Holy Cross Happenings 

Graduation

Graduation night was a special celebration of our Class of 2024. We were so proud to see the children walk into the beautifully decorated room, all dressed up, ready to celebrate their journey and the friendships they’ve made along the way.

This night wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our Holy Cross community. A lovely tradition at Holy Cross is that the Year 5 families help with the set up for graduation and our wonderful past students in Year Seven, help wait on the tables, and they did a wonderful job! 

We extend our thanks to our Year 6 teachers, Lisa and Pat, for their dedication in preparing the children for their Graduation and to Lisa for organising a meaningful and special Mass. We were delighted to have Father Vincent join us for the evening, leading Grace before we shared a meal together.

Our school captains gave thoughtful and well-prepared speeches, reflecting on the highlights of not only their Year 6 experiences but also their journey through primary school. Their contributions have been invaluable, and we are very appreciative of their leadership throughout the year.

We were also grateful that Aoife could attend the evening to celebrate our Class of 2024.

School Captains 

Mark Brochus from Salesian College, Sam Weir on behalf of Sacred Heart College Kyneton and Corinne Shaddock from Gisborne Gazette also attended to present scholarships and awards. 

Some very creative past families also like to lend a hand in organising this night and we would like to give a special shoutout to Brodie Hobbs and her children Ashley and Tyson who have been involved in coordinating graduation for over five years. Having someone who knows all the elements that make up graduation is invaluable, thank you Brodie. 

And what can we say about the dynamic duo, Jen Feist and her mum Cheryl? Their creativity transformed our multipurpose room into a magical space filled with love and attention to detail. From the barn roof to Charlotte’s Web and even the wise owl perched on a branch, every element reflected the spirit of our graduates and their connection to our Outdoor Education program.

This year’s theme was all about sustainability and community, a fitting tribute to a group of students who have spent countless hours caring for our animals and each other. It was made even more special to have Caitlyn Blake join us for dinner, returning from parental leave to celebrate with our graduates. Thank you Caitlyn for inspiring this year's theme! If you haven’t had a chance, pop into the multipurpose room and take a look. The craftsmanship and care are truly inspiring.

Our volunteers spent many hours over the weekend putting that space together and we are so grateful, at this busy time of year, that they give so generously to make the night one of celebration.  It is always risky naming people to thank in case we leave someone out, and I apologise if I have, but I would like to thank my daughter Emily and her friend Hannah Weier for doing many jobs in the lead up to Graduation and on the night, Bernie Dickson, Belinda Briganti, Nat and Tiaria Burt, Mel and Jesse Brown, Casey Goble, Kylie Middlemast, Stacey Moore, Leanne Wilson, Kath Penisi, Kath Shelton and Wendy Tattersal for all helping over the weekend and on the night. Matt McKenna provided the synthetic turf for the evening and Jason Pellegrino made life much easier by providing scaffold for us to hang the ceiling and lights. Rob Feist also built an extension to the stage to allow extra space for our decorations, thank you Rob!  If you see these wonderful people around, please thank them for keeping this very special tradition alive. 

To our graduates, we are so proud of you. You’ve filled our school with laughter, curiosity, and kindness. We’ll miss your stories, your jokes, thanks Lachie for sharing a joke with us on the night, and the unique spirit each of you brings. We have enjoyed spending time with you, going on camps and excursions, and we feel very privileged to have been able to get to know the wonderful people you are. You are all unique with your own special qualities and talents, continue to keep being you as you embark on your secondary school journey where you will meet new friends and learn amazing things. You are always welcome to visit us, as you are part of the Holy Cross family and we wish you happiness and all the best for your future. 

Class of 2024 

Social Justice Market

On Thursday 5th December, the Year 6 children once again, hosted their annual Social Justice Market.

The children designed stalls that were filled with yummy, sweet treats and skill games.

All classes had time to visit our Market and they had a wonderful time participating in the activities. 

The Year 6 children voted for all donations to go to Edgar’s Mission. This not for profit farmed animal sanctuary seeks to create a humane and just world for all. They provide a home for farmed animals to grow old with grace and dignity. Overall we raised an incredible $1142.

Thank you to all families who donated to this worthy cause. 

The children had a wonderful time collaborating, designing, preparing and setting up their stalls. It was a great day!

Holy Eucharist Visit 

On Monday the Holy Eucharist children from St Albans came to Holy Cross to experience a country school as their school is near the city. We were excited for them to arrive and they were excited to get here. The Year 3s and 4s had a fun time making lots of friends with the Holy Eucharist children. Thank you to the PFA for organising a sausage sizzle for both Holy Cross children and Holy Eucharist children. They also came to playtime with us playing games such as basketball, down ball and tiggi. They enjoyed our large oval and play spaces. But we were all sad when they had to leave. Overall we all had a fun time and it was a great opportunity to make new friends!

By Adelaide in Year 4

We did some fun activities in groups that the Holy Eucharist kids enjoyed. Each activity group had a mix of 3s and 4s from Holy Cross and grade 4s from Holy Eucharist. In the groups we did gum leaf paintings with Calin and seed bombs with Abby. Then we did bottle brush and wattle paintings with Mrs Sullivan and Sian. We also played a game of netball with Leonie and Jenna. The Holy Eucharist kids loved our school and we enjoyed showing them around when they didn't know how to get to places. We had an awesome time together and we hope they will be able to come and visit our school again soon!

By Ivy in Year 4

Outdoor Ed Cooking Fun

This week, our Prep to Year 2 classes wrapped up their Outdoor Education unit with a fun and delicious cooking activity. After previously creating their own pizza recipes, the children revisited the importance of following a recipe and reflected on their chosen toppings. They explored how to adapt their pizzas if a listed ingredient wasn’t available, considering creative alternatives.

As a class, they also had lively discussions about the variety of toppings that can be used on a pizza. Then came the best part—bringing their ideas to life and enjoying the results!

Any lesson that involves cooking and eating is always a hit, and this week’s session was no exception. A big thank you to Abby for her patience, creativity, and effort in preparing such engaging lessons. Her use of our Outdoor Ed space made this final activity a memorable and rewarding experience for all!

Isabelle- I liked putting the toppings on the pizza.

Myles - I liked eating the pizza.

Bonnie - I liked eating the pizza.

Zoey - I liked making the pizza.

Isabella- I loved eating a margarita pizza.

Ava Grace - I loved how you don't have to have lots of vegetables and you could pick the toppings for your pizza.

Kaylee - I loved eating the pizza.

Ava - I loved eating the pizza, I had a smile face pizza.

Vinnie- I liked that you could put any toppings on, I put mushrooms and a whole variety of toppings.

Emilian - I liked making the pizza, I liked putting all the stuff on the pizza, pineapple, cheese, tomato and olives.

Ari - I liked eating it, it was my second-best pizza!

Charlie - I liked it because it tasted good.

William- I liked cooking it because it smelt good.

Mabel - I liked eating the pizza, it was yummy.

Max - I liked it because it was a mini pizza and it was very yum!

Claire - I liked the pizza because it was delicious.

Philippa - I liked that we could put our own toppings on and we didn't have to put on that we didn't like. I put Mushrooms, cheese and ham.

Ryder - I liked that we could put our own toppings on and we didn't have to put on that we didn't like. I put ham, tomato sauce and cheese. 

Essendon Player Visit

On Monday, we were thrilled to welcome three Essendon players - Darcy Parish, Luamon Lual, and Archie Perkins - to Holy Cross. The players engaged with our Year 5 and 6 children in a lively Q&A session, answering a variety of thoughtful questions. When asked for their best advice to children of this age who are playing football, Darcy emphasised the importance of enjoyment and having fun while playing. Archie encouraged students to try different sports and experiment with playing in various positions to broaden their skills and experiences.

Following the Q&A, the players joined the students for an exciting kick-to-kick session on our school oval. They were impressed by the expansive grounds at Holy Cross, noting how remarkable it is to have enough space to run multiple games of footy simultaneously. It was a memorable experience for everyone involved, The players even stopped for some photos during the children's break time as they were leaving. We would like thank the Essendon Football Club and Darcy, Luamon, and Archie for taking the time to inspire our children!

Kate Darby  By Ethan in Year 6

Today Kate Darby an AFLW player came to talk about her experience with the year 6’s. Kate Darby came to Holy Cross when she was younger and played footy for Riddell's Creek Bombers for a few years before she got told that she couldn't play because she was a girl. When she  was 26 years old Tom Sheridan, another AFL footballer that came to Holy Cross, rang her and asked if she wanted to play AFLW. She said yes but soon got delisted after only 2 games. Then Geelong offered her a contract. She still plays at Geelong and recently won the community award for Geelong. 

Fr Vincent Meets with our Year 1 and 2 Children

Last week, the year 1 & 2 children had the opportunity to have a Q and A session with Fr Vincent.  The children prepared questions relating to his life as a priest,  the church in Australia and even some philosophical questions (which even  challenged Fr Vincent). 

We're so fortunate to have a parish priest who takes time to connect with our students.