Week 2, Winter Term

Athletics Carnival Assembly

Last Monday we gathered to celebrate the efforts of all students for their participation in the College’s annual Athletics Carnival and in particular to recognise the age champions and overall winners of the event.

The Age Champion is awarded at each year level to those students who gained the highest combined number of points for the events in which they competed during the course of the day. Congratulations to the following students for their performance on the day. 

		Boys	Girls
Year 7	Age Champion	Fred Ruremesha	Brianna Armstrong
	Runner Up	Cian Guest	Hannah Schnell
Year 8	Age Champion	Scott Varady	Talia Catlin
	Runner Up	Matthew Hatch	Caitlyn McKenzie
Year 9	Age Champion	Blair Parker	Jo-Anna Maynard
	Runner Up	Elliott Hogg	Michaela Marshall
Year 10	Age Champion	James Evans	Jaimi-Lee Perry
	Runner Up	Dylan Woodford	Felicity Holden
Year 11	Age Champion	Samuel Stent	Georgia Heggs
	Runner Up	Harsh Patel	Aimee George

Congratulations also to Ozanam House who were the Athletics Carnival Champions for 2013.

Supporting Others

I made comment at the Athletics Carnival Assembly how impressive it was to see the high levels of support in evidence during the day. It was clearly obvious that on many occasions genuine and heartfelt support from their peers helped to lift students’ enthusiasm during events and spur them on to finish strongly. This high level of spirit, encouragement and support was a definite highlight of the day.

The capacity for people to reach out to others and help them in time of need is a key ingredient to our Catholic philosophy. We encourage all of our students to look to others when they are in need of support and lend a hand. Sometimes it takes considerable courage to seek out those in need and it is often easier to just ignore the situation. However community is built on sharing one another’s difficulties and working together in support of each other.

It has been very pleasing to see the support for the Winter Sleepout gaining momentum. This is a very tangible example of how we can proactively reach out in support of others. Congratulations to those staff and students who have already committed to this terrific cause. We wish everyone well for the evening which is being held on Thursday, 15 August.

Middle School Learning Conversations

On Wednesday 31 July, the College held its Middle School Learning Conversations. Thank you to the many parents who took advantage of the opportunity to spend some quality time with teachers to discuss the academic and pastoral progress of their children. We value very highly the partnership between home and school and understand the importance of effective communication between all parties involved in the learning journey of our students.

Please do not hesitate to contact staff via email or by phone should there ever be any concerns with the progress of your children.

Many thanks to College staff for their terrific support of the Learning Conversations.

Visitors from Japan

On Wednesday, the College hosted a number of visitors from Japan who attended to view the wonderful teaching and learning that is taking place. They were particularly interested in how the College has embraced technology and integrated it into the educational experience. The visitors were also very interested in the authentic learning experience that Big Ideas provides students.

Congratulations to all the staff and students involved in the visit. Special recognition and thanks must go to Mrs Louden’s Year 7 class for their very proud and energetic explanations of what they have been completing in class of recent times. These students impressed our visitors with their honesty, politeness and genuine enthusiasm for their learning.

Build Update

We were thrilled to see the pad for the Early Learning Centre being put down on Friday. A reminder that we are documenting the progress of the build via the blog. Many thanks to Mr Chris Gooch for overseeing this process.

Friends of Holy Cross

A reminder that we have a Friends of Holy Cross meeting scheduled for Monday, 5 August commencing at 6.30pm in the LRC. We hope to see you there.

WAMSE

Best wishes to those students completing WAMSE testing in Week 3. The testing will run for most of the week. Students have been provided with relevant details. If you have any questions or queries about the testing, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Ian Wilson at the College.

Best wishes

Jeff Allen

End of Week 1, Winter Term

End Week 1

It has been terrific to welcome our students back to the start of the Winter Term this week. It was very pleasing to see students arriving back full of energy and enthusiasm.

Assembly

On Monday this week we met as a school to formally acknowledge the start of the term. We spoke about the College Motto of “Life to the Full”, its meaning and its importance. During the assembly, students were encouraged to take full advantage of the many different opportunities that Holy Cross College provides so they can grow their talents and live their lives to the full. 

In Matthew’s Gospel (5:14-16) it says:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We encourage students to explore the many talents that they have been given so that they will continue to grow as persons with the capacity to contribute to our society.

Athletics Carnival

Congratulations must go to all students for their terrific support of the College’s Annual Athletics Carnival.  Students represented their Houses with passion and energy throughout the day. There were many highlights during the carnival including some terrific individual and group performances on the track. Off the track, students supported their Houses with lots of enthusiastic cheering for their fellow members.

Thank you to the many parents, guardians and friends who attended the carnival. It was wonderful to see such great support from the community. We hope that those in attendance enjoyed the spectacle of the day.

A vey special thanks to College staff who worked tirelessly over the day to ensure the smooth running of the carnival. In particular, we acknowledge the amazing efforts of Mr Gareth Elliot and Mrs Christina Davini for their overall organisation and coordination of the event.

National Schools Tree Planting Day

As part of National Schools Tree Planting Day on Friday, 26 July, we welcomed State Member for West Swan, Ms Rita Saffioti MLA to the College who presented us with a tree and to partake in the planting ceremony. We thank Ms Saffioti for giving of her time and for the contribution of the tree and also to the Year 7 students who were involved in the ceremony. 

Congratulations

Congratulations to Joanna Maynard and Cian Guest both of whom have been selected to represent Western Australia in the 2013 State Cross Country Championships.  We are very proud of their efforts and wish them well for the championships which are being held in Symmons Plains in Tasmania late August/early September this year.

Catholic Performing Arts Festival

Next week sees the commencement of the annual Catholic Performing Arts Festival. We are again fortunate to have a number of students involved this year. Our students have been preparing well for the festival and need to be commended for their commitment and dedication. Special thanks must go to Mr Chris McRae and his team for their support of the students as they prepare for the event.

We wish the following students and groups well for their performances over the upcoming weeks: Chardonnay Mitchell, Abbey'Lee Quantock, Kaelan Hesketh, Angela Gethin, Anthony Menegola, the College Rock Band, College Choir and the Barbershop.

Building Update

We were very excited to see concrete trucks arriving on site today to commence pouring the footings of the new build. At this stage the actual slab will be poured sometime early next week. We regularly provide photo updates of the building programme via the blog and encourage everyone to track its progress.

Middle School Learning Conversations

A gentle reminder that we are holding our Middle School Learning Conversations next Wednesday, 31 July 2013. Parents and guardians are encouraged to make an appointment with respective teachers to discuss the progress of their child.

Best wishes

Jeff Allen

Acting Principal

Start of Winter Term

Welcome to the start of the Winter Term. My name is Jeff Allen and I feel most privileged to be acting in the role of Principal of Holy Cross College in Ms Mandy Connor’s absence. As you would be aware Ms Connor is away on Long Service Leave for the first three weeks of term. She is enjoying her well-earned break and sends her regards and best wishes for the start of the term. I have been made to feel very welcome since my arrival at the College and am certainly looking forward to spending time in this wonderful community.

Staff Welcome Back

We welcome back staff returning from Long Service Leave this term -  Mr Ian Wilson, Mr Harry Muller and Ms Karen Taylor. We hope that they had a restful and relaxing break and welcome them back to the College community.

The start of a new term

As always, the start of a new term provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their performance in the previous term with a view to setting themselves challenging but achievable goals for the future. After viewing their Semester 1 reports, it is hoped that students have taken the opportunity to examine their progress and application levels and have determined methods that they can adopt to continue to enhance their learning this term.

As always, we strongly encourage parents/guardians to follow the progress of their children via Parent Coneqt. As you would be aware, Parent Coneqt provides a wide range of pastoral and academic data and is designed to improve communication between school and home. Parents/guardians can directly email the teaching staff via Parent Coneqt and can also follow upcoming assessments as well as view student timetable data.

Middle School Learning Conversations

A reminder that this semester’s Middle School Learning Conversations will be held on Wednesday, 31 July from 12.30pm to 7.30pm in the Learning Resource Centre. It is good to see that bookings are being made via PTO. As interview spaces are limited, it would be advisable to make it a priority to book a time with teachers if there are any concerns with the academic progress of your child.  Information on booking these appointments were emailed to parents at the end of last term and can be accessed via the College website at http://web.holycross.wa.edu.au/portals/portals.html or directly at https://bookings.parentteacheronline.com.au?school=d7cch. Please contact the College Office if you require any further information.

Students are required to attend the Learning Conversation so that they can be involved in the process and contribute to the discussion. A reminder that Year 7 – 9 students will be dismissed from school at midday.

College Athletics Carnival

We are looking forward to the College’s annual Athletics Carnival which is being held this Thursday, 25 July.  As always, the day promises to be a very exciting event where students are encouraged to contribute both on and off the track. Students will be representing their Houses on the day and are invited to enter into the spirit of the carnival through enthusiastic cheering in support of their peers.   

The Carnival will commence at 9.00am and run for the full day. Parents and guardians are invited to attend in support of their children.

Calendar and Upcoming Events

Please familiarise yourself with dates in the School Calendar and Upcoming Events for the term ahead. Go to http://web.holycross.wa.edu.au/news/calendarblog/calendarblog.php 

Thank You

We acknowledge the hard work of staff over the holiday break to ensure that the College is ready for our students to return this week. The College grounds look wonderful thanks to the hard work of Mr McKern. The College administration team has also been working hard to make sure all systems are ready for the return of the students. Thanks also to Mr Oxwell and Mr Murphy for their efforts in ensuring network upgrades are up and running ready for Day 1.

Best wishes for the start of the term.

Jeff Allen

Acting Principal

End of Autumn Term

Connecting to the Community

This week students in Year 8 and 9 have had some excellent opportunities to make authentic connections with the community. A group of Year 8 students exhibited their Big Ideas project on Sustainability at the Ellenbrook Shops. While there, they engaged customers in conversations regarding ways to make their houses and lifestyles more sustainable.

Year 9 students visited Perth for a day in preparation for their City Experience when they will spend a week in Perth during Curriculum Enrichment Week. Details and photos of both these excursions can be found on the LIFE@HCC Blog.

On recent visits to the city, I have been struck by the number of homeless people - from the young to the elderly. Last weekend at a suburban train station I was touched to see that someone had placed a brand new blanket still in its packaging next to a homeless man. Perhaps it was one they had bought for themselves, but gave away on the journey home, perhaps they saw the man in need and went up to shops to buy a blanket. Either way, they saw a need and did something about it. The mission statement of our Learning Pillar calls us to be a caring, compassionate and connected community, inspired by its patron Frederic Ozanam. As the founder of St Vincent de Paul Frederic Ozanam devoted his life to helping the needy. At present families have the opportunity to help those in need through the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal - imagine what a difference it could make to people's lives if every family in the College donated a warm jumper or blanket. The boxes are located in the College Office and the Learning Resource Centre and I encourage everyone to contribute in some way.

We have come to the end of a short, but very busy term. I will be taking Long Service Leave for the first three weeks of next term and Mr Jeff Allen from Kolbe Catholic College will be Acting Principal while I am away. We are looking forward to welcoming him to the College and to the sharing of ideas during this time. 

Mr Ian Wilson, Mr Harry Muller and Ms Karen Taylor will also return from Long Service Leave at the commencement of Winter Term.

We have also appointed a Head of Junior School in preparation for the Early Learning Centre scheduled to commence in 2014. Melissa Croswell will assume her duties at the commencement of the Spring Term. Melissa is presently a Consultant in the Learning and Teaching Team at the Catholic Education Office, Leederville. We look forward to Melissa’s expertise and experience in assisting us in developing the Junior School.

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday with your families.

Ms Mandy Connor

Principal