Kellie and Kate's Message
Good afternoon Holy Cross families,
Spring has finally arrived, bringing lighter mornings and evenings that help to lift our spirits. However, with spring can also come some unpredictable weather, and last week's strong winds certainly presented some challenges. As always, the safety of our children is our top priority. We responded to the weather warnings by keeping children indoors during some breaks and conducting a shelter-in-place drill last week.
It's important for both children and families to know that all our staff undergo training not only in First Aid but also in Emergency Preparedness and Response Drills. We want to reassure everyone that every decision we make is focused on keeping our students safe. We know it can sometimes be difficult for children to understand why we stay indoors when it’s not raining, especially since some are eager to play outside in any weather!
We are also grateful that all the trees on our property were professionally assessed and trimmed during the last school holidays, just in time for the spring winds. We love our beautiful trees, but regular checks are essential to ensure they remain safe for everyone.
Thank you for the beautiful spring flowers that are finding their way into our school, these gorgeous poppies in our office have brought smiles to many faces this week.
Celebrating the Feast of the Cross
A great deal of thought goes into choosing a school's name, and it is a significant part of our Catholic identity. Our school, Holy Cross, takes its name from the cross that stands as a focal point at Mount Macedon. Today, we came together to celebrate the Feast of the Cross, a day that holds special meaning for us.
The word "feast" comes from the Latin word festes, meaning "joy," and symbolises a time of celebration. Celebrating Feast Days has long been a cherished tradition in both Catholic primary and secondary schools. It was wonderful to see the children working together in mixed-age groups, sharing in the joy of the day.
A special thank you to Lisa, our Faith Leader, for organising the Prayer Gathering and today's activities, and to all our families for their generous donations to the Gisborne Food Bank.
Don't forget to check out the photos of today's events in our "Holy Cross Happenings" section!
Parish News
Preparations are well underway for the 150th Celebration of St Brigid's Church. Thank you to the families who have already ordered a paver to mark this occasion. Orders for the pavers will close on Sunday, September 29th which is during the school holidays.
You can find an order form on our Parish News page in this newsletter.
Sacrament of Eucharist
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Lisa, Father Vincent, Sheree, Tracey and Sian for their wonderful support and guidance of the children as they prepared for their First Eucharist. We are also grateful to the staff members who attended the Masses over the two weekends, showing their support to for the children and our Year 4 teachers.
Term 3 & 4 Reminders
Term 4 - Hats
A reminder that Term 4 requires children to wear their school hat while outside.
School Closure Days
Monday 7th October - First Day Term 4
Friday 1st November
Monday 4th November
**2.30pm finish on Friday 20th September. Gisborne Transit Bus will notbe running as it is unable to cater for the early finish, however all other buses will run.
Pilgrimage - Journey of St Paul
Aoife, has joined other principals from the Outer North West Zone on a special pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey, tracing the footsteps of St. Paul. While visiting the sacred sites, Aoife took a moment at the Cathedral of St. Dionysius to light candles in remembrance of our Year 4 students, who are preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Eucharist. We ask our school community to also keep these children in their prayers as they prepare for their sacrament this weekend as well.
We were very pleased to see photos of Aoife in Greece because we were just about to start making more pavlova worried that 'Hush' may have become invisible again!
Farewell and Best Wishes
As we wrap up our newsletter, we want to extend our warmest wishes to Caitlyn Blake as she begins her maternity leave. We wish her all the best during this exciting time!
Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful break, looking forward to seeing you all next term.
Kellie and Kate
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.
TWILIGHT FAIR
Preparations are well underway for our upcoming Twilight Fair next term, we are incredibly grateful for the hard work and effort going on behind the scenes. Please see our Twilight Fair Sponsors page and support our generous sponsors.
