Dear parents and carers,

With this being our final newsletter for the 2021 school year, I wish to acknowledge and thank our parents and families for their support of myself, the Leadership Team and all school staff. I have said on many occasions how grateful I am to work in such a solid partnership with our parent community. We all know how precious every student is at Holy Cross. Their faith, learning and wellbeing mean everything to all of us and this makes working in partnership so very important.

I wish all of our families a truly blessed Christmas season. I pray that the time you spend with family and friends is joyous and energising. I pray that you remain healthy, safe and get to experience the true wonders of this season.

I would also like to extend my appreciation for our staff. I am very proud of the commitment and energy they have all given to our students throughout the year. They have continued to work hard during very challenging times and have kept the faith, learning and wellbeing of our students at the forefront. Father Paul has been a great support to me throughout the year and I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to him. Here’s hoping that we can continue to attend regular masses and celebrations as a school community with Father Paul in 2022.

Finally, I would like to express my genuine love and gratitude for our students. They are truly amazing. They have endured a very challenging year and have coped beyond belief. I am proud of every single student and I wish them all the fun, excitement and joy that the Christmas season brings. All the very best to our Year 6 class of 2021 - you will be missed but will always remain members of our Holy Cross community. 

Mrs Kaylene Duffin
Principal

WEEK 11 - TERM 4

FAITH IN ACTION

UNIFORM 2022

In readiness to begin the new 2022 school year, I am asking for parent support to uphold the uniform expectations we have for our students. In particular, please ensure all students wear black leather school shoes with their Summer and Winter uniforms. We made the decision to be lenient with our uniform expectations since our return to face to face learning, however we do expect students to be in complete uniform to begin the 2022 year. The Holy Cross Uniform policy is attached.

SPLICED 2021

Congratulations to all students who participated in the SPLICED (Stretching Potential through Learning in Interactive Challenging Environments in the Diocese of Wollongong) program.  This year, the topic was The Power of the Imaginative Mind - Exploring Possibilities Through Multidimensional Thinking.  Each student chose a topic and explored their area of investigation, presenting their findings using multiple literacies.  Holy Cross had eight students who were successful in having their final work published on the SPLICED website. These students are Mia A, Thomas A, Lenny C, Joseph F, Ripley F, Mia G, Lee K and Kitty W. Out of these students, Kitty’s and Tom’s work will be featured in the printed brochure. At the virtual launch on December 8th, all of these students were formally acknowledged. Congratulations on your inspiring work.  

Maths Olympiad and Maths Games are an opportunity for students to participate in Maths competitions held throughout the school year.  The program is designed to challenge students to solve mathematical problems in a creative manner and to use a variety of strategies to reach a solution.  This year, at Holy Cross 25 students participated in five competitions.  All students involved demonstrated effective problem solving skills and used a range of strategies to solve challenging problems.  Out of these students, five students scored in the top 15th percentile.  These students were Jed A, Nate A, Tom A, Mia G and Lee K. They each received a special ‘Maths Star’ keyring.  A special trophy was also awarded to the student who scored the highest individual score overall at Holy Cross.  This student was Mia A. Well done Mia.  Congratulations to all students who participated and challenged themselves within these competitions.

Mrs Jenny Mitrevski
SPLICED Co-ordinator

Confirmation

Last Sunday, our Year Six students received the sacrament of Confirmation. This sacrament completes the students’ Christian initiation which began at their Baptism.

As part of the sacrament the students were sealed with the Holy Spirit and received the gifts of the Spirit when they were anointed with the oil of Chrism. These gifts are Wisdom,  Understanding,  Counsel,  Fortitude,  Knowledge,  Piety and Fear of the Lord. In Saint John’s Gospel it states, “It is the spirit that gives life” and the school community would like to wish our students well as they take on these gifts and let them shine through in their actions in their spiritual life.

Congratulations Year Six.

The Season of Advent and Christmas

As we journey towards the end of the year the season of Advent reminds us to prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Advent is the four week period leading up to Christmas and reminds us to live lives of hope, peace, joy and love. This Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent and the pink or rose candle is lit. This candle is the candle of joy and it reminds us of the joy we will share in the coming celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas.

Though it is not Christmas yet, and we are waiting for Jesus birth, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very holy, safe and merry Christmas. Christmas is such a wonderful time where we celebrate God’s gracious gift of love, Jesus Christ, who was born for the salvation of the world.

Miss Emily Costello
Religious Education Co-ordinator

TERM 1 - 2022 

Confirmed Pupil Free Dates