s NAPLAN achievement and growth levels, and the trend data since 2023, to identify areas of ongoing focus (Numeracy) and future areas to identify improvement strategies (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation). The detailed data  allows schools and teachers to evaluate the impact of our teaching and professional learning, and also identifies additional support or challenges we can plan for to meet the learning needs of our students.

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

Aboriginal Yabun Gali Dance Performance

NAIDOC Week was held recently during the school holiday period, celebrating the rich living culture of our First Nations people.

In creating authentic moments for our students to access learning about Aboriginal culture, all Holy Cross classes will view a scheduled performance at our school COLA by the Yabun Gali Aboriginal Dance Group, who are students from Corpus Christi Catholic High School. 

This will be a great opportunity for our community to continue to develop appreciation and knowledge about Aboriginal culture through connecting with our CEDoW High Schools in meaningful ways.

Student Representative Council (SRC)

Congratulations to students elected as SRC leaders for Semester 2. This includes kindergarten this semester! Congratulations to the following students who, in line with our Student Leadership Policy and process, were this week voted by their class peers.

SRC Representatives - Semester 2

Kinder ~ Riley and Sophie

Year 1 ~ Georgia and Bede

Year 2 ~ Jack and Liam

Year 3 ~ Fletcher and Jack

Year 4 ~ Alyssa & Evie

Year 5 ~ Eden & Sadie

Year 6 ~ Captains (Jesse & Vida) and Vice Captains (Sophia & Lachlan)

International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)

The countdown is officially on – ICAS 2025 is almost here! ICAS is a wonderful opportunity for our Holy Cross students to experience a standardised test style across a range of disciplines, receive recognition and also feedback about areas for improvement and areas of strength from this assessment source. 

Subject	Date
ICAS Digital Technologies	Monday 4th August, 11:30am
ICAS Writing	Thursday 7th August, 9:15am
ICAS English	Wednesday 13th August, 9:15am
ICAS Spelling	Monday 18th August, 9:30am
ICAS Science	Wednesday 20th August, 9:15am
ICAS Mathematics	Tuesday 26th August, 9:30am

Please contact Mr Lindsay Burns for any enquiries regarding ICAS

PB4L

Our current schoolwide focus for PB4L is including others in games at an appropriate time in the game. “You can play - just join the line”. Parents can support this focus through role model of respectful relationships through communicative turn taking and negotiating positions through their social interactions. Using a range of situations such as sharing at the dinner table or playing a range of games – like board games, card games and dice games – that can encourage sharing and turn taking can also help build a sense of inclusion, sharing and involving ourselves at appropriate times.

Lindsay Burns
Acting Assitant Principal

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

On Friday, 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 and for her abiding trust in God's Providence.

St. Mary MacKillop Art Competition

In preparation for St. Mary MacKillop’s feast day, the students have been engaged in

some art to reflect on her famous words, “Never see a need without doing something about it.” Each class has worked in class on an individual artwork to reflect these words in reference to our school values of Compassion, Integrity, Hope and Justice. The teachers have also been making connections with our revised school mission. The artwork will be judged by each teacher and 2 ‘winners’ per class will be awarded on Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day and shared in our next newsletter.  All artwork will also   be displayed in our classrooms for our school feast day/grandparents day.

Religious Literacy Assessment

On Monday 4 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. 

The concept of 'religious literacy' is the basis for the framework for assessment in Religious Education in Wollongong across K-6. To be religiously literate, children leaving a Catholic primary school need to be able to communicate with and be at home in Catholic society and religion in general. The assessment of religious literacy focuses on students’ knowledge and understanding of the key concepts that are being addressed by the Religious Education program and the children’s ability to communicate with their religious tradition. 

Mini Vinnies Pyjama Day and Bake Sale - Funds

Congratulations to our Mini Vinnies who organised the collection of items for the St. Vincent de Paul Winter appeal. These items were collated into hampers for people in our community in need. The Mini Vinnies also hosted a wonderful bake sale and Pyjama day to raise funds and we were able to raise $365.90 a great effort! Well done Mini Vinnies and thank you for all of your support of these initiatives. 

School Song

GREAT news! To continue our work in embedding our revised school vision and mission, we asked Mr Tim Hart (Education Officer with CEO Wollonongong, past teacher of Holy Cross and “Pray School” presenter) to help us to reword our school song to match our revised vision and mission statements. Mr Hart will be coming to Holy Cross in Week 4 to RECORD the official track with some of our choir students. Our revised school song will be ‘launched’ officially on our feast day and grandparents day. We can’t wait to share it with you! 

Year 6 Mass with Bishop Brian

Year 6 students from across the Diocese of Wollongong enjoy the opportunity to engage with Bishop Brian Mascord and their fellow students from CEDoW schools in a special liturgical celebration in their final year of Primary School. These are held across four different locations in the Diocese of Wollongong.

On Wednesday 6 August, Year 6 will journey to St. Therese West Wollongong for Mass with Bishop Brian along with 8 other Catholic Primary Schools. A reminder for all students in Year 6 to ensure they are in full school uniform for this important occasion. 

Dates of Term 3 Masses and Liturgies

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

Confirmation Date:

Sunday 14 September 2025

Workshop Dates: 

Thursdays, 6.30pm in the Parish Hall 14th August, 28th August & 11th September

Retreat Day: Wednesday 10 September 9-3 pm
Parish Hall

RE Leading Improvement Innovation and Change

Mrs Turton and Miss Facci are involved in a project to improve student learning and engagement in Religious Education with other Catholic Schools in Wollongong. As part of this action research project we have been working as an infants team to reflect on our practice as Catholic Educators. We have been visiting each other's classrooms and observing the teaching of Scripture in our Religious Education units. Our focus has been to improve student engagement in this area. Here are some photos of our work in progress.

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

Term 3 Monday Morning Prayer 8:50-9am - If you have the time, we warmly welcome you, our parents, to join us every Monday morning on the Top Plaground COLA, as we gather to start the week and pray together. 

Parish Masses - As a parish catholic school, we seek to enable opportunities for our community to encounter the mass. Each term, our classes attend a weekday parish mash, as well as whole school masses for important Feast days. Parents are always welcome to attend. :

Sunday Parish Mass - Families are of course always welcome to attend the Holy Cross Parish Sunday Masses. 

The King of Kings Private Viewing

Our Parish, school and community have been given the opportunity for a FREE private viewing to see the animated family movie The King of Kings [PG] a beautifully crafted film that brings the timeless story of Jesus Christ to life - a powerful portrayal of His life, teachings, and sacrifice at Event Cinemas Miranda on Saturday 2 August 2025 at 2pm. The cinema is capped at 233 seats so please indicate via https://forms.gle/7Jm4zur4F6t6e6688 (or the QR code or flyer in the Church foyer) how many tickets your family would require. A confirmation will be sent to secure your tickets once registered. For more information, please contact the Church office.

World of Maths (Years 5 and 6)

Our Year 5 and 6 students had a blast on Thursday during their World of Maths incursion! 

They engaged  with a huge range of hand-made hands on and fun learning through real-life examples, needing to understand instructions and apply problem-solving skills. Hands-on activities have many benefits for students. And it’s not just about reinforcing maths concepts. Lots of visible engagement and participation, positive thinking and opportunities to feel rewarded through their achievements and giving the challenges a go! 

Our mathematicians had to :

• Work collaboratively and communicate effectively with their group members.
• Think creatively and outside the box when brainstorming solutions.
• Be willing to experiment and try different approaches until they found the best solution.
• Stay organised and manage your time effectively to ensure that they completed the task or project on time.
• Discuss strategies and problem solving skills.

PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning)

                                         

Our current schoolwide focus for PB4L is including others in games at an appropriate time in the game. “You can play - just join the line”. Parents can support this focus through role modeling of respectful relationships through communicative turn taking and negotiating positions through their social interactions. Using a range of situations such as sharing at the dinner table or playing a range of games – like board games, card games and dice games – that can encourage sharing and turn taking can also help build a sense of inclusion, sharing and involving ourselves at appropriate times.

VALUES IN ACTION @ Holy Cross

AWARD ASSEMBLIES IN TERM 3

Our school assemblies in Term 3 will again be held fortnightly on even week Tuesday afternoons beginning at 2:30pm. Any change to the time will be communicated to parents via Compass. 

Dates for Term 3:

Week 4:  12 August  (Year 1 sharing learning- please note the change)

Week 6:  26 August (inc Principal Awards) 

Week 8:  9 Sept  (Year 2 sharing learning)

Week 10: 23 Sept  (inc Principal Awards)

Congratulations to our Principal Award recipients (from Term 2, Week 10, presented this week)

IMPORTANT DATES

IMPORTANT DATE CHANGES IN TERM 3

A number of important whole school masses, Fathers Day, our school’s Feast Day and Gala Days falling on Fridays has required some swapping of days to ensure your children do not miss out on their weekly Sport, Music/Drama and Library learning programs for your children.

Changes have been clearly highlighted on the parent Calendar, our google parent calendar, and reminders will be posted weekly via our compass and facebook weekly infographic. 

Changes coming up:

Week 3: THURSDAY 7th August   Sport, Library and CAPA lessons  (Sport Uniform)

                      (Friday 8th is normal Winter uniform)

Week 4: THURSDAY 15th August  Sport, Library and CAPA lessons   (Sport Uniform)

                      (Friday is normal Winter uniform)

Please note the next PUPIL FREE DAYS :

TERM 3 PUPIL FREE DAYS

• WEEK 6, MONDAY 25 AUGUST. Focus Area ~  Staff Spirituality Day
• WEEK 10, FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER. Focus Area ~ Student Engagement and Wellbeing- Berry St Education Model. Module 2 Relationship – Positive relational classroom management strategies that promote on-task learning.

TERM 3 – TIME TO BOOK AN ADVENTURE!

Term 3 is the term we celebrate a love of books and where our imaginations, through reading, can take us. It is the term we have our Book Parade, Helensburgh Library visits for infants, Book Trivia, just to name some of the exciting things we have planned for later in the term.

The theme for the 2025 Children's Book Week is "Book an Adventure!". This theme encourages children to explore new worlds through stories and celebrates the 80th anniversary of Children's Book Week.

CBCA Shortlist Books

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) was founded in 1945 in a time when Australian children’s books were few, and Australian authors and illustrators were virtually unknown. The following year, 1946 the 'The Book Of The Year Awards', an annual award to promote books of high literary and artistic quality was established. These awards are now the most influential and highly respected in Australia.

We are very fortunate at Holy Cross to purchase every year the (CBCA) Shortlist books that are aimed at the primary school level. We purchase from five categories – Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Book, Eve Pownall, and New Illustrator. With the lead up to Book Week we, as a school, explore these books through classroom readings, Library lessons and the Book Week Trivia competition and they then become available for student borrowing after Book Week in Week 6.

Over the next few newsletters, I will highlight the books that made the shortlist that we have purchased for our Library. This newsletter, we will highlight Younger Readers and Early Childhood.

Early Childhood Shortlist books:

• Don’t Worry, Felix by Yohann Devezy & Katharine Alice, illustrated by Zoe
  Bennett (New Frontier Publishing)
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t) by Briony Stewart (Lothian Children’s Books)
• How to Move a Zoo by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Owen Swan (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• One Little Dung Beetle by Rhiân Williams, illustrated by Heather Potter & Mark Jackson (Wild Dog Books)
• Spiro by Anna McGregor (Scribble)
• The Wobbly Bike by Darren McCallum, illustrated by Craig Smith (Walker Books Australia)

Younger Reader Shortlist books:

• Aggie Flea Steals the Show by Tania Ingram, illustrated by A. Yi (Scholastic Australia)
• Fluff: Mess Up! by Matt Stanton, illustrated by Matt Stanton (ABC Books)
• Laughter is the Best Ending by Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks (Pan Australia)
• Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg, illustrated by Sofya Karmazina (Walker Books Australia)
• Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French (HarperCollins AU)
• To and Fro by Anton Clifford-Motopi (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
  
  

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE (PRC) UPDATE

We now have our first primary class who have completed the challenge – CONGRATULATIONS goes to Year 5!

Year 3 had their second session last Friday being their first time completing the challenge on their own and look how many finished – a mighty effort from Year 3.

Champions for this fortnight are:

Year 3 – Marley A., Kobi, Max, Emerson, Rafe, Blake, Ella, Marley H., Henry, Jack, Tallow, Noah, Bobby, Lyla, Seth, Kohen, Ruby, Noa

Year 4 – Grace, Rustin, Evie

Year 5 – Max, Seraphina, Eden, Taeya

Year 6 – Harrison, Sage, Adelaide, Cathal, Luke

Congratulations to the above students!

***Stay tuned to see who completes the Challenge next!***

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB ISSUE 5 NOW OPEN

At Holy Cross, we promote the Scholastic Book Club - Book Club is a great way for parents to provide their children with popular literature in a variety of genres which aids in encouraging children to read. And they also make great gifts!

Book Club Issue 5 catalogues were sent home last week. These orders are due by 11 August 2025.

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.

Library Warriors

An Interview With…Emilia (Year 1)

Note from Mrs Murray: Emilia is one of our newest team members and is very enthusiastic to learn the Library Warrior role. As with all new warriors, Junior Fiction is the place to start and Emilia is now very confident with this collection, helping others find where the picture books go. Emilia – welcome to the Library Warrior team!

What section are you responsible for?

Junior Fiction

What is your favourite book?

The Magic Kitten series by Sue Bentley

What do you love about being a Library Warrior?

I love putting the books away.

What is your favourite Library task?

I love being a Library Warrior a lot. I like learning new sections and helping Mrs Murray.

Happy reading everyone!

Sue Murray
Library Coordinator

SAVE THE DATE!

Book Week Parade

THURSDAY 21 AUGUST 

9.15AM

The Importance of Routine

Having a consistent daily routine is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to support a child’s emotional wellbeing. Predictable routines help children feel safe, secure, and in control of their world. Knowing what to expect each day, such as regular mealtimes, bedtime, and getting ready for school, reduces anxiety and builds confidence. Routines also support important skills like time management, responsibility, and independence. At home, even small things like a regular family dinner or a calming bedtime routine can create a sense of connection and stability. When children feel emotionally secure, they’re better able to focus, learn, and cope with life’s ups and downs.

Here are some tips on implementing a healthy daily routine:  

Start Simple and Be Consistent - Begin with a basic structure for the morning, after school, and bedtime. Even just having set times for waking up, meals, and bedtime creates a strong foundation for your child.

Use Visual Schedules - Especially for younger children, a visual routine chart with pictures and simple words can help them understand what’s coming next and feel more in control.

Give Gentle Reminders and Warnings - Let your child know when a transition is coming Example: “In 10 minutes, it’s time to pack up your toys for dinner.” This helps them shift gears calmly.

Make It Predictable, But Flexible - Keep key routines the same each day, but allow for some flexibility when needed. If something unexpected happens, talk through the change to reduce stress.

Create a Calming Bedtime Routine - A consistent wind-down routine signals to the brain that it’s time for sleep and helps children feel safe and settled at the end of the day.

Example: Bath, bedtime story, quiet music

Involve Your Child in the Routine - Let your child help plan their routine where appropriate, such as by letting them choose the order of tasks. This gives them a sense of ownership and motivation.

Talk About Why Routine Matters - Explain to your child how routines help their brain and body feel good, stay organised, and reduce stress. This builds their understanding and cooperation.

Be Flexible When Needed - Life happens! Adjust routines when necessary and explain changes calmly to your child.

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

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. 

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.