Dear Parents and families,

As we wrap up another incredible term, I want to take a moment to reflect on everything we have achieved together. It has been a truly great few months—and while change always brings its fair share of challenging moments, the resilience and spirit of our school community have shone through brighter than ever.

Nothing highlights this success quite like the feedback we’ve received during our recent Prep tours for the 2027 enrolment intake. Prospective parents have consistently walked away marveling at just how settled, focused, and deeply engaged our students are in their classrooms.

This is no happy accident, it is a direct credit to our dedicated teaching staff and our Learning and Teaching Leader, Zoe Vandenhurk. Together, they ensure that every single classroom is delivering explicit instruction and meaningful challenge, meeting each student exactly at their individual point of need.

A Massive Thank You to Our PFA!

We also owe a massive debt of gratitude to our amazing Parents and Friends Association (PFA). They have been absolute powerhouses this term! From organising our beautiful Mother’s Day Stall, Pizza lunch for our children and Cookie Dough fundraiser to coordinating today’s delicious sausage sizzle, they never stop finding ways to help out and improve our school. The PFA is constantly bringing fresh ideas together that truly enhance our school community, and we are so incredibly grateful for their tireless dedication.

Thanks to staff

A huge thank you to Micheal Portelli who was working with us for the last 6 months in the Outdoor Education role! Micheal has been a fantastic addition to our school community and we will miss him in this role. Micheal has also secured us a couple of grants we will be working on over the next term. He will be around as an emergency teacher next term so students will still see him.

A massive thank you to Casey Gaunt, who has done a wonderful job as our Sporting Coordinator. Casey has been fantastic at organising teams, sorting transport, and keeping communication open and clear with families across the multitude of sporting events we attend.

Next term, Casey will be stepping into an exciting new role as our Mental Health in Primary Schools Leader (Mhips), which we know is a true area of passion for her. She will also be involved in supporting students with extension and intervention—areas where her experience and guidance are deeply valued by our community.

With Casey transitioning to her new role, we are thrilled that Leonie Wallis will be taking over as our Sporting Coordinator next term. Leonie will be in every Tuesday, and any queries regarding upcoming sporting events can be emailed directly to her. We are incredibly grateful to Leonie for stepping into this position for the rest of 2026 and know she will do a fantastic job!

A Note of Personal Gratitude

On a personal note, I want to extend a huge thank you to our wonderfully supportive parent community. I have deeply appreciated the way so many of you have reached out to me this term—whether it was seeking clarification around school issues, or simply wanting to check in on how Eloise is travelling.

It is incredibly important to me that you continue to know my door is always open. I am always happy to support you and your family with clarity, consistency, and an open ear.

Let's Get Excited about Term 3!

There are so many things coming in Term 3- and more information will follow throughout next term. But here is a snap shot!!!

Divison AFL Boys
100 Days of Prep
Camps, Camps and more camps!
Regional soccer
Division Netball
Book Week
Science Week
Maths Olympiad comps for Extension Maths
Yr 4 Eucharist preparation ( Sacrament Term 4)
Lots of exciting and engaging learning

Happy Holidays!

Finally, to our beautiful children, we are so incredibly proud of you. You have worked so hard, faced every challenge with a smile, and absolutely earned this upcoming break.

We wish all of our families a safe, relaxing, and wonderful holiday. Rest up, and we can't wait to see you all refreshed and ready for next term!

Warm regards,

Jane Barlow

Acting Principal

jbarlow@hcnewgisborne.catholic.edu.au/principal@hcnewgisborne.catholic.edu.au

https://www.instagram.com/holycrossnewgisborne?igsh=MWFzNmxscnE4MDB6OA==

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.

Happy Birthday!