From the Principal
As we come to the end of Term Three, on behalf of our wonderful staff, I would like to extend our gratitude for your support and partnership. Your involvement including; helping with homework, attending and supporting school events, or encouraging your child to do their best and to be kind and respectful, has been very important in making this term a success. We really value your commitment to your child’s education and to our Holy Family School community.
As we head into the school holidays, I hope you all enjoy some well-deserved rest and quality time together as a family. We look forward to welcoming your child back next term, refreshed and ready for new challenges and learning.
Term 4
Monday 14 October is a pupil free day. On this day the Staff will be engaged in professional learning and collaboration focusing on the new curriculum. The students return to school on Tuesday 15 October. You would have already received a paper copy of the Term 4 Overview. We hope this planner is helpful for you in knowing what events are coming up. I always tell the children to put it on the fridge or somewhere that you can refer back to it.
Kindergarten and Year 4 Excursion
Last Friday, our Year 4 students traveled to Wollongong to visit the Science Centre. They had a wonderful time and the staff who attended all reported that our students were beautifully behaved and thankful for the day.
On Monday, our youngest students experienced their very first excursion. It was a very exciting lead up to the day and I can happily say that everyone had a wonderful time and came back with huge smiles on their faces!
School Uniforms - especially shoes!
A reminder that from day one of Term 4, all students must wear their full summer uniform.
We have noticed that a large number of students have been wearing incorrect shoes and socks. Please take some time over the holidays to ensure that your children’s school shoes are as follows:
Shoes
Summer and Winter: Plain, standard black leather lace up traditional school shoes. Low heels - No deck shoes or boots. Girls may wear shoes with a buckle.
Sport: Predominantly white joggers that finish below the ankle (no
basketball or slip on styles) with white laces only
Socks
Girls—Summer and Sport: White and worn above the ankle.
Boys—Sport: White worn above the ankle
Boys—Summer: Grey or school specific worn above the ankle
NO anklet socks—no brand names
We will have a uniform check in Week One of Term 4. Once again, thank you for
your support.
STEM MAD- Innovate for Impact
Last Wednesday, Miss Hay and four students traveled to Wollongong to present their STEM MAD projects at the 2024 Innovate for Impact Student STEM Showcase at the UOW Innovation Campus. In collaboration with the Department of Education, this event featured around 75 students from 13 schools, showcasing 38 innovative projects aimed at making a positive difference in the world. Projects ranged from sustainable street lights to refugee apps, all blending STEM skills with a commitment to social impact. Students demonstrated solid problem-solving abilities and gained valuable feedback from industry judges and mentors, offering recognition and potential career pathways.
In all things at Holy Family, Give Thanks.
Mrs Amy Smith
Principal
Year 4’s Science Fun!
As 4 Blue and 4 White from Holy Family School entered the classroom, Mr. Leibrandt and Miss Roberts marked the roll. After that, the grade was on their way. The students walked to the bus and got on. The trip felt so long. The entire grade was excited, but after the one-hour mark, some people started to fall asleep. Of course, we needed energy to explore this exciting place.
Once we arrived at the science fair, we put our bags on the back rack and built helipads. After that, the grade started exploring the second floor. There were so many cool things to hold, touch, and play with. There was a robotic elephant, bubbles that looked like metal balls, and lots more.
Then we went to the bottom floor, and all the things there were even cooler. There was a ball launcher, mini parachute soldiers, propellers, and many, many more fun things.
Then, we went to the planetarium.
The planetarium was a lot of fun as we learnt about different planets, like how Jupiter is the biggest one, Venus doesn’t have any moons, Saturn’s rings are 90% water, and how Venus, despite being the second planet from the sun, is the hottest planet. We also learnt how Pluto was once considered a planet but fell just short of remaining one.
Additionally, we learnt about the Milky Way and how it got its name. It was named after a Greek myth about the goddess Hera, who sprayed milk across the sky. There are many galaxies, but the Milky Way is the one we belong to. There were a lot of cool scenes and interesting facts that we discovered.
We also explored liquid nitrogen. It looks hot at first because it's boiling, but don’t be fooled—it’s actually extremely cold! We saw how it made a rubber ball lose its bounce and caused a rubber band to lose its elasticity, with both of them crumbling afterward.
Now for the journey back: It was longer than the trip to the science lab. After the 1-hour mark, people started to fall asleep! Some even started to feel bus sick. But after a long ride back to school, we finally went home.
Rafael Natividad and Riley Antonio
