Hello Holy Cross!

I am hoping you are all refreshed and ready for what I know is going to be an awesome term here at Holy Cross. There is so much happening- we will keep you updated as we go on both our newsletter and our social media.

I begin with sad news and send our condolences to Lisa Peake and her family on the passing of her father. Please know, Lisa, that you have all our love and support over this difficult time.

Welcome to Holy Cross

Over the last week of last term and our first week back, we have been absolutely thrilled to welcome some wonderful new students and families to our school community!

Please join me in giving a huge welcome to:

The Camilleri family: Michael (P/1D) and Aurora (3/4P)
The Petridis family: Harrison (P/1D), Sophia (3/4P), and Isla (5/6F)

We feel incredibly blessed that you have chosen to join us. I know everyone will do an amazing job of making both families feel right at home in our beautiful school community!

Naidoc Week

I was extremely lucky over the holidays to have been in the Northern Territory for a week. Given this week is Naidoc week, I wanted to reflect a little on what I learnt and took away from visiting this beautiful part of our world.

Understanding "Connection to Country"

My Kakadu visit

In my own thinking, we often view land as property—something we own, manage, or build on. For First Nations people, this relationship is inverted: the land owns you, and you belong to it.

A Living Relationship: It is a reciprocal bond built on deep listening (dadirri), respect, and custodial care.
The Land is a Record: In places like Kakadu and Litchfield which I visited, the landscape isn't just scenery. The rock art at Ubirr and the sacred waterways are living history books, legal documents, and ecological maps passed down through generations.

I wanted to share this with you because it made me really reflect on our own bond to our beautiful school community in which we gather, teach, and learn on every day. It challenged me to consider how we move past just living on this place, and instead start truly connecting with it. We can ground this connection directly within our school values:

Respect: Developing a deeper, active reverence for the ancient history under our feet and genuinely listening to the stories and custodians of this land.
Responsibility: Embracing our role as caretakers—not just consumers—of our local environment, ensuring we protect and nurture our school grounds for the generations to follow.
Resilience: Drawing inspiration from the profound endurance of First Nations cultures, teaching our students how deep roots and a strong sense of belonging build the ultimate foundation for overcoming challenges.

Our own beautiful land

There are so many fantastic things happening at our school this term. Please see our calendar of events.

Let's have a wonderful term and hope that it begins to warm up!

Keep safe,

Jane Barlow

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