Dear Holy Family Parents and Carers,

Kindergarten Orientation

During the week we held our final Kindergarten Orientation session for the 2025 Kindy students and their parents. It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic current and new parents. One of the key themes of the morning was the importance of parent involvement and a sense of belonging to our school community. We discussed various ways parents can engage with the school community, including:

Volunteering in the classroom

Participating and volunteering in school events

Keeping open lines of communication with teachers

Parents expressed gratitude for the information shared by the parish, P&F, class parents, Leadership Team and the Kindy teachers, stating it eased their concerns about the transition to Kindergarten. Overall, the Kindergarten Orientation was a great success as it provided a platform for building connections which is crucial for creating a supportive community. We look forward to welcoming our new students at the Welcome to Kindy Mass this Sunday at the 10.15am mass. Please know that all of our students and parents are warmly welcome to attend.

Semester Two Reports

As we move into the final weeks of Semester Two, our teachers are actively engaged in the process of preparing student reports. This is a critical time where our educators reflect on the academic progress, achievements, and areas of development for each student. The reports will provide a comprehensive summary of the children's learning journey this semester, including assessments, participation, and personal growth.

Teachers are working diligently to ensure that the reports are both accurate and constructive, offering feedback that not only highlights strengths but also guides students on areas for improvement. These reports are an essential tool for students and families, fostering open communication about student progress. We understand the importance of these reports in shaping students' future learning experiences, and I want to express my appreciation for the hard work and dedication of our teaching staff during this busy reporting period.

North Shore Review

On behalf of Catholic Schools Broken Bay (CSBB), we would like to extend our thanks for the engagement and valuable insights you offered during our recent North Shore Review Community Consultation. Your contributions are helping to shape a vision that aligns with our shared mission of providing quality education, nurturing faith, and supporting the well-being of every student.

Throughout Term 3, your feedback was received via over 200 online surveys, and 32 discussion groups (parent and carers, staff, parish and students), across all eight participating schools:

St Philip Neri Catholic Primary School, Northbridge

Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Lindfield

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Pymble

OLPS Catholic Primary School, West Pymble

Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, St Ives

St Thomas Catholic Primary School, Willoughby

Our Lady of Dolors Catholic Primary School, Chatswood

Mercy Catholic College, Chatswood

We have heard your thoughtful reflections on what matters most to you: a nurturing, faith-centered environment, academic excellence and opportunity, and a community that feels like family. We very much appreciate the time and care you put into sharing these perspectives with us.

The themes that emerged from your feedback reinforce our commitment to providing an authentic, high-quality Catholic education, delivered with care and compassion.

As we move forward with planning for the next phase of this work, we are excited to continue building on the feedback, data, and insights we have gathered to date. We are further committed to:

Strengthening Academic Focus: continuing to enhance our academic programs, creating a solid foundation of educational excellence that supports the unique needs of every student.

Supporting Student Faith and Wellbeing: prioritising student wellbeing and creating an environment where each child feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Continuing to affirm faith, community, and compassion are at the heart of our schools.

Investing in strengthening the future state of our schools: exploring future growth opportunities at each of our sites and creating innovative and connected systemic Catholic education across the North Shore.

Thank you once again for your support, partnership, and dedication to making our schools the best they can be. Together, we look forward to building an even brighter future for our schools, our students, and the entire North Shore community.

School Uniform Supplier

CSBB Procurement team has been notified by Cowan & Lewis Pty Ltd, that they have been acquired by Georges Apparel Pty Ltd, trading as ‘Midford’. Cowan & Lewis have assured CSBB that product and service quality will not deviate from its current status, and that Matthew Welsh (Director), who is the current school contact, is staying on with the company. There is nothing for schools to action unless there is a concern regarding quality and service.

Thank You to the P&F Executive

This week, we held our annual Parents & Friends AGM, where we took the opportunity to reflect on the successes of the past year. It was wonderful to celebrate the contributions of our community and look ahead to the exciting initiatives for the year ahead.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest thanks to the outgoing P&F Executive Team for their exceptional commitment and tireless contributions to our school community.

President: Olwyn Connolly

Treasurers: Lawrence Wong & Damian Ryan

Secretary: Norelle Jones

Catholic Schools Parent Representative: Shane Norton

Class Parent Leads: Anna Roberts and Stephen Xu

Over the past year, this dedicated group of parents has worked incredibly hard to support our school through various fundraising initiatives, community-building events, and ongoing efforts to enrich the educational experience for all our students. Their involvement has not only provided financial support but has also fostered a strong sense of connection among families, staff, and the wider community. From organizing school events to supporting classroom activities, the P&F Executive Team’s efforts have made a lasting impact on our school.

We are deeply grateful for their time, energy, and enthusiasm. Their work has truly helped strengthen the foundation of our school, and their legacy will continue to benefit the school community for years to come.

What's happening next week?

Sunday: Welcome to Kindy 2025 & New Families to Holy Family Mass: On Sunday, the parish will celebrate a special Welcome Mass for the families of Kindy 2025 students and any new families joining the Holy Family community. This will be a beautiful occasion to welcome them into the parish and school family, with prayers and blessings for a successful year ahead.

Tuesday: Year 5 Retreat – "Journey with Jesus"

Our Year 5 students will embark on a special retreat, "Journey with Jesus," as they reflect on their faith and grow spiritually. It’s a meaningful time for our students to connect with their faith on a deeper level, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this retreat will have on them.

Friday: Combined School and Parish Christmas Concert

Get ready for a festive celebration as we join together for the annual Combined School and Parish Christmas Concert. This event promises to be an exciting evening filled with music, carols, and the spirit of Christmas. We invite all families to come along and enjoy this beautiful celebration of the season. We look forward to seeing you at these wonderful events!

Please use the bar code for pre-booking of food tickets.

Kindy 2025 Park Meet Up

All families of Kindy 2025 are invited to a fun park meet-up on December 1 at 1:30pm!

This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to meet, make new friends, and get excited about their upcoming time in Kindergarten together.

Kindest regards,

Pauline Dinale

Principal

Click here to view our school calendar

	Term 4
Sunday 24 November	Welcome to Kindy 2025 Mass & Morning Tea 10.15am
Tuesday 26 November	Year 5 Walk with Jesus Retreat 4 schools at Holy Family
Friday 29 November	Christmas Around the World Parish/School Christmas Concert 5pm - 7.30pm
Sunday 1 December	Advent begins Vinnies Brekky Van at Central (parents/parish team) Kindy 2025 Park Meet Up from 1.30pm
Monday 2 December	Year Two End of Year Liturgy 2pm - classroom
Wednesday 4 December	Stage 3 Netball Gala Day KW End of Year Liturgy 2pm - library
Thursday 5 December	Year 5 students Leadership speeches for 2025 positions KG End of Year liturgy 2pm - library
Friday 6 December	Year 6 Graduation Mass & High Tea 1.30pm Stage 2 Netball Gala Day
Monday 9 December	Meet the Teacher for 2025 classes Year Five End of Year Liturgy 2pm - classroom
Tuesday 10 December	Stage 3 Excursion to the zoo
Wednesday 11 December	Year Three End of Year Liturgy 2pm - classroom
Thursday 12th December	Year One End of Year Liturgy 2pm - classroom
Friday 13 December	Year Four End of Year Liturgy 2pm - library
Tuesday 17 December	Holy Family Talent Quest
Wednesday 18 December	Advent Mass 10am followed by disco & pizza Term 4 concludes for students
Thursday 19 December	Staff Development Day

Please CLICK HERE to read the Parents Charter from Catholic Schools Broken Bay.

Coles Development

No update this week.

Holy Family Newsletter - Tel: 7256 2141 Email: hfl@dbb.org.au

Strength and Gentleness

Term 4 Week 6 · 22 Nov 2024

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