Dear Holy Family Parents,

A very warm welcome to all our returning families and students, and to the new families and staff joining our Holy Family community in 2026. We hope you have enjoyed a restful and refreshing summer break and are feeling ready for the year ahead.

We are excited to begin another year of learning, growth, and connection at Holy Family. Our school continues to flourish because of the dedication of our staff, the support of our families and parish, and most importantly, the enthusiasm and spirit of our students.

In 2026, we look forward to many opportunities for our students to grow in faith, learning, and friendships, guided by our school motto of "Strength and Gentleness".

We extend a special welcome to our new families. We understand that starting at a new school is a significant step, and our teachers and staff are committed to supporting you and your children as you settle into our community.

As we begin the year, we look forward to several important events:

Parent Information Evening – Thursday 5 February

We warmly invite all parents and carers to attend our Parent Information Evening on Thursday 5 February, an important opportunity to come together as a school community and begin the year informed, connected, and confident.

6:00pm – Whole School Session All parents are asked to meet in MacKillop Hall, where we will share our Holy Family Vision and Purpose, along with the goals and priorities for the year ahead.

6:30pm – Classroom Teacher Presentations - Parents will then move to classrooms to meet their child’s teacher and learn about class routines and expectations.

7.00pm - Repeat of the 6.30pm session for parents with two children

We strongly encourage all families to attend, as this evening plays an important role in building strong partnerships between home and school.

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. As we embark on the 2026 school year together, we look forward to a year filled with meaningful experiences, growth, and shared success. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support of our families, staff, and parish community, and we look forward to a wonderful year ahead at Holy Family.

OSHC Update for Families

We would like to reassure families that our OSHC service is currently undergoing accreditation to increase its capacity from 75 to 125 students. At this time, we are awaiting final approval from the Department of Education which will be at the latest 28th February.

In the meantime, Ryan, our OSHC Coordinator, will be in contact with all Kindergarten families who have reached out regarding a place for their child. Each enquiry is being followed up carefully. While accreditation is in progress, we have interim arrangements and alternative plans in place to support families where possible. Ryan will contact families individually to discuss options and next steps.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We appreciate the strong demand for OSHC and are committed to supporting our families during this transition period.

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:

NAPLAN

Each year the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

NAPLAN will take place from Wednesday 11 March to Monday 23 March 2026.

NAPLAN is just one part of our school’s learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school, so the best preparation is their everyday classroom learning. Our school will also undertake activities to help students become familiar with the types of questions and tools available in the online tests. The public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) is available for you to see the format of the online tests.

Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website (https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/naplan) and the NAP website (https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers).

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher.

Student Representative Council (SRC)- The Process for Nominations Semester One

- Classes nominate students who wish to run for the position - trying not to renominate students who have previously had the opportunity.

- Students in the class vote in a private ballot - which the classroom teacher collates and from the results of the ballot then makes the decision on who the representative will be (making sure the student is fully committed and happy to fulfil the role).

- SRC representatives must be excellent role models and display behaviour that of a respectful, responsible learner.

- Meetings are held during lunch time - which requires commitment and dedication to the best of their ability.

- Being a member of the SRC carries many responsibilities, but the greatest one is being a positive role model to the other students.

	Term One - Thursday Jan 29 to Thursday April 2
	Term Two - Tuesday 21 April to Thursday July 2
	Term Three - Tuesday July 22 to Thursday September 24
	Term Four - Monday October 12 to Wednesday December 15
Week 1
Tuesday 27 Jan	Staff Development Day
Wed. 28 Jan	Staff Development Day
Thurs 29 Jan	Years 1-6 commence and Kinder SOKS Assessments
Friday 30 Jan	Kindy commences Tea & Tissues for Kindy parents
Sunday 1 Feb.	Kindy Park Meet Up - Queens Elizabeth Reserve 2-4pm
Week 2
Monday 2 Feb	Band commences
Thursday 5 Feb	Parent Information evening 6pm in the hall followed by two classroom sessions 6.30pm and repeated at 7.pm
Friday 6 Feb	St Brigid's Day and Commissioning Mass 9am
Week 3
Monday 9 Feb	Stage 3 Leadership Day
11 to 13th Feb	Stage 3 Leadership camp to Narrabeen Sport & Recreation
Thursday 12 Feb	Coffee Connect
Friday 13 Feb	Maxi the Therapy dog to visit 8.10am
Week 4	Meet the Teacher Week
Tuesday 17 Feb	Stage 3 Homework Club commences
Wed. 18 Feb	Ash Wednesday Mass & Liturgy
Thurs. 19 Feb	Playgroup
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
Thurs. 26 Feb	Coffee Connect 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
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
Fri.13 March	Caritas Crazy Sock Day
Sun. 15 March	Year 4 Youth Mass
Week 8
Mon. 16 March	NAPLAN Language of Conventions test
Tues. 17 March	NAPLAN - Numeracy test
Wed 18 March	Caritas Crazy Hair Day
Thurs 19 March	Playgroup
Fri. 20 March	2.10pm Assembly
Sun. 22 March	10.15am Kindy & Buddies Children's Mass
Week 9
Sat. 28 March	P&F Trivia Night
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 1 · 30 Jan 2026

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