Message from Mrs Meyer
It's hard to believe Term 3 is already wrapping up, as it's been a busy and productive time for everyone. We've seen some of the biggest learning gains of the year, a true testament to the hard work of our students and teachers.
As we end this term, I want to take a moment to celebrate a special member of our staff,Kate Johnston. Kate J will be on leave for Term 4 and has accepted an exciting new Deputy Principal role at St. Padre Pio, a school opening in 2026. While she's only been with us for four years, her positive impact is everywhere you look.
Kate has been key to so many things we do, always placing the children at the centre. From structuring our learning blocks and delivering intervention programs to leading professional development for our staff, she has a quiet way of getting a mountain of work done with little fuss, even taking on additional teaching and yard duties to ensure student learning is never interrupted.
Kate leaves us with a legacy of high achievement in mathematics, a deep understanding of how students learn, and a clear plan for our intervention program for the rest of the school year. She has also been an incredible source of knowledge for me as I've started here at Holy Cross, as well as the Yin to Kellie's Yan as they shared the acting principal role.
We know Kate’s departure will be deeply felt by the entire Holy Cross family. She will always have a place here, and we know the opportunity to help build a new school from the ground up will benefit countless students for years to come.
The students and Kellie put together a creative farewell for Kate, showering her with attention at our final assembly and even decorating her car with math equations to give her a final puzzle to solve!
It was a wonderful way to celebrate everything Kate has contributed and a fitting way to end the term. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday break and will see you in Term 4.
Many Blessings,
Eloise Meyer
Holy Cross Feast Day!
We celebrated our Holy Cross Feast Day on Monday, a day dedicated to reflecting on our identity as the Holy Cross community.
Students were grouped by their house colours and participated in a variety of activities:
- Playing sports with Jack from School'sOut!
- Creating mission soccer balls.
- Contributing to a collaborative artwork for the entire school.
- Learning a dance to the song "Your Ways Better," which was later shared with families on Seesaw.
The activities throughout the day were intentionally designed to strengthen our community by encouraging students to build new connections. We gave students a specific mission at the start of the day: to collaborate and work with someone they don't usually interact with. A quick feedback session with the Student Representative Council (SRC) on Tuesday confirmed the mission was a huge success. Students shared that the highlight of the day was overwhelmingly getting to know and work with different students, something they hoped to do more of into the future.
The day concluded with a pizza lunch provided by the PFA (Parents and Friends Association) and a beautiful prayer gathering that united our faith with the day's experiences.
A big thank you to the PFA volunteers for coordinating the pizza lunch and to all the teachers and students who made the day such a success.
Summer Uniform
During Term 4, all students are required to wear their summer uniform. There is a two-week grace period at the start of the term to give families time to purchase any new items. Please remember that school hats are compulsory. As the UV index is regularly over 3, students will also be encouraged to wear sunscreen. You can apply this at home, but sunscreen will also be available for students to use at school.
Planning for 2026
As we head into Term 4, we know many of you are already thinking about what the next school year will bring. We are, too! Our focus as we start Term 4 is to confirm our staffing.
We're working hard to fill positions, review leadership structures, and make sure we have the best combination to support our newly completed strategic plan. Once our staffing is confirmed, we can then begin the important work of creating our grade structures and placing students.
We understand that the unknown can sometimes cause a little anxiety, but please know we are working carefully through a clear and thoughtful process. We will share details with you as soon as they are available.
We appreciate your patience and trust. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at principal@hcnewgisborne.catholic.edu.au
New Student Management System
We're excited to let you know about an upcoming change to how we manage student information and communicate with you.
As some of you may be aware, the platform Operoo will be ceasing its operations outside of the United States at the end of this year. This has given us a great opportunity to find a more efficient and streamlined student management system.
We have been investigating new providers for some time and are already well on our way to making a smooth transition. We'll be in touch soon with more details about our new system and how it will work.
Thank you for your patience as we prepare for this important upgrade. We are confident this new system will offer a better experience for everyone.
All students attending Holy Cross Primary School have the right to feel safe. The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a fundamental responsibility of all within our school.