14th November 2024
Principal News
A Prayer for Peace
For those who are fleeing: sanctuary
For those who are staying: safety
For those who are fighting: peace
For those whose hearts are breaking: comfort
For those who see no future: hope
Poor Clares Galway
Dear Parents/Carers,
We certainly have so many things to celebrate at Holy Spirit Infants these past weeks as our students have had opportunities to "shine".
Year 1 Sharing assembly in the hall where they showcased some of their great learning! Well done!
The Celebrate! Choirs at the Civic event where our new choir performed on the stage at the Civic Theatre with great enthusiasm. I was told we were the crowd favourite and as the Principal I was again so very proud! Our sincere thanks to Mrs Matthews and Mrs Barrass for initiating a school choir once more. To the choir who gave up their time to practice and to their parents who were so supportive of driving the children to and from the evening performance! They certainly shone on the night!
Oz League gala day - this week our Year 2's and some Year 1 students represented our school in teams at the NRL Oz League gala day held at Greta this week. We are so proud of the students for their sportsmanship; their efforts and for doing their best - all whilst having fun! Our staff were proud of the teams! The gala day is not a competition as such, but an opportunity for younger children to explore new skills needed for this very fast sport. Thank you to all the parents for your support and encouragement on the day and to our Year 1 superstars who were a "late call up" and yet, they played with terrific enthusiasm! Well done!
Today our Year 2's "Stepped Up" and experienced their first transition visit to Holy Spirit Kurri school. The school was bustling with excitement and nervousness too. The Year 2 students were met by our Infants staff and the new teachers at Kurri. They were placed in a Buddy group of very supportive Year 5 students, and they undertook a tour of the primary School. They even had time to try out some of the sport and climbing equipment. Nerves and worries quickly subsided as new friendships were launched, and the older students were very caring and kind. The time went so quickly! It was great to see so many familiar faces! I did hear one of our students' say, " I've never seen so many big kids!" Our thanks to Kurri staff for making today such a smooth transition. Next week we will welcome the Year 3 teachers to Abermain where they will spend time in our Year 2 classrooms and get to know the students in their home environment.
Friday 15th is the Kinder Sharing Assembly in the hall and Kinder families are welcome at 2.15pm. We are also wearing Blue for National Diabetes Awareness! Bring a gold coin and some silver for the guessing competition. It is an Out of Uniform day! Diabetes Type 1 can affect anyone, and Diabetes type 2 is becoming more frequent in diagnosis every year.
Classroom Upgrade:
Currently our Kinder classrooms are having an upgrade with the Autex on the walls and painting of the walls this week. My thanks to both kinder teachers and the children for their "flexibility" as they have had to move to a different space this week. Next week it will be Year 1's turn to have their rooms upgraded. Year 1W recently had new carpet laid and over coming weeks, we will have new carpet laid in the school hall. We are grateful to the CSO and the Diocese for these upgrades to our classrooms as we want to provide the very best learning spaces for our students.
Reminder about Manners:
Parents/carers are asked to please remind your child to use their very best manners at school when in their classroom; at the office; at the canteen or on the playground. Recently we have had instances of students not speaking as politely as we expect at Holy Spirit, and with parents reminding their child as well, we should see a positive change.
Uniform Survey Outcomes:
Thank you to the parents who did provide us with some feedback via the quick survey about the additions to the uniform K-6 across Holy Spirit Schools.
Kinder 2025 Transition 4:
Families of Kinder 2025 will come along next Tuesday, 19th Nov to attend the final transition visit. Once the children have their name badge on and are settled, we ask parents to visit the tables where we have School Bags ready for you to collect (and we will review the contents when we meet in the library). We will gather in the library at 10am where parents can grab a cup of tea/coffee and then I will share some information with new families. Fr James Lunn our Parish priest will attend as well as other guests. Mrs Seamer will have library bags and hats available, and we have the rep from Flanagan's on site as well. The children will meet their Buddy for 2025 on this day as well. if your child needs an additional visit as you believe it may benefit them, please speak to one of our teachers and we will be in touch with you to arrange a date and time.
Labelling Belongings:
A gentle reminder parents to please label your child's belongings. At this time of the year, labels wear off and items can be lost or misplaced, so your help with this is appreciated.
Assessment/Reporting:
Our teachers are currently reviewing assessment data for their students and also assessing students for various skills. This means that your child's attendance at school every day really matters as we need to be able to gather data to see the growth your child has made. A formal report will be shared with parents via Compass on 11th December. As this is the Semester Two report, parents are able to meet with your child's teacher either prior to the report or immediately after it. These bookings can be made via email to your child's teacher and will take place in Week 10.
We are so blessed to have such a great community!
God bless everyone,
Diane
Principal
Assistant Principal News
Everyday Counts in Your Child's Education
The impact of missed school days, even in small increments, can accumulate quickly and have a significant effect on a child’s education. Missing just 10 minutes a day due to lateness or early departure may seem insignificant, but over time, those lost minutes add up. Here's how it breaks down:
- 10 minutes a day (whether late or leaving early) results in 50 minutes lost per week.
- Over the course of a year, this totals to 1 ½ weeks of school missed.
- Cumulatively, over several years, it can amount to ½ a year of schooling lost.
That’s why it’s so important to make every school day count. Consistent attendance helps children stay on track, build good learning habits, and achieve better academic outcomes. Whether it's arriving on time or staying for the full day, every minute in class plays a crucial role in a child's educational development.
Positive Behaviour for Learning
Congratulations to our “I wait my turn” PB4L winning class from weeks 3 and 4, 2W!
During the next two weeks of this term our PB4L focus is from the domain, I am Respectful:
“I care for the school environment.”
Caring for our school environment is a shared responsibility, and it's important that every student contributes to keeping both indoor and outdoor spaces clean and well-maintained. Whether it's looking after classroom supplies or helping to keep the playground tidy, every action counts!
To encourage this positive behaviour, teachers will be keeping an eye out for students who show exceptional care for the school environment. These students will be rewarded with orange tokens or even a special PB4L merit award. At the end of each fortnight, the class with the most orange tokens will win a special treat—a delicious ice block to celebrate their efforts!
Let’s all work together to create a school environment that we can be proud of—by caring for our equipment, keeping our spaces tidy, and helping each other along the way!
Rebecca Kearns
Assistant Principal
Sharing Our Faith
Remembrance Day
On Monday our Year 2 students led a thoughtful Remembrance Day prayer for the staff and students at Holy Spirit. They honored those who served with moving words and actions. It was a special time to remember and give thanks.
Term 4 Family Mass
Our Term 4 Family Mass will be on Sunday 24th November at 4:30pm, The Feast of Christ the King. Students are invited to come dressed in royal colours for this mass in gold, red or purple.
There will be opportunities for students to participate in the mass through music, readings or offertory.
Please RSVP to the office and inform us your child would like to do a special job.
All are welcome!
St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal
Christmas is a time for hope and joy. During Term 4 our focus will be to support St Vincent De Paul and their Christmas Appeal. Over the term we will be collecting non-perishable food items that can be donated to families who are struggling in our local area.
Please see a list below of items each grade is collecting. We thank you in advance for your support.
Vineyards Parish Mass Times
Pastoral Care Connect
Tuesday 5th November Our Choir performed at the “Celebrate Choirs at The Civic”co-ordinated by aspire.
We Travelled to Newcastle by bus on the day for a rehearsal whilst having a chance to see and listen to other choirs perform. A quick play and lunch in the beautiful civic park then we returned to school.
In the evening the students travelled back to the Civic Theatre for the performance. Thank you so much to the parents that supported their children and attended the show…. It was very much appreciated.
As you can imagine seeing our children shine on the big stage of the Civic Theatre brought pure joy to all.
Our children performed to nearly a full house! The ONLY infant’s school, with the biggest bows in their hair and the youngest performers. They wowed the audience gaining multiple applause during our performance followed by Ohhhh & Aghhhhs for their cute factor.
I was so incredibly proud of the children and had tears on side of stage the whole performance. Seeing the smiles, seeing how proud they were of themselves and working as a team was something that really melted my heart.
This week Choir practice gained a lot of newcomers keen to sing and try out this whole performance thing. I love working with the children and using music to make them smile.
Thank you to Mrs Mathews for being so incredibly talented. We made a great team! The choir and I are going to miss you.
Thank you again Students & Parents, I’m looking forward to more performances and continuing growing our choir.
Lunchtime Tuesdays - See you there!
Amanda Barrass
Office News
Please be advised that your fee statements have been emailed at the start of the month, if you have not received your fee statement or have any concerns please contact the office.
Thank you to those families who have already met their school fee obligations for 2024 and those who continue to make payments toward the annual fee account.
Fees for 2024 are to be finalised by 30th November 2024.
BPAY is the preferred method of payment. If you are having difficulty meeting your school fee commitment, please reach out to the office.
Thank you Bonney
World Diabetes Day
This Friday, we are excited to promote World Diabetes Day and raise awareness about the importance of Diabetes and Well-being. The theme for 2024-2026 focuses on three key aspects of well-being: physical, societal, and mental. We want to help spread the word and support the International Diabetes Federation's call to put well-being at the heart of diabetes care.
How can students get involved on Friday 15th November?
- Dress in Blue: Students are invited to come out of uniform and wear something blue to show their support for this important cause.
- Gold Coin Donation: Please bring a gold coin donation to support Diabetes Australia in their efforts to fight diabetes and promote health and well-being.
- Lolly Guessing Competition: Participate in the fun 20c lolly guessing competition during the day! Students will need some spare change to join in the fun and have a chance to win a sweet prize.
All donations will go to Diabetes Australia to help fund research and support people affected by diabetes. Let’s come together as a school to show our support and raise awareness for diabetes care! For more information, visit the World Diabetes Day website: [World Diabetes Day Website] (https://worlddiabetesday.org/)
We look forward to seeing everyone in blue and helping make a difference this World Diabetes Day!
Rebecca Kearns
Assistant Principal
Wellbeing Week
Asthma Care
Summer fun, asthma care
Summer holidays are a great time to relax and have fun. We know you want your child to have a happy, healthy start to their next school year! Looking after your child's asthma over the holidays can mean less time off school when kids return in the new year, and less time off work for you.
Here are some tips:
Keep using your child’s preventer medicine as directed over the summer holidays. Check your child’s medicines and puffers to make sure they’re still in date.
If you’re leaving the house or going away, make sure you pack your child’s asthma medicine(s) and their spacer.
Before the new school year starts, make a booking with the doctor to check your child's Asthma Action Plan. You'll need this for Term 1, 2025. Book in early as doctors can have limited appointments over the Christmas period.
Use helpful resources: Asthma Australia has a checklist that can help you prepare for school
NRL League Tag Gala Day
It is with great pleasure that we share the remarkable achievements of our talented Year 1 and 2 students who were recently involved in the NRL Tag Gala Day hosted at Greta.
The event served as a platform for these young athletes to showcase their exceptional running and passing skills, resulting in an impressive tally of tries scored that left spectators in awe.
What truly set our students apart, however, was not just their athletic prowess but also their commendable display of exemplary behavior and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the entire event. Their commitment to fair play and respect for fellow participants reflected the values we strive to instill in our students.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the parents who generously offered their time and support by transporting their children to the event and cheering them on from the sidelines. Your involvement is a testament to the strong sense of community that defines our school.
A special acknowledgment goes to the dedicated team of educators—Mr. Fogarty, Mrs. Shakespeare, Mrs. Cussen, Mr. Flynn and Mrs. Kreutzer and Mrs. Thompson—who played a pivotal role in organizing and guiding our students with meticulous attention to detail. Their unwavering commitment to ensuring a seamless and enriching experience for our young athletes deserves commendation.
Mr Flynn
Canteen News
Awards
Class Awards Week 3
Principal/PB4L/Fruit of the Spirit Awards Term 4 Week 4
Dates for Your Diary
Community News
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From Shame to Strength: A Community Conversation to Empower
An invitation to participate in an essential event that aims to empower individuals and foster meaningful conversations around the critical issue of coercive control and domestic violence. Jas Rawlinson, a best-selling author and renowned advocate for survivors of domestic violence will be giving a FREE keynote address at Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC).
Title: From Shame to Strength: A Community Conversation to Empower
Date: Wednesday, 27 November | Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC), 198 Vincent Street Cessnock
To ensure that you secure your spot for this invaluable event, bookings are essential. Please reserve your place by clicking here or by contacting the Cessnock Library on 4993 4399 or Kurri Kurri Library on 4937 1638.