As the 2025 academic year winds down at De La Salle Holy Cross College (DLSHCC) Junior School, head of school Dr Marisa Di Terlizzi reflects on a year marked not only by visible achievements, but by what she calls the quiet, daily triumphs that shaped pupils and staff alike.

In a year where the broader world continues to race ahead, Di Terlizzi says the school chose a different rhythm – one centred on childhood, faith, and human-centred values. “We have focused on celebrating childhood in a society where human-centric skills are becoming scarce.” She credited her staff for helping the school balance innovation with firm values and a strong academic foundation.

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That balance, she says, has paid off. Pupils excelled across mathematical and literacy programmes, while outreach, cultural engagement, and environmental awareness were strengthened. Learners took these lessons outward too – campaigning for kindness, stepping onto the stage for the Bee Musical, and sharing the Christmas story in the Knock, Knock nativity play.

The school community also gathered for major events that have become signature moments on the DLSHCC calendar: the lively Pinocchio Pantomime, the Festival of Colour and Light, and the Highland Gathering. One pupil’s simple proclamation – “God is in charge of our school,” – struck Di Terlizzi as a reminder of the institution’s identity and mission.

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As families prepare for Christmas, she says this year has reaffirmed a central lesson: To keep God at the heart of all things. Her challenge to pupils during Advent has been a practical one – to commit to daily acts of kindness in the spirit of the school’s founders, reinforcing Christmas as a season of giving.

Her message for the festive season draws from scripture. A call for the DLSHCC community, and all South Africans to “clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). In a country still in search of hope and healing, she says: “Let’s make South Africa a kinder place.”

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