Dear Holy Family Parents and Carers,

Year 6 Graduation Mass

The graduation Mass was a beautiful celebration of our Year 6 students' achievements and growth, and it was wonderful to see so many parents, families, friends, students and staff there to witness this important milestone. Sincere thanks to Father Colin for presiding over the mass and for sharing his inspiration, wisdom and guidance.

A special thanks to the Year 6 parents, your commitment to being actively involved in your child's education is truly commendable. The large outdoor clock is a gift that will be well-appreciated for years to come. Thank you to the team of parents who prepared the Year 6 celebration and decorated the hall and many thanks to the P&F for providing the delicious cake. The supper that followed mass allowed for great conversations as we celebrated the accomplishments of our graduating Year 6 class. Thank you to the Kindergarten, Year 5 and 6 parents who supplied the delicious supper and to the parents and Year 5 students who served the food. The success of events like these is a testament to the collaborative spirit that exists among our Holy Family community.

Our children always make us very proud by their actions and words. My best wishes to our Year 6 students as you move onto your new schools and continue your journey in faith and learning.

To all those families leaving our school may you be safe and know that the Holy Family community will miss you. We wish these families God’s blessings and continued happiness in their future, and we hope they remain connected to our school and parish.

Semester Two Reports

Semester Two reports will be available to access via Compass this afternoon. The report will include information on your child's progress across various subjects and key areas of development.

Please take the time to celebrate your child's achievements, no matter how big or small. Positive reinforcement at home can have a significant impact on your child's attitude towards learning. Work with your child to set realistic goals for the next semester and try to encourage them to take ownership of their learning and develop a growth mindset. It is important to acknowledge the effort your child has put into their studies throughout the year. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your child's teacher via the school office.

Please note: parents of students leaving Holy Family this year will need to download a copy of the Semester Two reports by 31st December. After this time, access will continue for the parents of students continuing at Holy Family however, parents of students who are moving to a new school setting will no longer have access to Compass. My apology for any inconvenience as the rollover of data is a system process.

Staffing Update

As we move towards the end of the school year, it is with mixed emotions that I share updates on some changes within our Holy Family staff. As we bid farewell to dedicated members of our staff who have decided to retire or pursue new opportunities, we also eagerly anticipate welcoming new faces who will contribute to the continued success of our school community.

We say farewell to the following staff:

It is with deep gratitude and heartfelt appreciation that we announce the retirement of

Mrs Margaret Brewster who has worked tirelessly at Holy Family during 2023 and in Catholic Education for over thirty years. Margaret will be moving on to pursue her passions and will be dedicating her time to family and friends in her well-deserved retirement. We thank God for Margaret’s wonderful knowledge, for her enthusiasm and the passionate way she has passed on her expertise in EAL/D to staff and students in our school community. Margaret always takes a personal and invitational approach when making contact with parents and regularly engages with students, staff and families. Margaret, we are all so deeply grateful to you and you will be sadly missed.

We say farewell and thank you to Mrs Valeria Vitali. The students in Year 4, 5 and 6 had the privilege of learning to speak Italian under Valeria’s expert guidance this year. We wish Valeria all the very best for her future as she continues her teaching Italian at other schools. Arriverderci Signora Vitali

Mr Christopher Knapman will be leaving Holy Family as he will be completing his teaching degree and working part-time as a casual relief teacher. Chris has made a significant contribution to Holy Family in the capacity of Learning Support. We hope to see Chris next year for his final practicum and as a relief teacher.

We farewell Miss Kate Falzon who has decided to work in a casual capacity as Learning Support Assistant and follow other pursuits. Kate has made a significant contribution to Holy Family over the past two years and will be missed by staff and students. Thank you, Kate, for providing wonderful learning opportunities for the students.

We wish Margaret, Valeria, Chris and Kate all the very best in their future endeavours. Their presence will be missed, but we are confident that they will carry the spirit of Holy Family wherever they go.

We welcome the following staff to Holy Family in 2024:

As we say goodbye to some familiar faces, we are excited to welcome new members to our Holy Family community. Joining us in 2024 are:

Alyce Keating

Alyce is well known to our school as she has undertaken a substantial amount of casual teaching opportunities earlier this year as well as blocks of teaching in previous years. Alyce has recently been abroad, and we look forward to seeing her as the new KG Kindergarten teacher.

Bianca David

We warmly welcome Bianca to Holy Family. Bianca has significant experience working in other primary school settings and will be working two days per week with Mrs Laura Nunn in Year Two. Bianca has expertise in implementing technology programs into whole school settings. We look forward to Bianca being part of our school teaching team.

Caroline McNally

Caroline has extensive experience working in many schools in the Diocese of Broken Bay. Her expertise is in the area of Gifted Education. Caroline will be a great asset to Holy Family as we continue to identify gifted students and develop engaging opportunities for them.

We are confident that Alyce, Bianca and Caroline's unique skills, experiences, and passion for education will enhance the learning at Holy Family.

Staff for 2024

Leadership Team
Principal	Mrs Pauline Dinale
Assistant Principal	Mrs Samantha Edwards
Religious Education Co-ordinator	Mrs Liana Stella
Wellbeing Co-ordinator	Mrs Melissa Overton

Class Teachers
KG	Miss Alyce Keating
KW	Mrs Laura Brady (M-W) & Mrs Julia Busseler (Th & F)
1G	Mrs Caroline Findlay
1W	Mrs Carmel Hogan
2G	Mrs Bianca David (M & Tu) & Mrs Laura Nunn (W-F)
2W	Mrs Lesley-Ann Bau-Gaspar
Year 3	Mrs Liana Stella (M-Th) & Mrs Liz Maund (F)
Year 4	Mrs Rosita Dalle-Nogare (T-F) & Mrs Liz Maund (M)
Year 5	Mr Jack Clarke
Year 6	Mrs Melissa Overton & Mrs Liz Maund (Th)

Specialist and Support Staff
Learning Diversity Teacher	Mrs Cathy Chapman (Th & F)
Collaborative Coaching & EAL/D Teacher	Mrs Samantha Edwards
Library Teacher	Mrs Brigid McNally (W & Th)
Sport Teacher	Miss Ruth Bartos (M & F)
Music Teacher	Mrs Leona Nash (M & F)
STEAM Teacher	Mrs Julia Busseler (W)
STEAM Teacher	Mrs Anna Hooke (Th)
Gifted Education Teacher	Mrs Caroline McNally (W)
Learning Support Assistant	Mrs Anthea Hunter (M-W)
Learning Support Assistant	Mrs Nicholle Stenhouse (M-W)
Learning Support Assistant	Mrs Lisa Chung (Th & F)
Learning Support Assistant	Mrs Caroline McCawley (W-F)

Administration
Senior Office Support	Mrs Michelle Stewart (T-Th)
Senior Office Support	Mrs Anthea Thomas (M, T & F)

Canteen Manager	Mrs Monny Ng (M & Th)

“MEET OUR NEW TEACHER”

In order to assist with the transition of all children for 2024 we will be having a “MEET OUR NEW TEACHER” day on Tuesday 18th December. Children will spend some time getting to know their new teacher(s) and the children in their class.

Just a reminder that a special End of Year Mass has been organised on Friday 15th December at 11.15am. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Calendar Dates

Please see the Calendar Dates tab for Term One events.

God Bless you and your families.

Pauline Dinale

Principal

Holy Family Newsletter - Tel: 7256 2141 Email: hfl@dbb.org.au

Strength and Gentleness

Term 4 Week 9 · 08 Dec 2023

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