Harvest Time!

Excitement is in the air as our Year 6 children have been busy harvesting grapes for this year’s winemaking project! This week, our expert, John Ellis, visited to check the grapes and confirmed that their sugar levels were just right for harvesting. With this good news, John took the time to demonstrate the proper techniques for harvesting the fruit, ensuring that every bunch was carefully cut from the vines.

Following the demonstration, our Year 6 children eagerly set to work, making their way up and down the rows of vines, carefully snipping the ripe bunches from their stems. It was wonderful to see the children take such great care in looking after the grapes, which they’ve been nurturing throughout the season.

A huge thank you to John for his expert guidance, and to our Year 6 children and teachers for their hard work. We can’t wait to bottle this year’s harvest. Stay tuned for updates on the winemaking process!

Harmony Day

Wear orange

On the official Harmony Week website, it tells us that ‘orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week’ as it ‘signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.’ So, we ask that children wear something orange on Harmony Day to show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia.

Everyone is part of our story, and each one is welcome to tell their story.

The history of Harmony Day

Harmony Day was first celebrated in Australia in 1999. People celebrate it by reflecting on the ways they can live in harmony with their neighbours. In 1998, the government commissioned a study into the nature of racism that highlighted a greater need for people to ‘live in harmony’. As a result, Harmony Day was created to encourage everyone to respect each other and appreciate the country’s vibrant multicultural background.

Fascinating facts

Some interesting statistics about Australia’s diversity today from latest Census Data:

29.1% of Australia’s population were born overseas.
51.5 % of Australian residents were born overseas (first generation) or have a parent born overseas (second generation)
We identify with over 300 ancestries in Australia
812,728 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. This is an increase of 25.2% since 2016, representing 3.2% of the population.
167 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages were used at home by 76,978 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The most widely reported language groups used were Arnhem Land and Daly River Region Languages (14.5%) and Torres Strait Island Languages (12.0%).
Since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia
The top five most reported ancestries included English 33.0%, Australian 29.9%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 8.6% and Chinese 5.5%.
Mandarin is the most common language other than English spoken in Australia with 685,274 people using Mandarin at home.
This is followed by Arabic (367,159 people), Vietnamese (320,758 people), and Cantonese (295,281 people).
Punjabi had the largest increase, showing 239,033 people using Punjabi at home.
Nepali featured in the top five languages used at home in both ACT (1.3%) and Tasmania (1.3%).

National Young Leaders Day – Inspiring Our School Captains

Melbourne Convention Centre - 3rd March 2025

Last week, our School Captains had the incredible opportunity to attend the National Young Leaders Day in Melbourne, hosted by Halogen. Surrounded by student leaders from primary and high schools across the state, they listened to inspiring speakers, engaged in meaningful discussions, and reflected on what leadership looks like at Holy Cross.

From the moment we left school, their energy, curiosity, and sense of teamwork were evident. They shared thoughtful conversations about everything from school life to sports, showing the special bond they have as leaders. Throughout the day, they listened attentively, made insightful connections to our own school community, and even showcased some impressive dance moves along the way!

We couldn’t be prouder of the way they represented Holy Cross with the perfect balance of fun and responsibility. We are excited to see how they bring their leadership skills to life within our school.

See below for photos of the leaders they listened to and met on the day.

The National Young Leaders Day is Australia's largest gathering of young leaders and is an annual event on the calendar of thousands of schools. It provides a unique opportunity for students to gather at world-class event venues to hear some of Australia’s most influential leaders share insights from their own leadership journey.

For students to be in the same room as their heros and role models, to see them as real people, and to step forward into their own amazing journey as a young leader.

Thousands of young leaders wear the Halogen Pin every day. The shiny pin is based on the image of a halogen light. A halogen light shines brightly because multiple layers of halogen gas cause a chemical reaction. The result is one of the brightest and most effective forms of light.

Leadership is about you making your contribution and together we can shine brightly.

Australia's Most Successful Olympian

Emma McKeon has 11 Olympic Games Medals and 20 Commonwealth Games Medals to her name. This makes Emma not only the greatest Australian swimmer of all time, but the most decorated Olympian, and one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.

At the Tokyo Olympics she became the most successful Australian athlete at a single Olympics, and the only female in the world, across all sports, to win seven medals at one Olympics.

Majak Daw: Born in Sudan, Majak and his family moved to Australia as refugees. When Majak debuted for North Melbourne, he became the first Sudanese-Australian to ever play in the AFL.

Thomas Duncan-Watt: Young screenwriter and author, awarded for shows ranging from cartoon series ‘Space Nova’ to ‘Home & Away’, and multiple shows across Netflix, ABC and BBC.

Catherine Laga'aia is about to be one of the world's most recognised faces. She is starring as Moana in a live-action version of the Disney movie. Catherine joins Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson who plays Maui. Filming has taken place in Hawaii and will hit movie screens next year. As a school student, Catherine starred in Schools Spectacular, with further acting credits including the 2023 Prime Video series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.

Shrove Tuesday: A Day of Tradition and Pancakes!

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is a day of celebration that marks the day before the start of Lent in the Catholic calendar. It’s traditionally a time for people to use up rich foods like eggs, butter, and sugar before beginning the fasting period of Lent. The word "shrove" comes from the old English word "shrive," meaning to confess and be absolved of sins. In the Catholic tradition, this day was a time for individuals to seek forgiveness and prepare for the season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

As a fun and delicious part of this tradition, many people make and eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday to use up these basic ingredients before Lent.

To mark the occasion, our classes celebrated by making and eating pancakes together. It was a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn about the history behind the day, while also enjoying some delicious treats!

A huge thank you to the PFA for their amazing effort in cooking the pancakes from scratch for many of our classes across the school. Your hard work and dedication helped make this celebration extra special for everyone.

Year 2 Bake Sale a Sweet Success!

Last Friday’s Year 2 Bake Sale was a fantastic event, with perfect weather, an abundance of delicious treats and fruit, and plenty of eager customers. A huge thank you to the PFA, Year 2 families, children, and Mel for their wonderful efforts in preparing and running the bake sale.

After much discussion, the Year 2 children decided to use the funds raised to purchase Giant Outdoor Games for everyone to enjoy. The most popular choice was a Giant Kerplunk, which has already been ordered and is on its way! We can’t wait to unveil it with the Year 2s in the coming weeks.

Thanks again to everyone involved—see you at the next Bake Sale! 🍪🎉

School'sOut

What an amazing day we had, full of fun, creativity, and delicious treats at School’sOUT Holy Cross!

We started by exploring the phases of the moon with Oreo cookies—who knew learning about space could be so tasty? Then, we got our hands messy making pillow slime, stretching, squishing, and moulding our very own fluffy creations.

Our artistic side shone as we designed tie-dye pillowcases, flicked paint to create a starry night sky, and crafted dream catchers to bring sweet dreams.

Afternoon tea was a blast with our pizza party, where everyone became a mini chef, choosing their own toppings and enjoying a delicious meal together.

The day was all about imagination, creativity, and fun—and, of course, staying cozy in our PJs! Thanks for an incredible Pyjama Day!

Chelsea - Schools Out

UBUNTU Africa "Colour Our World" Australia Tour 2025

Every two years, fourteen inspiring African Children's Choir graduates embark on an unforgettable eight-week tour along Australia’s eastern coast. They raise vital funds for the education of underprivileged children in Uganda, and with each performance, they share their stories and vibrant culture.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of our Year 6 teacher, Lisa Peake, we have been able to invite one of the most celebrated indigenous choirs in the world to Holy Cross.

Dates: Tuesday 24th June - Saturday 28th June

If you are interested in this unique opportunity, please email Lisa at lpeake@hcnewgisborne.catholic.edu.au

Earth Hour: Saturday 22 March, 8:30pm to 9:30pm

It’s that time of the year when we turn off our lights for one hour. Individuals, schools and large global businesses flick their switches off in an act of solidarity with all those who are committed to caring for our common home.

The intent of Earth Hour stretches across the whole year and draws our attention to the year-round efforts of billions of people and countless organisations who work for sustainability and environmental conservation. Each darkened building, suburban street, CBD, shopping centre and township, combine to create the biggest hour of Earth.

Earth Hour gives everyone the opportunity to participate in the world’s biggest environmental action.

You can register your intention to switch off your home, organisation or school on the Earth Hour website: www.earthhour.org.au/switch-off

PFA News