There was a true sense of joy in the air when Holy Family Primary, East Granville celebrated its 80th anniversary on the same day as St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was remembered for establishing the first Catholic school in Australia.
The celebrations began with an inspiring Mass and included a special blessing of a new learning space at the school.
Diocese of Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD reflected on some of the famous sayings of St Mary MacKillop including “never see a need without doing something about it”, “we are but travellers here” and “find happiness in making others happy.”
He said St Mary MacKillop saw a need to serve the poor and from that she founded the first Catholic school in rural Penola in South Australia and so Catholic education was born.
Australia’s Catholic education story includes the establishment in 1938 of Holy Family Primary East Granville Trongate Hall, newly purchased by Fr Halpin.
Holy Family’s Principal Yvette Baird said Fr Halpin asked the Sisters of St Joseph to look after the new school, and they did so for 50 years before the first lay principal Carmel Cannon took over the reigns.
Other past principals include Bernard Holland, Kevin Etherington and Sue Guilfoyle.
“However a school would be just bricks and mortar without one essential and valuable asset: the children who walk through the gates each morning with a smile on their face ready to live, love and learn,” Mrs Baird said.
“This has been our school motto - to live with hope, to love in hope and to learn for the hope of our world.”
In the spirit of the occasion Mrs Baird, along with her wonderful team of teachers, took to the church podium to add a splash of colour, music and song.
Following the Mass, Bishop Vincent blessed the school’s new learning space with the assistance of Holy Family Parish Priest Fr Andrew Bass.
Mrs Baird said she is very grateful of the new learning space which has already provided new possibilities and opportunities to cater for the learning needs of all the students.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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24 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Reward Day Fun! ๐ Today, our students enjoyed some well-earned rewards for consistently demonstrating our school expectations! ๐ ๐ Year 1 brightened the school by dressing in their favourite colours ๐ ๐ฐ Year 2 brought the magic to life, dressing as their favourite Disney characters โจ๐ ๐งธ Year 5 enjoyed a mufti day and brought along their favourite toys to share with friends ๐ฎ๐๐งฉ We are so proud of the way these students have shown respect, responsibility, and positive behaviour throughout the term. Rewards like these are earned through hard work and consistently making great choices every day! ๐โญ What a fantastic day of fun, colour, creativity, and celebration! ๐
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
A huge thank you to our wonderful Community Links Cafรฉ Club members for joining us this week! It was fantastic to come together, share a coffee, and hear about the learning taking place across our school. Families had the opportunity to participate in a Learning Walk, visiting classrooms and seeing firsthand the engaging learning experiences our students are involved in every day. The positive outcomes for student learning that have emerged from these initiatives were a highlight of our discussions, and it was wonderful to celebrate the growth, achievement, and enthusiasm of our learners. We are incredibly grateful to the parents who generously gave their time to support and engage with our school community. Your interest, feedback, and partnership play an important role in helping us create the best possible learning environment for our students. Thank you for being such valued members of our Holy Family community. We look forward to welcoming you again soon! โโจ
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24 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Reward Day Fun! ๐ Today, our students enjoyed some well-earned rewards for consistently demonstrating our school expectations! ๐ ๐ Year 1 brightened the school by dressing in their favourite colours ๐ ๐ฐ Year 2 brought the magic to life, dressing as their favourite Disney characters โจ๐ ๐งธ Year 5 enjoyed a mufti day and brought along their favourite toys to share with friends ๐ฎ๐๐งฉ We are so proud of the way these students have shown respect, responsibility, and positive behaviour throughout the term. Rewards like these are earned through hard work and consistently making great choices every day! ๐โญ What a fantastic day of fun, colour, creativity, and celebration! ๐
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
A huge thank you to our wonderful Community Links Cafรฉ Club members for joining us this week! It was fantastic to come together, share a coffee, and hear about the learning taking place across our school. Families had the opportunity to participate in a Learning Walk, visiting classrooms and seeing firsthand the engaging learning experiences our students are involved in every day. The positive outcomes for student learning that have emerged from these initiatives were a highlight of our discussions, and it was wonderful to celebrate the growth, achievement, and enthusiasm of our learners. We are incredibly grateful to the parents who generously gave their time to support and engage with our school community. Your interest, feedback, and partnership play an important role in helping us create the best possible learning environment for our students. Thank you for being such valued members of our Holy Family community. We look forward to welcoming you again soon! โโจ
23 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โป๏ธ Our Year 6 students stepped up as Climate Champions, investigating important environmental issues and creating informative posters about climate change! ๐ฑ๐ They explored the causes and effects of climate change and designed engaging, eye-catching posters to educate others about simple ways we can all help care for our planet. ๐๐ Through this project, students strengthened their research, critical thinking, and communication skills while encouraging our school community to take positive action for a brighter, more sustainable future. ๐ฟโจ๐ #ClimateChampions #FutureLeaders #MakingADifference
22 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Four of our Year 6 students took part in a Vinnies Encounter Day, learning about homelessness and reflecting on how we can see Christ in the poor. Through this experience, they were challenged to respond with compassion, kindness and respect, following Jesus' example of love in action.
19 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ง Splashing into learning! Year 1 explored volume and capacity through hands-on investigations with water. Students estimated and measured how many cups of water different containers could hold, recording their findings and sharing their discoveries. It was a fun and engaging way to develop mathematical thinking and measurement skills.
17 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Who knew pyjamas could be so powerful? ๐โ๏ธ Today our students came to school dressed in their comfiest pyjamas, oodies and dressing gowns to support the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Together, we raised an amazing $452 and helped raise awareness for those doing it tough this winter. By following Jesus' example of compassion, kindness and love in action, we are helping bring hope and support to those who need it most. Thank you to our students, families and staff for your generosity. ๐ #faithinactioncspd
16 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 3 had an unforgettable Science excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park! ๐๐ ๐ As part of our learning about caring for the environment and habitats of living things, students explored how animals survive, what they need to live, and ways we can help protect endangered species. From feeding wallabies and meeting meerkats to feeling pythons up close, it was a hands-on learning experience filled with excitement, curiosity and discovery! ๐ก๐ง ๐ง
12 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ Students of the Week ๐ What a fantastic group of achievers! ๐โจ This week we celebrated our talented poets ๐, brilliant mathematicians ๐ข and enthusiastic readers ๐. These students have demonstrated hard work, determination and a commitment to learning, making us incredibly proud. Congratulations on your achievements and for being shining examples in our school community! โญ๏ธ๐ Keep up the amazing work! ๐
10 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐จ Missing: Year 4! ๐จ Today, Year 4 seemed to disappear and in their place were teachers, sports stars, singers, workmen, scientists, make-up artists and surgeons! ๐ฉโ๐ซโฝ๐ค๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฉบ As a reward for consistently following our school expectations, Year 4 dressed up as who or what they wanted to be when they are older. ๐ It was wonderful to see our students dreaming big and proudly sharing what they hope to become in the future. The future is looking bright! Congratulations Year 4! Keep up the great work!
10 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Mark your calendars as Holy Family comes together to support the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, helping those in our community who are doing it tough this winter. ๐ Wednesday 17th June ๐ฐ Gold coin donation โ๏ธWear your cosiest PJs with your enclosed sport shoes (no UGG boots, slippers or open toe shoes) Students are invited to bring a gold coin donation as we join together in living out our faith through action and compassion, supporting the important work of St Vincent de Paul in providing care and assistance to people in need.
09 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐โโ๏ธ๐โโ๏ธ Athletics Carnival 2026 ๐ What an incredible day of energy, teamwork and school spirit! From the starting line to the finish line, our students gave their best, cheered each other on and showed outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. ๐ Whether they were running, jumping, or supporting their friends, everyone played a part in making our Athletics Carnival such a success. We are so proud of the determination, resilience and enthusiasm shown by all students. ๐๐โค๏ธ๐ A huge thank you to our staff, families and volunteers who helped make the day possible. What a fantastic celebration of participation and perseverance!
05 Jun 2026
From Facebook
๐ฑโจ Kindergarten teamed up with their wonderful Year 6 buddies to plant their very own plants! ๐งโ๐คโ๐ง๐ As part of their learning about plants as living things, our Kindergarten students have been exploring what plants need to grow and survive. ๐ฟโ๏ธ๐ง After researching and discovering all about plant life, it was time to put their knowledge into action! We canโt wait to watch our plants grow and flourish over the coming weeks! ๐ฑ๐ผ๐
04 Jun 2026
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03 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Year 2 have been busy exploring the observable changes that occur in the sky and on the land through a range of exciting hands-on Science investigations this term ๐ ๐ญ๐ฅผ๐ฉโ๐ฌ๐จโ๐ฌ Students investigated the movement and position of the Sun throughout the day and explored how it impacts the weather, temperature and our environment. ๐โ๏ธ๐ก๏ธ Using their knowledge of the seasons and weather patterns, students worked as young scientists to collect daily weather data, identifying changes and patterns in the sky and discussing how seasonal changes affect our daily lives and living things ๐๐ค๏ธ๐ง๏ธ We are so proud of the curiosity, teamwork and enthusiasm Year 2 have shown throughout their learning in Science this term! ๐
03 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Kindergarten brought a burst of colour to our day! ๐จโจ Our little superstars had so much fun celebrating their reward by coming dressed in their favourite colour! From bright and bold to cool and calm, it was wonderful to see so much colour, excitement and smiling faces around our school ๐๐โค๏ธ๐๐ What a fun filled day of colour, laughter and happiness! ๐๐