Dear Holy Family Parents,

Stage 3 Leadership Week

“Leadership is action, not position.” – Donald H. McGannon

This week, our Stage 3 students participated in an engaging and inspiring Leadership Day facilitated by Cameron Brown, founder of Explore Discover Act. The program focused on developing students’ leadership capacity through purposeful, hands-on learning experiences.

Throughout the day, students took part in a range of interactive activities and challenges that encouraged them to explore different perspectives on leadership, recognise their own ability to influence others, and understand the importance of taking action. Students were supported to explore leadership, take ownership of their role as leaders, and practise being positive change makers within our school community.

The program strongly aligned with our school’s focus on the Leader in Me and Friendology programs. Students demonstrated high levels of engagement, teamwork and reflection as they challenged themselves, supported one another and worked alongside their peers. One student reflected, “I learnt that being a leader isn’t about being in charge, it’s about helping others and working together.”

To culminate this rich leadership experience, our Stage 3 students and teachers concluded Leadership Week with an exciting three-day camp at Narrabeen Sport and Recreation Centre. Set in a leafy outdoor environment, the camp provided students with the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, build resilience and confidence, and strengthen connections with peers and teachers. Through a range of physical challenges, team-based activities and shared experiences, students were encouraged to apply the leadership skills developed throughout the week in authentic and sometimes demanding situations.

Students spoke enthusiastically about the camp experience, with one student sharing, “The camp helped me try things I didn’t think I could do, and I learnt how important it is to trust and support my team.” Another student commented, “Working together during the activities showed me that everyone has something different to contribute.”

The camp experience supported students to develop independence, problem-solving skills and a strong sense of responsibility, while also reinforcing the importance of collaboration, perseverance and positive relationships. These shared challenges and moments of achievement created lasting memories and further strengthened our Stage 3 cohort as they prepare for the next stage of their learning journey.

We thank Cameron Brown and the team from Sport and Recreation for delivering meaningful leadership experiences and commend our Stage 3 teachers, Mrs Overton and Mr Clarke for their commitment to providing such enriching opportunities for our students.

Meet the Teacher Conferences – Week 4 commencing Monday 16 February

A valuable opportunity for parents to meet one-on-one with teachers to discuss your child’s hopes, goals, strengths, and any important information you would like to share.

We encourage all families to remain actively involved in school life and to take advantage of the many opportunities to engage with our community.

Open Day 2026

We’re delighted to share that registrations for Open Day 2026 are now open!

Our school community is our greatest advocate! If you have friends, neighbours, or colleagues with children starting school in 2027, we would love for you to share this opportunity with them.

Open Day Dates and Times

Wednesday, 4 March 2026 | 9:00am – 10:30am
Saturday, 30 May 2026 | 10:00am – 12:00pm

👉 Register for Open Day HERE.

Kindergarten 2027 – Sibling Information

Families with a child commencing Kindergarten in 2027 are kindly asked to complete the Sibling Information Form HERE. This information is essential in helping us plan ahead and determine sibling placements before offers are made to new families.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for being such wonderful ambassadors of our school community.

Kindy and New Families Welcome BBQ

We are excited to invite all Kindy and New Families to join us for a Welcome BBQ on Friday, February 20, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm for an evening filled with great food, fun, and community spirit. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to connect, meet one another, and build relationships as we prepare for an exciting school year ahead.

RSVP Here:

Siena Catholic College

We are delighted to announce that Catholic Schools Broken Bay is establishing a new K-12 co-educational College in Pymble from 2027. This new College, Siena Catholic College, will be the existing catholic primary school sites of  Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (OLPS), West Pymble, and Sacred Heart, Pymble. The Siena Junior Campus for students in Years K-4 will be located on the West Pymble site, and the Senior Campus for students in Years 5-12, will be located on the Pymble site. There will be a gradual transition to this structure over the next few years, with the first intake of Year 7 students being welcomed to Siena Catholic College in January 2027. By 2030 Siena will be a full K-12 College.

There will be an annual intake of Yr 7 students into Siena Catholic College, and students in our CSBB primary schools will be given preferential consideration for enrolment in Years 7-12. Students completing Year 6 in any of our CSBB primary schools have always had a pathway into St Leo’s Catholic College in Wahroonga and Mercy Catholic College in Chatswood; Siena offers an additional option in response to community feedback about the need for another Catholic College on the North Shore.

Families are warmly invited to attend the Siena Catholic College Open Days in March 2026 to meet key staff, hear about the vision for the new College, and explore the facilities and programs that will be available.

For further information visit the Siena website https://www.sienadbb.catholic.edu.au or email us at sienacatholiccollege@dbb.catholic.edu.au

	Term One - Thursday Jan 29 to Thursday April 2
	Term Two - Tuesday 21 April to Thursday July 2
	Term Three - Tuesday July 21 to Thursday September 24
	Term Four - Tuesday October 12 to Wednesday December 15

Week 4	Meet the Teacher Week
Monday 16 Feb	Strings to commence
Tuesday 17 Feb	Shrove Tuesday Stage 3 Homework Club commences
Wed. 18 Feb	(Years 3-6) Ash Wednesday Mass & Liturgy (K-Year 2)
Thursday 19 Feb	Altar Server Training 3.00 - 4.30 pm
Friday 20 Feb	CENSUS 2.10pm Assembly 5pm Welcome BBQ - Kindy & new families
Week 5	Wellbeing Week
Wednesday 25 Feb	Gymnastics commences Caritas "We're crazy for Caritas" 7pm P&F Forum
Thursday 26 Feb	"Take 5" 5 minutes of meditation for families at 8.25 am each month Wellbeing Day
Week 6
Mon. 2 March	Harmony Day
Tues. 3 March	North Shore Swimming Carnival
Wed. 4 March	Open Day Caritas Crazy Glasses Day
Thurs. 5 March	Playgroup 8.45 - 10 am
Friday 6 March	9am Lenten Mass 2.10pm Assembly
Sat. 7 March	Reconciliation Celebration 1pm & 3pm at Killara
Week 7
Mon. 9 March	Holy Family Cross Country
Tues. 10 March	Broken Bay Swim Carnival
Wed. 11 March	NAPLAN Writing test - Year 3 & 5
Thurs. 12 March	NAPLAN - Reading test Coffee Connect from 8.15 am Ciao Down Lindfield
Fri.13 March	Caritas Crazy Sock Day
Sun. 15 March	Year 4 Youth Mass 6 pm
Week 8
Mon. 16 March	NAPLAN Language of Conventions test
Tues. 17 March	NAPLAN - Numeracy test
Wed 18 March	Caritas Crazy Hair Day

Fri. 20 March	2.10pm Assembly
Sat. 21 March	P&F Trivia Night
Sun. 22 March	10.15am Kindy & Buddies Children's Mass
Week 9
Sun. 29 March	Palm Sunday
Week 10
Thurs 2 April	Playgroup Holy Week Reflection Students last day for Term One

Please CLICK HERE to read the Parents Charter from Catholic Schools Broken Bay.

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

Strength and Gentleness

Term 1 Week 3 · 13 Feb 2026

In this issue