4 August 2015

Newsletter Articles

"What I can do, you cannot.
What you can do, I cannot.
But together we can do something beautiful for God."
Mother Teresa

From the Principal

Parents,

How wonderful it was to celebrate Catholic Education Week last week!

Here at Holy Cross, all staff are committed to providing an educational experience for all students that embraces Catholic Traditions. It is often commented when families come to our school that it is hard to identify exactly what it is about our Catholic School that makes it different, gives it a certain essence, other than of course the inclusion of a formal religious education curriculum component. Sometimes the preferred style of our management of students is mentioned however, it is generally more often noted that the subtle yet powerful experience of our lived expression of the teachings of Jesus is what gives our school its special character within the Catholic Tradition. On a daily basis I see this within our school community. It is the way our students embrace each other's differences, support each other, strive to be the best utilising their God given talents, and the way they choose to reach out to others or simply greet each other by name on our walkways. By choosing to be a part of our Catholic School, all parents and extended members of families who come to be are part of our school life also contribute in some way to the daily expression of the values we strive to promote for our students.

Thank you to Jacinta Roberts for her dedication and commitment to ensuring our many activities during Catholic Education week ran smoothly. Our Year 6 leaders represented us beautifully at the mass in the Cathedral. Thank you to Mr Henry who accompanied the students afterwards as they enjoyed a follow up session with the Net Team along with other students from across the Diocese.

If you have been around the school lately, you will have noticed the lunch tables that have been steadily arriving in our eating areas lately. We thank the P& F for their financial support to fund the purchase of these tables that are currently being installed into the Year 1 & 2 and the Year 3 & 4 eating areas. The tables have certainly been a welcome addition to the lunch areas and students have been enjoying the new seating arrangements.

At our recent P & F meeting some dates of up-coming events were confirmed and I invite families to get involved with these events to support the P& F and our school fundraising and social networking

• Working Bee 29th August
• Student Disco 4th September
• Christmas Fair 21st November

Mr Henry and I continue to assess the parking area and the STOP DROP AND GO ZONE and have recognised that parents in the pick-up area are generally assisting to keep the whole system moving smoothly. I ask that parents continue to remain vigilant at pick up and drop off times and keep an eye on the whole system that is in operation to ensure that their decisions are in the best interests of smooth movement for everyone.

A couple of things to note:

• Parents departing from the pick-up zone near our new sign are asked to Give Way to cars coming across from the right hand-side of the pick-up area to assist in ensuring the main pick-up area is being used to capacity and traffic keeps moving into this area as it empties.
• Cars coming out of the school grounds also need to be mindful of not blocking the movement of incoming and exiting pick up area traffic by waiting in the vicinity of where cars need to move through, this unintentionally halts the whole system.
• Please note that our dental van will be parked in the usual disabled parking area for the next few weeks, so that it can access the necessary power outlets. During this time, the disabled zone simply moves along the front parking area to a temporary position. The same rules apply in this modified location.
• All drivers using the disabled zone are to do so in a way that extends courtesy to others who also need to use this space and when possible, utilise our other car parking and stop drop and go zones to ensure access to this area is optimally available and used equitably and respectfully.

A Deeper Way of Thinking

We are all too familiar these days with those heart-rendering television pictures that show people in the developing world, often tiny children, ravaged by the effects of hunger and thirst. They are a potent reminder that food and drink are among our most basic human necessities; without them, we suffer intensely and ultimately we die.

In 1984, on returning from a visit to an Ethiopia devastated by famine, Cardinal Basil Hume told of a memorable meeting he had had with a little Ethiopian boy. The child, an orphan, clutched the cardinal's hand and was reluctant to let go. After a while he pointed towards his open mouth; there was no need for an interpreter to explain that the child wanted food. Then he gently rubbed his cheek against the cardinal's hand, again a self-explanatory sign of his desire for affection. The cardinal commented that the youngster was expressing the needs of every man, woman and child – the need for nourishment and the need for love. Without food there is no life; without love there is no life worth having. In the Eucharist we receive the bread of life and the most powerful pledge of boundless love. After all, the sacrifice of the Mass – the body given for us, the blood shed for us – cost Jesus his life.

Jesus had the crowd pegged. They ask for a sign like Moses performed when he gave the people manna in the desert. This is a double affront, as Jesus had just given the multitude miraculous bread, and also because the people attribute to Moses what came from God. Jesus assures them they are looking for the wrong kind of bread, the kind that does not last. So they ask for bread that lasts, and Jesus offers himself.

Though Thomas Aquinas would later suggest that one can come to faith through reason, faith is not a 'reasonable' thing. Faith is often described as a leap, a crossing through air, a movement over the gap that separates the worldly concern from the eternal. For the crowds to accept Jesus as the bread from heaven, they would have to lay down their expectations of who he is and what bread is. They would have to be willing to cross over into faith, and leave the material values behind.

Enjoy your week.

Blessings

Wendy Manners
Principal – Holy Cross Catholic School

APRE News

CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK

This week, the students and staff have been celebrating Catholic Education Week through such things as participating in multi-age peer activities, to decorating wooden CEW people and learning about random acts of kindness. The student leaders attended Mass at the Cathedral and participated in a session with the National Evangelisation Team (NET). The week of activities culminated in the celebration of the Eucharist. Mass included some beautiful singing, capably led by the Holy Cross choirs. The whole school community then stood connected and united, in formation, on the lawn in front of the church. The image was captured with the help of a drone and other still photography.

Photo kindly provided by Ash Smith – A UFO
Australian Unmanned Flight Operations

LITURGICAL LIFE OF THE SCHOOL

Thank you to the parents who were able to come and help celebrate Catholic Education Week, by attending Mass last Friday. We have 2 more whole school Masses this term and invite you again to help celebrate with us.

Upcoming liturgies and Masses:

• Feast of the Assumption Friday 14th of August 9:00am
• Prep & Year 3 Liturgy of the Word Wednesday 26th of August 9:00am
• Years 2 & 5 Mass Wednesday 2nd of September 9:00am
• Year 1 & 6 Mass Wednesday 9th of September 9:00am
• Holy Cross Feast Day, Exaltation of the Cross, Monday the 14th of September at 9:00am

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

We keep in our prayers the candidates for First Reconciliation, as they begin the program. If your child is ready to receive this Sacrament and they are in years 3, 4, 5 or 6, please collect an enrolment form from the office, along with a student booklet for $10. The preparation sessions can be done at home as a family, or with Helen Bozzo, the Sacramental Co-ordinator, on a Tuesday afternoon, at St Andrew's.

Parents are asked to attend a final preparation meeting on Tuesday the 1st of September, 6pm at St Andrew's. The children will then receive First Reconciliation at Holy Cross on the 8th of September, during school time.

For further information, please contact Helen Bozzo via email at hlockwoodb@standrewscc.qld.edu.au or myself via phone or email.

Dates for the diary:

• Final preparation session at All Saints' Chapel, St Andrew's, 6pm on 1st September
• First Reconciliation Tues 8th of September 12pm, Holy Cross Church

SEL PROGRAM

This term, as part of the Social and Emotional Learning curriculum across the school, all classes will participate in a range of cross-age activities. These will be in two different formats; multi-age groups from across the school or paired classes.

Last week, students were in a group that had students from Prep to Year 6, helped by Year 6 leaders and overseen by teachers from across the school. This is when students got to make some new friends and create the 'hands and hearts' images you may have seen around the school last week, for Catholic Education Week. This week students will work with a buddy class to help prepare some art/craft items for Book Week next week.

Across the term, students will develop their skills of the 5 keys: Confidence, Resilience, Getting Along, Persistence and Organisation, through a range of activities. Hopefully students will get to know a few more names and faces around the school as well.

PRAYER FOCUS FOR THE WEEK:

Loving God, give me the courage to look at my life to see and name what gives me meaning and passion. Then give me the wisdom to let what is important to me shape and dominate my life. I ask this in Jesus' name confident that you will hear me.

Sr Kym Harris osb

Parish Mass Times

Saturday

Holy Cross, Trinity Park 6:00pm

Sunday

Sacred Heart, Freshwater 7:00am

Holy Cross, Trinity Park 8:30am

St Augustine's, Stratford 10:30am

All Saints Chapel, St Andrew's Redlynch 5:30pm

Jacinta Roberts
APRE Holy Cross
jroberts1@cns.catholic.edu.au

APA News

Hello again. Last Tuesday Holy Cross was fortunate enough to welcome Mr Ian Luscombe to our school. Ian has been in Special Education for over 28 years and for the last 14 years was Principal of Redbank School, Westmead, NSW. Redbank is the only joint Department of Health and Department of Education facility in NSW for the treatment of children (preschool to Yr 6) and adolescents (Yrs 7 to12) with emotional, psychiatric and / or behavioural disorders. Ian has been a mentor to aspiring and established principals and a trainer and coach in PBIS (Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports). Ian is in high demand as a speaker and has spoken extensively across Australia (conferences, schools, universities, NSW parliament house) on practical behaviour management strategies and on ways to enhance teacher welfare in schools.

Ian worked with staff in two rotations, half in the morning and half in the afternoon. His presentation was fun, entertaining, inspiring and practical. Some of the topics he covered included:

• The three major strategies for managing disruptive behaviour
• How to avoid confirming a student's dysfunctional view of the world and themselves
• Dealing with non-compliance
• Why some students say nasty / hurtful things
• What to say when you don't know what to say
• The importance of establishing whole school systems of support and research proven examples
• The difference between prevention and intervention and practical examples of each, and why it is important to focus the majority of our energy on prevention

We walked away from Ian's presentations affirmed in the Positive Behaviour journey we are currently undertaking as well as with practical strategies to implement in our day to day practises in the classroom and around the grounds.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOCUS
Week 3 – Wear your Uniform with Pride and Hat on outside
Week 4 – RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
What time is it? Where should I be? Is this the right time for …?
When we think of 'Right Place, Right Time' we think of organisation, will I get there
on time? We also think about, 'Is this the right place and the right time for … this
conversation, this activity, where I should be right now?

Congratulations to Week 2's Holy Cross Heroes

Prep	Cooper C
Year 1	Tayla M
Year 2	Ruby B, Lily M, Lucas F, Violette D, Finn H
Year 6	Lillian C, Tyson P, Jed S, Caden W, Willem B,
	Kai-En S, Trinity T, Harry M, Riley K, Ben B, Billy W, Patrick P

"We were all caught with a PROBLEM, but we tried to solve it ourselves or found help."

KEY DATES
Wednesday 5th – Friday 7th August	Year 5 Camp - Daradgee
Thursday 6th August	Year 1 Fire Station Visit at Holy Cross
Friday 7th August	Fowlers' Group Netball U10 Netta Carnival
Friday 7th August	Ty Williams Cup Rugby League for Girls
Monday 10th – Friday 14th August	Holy Cross Book Week / Book Fair
Tuesday 11th August	Book Week Dress Up Day
Friday 21st August	Year 4 Excursion to Fitzroy Island
Wednesday 26th August – Friday 28th August	Year 6 Camp to Lake Tinaroo
Saturday 29th August	Working Bee 2pm – 5pm
Friday 4th September	School Disco
Monday 7th September – Friday 11th September	Parent Teacher Interviews
Saturday 21st November	Christmas Fair

Many blessings for the week

Brad Henry
Assistant Principal – Administration
bhenry2@cns.catholic.edu.au

Curriculum News

Term 3 Year Level Curriculum Overviews

Term 3 is looking to be an exciting time of teaching and learning! You will find links to each year level's Term 3 Overview and will receive a hard copy for your fridge or study pin board. It will be another busy term.

Parent / teacher interviews will be held in Week 9, Monday 7th September to Friday 11th September. This will be an opportune time to find out how your child enjoyed the term's learning and gauge their academic and personal development.

Click on the Year Level Links to View

Holy Cross Book Week

Queensland Premier's Reading Cup Challenge

School Notices

Woolworths Earn & Learn 2015

Dear Parents,

This year we will be participating in the Woolworths Earn & Learn program. Through this program we will be able to get new educational resources for our school – and all we need you to do is shop for your groceries at Woolworths.

From Wednesday 15th July to Tuesday 8th September, we are collecting Woolworths Earn & Learn Stickers. You will get one Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker for every $10 spent (excluding liquor, tobacco and gift cards). Place the Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker onto a Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker Sheet and when it's complete, the Sticker Sheet can be dropped into the Collection Box here at the school.

If you can't fill in the whole sheet, please bring in the stickers and they can be added to another sheet. Sticker Sheets can be obtained from Woolworths stores, downloaded by clicking on the link below or collected from the School Office.

At the end of the promotion, we'll be able to get some great new equipment. The range is extensive and offers lots of items ideal for our students – including resources for Maths, English, Science and some fantastic fun supplies for Arts & Craft, Sport and for our library. If you'd like to know more visit woolworths.com.au/earnandlearn

Student Council Fundraiser

GOTCHA Points

Congratulations to Petersen who were the Week 1 & 2 Gotcha Point winners.

TERM 3	DILLON	MALLON	PETERSEN	ROBINSON
WEEKS 1 & 2	501	480	540	500

Opti-MINDS

Congratulations to the successful 2015 Opti-MINDS applicants. Both teams will be working hard over the next few weeks to prepare for their 'challenge' at JCU on August 23rd. Good luck teams!

Team 1: 'Einsteins' From back: Tiahn, Declan, Kit, Harry, Billy, Ben & Ella

Team 2: 'Shooting Stars' From back: Layla, Kiara, Astrid, Ethan, Kyden, Tyler & Harley

Coralie Stefanovic
Holy Cross Opti-MINDS Coordinator

P & F News

Hello to all families of our great Holy Cross School Community,

Just a very quick note to introduce myself and to advise you of what your P&F have been up to and what we are looking to achieve for the end of the year...

My name is Damian and I am your new P&F President. Please, if you see me say hi and let me know how you are going, your thoughts and feelings on our school in general and possibly how we can work together as a community to make our school even better!

If you have had the opportunity to wander through the school lately, you would see a number of new metal picnic style tables for the younger year groups. We are yet to finish this task and will therefore continue until there are enough suitable lunch tables for students in the eating areas.

We have this year's new Entertainment Books in the school office, as well as few spare car park advertisements available both of which assist in generating funds for our school. Please collect information if you wish to take up either of these opportunities.

A few dates for events to support which will be happening in the very near future:

• Our P&F working bee is on the 29th August taking place from 2.00 – 5.00pm. Any assistance with this would be most appreciated and as a thankyou the P&F supply pizza and light refreshments afterwards.
• Another event that will take place on 4th September is our Term 3 Disco night.
• The final date to remember is 21st November which will be our Holy Cross School Christmas Fair.

So again, please do not be afraid to say hi or email me, and let me know your thoughts or ideas about our school. By the same token, if you feel you would like to contribute in any way to the school community and have not yet found your place, please step forward as any and all assistance, no matter how small, makes a difference and is always appreciated.

Damian Martin-Blakey
P & F President
dmartinblakey@gmail.com

Tuckshop News

TUCKSHOP ROSTER
WEEK 4		PARENT HELPERS	SLINKY HELPERS
WED	5th August	HELP REQUIRED	Bella Y-R 4H
THU	6th August	HELP REQUIRED	Bella Y-R 4H
			Charleigh W 4H
FRI	7th August	Janelle Bradbridge 8.30-11.30	Abriel R 5C
		Jo Comper – cashier (TBC)	Jorja A 5C
		11.30-close HELP REQUIRED	Piper E 5C
WEEK 5
WED	12th August	HELP REQUIRED	Bella Y-R 4H
			Holly M 4H
THU	13th August	HELP REQUIRED	Bess E 4C
FRI	14th August	Janelle Bradbridge 8.30-11.30	Charleigh W 4H
		Lisa Ponds-Crayn - cashier	Holly M 4H
		11.00-close HELP REQUIRED

Secondhand Uniforms

Secondhand uniforms and green jumpers are available for purchase at the tuckshop for $5.00 each.

If you can assist in the tuckshop we would love to hear from you. Please contact the Tuckshop Convenor, Kylie Gowlett on 0439 933 980, email: kgowlett@cns.catholic.edu.au or leave your number at the office.

The Arts News

Dance Drama Music (DDM)

Hello Holy Cross!

For those who are new to our school, the 2015 Arts department staff at our school consists of three school based specialist teachers and four visiting instrumentalist teachers. The school based specialist teachers are responsible for covering the Australian Curriculum content with your children. I would also like to include Paulette Henderson-Croft here as she covers some dance content in her Physical Education lessons. The instrumentalist teachers are providing additional tuition to particular students who wish to learn an instrument and play in the school band. My name is Christina Wight and I specialise in teaching Dance, Drama and Music to all classes. I have also taken on the role of working with the Holy Cross choirs this year. Mrs Sam Weterkamp specialises in teaching the Visual and Media Arts to all classes. We also have Julia Russell who is a brass/woodwind teacher and conducts the school band, Jen Fengler who is a drums/percussionist teacher, Paul Brimstone who is piano teacher and Peter Drazic who is a guitar teacher. Together, we bring a strong Arts program to our school and will continue to provide enriched opportunities for your children to experience the great personal, social and academic benefits that engaging with the Arts can bring to each child. Please read below to keep up to date with how the Arts is blooming within Holy Cross.

CONGRATULATIONS!

• A huge congratulations to the Holy Cross School Band for finishing 2nd at the Cairns Eisteddfod on Tuesday 23rd June! This is a fantastic result.
• Well done to Sam Weterkamp and her group of senior students who came 2nd in the Cairns Show "Paint a Filly" competition.
• A huge congratulations to Jazz W(5H) who has qualified for the Australian Dance Championships in both ballet and jazz dancing sections! Jazz also came 3rd in her ballet and acting section at the Cairns Eisteddfod this year too!

Please let Mrs Wight know of any other people in our community who are achieving in the Arts!

CHOIR UPDATE

We have had a shuffle around of choir members at the beginning of this term. This meant we could welcome ten new choir members into the General Choir this week! It also means that both choirs are now at capacity again. I am very impressed and happy to see so much enthusiasm from students in singing and more importantly, I am impressed with how they commit to an activity and work as a team. We are going to take official photos of both choirs on Wednesday at 1:30pm in week 5. I am hoping that all choir members are present that day and we can get a fantastic photo for our choir folders and the newsletter!

The Liturgy Choir has been singing beautifully at every whole school Mass. They have sung with technical difficulties, no conductor, no music and last minute changes. Mrs Roberts and I are very proud at the level of maturity, co-operation and singing skills we have witnessed from these older students. Well done girls!

The General Choir had their first performance last Monday (Week 3) to lead us into Catholic Education Week (CEW). We asked a lot of students as there was quite some time between their last rehearsal and the performance. The first song began a little shakily but we warmed up quickly and ended up pulling off a fantastic first performance! Their second performance was with the Liturgy Choir during the CEW mass, where they helped lead the school in CEW's signature song, "Head Heart and Hands." This song is a favourite with both choirs and with many students throughout the school as I taught the song to every class over the first three weeks of Term 3. Don't be surprised if staff and students are singing it in the shower or in their sleep!

Finally, the General Choir have been invited to perform with some Holy Cross brass instrumentalists at our community Neighbourhood Centre, next door to the school. This performance will be for the senior citizens of our community. At this stage, the General Choir and instrumentalists will be asked to spend their 2nd lunch break on Tuesday 18th August entertaining a small audience with a variety of music. Information and permission slips will be sent home this week with the choir members and musicians involved.

DRAMA RESOURCES – WE NEED YOUR DONATIONS!

We are beginning to build up our drama and dance resources in the DDM. We can purchase some items, however, many of the items below may be your trash and our treasure! If you can donate any of these items, please send them into school and deliver them to the DDM room. THANK YOU!

• Men's business shirts, suit jackets, ties, hats, belts
• Women's small dresses, coats, hats, belts, necklaces
• Normal and novelty sunglasses
• Costumes of any sort
• Retro or old fashioned clothes
• Plastic princess crowns, fairy wands etc…
• Shawls or scarves
• Novelty hats eg: cowboy, police, fireman, witch
• Wigs
• Etc…

THEATRE SPORTS – TEACHER VS STUDENT LUNCH TIME COMPETITION

Last term we completed our teacher vs student Theatre Sports competition. The final game was called Space Jump and required teams to use many more acting, improvisation and memory skills than previous games. The teacher team had to ring-in Mr David Gunter to perform for the first time as Mrs Jo Woodhouse was away. The student team was raring to go and keen to show the teachers how it was done. In the end, the teachers had crept ahead with only half a point in front of the student team. While the teachers were crowned Theatre Sports champions it was a really, really, really close competition!

I would like to thank all the teachers, students and supporters of this event. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and the students gained a lot of confidence and team building skills from this experience. Well done everyone! We had a lot of fun! The Year 6 Holy Cross News Reporters have the photos of this event in their upcoming news report.

DO YOU KNOW OF ANY LOCAL COMMUNITY BANDS?

This semester, I am writing a unit for the year 5 & 6's called, "Local Community Music." I will be teaching students about how different music means different things to different people. I wanted to interview local community bands about the messages they want to share with people through their music, why they are in a band and what kinds of music they connect with and why. If you know of any local rock, cultural or alternative style bands that perform in the Cairns district and might be willing to be a part of our unit, please give them my email address, cwight@cns.catholic.edu.au , or leave a message with the school office on 4057 6920. I already have three bands but need more! Thank you!

DDM LESSON UPDATE

Prep- "Nursery Rhymes" – At the moment, students have been rehearsing their Cinderella assembly performance. Prep students will be presenting this brief song and dance performance on Friday 7th August during the whole school assembly. The boys will be crowned princes and the girls will be crowned princesses. They will sing, "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and complete a brief dance sequence. This should be a performance not to miss! For the remainder of the semester, students will be learning a Nursery Rhyme song called, "Little Sally Water" and completing a set of beat, rhythm, percussion and singing activities surrounding variations of this song.

Years 1/2 - "Lonesome Boatman" – Students have been listening to a piece of instrumental Irish folk music called, "The Lonesome Boatman." It involves an Irish whistle, triple harp and an ocean drum telling the lonely tale of a boatman rowing in the ocean. Students have had to identify the parts of the music that each instrument plays and create their own homemade version of an instrument the represents the waves of the ocean. We have had many bottles and cardboard cylinders, that have been filled with rice, sand and pasta pass through the DDM room and they all sound fantastic! Year 1 are required to bring in their home-made ocean instrument this Thursday for their DDM lesson.

The next stage of the unit asks students to describe sounds they hear in nature using nouns, verbs and adjectives and to create a movement sequence to accompany these sounds. Students use this knowledge to create both a digital and instrumental soundscape to perform for an audience.

Years 3/4 - "Calypso Rounds and Sounds." - Students have updated their Arts Journals with a short reflective entry about what they have learned last semester. We have begun our new unit by revising the difference between beat and rhythm through performing funny chants accompanied with percussion instruments. Students have then created rounds with simple chants such (the chant is repeated by different groups layered over each other). We are now working on a more difficult chant called, "Miss Mary Mack." Students have also been introduced to the syncopated rhythms of Calypso (reggae style) music. The students now have to learn a Calypso song and perform the complicated rhythm patterns in rounds.

Years 5/6 – "Local Community Music" – Student have updated their Arts Journal with a reflection about what they learned last semester. I have also revised the basics of playing the Ukulele with each class. Students who have Ukuleles at home are encouraged to bring their instrument to school, only on Wednesdays, for their DDM lesson.

Students have discussed what they know about local community bands, what they have realised they don't know and have devised a list of questions they want to investigate about local community bands. We have started our inquiry by looking at the history and composition of Cairns Brass Band. This was a natural choice to start as we have a few Holy Cross staff and students as members in this great band. Thanks to Miss Julia Russell, we have been given some great resources for our lessons. While the students' questions are diverse and varied, our inquiry will have to eventually be a little more focused.

We also are looking forward to a visit from a local band called, The Barbary Coasters on Wednesday 12th August. The Barbary Coasters, who are Nikki Lowmass and Vance Fahey, are a very experienced and popular folk duo who play tropical rock and covers at many events and venues around the Cairns district. The students should be able to learn a lot about the history and life of local community music in the Cairns district from this fantastic opportunity.

Thank you for all your support! God bless!

Christina Wight
Dance Drama Music Specialist Teacher

Instrumental Music News

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations are in order for the Holy Cross School band who competed in the Cairns and District Junior eisteddfod last term. The band, made up of 26 students from year 3 to 6, were awarded 2nd place for their performance of "Drums of Corona".

The competition was held at the Cairns Civic Theatre and had schools from Mossman to Innisfail competing in it. The Holy Cross band performed in the Under 13 ensemble section.

All of the students in the band worked very hard leading up to the eisteddfod, rehearsing after school every Tuesday, and putting in a lot of individual home practice.

The band also had the opportunity to work with Ms Maureen Cameron, head of music at St Andrew's College, along with 4 other St Andrew's music teachers. The band travelled to St Andrew's the week before the eisteddfod where they attended a combined rehearsal with the St Andrew's Junior Band, and were then workshopped on their own. This was very beneficial to the band, and we really appreciate the partnership we have with this leading music school. Thanks to Ms Maureen Cameron, Mr Bryan Hurdley, Mrs Katie Quinn, Mrs Leanne McIntyre & Ms Amy Fulton for taking time out of their busy schedules to work with the Holy Cross band.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS TERM

YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

This term all instrumental students will be competing in the St Andrew's "Young Musician of the Year" solo competition. This is an initiative of our partner music school, St Andrew's Catholic College, and gives our students the opportunity to improve their performance skills in a friendly and encouraging environment. Dates have changed for this event so please amend your diaries:

Junior (year 1 – 5) – Wednesday 2nd September
Middle (year 6) – Thursday 3rd September
Novice (year 1 – 6 beginners) – Friday 4th September

Students will need to find their own transport to and from this event. Exact times of solos will be released closer to the event.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE PERFORMANCE

This term a selection of brass and woodwind students (lesson groups B, C & D) will be performing at the neighbourhood centre as part of grandparent's week. Students will perform a number of pieces that we have been working on in lessons, and then finish with a combined performance of Amazing Grace, along with the school choir.

The concert will be on the Tuesday the 18th of August. Students who are involved will be given a letter detailing rehearsals, repertoire and performance times in the next few weeks.

Julia Russell

Music Tuition

Brass/Woodwind

If you are interested in learning a brass or woodwind instrument (including trumpet, trombone, flute, clarinet or saxophone), please contact Julia Russell via email: julia.russell@standrewscc.qld.edu.au

A reminder that instrumental tuition & hire contract agreements state a 4 week's written notice period is required if your child wishes to cease lessons. In the event of cancellation the full amount of the term fee will remain due and payable for that notice period. All instrumental fees should remain paid in advance.

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

NAIDOC Reflection

A message from the Indigenous Liaison Officer

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had a great holiday and welcome back to term 3. On the last day of school last term Holy Cross celebrated our NAIDOC celebration. This years' NAIDOC theme was 'We all stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate' this year our NAIDOC celebrations began with a beautiful liturgy. Once the liturgy was finished, some of the classes got into the class room activities that were planned earlier, the rest of the school joined later in the middle session where there were a number of different activities happening. The activities included weaving, Indigenous design paintings, and storytelling, making dream catchers, indigenous story stones and crafts.

Students that helped to make our NAIDOC liturgy so special was; Jedda L, Simon I-S, Serina K, Samara W, Madison I, Oliver L, Bailey C, David K, Tenille M. Each student helped out with our liturgy. We also had the opportunity for Miss Leina Bani who read a reading at the liturgy in her traditional creole language.

I would say that the day was a success and was a great way to end the term off! The children enjoyed the activities and the participation was 100%. I look forward to next year's NAIDOC celebration.

Well Done!

Breanna Lyall

Traditional Indigenous Artefacts

Sports Notices

Barron River Track & Field

Congratulations to Kiara who was the 11 Girl Champion at the recent Barron River Track and Field. Along with Kiara the following students will be competing at the Peninsula Trials for Track and Field at the end of August; Jorja, Trinity, Michael, Matthew and Amber (not available for photo).

Holy Cross School NetFun Netball Skills Term 3

Please click on the link below for more information and a registration form if you are interested in your child participating in the Cairns Netball Association's NetFun Netball Skills Program (previously known as Net-Set-GO). The 7 week program is suitable for 5-10 year olds and will be held on Thursday afternoons 3.05pm-4.05pm in the multi-purpose area commencing Thursday 30th July.

Sport and Recreation Services Get Started Vouchers

Round 6 of the Sport and Recreation Services Get Started Vouchers Program is now open. Under this program vouchers of up to $150.00 are provided to eligible children to help pay for the cost of sport or recreation club membership and or participation fees through registered clubs. Please click on the link below for the parent fact sheet for further information and eligibility requirements.

Northern Beaches Rugby Union Club

Junior Sign On Day & Skills Clinic

Barron River Cricket Club

Junior Cricket Sign On

Community Notices

Courage to Care Exhibition

Courage to Care Exhibition - 14th August – 11th September 2015, Seville Mercy Conference Centre, 35 Bauhinia Avenue, Earlville

This inspiring and interactive exhibition uses living historians (Holocaust survivors) to demonstrate the positive impact of bystander intervention in the face of racism, prejudice and bullying.

For more information visit www.couragetocare.com.au

Email courage2care@cns.catholic.edu.au or phone 4050 9700.

All are welcome and entry is free.

Free Positive Parenting Seminars

The Stepping Stones Triple P Project is currently offering parents in Cairns free parenting seminars.

The seminar will give tips and strategies to help manage the big and small problems of family life.

The seminar looks at providing a structured approach to teach your child new skills and behaviours.

Please visit www.triplep-steppingstones.net/au-en/home/ for more information on the Stepping Stones Triple P Project.

Well Women's Clinics (available to Medicare eligible clients)

Service includes Pap Smears, Sexual Health Screening, Breast Awareness, also info on Contraception, Continence, Menopause, Lifestyle Issues, Bowel Health, Domestic Violence, etc. All services are provided by a specially trained Women's Health Nurse.

Smithfield Community Health Friday 7th August & Friday 21st August Ph: 4226 4800

James Cook University (JCU) Tuesday 4th August & Monday 17th August Ph: 4226 4812

FREE Healthy Lifestyle Program

Get your family active and eating well

Local families can sign up the free healthy lifestyle program called PEACHâ„¢ - Parenting, Eating and Activity for Child Health. Registrations are now open for a new group to commence in Cairns at in term 3, 2015.

The program is fun for kids and helps parents and carers make healthy eating and activity a part of every-day life. It is available to families with a child aged between 5-11 years who is above a healthy weight their age.

It consists of 10 group sessions that run for 90 minutes each. The first 9 sessions are held weekly within the school term. Ongoing individualised family support is offered through the second half of the program ending with one final group session.

Some of the topics covered include nutrition, relationships with food and eating, changing family lifestyle behaviours and making healthy eating affordable. While the parent sessions are taking place, children enjoy active play with a trained child physical activity facilitator.

The program is funded by the Queensland government and being delivered by the Queensland University of Technology.

If you would like more information about the PEACHâ„¢ program or to register please contact free call 1800 263 519 or visit www.peachqld.com.au

Road Safety Expo

The Young Company

TYC Drama Classes for 5yrs - 11yrs

Join in the dramatic adventures at The Young Company Theatre this semester now on the Northern Beaches. Develop confidence, explore your creativity, develop articulation and communication abilities, make new friends and learn the essentials of stage performance through improvisation, role-play, scripts, and characterization activities and then perform in front of a live audience with costumes, sets, props, sound effects, live projections and theatrical lighting!! Classes in Trinity Beach, Kamerunga, Freshwater and Cairns City. For more information phone 40414066, email info@theyoungcompany.com.au , visit our website www.theyoungcompany.com.au or visit us 169 Bunda St, Cairns City.

Girl Guides

Interested in your child being part of Girl Guides please click on the link below for more information.