Dear Parents,

As we enter into the end of the school year for 2024, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a safe and festive Christmas. For some families, Christmas is a wonderful time filled with joy. While for others it is a time of sadness as they reflect on the year that was and remember loved ones that may no longer be in their lives. Whichever category that you fall into, may the hope that comes with Christmas fill your homes.

A reminder that school finishes next Tuesday 17th December at 1.00pm

This year, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica on 24 December. He will then open the Holy Doors at the major basilicas of St John Lateran on 29 December, St Mary Major on 1 January and St Paul Outside the Walls on 5 January to mark the 2025 Jubilee. The theme for Jubilee 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope,” and it will be a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis. While we can be overwhelmed with the negative events in our lives and society, it is important to take the time to focus instead on the element of hope and allow this sentiment to grow.

This week, we also bid farewell to our Year 6 students and wish them the best of luck as they begin their high school journey. To the families whose journey with Holy Name comes to an end, we also say farewell. We hope that you will come back and join us for future community events.

Tomorrow (Friday) at 3pm we will have our guard of honour for the Grade Six students, so please come along to farewell them in the school grounds.

Thank you

I would like to thank all the individuals, families and groups that work together to make Holy Name a great place for your children to be in. From the P&F members, M.A.D. group, SAC group, those that volunteer for working bees, excursions, cooking sausages, canteen, parent helpers, those that assisted with production and each one of you that support fundraisers, as a staff we say THANK YOU!

I would also like to extend a big thank you to the staff of Holy Name who go above and beyond what they are asked to do, to make Holy Name the warm and inviting place that it is.

We give a special thanks to Tim Date for his work and contribution to the SAC as an invaluable committee member and also for being part of our community for the past seven years. Welcome to our new SAC member, Susmita Dhakal.

Christmas Carols

I hope that everyone that came to the Christmas Carols on Tuesday evening had a wonderful time. We were very fortunate that the weather was neither too hot nor too cold and it allowed us to relax and enjoy the wonderful sounds of children singing. Thank you to Rosa Zannoni for putting the carols together and for the members of our community who helped with the setup, selling of goods and the pack up. These events could not occur without all the ongoing support.

Thank you to the Haidar family who donated all the sausages for the night. We are very grateful for your continued support in all that we do.

School Reports

School reports were released on the nForma app yesterday. Going forward in 2025, this app will allow school reports to be accessed, student absences to be recorded, interview booking times and other notices and forms.

See guide for downloading the app:

End of Year Mass and 2025 School Leaders Presentation

Our end of year mass will be on Tuesday 17th December 2024 at 9:00am in the church. Following this mass we will be presenting our school leaders for 2025 with their badges in the hall. All parents and families are invited to both the mass in the church and the leaders presentation in the hall.

Staff for 2025

Each year we farewell some much loved staff and welcome new ones; this year is no exception.

This year we farewell Nadia Ascenzo (moving to St. Fidelis), Natasha Leitner (moving to Brookside), Ruby Condon (moving to Glowery) and Emma Daly (moving to St Bernadettes). We thank these members of staff for their dedication and wish them well in their new schools.

For 2025 we welcome the following members: Mr Evan Cummins, Ms Penny Camiot, Ms Erin Bibby, Ms Dessie Moutsos, Mr Braydan Moscript and welcome back Ms Leah Gates.

The class names for 2025 will reflect the teachers' first names.

Prep S - Siobhan Taggart

Prep M- Maria Georgiou

1/2 M- Meagan Baldwin

1/2 L- Lynda Bakas (Mon-Thur) Grace Ciorciari (Fri)

1/2F- Francesca Stokes (Mon - Wed) Dessie Moutsos (Thur/Fri)

3/4 D- Donna Monteleone (Tues-Fri) Nives Foresio (Mon)

3/4R- Rosa Zannoni (Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri) Nives Foresio (Thur)

3/4E- Evan Cummins (Mon - Wed) Penny Camiot (Thur/Fri)

5/6 B- Braydan Moscript

5/6 J- Jessica Bordignon

5/6 E- Erin Bibby

School Leaders

Derryn Ling - Deputy Principal/ RE Leader/ICT Leader

Maria Lontos - Literacy (Tues/Wed) Leah Gates - Mathematics (Tues/Wed)

Luisa Cecala -Learning Diversity/Wellbeing (Mon-Thur)

Specialist Staff

Anna Bregu - Italian (Tue-Thur) Peter Koulaxizellis- PE (Tue-Thur)

Louise Preece - Art (Tue-Thur) Teresa Flatman- STEM (Tue-Thur)

Admin

Leanne Fraser- Reception Vivien Costa - Bursar (Tues-Thur)

Learning Support Officers

Adam McKay Vanessa Scordo Clara Salmanidis Megan Papa

Oriana Formica Marie Fontana Belinda Toppi

Library Technician

Gordana Jordanovska

Maintenance

Ian Edwards (Tue and Thur)

Well Done!

Well done to our Choir who went to Arcare last week to spread some Christmas joy with the elderly. From all accounts, both the children and the residents had a wonderful time.

On Friday, our Year 5 students will also be taking part in a Summerhill/Arcare initiative where our students will be spending a little time with the residents and taking part in an activity to spread some Christmas cheer.

A Night at the Museum School Production

If you would like a copy of the production, please come to the office. The USB's are $10 each. You can pay by cash or card. You can also order & pay over the phone and we'll send it home via your child.

School Fees 2025

Please see the 2025 fee structure below.

If you have any queries or concerns about payment, please make an appointment to come and see me. We have endeavoured to keep increases to a minimum.

If you are in receipt of an eligible Health Care or Pension Card as at the first day of Term 1, 2025, please see Leanne at the office to obtain a Concessional Fee application form and/or CSEF form.

Please note that the Concessional form needs to be completed on an annual basis, and can be collected from the school office.

If you require a hard copy of the fee structure, please contact the office.

External Music Program

Experience Music will be providing our school with music lessons, beginning next year. They are a small company with only a select number of schools that they service. Please see the attached enrolment details if you would like your child to take up music for 2025.

On behalf of Experience Music we want to express our joy at commencing our small music program at Holy Name P.S. as of February 2025. We want to thank the school and the wider Holy Name community for welcoming us and giving us the opportunity to serve your students through the gift that is music. We look forward to supporting your children as they explore, create, and experience the joy of this through our program. Please feel free to reach out to us should you have any questions. Thank you once again.

Library Book Reminder

A reminder to students that all books should now have been returned to the Library.

If you have outstanding books to be returned, this must be done before the last day of school.

Students not Returning to Holy Name in 2025

If your child is moving schools at the end of the year (perhaps due to moving house), please let us know as soon as possible, as class lists are being prepared.

Lost Property

We have quite a selection of windcheaters, jumpers and assorted drink bottles, containers etc in the lost property basket (in the office corridor). If your child has lost an item of clothing or other, please get them to check the basket.

Also, if any of these items in the pictures below belong to your child, please see Leanne.

The three windcheaters (size 8, 14 & one with size cut off, but initials written which can't be deciphered), are almost brand new and have been waiting at the office for collection for a number of weeks now.

The set of keys was found on Carols night.....

WELLBEING

MRS CECALA

Koala Kids Christmas Toy Drive

THANK YOU!!!