Holy Spirit Infants School Abermain eNewsletter

Principals News

God of all people, God of love,

Just as the colours of a rainbow

Blend and merge to form one rainbow,

So too may the colours of our different cultures and beliefs,

blend and merge in our families, our communities and throughout our world,

through mutual respect and acceptance,

so that we may come together in true harmony.

All: Amen

Dear Parents and Carers

Today we celebrate Harmony Day at Holy Spirit Infants and the theme this year is "Everyone Belongs". Our school is committed to being an inclusive and nurturing learning environment where everyone belongs and can grow! The children have participated in many activities that help them understand the importance of acceptance and inclusion. We encourage you to talk with them to see what they have learnt today. At morning assembly it was so encouraging to hear from even our youngest students that living in harmony means: Sharing; Playing together; Being Kind! What great answers and our thanks to the parents who were able to discuss Harmony Day and why we celebrate it with their children. Our thanks to Mrs Fredsall our EALD teacher who prepared the lessons for learning about Harmony Day today and decorated our school in orange balloons and streamers!

Classes are busy preparing for the Holy Week Liturgy next Thursday in the church at 12.30pm. Each class is preparing a representation of the events of Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was welcomed by all (Kindergarten); then Holy Thursday when Jesus celebrated the last supper with his twelve disciples (2B) ; Good Friday when Jesus was arrested and condemned to death and crucified (2W). After Easter we will then celebrate Jesus rising from the dead with a liturgy focused on the resurection (Year 1). This is a very significant time in the life of the church and as Catholics we are encouraged to attend mass over the Easter weekend. Later in this newsletter are the times for church services that will happen from Sunday. Parents and grandparents are invited to come to our liturgy to pray with us. There will not be any clapping at the end of the liturgy as it isn't a performance but a re-enactment of significant events in Jesus' life. We hope you can join us.

Thank you to our beautiful volunteers for assisting with preparing the prizes for the Easter Raffle next Wednesday afternoon. Thank you also to our families for their generosity in giving a donation. Raffle tickets are available via QKR app and money raised will be used by our school for the upgrading of the cubby house.

Student Led Conferences

Thank you to our parents/carers who booked in for a student led conference with their child's teacher across this week. The teachers have reported back that the children have been proud to share their learning goals with you, so you may better support them at home. This important process is about providing the students with a voice and to engage them in the process of goal setting and learning ways to take steps to meet the goals they set. This leads to success for every child as they take ownership of their learning. Partnering with parents on your child's learning journey here at Holy Spirit Infants is a key to setting your child up for success. We did expect that every child would have the opportunity to share their learning goals, their reflections on their learning habits and the work that they are proud of with every parent/carer.

If you did not book in for a conference, we will contact you directly to find out how we can support you to be able to attend and make a booking for next week - this is how valued this learning process is to continuing to enrich our school's culture of learning.

Birds under the Cola - Update

The Diocese is working with us to determine a permanent solution to the environmental issue we have with birds roosting under our big cola each night. We clean the cement each afternoon and the diocese has now engaged another cleaner to assist by cleaning the cement each school morning. The Diocese is aware that the cola is our space for shade from the heat and shelter from the rain and are working with contractors to find a permanent solution given the first solution in January has kept out the larger birds, but then the smaller ones have taken up residence at sunset. The area is open now as the Diocese have supported us with a cleaner each morning and we were open it up again for play this morning. We thank you for your understanding of this challenging situation for our school and a permanent solution is imminent.

A gentle reminder to all parents and carers that we are now heading into Week 9 and our early learners are getting tired and a little bit irritable. We also have had quite a lot of student and teacher illness, so everyone is a little worn out and maybe getting run down. School days are very exciting with lots happening across the day! Please ensure your child is getting enough sleep and is in a routine of no technology prior to bed as this is a stimulant for their imaginative brains. You may hear more stories of things upsetting them at school as they are all ready for a little break over Easter where they can recharge. Please, if your child is struggling with being a bit emotional or clingy, let our staff know so we can support your child at drop off time. We will do all we can to support your child to start their day in a happy way!

Have a blessed Holy Week and as we head into the Easter Season, may God bless you and your families and bring you hope and peace this Easter time.

Kind Regards

Diane Murphy

Principal

School Community Code of Conduct

School TV

School TV is a wonderful resource available for all our parents and carers to access through our Holy Spirit Infants website (see below link). This week we are sharing the feature about cultural diversity and the importance of inclusivity so that at HOLY SPIRIT INFANTS SCHOOL EVERYONE BELONGS.

Each newsletter we will feature an aspect of school TV and we encourage you to utilise this free resource funded by our Maitland Newcastle Diocese.

School TV

Attendance Reminder

Can you believe that we are at the end of week 8 of Term 1 already! Let’s meet the Holy Spirit challenge, 90% or more of our students attending school 95% or more of the time!

School attendance is important and it is a shared responsibility, at Holy Spirit Infants we understand there are valid reasons for absences: -

* Sickness - naturally, there are times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. But they must be away only on days they are genuinely sick. Setting good sleep patterns, eating well, and regular exercise can make a big difference to everyone’s health.

* Holidays - families must plan their holidays for school holidays, not during term time. Parents have a legal obligation for their child to attend school. Parents wanting to take children out of school during term time must seek approval from the principal. Approval needs to be applied for online, and in advance, we no longer accept or create paper approvals through the school office. Holidays during the school term are seriously discouraged -please put your child's learning as a priority.

*Days off - letting your child have a day off a few times a year means they could fall behind in their learning and lose social connection with classmates – everyday counts! Days off for birthdays are not an acceptable absence. At Holy Spirit Infants we celebrate birthdays throughout the year, students are presented with a certificate and the whole school sings ‘Happy Birthday’. Their special day is celebrated and remembered.

In the event of a whole day or a partial day absence away from school,parents/carers are asked to notify the school as soon as possible.

Our preferred option is for the parent/carer to log into the Compass app and explain where why your child is absent as this is the most efficient manner to do so.

Alternatively,

* Contact the school office on 02 49304361.

* Contact the classroom teacher via email or Seesaw. This will allow classroom teachers to update the roll that morning.

If you child has absent, please send in a note/email as soon as they return explaining the absence if not done so already so that all school records can be updated in a timely manner. Student attendance and keeping accurate records of attendance is a legal requirment.

We thank you for your support and understanding when it come to valuing daily school attendance.

Every child, on time, everyday ready to learn!

Assistant Principal News

Wellbeing Focus - Healthy Screen Time for Children (raisingchildren.net.au)

The use of screen time and digital technology can be part of a healthy lifestyle for children when balanced with other activities like physical play, outdoor activities, creative play, reading, and socialising. It's crucial to ensure that screen time doesn't interfere with sleep. Here are some tips to encourage balanced and healthy digital technology use:

Establish family rules or a media plan covering where, when, and how digital technology can be used, including safety measures for online use and setting time limits.

Encourage short screen time sessions with regular breaks for physical activity to maintain energy levels and overall health.

Promote outdoor play several times a day, including activities like building, playing games, and engaging in physical exercises.

Foster creativity through activities such as storytelling, dressing up, and drawing, which aid in problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Support face-to-face interactions and friendship development by arranging playdates and encouraging socialisation.

Avoid screen time before bed, as it can disrupt sleep patterns and affect the ability to fall asleep quickly.

Keep digital devices out of bedrooms at night to prevent late-night usage and disturbances, promoting better sleep quality.

For more information, including a video about making a family media plan, please visit: https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/media-technology/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/healthy-screen-time-6-11-years

Positive Behaviour for Learning  

During weeks 8 and 9 of Term 1, our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) emphasis is on the "I am Safe" domain, specifically targeting bus safety.

The focus area for this period is: "I sit on the bus calmly."

It's common for our young students to feel excited while traveling with friends to and from school, sometimes leading to unsafe behaviours. Therefore, during these weeks, we will concentrate on reinforcing bus passenger safety. Students will be encouraged to:

Be calm while on the bus.
Wear the seatbelt.
Use an inside voice when talking with a friend.
Wait until their stop before standing up.

If your child uses the bus for transportation to or from school, we kindly ask that you discuss bus safety with them.

Rebecca Kearns

Assistant Principal

Sharing Our Faith

Kindergarten Religion Lessons

This term in Kindergarten, we have been learning all about God. Who he is and how we can have a special relationship with him. This past week, students have explored in particular, how we can talk to God. They got to participate in a range of stations where they could talk to God through a phone, drawing, candles and building.

Thank you to all those who were able to make our Term 1 Family Mass. It was a lovely evening where the students led us in prayer and action to the songs. Fr James brought the students up the front during the homily and we discussed the idea of giving up something during lent and how that makes us feel. Afterwards we shared some green treats to mark St. Patrick’s Day.

Holy Week Reminder

Families and parishioners are invited to attend our schools Holy Week liturgy on Thursday 28th March at 12:30 pm at St. Francis Xavier’s Church, Abermain.

The students will be listening to bible stories and learning about the events of Holy Week within their Religion lessons. Kindergarten will re-enact the events of Palm Sunday; Year 2 Blue The Last Supper on Holy Thursday and Year 2 White The Crucifixion on Good Friday.

Year 1 classes will re-enact Easter Sunday and the resurrection when we return to school on Tuesday 2nd April.

Project Compassion

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. You have until Easter to make your donation.

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.

Parish Mass Times

Saturday 23rd March

9:00am Mass – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock

6:00pm Mass – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock

Sunday 24th March

8:30am Mass – Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri

10:30am Mass – Palm Sunday Service at St. Patrick’s School Cessnock

4:30pm Mass – St. Francis Xavier’s, Abermain

Saturday 30th March

7:30pm Easter Vigil – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock

7:30pm Easter Vigil – Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri

Sunday 31st March

8:30am Easter Mass – St. Francis Xavier’s, Abermain

10:30am Easter Mass – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock

12:30pm Easter Mass – St. Michael the Archangel, Wollombi

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

'Last week Mrs Edwards visited both year 1 classes and taught a Science lesson about musical instruments from different cultures with a strong focus on traditional Aboriginal musical instruments. The students enjoyed a very hands on and engaging lesson where they got to have a go at the Bullroarer, Clapping Sticks, Emu Caller and the boys got to also have a go at the Didgeridoo (they quickly realised it was so much harder to play then it looks). The students learnt about how the instruments were made and what they were used for. They also learnt that different Aboriginal mobs have varying beliefs about which gender should and shouldn't play the different instruments.

Towards the end of the week Mrs Edwards was also able to show these instruments to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Kindergarten and Year 2 who also learnt alot about their culture'.

Pastoral Care

How to create a safe gaming environment for your child

Young gamers said they felt happy and socially connected, had fun and enjoyed being helpful or supported when they were gaming.

It’s important to encourage your child to have these positive experiences, while helping to protect them from risks like cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. You can use these tips to help you:

Prepare

Set up the computer or games console in an open area of your home. For example, if your child is playing on their handheld device you can ask them to play in the family room.

Install up to date security software on all devices to protect against viruses, malware and other online threats.

Activate parental controls and safety features on the device or in the app or browser. These controls can help restrict access to certain content and limit spending on in-game and in-app purchases. See our advice on parental controls.

Build good habits

Help your child to protect their privacy online and suggest they use a screen name that’s different to their real name.

Set clear standards and expectations to avoid conflicts, disagreements and/or aggressive behaviour.

Encourage upstander behaviour and help-seeking to create a safe and positive gaming environment.

Teach your child not to click on links provided by strangers, like ‘cheat’ programs to help with gameplay, that might expose their device to viruses or malware.

Agree on strategies to help them to switch off, like a timer that signals game time is nearly over, with consequences for not switching off.

Stay involved

Talk with your child about their gaming and who they play with online. Support their positive connections while helping them understand the risks.

Play alongside your child or watch their gaming to get a better sense of how they are handling their personal information and who they are communicating with.

Take an interest by asking about the storyline or characters in the game if you don’t feel comfortable playing the game yourself, or your child doesn’t want to play with you.

Encourage your child to tell you if they experience anything that worries them or makes them uncomfortable.

Monitor the time your child spends online and watch for any changes in their activity, school or social behaviours, in case something might be wrong.

What is the right amount of gaming time?

Even though gaming can be positive, it needs to be balanced with other meaningful activities like getting enough sleep, connecting with family, socialising with friends, being active and completing schoolwork.

There is no magic number of hours, but your child may be spending too much time playing games if their gaming starts to have negative impacts on them or your family.

Look out for signs such as:

less interest in social activities like meeting friends or playing sport
not doing so well at school
tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches or eye strain
changes in eating patterns
reduced personal hygiene
obsession with particular websites or games
getting angry when being asked to take a break from online activity, or appearing anxious or irritable when away from the computer
becoming withdrawn from friends and family.

Amanda Barrass, Pastoral Care Worker