2nd May 2024
Principal News
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
A warm welcome back to Term 2 and a new term of learning for every student. We hope that everyone had a good school holiday and enjoyed that amazing sunshine! The students have settled quickly into their routines and some wonderful learning has happened across this week.
We gathered as a school to reflect and pray for all service men and women who have given their lives in times of war and conflict overseas in order to keep peace in our country. For those in our community currently serving in the armed forces, we sincerely thank you for your courage and dedication to protecting us all. We gathered under the cola and the students wore their hand made poppies and participated most reverently. Lest We Forget.
Thank you again to the many families who came so their child could march as one in the Kurri ANZAC Day march. It was a wonderful sight to see so many of you! The children were a credit to themselves, their school and their families. Thank you to our student leaders Piper, Kade, Vinnie, Jedd and Myla for laying the wreath at the cenotaph on our behalf with great reverence.
WINTER UNIFORM
Students may wear their winter school uniform from Monday 6th May. This early swap over is due to the sudden change in the weather. If you do not yet have a winter uniform, this is a gradual change over. We would like every student to be in winter uniform by Friday 17th May. A reminder to not "mix" uniforms e.g. boys should wear their winter uniform in full and not a short sleeve shirt with long pants. The boys uniform does include a tie on elastic and the girls uniform includes a tie as well. Girls may also choose to wear navy slacks and a blue shirt with a peter pan collar and girls tie instead of the tunic. Thank you for always sending the students looking great in their uniform.
STAFF NEWS
The students were able to farewell Mrs Porter-Kay at a special assembly on Tuesday and we thanked her for her many contributions to our school over several years and for her dedication to the achievements of all students in our school. Mrs Elbourne is teaching 1W fulltime from this term and she is very excited.
We congratulate Mrs Meagan Edwards who will be the Acting Religious Education Coordinator at our school for the remainder of the year. Miss Laczkowski has stepped back from the REC role and will now teach KB fulltime. We thank Miss L for her time and effort as the REC. Mrs Edwards will teach Religious Education to various classes on alternate Fridays. She previously held this position and is excited to undertake this leadership role once more.
Mrs Ashlee Edwards, at the time of print had not yet had her baby. Maybe next newsletter we will have some news!
COGAT TESTING FOR YEAR 2 ONLINE
In Term 2, students in years 2 will participate in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) online. This is the first time our school has undertaken the test online. The test evaluates students' reasoning abilities in three key areas essential for success in school:
1. Verbal Battery: Assesses students' ability to reason with words and concepts, crucial for reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and verbal learning tasks.
2. Quantitative Battery: Measures students' ability to reason with quantitative symbols and concepts, which are vital for problem-solving in mathematics and other disciplines.
3. Nonverbal Battery: Evaluates students' ability to reason with geometric shapes and figures, requiring them to implement strategies for solving novel problems.
These batteries provide a comprehensive view of each student's learned reasoning abilities, identifying both strengths and areas for improvement. CogAT aims to support differentiated practice in education by helping teachers adapt instruction to meet the unique needs and abilities of each student.
It's important to note that CogAT scores are not integrated into report grades or other conventional measures of school achievement. The focus is on tailoring instruction and fostering a supportive, inclusive learning environment based on each child's ability.
If you have any concerns or questions about your child's academic progress or specific educational needs, please schedule a meeting with your child's teacher. They will discuss your child's strengths and areas for growth based on various assessments. Additionally, you can contact our Gifted Education Mentor (GEM) Kim Dickson (kim.dickson@mn.catholic.edu.au) for further assistance.
Thank you for your continued support in ensuring the best educational outcomes for our students.
STUDENT ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND ONLINE GAMING
At the end of Term 1, as the Principal of our school, I reached out to all parents/carers with my concern about some anti social behaviour that had crept into our classrooms and onto our playground. I am pleased to let you know that the children have returned happy and well rested and the issues we experienced have not been evident. I believe the holiday after a very long term was a great circuit breaker for what was becoming a big concern. We will continue to contact parents if a child is swearing; physically aggressive or bullying by exclusion or name calling. We call out this unacceptable behaviour, we reteach what is expected and refer back to our school code of conduct, our four rules. If the child struggles repeatedly with following the school rules, parents are informed as this likely means your child requires additional supports and a meeting will be called. Our school is a safe and supportive environment where our early learners can thrive. There is no place for anti social behaviour. I thank all our parents and carers for supporting our staff to maintain this expectation of treating others the way we'd like to be treated.
In my investigations last term a common theme that was present in many altercations was online gaming. The children mentioned Roblox; Kids messenger and Fortnite and the fact that they play online with their friends. Unfortunately what happens regularly at school, is that the children are unable to distinguish between a "game" online and the "reality" of a game face to face. When a child "blocks" another child- this always has consequences for both the blocker and the blockee. Children have big feelings! They then bring into the classroom their 'big feelings' about being blocked or having a symbol put up at them online in Kids Messenger or being 'targeted' in fortnite or roblox. They are having great difficulty navigating their online experiences. Every child needs to be monitored, it isn't so much about "trust", every parent trusts their child, its that children have difficulty determining what happens in a game and what is real life. Their brains are not yet developed enough to understand fully. The feelings they experience in a game are felt when they meet their online friend back in the playground, but harbour disgruntled feelings toward them because of a game. The other platform that is causing issues is You Tube and Kids You Tube.
As teachers we are seeing animated conversations between students who play online together and in our conversations with the students, they will mention names of characters/people who do not attend our school. Often, the names are of older cousins or neighbours nearby and often, this is when unhelpful language/swearing can become part of the interactions. Then...the language starts to pop up in conversations at school and then- we have a problem.
Please monitor your child's online activities. They aren't as safe as you may think. As adults with years of life experience, we are at times naive and are vulnerable to scams ourselves. Your child has far less ability to discern whether their online friend is actually someone of a similar age or not. They need your supervision.
BUS ISSUE
The morning bus from Kurri has been regularly quite late and arriving at Abermain sometimes after 9.20am. The bus company states the traffic coming from Maitland is a difficulty for the buses and then there are major issues with buses that drop off at St Phillips College at Cessnock where buses are queued for several hundred metres and then has to complete a run back to Kurri/Abermain. Its important parents are aware of these late arrivals as your child may need more supervision as the bus may be late picking them up from the bus stop. Both Holy Spirit Schools are communicating our ongoing concerns with Rovers who are looking to make adjustments to timetables.
COLA MAINTENANCE UPDATE
Through the support of the Diocese and after the tireless work of David Kett our Facilities Team member, we are finally getting a long term solution to the bird issue in the cola. The cola will be fully lined in order to prevent the birds from being able to roost at night. I thank our cleaner Trevor Shakespeare for his efforts over many many months to clean the cement under the cola and to Peter Cox who is now also cleaning each morning before school for us. The building work will begin on 13th May and whilst there will be some inconvenience as the cola will be out of action again for another two weeks, the outcome will mean we can utilise this space once more. I thank parents for their understanding that this has been a challenging environmental issue for our school.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR TEACHERS
We are excited to welcome Fiona Foley a mathematics consultant to work alongside our teachers over the next few weeks as together we grow and develop our pedagogy. Fiona works for Mathematics Association of NSW and will be working in our classrooms with our students. We are looking forward to watching, listening and actioning some of the effective teaching strategies Fiona implements. She will also model the Launch, Explore, Summarise model which our teachers utilise when teaching Mathematics K-2.
TELL THEM FROM ME SURVEY
During Term 2 each parent/carer will be invited to participate in an online anonymous survey to provide our school with data which we will use to guide our future planning.
Tell Them From Me is a suite of surveys used to capture student, parent, and teacher voices. For most
schools, this will be the third year implementing the online tool. As such, we know from experience
that the results provide a data-rich environment that is valuable in identifying strengths and informing
our system and school improvement agenda.
We need to hear your voice and we welcome your feedback. As always, if you have feedback that is negative, please come and meet with me to discuss your concerns or complaint. Please don't wait until a survey is shared, come and meet with me or your child's teacher - most things can be sorted face to face. We are always focused on excellence and your feedback is valuable for us to learn from and to gain affirmation from.
The data from the 2021 and 2022 Tell Them From Me survey provided us with focus areas we chose to really improve on. We do need as many parents as possible to complete the survey for us. It usually only takes a few minutes of your time. Details in our next newsletter.
God bless you and we look forward to seeing lots of mothers next week!
Diane Murphy
Principal
AEDC (Australian Early Development Census) for Kindergarten students
Assistant Principal News
Attendance
It's essential for children to consistently attend school to optimise their social development as well as their learning and academic achievement. Here are some ways parents can support their child's attendance and active involvement in school:
1. Ensure Punctuality: Assist your child in arriving at school promptly each day. School begins at 8:55 am, and there's a teacher on playground duty from 8:25 am onward. Being punctual enables them to fully engage in morning routines and kickstart their learning. Arriving before 8:55 am also allows them to socialise with their peers.
2. Promote Full-Day Attendance: Stress the significance of staying for the entire school day, including the final session. School finishes at 2:55. This period often includes valuable learning opportunities such as group activities and creative projects, which contribute significantly to your child's overall growth and development.
By prioritising regular attendance and minimising absences, parents can help create a supportive environment where their child can thrive academically and socially.
Positive Behaviour for Learning
During weeks 1 and 2 of Term 2, our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) emphasis is on the "I am Safe" and “I am Respectful” domains, specifically targeting social and safety skills.
The focus area for this period is: "I am kind and safe on the playground."
"I am kind and safe on the playground" is a fundamental school rule that emphasises positive behaviour and safety for children during their playtime.
Kindness: Encouraging kindness on the playground teaches children the importance of empathy, respect, and consideration for others. It means treating classmates with compassion, being inclusive, and avoiding behaviours that may hurt or exclude others. Parents and carers can reinforce this by discussing the value of kindness at home and modelling respectful behaviour towards others.
Safety: Prioritising safety ensures that children can enjoy their playtime without unnecessary risks or accidents. This includes following playground rules such as using equipment properly, watching out for others, and avoiding rough play that could lead to injuries. Parents and carers can support safety by reminding children of playground rules, supervising younger children when needed, and discussing the importance of being mindful of their surroundings.
By instilling these principles of kindness and safety, we aim to create a positive and secure environment where children can develop social skills, build friendships, and have fun while playing on the playground.
Rebecca Kearns
Assistant Principal
Sharing Our Faith
We honour Mary, mother of God
May is the month we honour Mary, the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the northern hemisphere where it is spring, Mary is honoured in May, for just as the flowers bloom in the Spring, over centuries and centuries, long ago Mary brought forth new life in the birth of God's Son.
Mary is Mother – your mother, my mother, everyone’s mother – and because she cares for all of us day-in-and-day-out without fail, interceding for us in even the tiniest matters.
For that, she deserves an entire month in her honor. May the Month of Mary, is when the church encourages us to have special devotions organized on each day throughout the month. In recent times, this is often in the form of praying The Rosary or the prayer dedicated to Mary, "Hail Mary". The children all learn this special prayer to Mary during their time at Holy Spirit Infants. We encourage all families to pray together.
Honouring all mothers
At the start of 2024, all three Parish schools in the Vineyards Parish met with Fr James as we planned together the liturgical celebrations for the year. In 2024, Mr O'Heir (HS Kurri Principal) and I agreed that we would "trial" hosting our celebration events for Mothers Day and Fathers Day on the same day. This is in response to parents who have children across both schools who sometimes struggle to get time off work to attend these events on different days. We will seek your feedback about our decision.
And so, on Friday 10th May we will be celebrating Mother's Day with a Liturgy in the Church at 12:30pm. (Holy Spirit Kurri will have their liturgy the same day but at Kurri in the morning).
All mothers, grandmothers, step mothers and those who are "like a Mum" will be able to enjoy a variety of pampering stalls available after our liturgy. We will have tea, coffee and a slice of cake for our guests to enjoy and an opportunity to chat with other mothers whilst your child plays at recess.
For our Mother's Day Liturgy, we also ask mothers of our Kindergarten students to please send a photo to your child's class teacher Miss L or Miss Pryor, of your child and their Mother or significant carer. Parents of new students in 2024, your child's teacher will reach out to you. Please have these sent in by Tuesday 7th May to be included. Thank you for your assistance.
Vineyards Parish Mass Times
Parish Priest: Fr James Lunn
Cessnock Presbytery 4990 1551 or email: vineyards@mn.catholic.org.au
Saturday 6th May and 13th May 9:00am Mass - Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri 6:00pm Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock | For enquiries about baptism for you child please contact the Cessnock Presbytery. |
Sunday 7th May 8:30am Mass - Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri 10:30am Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock 4:30pm Mass - St. Francis Xavier's, Abermain | Sunday 14th May 8:30am Mass - Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri 10:30am Mass - St. Joseph's, Cessnock 4:30pm Liturgy of the Word - St. Francis Xavier's, Abermain 4:30pm Mass - St Michael the Archangel's, Wollombi |
Office News
Fee statements are issued monthly from the Diocese, if you have not yet commenced payments please do so promptly. Please check your fee statements carefully and advise if there is any thing you are unsure of.
2024 School Fees have been invoiced for the full school year. This includes all excursions and incursions.
- If paying fees by instalments, your payments should have commenced by now and are to be paid in full by 30 November 2024.
- If paying fees in full in one payment please finalise prior to 30 June 2024.
- Our preferred method of payment is BPay using the details at the top right side of the fee statement. Avoid making payments through Compass Pay as it attracts hefty administration costs.
- For those families experiencing financial hardship, or wishing to discuss other payment
arrangements, please contact the school office to arrange an appointment with our Principal Ms Murphy.
Mother's Day Stall 8th May...can you help?
Volunteers are kindly requested to prepare the gifts for the children to purchase for their Mum or Mother Figure at the upcoming Mother's Day Stall. Our student leadership team looked through our catalogues and selected gifts they thought the students may like to buy!
Thank you Kade, Vinnie, Jedd, Piper, Vivianne and Myla!
Please contact the office if you can assist for even a short while with organising the gifts. All help is appreciated as our teachers and staff simply do not have the time.
If you can assist with the stall on the day, please also contact the school office on 49304361. All gift vouchers are to be purchased online throught the QKR app - limit of 1 per student and they are $6 each. The stall will be held on Wednesday 8th May in the hall from 9.30 until 11:00 am
School Cross Country News
What a fabulous fun day our school cross country event was! The students were all very excited and some had accessories for their colour house which was great; our colour house flags were flying and the course was set! The school grounds had been transformed into an exciting track!
Thank you to all the parent helpers on the day - some helped with exercising the troupes; some helped stand along the track to encourage and help with any tumbles; some helped by being supportive of all the children; and some spent ages preparing the bbq meal deal. I was very proud of the way the children ran and gave their best effort! We had trained for a few weeks before to build up the children's stamina and to encourage their endurance. The excitement was evident!
It was noticeable that we have lots of future long distance runners and that those children who dont enjoy running, were cheered on and encouraged by their friends, our teachers and our parent community. The bbq Meal Deal was a wonderful success and enjoyed by everyone! These days at school create precious memories and its great so many families (including toddlers who played in the sandpit) could join in! It means so much to our students and staff! House points were given for participation, gaining a place and for cheering! Green house won the day!
Our 8 year olds who will be representing our school at the Diocesan Cross Country on May 15th are:
Brayton Thompson, Vinnie Palmer, Maxie-Rae Schmeidel and Victoria Doyle
Congratulations to these runners and we wish them all the very best at the next event. Go Abermain!!!
ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day March and Liturgy
On April 25th, ANZAC Day, we honor the bravery and sacrifice of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during World War I. This day of remembrance includes dawn services, marches, and ceremonies honoring all who served and died in wars. Poppies serve as important symbols, encouraging reflection on war's enduring impact and celebrating values like courage and mate-ship, integral to our national identity.
Many of our students proudly represented our school at the Kurri Kurri ANZAC Day March. We extend our gratitude to those who attended and commend them for their reverence and respect shown. Our school leaders laid a wreath at the cenotaph on behalf of our school community. There was a jet fly over during the ceremony at Kurri which was a wonderful salute to all who served and who currently serve in our armed forces.
At Holy Spirit Infants School on Monday, we held a special liturgy to commemorate ANZAC Day, honoring those who have served and fallen in wars. Each student made and wore a poppy, signifying remembrance. We are again proud of our students' respectful and solemn participation in this significant occasion.
Catholic Schools Week
In 2024 we will celebrate Catholic Schools Week! Our leaders will attend the Catholic Schools Week Liturgy at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Friday 17th May along with the leaders of all the Catholic schools in the diocese. Information will be shared with student leaders.
We will have a wonderful day at the joint Athletics Carnival with Holy Spirit Kurri at Maitland Athletics Track celebrating coming together.
We have a planned Catholic Schools Week Liturgy and Pentecost Liturgy with date to be confirmed that week. We hope you can come along to an event and celebrate our beautiful school.
Awards: Congratulations to...
Canteen News
This term we are fortunate to be able to offer canteen on Monday and Fridays. Hot milo will be reintroduced to the menu for the cooler weather. Iceblocks will no longer be sold on the Wednesdays during this term. Thank you to the volunteers who give so generously of their time to offer the service for the children. Our canteen provides a great experience for our students to develop independence, a sense of choice and responsibility to keep their money safe in a purse or wallet.
Dates for your Diary
Community News
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Supporting children's wellbeing: Introducing the Raising Healthy Minds App
Cessnock Council has organised a clothes swap which is free for the community to attend on Saturday, 4 May. This is a great opportunity for families to save money and reduce clothing waste.
