As I write my contribution for the Newsletter today, I find myself reflecting on over 100 late arrivals at school this week. I understand that life can be unpredictable, and sometimes, despite our best intentions, we end up running late. However, I'm genuinely concerned about the number of students who are frequently late and those who are missing significant portions of their school day.

It’s completely understandable that our children might face a rough morning now and then—sickness, fatigue, or unexpected situations can all contribute to late arrivals. Occasional lateness might not have a dramatic impact, but when it becomes a pattern, it can hinder a child's overall educational experience. I think it’s important to share some insights on how regular lateness can affect our students.

When a child arrives late, it can create stress not only for them but also for their classmates, as lessons must be paused to help them catch up. School is built on a foundation of organisation, structure, and predictability, all of which help students focus on their learning. When students are repeatedly late, it disrupts this important routine, making it harder for them to settle in and embrace the day's lessons.

Our other concern is the number of students who are regularly signed out early. School finishes at 2:50 p.m. Our students are still engaged in lessons in the afternoon session and, therefore, are missing out on valuable learning opportunities.

I hope we can work together to find ways to help our children arrive on time and stay for the duration of the school day (pending unforeseen disruptions, appointments etc)  allowing them (and their classmates) to fully benefit from the educational experience we strive to provide. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Please see the following table that outlines ‘Every Minute Counts’

Best Wishes

Nicole Lennox

Scribes were very religious and spent much time studying the scriptures and carefully obeyed every commandment of the Jewish law. A scribe asked Jesus which commandment was the most important in Mark’s Gospel (12:28-34). Jesus answered, “To love God with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength, and to love others as much as you love yourself.” Jesus showed His love by caring for all He met; spending time with them, listening, talking, helping the sick, making the lonely feel welcome and loved, being forgiving and not judging others. We too can put the two greatest commandments into action in our lives by treating others in the same way as we would like to be treated ourselves.

This week at Holy Spirit we value excellence. Striving for excellence is trying to do your best. At Holy Spirit, staff are always looking for ways to help students achieve excellence by doing their best to produce excellent work. This week, we pray that our students draw upon their many skills and show excellence where they can.

Feast Of All Saints – 1st November: A Saint is someone who has dedicated their lives to God and whom the Church believes is God. Wrongly, we often think Saints are perfect, but in fact, their greatest witness is how they coped with the ordinary difficulties of life and how their love, sacrifice and fidelity inspired others to follow Jesus. Sometimes, we can look around us and see people who are living a holy life, finding blessings within their daily lives and demonstrating the extraordinary power of God working in them through their words and actions. We encourage our students this week to speak in a kind and respectful way to everyone so all feel respected and valued in our school. 

All Souls Day – 2nd November: is a Catholic Day of Remembrance which we celebrate the day after All Saints Day. We remember and pray for friends and loved ones who have passed away. The Feast of All Souls reminds us of our obligation to live holy and good lives so that our souls too, may one day be received into heaven.

MINI FETE UPDATE: Thank you all for the wonderful fundraising efforts to support Catholic Mission’s work with children worldwide last week at our Mini Fete. The total funds raised at our Mini Fete this year was amazing, raising just over $4000. All of this is due to the wonderful efforts of our staff, students and families. The money is used to support projects that improve the quality of life for children by giving them education opportunities or developing sustainable projects that help them and their communities build a better life. This year, Catholic Missions are supporting Mongolia. For more information please visit: https://www.catholicmission.org.au/

God bless.
Caroline Fuller – APRE

RACQ

RACQ will visit Prep to Year 2 in Week 6. The Streets Ahead program for primary schools includes age-appropriate passenger, pedestrian, and bicycle safety lessons. Our specially designed road mat allows Prep to Year 2 to learn correct road safety behaviours and practice crossing the road safely.

Day for Daniel

Last Friday, staff and students wore red for Australia’s most significant child safety and education awareness day, held annually on the last Friday of October. One of the most important things is educating students about personal safety. Teaching children simple strategies about keeping safe can help them build confidence and resilience and empower them to be safe in various situations. 

The 3 R’s of Child Safety

Recognise… React… Report 

Year 2

Prayer is essential in a Catholic primary school as it nurtures students' spiritual development and connection with God. Through prayer, children learn to express gratitude, seek guidance, and reflect on their actions, promoting compassion, respect, and forgiveness. It strengthens the sense of community, as students come together in shared faith and purpose, and supports a foundation for lifelong moral growth. Our classrooms start each day with a prayer to ensure students are in a good space for their learning.

Kristy Bates

Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning  (APPL)

Hello to all our families.  

As a school, and working with our School Board and the P&F, we are looking for ideas on how you see parents and families being involved in student learning and student well-being.  

If you could answer this short questionnaire, that would assist the school moving forward.  Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. 

There will be a lucky draw for those who respond ( Bunnings Voucher)

Online safety

for parents and carers

We are open Tuesday and Thursday 8am-8.25am in the hall.

Your support with donations of spreads (not nut based) and bread are needed and appreciated, particularly honey and golden syrup, due to the increase in children accessing the program.

Donations can be dropped off at Tuckshop.

Just a reminder: The toasters will be turned off at 8.15am, so bread with spreads will be the choice once the toast runs out.  This allows both students and staff enough time to be ready for the start of the school day. 

The Amazing Race – Friday 8 November

NOTE: This event is only for Australian Defence Force members and their families.

Townsville ADF members, singles, couples and families are invited to be a part of this year’s (almost) amazing race. You can register a team - friends, fam, school teams, or as an individual and we will place you in a team.

Navigate your way around Norman Park beside Jezzine Barracks on The Strand, deduce clues, solve riddles and complete challenges to be crowned the 2024 winners.

We invite you to join us for an exciting day of activities! please register promptly, as spaces are limited and are expected to sell out quickly. We look forward to having a great time together and can’t wait to see you there!

When: Friday 8th November 2024

Time: 4.30pm-6.00pm

Where: Norman Park 11-13 Isley St North Ward

Tickets: The Amazing Race - Eventbrite

Get Ready Townsville – Tsv City Council’s free community event – Sunday 3 November

Townsville is a beautiful place to live with over 300 days of sunshine. But like many other regions, we have natural hazards residents and visitors need to be aware of and get ready for particular times of the year.

Come on down and hear from experts about how to plan, prepare and act to keep your families and homes safer in our tropical environment and during high-risk weather events, including monsoon and cyclone season.

When: Sunday 3^rd November 2024

Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm

Cost: Free

Where: Jezzine Barracks
38-52 Howitt Street
North Ward QLD 4810

More info can be found on Council’s Facebook page.

Spouse Paint & Sip Night – Friday 15 November

We know it’s 6 weeks away and a lot can happen between now and then, so we’re taking expressions of interest now for our Spouse (adult 18+) Paint & Sip night on Friday the 15th of November.

If you’re keen to come along, complete our EOI form here.

Numbers are capped, so don’t delay – first in first served. You’ll be contacted closer to the day and tickets allocated via Eventbrite then.

The details are:

Where: Tipsy Doodle, 80 Mather St, Garbutt

When: Friday 15 November 2024

Time: 6.30pm-9.30/10pm

Defence Member And Family Helpline

For advice, support or local community information, contact our all-hours Defence Member and Family Helpline. Run by Defence Member and Family Support, the helpline is the best way to access the programs and services that we offer to help Defence families manage the military way of life.

The helpline is available 24/7 and is staffed by qualified human services professionals, including social workers and psychologists.

If your child is going to be absent, please enter the details through Compass, as this is the most efficient way to inform the school.