25th February 2022

Principals News

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This coming week we will begin the Season of Lent in the Catholic Church. Lent is the period of the 40 days before Easter in the Christian calendar. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Catholics replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. The three main themes of Lent are Prayer, Giving and Fasting. At this time when the world is feeling anxious and worried, praying to God for peace is something we can all do. 

At school we will begin to mark the Season of Lent with Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday 1st March. The teachers are providing piklets for the students to enjoy as Shrove Tuesday was traditionally the day when Catholics would use up their ingredients like eggs, milk and sugar and create a feast of pikelets or pancakes. If your child has an allergy to pikelets- please contact your child's teacher via email before Tuesday. The feast was enjoyed by families as they then prepared as a family for a more subdued time of prayer, giving and fasting (or going without). We will spend time reflecting through prayer in the classrooms on Ash Wednesday 2nd March and will not share ashes again this year. We will share with the children the symbolism of the ashes and ways to help others during Lent. Each class will be learning about Lent in their Religious Education lessons. If parents would like to learn more about Lent, and ways to share prayer at home, please reach out to either myself or your child's teacher as we are very happy to support you in the faith development of your child/children. 

Let us all make it a focus to pray for peace on Ash Wednesday. 

Covid-19 Update

As you are aware from our Compass regulations about students testing positive for Covid-19, the difficult decision was made for Year 2 classes to move to Home Learning for Friday 25th February and Monday 28th February when we will reassess the situation. The date for Year 2 to resume to face to face learning will be shared Monday afternoon. I was unable to notify parents any earlier than I did on Thursday as this decision must come from the CSO Health and Wellness Team and the Assistant Director, based on our case numbers. Please continue to monitor your child for symptoms - a headache, stomach ache and a temperature have been the main symptoms experienced by our students. Each child has been allocated more Rapid Antigen Tests and if a parent/carer of a Year 2 child has not yet collected the tests, please contact school urgently as we need Year 2 to be tested Monday and again on Tuesday please. 

There have been changes to restrictions in the media however at our school with the current situation I highly recommend that the use of regular Rapid Antigen Testing continue next week. That is Monday 28th Feb and Wednesday 2nd March: Kinder and Yr 1 take a Rapid Antigen Test

Monday 28th February and Tuesday 1st March: Yr 2 take a further Rapid Antigen Test please. All staff will test Monday and Wednesday as well and will continue to wear masks on site. We ask parents to remain outside at the stage please. We will reassess on Friday 4th March and keep you notified if we can make any changes to these safety practices. 

A reminder that if your child tests positive you must notify the school and NSW Health. It helps us a great deal to keep track of the spread of the virus. 

Extra cleaning is taking place across the school and we have kept the students in their cohorts which has helped to minimise the spread.  Our thoughts are with those students who are unwell and we wish you a full recovery. 

Opening School Liturgy 

We have postponed the Opening School Liturgy due to our Year 2 classes undertaking Home Learning for the next couple of days. We will communicate a new date as soon as we can. 

School Fees Billing Changes from 2022

Our school is now migrating over to the new financial package of Tech One. This change has prompted changes to our current billing system. You will find on your new fee statement that there is a Tuition Fee (Set by the diocese); Building Levy (Set by the diocese), a Maintenance Fee (per eldest child) and a Resource Fee. This Resource fee incorporates all Incursions and Excursions, technology fees to keep our students able to access the best technologies. Maintenance levy is also part of the resource fee.

School Fee statements will be issued shortly and as always, you are encouraged to either set up a BPAY or Direct Debit arrangement that enables a regular payment to avoid a large bill at the end of the year, in intervals that suit you.  If you prefer to make larger payments each term or for the entire year, you are most welcome to do so. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to meet with me in March so that we can make a Fee Payment Agreement that is manageable for you. As the Principal, any Fee Payment agreements are made with me privately. School fees are a part of our Catholic Education System and if every family contributes, we can continue to provide the many services that your children currently enjoy. Thank you to all our families who honour this financial commitment. 

Meet The Teacher Survey 

With new staff at Holy Spirit Infants, it's important to us that we hold some sort of Meet the Teacher event. Our new staff are keen to meet you all! Currently this cannot proceed face to face and a Survey has been shared on Compass to gauge what would work best for parents at this point in time. We are seeking your feedback please so that we know how best to move forward. The survey closes Monday 28th Feb and thanks to those who have already completed it. It takes approximately 30 seconds. If you haven't yet shared your preferences, please go to the Compass alert and complete the survey for us. Thank you in advance. 

Staffing Update

Next term Mrs Edwards will take maternity leave for the remainder of the year as she and her husband excitedly await the arrival of their first child. We warmly congratulate Mrs Edwards and thank her for her wonderful contributions to our school. She has ensured that our Kinder students have once again settled so confidently into the new school routines of Kindergarten. Mrs Edwards' replacement is being sought now in preparation for the start of Term 2 and I look forward to sharing that news with our community. Our best wishes are with you Mrs Edwards. 

Administration Building Refurbishment

The administration refurbishment is almost complete and we are on the verge of moving back into the beautiful new spaces. Our office remains at the rear of the hall for now and I will share via Compass when we are in our new "digs". My sincere thanks to the staff for the manner in which they have embraced making the best of the situation whilst working in the back of the hall under at times, challenging circumstances. 

Outdoor Covered Walkway and Learning Space 

If you've driven past the school, you may have noticed the steel structure that is erected and waiting for the roof; pathways and sandstone blocks to be added. The space will be a wonderful shaded outdoor learning space for all classes to enjoy - the rain is hampering progress as is the long wait time for the supply of building materials. Fingers crossed it will be completed in the next couple of weeks. 

We also have some issues with minor flooding near the water tank on King Street side which we are currently seeking to address. 

Kiss and Ride Zone Alert

On Wednesday there was a Council Ranger on site who explained that cars who are waiting on the side of the road nearest the play equipment to turn around the corner into King Street apparently need to be waiting further back than the start of the double white lines on the road. The difficulty is there is no signage to indicate this for drivers and this has never been brought to the attention of the school in the previous 4 years. The 'No Stopping' sign (where thankfully no driver was stopped) was actually 10 metres further along toward the corner which added to the confusion. 

In order to increase safety and avoid an infringement notice, please ensure you wait on the side of the road before the start of the double white lines (with the arrows) marked on the road. The issue is the road is too narrow if our drivers are parked too close to the double white lines which "could" then cause a driver to cross to the other side of the road to get past waiting cars. I am in contact with Cessnock Council who installed the Kiss and Ride zone for our school to seek clarification and request clearer signage for this issue that has now popped up. 

I personally thank all parents and drivers who make use of the Kiss and Ride zone as it is the safest way to drop off and collect young children. Your patience as each child gets into or out of their vehicle is important. Given some children need to get into their car seat on the road side of the car, please DO NOT overtake in the Kiss and Ride zone. Thanks for keeping every child safe! 

Swimming Success

Congratulations to Travis Koshoorn who represented the All Saints Region at the Diocesan Primary Swimming Carnival on Tuesday at Lambton Pool. Our diocese is made up of six regions and this carnival was for the best swimmers in each age group and stroke from the various regional carnivals. It was a very big deal! We are very proud of Travis for having a go and giving it his very best. It was certainly a huge experience considering he was the only representative selected from our school. Well Done Travis who proudly told me on the phone that he dived in off the blocks too!

Canteen is coming! 

Thank you to the group of new volunteers who are able to assist with volunteering in the canteen. We plan to open the canteen each Friday for term one beginning Friday 4th March!!! Food able to be ordered is on the drop down menu in QKR (our online ordering system) and instructions for downloading the QKR App are found later in this newsletter. We are only offering pre-packaged foods at this time and a reduced menu. Please do not order ice blocks - these will be able to be purchased with coins. 

We still need volunteers for Term 2 so that we can open on a Monday as well as a service to our families. If you can spare three hours once a month, click on the link below and complete the online volunteer process. We are waiting for a video that all volunteers may view once they have been approved. In the interim, we will conduct an induction to the site. 

Our thanks to Natalie Radford, Ivie's mum, for her efforts to voluntarily coordinate the canteen. We will need someone to step up into this role during the year whilst Natalie is still available to mentor and guide the new person. Could this be you?  

If you can spare the time to volunteer to help in the canteen...our children will be so appreciative. Going to the canteen and buying something is a big step towards independence for any child and its fun! 

eSafety for Families

Support for Parents and Carers to help them discuss online safety with their children is available on the link below. The site includes downloadable books, information sheets offering skills and advice along with tips for managing online challenges for all ages of children.

BE SAFE BE ALERT ONLINE Download this handy directory of agencies that can help you protect your online safety and security. 
Be safe Be alert online includes information about: 
• the eSafety Commissioner
• the Australian Cyber Security Centre
• the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (Scamwatch)
• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. 

A reminder to all Parents and Carers to monitor what your child is accessing online. You tube has no filters and therefore children can easily access inappropriate and confronting material when they use it. Apps such as Tiktok, Facebook, Snapchat are not age appropriate for any child at the Infants School to be accessing no matter how persuasive a child is, we urge you to say No as these platforms are not suitable for children under the age of 13 years. 

Twosday Fun at Holy Spirit Infants 

We had fun enjoying everything about the number 2 on Twosday 22.2.22 this week! Thanks to the families able to send their child along with 2 different coloured socks; two different coloured hair ties; two pony tails; two wrist bands or a tutu. In classes the children had fun playing with the number two on their whiteboards in mathematics or when playing games in class. It was a fun day and Miss Lutze and Mrs Collingwood went all out! 

Sending blessings for our families, 
Diane Murphy

Acting Assistant Principal News

My role this semester (Term 1 and Term 2) is Acting Assistant Principal. I am also privileged to be a Year 1 teacher and Pedagogical Mentor. If at any time you wish to discuss any aspect of school life with me, my executive office day is every Tuesday which I will be available for appointments. You can arrange a time to meet via phone call to the school or alternatively my email heather.porter-kay@mn.catholic.edu.au

Our school is a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) School. PBL brings together the whole-school community to contribute to developing a positive, safe and supportive learning culture.

The framework assists schools to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for children and young people.

When PBL is implemented well, teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. Students and staff benefit from:

• reduced problem behaviour
• increased time focused on instruction
• improved social-emotional wellbeing
• positive and respectful relationships among students and staff
• support for teachers to teach, model and respond effectively to student need
• a predictable learning environment where staff and students know what is expected to deliver effective practices that can be sustained over time.

Our Positive Behaviour for learning focus for weeks 6 and 7 is ‘I wait my turn!’ This focus contributes to becoming a respectful positive learner.

Each Monday the teachers introduce the PBL at morning assembly. In class time we talk about what this focus looks like and how we can wait our turn in different situations across the school. The following Monday a class reinforces this message by role playing the PBL focus.

During weeks 4 and 5 when children were seen or heard saying please and thank you they received Gotcha’s and select children who consistently follow this PBL focus are awarded with merit certificates at school assemblies.

In line with the PBL year 1 students have been discovering Jesus, his life, his teachings and his message of fairness, care, consideration, and love for everyone. Year 1 White wish to share their ideas and thoughts about how we know Jesus and important facts about his life.

God Bless

Heather Porter-Kay

Religion News

Opening School Liturgy

Our Opening School Liturgy and Commissioning of our 2022 school leaders which was scheduled for this Friday 25^th February will be postponed to another date. We look forward to scheduling a new date to celebrate this important day in our school year. 

Welcome to Kinder Mass

Invites went out today to our Kinder families, inviting them to our Welcome to Kinder mass on Sunday 6^th March at 4:30pm. With a 3:00pm picnic on the school grounds. This is a great opportunity to come together and join the School and Parish community for mass. The Kinder students will be preparing a song to perform on the evening, and we would love to see as many of you there as possible. We welcome all families, but especially our Kinder families, to join us for this celebration.

Fruits of the Spirit

For the next two weeks we will be focusing on Self-Control. This means to be in control of what you say and do. At our morning assembly, students were able to recall times when it is important to show this Fruit of the Spirit and are encouraged to stop, pray, think and make a plan.

Try praying this short prayer at home with your child/children.

God, I love you. Thank you for giving me self-control. Help me to be in control of what I say and what I do. –Amen

I hope you all have a blessed week!

Yours in faith,

Miss Jessica Laczkowski, Religious Education Coordinator.

Celebrating All Cultures at Holy Spirit Infants

At Holy Spirit Infants, we are so fortunate to have students from a great variety of different cultural backgrounds adding to the beautiful diversity of our school.  As part of a holistic approach we aim to promote individuality and self expression amongst all of our students, by sharing stories and ideas in class. Students who learn about different cultures during their education often feel more comfortable and safe with these differences in later life.  This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in interactions with others. My job as an EAL/D teacher (English as a Second Language and Dialect) is to assist students who may speak another language at home.  Some of our very clever EAL/D students here are working very hard towards a fluent bilingual outcome, what I like to refer to as 'Beautifully Bilingual'. The English language acquisition program I implement effectively focuses on written and spoken English, using fun, game-based methods. We focus on appropriate social speech in and out of the classroom as well as instructional speech and class vocabulary.  What a pleasure it is to be a part of the Holy Spirit Infants Family.

Ms Nicolette Fredsall 

EALD Teacher 

Successful Foundation

Play continues to be a highlight of our day in Kindergarten with a castle, ice cream shop, cars, blocks and boxes to explore each morning. The Kindergarten classrooms have set up meaningful provocations all designed to engage the students and provide teachers with a pedagogy of listening and observation.

The transition to school is one of the most important transitions a child will make, and it is a process that takes time. We are observing daily confident children who demonstrate curiosity, commitment, persistence, and cooperation.

Children who engage in quality play experiences are more likely to have well- developed memory skills, language development and are able to regulate behaviour, leading to enhanced school adjustment and academic learning (Bodrova & Leong, 2005)

We are privileged at Holy Spirit Infants to have the opportunity to step back and take time to truly observe your child in play. There is literacy, numeracy, creativity, curiosity, self- regulation, co-operation, problem solving and most importantly JOY!

We play everyday to learn new things- Piper

We all agree to play nicely- Charlotte

Kinder created play agreements for all the children to follow- Vivian

Office News

School fee billing is well underway.  Credits are being applied to fees where appropriate.   Fee statements will be sent out via email in the first week of March.   BPAY is the preferred method of fee payment.

Hats, library bags, lunch wallets and school backpacks are available for purchase via EFTPOS.   Just call the school and a payment can be made over the phone and the item delivered to your child as required.

Bus Travel

Volunteering at Holy Spirit Infants

We thank you for offering to volunteer at our school.   Our canteen requires volunteers so we can resume offering this service to our school.  Please click on the link below and complete the online application.  Apparently, this only takes about 10 minutes to complete.   Once you submit the form the process should take approximately 5 business days to complete.  When you are approved you will need to be inducted at the school site.   We thank you for offering your valuable time to volunteer at our school, you are welcome and appreciated.

School Photos Monday 28th March

Master School Portraits will be onsite to take student photos on Monday 28th March.   Full summer school uniform to be worn.  More details to follow.

Awards Weeks 4 & 5

Canteen News

Great news!  Commencing 4th March we will open the canteen.  It will be operational on Fridays only for the remainder of the term.   Online ordering through the QKR app is the only way to place an order.  See the instructions below on how to download and instal the app.  On canteen day students who have ordered their lunch, need to bring their lunch wallet with their name and class on it and place it in the lunch tub.  New volunteers are encouraged to apply to assist in the canteen in order for it to open more days in term 2.   We will be limiting the food menu to include packaged items only at this point.  If you require more information about the canteen and its operation please phone Natalie Radford (volunteer canteen supervisor) on mobile 0414 312 225.   Volunteers are required to assist from 8.45 am to 12.30 pm.  

Dates for your Diary