Principal's Message

Dear Holy Family Parents and Carers, 

Student Leadership for 2024

Congratulations to the following students who were voted for School Leader positions for 2024. These students will be presented with their leadership badges at the Opening School Mass at the beginning of next year. I would like to congratulate the students for their courage and commitment in applying for the various leadership positions.

School Leaders - Jaslyn L. Carlos L., Kate E. and Seoa H.

House Leaders

Polding House - Alexander S. and Elizabeth C. 

MacKillop House - Alecia W. and Riley W.

Riley House - Alessia M. and William M. 

Band Leaders - Jonathan S., Riley Xu and Oscar C.

Green Team Leaders - Annabelle L. and Fraser A. 

Leaders of Communications - Olivia M., Yoanna Y, Amanda X

Leaders of Innovation - Zander B. and Elizabeth B.

Leaders of Technology - Jasper W. and Eason C.

Library Leaders - Icy Z. and Isabella K.

Mission Leaders - Sophia T. and Scarlett K.

Student Representative Council (SRC) Leaders - Jansen Y. and Ethan L.

Parents & Friends Meeting

I understand that not all parents were able to attend the recent Annual General P&F meeting earlier this week. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the Principal's Report that was presented during the meeting.

2023 has been a truly remarkable year for our school community, filled with accomplishments, growth and the spirit of collaboration. 

Our Goals for 2023 include:

1. To accompany students, families and staff to know Christ and to grow in faith 
2. To develop a collaborative culture of continuous improvement
3. To maximise the learning growth of each student
4. To build the capacity of our staff
5. To embed future-focused systems and processes

Over the year we have made wonderful progress against each of the goals. Together in partnership with parents we have achieved great things. We are committed to nurturing and guiding each student entrusted to our care to our vision of delivering an authentic, Catholic education with care and compassion.

As we approach the end of the school year, there are a number of people I would like to thank beginning with the P&F Executive Team, in particular Olwyn Connolly our P&F president, Lawrence Wong, Noelle Jones, Vincent Giang and Michael Lee. Their generosity of spirit, energy and leadership has been inspirational. Their important contributions to promoting a positive culture and sense of community in the face of numerous challenges such as financial stresses on families, the Coles development and changing demographics have been a wonderful support for myself and the staff. The focus is always on the needs of our students and building a welcoming and inclusive Catholic community. On behalf of the staff, I wish to convey my sincere thanks to the parent community for their trust and ongoing support that has allowed us to promote and improve learning through the purchase of resources and opportunities.

Academic Achievements: Our students have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their studies. We've seen outstanding achievements in standardized test scores such as the Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN results, PAT Reading and Mathematics, and many of our students have excelled in various academic competitions. We are proud of the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm they've shown in their ongoing learning journey in all aspects of school.

Extracurricular Activities: Our school has witnessed an incredible array of talents outside the classroom. Whether it is in the sports, arts or social outreach, our students have shown a remarkable commitment to improving their skills and giving back to their community. This year has seen an increase of the number of students playing in the band and strings group. All students have participated in dance lessons culminating with a showcase for parents and an interschools dance competition at Homebush. The Catholic Schools Broken Bay Religious Education competition, saw Boris in Kindy winning first place with his piano composition based on Compassion.

Community Outreach and Engagement: Holy Family has continued to foster strong ties with the parish and local community. I am indebted to the ongoing support from Father Colin, Father Thomas, the Parish Team, Mrs Stella, our Religious Education Coordinator and Anne Gray. Together they have encouraged and supported students, families and staff as they discover the meaning of Christ in their lives. The introduction of a Parent Engagement Officer has assisted to build a strong parish and school partnership. In her role as PEC, Anne Gray has introduced Toddler Tales, Coffee Connect, Christmas Around the World and many more opportunities that have supported the faith life of the school and parish.

The P&F have organised many events and initiatives, such as the Lindfield Art Show and Fair, Colour Fun Run, school disco and parent workshops, which have not only benefited our school but also contributed positively to the wider community. 

Staff Dedication:

I would like to thank Mrs Samantha Edwards, our amazing Assistant Principal for her support, initiative and professionalism. I cannot overstate the positive impact Sam’s work has on student, staff and parent learning. She has been instrumental in developing a strong culture of continuous improvement focused on teaching and learning. School improvement is aligned to curriculum and assessment planning where the moral imperative and the importance of delivering student achievement is clearly articulated. Through this process, staff have a common understanding that success for students in all aspects of schooling goes beyond academic achievement - the work is about human flourishing for the individual. Our practices and approaches in wellbeing for learning means that each child is at Holy Family is well known, challenged and supported, and have opportunities to be the very best they can be.

We are blessed with the quality of staff and leadership at Holy Family. Thank you to Mrs Stella, Religious Education Coordinator and Mrs Overton, Wellbeing Coordinator for their hard work, support and their valuable contribution to the leadership team. 

It is important to acknowledge the support, enthusiasm and commitment by all the staff at Holy Family. We are blessed to have such dedicated and hardworking teachers and support staff who know the students well and who continue to provide authentic learning opportunities for all students. I would like to thank them for their unwavering support and care for our students. We are very extremely fortunate to have the high calibre of staff we have here at Holy Family. 

Parent Involvement: I would like to express my gratitude to all the parents and carers who have contributed their time, skills, and resources to support our school. Your involvement has played a crucial role in our achievements this year. The work of the class parents and parent volunteers in the classroom, tuckshop, excursions and carnivals, Open Days, assemblies and showcases of students’ learning have been appreciated and highly valued. 

Parent voice is crucial in building a partnership between school and home and I am extremely grateful to Peter Solomon, Asher Mellor and Grant D’Arcy for their support and guidance with the Coles Development as well as the parents who have shared feedback and suggestions to improve the opportunities for our students and the processes and policies of the school.

Facilities Upgrades and Improvements: Thanks to the support of our generous parents and friends, we have been able to make significant enhancements to our school facilities. This includes projects such as the approval of the upgrade school playground soon to commence, new soccer goal posts, basketball posts, buddy bench, an Earn and Return bin and vege pods for the Green Team. We were also fortunate to receive classroom furniture from one of our neighbouring schools which has enhanced the school library and several classrooms. The meeting room was established as well as an outdoor learning space near the Kindy classrooms. All hands were on deck during the Easter school holidays for a major clean-up resulting in a relocated sports shed, music room and storage ahead. 

Looking Ahead: As we move forward, we have exciting plans for the coming year. With your continued support, I am confident that the students will achieve even greater heights. In closing, I want to thank each of you for being a part of our wonderful Holy Family school community. Together we have created a nurturing and enriching environment for our students to flourish. 

God Bless you and your families. 

Pauline Dinale 

Principal