What a busy month for Holy Cross Primary Glenwood!
This month we fare-welled our beloved Parish Priest, Father John. The school community also celebrated Grandparents Day, hosted a sausage sizzle and enjoyed a hilarious Crazy Hair day and Jersey Day. Some very inspired students crafted 1000 paper cranes, while Kindy and Year 4 learned all about Science and Physics!
Grandparents Day
To acknowledge the special role that grandparents play in our lives we invited all students to come to school dressed as a grandparent! The love and respect that our students have for their grandparents was extremely evident today and we say a huge thank you to all grandparents in our community for everything you do to support your children and grandchildren.
Farewell to Father John
Sadly this week students and staff said farewell to our beloved Parish Priest Fr John. The students joined Fr John in a liturgy via Zoom before joining him under the COLA for a spread out guard of honour and some brief farewell messages. We sincerely thank Fr John for the way he has led our community over the past six years.
We are grateful for everything Father John has done for both this school and each and every student. He has helped us along our spiritual journey and has guided us with his wisdom and ever-expanding sense of humour. Father John has strengthened our faith and taught us how to truly be like Jesus by showing us through his example of compassion and love.
When Father John came to our parish all the way back in 2014, he gave us an example of how to live a prosperous life as a follower of Jesus. He enlightened us through his homilies and taught us to always believe and love everyone unconditionally. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Father John has strongly encouraged us to do this and has motivated us to go out and spread Jesus’ teachings throughout our school community and to our neighbours. His teachings have changed our perspective and the way we interpret mass in a fun, humorous but yet reverent and respectful way.
Father John is an extraordinary priest because of his selflessness, caring personality, optimistic point of view and his undeniable sense of humour. Father John will be greatly missed but never ever forgotten at Holy Cross.
His knowledge and guidance for our staff and students during this time has been exceptional. We wish him the absolute best in his new appointment in Katoomba.
National Science Week
The 15th of August marked the start of National Science Week, the theme this year being innovation for the future of our oceans. To mark this occasion, Year 4 spent the last few days researching all about living and non living things within our oceans, with a particular focus on water pollution. They then designed their own underwater exhibits to showcase their understanding. Well Done year 4!
Fizzics Workshop
A big thanks to Mr Newsome and Fizzics Education for leading our Kindergarten students through Science workshops, exploring all about Forces!
Fizzics Education is one of Australia's leading science outreach providers of interactive science workshops and shows. They have been inspiring students to become passionate junior scientists since 2004
Every Friday is "Friday Fun!"
At Holy Cross we make learning fun for students, not only in the class but in every area of school life. Every Friday we up the fun factor even more with a range of crazy weekly activities that the students really enjoy.
Sausage Sizzle Friday!
Every Friday is "Friday Fun!". This week we held a sausage sizzle, which always proves very popular with the students. We cooked over 600 sausages for our school community!
Crazy Hair Day
On Friday the 4th of September students were encouraged to come to school with crazy hair styles for the day.
Jersey Day
The previous week all students were encouraged to wear their favourite sports team Jersey or colors to school.
Paper Cranes
Inspired by the book ‘Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes’ our students have created over 1000 paper cranes, each containing their hopes and prayers for the future. These symbols of peace and harmony now fill our Art room with pride.
Holy Cross Primary Glenwood
www.hcglenwood.catholic.edu.au
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16 Oct 2026
From Facebook
✨ Year 6 Reflection Day ✨ Our Year 6 students gathered for a deeply special and meaningful Reflection Day, stepping away from the daily rush to pause, pray, and connect. The day began with a beautiful liturgy that set a peaceful tone. Throughout the experience, our students were remarkably calm, reflective, and fully engaged. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to step back, focus, and leave tomorrow's worries in God’s hands. As our Year 6 cohort prepares for the next step in their journey, this day allowed them to cherish their memories, celebrate their classmates, and look to the future with confidence. They are walking forward together, knowing that God is with them always. 🙏 A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated teachers who prepared and led this wonderful experience for our students. Your care, thoughtful planning, and guidance made this day so meaningful for everyone involved! ❤️16 Oct 2026
From Facebook
⚽ Catholic Mission Socktober! ⚽ This October, our school is supporting Catholic Mission Socktober as part of Mission Month. Our students are learning about the importance of helping others access basic needs such as food, clean water, healthcare and education, so everyone has the opportunity to live a full and dignified life. This year’s focus country is Malawi, Africa. Through learning, fundraising and putting our faith into action, we can help make the world a more just and caring place. Families are invited to support this important mission by donating here: https://www.socktober.org.au/fundraisers/HolyCrossPrimarySchoolGlenwood or scanning the QR code provided.
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16 Oct 2026
From Facebook
✨ Year 6 Reflection Day ✨ Our Year 6 students gathered for a deeply special and meaningful Reflection Day, stepping away from the daily rush to pause, pray, and connect. The day began with a beautiful liturgy that set a peaceful tone. Throughout the experience, our students were remarkably calm, reflective, and fully engaged. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to step back, focus, and leave tomorrow's worries in God’s hands. As our Year 6 cohort prepares for the next step in their journey, this day allowed them to cherish their memories, celebrate their classmates, and look to the future with confidence. They are walking forward together, knowing that God is with them always. 🙏 A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated teachers who prepared and led this wonderful experience for our students. Your care, thoughtful planning, and guidance made this day so meaningful for everyone involved! ❤️
16 Oct 2026
From Facebook
⚽ Catholic Mission Socktober! ⚽ This October, our school is supporting Catholic Mission Socktober as part of Mission Month. Our students are learning about the importance of helping others access basic needs such as food, clean water, healthcare and education, so everyone has the opportunity to live a full and dignified life. This year’s focus country is Malawi, Africa. Through learning, fundraising and putting our faith into action, we can help make the world a more just and caring place. Families are invited to support this important mission by donating here: https://www.socktober.org.au/fundraisers/HolyCrossPrimarySchoolGlenwood or scanning the QR code provided.
28 Sep 2026
Celebrating 40 years of Voice of Youth and the power of student voice
Six Year 6 students from 58 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Primary schools came together at St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens on 22 September for the Voice of Youth Grand Final, showcasing their public speaking skills through a series of thoughtful and engaging speeches.
18 Sep 2026
From Facebook
💧🌏 Season of Creation 2026 at Holy Cross 🌿 Our school community has been celebrating the Season of Creation through prayer, learning and action. We began with classroom liturgies for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, followed by Faith in Action activities led by our iHelp students, including Creation Scavenger Hunts and Earthcare Eco Expo, where students explored ways to reduce waste. Our Year 6 iHelp students led Creation Prayer Time with their Kindergarten buddies, while our Year 3 students put their learning about showing mercy to God’s creation into action by picking up rubbish during recess and collecting containers for Return and Earn. As a whole school, we have also recommitted to using our Return and Earn baskets to help reduce waste and care for our common home. ♻️ Together, we are putting our faith into action and caring for common home. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese #faithinactioncspd
15 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Today, we celebrated our school Feast Day! ✝️✨ While the official Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross falls on September 14th, our school community gathered together today to celebrate our unique identity, founded on the Cross. We shared in the Eucharist and remembered Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for us—a constant reminder of His call for us to “Live Life to the Full.” After Mass, Father Jolly blessed our beautiful new foyer cross! ✝️✨ More than a piece of art, this cross powerfully reflects our Catholic faith and our Holy Cross identity. The Tree at the Centre: Jesus is the trunk, deeply rooted in our faith. We are the branches, called to grow and share his message with the world. The Surrounding Cross: A daily reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s enduring love, and the hope of new life. We want to thank two High Schools from our Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese: St John 23rd for supporting us with our band and choir during Mass, and CathWest, who graciously made our cross. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
04 Sep 2026
From Facebook
What a wonderful morning celebrating all the incredible fathers, grandfathers, and father figures in our school community! 💙✨ Here is a look at how we spent our Father’s Day celebration today: Father's Day Breakfast: We kicked off the morning with an early Father's Day breakfast. Father's Day Liturgy: We came together in prayer, reflecting on the love, guidance, and strength our dads provide every day. Special Student Presentations: Each grade took to the stage to share what they love most about their dads. Classroom Activities: Dads joined the kids in the classrooms for fun collaborative games and some friendly competition. Picnic Lunch: We wrapped up the celebrations enjoying lunch together in the sunshine. Thank you to all the father figures who joined us and made today so memorable, and to our staff and parent volunteers who helped bring it all together. Happy Father's Day to all our amazing dads this weekend! Check out some of our favourite moments from the day below 👇📸
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
A few more shots of the Book Week fun at Holy Cross today 💜💚 The students had a great time dressing up, and thoroughly enjoyed the visit by renowned author Tim Harris ✍️
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
This morning we held our annual Book Week Book Parade and it was another exciting event for our community! 💜💚 The students had a great time singing and dancing as they paraded their costumes for everyone to see. Well done to everyone for getting involved and making it so much fun! Big thanks to Mrs Morris and Mrs Calabritta who did an awesome job of hosting the event!
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Celebrating 40 years of Catholic education in our Diocese! 🎒✨ On Wednesday, our student representatives attended the annual Education Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta. This special Mass brought together students, staff and parents from across the Diocese of Parramatta to celebrate their vital role in the mission of the Church. Adding to the joy, this year's service coincided with the 40th Anniversary of the Diocese of Parramatta, marking four decades of rich history, learning, and community across our Catholic school system. We are so proud of our student leaders for representing our school at such a meaningful event!
28 Aug 2026
Our schools are cracking the reading code
Do you remember how you learned to read? For a vital skill that is linked to all other learning, it’s surprisingly difficult to explain how to go about learning it.
21 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Thank you to our Year 2 students who shared their learning with us this afternoon! 💜💚
20 Aug 2026
Six Habits That Help Children Develop a Love of Reading
Book Week is a celebration of stories, imagination and creativity, but helping children love reading isn't just something that happens during one week of the year. The good news? It doesn't take expensive resources or hours of extra time. Often, it's the small, everyday habits that make the biggest difference.
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