5 October 2016

Newsletter Articles

From the Acting Principal

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to Term 4. I trust you enjoyed a pleasant break and holiday period with some well-earned quality family time. For some of you the return to school today was no doubt a welcoming feeling too. Term 4 as always will be big term, particularly towards the back end as we celebrate the year that was 2016.

I will be continuing to fill the seat of Acting Principal in Mrs Sarah Hamilton's absence on Long Service Leave. I particularly thank Ms Dorothy Cois for her assistance as Acting APA in Term 3 and thank in advance Miss Katrina Riedel who has stepped into her role as Acting Assistanct Principal for the next two weeks. Next week we will welcome back Ms Kate Daysh and Mrs Darani Monck from short term leave.

Today I've been around to many classes observing students knuckling back down to learning and getting on with things. I have spoken with teachers and students to reiterate our three Holy Cross positive behaviour rules.

Safety First – Right Place, Right Time – Respect for Ourselves and Others.

Our positive behaviour focus over the next two weeks will be around these expectations and the positive behaviours all students strive to demonstrate. As we feel the humidity rise and the tiredness of the year begins to sink in, it is timely to remind students of the values and way we work with each other.

Over the coming weeks information will come home regarding planning for 2017 and information shared as it is confirmed regarding staff, class formations, transitions and other planning matters. Please keep your eyes out.

The Holy Cross Tuckshop will experience some significant changes designed to improve the service and quality for families. From this week Mrs Belinda Patmore, our Tuckshop coordinator will be offering the service five days from Monday to Friday. Information should have also come home informing of both the new extended menu and the access information for the launch of 'Flexi Schools', the online account and ordering system. This system is being introduced to allow families to make orders from your mobile device or computers, eliminating the need for students to carry bags or money. We welcome any feedback on the use of this system as you begin to use it.

Term 3 finished with our annual Holy Cross Feast Day celebrations. I was proud to be part of this day with our wonderful students and staff. We began the day with a celebratory Mass in the church led by Fr Neil. The students were commended for their extreme reverence and respect during this time and their enthusiastic singing of our hymns. After enjoying an ice-cream treat kindly donated by the P&F, students then shared in a number of fun artistic and physical activities in their year levels. The day culminated with our traditional 'colour run'. The enthusiasm of the Prep's and Year 1's, many of who were experiencing their first colour run, certainly spread quickly through the rest of the students with lots of fun, smiles and of course colour. I'm not sure who had more fun, the students participating or our band of parents helping to spread colour. We thank Mrs Jacinta Roberts and Ms Dorothy Cois and their helpers for their efforts to put the day together.

In the final days of term three we received the news that Mr Wayne Cox a parent of Year 4 student Colin was involved in a serious mountain bike accident. Colin has received treatment and is currently recovering back at home. I ask that as a community we keep Colin and his family in our prayers as he makes his recovery. Wayne's family would also like to pass on their appreciation to members of the Holy Cross Community who have offered them support in this challenging time. A Go Fund Me page has been set up to support the Cox family. Families are invited to make a contribution @:

Holy Cross School Swimming Timetable
Term 4, 2016

Swimming is a recognized part of the curriculum offered at Holy Cross. It is expected that all students in Years Prep-3 will participate in this program during Weeks 2-8 of Term 4.

• Students must wear hats and shoes when walking to the pool, and they must wear a shirt with sleeves when swimming. It would be great if students had sun-block at school so that they could apply it before walking to the pool.
• Long hair must be tied back.
• The instructors have asked that each child wears goggles for their lessons. These are available for $10 from the pool, as a 'school special'.

Students who are well enough but are not swimming will walk to the pool and read quietly while the class is swimming. Those who are not well enough to walk over to the pool probably aren't well enough to be at school either.

Parent helpers are required to walk to and from the pool with EVERY CLASS. If you're available, could you please contact your class' teacher as soon as possible. It would be greatly appreciated!

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOCUS

The Scripture (Luke 17: 5 – 10) 'The mustard seed is very small, the mulberry tree very large'

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. "Suppose one of you has a servant ploughing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8 Won't he rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

Faith even as tiny as a mustard seed can achieve great, even impossible things. If even a skerrick of faith is enough, so too our faithful service of God and one another is 'enough'. It needs no other reward or recognition. Jesus speaks frankly of the servant's subservience to his/her master, doing what is asked without expectation of special treatment or displays of gratitude. We offer ourselves humbly to God in our daily lives through our work, relationships, conversations, and in acts of merciful and loving service to others. Our effort and commitment to service is, quite simply, enough. We trust too that our faith, however miniscule, shaky and fragile, is strong enough and more powerful than we know. May our service strengthen our faith and our faith, however little, give us strength to serve.

Many blessings for the week

Brad Henry
Acting Principal

APRE News

PARISH 50 YEARS JUBILEE

A reminder that all Holy Cross families are invited to attend our Northern Beaches Parish 50 years Jubilee, on Saturday 22nd October, here at Holy Cross.

• 3:00pm - Photographic display
• 4:00pm - Mass
• 5:00pm - BBQ, concert, children's activities

Students from St Andrew's and Holy Cross will be taking part in the music for Mass as well as the concert.

FEAST DAY

What a wonderful celebration of Holy Cross we had in the last week of school! From the beautiful singing and celebrating at Mass, to the excited students eating icy poles, to all the multi-coloured colour run participants. Thank you to all who helped create our special day, to those who attended Mass and for those who came and sprayed or encouraged our runners.

LITURGICAL LIFE OF THE SCHOOL

Upcoming liturgies and Masses:

• Jubilate Parish celebrations Saturday 22nd October from 3:00pm
• Remembrance Day Liturgy- Friday 11th November at 9:00am
• Graduation Liturgy for Year 6 Wednesday 30th November at 6:30pm
• End of Year Mass Friday 2nd December at 11:00am
• Family and class Masses TBA

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Tony Moore, one of our Holy Cross parents, on his ordination as a Deacon. After much training, Tony was ordained by Bishop James on Sunday 18th September at St Monica's Cathedral. He was supported by and celebrated with many friends and family. We now have two deacons in our parish- the other being Mark Cavicchiolo, a parent from St Andrew's. We are blessed to have these and many other dedicated parishioners who take on active ministry in our parish.

REFLECTION AND PRAYER FOCUS FOR THE WEEK

From Sr Kym Harris osb….

The Rosary

I discovered a new author recently and I'm making my way through her books. In the latest read I was surprised so much fuss was made of a character's Catholicism, and, sorry, it didn't ring true. I kept wondering why it was there at all until the resolution of the plot turned on Rosary beads. It worked but it wasn't well done. But it set me to thinking on what the Rosary means in the Catholic tradition so over this month of October we'll try to explore this practice so identified with our tradition.

You all know what a Rosary looks like as movie directors introduce one when they want to point to the Catholic. It is that string of beads, formed in a ring, with a few extra beads and a crucifix hanging from one side. And when you see a person praying the Rosary, they look like they are mumbling the same words over and over…they are! The words they are saying are the prayers of the Our Father, the Hail Mary and Glory Be: one Our Father and ten Hail Marys and the Glory be in each set, usually called decades. During each decade the person praying is supposed to be meditating on an aspect of the life of Jesus. Confusing, yes and no. Can you get lost, or mixed up praying it? Yes, of course. And strange to say that is the point. The prayer takes us beyond ourselves into the presence of God. The purpose of the boring repetition is to wind down, relax, let go and just be loved.

And why is Mary related to this prayer – the tradition is that she taught it. It is under her care that we are lead to rest in God's love.

So for the concluding prayer just try one decade: If you haven't got Rosary beads, use your fingers to count off the Hail Marys. Find a quiet spot, relax, consider the mystery of Jesus' birth and begin with the Our Father, then say ten Hail Marys and conclude with the Glory Be. If you aren't familiar with those prayers, here they are:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and ever will be. Amen.

Jacinta Roberts
APRE Holy Cross

PARISH NEWS

Parish Mass Times

School News

2016 Exiting Student Enrolments

As we are beginning preparations for 2017 year levels we kindly ask that families who are aware that they are relocating or moving to please notify the school office. We understand families may be unsure at this stage but ask that when you have received notification that you advise the school as quickly as possible.

As we currently have a waitlist for most year levels for 2017, we would like to confirm our existing enrolments for next year before making offers to new families. Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

2016 Fee Concessions

Tuition Fee Discount Scheme for eligible Means-Tested Health Care Cards/Pension Cards

If you are a holder of an eligible Means-Tested Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card as outlined on the following attachment, please complete an application form below and present your card to the school office for verification. If you have previously supplied the school with a copy of your card and it is due to expire please complete a new application form and bring your new card to the school office for copying and verification. If your circumstances change throughout the year and you are no longer eligible to receive the tuition discount, it is the parent/carers responsibility to advise the school of the change in eligibility.

Dental Van Services

Thank you to all the parents and caregivers that have responded promptly to the offer of FREE dental checkups for their children whilst the van is at your school.

Response has been quite steady, but we still have many children that have not been seen.

The dental van will be moving on to Trinity Beach SS in the early part of Term 4 and we would like to encourage any parents that would like to take advantage of being seen on site to ring the School Dental Service Call Centre : 1300 300 850 ASAP.

Once the van relocates to the next school ALL students will still be able to access FREE dental care, (check up appointments, treatment and emergencies) but will be required to be seen at the Community Health Centre (Smithfield) for all their appointments.

Best Wishes,

Yours in Good Health,
Katrina and Tania (SDS Dental therapists)
Oral Health Services
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service

Holy Cross Bike Bus

The Holy Cross Bike Bus runs every Wednesday (weather permitting) from Trinity Park Boat Ramp to school and back each week. The route is particularly suited to younger riders because it is flat and there is a very wide shoulder on the road. Please note, however, that younger riders must be competent riders who are able to stop and start with ease. Parents are encouraged to accompany younger riders. Students can be collected and dropped off along the route.

Age Suitability: Prep to Year 6
Morning Departure: 8am
Location: Trinity Park Boat Ramp, Reed Rd
Afternoon Departure: 3pm (ETA at boat ramp is 3:15pm)
Location: Holy Cross Bike Rack

PLEASE NOTE: The Bike Bus will not run if it is wet, or if it looks like it is about to rain.

For concerns or queries, please email Jo Van Ewyk jvanewyk@cns.catholic.edu.au

P and F News

2016 Cash for Christmas Raffle Tickets

Raffle tickets have now been sent home with students so please keep a look out for them in your child's bag. There are great prizes to be won:-

1st Prize - $2000 cash for Christmas
2nd Prize- $500 cash for Christmas
3rd Prize - $250 cash for Christmas

There are also prizes for the students who sell the most tickets:

1st - $100, 2nd - $50, 3rd - $25, 4th & 5th – 10 Ride tickets

Additional tickets are available from the tuckshop each morning at 8.10am. All tickets must be returned to the office no later than the morning of Thursday 17th November for students to be eligible for these prizes. Ticket seller prize winners will be announced at assembly on Friday 18th November.

The raffle will close and be drawn at the Holy Cross Christmas Fair, Saturday 19th November 2016 at 7.30pm.

The first class to return all their raffle tickets will receive a free pizza and drink lunch.

Holy Cross Parents and Friends Association would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the generous sponsors and contributors to our annual fair. Cairns Beaches Accountants, Cairns Beaches Flashpackers, Chill Café, Custy's Plumbing Services, EDMS Australia, FNQ Hot Property, Kids on Cove Children's Boutique Store, North Queensland Podiatry.

White Elephant Stall

Please donate your unwanted items to our ever popular White Elephant Stall at the Christmas Fair. Items may be left at the bottom of the stage steps of the multipurpose area anytime during Term 4. Alternatively, if you have a large number of items then please contact Tracey on 0413 089 679 so we can arrange a convenient time to put them straight into storage at the school.

Tuckshop News

Please click on the links below to view the Term 4 Tuckshop Menu and instructions for using the new Flexischools Online Tuckshop Ordering System.

Please email the Tuckshop Co-ordinator, Mrs Belinda Patmore at:- tuckshop.trinitypk@cns.catholic.edu.au if you are able to assist in the tuckshop.

Second hand uniforms available from the Tuckshop.
Plenty of stock, all sizes from 4 to 16 – only $5 per item!

Music Tuition

Drums/Percussion

Are you interested in playing the drums or learning a percussion instrument?

For more information contact our friendly drum/percussion instructor Jen Fengler on ph: 0431461812 or email: jenfengler@hotmail.com

Piano

If you are interested in piano lessons please contact: Paul Brimstone on ph: 40551105

Guitar

If you are interested in guitar lessons please contact: Peter Drazic on email: pjd.guitar@bigpond.com

OSHC (Outside School Hours Care)

OSHC needs your help!

Our OSHC family plays a large part in all of our lives and we strive to provide the best for all of our children who attend. We endeavor to make everyone's OSHC experience as fun and interesting as possible.

It is important that our service environment is enriching and offers tools to assist in socialisation, creativity and much more for learning and development. For us to be able to do this it is important for us to change our equipment and resources every so often, particularly replacing very worn or damaged resources, bringing in fresh and exciting new experiences.

Due to not having a large amount of funding available to us we rely a lot upon donations from within our community. Our staff plays a large part in donating various items to OSHC, but we are finding that with our growing numbers and lots more little hands on everything now, this does not suffice as things become worn a lot quicker, so we are asking for your help where possible.

Below are some items that OSHC requires or needs replacing:

• Blankets (kids think these are perfect for cubby making!)
• Dress up items/costumes
• Games and play equipment (indoor or outdoor use)
• Items for home corner (play kitchen's, vets, fire stations, cash register etc)
• Scooters and helmets
• Balls (especially soccer balls), skipping ropes
• Craft supplies (always needed)
• PG rated DVD's
• Children's books
• PG rated Xbox games
• Small office desk
• Garden bench

Any of the above or other items you think may be of use in good, tidy, working condition would be greatly appreciated by all of our Children and Staff.

We thank you in advance for your assistance and we are all very grateful to everyone and the families who already think of us when doing a clear out of unused items.

Thank you!! :)

Bek Edwards
Coordinator
Holy Cross Outside School Hours Care

Mo: 0410 629 096
Tel: 07 4057 6895
Fax: 07 40578183

Parenting Programs

Triple P – Positive Parenting Program

Queensland parents can now get free parenting support. The State Government is giving parents and carers of children up to the age of 16 free access to the evidence-based Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. Triple P helps parents use positive feedback and encouragement to guide behaviour and give children the best start in life.

Families can sign up for as much or as little support as they like by going to the link below. New sessions are added regularly.

Community Notices

Children's Eyesight Screening

Let's detect vision problems before it affects a child's learning

Catholic Education has teamed with Optometry Queensland to promote the screening of children's eyesight before entering school and in the early years. Smart Eye Start is an initiative of Optometry Queensland that provides comprehensive eye examinations by member optometrists, for children entering the Catholic school system.

Without early detection, eye conditions can negatively impact on a child's social and educational development, and in some cases, increase the risk of total blindness in adulthood. This comprehensive eye examination will ensure the one in four children with significant eye conditions do not go undetected.

Parents/carers, you are encouraged to take your child to an optometrist, either listed on the form or one of your choice, and return the form to the school office when your child starts Prep. Children who have already started school without screening are also encouraged to participate in the program, as soon as possible in the Early Years.

Cairns Local Disaster Coordination Centre Open Day

Join the Cairns disaster management team and emergency service personnel at our open day, Saturday October 8, 9am-1pm. Displays, information, giveaways, competitions and free food! Make sure you're all ready for the summer season.

61-79 Windarra St, Woree. Any enquiries to: disaster@cairns.qld.gov.au or phone 40443571.

Girl Guides

WANTED – LEADERS FOR SCOUTING

Are you 18 years or over, like the outdoors and working with children? Then this could be for you. No qualifications required as full training is given. Those interested please contact Helen on 0407 589 338.

St Joseph's School Parramatta Park 90th Anniversary 2017

In 2017, St Joseph's School, Parramatta Park will celebrate 90 years of Catholic Education in Cairns. Various events will be held to celebrate this important occasion from the 18th August to the 20th August 2017. All current and former staff, students and families are requested to save these dates in your calendar for next year's celebrations.

St Francis Xavier Cent Sale

St Francis Xavier's community will be hosting a Jumbo Cent Sale on Saturday, 15th October at the Cairns & District Junior Eisteddfod Hall, 67 Greenslopes Street, Edgehill. Doors open at 1pm for a 2pm start. Admission is $3 which includes a delicious afternoon tea. For bookings contact the Parish office on 4053 1383 or click on the flyer for more information.

Well Women's Health Clinics

Well Women's clinics are being held at the Smithfield Community Health on Fridays (14th & 18th October) Phone 4226 4800. Services are available to Medicare eligible clients.

Walk to Remember