Belonging.

It is a key fundamental in life. Without it, we feel isolated, and alone. This means it will be difficult to achieve our potential.

At Holy Family, we are proud of how we foster the connection and belonging amongst the students, but it will always remain a priority.

We are fortunate to have a stable staff who belong, evidenced by the staff retention and commitment long term of our team to the school.

The real focus is for our families to experience that belonging and days like Mother's Day are a step towards that. Thank you so much to those who made it, your presence demonstrates to your child that you value school. We welcome all parents to become engaged in the school.

This aligns with our Catholic Faith, that we are meant to be in 'Communion' with one another, that our tradition calls us not to hide in the shadows, but share our faith publicly and proudly.

Currently, I am seeking parents who can provide a voice for families to advise me on future directions. People from all backgrounds are encouraged to come along. Without this group, it is difficult to elevate the belonging experience for our families. The commitment would be one meeting a term. If you are interested, please see me or Linda Rusi.

Learning:

We have been provided with a snapshot of our NAPLAN data and we are pleased with the overall results, particularly within the Grade 3 year level. The biggest positive was the stronger results in Maths, which we have focused on over the past year.

To do that, we have focused on more repetition and delivering lessons in small chunks, then constantly coming back to it over time through reviews.

This has seen the retention increase.

It must be noted, that this approach is not always students favourite approach at first, as they often view learning as only when they do something new. However, the more basics we have, the more that new information sticks when we learn it.

Pentecost:

Next Friday we will hold a Pentecost liturgy. We invite all students to wear their cultural dress or clothes that represent their background. The message here is that at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came amongst the disciples and sent them out to all parts of the world, they were successful, because today all different cultures come together to tell the same story, of God's Love and how Jesus taught us to treat one another.

National Reconciliation Week: All In

On the 27th May to the 3rd of June, we will highlight the importance of our school working hard towards Reconciliation and lifting the stories and ] shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

From the National Reconciliation Week Website:

The theme also reminds us that reconciliation and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights isn’t a passive activity, and it is not solely the responsibility of First Nations people, who have carried the weight of championing, explaining and acting for far too long. Reconciliation will not happen by itself, and it will not happen without all of us.

Important:

Please see the important dates:

Next Wednesday: School Photos - full school uniform

Next Friday: Have your child wear clothing or colours that represent their culture.

27th May: 2:30pm: National Reconciliation Week Assembly

June 3: Prep Showcase- more information to come.

Photo Day Next Wednesday