Welcome back! It has truly been wonderful watching our students return to school over the last couple of weeks. Your children were well prepared for the new school year and we thank you for all you have done to ensure that their return to school has been so smooth.

Pope Francis has decreed this year a Jubilee Year with the wonderful theme being ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.  I think this is such a wonderful theme and we have decided to use this theme to guide all we do this year and have aligned four Benedictine values to highlight throughout the year in supporting what we do. These values are:

• Prayer
• Love of Christ and Neighbour

• Conversatio
• Stewardship

 Pope Francis’ message to Christians this year is:  

Day by day, let us fill our lives with the gift of hope that God gives us, and through us, let us allow it to reach everyone who is looking for it.

Year of Hope Passport 

The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong has produced a Jubilee Pilgrim Passport. This passport is available for all who wish to enter more deeply into the Jubilee Year. The goal of the passport is to encourage all to attend the specified pilgrimage sites across the Diocese of Wollongong. 

These sites include:

• St Francis Xavier Cathedral- Wollongong

• Shrine of the Immaculate Conception- Unanderra

• Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church- Rosemeadow

• St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church- Milton 

• St Joseph’s Catholic Church- Kangaroo Valley

• Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy- Sutton Forest

Each page of the passport is dedicated to a particular pilgrimage site which gets ‘stamped’ when you attend that site. I believe that we, as a thriving Catholic School can have our very own school passport filled up. I encourage families to notify me if they have attended one of the pilgrimage sites. Click the link HERE to view the digital copy of the passport.

Regular School Attendance - Arrive To Thrive

Regular attendance at school is foundational to students’ learning, wellbeing and future life opportunities. Every day of attendance provides students with the opportunity to experience a sense of belonging, to grow in their faith and to realise their learning potential.

In 2025, a new Attendance Policy and Procedure Document have been introduced across all Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) schools to promote regular student attendance. Schools, in partnership with families, are responsible for encouraging and supporting consistent attendance.

I encourage all parents to read the Arrive to Thrive New Attendance Policy and Procedure Document. These documents highlight and explain changes to the previous Attendance Policy. Please note the following changes: new Attendance Levels have been established to address students’ attendance patterns, Notification Requirements and Extended Absence applications. 

Requirements and Extended Absence applications. 

Please do not hesitate to contact Miss Laidlaw or myself, via the school office, for further information or clarification. If at any time you are concerned about your child’s attendance or their reluctance to attend school, please contact your child's teacher in the first instance.

Carpark

The beginning of the school year is a good opportunity to remind everyone of the carpark procedures. 

In the morning, you are permitted to use the drop off zone along the side of the hall. If you use the drop off zone, then please just drop your children off and allow them to walk independently into school. Please do not park there as it disrupts the flow of traffic. 

In the afternoon, the drop off zone is not in use as a pick up zone. Students are not permitted to walk to cars alone. Please do not use this area to park your car as there is not enough space for those parked in the parking spots to get out safely if cars are parked along there.

Thank you for your support - we all need to be vigilant in ensuring safe behaviours in the carpark to ensure the safety of your beautiful children.   

Celebrating Children’s Birthdays - Lollybags

We love celebrating children’s birthdays and as a school we acknowledge birthdays at assemblies. Some families also like to send in lolly bags for their child’s classmates, however, we ask that if you decide to do so, then please ensure that they are small lolly bags and that there are no nut products contained in them. If you send in cupcakes then please ensure that the ingredients are listed as we have students with food related allergies and some are very serious.

Lunchtime Clubs

This year we have the following lunchtime clubs: 

* Dance Group

* Choir

* Table Tennis

* Reading Club

* Early Bird Reading (from 8:15am each Thursday in the library)

* Writing Club

* Good Samaritans 

* The Rosary Group

We are looking at expanding our clubs even further as the year progresses. I sincerely thank our dedicated Holy Family Staff for their commitment to ensuring these clubs are able to go ahead and for valuing the importance of each club.

2025 P&F Executive Committee

The P&F AGM was held last Friday and the new Executive Committee is as follows:

President: Mrs Sharon Day

Vice President: Mrs Alayne Dwyer

Secretary: Mrs Lumavaa Carney

Treasurer: Mr Recto Orpia 

Treasurer: Mr Recto Orpia

We look forward to working together this year! I also take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Executive Committee, Mrs Joanne Highfield, Mrs Jess Rappo, Mrs Joyce De Guzman and Mrs Roxan Del Rosario, you all did a wonderful job supporting the school in 2024.

In all things at Holy Family, Give Thanks.