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| 2024 |
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| Wednesday 20th November |
Yr 2 & Yr 4 Mass - 9am |
| Friday 22nd November |
Kinder 2025 Playgroup - 9.00-10.00am Nude Food Friday Grade visit by Father to Year 5 Assembly, 2.10pm |
| Monday 25th November |
Kinder - Year 2 Swimming Lessons |
| Thursday 28th November |
Year 6 Fundraiser - Cake Selling |
| Friday 29th November |
Kinder 2025 Playgroup - 9.00-10.00am Nude Food Friday Grade visit by Father to Year 4 |
| Monday 2nd December |
Kinder - Year 2 Swimming Lessons |
| Wednesday 4th December |
Kindergarten Orientation 9.00-10.00am & 10.30-11.30 |
| Friday 6th December |
Grade visit by Father to Kinder Nude Food Friday Assembly, 2.10pm - Talent Quest Parish Chistmas Carols, 6.30pm |
| Monday 9th December |
Last day - Kinder - Year 2 Swimming Lessons |
| Wednesday 11th December |
Kinder & Yr 6 Mass - 9.00am |
| Friday 13th December |
Grade visit by Father to Year 2 Nude Food Friday Christmas Concert, 4.30pm (Church) |
| Wednesday 18th December |
Whole school End of Year/Graduation Mass - 11.45am Yr 6 Farewell & Dinner at Otttimo House |
| Thursday 19th December |
Assembly - Year 6 LAST DAY OF TERM 4 |
| Tuesday 4th February 2025 |
Years 1 - 6 commence school year |
| Wednesday 5th February 2025 |
Kindergarten commences school year |
Reflection
This week, our Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King, a special time to reflect on Jesus as a loving leader in our lives. While the idea of a "king" can make us think of crowns and castles, Christ shows us a different kind of kingship. His kingdom is built on love, service, kindness, and forgiveness.
As we prepare to enter the season of Advent, let’s think about how we can follow Christ the King in our daily lives:
- How can we show kindness to each other?
- Are there ways we can help those in need in our community?
- Can we take time to pray and thank God for all the blessings in our lives?
Let this feast remind us that Jesus teaches us to serve others with love. May Christ the King inspire us to make our school, our homes, and our world a place of peace and joy.
Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup
Over the last two Fridays we have welcomed our newest community members through our Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup. Our new young people have had the opportunity to meet new children and staff members, become familiar with the Kindergarten classrooms and our parents and carers have been able to walk on this journey with their children. It has been a fun and exciting time. The playgroup program continues for the next two weeks and the more formal Kindergarten Orientation Day is to take place on Wednesday, 4th December.
Student Leaders for 2025
Today I had the privilege to attend the Year 5 Student Leader speeches in the school hall. We were fortunate enough to have 21 Year 5 students apply to be considered for a leadership role in 2025.
The process commenced a few weeks ago when students who were interested spoke with their families and completed a written application. They then prepared the speeches that were presented today. Year 4 and 5 students, along with our current Year 6 leaders and school staff then voted using a preferential system of voting.
It will now take a number of days to count and validate the counting process. Every student who nominated themselves did the most wonderful job and showed great courage and commitment to the process - I was extremely impressed!
In all things at Holy Family, Give Thanks.
Mrs Amy Smith
Principal
School Fees - Please make every effort to pay off school fee balances prior to year end. If any family is having difficulty in meeting this financial obligation, please call the office for a confidential discussion. Parents make take this time to consider increasing instalment contributions to assist in decreasing fee balances. Payments may also be made at any time via BPay.
REMINDERS:
Payment of School Fees
If you are currently paying by instalments there is no need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment as your request carries over from year to year unless you wish to amend the frequency of your payments eg Weekly to Fortnightly
Existing families in our school without instalments
If you would like to pay school fees by instalments in 2025 and have previously not taken up this option for payment, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.
Every Friday is Nude Food Friday at HFI. Nude Food is a worldwide initiative developed to enourage kids and parents to eat well and live well, and help eliminate unnecessary packaging and wrapping that goes into schools.
Pack: Snacks/drinks in reusable containers - Re-usable utenstils when needed - Foods with no/minimal wrapping (eg. fruits - If wrapping is required, avoid plastic and opt for eco friendly wrapping (eg. paper bags, beeswax wraps).
As the warm weather has now returned, ice-blocks will be available to buy at Break 2 for 50 cents.
Families of students that won't be returning to Holy Family School in 2025
As a requirement of NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority), we ask that if your family will NOT be returning to Holy Family in 2025 (this excludes Year 6 students), you advise the school by completing the paperwork attached below.
Parent Volunteers
All approved parent volunteers must scan the QR code below and complete the on-boarding process on the CEODOW website. Once you have been cleared you will receive an email with your digital token.
This will also replace the presentation process for volunteers that occurs each year.
Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel.
Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025. Please apply or update details as soon as possible.
In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card.
P&F Meeting
Belonging in a connected community is important to us at Holy Family. We work hard to live out our vision to be a welcoming Catholic school community that endeavours to bear Christ to all. We aim to do this through the many opportunities for faith formation, high quality teaching and learning and robust PB4L (positive behaviours for learning) structures that are built on positive relationships and underpinned by Catholic Social Teaching. Our wonderful community celebrations involving our parents and carers, as well as our school’s Parents and Friends all help connect us as a community.
In addition to this, we know that many of our students participate in a number of extra curricular activities outside of school and we would like to celebrate some of these great achievements! These could include achievements in their Parish, music, sport, dance, drama, community service and community awards, to name a few.
If your child has recently achieved something in an outside school area, please let us know! Details can be sent to info_holyfamily@dow.catholic.edu.au with the email subject ‘Belonging in a Connected Community’. We can then showcase their achievement in this section of our newsletter.
Please find attached some resources, provided by CatholicCare, which you may find useful.
Emotional Connection
Expressing Emotions
Regards
Sarah
Father Henry Adler - 25th Anniversary Of Ordination
At all Masses on 22nd and 23rd November, Father Henry's 25th Anniversary will be remembered and thanks will be given to God for the gift of his priesthood. Please bring a plate of finger food to share after each Mass. There will be no 8.00am Mass at Holy Trinity.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Money donations only this year via the Vinnies Appeal envelopes provided in the church. Vinnies will use this money to provide families with food hampers from Food Bank, Essential Woolworths cards and movie vouchers. Place your envelope under the Christmas tree by weekend of 7th and 8th December.
Holy Family Parish Christmas Carols
Please join the Parish for an evening of beautiful hymns and Christmas cheer - Friday 6th December at 6.30pm. BYO drinks and food for supper afterwards (no alcohol please).
November - Month of the Holy Souls
Traditionally prayers are offered for our departed loved ones during the month of November. If you would like a Mass offered for departed family or a loved one, please fill out a November Mass envelope. Masses will be offered during November and ongoing. If you would like Mass offered on a particular day, please see Father Henry. The Parish will also be remembering loved ones who have died in a Book of Remembrance. You are invited to take a moment to add the names of your loved ones to the Parish Book.