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Purchasing New Uniforms

We will be selling new uniforms from Monday 24th January 2022 by appointment only.

Please phone the School Office on 09 2788224 to MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

Thank you.

Covid-19 Case

Please click on the link below for more information.

Covid-19 Case Letter

Prizegiving and Graduation Videos

Please click on the links below to view our Prizegivings and Graduation that occurred this week!

Year 8 Girls and Year 6 Boys Graduation and Prizegiving

Year 7 Prizegiving

Year 5 and 6 Prizegiving

Reminder re School Finishing Tomorrow

School will be finishing promptly at 1pm tomorrow 10/12/21.  Please ensure that you collect your child on time.  Thank you.

School Newsletter- 6th December

Please check out this week’s important newsletter!

Newsletter- 6th December

Principal Leaving, Reports & Graduation

Dear Parents,

As you know, I am retiring from Holy Cross School at the end of this year. I have been part of the Holy Cross School community for 33 years in total: three as a teacher and thirty years as Principal.

At the end of next week, I will be riding off into the sunset to throw my energy into who knows what. In the short term I will focus on enjoying my family, providing my wife Rosemary with a live-in housekeeper and involving myself with a home renovation project.

Importantly, the decision to leave has been of my own making. The time is right for me to hang up my boots (at least for a little while), pack up my gear and give the incredible privilege of leading this school to someone else.

As a good friend said to me recently, “Everything has a beginning and an end.”

My time at Holy Cross has come to its end. It has been an absolute privilege to serve the school community for so many years. When I first started working here, the young people, staff and families helped me to realise that the special relationships schools develop only work when we each see through the outer layers into hearts. Over the many years of my career much in education has changed, especially in technology. Despite those outward changes one thing has remained constant – that we are called to strive for excellence, reach our potential and reveal our best selves. I look back in gratitude at the many wonderful children of Holy Cross with whom I have worked. Our children are special. I am grateful for each and every one of them and extremely proud of all they have achieved and the people they have become.

To the many wonderful parents and families with whom I have worked, thank you for your friendship, your support and your service. I am very proud of all we have accomplished together. I encourage you to continue to value diversity. It is diversity which enhances and supports our community, and it is to be cherished. 

A particular thank you to the Boards of Trustees and PTFAs who have supported me, given me wise counsel and worked so very hard to serve our community. One of the strengths of our school has been the long-standing involvement of many families, who continue to support our school over decades. 

I have been very privileged to work alongside many wonderful colleagues. I offer them my gratitude for their support and friendship, and for being wonderful examples of how to serve faithfully and with humility. I will remember the laughter, the fun and the struggles. Thank you for the supply of coffee and delicious food in the staffroom to keep me awake and alert. Thank you for the notes of encouragement, words of appreciation, sharing of ideas and time and most of all for your sincerity, trust and commitment to educating our children.

I would like to acknowledge my family – my wife, Rosemary, and my daughters, Laura, Amy and Olivia, for the ongoing support and encouragement they have given to me over my teaching career. It was their sacrifices that gave me the opportunity to perform my duties at Holy Cross School.

I am going to travel to places that I’ve always wanted to visit. I’m going to read the books on my list, garden, learn new skills, visit art galleries, and enjoy spending time with family and friends.

I wish the new principal and community all the best as you begin a new journey together. I know that the new principal will be supported as I have been. 

Lastly, I leave you with this thought. 

“There is only ever one of us. We are all unique, we are neither better nor less than anyone else, but rather the best and least of ourselves.”

I’m still working to find that best of me. Thank you for being my travelling companions on such an important part of my life journey. I am forever grateful for your company and for the experiences we have shared.

I wish you all God’s blessings. I will remember and pray for Holy Cross School every day and I hope you will do the same for me!

Yours in Christ,
Bruce Young
Principal

Reports

This year school reports will be emailed to parents/caregivers on Wednesday 8th December 2021.  If you do not receive your child’s report by Thursday 9th December, please contact the School Office and we will arrange another copy to be sent to you.

Prize giving and Graduation

On Tuesday 7 December we will recognise our students who have achieved outstandingly over this past year and those who are graduating from Holy Cross. All events will take place in the church with Ministry advised safety measures in place. As such, parents will not be able to attend these events, however we will record these and share them with you. You would have been contacted by your classroom teacher by now to inform you if your child is receiving a prize. We would love to see prize recipients and graduates on this day. Please let your teacher know if your child will be attending.

10.00am              Year 5s and Year 6 girls Prizegiving

11.30am              Year 7s Prizegiving

1.00pm                Year 6 boys and Year 8s Prizegiving and Graduation

Returning to School and Continuing with Online Learning

Dear Parents/Caregivers 

The Government has recently announced that schools are open to all students from Wednesday 17 November, under strict safety guidelines. In response to this, we would like to thank those of you who completed our survey regarding your intention to send your child/ren back to school. This has helped us in determining how best to approach on-site learning. If you have not responded to this survey it is important to complete this to ensure we have an accurate account of student numbers. You need only complete this survey once.

When students return to school on Wednesday 17 November we will ensure we have a number of precautionary measures in place for the safety of our children and our school community.

These safety precautions are explained below:

– All staff are to be vaccinated, provide a negative test prior to returning to school, and wear masks during school hours.
– School gates will be monitored in the mornings and afternoons to ensure only students enter onto the school grounds. Gates will open at 8.15am and close at 3.00pm daily. All students must be picked up from school promptly on the last school bell at 2.50pm. No students are to congregate at the front of the school at the end of each day. No after-school care facilities will be available.
– All Year 0 new entrant students are to go straight to Rooms 4 and 5. These students can be accompanied to class by one parent who is fully vaccinated,scans in and wears a mask. This parent cannot enter the classroom.
– All students from Year 4 to Year 8 must wear a mask.  We suggest any Year 3 child might like to wear a mask as our classes are multi age – Year 3 / 4.
– All doors and windows in classrooms will be open to provide ventilation.
– Classroom bubble sizes will be kept within the given guidelines.
– No visiting or combining of classes will be permitted.
– Social distancing in classrooms and outdoors will be encouraged. 
– Alternative spaces will be used as classrooms if the need arises. 
– Surfaces will be cleaned daily.
– Hand sanitiser will be utilised when entering and leaving classrooms.
– Two morning tea breaks and two lunch breaks with designated play areas will be created to ensure a reduced number of students are in one space at a time.
– All students are to bring their own water bottle as the use of water fountains will not be encouraged. 
– Any visitors to the school must be fully vaccinated, scan in and wear a mask.
– There will be no Breakfast Club or School Lunches available this term.
– School fruit will still be provided.
 

Normal school hours will be maintained: 8.45am – 2.50pm daily. All students who are returning to school are expected to be in full school uniform. Returning students must bring with them their school device to enable them to continue with online learning as well as in-class learning.

We understand these are extraordinary circumstances but we hope to make the transition back to school as easy as possible for everyone. We appreciate your continuing support and if you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours in Christ

Bruce Young

Return to school survey

Kia ora koutou.

Due to the recent government announcement regarding access to primary schools next week, we are seeking feedback on your intention to send your child/ren back to school. Your feedback will guide us in ensuring we are keeping our students and our school community as safe as possible.

We would appreciate one parent/caregiver from each family completing this survey before 10am Friday 12 November 2021.

Following this, we will continue to keep you informed of the arrangements Holy Cross will have in place to ensure the ongoing learning needs of our students are being met.   

Return to school survey

Return of Netball Uniforms

Kia ora Parents and Caregivers, 

If your daughter played netball for the school this year, the office will be open today to return netball dresses between 9.00 am and 2.30 pm. The quick return of dresses would be greatly appreciated. 

Many thanks. 

New Booklet for Year 0-2 students

Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

There is a new booklet ready for collection in the school office for Year 0, 1 and 2 students.

The school office will be open for collection Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 9.00 am – 2.30 pm.

Thank you for your continued support.

Raffle Results

The following numbers are the winners for the school raffle this year!
1st- 1724
2nd- 2524
3rd- 1925
Well done and thank you for the great support!