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- Principal's Corner
- FROM THE APA
- APRE News
- Project Compassion 2022
- Church Car Park
- Sports News
- Mother's Day Stall
- Guidance Counsellor Corner
- Pastoral Chaplain's Chat
- Tuckshop News
- Breakfast Program
- Defence
- Date Claimers
- Term Dates
- Wonder Recycling Rewards for Schools
- Uniform Supplies
- Absent from School
- Assembly and Bell Times
- Community News
- Our Mission Statement
Welcome back to Term 2! It was lovely to see the smiling faces of children and staff yesterday morning. I am sure this term will be another exciting adventure for us all.
One of the highlights of Term 1 was the Stations of the Cross presentation. Children involved with the dramatisation and those who were part of the choir are to be congratulated on their beautiful articulation of this important retelling of the events that occurred during Holy Week. The children presented Stations of Cross to the wider community on the evening of Thursday 31 March and then again to the school community as part of our Easter liturgy on the last day of term. Well done to all involved!
Prep Interviews
The Leadership Team has been busy interviewing and showing prospective new families around our wonderful school. First Round offers for a Prep place for 2023 will be made on Tuesday 17 May. If you have a child who is eligible for Prep next year (born between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018), please submit an enrolment form so a place can be offered to your family on 17 May. Siblings are guaranteed a Prep place and sibling interviews will take place during Term 3.
Our Prep Open Day was a huge success and it was wonderful to see the excited faces of so many little ones who will be ready for ‘big school’ next year. Please continue to promote our school, because the top answer to the question we ask during the interview process “Why are you interested in Holy Spirit Catholic School?” is “We hear great things about the school”. Word of mouth is very powerful when promoting the amazing things that happen here. Thanks for your support.
Best wishes
Kath
This coming Monday, our Yr 6 students will represent our school in the Townsville RSL ANZAC Day March. We would like to thank these students, and their families, for giving their time to represent us on this special occasion. Students will assemble at Strand Park around 8.30 to step off at 9am. Holy Spirit Catholic School has a wonderful reputation for this event and look forward to continued support of our 'diggers'. Lest We Forget.
In 3 weeks, we will take part in the annual Naplan testing period. This will involve the Years 3 and 5 students with their teachers. The schedule for this 9 day period is below.
Get in the Spirit!
Paul Martin
Welcome back, everyone. I hope you all had a lovely Easter and are reinvigorated for the term ahead! On the church calendar, we are now in the Season of Easter which began with Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus. It is seen as a time of new beginnings, of joy and thanksgiving, a celebration of the risen Lord, a period of fifty days ending with the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday.
This week at Holy Spirit, we value courage. Most often, we associate courage with physical prowess or bravery. In a world where it is a capital crime to communicate the Gospel or declare that you are a Christian in certain countries, it is becoming more important that we model this level of courage in our lives in order to defend our faith, especially to our children. Courage requires us to be willing to face fear and uncertainty and many of us don’t really know what courage means. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear; it is acting in spite of the fear. This week we pray our students understand that with God’s protection and guidance, they have nothing to fear and can conquer anything.
At the end of last term, students from Grade 4, 5 and 6 presented Stations of the Cross for our school community. The students – both choir and actors – were outstanding in their singing and performing on both the Thursday night and Friday morning Liturgy. They are to be congratulated for their dedication over the last couple of weeks. Thank you to all our families who came along to see the students. It was lovely to hear so many positive comments that have been passed on to our students.
This Monday is ANZAC Day, a day to remember the courageous men and women who
have served our nation during war, those who have died, those who have returned from war, those who are still in peacekeeping teams and those who have died while helping with humanitarian aid in war torn countries. On Friday at 11am, our whole school will gather for the ANZAC Day Liturgy and we invite everyone to join us in the Hall.
God Bless,
Caroline Fuller
Project Compassion 2022 – FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS
During Lent, we were asked to help raise funds to send to CARITAS to support their mission work. Words cannot express how wonderful it was to see such generosity shown by our students and families for this year’s appeal. Well done to all who contributed to the Project Compassion boxes at home and at school.
We have a number of students who certainly went to great efforts to raise valuable funds for those in need. A little bit goes a long way and it is great to share with our community some of the things our students did for the 2022 Project Compassion Campaign!
Rueben in Grade 6, with the assistance from his mother, made fresh meringues that he sold daily to the Year 5 and 6 students (and a few of us on staff as well). They were delicious and his efforts raised just over $100.
‘I raised money for Project Compassion by doing a raffle at home. It was $2 a ticket and the winner got tonnes of good stuff. I raised $222 in total and when I heard that news, I felt quite happy. I was going to put the money in the PC box in the classroom but ended up adding it to the Easter Raffle.’
Well done, Ashton from Grade 3!
3A Project Compassion Box Fundraising
3A listened to the story of Anaterica from Mozambique. They found out if they collected $148.00, it would provide one toilet for a family in Mozambique. Adalynn cleaned her grandmother's house to raise some money. Some students brought in their 'savings money', some students put in their 'piggy bank' money and some students went without cold cups. Mrs Ferguson went without coffee for 10 school days. They collected enough money to buy two toilets – raising just over $300. Well done 3A!
Easter Raffle Winners
A huge thank you to everyone who go tickets in our Easter Raffle. The winners were drawn from the big box of tickets at our Easter Liturgy and all our winners were in attendance. The raffle raised nearly $1000. In total, our school raised nearly $2000 for Project Compassion thanks to the generosity of our community. Thank you to everyone who helped with a donation.
Holy Spirit Swimmers make a splash at the Interschool Carnival
Before the holidays, Holy Spirit competed in the A-Schools Interschool Swimming Carnival at Long Tan Pool. Our swimmers are champions in our eyes! We are immensely proud of the students’ dedication to training and for giving their best effort. Holy Spirit finished 6th place overall against very tough competition.
Some individual and team exceptional performances are featured below:
- Our Team Captains Abbie, Amelie, Isaac and Kaden established our team spirit with chants all morning!
- The strength of our team was evident with all students doing their best to collect as many points as possible.
- Lachlan H was most improved and finished 3rd place in the 12 years Boys Div 1 race.
- Charlotte A swam beautifully, winning her Div 1 – 8 years Girls race, which proved our future is in good hands.
Thank you to our wonderful staff who helped to coach the 2022 Holy Spirit Swim Team. Special mention must go to Miss Prizeman for leading training sessions. Thank you to parents for assisting with the early morning trainings. Finally, congratulations to all students involved!
Thuringowa District Touch
Congratulations to Ashtyn H – 6B and Destin B – 5D for their selection in the U12 Thuringowa School Touch Team. Well done to Nate G – 5D who represented Holy Spirit at the trials and reached the possible/probable teams selection stage.
Thuringowa District Basketball
Congratulations to Finn W – 6A, Kaden R – 6B, Jemma C – 6A and Shay-Lee W – 5C for their selection in the U12 Thuringowa School Basketball Team. Jemma C – 6A, Shay-Lee W – 5C and Kaden R – 6B were successful in making the Northern Region Team to take part in the Basketball School State Championships in Mackay on 26-29 May.
Thuringowa District Netball
Congratulations to Daijah-Lee KS – 6D, Ella B – 6B and Ruby L – 6D for their selection in the U12 Thuringowa School Netball Team. Daijah-Lee, Ella and Ruby will now trial for the Northern Region Team in Townsville on 2-3 May.
Thuringowa District Rugby League
Congratulations to Nate G – 5D for his selection in the U11 Thuringowa School Rugby League Team. Nate will now trial for the Northern Team in Townsville on 9 May.
Year 5 & 6 Interschool Sport
Interschool sport is played over 3 seasons during the school year on Thursday afternoons (Thuringowa schools) and Friday afternoons (Townsville schools). The geographical boundary is Nathan Street. Holy Spirit Catholic School participates on Thursday afternoons, which is offered to Year 5 & 6 students. The cost is kindly covered by Holy Spirit.
Season 1 (March–May): Hockey, netball and rugby league
Season 2 (June–August): Football, rugby union, tennis and touch
Season 3 (September–November): Australian rules, basketball, cricket and softball
*Sports are offered based on student interest, teacher qualifications and resources.*
Students have currently played 2 matches (due to the heat wave) and are enjoying their various sports. Congratulations to all students involved as their behaviour and sportsmanship have been exemplary.
Save the Date! Prep–Year 6 Cross Country: Term 2 - Friday, 6 May
Yours in Sport,
Brenton Place
HPE Teacher Prep-6
We will be holding the annual Mother’s Day Stall on Thursday, 5th May.
If you can assist with the stall even for an hour please contact Kristy Bates, kbates@hsstsv.catholic.edu.au No experience needed!
This is a great opportunity for children to select that special present.
Prices range from $1 - $6
In this edition of SchoolTV - SCHOOL REFUSAL
School refusal, sometimes called school avoidance or school phobia, is not uncommon. It is different to ‘wagging’ or truancy and is often related to worry or anxiety-related issues about going to school. School refusal may start gradually or happen suddenly. Although it is normal for a child to occasionally miss a day of school, parents should only be concerned if a child regularly complains about feeling sick or often asks to stay home due to minor physical complaints.
School refusal is a complex issue as there is rarely a single cause. It affects children of all ages across primary and secondary levels. It can often occur during times of transition at school. More recently, the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the educational experience of all students, affecting some more than others. Dealing with a school refusal child can affect the whole family, adding pressure to an already challenging time. School refusal is not considered a formal psychiatric diagnosis. It’s a name given to an emotional and/or behavioural problem.
In this edition of SchoolTV, adult carers will learn how best to approach this issue and work towards a solution.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact your child’s teacher for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to the School Refusal edition of SchoolTV
https://hsstsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-refusal
Cyberbullying
A guide to online bullying for parents and carers.
Cyberbullying of children is when someone uses online content or communication to seriously humiliate, seriously harass, seriously intimidate or seriously threaten a child or young person under the age of 18.
It can take many forms including sending abusive messages, hurtful images or videos, nasty online gossip, excluding or humiliating others, or creating fake accounts in someone’s name to trick or humiliate them.
Online bullying can have a devastating impact on young people, whose online life is a key part of their identity and how they interact socially.
On this page:
- I think my child is being bullied
- What to do if your child is being cyberbullied
- Advice for different age groups
Targeted advice is also available for kids, young people or adults who may be experiencing online abuse.
I am worried my child may be bullying others
It is best to deal with any bullying behaviour as soon as possible, before it gets too serious or becomes a regular pattern. Good habits start young has some useful advice.
I think my child is being bullied
Your child may not tell you if they are experiencing bullying behaviour online because of a fear it might make things worse for them or they may lose access to their devices and the internet.
Signs to watch for
- being upset after using the internet or their mobile phone
- changes in personality, such as becoming more withdrawn,
anxious, sad or angry - appearing more lonely or distressed
- unexpected changes in friendship groups
- a decline in their school work
- changes in their sleep patterns
- avoidance of school or clubs
- a decline in their physical health
- becoming secretive about their online activities and
mobile phone use.
I think my child is being bullied
Your child may not tell you if they are experiencing bullying behaviour online because of a fear it might make things worse for them or they may lose access to their devices and the internet.
Signs to watch for
- being upset after using the internet or their mobile phone
- changes in personality, such as becoming more withdrawn,
anxious, sad or angry - appearing more lonely or distressed
- unexpected changes in friendship groups
- a decline in their school work
- changes in their sleep patterns
- avoidance of school or clubs
- a decline in their physical health
- becoming secretive about their online activities and
mobile phone use.
For parents, carers and educators, navigating digital platforms and keeping up with changes may be frustrating and intimidating. However, the e-Safety Commission is readily available to children and adults, providing useful resources and practical information that offers reliable advice for what can at times be perplexing and troublesome. For all queries, please do not hesitate to contact the eSafety Commission directly or speak with your class teacher with any concerns.
Holy Spirit Catholic School uses Flexischools ordering system. To register, login or to place orders, please click this link:
ROSTER |
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21.04.22 |
Anne Fisher, John Kars, Jillian Reddy |
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22.04.22 |
Sue Viviers | ||
25.04.22 |
Marissa Wallace, Joshua Solomon | ||
26.04.22 |
Sue Viviers |
||
27.04.22 |
Christine Nash, Kerri Player, Rebecca McLennan |
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28.04.22 |
John Kars, Rose McSherry |
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29.04.22 |
Sue Viviers, Marissa Wallace |
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02.05.22 |
Brooke Vass, Nicole Boon |
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03.05.22 |
Sue Viviers |
||
04.05.22 |
Helpers Wanted |
||
CAKE (We are kindly accepting donations of packet cakes only at this time) | |||
21.04.22 |
Jo Leviston | ||
25.04.22 |
Allyce Rawnsley, Kathryn Cripps, Kylie Smith, Sam Connor | ||
26.04.22 |
Petrece Dwyer-Sayers | ||
29.04.22 |
Mayleen Nona | ||
02.05.22 |
Belinda Tuckett, Jordana Ferrara, Lanie Hedger, Sally Neiberding | ||
03.05.22 |
Sally Neiberding | ||
FRUIT |
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25.04.22 |
Allyce Rawnsley, Berndadette Bryant, Kathryn Cripps, Sam Connor, Yela Yakere | ||
26.04.22 |
Petrece Dwyer-Sayers | ||
02.05.22 |
Bernadette Bryant, Penny Lange, Sally Neiberding | ||
03.05.22 |
Sally Neiberding |
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 and bread is welcome.
Donations can be dropped off at Tuckshop.
ANZAC DAY 2022 TOWNSVILLE COMMEMORATION
ANZAC Day is a solemn day of remembrance, held on the anniversary of the landing of the First Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Army troops, at Gallipoli in 1915.
On Monday 25 April, Townsville City Council, in partnership with the Townsville RSL Sub-Branch and the Thuringowa RSL Sub-Branch, will present ANZAC Day commemorations at Townsville City and Thuringowa Central.
Townsville City: Dawn Service and Parade
5:30am Dawn Service commences - ANZAC Park, The Strand
8:15am Parade form up at Strand Park
9:00am Parade steps off
10:00am *Wreath Laying opportunity - ANZAC Park, The Strand
*PLEASE NOTE: There is no longer a formal ANZAC Day Mid-Morning Service immediately following the Townsville City parade. Organisations, schools and other participants, wishing to lay a wreath at the ANZAC Park Cenotaph, are invited to do so at the conclusion of the parade.
Thuringowa Central: Dawn Service, Parade and Mid-Morning Service
5:40am Dawn Service commences - Thuringowa Cenotaph, Riverway Precinct, Riverway Drive
8:30am Parade form up at Weir State School carpark
9:00am Parade steps off
9:30am Morning Service - Thuringowa Cenotaph, Riverway Precinct, Riverway Drive
Get to know us before you need us: Meet Jessica
Jessica is the North Queensland Education Liaison Officer (EDLO) and has been a part of the DMFS North Queensland team for a number of years.
Jessica provides support to the Defence School Mentor (DSM) network for North Queensland which includes Townsville and Cairns. Jessica advise families and schools on education issues and Defence student wellbeing. Jessica also works closely with the DSM program coordinators, principals and Defence School Mentors to facilitate the DSM program in local schools.
Follow the link below to find information about the DSM program and other education services.
Support for kids' education: Kids : Department of Defence
WE ARE SOCIAL!
Did you know that DMFS has a variety of social media pages?
DMFS social media pages share links to upcoming events, post important information and celebrate community engagement.
Facebook: @DefenceMemberFamilySupport
Instagram: @dmfs_ausdefence
Twitter: @DMFS_AusDefence
Date |
Event |
April |
21.04.22 |
Interschool Sport - Week 5 |
22.04.22 |
Anzac Day Liturgy |
27.04.22 |
Assembly 6D/2D |
28.04.22 |
Interschool Sport - Week 6 |
Date |
Event |
May |
04.05.22 |
Whole School Assembly |
05.05.22 |
Mother's Day Stall |
06.05.22 |
HSCS Cross Country |
Term Dates 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 |
Wonder Recycling Rewards for Schools
Our school is taking part in the Wonder Recycling Rewards campaign.
Help us collect bread bags so we can earn points to redeem on new Sports equipment. Bread bags can be dropped off to Prep B, see Mrs Connor.
For all further information needed, please see the attached flyer below.
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.
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 |