Dear parents and carers,

On Monday morning, our Year 5 and 6 students planned and led a beautiful Lenten liturgy focussing on Almsgiving. The poignant message being the importance of giving freely to others without needing anything in return. 

Last week, our community experienced almsgiving first hand. On Wednesday, when the rain teemed, the Camp Australia room, staff room and Principal’s office were flooded with water. Whilst some of our teachers raced to Rex Jackson Oval to fill sandbags, they met friendly neighbours who offered to help. These neighbours spent hours sandbagging our building and providing us with support as well as engaging Mr McCallum  who also spent hours at the school checking the drainage. 

The following day the Helensburgh Rural Fire Service again spent hours sandbagging and creating channels to divert the water away from the building. 

Whilst our plight was nothing like those up north who have truly suffered from flood, we cannot thank enough our good samaritans who helped us and wanted nothing in return. They came to our aid purely because it was the right thing to do. To be of service to others because it was the right thing to do. These people stood in solidarity with us and we are so grateful.

If, at the end of our students’ primary schooling, they leave understanding the importance of Solidarity - being compelled to stand alongside others and being with them when it counts, and the true meaning of almsgiving, then we can be very proud. 

Kaylene Duffin

Principal

Each year, our school improvement plan includes two or three strategic focus areas. This strategic approach to improvement is aligned with staff professional learning time, resources and management to ensure a positive impact on student learning, wellbeing and faith development.

This year our school priority areas are:

• Mission - building a culture of mission requires developing shared beliefs and understandings of what is Mission and understanding this as our purpose as a Catholic school. 

• Assessment - developing shared beliefs and understandings of assessment driving learning so teachers can identify starting points for learning, choose instructional strategies and measure the learning growth of all students.

Throughout our newsletters this year we will be sharing our learning journey with you. 

The ‘Child Safety Handbook’ was officially launched in 2011 at Government House. A much needed and vital guide to assist children, parents and teachers, the Handbook covers the entire extent of potential hazards that young children face. The Handbook offers advice and facts on everyday activities, cyber safety, bullying, crossing roads etc. to the more unusual incidents such as floods and fires and even goes into details on the effects of smoking, caffeine and drugs.  

Beginning of School Mass and Commissioning of Year 6 Leaders

PARENT - Teacher Meet and Greets

Working in partnership with parents in support of their child’s learning, wellbeing and faith development is a great privilege. Building strong relationships between teachers and parents is vital and at Holy Cross, we offer Meet and Greet meetings to begin the development of this relationship.  

Kindergarten parents have been involved in these Meet and Greets this week and all other parents have been invited to make an appointment time with their child’s teacher for next week.

Bookings can be made through the Compass Parent Portal. If you have any difficulties with this, please contact the office. Kindergarten meetings are being held in the Office Meeting Room, however unless notified, all other meetings will take place in the classrooms. 

Rapid Antigen Tests

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.

1 March 2022

Quality Assessment

Mrs Jennett and Mrs N Baker

3 March 2022

SPLICED Network

Mrs Mitrevski

8 March 2022

REC Network Meeting

Miss Costello

9 March 2022

Wollongong Environmental Network

Mrs Barbuto

ENROLLING NOW FOR 2023

Enrolment forms are available at the school office or on school Website.

Parent Calendar and School Dates

All pertinent school dates and events can be viewed on our School Website under the News and Events tab https://www.hchdow.catholic.edu.au/news-and-events/

Please click on View More Upcoming Events to see further events.

To view the 2022 School Calendar, please click on View Our School Calendar under the Upcoming Events section. From here, events can be added to your own calendar.

Due to our Athletic Carnival, scheduled for today, being postponed, we are continuing to investigate options to hold our Athletic Carnival later in the year.

We are hoping our Cross Country Carnival will still go ahead on Friday 25 March at Rex Jackson Oval, however this will be dependent on the condition of the ground at the Oval. We will keep parents up to date.

Gymnastics

This term we are fortunate to have received a Sporting Schools Grant. This money will be used to fund a specialist Gymnastics company to visit our school and teach all classes a series of gymnastics lessons over four weeks. These lessons will occur each Wednesday from Week 8 until the end of the term.