Monday 22 July Pupil Free Day

There will not be any staff on-site

Students return to school Tuesday 23 July

Dear Parents/Carers,

This Sunday sees the celebration in our parish of First Holy Communion. After many weeks of preparation for the students, they will be ready to receive Jesus in this most special of ways. As Catholics, the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. Pope Francis has called it the "Sacrament of Love":

"The Eucharist is at the heart of 'Christian initiation', together with Baptism and Confirmation, and it constitutes the source of the Church’s life itself. From this Sacrament of love, in fact, flows every authentic journey of faith, of communion, and of witness."

For children who are preparing to receive their First Holy Communion this is a big deal. And for all of us, no matter how many times we have received the Eucharist, it should always be a big deal. It is suggested by Fr Roger Landry that "...what makes one's first Communion a truly blessed event is not the adjective but the substantive: not the 'first' but the 'communion.' Because of whom we receive, the second, third, next, and last Communion should always be as special." I pray that the children receieving their First Communion this Sunday develop a deep reverence for the sacrament for many years to come.

Next week (on Friday 28 June) reports for students in Years 1-6 will be available for parents via the Compass parent portal. Then, in Week 10 (July 1-5), parent/teacher interviews will be held for all students. We consider these meetings to be a vital method of communicating with you and so we request that meeting is arranged for every child. When the classroom teacher and parents are working together, there is a greater chance of providing effective support for a child's progress.

We wish our Year 6 students every success as they travel to Canberra this week for a two-day excursion to support their learning about government. Although it is a cold time of year to be in our nation's capital, I am sure that they will gain a lot of knowledge as they get to see firsthand some of the important sites and features that contribute to the runnning of our country.

Wishing you a safe and happy fortnight,

Paul Moroney

Principal

Compass  Parent  Portal

Have you logged onto the new Compass Parent Portal?

Recently we sent out letters to all parents advising of your Username and Password.

The Compass Portal will become the one stop shop where you be able to: 

• Download and view your child's semester reports
• Read the School's fortnightly Newsletter
• See student attendance records and enter explanations for absences
• Approve or enter upcoming or past absences for your son/daughter
  Update your family details (email, address, mobile number)
• Book Parent Teacher Interviews
• View the School Calendar

In the future you will be able to:

• Pay school fees, charges and contributions
• Download, print and approve upcoming excursions

The link to the Compass Parent Portal is: https://hfidow-nsw.compass.education

You should also download the 'Compass App' to receive instant notifications and notifications of Events (excursions etc).

Compass will shortly be replacing Skoolbag App, so all notifications will come through Compass.

Student Reports

Student reports will be published on Compass on Friday 28 June.  This is the only way you will be able to access your child's report.  There won't be a hardcopy report sent home. 

Parent Teacher Interviews

Booking your Parent teacher interview will also be done through Compass.  These bookings will be available from Monday morning 24 June.