NEWSLETTER NO. 11 - 29.7.2025

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Week 2
1.8.25 - PJ Day! Supporting St Vincents de Paul
1.8.25 - 2.15pm School Assembly. Hall. All welcome

Week 3
5.8.25 - 7.30pm-8.30pm P & F Meeting. Staffroom. All welcome
7.8.25 - HFS Canteen Closed
7.8.25 - Eastern Region Athletics Carnival (Venue: MacKillop College)
7.8.25 - ICAS Writing
7.8.25 - ICAS Digital Technologies
8.8.25 - HFS Canteen Open
8.8.25 - 9.30am-10.30 am Mary MacKillop Liturgy. 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

Welcome to Term 3. I hope the recent break offered time to rest, reconnect, and recharge.

We began the term with a pupil-free day, whilst the staff at Holy Family engaged in a Spirituality and Professional Learning Retreat. Through shared prayer, storytelling, and curriculum planning, staff deepened their commitment to nurturing both faith and learning.

During our day, we were drawn to the advice of St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits: you have two ears, two eyes, one mouth—you should listen and observe four times more than you speak. In homes and classrooms alike, this wisdom encourages us to slow down, notice with compassion, and respond with love. Real connection begins with listening, and it's in these quiet moments that we experience God’s grace.

One moving part of our retreat was sharing stories of “God working through us.” These reflections invited deep Ignatian discernment, and we warmly invite families to carry this into daily life. At bedtime, over dinner, or during quiet moments, you might ask:

🌟 Where did I see God’s presence today?
💬 What was I moved by?
🕊 How am I being invited to respond?

Even when faith feels distant, these questions welcome meaning and connection—and model for children how spirituality can quietly shape our day-to-day decisions and relationships.

At Holy Family, we aspire to listen with love, form young people in faith, and foster a community grounded in trust, hope, and belonging. As Scripture reminds us: “Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1:19). This verse anchors our commitment to being a school of not just academic excellence, but of emotional and spiritual depth.

Finally, we hold Miss Paula, our much-loved music teacher, in heartfelt prayer following the passing of her father, George Jackson. May God’s comfort and peace surround Paula and her family during this time of sorrow.

Mrs Alison Curtin - Principal

REC NEWS

Heavenly Father,
We thank you for the gift of a new school term and ask for your blessings upon our school community.
For our students who have returned with eager hearts, a love for learning, and the courage to grow in knowledge and wisdom. Protect them and guide their choices so they may be a source of joy and inspiration.

For our Teachers: Grant them wisdom, patience, and grace. May their classrooms be filled with curiosity and growth, and may they inspire students to reach their full potential. Strengthen and uplift them in their work.

For Our School:
Bless our school community of Holy Family, with harmony and respect, where faith, love, and learning flourish.

We ask this in your holy name, Amen.

Welcome…..   This term, we are delighted to welcome Fr. Francis Muhenda, our new school chaplain, to our Holy Family school community. This is an exciting moment for our school as we continue to grow together in faith, love, and learning.

Fr. Francis joins us with a deep commitment to nurturing the spiritual and pastoral well-being of our students, staff, and families. As part of our Catholic mission, the chaplain plays a vital role in supporting our community and fostering our shared values of compassion, respect, and service to others.

Fr. Francis visited our classrooms last Friday morning, and we look forward to his guidance in deepening our connection to our faith through prayer, liturgies, and reflective opportunities.

Please join us in extending a warm and heartfelt welcome to Fr. Francis when you see him at HFS or in the Bathurst community. May we all grow closer as a community under his pastoral care.

St. Vincent de Paul Society
This Friday's assembly will feature a special visit from a representative of Vinnies, who will speak to the children about how their generous donations make a difference in the wider community. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to see the impact of their kindness and to learn more about the work of Vinnies in supporting those in need.

We are truly blessed and deeply grateful for the overwhelming support we receive from our school community with each fundraiser and collection throughout the year. Your generosity reflects our shared commitment to living out the Gospel values of compassion and service. This Friday is the final day of our Vinnies Winter Appeal.

Thank you for continuing to make a difference in the lives of others. Together, we are bringing hope and love to those who need it most.

Sacraments in the Cathedral Parish
It has been wonderful to see many of our children celebrating the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation over the past months.

The final celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation is on Saturday evening, the 9th August at 5.00pm in the Cathedral and Sunday, 10th August at 10.00am in the Cathedral. Please keep our 14 candidates in Year 6 in your prayers as they receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit next weekend.

Penance and Eucharist - Please register at the Presbytery with Cathy O’Brien and complete all paperwork and payment required. The last weekend to book in to receive the Sacraments will be the 16th November.

Liturgies and Masses on the HFS Calendar for Term 3 -

• 8th August Feast Day St Mary MacKillop
• 15th August Feast of the Assumption
• 5th September - Father's Day Celebration at HFS Prayer & Song
• 24th September - Mercy Day - celebrate our school heritage with Sisters of Mercy

Class Liturgies will be held throughout the Term and will be notified by class teachers

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

Mrs Louise Davies - Acting REC

MATHS ESCAPE ROOM with Jake Rouland

On Tuesday 1st July, eight Year 6 students, including myself, went to Mackillop College to participate for an hour off school in a maths escape room challenge. We split up into groups of 3 and then solved a wide variety of mathematical problems, including Patterns, Logic, Algebra, Fractions, Measurements and many more. Each question pushed us to think hard and work together. Even though we didn’t quite escape in time, some of us were so close — but what really matters is how well we worked together, how much we learned, and how much fun we had along the way.

ICAS (University Competitions)

Entries for the ICAS testing closed yesterday (no late entries).

Below are the sitting dates for each subject:

Competition Information - Years 3-6
Digital Technologies Test Date: Thursday, 7 August 
Writing Test Date: Thursday, 7 August 
English Test Date: Thursday, 14 August 
Science Test Date: Thursday, 21 August 
Spelling Test Date: Thursday, 21 August 
Mathematics Test Date: Thursday, 28 August 

Competition Information - Year 2
English Test Date: Thursday, 14 August 
Science Test Date: Thursday, 21 August 
Mathematics Test Date: Thursday, 28 August

Backup Dates: Will be on the Friday of each Test Week for that subject eg. English backup date is Friday, 15 August.

SCHOOL FEES

School Fees – Instalment Three
Instalment Three of school fees will be emailed shortly. If you have any outstanding fees, we kindly ask that these be attended to as soon as possible. Payments can be made via BPAY (details on your statement), Compass Pay through the Parent Portal, or in person by cash or EFTPOS at the School Office. Thank you for your prompt attention.

CELEBRATING MISS GRACE's ACCREDITATION SUCCESS

We congratulate Miss Imogen Grace on achieving Proficient Teacher accreditation, a significant milestone in her teaching journey. This recognition reflects Imogen’s commitment to high-quality practice, care for her students, and dedication to continuous growth.

We also extend thanks to Mrs Janelle Bowman, Imogen’s accreditation supervisor at Holy Family, whose guidance and mentoring have supported Imogen’s development as a confident and faith-filled educator over the last 18 months.

We wish Miss Grace many fulfilling years ahead in her vocation and give thanks for the strength and spirit she brings to our school community.

SPORTS REPORT with Mrs Blaire Clarke

Diocesan Rugby 10s: Last Thursday, Holy Family took two teams to Orange for the Bathurst Diocesan Rugby 10s. Our rugby players played hard and fair against their opponents. The A Team started strong with a convincing win in their first game. They narrowly lost their second match to St Mary’s Dubbo and gave it their all in a hard-fought semi-final game against St Matthew’s Mudgee. The B Team showed great determination throughout the day, with many players giving Rugby Union a go for the first time. It was fantastic to see so many students getting involved and giving their best. Congratulations to St Matthews Mudgee who defeated St Mary’s Dubbo in the final. St Matthews will now represent Bathurst Diocese in the Chris Gangemi Cup in Sydney next month. Thank you to Mr Hardy and Mr Dennis for all their work training and preparing the teams for the day and our parents for transporting our players to Orange. 

Eastern Region Athletics Carnival: Next Thursday 7th August, the Eastern Region Athletics Carnival will be held at MacKillop College. Holy Family School will have 71 students competing in track and field events on the day. Students who are competing will require private transport to the event. There will be a canteen operational on the day, with warm food, snacks and drinks (EFTPOS available). Mrs Curtin and Mr Dennis will be the Holy Family team managers on the day. We wish all our competitors the best at this event. The Diocesan Carnival will be held in Dubbo on Friday 22nd August.  Polding Athletics in Newcastle on Friday, 12 September (please note change of venue for Polding).

Australian Flat Track Nationals: Year 4 student Flynn Beard competed in the Australian Flat Track Nationals in Maryborough, Qld last weekend. Flynn rode well on the weekend and is now sitting at 4th place in the series. We wish Flynn all the best in the remaining five rounds.

PYJAMA DAY REMINDER - THIS FRIDAY!

Students are invited to wear their favourite pyjamas this Friday to support the Winter Appeal. For safety, we kindly ask that all students wear covered-in shoes to school—no slippers, please!

Donations for the Winter Appeal can be brought in on Friday morning and placed in the collection tubs. Every contribution helps make a difference for families in need.

Thank you for supporting this wonderful cause with love and warmth!

MERIT AWARDS - Week 10 Assembly

Congratulations to our Week 10 Merit Award Recipients - Oakley Cook, Harper Reilly, James Vella, Levi Moxon, Addison Battersby, Angus Collins, Violet Tipper, Kit Johnson, Linden Malfroy, Abigail Eldridge, Younus Younus, Beau Carter, Harley Sandry, Adalyn Parker, Isabel Sargent, Hayden Earsman, Jimmy Howard, Ellie Bell, Sally Clarke, Isaac Booth, Harry Collins, Dominik Rajkovic, Lucy Bowman, Eilish Gillespie, Lyla Denmead, Savannah Smith, Lexi Hadley, Hunter Young, Kendall Williams, Rhakye Morgan, Mackenzie Evans, Jaxon Hagney, Isaac Pender, Archie Barrett, Taliya Rajkovic, Joe Sharman, Hazel Woods, Harper Edwards, Carter Howard, Baxter Lazarou, Felix McCulloch, Spencer Marks, Ellie Rogers, Will Clark, Keira Bosianek, Quade Mills, Max Borg, Sophie Davis, Riley Hall.

Congratulations to our Principal Award Recipients for students demonstrating the Spirit of Catherine McAuley - Prue Fitzpatrick, Mitchell Grant, Emily Brown, Theo Urban, Lochlan Booth, Lara Rea, Mia Ballantine, Swalha Shafeeq, Ivy Harper, Lachlan McGuire, Noah Dunstan, Dulcie Grives, Jensen Rimmer, Memphis Robinson, Miranda Stapleton, Kymarni Whitby, Nate Aberley, Neha Mathew, Quinn Ross, Mikayla Coleman, Angus Stibbard, Abigail Rehling, Roczen Richards, Abbi Tickle, Makenna Moss, Mia Nelson, Patrick Gillies, Maya Wilsmore-Smith, Mervyn Hughes, Emily Sinton, Autumn Botham, Kai Sharman, Jack Humphreys, Cruz-Izak Peters.

Congratulations to our Renaissance Goal Hitters Award Recipients - Finlay Adair, Jett Jennings, Thomas Montgomerie, Quinn Ross, Mikayla Coleman, Duke Johnston, Amelia Moore, Alexandra Sinton, Callie Hart, Albie Lutener, Isla Nixon,  Sonny Anderson, Nahly Gibbons, Rhakye Morgan, Huxley Rollinson, Ethan Black, Hessi Jayasinghe, Hudson  Parker, Angus Stibbard, Harriet Carson, Nixon Manvell, Isaac Pender, Scott Stokes, Mackenzie Evans, Matilda Miller, Harrison Price, Michael Turner, Rosie Fearnley, Patrick Montgomerie, Abigail Rehling, Archie Barrett, Hugh Hutton, Margaret Pratley, Abbi Tickle, Hugo Bourgeot, Murphy Jones, Roczen Richards, Leo Windsor, Levi Campbell, Sahib Kaur, Joshua Rouland, Olivia Windsor, Harlem Gibbons, Darcy Plenderleith, Joseph Sharman, Hazel Woods, Sophie Head, Hamish Adair, Daniel Clements, Indiana Lewis, Addison Porter, Lara Baldi, Anna Davis, Felix McCulloch, Nevaeh Robinson, Lane Botham, Carter Howard, Karsten Myers, Lily Rutherford, Matilda Burke, Olivia Issa, Mia Nelson, Heath Teal, Muhammad Ali, Max Fahey, Scarlett Kelly, Michaela Rodrigo, Jack Booth, Cruz Giddings, Taj McConnell, Ellie Rogers, Xavier Curtin, Patrick Gillies, Veronica Parish, Maya Wilsmore-Smith, Christian Dundas, Blaire Harrison, Chase Barwick, Mark Hunter, Isaac Price, Emily Sinton, Ella Conroy, Bella Lewis, Matilda Robins, Jett Thornberry, Thor Heeley, Piper Oakley, Knox Baldi, Tyler Cafe, Sienna Howe, Charlie Robinson, Georgie Ballinger, Adeline Chenhall, Cooper Issa, Mason Ross, Mason Barrett, Zoe Gunning, Bella Lavelle, Jake Rouland, Keira Bosianek, Audrey Hagney, Jesse Martin, Kai Sharman, Autumn Botham, Patrick Head, Quade Mills, James Swan, Jack Boyce, Penelope Hewitt, Sebastian Press, Tyrell Thomas, Max Borg, Cooper Drynan, Mia Moxon, Charlie Smith, Halle Cafe, Preston Falcke, Harlow Nelligan, Jack Strachan, Edward Clements, Riley Hall, Ryder Rimmer, Zane Waterford, Sophie Davis, Kalesita Kaufusi, Isabelle Sinton, Branson Williams, Harry Dawson, Seraphina Malfroy.

CANTEEN

Canteen Money: We request that any money sent to school for Canteen over counter sales be a maximum of a $10 note as our ability to provide change is limited. Thank you for your understanding!

Sushi Dates for Term 3: 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, 31st July (Week Two)
• Thursday, 28th August (Week Six - Updated!)
• Thursday, 25th September (Week Ten)

New Menu Items: Hotdogs (Thursdays), Pizza Rounder, Mac and Cheese, and Bag of 5 Nuggets for the lunch menu and also Hash Browns available at Recess which are available over the counter. 

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

If you have any queries or would like to Volunteer please phone Vikki on 0439 964 462. 

SUPERVISION AND PICK UP REMINDER

Supervision and Pick-Up Reminder

This is a reminder to families that school supervision begins at 8:35 a.m. each morning. Students arriving before this time must remain seated in the courtyard until staff on duty arrive. This is an important part of ensuring student safety.

The school day concludes at 3:15 pm, and there are several options available for student pick-up:

• Walkers 1: Students walking home or being collected on foot from the front gate.

• Walkers 2: Students collected from the bottom of the hill near the CEDB building (Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst) are escorted to this designated collection point.

• Car Pick-Up: This is a drive-through option. Please note that drivers must remain in their vehicles at all times. In the afternoon, this is especially important as we operate on a 5 cars in, 5 cars out system to ensure safety and efficiency.

• Park and Collect: Families may park in the Visitors’ Car Park and collect their child from the Multi-Sports Area.

Staff fully supervise students catching the country bus each afternoon until the last bus departs and all students are safely on board.

Thank you for your cooperation in supporting the safety and well-being of all our students. 

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:
• Mobile: 0491 147 453
• Email at: holyfamilyoshc@centacarebathurst.com.au
The team can answer any questions you may have.

Please remember to notify the school office should your child's OSHC arrangements change throughout the day as we will need to communicate this directly with your child.

ROAD SAFETY MESSAGE: Helmets

Why are helmets important? 

Helmets are designed to cushion and protect your head from the impact of a crash. Wearing a helmet reduces the chance of suffering a preventable brain injury. Research shows bicycle helmets can reduce head injuries by about 70% and reduce fatal head injuries by 65%.  

Little riders must wear an approved helmet that is securely fitted and fastened. Be a STAR and check out the safety ratings before your next purchase.

A note for families - Adults are always responsible for the safety of the young children in their lives. Keep children safe by ensuring: 

• they always wear an Australian standards-approved helmet 
• their helmet is fitted correctly 
• they always play and ride in a safe place, off the road and away from vehicles and driveways
• they have an adult there to supervise.

LOST & FOUND

We have a Belkin tracker with Apple air-tag in the office. There is also a baby beannie with the brand 'Mini' on the front. Photos below. Please contact the office if these items belong to you (6331 3279).

Please ensure all student items are clearly labelled each term.

Book Club

Order booklets were sent home last week. 

Orders and money are due by Tuesday, 5 August.  (Orders are optional.)

CCSP Conference

SUPPORTING FAMILIES: WORKING TOGETHER IN A MODERN WORLD – A conference for parents and carers of children in Catholic schools in the Jubilee Year of Hope.

CCSP have begun to receive registrations and are confident parents and carers will find the speakers informing and enlightening. Included below is a link to the website conference page to provide further information. Additional information will be added in the coming weeks as planning develops further. If you require any additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact CCSP.

PYJAMA DAY!

PHOTO ALBUM

Christmas Art Workshop

STUDENT NEWS - Hattah Desert Race

Hattah Desert Race Success for Joe Borg and Levi ‘Teddy’ Campbell

Over the holidays, Joe Borg and Levi ‘Teddy’ Campbell travelled to Mildura, Victoria, to compete in the renowned Hattah Desert Race - one of Australia’s toughest desert enduro dirt bike events.

The boys participated in the Junior Small Wheels category, tackling a demanding 72km course alongside over 100 riders aged under 13. Their day began bright and early with a 4:30am start to arrive at the track by 5:30am. The event commenced with a 5km prologue lap followed by a 5km sighting lap before the main race.

Both Joe and Levi delivered outstanding performances, riding with determination and resilience throughout the race. Levi finished in an impressive 16th place, with Joe close behind in 18th in their category, an excellent achievement for both riders.

Congratulations to Joe and Levi on their dedication and fantastic results!

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS