Well, I can’t quite believe we are in the second semester of the year! Term 3 is always filled with the excitement of activities like TCN Athletics, Futsal and Netball tournaments, Camps and our Feast Day to name a few, coupled with beautiful weather, it is definitely a great time of the year!

Term 3 also sees us come together at Student Led Conferences. This is a time to celebrate the success of goals met and to share new goals to further learning. The sharing of these goals is a commitment of focus on the student’s behalf, and a shared commitment between school and home to support students to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. 

The purpose of the conference is to:

• Celebrate growth in your child’s learning and achievements
• An opportunity for your child to articulate their learning and learning goals
• A chance for parents to engage in their child’s learning
• Accountability for students, teachers and parents

The structure of the conference is as follows:

• The conference will run for 15 minutes.
• The student, parent/s and teacher will be present at the conference.
• Students with guidance from their classroom teacher will discuss their progress towards achieving their Literacy and Numeracy learning goals, show evidence of achievement and share future learning goals.
• Parents will be encouraged to provide feedback to their child on their progress.

Busting the Myth: Student Led Conferences are vital to your child’s learning journey and their continued success, but they are not the only time you can meet with your child’s teacher. As ‘Parent Engagement’ is a vital contributor to a child’s learning success, interviews can be requested either by yourself or teachers at any time.

As the second semester is upon us, I also thought it was a great time to renew our focus on Home Learning and the shared partnership between home and school…

 …to develop literate students

This shared partnership is crucial for the development of our students' reading success. Reading is complex, it requires not only the skills to decode, or lift the words off the page, but to make meaning of the written words in front of us. In the early years of Primary School, the focus of reading at home is learning to read, practicing the skills of phonics to decode. As this skill develops the focus moves to reading to learn, making meaning of what we have read. Making meaning can be a challenging task for many students and it is with the sharing of reading that we help students delve into the layers of meaning within the texts they read so they move from obvious to hidden meaning or as we teach students literal to inferential meaning.

It is with inferential reading that many students come unstuck which is why your partnership of reading at home right through to Year 6 is imperative. Students who are involved in discussions about what they have read, about the how and why the author has written the way they have or included illustrations are at a greater advantage to becoming literate. So, as the year progresses we ask you to ensure that you set aside the time to make a space for shared reading, the only compulsory learning we ask of students and parents at home. We also encourage you to engage with reading not only through various books that are brought home but the incidental reading opportunities in the world around us; signs, timetables, catalogues, news articles, the options are endless and waiting to be explored.

HOME LEARNING

Home Learning at Holy Cross has 3 components: Compulsory, Optional and Encouraged activities.

COMPULSORY

Home Learning reflects the importance we place on reading which is why the only compulsory home learning required from every student is reading.

Each week it is an expectation students borrow from the library to facilitate this compulsory requirement. In the junior years this will be in the form of both “Read with Me,” and library books of interest and in the senior years students will be asked to choose books of interest from both fiction and non-fiction. It is important to note, particularly with “Read with Me” books, whilst a student may be able to read some of their books independently, they still require you to assist them with language comprehension or the decoding of unfamiliar words. For a child to become a competent reader they need to practise the skills they learn at school to both decode and comprehend texts. This is why the partnership of you, your child’s first educator, for the acquisition of reading comprehension is essential.

OPTIONAL

Optional activities are listed for families who would like to engage with activities to reinforce focus concepts or general year level skills e.g multiplication facts.

ENCOURAGED

Encouraged activities are a matrix of choices that align with our school Charism. You will find activities to choose from under the banners of Relationships, Community, Service and Stewardship. As a family it is entirely your choice to engage with these activities in whatever capacity you are able.

Look out on the MyCE Mobile App - My School Tab for your current Home Learning Document.

Reach out to your class teacher for further tips on supporting your child with reading at home.

Deb Scarborough
Leader of Teaching

OMG DONUT FUNDRAISER

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The Year 6 leaders are raising money to support our Stephanie Alexander Garden Program. This program aims to help students learn through the fun of gardening and caring for the environment. To raise money we are selling OMG donuts through Flexischools and the school tuckshop. As donuts are a ‘Red Food’ item, we are only selling these donuts for a limited time so make sure you get in ASAP to secure your order. Orders for the single sale OMG donuts will go up on Flexischools on Monday the 28th of July for distribution on Friday in weeks 5 and 6. There are a plethora of fantastic flavours for you to choose from so feel free to order more than one! We look forward to raising money for this wonderful program and to providing delicious treats for the students at Holy Cross.

Sincerely,
Year 6, 6C

UPCYCLING OLD SCHOOL UNIFORMS - (UPPAREL)

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As part of the stewardship charism that we practice at Holy Cross, the year 6 leadersare looking to upcycle old school uniforms. We have teamed up with the recycling company Upparel to help us repurpose and reuse our old school uniforms. Upparel is a company who supports schools with less opportunity to have uniforms. By collecting all these uniforms, we’ll be sustainable and working as a community to reuse, repurpose and recycle. Upparel reuse clothes for Australian charities and not-for-profits, they also breakdown old materials to create new fibre used in packaging, homewares and more. The year 6 leaders are hosting this donation and we urge you to gather any old uniforms and drop them off to the school office for collection.

Roxi M (6S) and Jaden O (6S) are two super talented young students shining brightly in our school community pushing themselves to be ‘the best version of you’ outside of school hours.

Roxi is an avid and passionate gymnast, who dedicates up to 12 hours each week to training. Last weekend, Roxi competed in the 2025 Junior Regional Gymnastics Championships, placing 3rd overall. We are very proud of her.

Jaden is an active and proud member of the Barron River Cricket Club. He recently participated at the TCN Cricket Trial and was selected as a Bowler Allrounder. From there he was invited to join the Peninsula Cricket Team to play at the State Championships in Bundaberg early September. We can’t wait to hear how he gets on.

Remarkable achievements for such young people. We are super proud of them both!

Please keep sharing news regarding your children’s achievements outside of school. We love sharing good news stories. Email:  principal.trinitypk@cns.catholic.edu.au

Dear Parents & Carers,

Each year, students across our Diocese are invited to take part in a survey about wellbeing and mental health. The survey will be completed online during school hours in Week 5. All responses will be anonymous and confidential.

Please click on the link below for further information regarding the survey and don't hesitate to contact the School if you have any questions.

2025 Student Wellbeing Survey - Information for Parents

Sincerely,

Stephanie Travers
Assistant Principal - Catholic Identity & Wellbeing

Click on the link below for more information or to register:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars 

Click on the link below to access to view the videos:

https://cspqld.schoolzineplus.com/newsletter/article/52

2025

TERM 3

AUG 11-15 - Student Led Conference Week

AUG 12 - Assumption Mass - (Year 3 to 6) - 9:00am - Holy Cross Church

AUG 14 - Sacrament of Confirmation Liturgy - 5:30pm - Holy Cross Church

AUG 15 - Assumption Liturgy - (Prep to 2) - 11:30am - Holy Cross Church

AUG 17 - First Eucharist - 10:00am - Holy Cross Church

AUG 22 - Fowlers Cup Netball Carnival

AUG 25-29 - Book Week

AUG 29 - Book Week Assembly

AUG 29 - OSHC Re-enrolments close (existing families + siblings)

SEP 1 - OSHC Enrolments open (New families 2026)

SEP 1-4 - Year 6 Camp - Tinaroo Environmental Education Centre

SEP 4 - Chess - 2025 Far North Queensland Inter-School Competition

SEP 5 - Dad's Day Out

SEP 8-11 - Year 3 to Year 6 Swimming

SEP 12 - Holy Cross Day

SEP 15-18 - Year 3 to Year 6 Swimming

SEP 19 - Mary Mills Cup Netball Carnival

SEP 19 - Last Day Term 3

Position vacant
Casual School Crossing Supervisor

A position exists for a Casual School Crossing Supervisor at Holy Cross School.

• A School Crossing Supervisor must be able to work in all-weather conditions.
• Morning and afternoon shifts (on a rostered basis).
• Relief opportunities on your rostered days off.
• Pay Rate $37.10 per hour.

Commencement of employment for the successful applicant is dependent on:

• The favourable outcome of a health assessment.
• A Positive Notice Blue Card (you do not need to have a blue card to apply for the position).

Please call Kim at Transport and Main Roads for an application package on 0428 964 745.

Not every survey is a load of rubbish!

Cairns Regional Council is developing a new three year waste strategy and we want to hear from you!

We want to know how you deal with your household waste – and give you the chance to WIN one of four $250 VISA cards in the process.

Simply complete the quick survey on how you dispose of household rubbish and you can go into the draw to win one of four prepaid VISA cards.

It will only take 10 minutes to help us understand where we can do better together.

From the reef to the rainforest, let’s keep Cairns beautiful.

Loving God, you gave us Mary MacKillop - strong brave and full of faith. She saw people who were forgotten and stood up for what was right. She didn't wait for permission to love, to serve, to act.

Give us her courage to make a difference, even when it's hard, even when we stand alone. Help us see you in every person, and to live with the same big heart and bold spirit. 

Saint Mary of the Cross, pray for us as we walk our path of faith. 

Amen