Holy Family Catholic Primary School Kelso eNewsletter

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Week 4
13.8.25 - Year 6 Canberra note due!
15.8.25 - Eisteddfod Band and Drumming Group. CSU Rafters Bar (Bus departs @ 9am sharp)
15.8.25 - 10.30am Feast of the Assumption Mass.
15.8.25 - 2.15pm School Assembly. Hall. All welcome

Week 5
18.8.25 - Kindergarten 2026 Transition Day 1
20.8.25 - Kindergarten 2026 Transition Day 2
21.8.25 - 8.00am Book Fair in the Library
21.8.25 - 9.05am Book Week parade in the Hall.
21.8.25 - 10.00am ICAS Science
21.8.25 - 2.00pm ICAS Writing
22.8.25 - Primary Diocesan Athletics. Dubbo

Week 6
25.8.25 - Kindergarten 2026 Transition Day 3
26.8.25 - 9-11.30am Kindergarten, Year 1 & 2 Eisteddfod Choir Performance
27.8.25 - Kindergarten 2026 Transition Day 4

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

Please click here to access our Google Calendar!

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop reminds us, “Do all you can with the means at your disposal, and calmly leave the rest to God.” Her words have quietly guided our steps this week, as we witness grace unfolding in the everyday moments of school life.

Last Friday, we elected a new Student Representative Council. Thank you to our outgoing members for strengthening our student voice in Term 2. Our incoming leaders step into their roles with enthusiasm and a heart for service, like many of the Saints, ready to listen and lead.

On Saturday evening, I witnessed our Confirmation candidates stand with quiet strength and joyful anticipation. Their presence was a powerful reminder of the faith journey each child undertakes with courage and trust. Like Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, our students learn to listen, serve, and follow God with open hearts.

This week, we have welcomed our first Year 10 work-experience students, returning as confident former pupils and mentoring younger students. Meanwhile, practicum partners from Charles Sturt University bring energy, enriching our classrooms and demonstrating the power of school–university collaboration.

Finally, this week we have had the appointments of Mrs Amanda McGinnes as Assistant Principal, and Mrs Louise Davies as Religious Education Coordinator. They have both been in these positions in an ‘acting’ capacity and have served with unwavering dedication and a deep commitment to the mission and values of Holy Family. Their contributions have strengthened our school’s culture, supported staff and students alike, and helped guide our community through this time of transition and reflection. These appointments reflect the collective hopes and needs of our school, and we entrust their continued leadership to God’s guidance and grace.

Each of these moments reflects the heart of Holy Family, grounded in relationship, guided by purpose, and open to grace. May we continue to do all we can, gathered in love as a community, and calmly leave the rest to God.

Mrs Alison Curtin - Principal

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

A Wonderful Start to Term 3: Learning in Full Swing

Term 3 is off to a fantastic start, with vibrant learning happening across every classroom. Our students have returned with enthusiasm, and it’s been wonderful to see their confidence and curiosity grow each day.

Over this year, two groups of our dedicated K- 2 teachers have travelled to Sydney to participate in the Systematic Synthetic Phonics Workshop, a professional learning course facilitated by Decodable Readers Australia (DRA). The workshop was grounded in the Science of Reading framework, a research-based approach that highlights the importance of explicitly teaching the relationship between letters and sounds to support strong reading development. The DRA Phonics is now being implemented across Kindergarten to Year 2. This is a continuation of the work started in 2024 with Year 1 and Year 2.

During the workshop, our teachers explored the latest research and best practices for teaching phonics effectively. They engaged in rich discussions, collaborated as a professional learning team, and gained practical strategies to enhance their current classroom practices. The course also provided valuable insights into how to further support students in developing strong decoding skills, which is an essential foundation for fluent reading.

Our teachers are already implementing these new processes in their classrooms, promoting continuity of learning across the stage and ensuring every child receives the support they need to become confident, capable readers.

Parents of our Kindergarten to Year 2 students can find more information on how to support your children at home using our phonics program here.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to provide the very best learning experiences for our students. We look forward to sharing more highlights with you as the term progresses.

Mrs Amanda McGinnes - Assistant Principal

REC NEWS

Loving God,

This week, we celebrate the Assumption of Mary, who was taken body and soul into heaven to be with You forever.

We thank You for Mary, a model of faith, love, and humility. She said "yes" to Your call, trusting in Your plan for her life. May we learn from her example and open our hearts to Your will with courage and joy.

As we honour Mary, help us to follow her example of kindness, compassion, and care for others. May we, like her, walk in faith and trust in Your love.

We pray that Mary, our heavenly mother, will watch over our school community, our families, and our world. May she guide us closer to her Son, Jesus, and help us to bring His light and peace to those around us.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Sacraments in the Cathedral Parish

It was truly wonderful that 14 of our Year 6 students received the Sacrament of Confirmation last weekend. Through Confirmation, they are called to embrace their faith with courage, wisdom, and love, becoming witnesses to God's presence in the world. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and inspire them as they grow in faith and service to others. We also look forward to celebrating with four more students who will receive this Sacrament at the beginning of November. A heartfelt thank you to St. James Parish, Blayney, for their inclusive and supportive approach as they prepare their students to receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

It is also inspiring to see students making time in their busy schedules to visit the presbytery and receive the Sacrament of Penance, deepening their relationship with God.

A gentle reminder to families to register with Cathy O’Brien at the presbytery and ensure all necessary paperwork and payment are completed for the Sacraments of Penance or Eucharist. The final weekend for bookings to receive the Sacraments will be 16th November. Please note that the Priest Retreat will take place the following week, leading up to the celebration of the Feast of Christ the King.

Let us continue to pray for our students as they journey in faith and grow closer to Christ through these important Sacraments.

Liturgies and Masses on the HFS Calendar for Term 3 -

Year One Liturgy - Wednesday 13 August 2025 in the HFS Chapel at 12.00pm
15th August Feast of the Assumption - 10:30 am in School Hall
5th September - Father's Day Celebration at HFS Prayer & Song
24th September - Mercy Day - celebrate our school heritage with Sisters of Mercy 10:15 am in School Hall

St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day
We were delighted to welcome Sr. Alice Sullivan to our St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day Mass last Friday morning. It has been some time since her last visit, and it was truly special to have her join us for this important celebration.
Sr. Alice also took the time to visit some of our classrooms, engaging with our students, and stayed to enjoy morning tea with our wonderful staff. Her presence was a blessing, and we are grateful for the joy and wisdom she shared with our school community.

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

Cathedral Parish Mass Times

Mrs Louise Davies - REC

LIBRARY NEWS

Book an Adventure is our theme for this year, and here at Holy Family, we have focused on an Australian theme of Adventure, so come dressed as anything ‘Australian’.....flora, fauna, Aussie Icon, food……whatever takes your fancy! OF COURSE, all children are still able to come dressed as their favourite Book Character if this is what is available at home…PLEASE do not go to any expense and/or ‘pull your hair out’ trying to find an outfit for your child/ren to wear. The day is an enjoyment of children’s Literature….

Our day begins at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 21, with the Book Fair Opening in the Library. Children can visit with their parents, grandparents, and carers to purchase books. All classes, beginning with Year 6, will visit the library for any children who may wish to purchase a book or knickknacks after our Book Week Parade, which will be in the Hall at 9:15 a.m.

As outlined in the letter shared via Compass last week, special Aussie treats will be available to purchase during morning tea. I thank Mrs Botham, our wonderful Canteen Manager, for the outstanding efforts she has made to make this day special. All children will be able to have a sausage in a bun for lunch with a fruit popper and a quelch iceblock. All sausages are gluten-free, but if your child has alternative dietary requirements, please let your child's class teacher know by Monday, 18th, so that I can place an order.

A heartfelt thank you to our families for generously sponsoring a book for the HFS Library. This initiative is a beautiful way to leave a lasting legacy, especially one that celebrates literacy—the most precious gift you can offer. The sponsorship form was sent home with the children on Tuesday, August 12, and also shared via Compass during Week 3.

SPORTS REPORT with Mrs Blaire Clarke

Eastern Region: Last Thursday Holy Family School hosted the Eastern Region Athletics Carnival at MacKillop College. The event was attended by Assumption, St Philomena’s, Cathedral, St. Joseph's Portland, St Patrick's Lithgow and St Joseph’s Oberon. It was a highly successful day for our HFS athletes, with many of our students collecting ribbons in track and field events. Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the age champions on the day.

Junior Boys Champion: Sonny Anderson & Hugh Hutton
11 years Girl Champion: Amelia Marr
11 years Boy Champion: Harry Dawson
12 years Girl Champion: Keira Bosianek
12 years Boy Champion: Preston Falcke

Other highlights on the day included Year 6 student Harry Dawson breaking an 8 year record in the 11 years boys high jump and our junior and senior girls’ and boys’ relay teams who were all successful in advancing to the Diocesan Athletics Carnival.
Holy Family added more silverware to our cabinet winning the Percentile Points Trophy and the School Champions Trophy. Congratulations to all our students who have advanced to the Diocesan Athletics Carnival on Friday 22nd August in Dubbo.
A big thank you to MacKillop College for allowing us to use their facilities and to Mike Curtin and Alarna Dawson from Bathurst Athletics Club for their help in facilitating the track events.

Hockey: In the recent school holidays, HFS students Jett Thornberry, Eli Ekert and Caiden Edwards competed in the York Cup, a hockey tournament in Tamworth. The boys represented Bathurst in the under 12 age division competing against many metropolitan teams. Well done boys on all your efforts.

BIKE SAFETY - Getting To and From School

Riding to school is a great way for students to stay active and build independence. Families are responsible for travel to and from school, and once students arrive, school staff assume the duty of care.The partnership with families and our local community to support safe travel for all is important so please read the information below if your child travels to school by bike…..

Recently, we’ve received feedback from neighbours about unsafe bike riding. Concerns include students riding on the wrong side of the road, travelling too fast, and colliding with parked cars.

Please remind your child to follow road rules and ride safely.

Top Tips:

✅ Ride on the left-hand side

✅ Wear a helmet

✅ Use footpaths where permitted

✅ Dismount before entering school grounds

✅ Lock your bike securely during the day

Note- The school has provided bike racks to support active travel, but this privilege comes with the expectation of safe and responsible riding.

OOSHC REMINDERS – Afternoon Pick-Up

Please remember that Holy Family and Centacare OOSHC are two separate entities. If your child’s afternoon arrangements change — for example, if you’re picking up a sick child early — it is the family’s responsibility to notify OOSHC directly.

To help us manage end-of-day transitions smoothly, please ensure any changes to afternoon pick-up are communicated by calling the school office before 1:00 pm.

FIRE DRILL NOTIFICATION

Dear Families,
Please be advised that Holy Family will be conducting a fire drill this week as part of our regular safety procedures.

These drills help ensure that students and staff are well-prepared in the event of an emergency. Teachers will guide students through the process calmly and safely.

MERIT AWARDS - Week 2 Assembly

Congratulations to our Week 10 Merit Award Recipients - Suprina Adhikari, Fateh Mann, Cruze Rue, Nate Barwick, Willow Andrews, Anastacia Sinton, Jack Nixon, Aleah McGlashan, Mason McGrath, Felix Windsor, Rosleen Kaur, Lochlan Dungate, Sofia Issa, Hayden Hackett, Hazel Schumacher, Lulu Johnston, Logan Harper, Amelia Beckers, Arham Ali, Hudson Cronin, Ilah- Faith Moore, Zoe Nelson, Emersyn Windus, Zoe Inwergsen, Lachlan Press, Madelyn Pringle, Logan Crofts, Logan Fitzpatrick, Nikita Lowe, Neha Mathew, Rome Carter, Kailee Dennis, Tilly-Mai McCabe, Duke Johnston, Finlay Adair, Sean Gillies, Hessi Jayasinghe, Hudson Parker, Dominic Larkin, Indigo Bell, Lex Falcke, Sophie Head, Heath Teal , Anna Davis , Makenna Moss, Kelsey Perry, Raahim Ali, Ollie Ovenstone, Isaac Price, Sienna Richter, Bella Lewis, Knox Baldi, Kai Sharman, Henry Hewson, Fletcher Mclean, Isabelle Sinton

P & F NEWS

Save the date for upcoming events in Term 4:

17^th Oct. Colour Run
9^th Nov. Bunnings BBQ (Volunteers needed)
14^th Nov. Disco (Volunteers needed)

Keep an eye out on socials and school announcements for more details and events.

Our next P&F meeting will be held on Tuesday, 2^nd September. We would love to see you there.

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, 28th August (Week Six - Updated!)
Thursday, 25th September (Week Ten)

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 OOSHC arrangements change throughout the day as we will need to communicate this directly with your child.

E-SAFETY - Beacon App for Parents

The Kids Research Institute Australia and Dolly's Dream are proud to deliver Beacon - a cyber safety educational app designed to keep parents and carers up-to-date with trusted, tailored information, to help keep their kids safe online.

Beacon is designed specifically for parents as a personalised, one-stop-shop for reliable information about the online world. It arms parents and carers with the knowledge they need to confidently help navigate their children’s digital behaviour and reduce harms we know are associated with being online and on screens.

Beacon will shine a light on the online world with: