Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

World Teachers' Day 

Today we celebrate the dedication, care and commitment of teachers who make a difference in the lives of children every day.

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful parent community for providing a beautiful lunch for the staff. Your generosity, thoughtfulness and support were truly appreciated and made us feel valued and celebrated. We are grateful for the partnership we share in nurturing and educating our students.

Happy World Teachers' Day to all our amazing staff. Thank you for all that you do each day to inspire, guide and support our students.

💙 With gratitude, from all the staff.

Blessing of the Animals 

Last Sunday, our parish and school community gathered together with Father Colin for a beautiful outdoor Blessing of the Animals Mass held in the playground. It was wonderful to see so many families attend and bring along their much-loved pets. We welcomed a variety of animals, including dogs, chickens and even a phasmid! All of the animals were remarkably well-behaved and received a special blessing during the celebration.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this such a joyful occasion. The beautiful weather, prayerful atmosphere and gathering of families and pets made for a memorable celebration of God's creation. We are especially grateful to Father Colin for leading this meaningful Mass and blessing our animals.

Parish Synodal Gathering

I warmly encourage all families to join us for our Parish Synodal Gathering on Sunday 8 November. The day will begin with the 10.15am Children's Mass, followed by our Synodal Gathering in MacKillop Hall.

This gathering provides a valuable opportunity for our parish and school communities to come together to listen, pray, discern and discuss how God is calling us forward. Your voice, experiences and insights are important as we reflect on the future of our faith community and continue to strengthen the partnership between our parish and school.

The four areas for reflection are:

• Welcoming Culture
• Youth Engagement
• Faith Exploration
• School-Parish Connection

We hope to see many of our families in attendance to share our hopes for the future and contribute to a vibrant, welcoming and faith-filled community for our children and families.

Date: Sunday 8 November

Time: 10.15am Children's Mass

             11.15am to 1.30pm Synodal Gathering in MacKillop Hall

For catering purposes, please let the school office know if you would like to attend.

We look forward to having these important conversations where we listen to one another, discern together and strengthen the connection between our parish and school communities.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Message Stick & Smoking Ceremony

In 2027, Catholic Schools Broken Bay is excited to be hosting the Catholic Schools NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Conference.This is a significant honour for our Diocese and an important opportunity to deepen our shared commitment to truth-telling, reconciliation and learning. As part of this, the CSNSW message stick will journey through our whole dioceses over the next 2 years until the conference. 

The Message Stick began its journey at the Diocesan Staff Mass in March, gifted by Aboriginal staff and students of our diocese, marking the start of its travels throughout the diocese. 

Crafted from Red Gum in 2013 by Trevor Clark and painted by Mutthi Mutthi artist Vicki Clark, the Message Stick reflects the rich tradition of Aboriginal peoples, who used message sticks to share invitations, stories and important information between clans and language groups. Traditionally, when a Message Stick is handed to you, you become the messenger, entrusted with carrying the story forward.  

Over the coming months, the Message Stick will travel to schools across our diocese, with its final destination being St Mary's Catholic Primary School at Manly, just prior to the 2027 Conference.  

This journey invites our students, staff and families to reflect on the deep spiritual heritage of this land and the ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures enrich Catholic education, reminding us that the Spirit is alive in each and every one of us. 

As part of our commitment to recognising and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, Holy Family Catholic Primary School will host an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Message Stick and Smoking Ceremony. This special event provides an opportunity for our community to come together in a spirit of respect, reflection and reconciliation, acknowledging the rich cultural heritage and continuing contributions of Australia's First Peoples.

All parents, carers and family members are warmly invited to attend.

Date: Wednesday 11 November

Time: 9.00am

Location: School Playground

We look forward to sharing this meaningful experience with our community.

Kind regards,

Pauline Dinale

Principal