Filter Content
- Principal's Corner
- From the APA
- APRE News
- Anniversary of the National Apology
- Protocols for 2022
- Administration of Medication
- School Routines & Procedures
- Breakfast Program
- Tuckshop News
- Pastoral Chaplain's Chat
- FairPlay vouchers
- Defence
- Uniform Supplies
- Term Dates
- Absent from School
- Assembly and Bell Times
- Community News
- Townsville Hockey Sign on 2022
- Our Mission Statement
Welcome to the new school year! Thank you to staff and families for making me feel at home. It has been lovely visiting classes throughout this week and getting advice from the children to help me settle in and learn what is great about our school. It is such a privilege to be the new Principal of Holy Spirit Catholic School!
The silver lining of the delayed start to school enabled our staff more time to engage in Professional Development opportunities which included Inclusive Education, Spelling, Writing and Prayer. Our team is excited and well and truly ready for the year ahead.
School Board
The Chair of the Board, Fred Nucifora, completed his tenure at the end of last year due to his children finishing their primary school years at Holy Spirit. We are seeking expressions of interest from parents who are interested in being part of our Board. If you would like to nominate or learn more about how our Board operates, please send an email to ktarttelin5@hsstsv.catholic.edu.au We meet on the third Tuesday of each month (eight meetings a year) from 5.30pm – 6.30pm.
Newsletter Distribution
Our Newsletter is moving to fortnightly distribution through Schoolzine. To receive the newsletter please click this LINK. We will actively keep our community informed through a variety of avenues. We encourage you to ‘like’ our Facebook page. Compass notifications will be sent weekly letting our families know what is coming up in the week ahead. We will be seeking your feedback about this approach at the end of Semester 1 to gauge whether this is an effective way of keeping you informed.
Take care
Kath
At Holy Spirit, we follow our 6 pillars that make up the 'Spirit Way":
S - Safety
P - Persistence
I - Inclusion
R - Respect
I - Inspire
T – Thankful
As this year has a few changes to how we start our school year, we have witnessed many of these pillars being displayed by our school community. The resilience displayed by our students on day 1 typifies our persistence, grit and determination to face the challenge of a new school year. The positive attitude from our parents encouraging our little ones to 'go and have a great day' was tremendous to watch. Our staff inspiring us with their dedication to their profession in the last 2 weeks as they prepared, meet through Zoom and challenged each other through professional development. Brilliant.
Welcome back to the 2022 school year. It was lovely to see so many smiling faces on Monday as our families returned to school. A special welcome to those families and students that are new to our school.
In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus delivers a sermon to a large crowd on a mount as they gathered beside the Sea of Galilee. Jesus explained to the crowd that true happiness comes from trusting God and allowing his love to fill our lives. We cannot help but share it with others and through giving and sharing, we make other people happy too. We encourage our students to care for each other so all stay safe and happy, especially as we begin a new year.
Our school focuses on a Holy Spirit Value each week and this week we commence the school year with the value of respect. Having respect for someone means you think good things about who a person is or how he or she acts. Respect also means that you accept somebody for who they are, even when they are different from you or you don’t agree with them. We often use the value of respect in schools when we are speaking with children and how they treat others. We reinforce that showing respect to someone means they act in a way that shows they care about their feelings and well-being. This week we pray that our students show respect for others by thinking and acting in a way that shows others they care about their feelings and their well-being, not calling others names, treating each other with courtesy and caring about themselves. What better way to begin the school year?
I hope you all have a lovely start to the school year.
God bless
Caroline Fuller
Anniversary of the National Apology
This Sunday 13th February is the anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. All students are invited to wear their Indigenous shirts this Friday 11th February to acknowledge this special date in our Nation's history.
Holy Spirit Catholic School Indigenous shirts are optional and students are invited to wear them on special days. The shirts are currently available for pre-order online. The cut-off date for pre-ordering is Friday 18th February. Delivery will be made to the school by the end of term 1. To order go to this link: https://blackchrome.com.au/shop/holy-spirit-catholic-school/
Thank you to parents and carers for observing physical distancing!
Please be aware of the current guidelines from the QLD Health Department and the Qld Government around Covid 19. These include:
- physical distancing between adults;
- masks to be worn;
- not exceeding occupant density limits for classrooms;
- staying home when unwell;
- checking in with QR code;
We will continue to promote good hygiene measures such as:
- washing hands regularly with soap and water
- use of hand sanitiser if soap is unavailable;
- cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of their elbow
- dispose of used tissues in the bin immediately.
Together we can keep students, their families, our staff and the wider community safe!
Thank you for your cooperation!
MEDICATION
Administration of Medication to Students During School Hours
Should your child be prescribed by their medical practitioner to take medication while at school, we wish to inform you of the current Diocese of Townsville regulations with respect to this matter.
The parent or caregiver must complete the school’s medication form which is available from the office and on the school’s website www.hsstsv.catholic.edu.au/About tab/ School Forms.
Please Note: This form must be completed each year even if there is no change to the child’s medication.
Medication |
Instructions/Forms |
Administration |
Ongoing medication - Asthma/Anaphylactic other ongoing medication |
Must have both an up to date school medication form & an action plan from the relevant doctor. |
Will be administered by the school office staff. |
Event medication - Prescribed by doctor for short term use e.g. antibiotics, prescribed eye/ear drops |
Parent must complete the school’s medication form.
|
Will be administered by the school office staff. |
Non-prescription medications Paracetomol (e.g. Panadol, Herron, Panamax) cough medicines or ear/eye drops |
Must be labelled with the student’s name by a prescribing health practitioner.
|
Will be administered in by office staff in accordance with the dosage written on the container from the pharmacist or notification by the doctor. |
NB: Non-prescribed medication which has not been labelled by a prescribing health practitioner will not be administered. |
Supervision of Students Before and After School
Out of Hours School Care is provided for children arriving at school before 8.00am and unaccompanied by an adult. The safety of our students is paramount and we ask all parents to co-operate with ensuring children do not arrive at school prior to 8.00am and are collected by 3.10pm.
Beginning of School Day
The following supervision is provided from 8am.
|
|
Years 1-3 |
Bibi Goo Yumba (the under cover adjacent to the library)
|
Years 4-6 |
the Tuckshop shed
|
Prep students |
supervised by parents
|
End of School Day
There are three supervised waiting areas:
Lynch Family Hall for children collected from Hatchett St.
Church grounds for Children collected form the Holy Spirit Church car park
Gazebo on the back oval - Albert Street access.
With the exception of OHSC students, all students are to be collected by 3.10pm.
Emails
Email is a wonderful means of communication allowing parents and teachers to communicate. We live in a world where information can be instant, unfortunately this is not always possible in schools. Teachers will endeavour to answer your email, however, expectations need to be reasonable. Staff members are not expected to respond to emails sent after 5pm until at least the following day. There are times when teachers need to seek information and clarification before making a response.
Communication
The school newsletter is our main means of communication. Be informed by reading the fortnightly newsletter, to subscribe to receive the newsletter please click this LINK
Information is also sent out via Facebook and Compass to help keep families informed.
Do you have someone in the family who does not speak English? Our school newsletter is available in a wide range of languages. On the first page you will find Translate just under the Subscribe to the Newsletter icon, choose a language and keep up with all that is happening at Holy Spirit.
Students Sign-in Sign-out Register
Please note: Any student who is late for school must be signed in by their parent/carer at the office and collect an arrival pass to take to the class teacher.
If a student needs to leave the school during the school day their parent/carer must
1. |
Attend the office and request to pick up the child. |
2. |
Office staff will call the classroom and request for the child to come to the office. |
3. |
Child is signed out via the compass kiosk in the office. |
This means parents must not go straight to classrooms to pick up students during the school day.
If parents do need to collect a student during school hours please go to the office to sign them out and wait while office staff call the classroom.
Make sure you give yourself sufficient time when collecting your child/children as it can take a few minutes to locate a student due to factors such as the class may be out at sport or in a specialist lesson.
If a student is returning to school after an appointment they must be signed back in at the office and collect a slip to take to the class teacher.
We are open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8am-8.25am at the hall.
Your support with donations of spreads (not nut based) would be appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at Tuckshop.
Holy Spirit Catholic School uses Flexischools ordering system. To register, login or to place orders, please click this link:
Tuckshop welcomes all new and returning parents to 2022. We are looking forward to a great year. Notes have been sent home on compass asking for volunteers for tuckshop and cake/fruit & veg rosters. Please feel free to drop in if you have any questions. If you have been on one of our rosters before and wish to continue you can just send an email if that is easier.
Please find 2022 Menu and roster forms on the school’s website:
https://www.hsstsv.catholic.edu.au/about/tuckshop/
“Today, parents face a multitude of modern day challenges in raising happy, well and resilient young people. Whilst there is a great deal of information available, this can often be confusing and overwhelming for parents looking for guidance.
SchoolTV addresses this as a new online resource designed to empower you as parents with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies”.
For access to SchoolTV resources that relate to students and school attendance, please visit the School Survival Series, which includes topics such as “School Refusal” and “School Transition”.
Round 6 of FairPlay vouchers opened on 19 January 2022.
Is your child looking to join a club and get active? They can learn some great skills and meet new friends. They may even discover a lifelong passion for a sport or recreation activity.
The FairPlay vouchers program is a Queensland Government initiative that supports children and young people who need it most, so they can start or continue to be physically active.
Eligible parents, caregivers and guardians can apply for a voucher valued up to $150 for their child which can be put towards sport and active recreation membership, registration or participation fees. Vouchers can be used with registered Activity Providers.
It’s all part of Activate! Queensland 2019–2029, the Queensland Government’s 10-year strategy to get more Queenslanders moving, more often.
For more information, visit qld.gov.au/fairplayvouchersThe Defence Member and Family Support Townsville office would like to welcome our newest staff members to the team:
Family Liaison Officer (part-time) – Kim Lazarevic
Defence Social Worker – Jacqui Belsak
Defence Social Worker – Mary Pearson
Military Support Officer (Army) – MAJ David Long; &
Military Support Officer (RAAF) – SQNLDR Lisa Power
Contact details below:
dmfs.townsville@defence.gove.au
Nathan Business Centre, 340 Ross River Road, Aitkenvale 4814
Office Hours Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm
Ph: 07 4430 3879
FIND OUT FIRST!
Join our mailing list
Do you know someone who has recently moved to Townsville, or perhaps they have been here a while and may not be on our mailing list?
Why not flick them this e-News so they can scan the QR code at the bottom of this email, and subscribe to receive information about upcoming events and services!
Did you know? DMFS Townsville also have an Eventbrite page. Tickets for events will be uploaded to Eventbrite for registration.
Keep an eye on the page to see what’s happening and to secure your spot at the event.
DMFS social media pages will also share links to upcoming events.
HELLO FROM THE EDLO!
Connecting with your child’s new teacher and school
The start of the 2022 new year will also be the start of a new school for many of our Defence children. For those children who are not new to our beautiful region, it is highly likely that they will have a new teacher.
So how do you make strong connections with the new teacher and/or new school? Listed below are a few points that can assist you and your child to have a good start.
- Provide the new teacher and the new school with as much information as you can – your child’s educational progress, issues of concern, etc. Schools prefer to begin the year with as much information as possible to be able to support your child’s learning.
- Keep in contact with your child’s teacher as your child settles in, so that if any problems arise they can be dealt with quickly. Let the teacher know that you welcome contact.
- Get to know your DSM (Defence School Mentor) if there is one at the school. The DSM are there to support your child as they settle into school, and assist them to make new friends. They will also support children at school during times of parental absence from home for service requirements. So don’t forget to let them know if a parental absence is to occur.
- Email is a popular way to communicate with your child’s teacher. However, keep in mind that teachers rarely find the time during school hours to read emails. As you would be aware, teachers struggle through a school term to maintain work /life balance.
- Pop into the classroom on occasion for a quick visit. Mornings are often hectic for teachers, so keep contact brief. You could, if possible, select a regular day that you collect your child – weekly or fortnightly, so that the teacher knows he/she can catch up with you if needed at that time.
- Attend parent‐teacher events.
- If you have concerns, you should schedule a time to catch up with the teacher, so that you can have a meeting that is not rushed.
- Work together with the school to support your child. Consider becoming involved in the school community if you can – reading, tuckshop, fund‐raising, P&C, etc. We know that strong connections to friends, school and community build family resilience.
- Encourage your child to get involved in the lunchtime clubs, student council and other activities at school.
- Congratulate your child when they manage the challenges of a new class/school/teacher in a positive way. Children need to learn the skills to deal with adversity, so that they have these skills when they leave home. Adversity is important to shape us as adults, so don’t jump in and always protect your child from negative life experiences. Teach them what to do instead.
- Facilitate the building of friendships if possible. Introducing yourself to the parents of new friends can help to smooth the way.
- During such a big change, try and keep as much of your daily routines the same as possible. An important aspect of settling children into any environment is to make them feel safe and secure. Children take comfort in routines and will feel more secure if mealtime, bedtimes and other important rituals remain unchanged.
- Don’t forget that the Education Assistance Scheme (EAS – PACMAN Vol 2 Chap 8 Part 4) is available to minimise the disruption of a posting, providing assistance with tutoring costs, and some support for students with special needs. Funding for additional tuition is available within the first 18 months of the posting. Tutoring is funded for 1 hour per week per subject for 14 weeks for those subject in which a child needs support. For more information you can contact the Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608, or email the Education team at education.supportprograms@
defence.gov.au.
Best wishes for the New Year!
Jessica Stark - Education Liaison Officer (EDLO)
Drive-thru Welcome to Townsville Packs pick-up: Friday 4th February
Even though our 2022 Welcome Expo has been postponed, we’re still eager to Welcome you to our city and region!
The DMFS Townsville team will be handing out Welcome Packs from a drive-thru stand outside in the car-park at the local office in Aitkenvale. You won’t miss the flags and staff armed with our bright orange tote bags.
No need to stop and park, just drive in and we’ll pass you a bag through your car window!
Where: DMFS Townsville office, Nathan Business Centre, 340 Ross River Rd Aitkenvale.
When: 2 sessions - 1) 9.30am - 10.30am & 2) 12pm - 1.30pm
Registration: not required - just drive thru!
For more information or to organise collection at another time, please call us on 07 4430 3879 or email the DMFS Townsville office.
Virtual Trivia Night: Friday 11th February
Get your thinking caps on and join us on the 11th of February for DMFS Townsville’s first ever virtual trivia night.
There’ll be five rounds filled with a variety of themed questions to get you thinking, and some fast paced challenges to keep you on your toes.
This is a free activity however numbers are limited so register for a spot now by emailing Meagan at dmfs.townsville@defence.gov.au. Meagan will then send you the link to join.
Where: The comfort of your own home
When: Friday 11th February 7:30-9pm.
Cost: Free
Time to Dine - Partner Night Out: Friday 18th February
Meet new friends, catch-up with old ones and if you haven’t already, you’ll meet DMFS Townsville’s Family Liaison Officers, Kim & Meagan.
This is a self-funded activity. Attendees are responsible for the cost of purchasing their own food and drinks.
Where: Riverview Tavern.
When: Friday 18th February 7:00pm.
Registration: Watch this space - Eventbrite ticket registration details will be sent out in an e-Newsflash in the coming weeks.
All uniform supplies are available at The School Locker, Domain Central (close to Bunnings).
Phone 1800 826 155
Uniform days for students:
Monday and Wednesday - Formal uniform
Tuesday and Thursday - Sports uniform
Friday - own choice
Senior shirts may be worn on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Term Dates 2022 |
||
Term 1 |
Monday 24 January 2022 |
Friday 1 April 2022 |
Term 2 |
Tuesday 19 April 2022 |
Friday 24 June 2022 |
Term 3 |
Monday 11 July 2022 |
Friday 16 September 2022 |
Term 4 |
Tuesday 4 October 2022 |
Friday 2 December 2022 |
Pupil Free Day: Friday 2 September 2022 |
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.
Wednesday Assemblies |
|
Prep – Year 2 |
8.40am |
Years 3 – 6 |
2.10pm |
Whole School Assemblies |
8.45am |
Daily Bell Times |
|
8.15 am |
Students are allowed to move to class |
8.30 am |
School day commences |
10.30 am |
Morning tea bell |
10.55 am |
Five minute warning bell |
11.00 am |
School day resumes |
1.00 pm |
Lunch bell |
1.25 pm |
Five minute warning bell |
1.30 pm |
School day resumes. |
2.50 pm |
School day concludes |