Holy Cross Happenings 

Aqua Aware Swimming Program

Last week, our Prep to Year 3 students participated in the Aqua Aware swimming program, and it was fantastic to see their enthusiasm and growing confidence in the water.

One of the highlights has been watching our younger students show increasing independence, especially as they get themselves changed and organised each day. Even though they’re often a little tired by the end, they’ve shown great resilience and a positive attitude.

Well done to all our young swimmers, and thank you to families for your support in helping them prepare each day!

A special thank you to our generous parent volunteers who came along during the week to assist, your support helped make the program run smoothly and ensured the children felt supported and safe. We’re so grateful for your time and care.

We’re also very grateful to the staff at the aquatic centre. Their well-planned lessons, encouragement, and engaging approach made each session both fun and educational for the children.

And finally, a big shoutout to our bus drivers, who safely transported our students to and from the pool all week. The children were so thankful, they surprised the drivers with a card and a whole lot of stickers, some of which may have found their way onto the driver!

Things I loved about the Aqua Aware Program:

Olivia Denko - Jumping into the pool and having lots of fun with my friends. 

Ella Merrett - I loved freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke.

Joel Hovancek - We learnt about safety and we had fun. 

Ryder Stipic - I loved swimming in the water with my friends

Maxi Green - My teacher was very good. We learnt freestyle, breaststroke, skulling and we also floated on our backs for 60 seconds. It was very fun and made us a better swimmer. 

Harper Fisher - We learnt about water safety and how to save someone. 

Massimo Damaschino - I liked it because we had to learn how to swim and swimming is lots of fun. We learnt freestyle with a kickboard. 

Noah James - I loved diving into the pool, I learnt paddling. 

Taj Poonia - I loved when we played the game 'Messy Room' with my friends. 

Larissa Spiteri - It was fun but we also learnt how to save someone.

Ben Shaughnessy - I loved that we all got to have fun in the pool. 

Aoife Courtney - I loved swimming and racing the boys out of the change rooms!

Thomas Middlemast - I loved everything!

New Arrivals on the School Farm!

We would like to thank the Fairmaid family for sharing their beautiful ewes and lambs with our school community.

On Wednesday, one ewe arrived with her two lambs in tow, while another gave birth right here in our school paddock! It was a chilly evening, but those clever and caring ewes made sure their babies were well fed and kept warm. The children were delighted to discover the new additions as they walked past the paddocks, and the Highland cows looked on with curiosity and a gentle welcome from across the way.

We are so lucky to have families who generously share these special experiences with us. The joy and wonder of new life has certainly spread across our school, bringing smiles, excitement, and plenty of learning opportunities for both children and adults alike.

Tiny Visitors, Big Smiles

Miss Prebble's class were feeling extra chirpy this week when Mia brought in her newly hatched chicks for a special presentation. It was a great chance for her to share a personal passion and build her presentation skills. Her impressive knowledge really shone through as the class was captivated by the chirping, fluffy visitors.

Felting

A big thank you to Emily and Jan for generously volunteering their time, skills and resources to teach our Year 5 and 6 students the beautiful art of felting this term. The children have been thoroughly engaged in each session, learning a range of new techniques as they designed and created their very own pieces of felt art.

This week, Eoin gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the felting process, but stay tuned for the final masterpieces as the lessons wrap up!

We are incredibly grateful to Emily and Jan for sharing their talents with our students, what a creative and memorable experience!

Eoin - At the start of the lesson it didn't pass the pinch test, so I did some extra rolls and the needle felting tool helped put the wool fibre back. 

Then I 'fulled' it, which means putting it in hot and cold water. The hot water loosens the fibres and then the cold water connects the fibre back together, which means you can't pull it apart. That means it works! 

We have to leave it overnight and then it's done. 

UBUNTU IS COMING TO HOLY CROSS!

We are delighted to welcome Ubuntu - a group of 14 young Africans, to Holy Cross.

During their stay, Ubuntu will host a workshop with our students and spend time in classrooms and on the yard. They will also be living with 7 generous Holy Cross families during their three night stay. This will give them a chance to experience life in the Macedon Ranges.

The highlight of the tour will be a concert to be held on Thursday 26th June at 7pm. Ubuntu will perform a 90 minute showcase of song, dance and storytelling. It promises to be a memorable and heartwarming experience for all. Our school choir will also perform on stage with Ubuntu - an amazing opportunity for our students!

Tickets are on sale very soon. We will send out an Operoo with details of how to purchase.

UBUNTU Africa empowers graduates of the Choir to share their talents globally, while raising support for the next generation. To date, the African Children’s Choir has supported more than 54,000 children through education and mentorship. Since 2011, Kwaya Australia has supported the African Children’s Choir by being involved in life-changing education projects and have hosted several international tours that bring Africa and Australia closer together. 

Holy Cross are proud to work in solidarity with Kwaya in making a difference to the lives of these young Africans.