NEWSLETTER NO. 7 - 20.5.2025

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Week 4
20-23.5.25    PSSA Hockey
20.5.25          Rugby 7's Finals. Molong
22.5.25          Year 6 Pre Confirmation Retreat. Stannies
23.5.25          Year 5 Experience Day. MacKillop College and St Stanislaus College   
23.5.25          9.10am-11.10am Year 2 Abercrombie House
23.5.25          9.30am-10.30am Our Lady Help of Christians Mass. Hall. All welcome

Week 5
26.5.25          Paul Kelly Cup Finals. Orange
28.5.25          Primary Spelling Bee. Wellington. HFS Finalists
29.5.25          12.20pm National Sorry Day Liturgy. Hall. All welcome 
30.5.25          2.15pm Assembly. Hall. All welcome

In 2025 our parents have access to the Google HFS Parent Calendar.  
Click on the link below to access the Google Calendar.

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Catholic Schools Week – “Guided by Faith. Inspired by Hope. Committed to Learning.”

Holy Family is a community guided by faith, inspired by hope, and committed to learning, where the spirit of being gathered in love is lived out each day in all we do.

Last week, we celebrated Catholic Schools Week at Holy Family Catholic Primary School—a special time to recognise the gift of Catholic education in our community. The theme for 2025, “Guided by Faith. Inspired by Hope. Committed to Learning,” reflects the heart of who we are.

Our school motto, “Gathered in Love,” is deeply connected to this theme. It is through love that we live our faith, nurture our hope, and strengthen our commitment to learning. Catholic Schools Week allowed us to gather and live out these values through various experiences.

We began our week with a beautiful Mother’s Day Liturgy and morning tea, an opportunity to celebrate the special mothers, grandmothers, and other significant women in our community. Students also participated in the Rugby League Gala Day and Athletics Carnival, showcasing their enthusiasm, determination, and school spirit.

Last week, we farewelled Jenny Wilds, who has devoted nearly 26 years of service to Holy Family in her role within the school office. Throughout her time with us, Jenny has exemplified professionalism, dedication, and commitment to our school's smooth and effective operation. Her warm presence, attention to detail, and genuine care for the community have made a lasting impact, and she will be sincerely missed by staff, students, and families alike.

At the same time, we are pleased to extend a warm welcome to Amanda Campbell, who joins our office team. We look forward to the knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm she will bring to her role and are confident she will be a valued member of the Holy Family community.

Our week concluded with a special Sunday Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael. The Bishop spoke about the importance of loving one another. His message resonated deeply with our theme and school values, bringing our Catholic Schools Week celebrations to a thoughtful and meaningful close.

Mrs Alison Curtin - Acting Principal

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MESSAGE

Use of subject-specific language in reports

We are currently in our Semester One reporting cycle. This is a time when teachers, together with students, reflect on their learning to provide a clear and meaningful summary of their progress, strengths, and next steps.

As part of Curriculum Reform, there is an increased focus on subject specific terminology and having students use this language in their verbal and written work. As such, you may see this new language in your child’s report. Some definitions and explanations are provided below. Please contact your child’s teacher or myself if you have any questions.

The new NSW English syllabus emphasises key skills that support students' language development. A strong focus is placed on phonological understanding, particularly in Kindergarten (Early Stage 1), Year 1 and Year 2 (Stage 1), where students develop phonic knowledge by recognising phonemes (individual speech sounds), graphemes (the letters or groups of letters that represent those sounds), and digraphs (two letters that make one sound, such as ‘sh’ or ‘ch’).

For students in K–6, another important aspect of the syllabus is etymology, which helps them explore the origins and meanings of words, deepening their vocabulary and comprehension. Students are also encouraged to engage with metalanguage, the language used to describe and analyse language itself, to strengthen their literacy skills and understanding of how English works.

Our Mathematics curriculum now highlights Working Mathematically as an essential overarching outcome, reflected in the Learning Statements section of student reports. Working mathematically describes the thinking and doing of mathematics. It includes the key processes that support mathematical understanding, including communicating, fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving. These processes are interconnected, helping students develop mathematical proficiency. Encouraging students to reflect on their thinking when solving problems strengthens their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Another important concept in Mathematics is multiplicative relations. This is part of Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) and Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6) learning and builds upon Forming Groups in Early Stage 1 and Stage 1. Multiplicative relations extends beyond multiplication to include the order of operations, number patterns, grouping, and division as the inverse of multiplication. In your child’s report, this learning is represented in the Number and Algebra section of the Learning Statements.

Mrs Amanda McGinnes - Acting Assistant Principal

REC NEWS

Catholic Schools Week is a special time for our school community to come together in gratitude for the gift of Catholic education. It is a time to celebrate how our faith, friendships, learning, and service are nurtured daily in our school. This year’s theme reminds us that Catholic schools are places where we grow in faith, hope, and love, inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

As we gathered for prayer and worship on Sunday for our Combined Catholic Schools Mass, we opened our hearts to God's presence and reflected on how we can live our faith daily.

We were especially honoured to have Bishop Michael as our Celebrant for this meaningful occasion.

A heartfelt thank you to the students who took part in the Meet and Greet Ministry and the Offertory Procession. Your reverence, leadership, and joyful participation greatly contributed to our celebrations. We are proud of you!

Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians – Patroness of Australia

Year 4 will lead a special Mass this Friday, 23rd May, with Fr Paul Devitt, to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, observed annually on May 24th. Honoured as Australia’s Patroness, Mary has long been a source of hope and protection for Australian Catholics. All welcome to attend.

Next Thursday, 29th May, we gather to recognise National Reconciliation Week 2025. The week begins with Sorry Day on Monday 26th and is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements and explore how we can contribute to reconciliation in Australia. This year's theme is Bridging Now To Next, reflecting the ongoing connection between past, present and future – learning from the past to look ahead and push forward together on the reconciliation journey. Our First Nations children will lead our Liturgy at 12:20 pm, all are welcome, and we look forward to you joining us in our school Hall.

Sacraments:

Over the past few weeks, we have joyfully celebrated with our students as they received the Sacraments of Penance or First Holy Communion in our Cathedral Parish. These special moments mark important steps in their faith journey, as they experienced God’s forgiveness and received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time.

Surrounded by the love and support of their families, it was a beautiful and prayerful time for all involved. We are delighted to share photos of this sacred occasion with our school community as we continue to support and pray for our young people as they grow in faith.

Please continue to send in photos to share of these special celebrations.

Bishop McKenna has set the following dates, times and places to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for 2025.

 The dates are:

• Sat 7th June 5.00pm Cathedral
• Sun 8th June (Pentecost Sunday) 10.00am Cathedral
• Sun 29th June 8.00am Assumption
• Sun 29th June 6.00pm Assumption
• Sat 9th August 5.00pm Cathedral
• Sun 10th August 10.00am Cathedral

Mass Times
For the latest up-to-date Mass times, please click below:  

Mrs Louise Davies - Acting REC

LIBRARY NEWS - Kids Lit Quiz

Term 2 - Week 4

Last Friday, Mrs Windsor and I were fortunate to attend the annual Teacher Librarian Conference at the Shine Dome in Canberra, a dynamic and inspiring day, bringing together library professionals from across the region. The event began with a vibrant Trade Fair. Keynote speaker Madison Dearnaley set the tone with her engaging presentation, ‘For the Love of Non-fiction’, followed by a session on ‘Writing and Sharing Non-fiction’ by Megan Daley, (author of The Beehave, Raising Readers and Teacher, Teacher)  and a lively panel discussion, chaired by Dearnaley, explored ‘Why is Non-fiction Important in the Digital Age?’ with an esteemed group of authors and publishers. Briana Melideo from CSIRO offered insights into STEM publishing, while sessions from SCIS and ALIA addressed digital information and misinformation. The day concluded with a spotlight on the 2025 CBCA Shortlist. Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed networking, the Trade Fair, and a shared passion for the future of school libraries.

On Tuesday, 6th May, Mrs Windsor had the pleasure of accompanying twelve Year 5/6 students to James Sheehan Catholic High School in Orange for the 2025 Kids’ Lit Quiz.

The Kids' Lit Quiz is an annual literature quiz for students aged 10 - 13 years. In teams of four, the students answered 100 questions about children’s literature divided into ten categories. Some of the category themes were pirates, Roald Dahl, queens, sea animals and prisons and prisoners.

An example of one of the questions they were asked was:On the first page the reader is shown a blue sheep but the title of the book by Mem Fox is Where is the …… sheep? Answer - green!

Thank you to our students for their enthusiasm and wonderful representation of our school.

Spelling Bee

Some of our talented students showcased their spelling skills in this year’s Spelling Bee in the school hall, impressing everyone with their focus and vocabulary. Huge congratulations to all participants! On Wednesday, 28th May Murphy Jones, Ethan Pender, Seraphina Malfroy, Harry Dawson will travel to Wellington to compete in the next round of finals. 

Renaissance Reading Years 3 to 6: Students in Years 3 to 6 have consistently engaged with the Renaissance Reading platform, demonstrating strong reading habits and a commitment to their literacy development. By actively participating in the program and completing quizzes after each book, many students achieve impressive results, with a focused goal of attaining at least 85% proficiency on every quiz. This consistent performance reflects their growing comprehension skills, dedication to reading, and the effective integration of the platform into their learning routine….Keep up the outstanding reading!

Infants' Library News:

We began term two by looking at who Pope Francis was and his special role as Pope. We have a new Pope, Pope Leo XIV, and we have some very interested children who are keenly watching to see if Pope Leo will be as kind and courageous as Pope Francis was.

National Simultaneous Storytime 2025 – All Aboard with The Truck Cat!

Our school is thrilled to participate in this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime, during which students across Australia and New Zealand read the same book simultaneously.

This year’s story is The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel—a delightful tale of friendship and adventure that has sparked creativity in our K–2 students during library lessons. They’ve explored the story through art, storytelling, and imaginative travel ideas! At noon on Wednesday, May 21st, our young readers will join the nation in celebrating the joy of books and shared stories.

Families, be sure to ask your children about The Truck Cat — it’s bound to be a purr-fect conversation starter!

NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge – Keep Up the Great Reading!

The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is in full swing, and it’s fantastic to see so many Kindergarten to Year 6 students actively participating! The PRC encourages children to develop a love of reading by experiencing a wide range of quality literature, and the benefits are enormous. Regular reading builds vocabulary, strengthens comprehension skills, boosts imagination, and supports success across all learning areas.

We’re excited to share that one of our infant classes has already completed the challenge, and many other students have proudly told us that they’ve finished too—well done!

Students can log in to this year's Premier's Reading Challenge using last year’s details, or as a family, if you would like to keep track of your child’s progress and help log their reading progress, please contact Mrs Davies for login details.

Whether it’s a book before bed, reading with a sibling, or quiet time with a favourite story, every page read is a step forward. Keep up the great reading, everyone—you're doing an amazing job!

SPORTS REPORT with Mrs Blaire Clarke

Cross Country: 

Coolah Cross Country: Recently, 30 students from Holy Family travelled to Coolah for the Diocesan Cross Country. The junior students ran 2km, while the senior students ran 3km around the Coolah Golf Course. We congratulate the following students who have progressed to the Polding Cross Country at the Sydney Equestrian Centre on Wednesday 11th June. Congratulations to Quinn Ross, Hugh Hutton, Thomas Montgomerie, Hamish Adair, Leo Windsor, Patrick Montgomerie and Harry Dawson.

We wish these students all the best.

Rugby League: 

Last Tuesday, Holy Family took 12 teams to the NRL League Stars Gala Day, at Jack Arrow Oval. The day involved competition for many experienced and inexperienced players. We played many hard fought games against Bathurst Mudgee, Cowra and  Blayney schools. We would like to thank our coaches on the day and especially the teachers with training. They are Mr Dennis, Mr Siakisoni, Mr Taylor, Mr Hardy and Mr Hartmann who gave up their lunch times for training. 

Athletics Carnival: Last Thursday, Year 2-6 travelled to MacKillop College for our annual school athletics carnival. It was a huge day with many students competing in track events and the field events: shot put, discus, high jump and long jump. A big thank you to Mike Curtin and Alana Dawson from Bathurst Athletics Club for their support in running the timing gates on the day. We also thank MacKillop College for the use of their grounds and facilities. The following students are our age champions at the carnival.

We also had 4 school records being broken! Hugh Hutton now holds the records for both the Boys 8-10 1500m Run with a time of 5:54:00 and also the Boys 8-10 Long Jump with a jump of 4.00m. Harry Dawson beat the Boys 11 years 1500m Run with a time of 6:05:00 and last but not least Keira Bosianek breaking the Girls 12-13 1500m Run with a time of 7:05:91.

Diocesan Rugby Union: Last Friday several students from Holy Family went to the Rugby Union Diocean Trials held at Stannies. We congratulate the following students who were selected to attend the Polding Trials next month. They are Zane Waterford, Charlie Smith, Jesse Martin, Xavier Curtin and Knox Baldi.

PSSA Rugby 7's: Kalesita Kaufusi attended the P.S.S.A Trials last week for girls’ Rugby 7’s, and was successfully chosen for the P.S.S.A squad. Kalesita will play in Blacktown on June 5th and 6th. Top Job Kale!

Upcoming Dates

• NSW Netball Schools Cup - 4th June (more information to come)
• Soccer Gala Day - 20th June (more information to come)

Mrs Blaire Clarke - Sports Coordinator

MERIT AWARDS - Week 3 Assembly

Congratulations to our Week 3 Merit Award Recipients - Madison Farlow, Prue Fitzpatrick, Braxton Borg, Parker Fairbrother, Charlie Williams, Phoebe Toole, Maira Yuan, Charlie Rhodes, Cora Deal, Cassie Heinz, Mia Ballantine, Tyler Derrick, Sienna Fitzpatrick, Lulu Johnston, Amelia Beckers, Benson Comerford, Eden Wood, Noah Dunstan, Sofia-Rose Fajloun, Nate Aberley, Clementine Windsor, Lexi Wilsmore-Smith, Oliver Huynh, Lawson Tipper, Hamish Ford, Ethan McNiven, Aubrey Waters, Harper Randall, Ruby Aberley, Jett Jennings, Duke Johnston, Hunter Smith, Charlotte Unicomb, Sean Gillies, Angus Stibbard, Nahly Gibbons, Roczen Richards, Milla Dennis, Abbi Tickle, Lex Falcke, Flynn Beard, Lane Botham, Olivia Issa, Taj McConnell, Veronica Parish, Matilda Robins, Lyla Tipper, Sienna Richter, Bella Lavelle, Mason Barrett, Faith Watts, Summer Baldi, Edward Clements, Mia Moxon

Sharing the Spirit of Catherine McAuley - Bella Lavelle, Sienna Howe

CLASS IN REVIEW - 5 Blue

Year 5 Goldfields Excursion

On Friday, 9th May 2025, our Year Five students visited the Bathurst Goldfields for an immersive look at life in colonial Australia. As part of Tour One – Life in Colonial Australia, students took part in hands-on activities such as mud brick making, damper cooking, gold panning, and operating historic machinery.

They explored life on the goldfields through museum exhibits, including the dark Platt, geology and history rooms, learning about the lives of miners, migrants, and families during the gold rush.

Students enjoyed rotating through fun, educational stations and trying their luck panning for gold! The experience brought history to life and supported key curriculum outcomes in a fun and memorable way.

It was a memorable and enriching day for all!

Mr Dennis

WHS NEWS

REPEATED MESSAGES: Car Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures

Morning- Car Drop Off:

• Procedure: In the morning, it is a "3 cars in, 3 cars out" system. 
• Step 1: The first three cars will pull into the drop-off zone.
• Step 2: Students will exit the vehicles promptly and safely.
• Step 3: Once all three cars have exited, the next three cars will pull in
• Safety Notes & Tips: 
•  Children should be ready to exit the car quickly to maintain traffic flow.
• The driver should remain in the car- “Kiss and Go”
• Students should exit the car, by stepping straight onto the curb (not the road)
• Do not wait in the queue alongside a bus- this is double parking and illegal
• Families using the Visitor’s Carpark-  please drive slowly and give way to buses and cars using the Car drop-off.

8.25-9.00 am: A staff member is present to welcome your child, and those arriving by bus who use the pedestrian crossing.

Afternoon- Car Pick Up:

• Procedure: In the afternoon, we use a "5 cars in, 5 cars out" system to manage the higher volume of pickups.
• Step 1: The first five cars will pull into the pick-up zone
• Step 2: Students will be directed to their respective cars using a numbered system (1-5) 
• Step 3: Once all five cars have exited, the next five cars will pull in
• Safety Notes & Tips: 
•  Please remain in your vehicle at all times. Staff will assist students as needed
• Please remind your children to stay attentive, sit together as a family, and be prepared to enter the car quickly when it arrives.
• Do not wait in the queue alongside a bus- this is double parking and illegal
• Families using the Visitor’s Carpark-  please drive slowly and give way to buses and cars using the Car Pick Up

3.15-3.30pm: Staff are present to guide and support families using Car Pick-up. Please be guided by the staff member at the Front Gate, who directs the traffic flow for Car Pick-up and vehicles exiting from the Visitor’s Car Park.

Bike Safety @ HFS
We are working together to teach our children about the importance of safe riding to and from school. Helmets must always be worn and fitted correctly to protect young heads. Encourage your child to walk their bikes across roads and intersections for added safety. Riders should stick to the left-hand side, travel at a safe speed, and stay alert to traffic and pedestrians. 

Let’s work together to ensure every child arrives at school and home safely!

Mrs McGinnes  - WHS Committee Voice

CCSP Webinars

MISS PAULA - MUSIC TUITION

Unfortunately there are no vacancies for private instrument tuition, Miss Paula is not taking a waiting list.
Miss Paula’s books are permanently closed.

VARIETY BASH FUNDRAISER

Our Groundsman, Mr Mark Bradbury is about to take three week’s leave to participate in the “Variety NSW Bash” raising
funds for disadvantaged kids. The “Bash” is a drive in a classic car this year from Bathurst through to Broken Hill and then onto Newcastle. We invite HFS families to support Mark’s fundraising. Full details on the flyer. Your support would be greatly appreciated.

A link to the Variety page:
https://fundraise.varietynswact.org.au/fundraisers/car73meninblack1740
A link to the 2025 NSW Variety Bash home page that has information about where they are going and why..... etc.
https://fundraise.varietynswact.org.au/event/nswbash25/home

CANTEEN

SUSHI DATES for TERM 2: After a successful trial in Term One, we have some dates for Term 2! Sushi is supplied by Sushia and is only available for order via Flexischools (not available over the counter) Orders must be in by 9am on the day (no late orders)

• Thursday, 22nd May
• Thursday, 12th June
• Thursday, 3rd July

LUNCH ORDERS:  Download the ‘Flexischools’ app to order your child’s lunch online.  Full instructions can be found on our website and are also available via the link below. Please do not forget to order sauce along with the order.

Parents must order online for their child’s lunch order.

Open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
Closed: Tuesday & Friday

No ice blocks or slushies to be ordered with lunch orders - thank you.  If you have any queries or would like to Volunteer please phone Vikki on 0439 964 462.

P & F NEWS

Our P & F have been very busy lately organising events and fundraising activities.

Upcoming Events:
Term 2:  Cookie Dough Drive - Orders open NOW. Close Friday, 30th May. Delivery date, 17th June.
Term 3:  Disco
Term 4:  Bunnings BBQ (November 9th) and a Colour Fun Run (date TBC)

Next Meeting:. Tuesday, 3rd June @ 7.30pm (Staffroom) All Welcome

ON-SITE AFTER SCHOOL CARE - Updated contact details!!

This is a continuing service available to our families. Care is available from 3.15pm - 6.00pm (or part thereof). Centacare is our provider and you can express interest by contacting:
• Noemi 0481 792 489 (Text until 2pm) and then 0491 147 453 after 2pm
• Email at: holyfamilyoshc@centacarebathurst.com.au
Noemi and the team can answer any questions you may have.

STUDENT NEWS

WIGS FOR KIDS AUSTRALIA - Rosie

Rosie is aiming to donate approximately 40cm (35cm is needed  to actually make  a wig), but she is aiming to raise enough funds to cover the entire cost of making a custom wig. Each wig provided by Wigs4Kids changes the life of a child facing medical hair loss, helping them feel more confident, comfortable and like themselves again.

Along with her friends, teachers and family cheering her on, the big CHOP will be on Friday, 27th June at 11:45am here at Holy Family School!!! 

If you can spare some support in helping Rosie achieve her dream please use the link below. Every dollar donated brings her closer to fully funding the making of a wig - a beautiful, lasting gift.

https://fundraise.kidswithcancer.org.au/s/8184/8267/e

BDSRC AWARDS - Levi

Levi, or as most know him, 'Teddy' was awarded Bathurst District Sports and Recreation Council Junior Sports Person of the Year on Friday 9th May. Teddy received this award for his achievements with his motorbike racing. With his 3^rd placing at Hattah Desert Race being a standout. It is such an honour to receive such a huge award. He was up against some big names in Bathurst area and came out on top. Well done!!

PHOTO ALBUM

Snr Constable Rachel Joyce Police Talk

Kids Lit Quiz

Men In Black Fundraiser for Mr Bradbury

1500m Running Races

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

School student travel information for parents and students

School Travel Passes
Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their 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. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
 

Terms of Use

Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use .