22nd February 2024

Assistant Principal News

Dear Parents and Carers,  

As we continue into 2024, I am delighted to witness the settled and calm atmosphere within our school community. It is wonderful to see our students embracing their new learning environments with a sense of purpose and enthusiasm. 

Our kindergarten students are continuing to build meaningful relationships and settle into the rhythm of school life. I thank our dedicated teachers and staff for their commitment in nurturing these budding relationships and fostering a sense of belonging among our early learners. 

Together, we will continue to uphold the values of peace and justice that define our school community. Thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration in making our school a place where all students can flourish. 

Parent Information Evening 

Thank you to all the parents and carers who joined us for our Parent Information Night on Tuesday evening. It was fantastic to have the chance to meet with you and share insights into the exciting curriculum ahead for this year. 

For those who couldn't attend, don't worry! Your child’s teacher will be posting the PowerPoint presentation from the event on SeeSaw next week. This way, you can still stay informed about what's happening in your child's classroom this year. 

Kinder 2025 Enrolments 

Exciting news for families looking to enroll their little ones at Holy Spirit Infants Abermain! The enrollment period for Kindergarten 2025 commences on 1st March. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our vibrant school community, reach out to the school office today to receive further information and an enrollment pack. 

We're also thrilled to announce scheduled tours for prospective families in the upcoming weeks. Families who've already submitted an enrollment inquiry have been personally notified of the dates and times for guided tours of our beautiful school. Don't miss this opportunity to discover what makes Holy Spirit Infants Abermain a nurturing environment for early learners. Contact us today to begin your journey with us! 

 Holy Spirit Infants Abermain – Support Staff 

 I would like to introduce you to our wonderful, dedicated support staff.  

Our School Administration Officers are often the first point of contact for parents, students, and visitors. They handle phone calls, emails, and inquiries, providing important information and directing individuals to the appropriate staff members.  

Our Learning Support Assistants play a crucial role in our school community. They work alongside teachers to assist our students to grow both academically and socially. Whether it's providing additional support to students who need it, assisting with classroom activities, or fostering positive social interactions, our Learning Support Assistants contribute significantly to the success of our students. 

As members of the library team, our assistants work to support our Teacher Librarian, teachers and students in using our Library facilities and resources. 

I would like to introduce you our newest staff member, Amanda Barrass. Amanda is our Pastoral Care Worker for 2024. The Pastoral Care Worker works closely with teachers, students and families to support the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of our students.

Curriculum Focus – The Big Six: Building Blocks for Reading  

Research has found six important things that help children learn to read well. They're called 'The Big Six': 

1.             Oral Language: Talking and listening are super important for learning to read. When children talk and listen a lot, they learn more words and understand how language works.

 2.         Phonological Awareness: This is about understanding and playing with the sounds in words. It helps children know how words are made up of different sounds.

 3.            Phonics: Phonics is all about connecting letters with the sounds they make. It helps children read and spell words correctly.

 4.         Vocabulary: Knowing lots of words is key for reading. The more words children know, the better they can understand what they read.

 5.     Fluency: Fluency means reading smoothly and easily. When children read fluently, they can understand what they're reading without struggling over each word.

 6.       Comprehension: Comprehension is about understanding what you read. It's not just saying the words, but really getting what they mean.

How Parents Can Help with Oral Language: 

- Talk and listen to your child every day. Ask them questions and really listen to their answers. 

- Read aloud to your child every day. It helps them learn new words and how sentences work. 

- Talk about the books you read together. Ask about the characters and what they think about the story. 

By doing these things, parents can help their children become better readers and have fun learning along the way. 

Positive Behaviour for Learning   

Our PB4L focus for weeks 4 and 5 of Term 1 is part of our “I am Responsible” domain:  

"I am in the Right Place at the Right Time" 

 During weeks 4 and 5 of Term 1, we're focusing on being responsible by being in the right place at the right time. This means being where we're supposed to be, when we're supposed to be there. It's crucial for students to follow this rule before and after school, during break times, and in the classroom. Here's how you can help reinforce this important rule at home: 

- Ask your children where they should line up at the end of lunch and recess. 

- Talk to them about where they should sit to eat their lunch and recess. 

- Discuss the safe places to play on the playground and remind them to stay within those areas. 

- Remind them of the importance of sitting in their assigned seat in the classroom to focus on learning and completing their work. 

 By reinforcing these guidelines at home, you're helping to support our efforts in teaching responsibility and creating a safe and organised school environment for everyone. Thank you for your partnership in promoting positive behaviour and learning habits. 

Rebecca Kearns

Assistant Principal.

Sharing Our Faith

Last week we started the season of Lent. Over the week I came across thos article from MN News today that delves deeper into the meaning of this Litiurgical Season and what it means for us as Catholics:

Lent

Easter is a significant period of time on the Catholic calendar, celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. In the lead-up to Easter, Christians also acknowledge Lent - a time that helps Christians prepare to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. 

What is Lent? 

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sunset, with Mass, on Holy Thursday. It is a 40-day time of prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor that helps Christians prepare to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. 

Why is Lent important? 

For Christians it is a time of reflection and repentance. A time to make right with others and God as they are led to the Paschal Mystery, that is the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Why is it 40 days? 

In the Bible the number 40 would often indicate a time of trial, penance, renewal. In Luke we see this number being used to indicate the time Jesus fasted and was tempted in the desert prior to him starting his ministry. 

Why is the colour purple significant during Lent? 

Colours have always played an important part in the liturgical life of the church. Symbolically it can be used to represent royalty. Historically it was an expensive dye and only afforded by the wealthy. In the Gospel of Mark, we read that Pilate used a purple robe on Jesus to mock Him as “King of the Jews”. 

Why do people fast from things? 

Traditionally, fasting tended to be focussed on ‘things’ such as meat on Fridays, or chocolate, alcohol and so on. More and more the focus has become that of a conversion of the heart as Christians try to become more Christlike and give up the behaviours that are not life giving to others. 

On what days are Catholics meant to fast? 

It seems to be common knowledge that Catholics fast from meat during Lent. However, there are only two days the Church requires: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Christians are called to fast in other ways during this time. Such as sharing their time and gifts with others and donating money where it is needed, rather than for wants. This ‘fasting’ is something that we can do every day. 

I am not Catholic; how can I get involved with Lent? 

You don’t have to be Catholic to get involved. Find time to make things right with people you may need to repair a relationship with. Donate time and/or money to people in need. Fast from things you enjoy. Maybe find time to read the Bible. It’s never too late to give that a go. 

Opening school Liturgy

Next Tuesday 27th February, we will be celebrating our opening school liturgy, with Fr. James joining us for this event.  This will be held in the church (next to the school) at 12:30pm. It is a great way to start our year in faith and pray that the year ahead will be full of many blessings. Our school leaders will be presented with their badges at this special liturgy. All parents and family are welcome to attend.    

Welcome to Kinder Mass

We invite all of our Kindergarten families to our Welcome to Kinder mass on Sunday 3rd March at 4:30pm. This will be held in the church next to the school, St. Francis Xavier's. 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. 

Shrove Tuesday & Project Compassion Launch

On Tuesday 13th February, we celebrated Shrove Tuesday at school. Our students were able to enjoy a pancake at recess with either butter or jam. During the Lenten season, Catholics would not usually eat fat or egg products. They often made pancakes as they were the perfect thing to make to use these products before the start of Lent to prevent wastage. Hence why we mark the day with pancakes.  

Our School Leaders on this day attended the Project Compassion launch. They were able to represent our school at the Cathedral in Newcastle with many other school leaders from across the Diocese. They found out about the great work Project Compassion does for those who are not as fortunate as us as well as enjoy some pancakes afterwards in the Southern Cross Hall. 

Quotes from our Leaders who attended the day: 

Piper - “I really liked going to the Cathedral as it was super big and there were lots of kids there”

Myla - “I really liked eating the pancakes in tha hall” 

Vinnie - “ I enjoyed going to collect the Project Compassion boxes” 

Kade - “I liked watched the people dance in their countries clothes” 

Jedd - "I liked that we had pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. We even got ice cream!"

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Project Compassion

Last week, students received their project compassion boxes to take home and we started fundraising at school with boxes in all classrooms. Just a reminder to please keep popping your donations into these boxes so that we can help those overseas who are less fortunate than us.

View the video here to hear the stories of those communities we are helping: Project Compassion 2024 Stories

On QKR we have an option to do a digital donation if you would like also. You can select your amount ranging from $1 - $20 or you can enter your own amount. We thank you for your continued support.

Ash Wednesday

We marked Ash Wednesday last week. It is the start of the Lenten season. On this day, each grade came together for a shared liturgy in their classrooms. During the liturgy, they set their sacred space with a purple cloth, they listened to the Gospel reading, found out about what Ash Wednesday and Lent is all about, and shared in a song to finish. We had some great discussions after the Gospel about what we could do during Lent to bring us closer to God. 
We each were blessed us with the ashes, a cross marked on our foreheads. I commend the students in their reverence during the classroom liturgies. 

Parish Mass Times

Saturday 24th February 

9:00am Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock 

6:00pm Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock 

Sunday 25th February 

8:30am Mass - Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri 

10:30am Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock 

4:30pm Mass - St. Francis Xavier's, Abermain 

Saturday 2nd March 

9:00am Mass - Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri 

6:00pm Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock 

Sunday 3rd March  

8:30am Mass - Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri 

10:30am Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock 

4:30pm Mass - St. Francis Xavier's, Abermain (WELCOME TO KINDER MASS - ALL WELCOME!) 

Yours in faith, 

Miss Jessica Laczkowski 

Religious Education Coordinator 

Office News

2024 School Finance Information

School fees comprise of Resource, Tuition and Diocesan Family School Building Levy, and are the responsibility of Parents/Guardians of Students enrolled at the school.

Tuition Fees

The Diocesan Tuition fee is set each year by the Diocesan Catholic Schools board. The school retains a portion of this fee to assist with operating costs. The balance is returned to the Catholic Schools Office to assist with the payment of salaries, workers compensation, public liability, student accident insurance and other operating costs.

Family Discount on full rate diocesan tuition fees are available to parents who have more than 1 child attending a Catholic School in the Diocese.

•  1 child family – 0% - full rate
•  2 child family – 15% - each child
•  3 child family – 25% each child
•  4+ child family – 50% each child

Concessions on Tuition fees are also given to account holders of Health Care/Pension cards. An application form must be completed along with a copy of the latest original card.

Diocesan Family Building Levy

The DFSBL is charged to the eldest child of each family. The levy is pooled to contribute to past, present and future costs for building projects across all existing schools and in the development of new Catholic Schools within the Diocese.

Resource Fees

The resource costs are set by individual schools. In 2024, we have consolidated fees used to pay school resources, educational activities, student textbooks, excursion/incursions, grounds maintenance, photocopying, computer technology and amenities.

Thank you to those families who have commenced regular fee payments towards their annual account. 

If any family would like a hard copy of their statement please email admin@abermain.catholic.edu.au and a copy will be sent home via the student note folder.

Payments can be made either weekly, fortnightly, monthly or annually.   For valid health care card holders, a discount of up to 50% off Tuition Fees is available per student but all documentation must be supplied and checked before a credit can be approved and processed.  Compass Pay is an option for payment of school fees however it is not recommended as it attracts hefty administration costs.    BPAY remains the easiest and most popular way to pay for your school fees.   Payments should commence prior to 31^st March and are expected to be finalised by 30^th November 2024. 

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact the school to make an appointment to meet with the principal to discuss payment options. 

Dot Seamer, Admin Officer.

Enrolment Packages for 2025 open 1st March, 2024

Do you have a child ready to start school in 2025? The official enrolment period for Kindergarten 2024 will open on Friday 1st March 2024.  Please contact Holy Spirit Infants School for your enrolment information pack.  Office hours are  8:30am – 3:30pm Monday to Friday.  

If you are unsure if your child is ready for school, please talk to your preschool director and teachers.  If you think your child has a disability, please discuss this openly with your child’s preschool professionals and see your doctor for the appropriate health professional referral.  This information will assist us to have the necessary measures in place at time of enrolment. Early intervention is vital to give your child the support they need to succeed at school.   

Tours will be offered on 4 March, 6 March, 12 March and 14 March to families who have enquired online.

Consider starting your child's educational journey with us!

Harmony Day

Harmony Day 2024

Thursday 21st March -Wear Orange or Rainbow!

The theme for Harmony day 2024 is "Everyone Belongs".  Harmony Day is a day to celebrate Australian multiculturalism. It is about acceptance, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values. Leading up to Harmony Day Holy Spirit Infants will commence our celebrations with a Poster competition that the students will complete in class. For all of those artists out there, you can start to think of a design for your poster using the competition theme "Harmony - What can we do?". We had many State awards presented to last years talented artists of Holy Spirit Infants - even a Highly Commended Award! Let's hope we can repeat this great accomplishment!

On Thursday the 21st of March, all students will participate in a range of activities including crafts, games, songs and stories that celebrate the wonderful cultural diversity we have in Australia and at Holy Spirit Infants.  This day will be an OUT OF UNIFORM DAY where students are encouraged to wear orange or rainbow colours. Orange is the representative colour for Harmony day, it signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. If you do not have any orange clothes for your child to wear on this day, please wear rainbow colours. Let's brighten up our playground on this special day!

Nicolette Fredsall EALD Teacher

Easter Raffle

Families are asked to kindly donate Easter eggs for our much loved Easter raffle which is a fundraiser for our school.   These donations can be left in the office.   Thank you for your generosity.   The Easter raffle will be drawn on Wednesday 27th March.   Tickets will be $1 each and will be available for purchase via the QKR app.

School Photos 19th March

We are excited to capture new memories for Holy Spirit Infant School, Abermain on your upcoming photo date Tuesday 19^th March 2024.

Your 2024 school photos are now ready to order online via the QR code or via our website listed on attached flyer. Once you have logged in you will need to enter the below code and follow a few simple steps. ​

If you have any questions regarding the photography service or packages available for purchase, please contact our friendly team on Ph: 02 9674 9824 or via email: enquiries@theschoolphotographer.com.au

Get your smiles ready!

Awards... Congratulations to

Library News

This year all students from Holy Spirit Infants will have the opportunity to participate in the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. This challenge helps students develop a love of reading for pleasure.

To participate in the challenge students will need to read (or listen to) 20 books with a red PRC sticker from our school library or listed in the K-2 PRC Booklist and 10 books of their own choice, making it a total of 30 books.

The challenge starts on Monday 26th February and closes on Friday 23rd August. Next week, students will be issued with a Premier’s Reading Challenge Log and those wishing to participate can start writing the title of the books and their authors. All Kinder and Year 1 students will have all books read to them in Library lessons added to their reading log. Year 2 students will be given a choice to participate. At the end of the challenge students must return their reading logs to the Teacher Librarian to have all their books validated and receive a special certificate towards the end of the year.

Many thanks,

Evelyn Covita

Teacher Librarian

Sporting Schools - Athletics

As our athletics lessons begin, I would truly like to thank Fit4 Kids and our very special guest Emily for their amazing, engaging and very energized PE lessons. Seeing the joy on students faces as they participate in their weekly sports lesson is a pleasure to watch. Listening to the laughing and competitive spirit is uplifting and inspiring. As we prepare for the school’s athletics carnival students will be learning new skills ready to shine as they participate in running races and tabloid events. Thank you to KB for sharing their photos.

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Attendance

Attendance Matters

The future starts now at Holy Spirit Infants

A bright future for our students starts with good attendance levels, every day! Attendance alone doesn’t guarantee positive outcomes for students; however, positive outcomes are unlikely to occur without good attendance.

Holy Spirit Infants has a revamped attendance goal of 90% or more of students attending 90% or more of the time, along with 0% unexplained absences.

Did you know that being just 10 minutes late every day adds up to nearly half a year of lost schooling over the 12-year journey from Kinder to Year 12.

Children must develop regular attendance habits – attendance patterns set in Kindergarten and Year 1 are highly predictive of what it will be in subsequent years. So, let’s meet the Holy Spirit challenge, 90% or more of our students attending school 90% or more of the time!

Canteen News

All lunch items are to be ordered through the Qkr App and orders need to be placed BEFORE 8.30am on canteen day. Please make sure you have selected the correct date for the order.  On canteen day please send in your child's Lunch Wallet for their order.   

Ice blocks will be available for sale on Wednesdays and Fridays.  These are not available for purchase via the QKR App.  Thank you to all our volunteers who assist in  our canteen.

Dates for your Diary

Community News

Scouts Australia provides young people aged 5 to 25 with fun and challenging opportunities to grow through adventure. With around 70,000 members, Scouts Australia is one of the largest youth development organisations in Australia. What makes us unique is our diverse range of activities that develop skills in young people such as leadership, teamwork, problem solving and communication from the age of 5 years old.

Today’s Scouts can take part in an extraordinary variety of outdoor activities, from ‘traditional Scouting skills’ such as camping and bushcraft, through to more extreme challenges such as abseiling, overnight hiking, rafting, canoeing, canyoning, snow activities, rock climbing, sailing… even flying!