Welcome back! It's great to see our students back in action as they embrace the start of Term 2.

This coming Friday morning, we will have our Interhouse Cross Country event, which is open to all our students from Prep to Year 6. Our students already have had a walk-through of the track they will run on the day. As this event is a prerequisite for the Interschool Cross Country, our competitive age groups (10-12 year-olds) will have the opportunity to compete for this, with an extension to their track for the required distance. We currently need volunteers to be Course Marshalls, so if you can, please contact us. 

It is a fun-filled morning with the students grouped under their House tents and cheering on their team. Parents and family are welcome to come and watch, and we have designated areas for you to do this. We are hoping to announce the winning House after the last of our runners are finished.

Season 1 of Interschool Sports commences this Thursday, and for the next 6 weeks, teams of Years 5 & 6 will represent our school in Hockey, Netball and Rugby League. Representing our school are students who have shown Our SPIRIT Way here at school and will demonstrate these attributes while competing against other schools. Interschool Sports is a great opportunity for students to try a new sport, especially when they may already play a club sport. Apart from the obvious benefits of physical activity, playing sports helps students better interact with others, regulate emotions, and work towards a common goal. It can teach students how to lead and to follow, as well as negotiate with others; all skills for lifelong learners. If your child is involved in Interschool Sport this season, be sure to ask for the highlights of their game!

Have a great week

Nicole Lennox

Welcome back, everyone. I hope you all had a lovely Easter and are refreshed 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, 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. 

One of the Gospel stories told at this time is the story of the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus after His death and Resurrection. They were telling others what had happened when Jesus suddenly appeared among them. Jesus reassured them telling them not to be afraid, and convinced them He was real and alive, despite His wounds, by eating a piece of fish. Jesus told His disciples to go out and tell the world that He had died and risen to new life. They were to be His witnesses to all that had happened. As members of the Christian family, we are called to follow Christ and be a witness for Him every day of our lives by living God’s way.

As we begin a new term, this week at Holy Spirit we value hospitality. Hospitality is about people welcoming others into spaces where they spend their time. It is making sure everyone is comfortable and offering help or guidance to those who need it. Therefore, our hospitality to others is a sign of our love for God, for God is always present when guests are present at the table. With the start of the new term, we often welcome new students and staff to our school. The value of hospitality will definitely be at work this week as we open our school to welcome new people. 

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 Tuesday night and Wednesday morning Liturgy. They are to be congratulated for their dedication over the last couple of weeks of the term as they practised for the performances. 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.

Next Thursday 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 Wednesday at our Assembly, our whole school will gather for ANZAC Day Prayer and we invite everyone to join us in the Hall.

Project Compassion 2024 – FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS
During Lent, we were asked to help raise funds to send to CARITAS to support their mission work. Your generous support can help change lives today - and For All Future
Generations. 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. A little bit goes a long way and it is great to share with our community that we raised just over $1200 for this worthy cause! Congratulations to our winners in the Easter Raffle. Well done to our Crochet Club who got themselves together to make bracelets for students to wear. This money was also raised for Project Compassion. What a great little initiative by students!

Welcome back and God bless.
Caroline Fuller

Pedagogy & Learning News

Welcome back to Term 2

Welcome back to all our new and existing families. I hope everyone had a restful break and are ready for another busy learning term.

Classroom Showcase

At the end of last term, we organised a classroom showcase where families and students could visit classrooms and see the outstanding learning happening across all year levels. Here are some photos from the event.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing was completed at the end of last term. The students worked hard throughout the testing period. Well done to all students for their efforts. Individual Student Reports will be available to parents in early Term 3.

Kristy Bates

Acting Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning 

Prep Enrolments are now being accepted for new enrolments and for siblings for 2025 – Application forms are available on the school website or click HERE

Families who have a sibling entering Prep in 2025, please submit your enrolment form to the office as soon as possible.

Due to popular demand, we are once again taking orders for our HSCS Indigenous shirt.

Ordered shirts will be delivered to the school.

Click on the below link to order before May 2.

https://blackchrome.com.au/shop/holy-spirit-catholic-school/

Good Habits Start Young

Parents and carers play an important role in helping children to develop digital intelligence — the social, emotional and practical skills needed to successfully navigate the digital world.

Even for preschool children, it is never too early to instil good habits, and as your child gets older it is useful to keep reminding them of these basic digital intelligence principles: respect, empathy, critical thinking, responsible behaviour and resilience. These are also principles you can emphasise with your child when things go wrong.

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, due to the increase in children accessing the program.

Donations can be dropped off at Tuckshop.

Playgroup is in the process of relocating from Holy Spirit School OHSC to the Spirit Centre next to Holy Spirit Parish and a new day WEDNESDAY 9am to 11am...so stay tuned!

In this edition of SchoolTV - NEURODIVERSITY

Neurodiversity emphasises the natural variation in how an individual's brain functions and how they perceive and interact with the world, leading to diverse ways of learning and communicating. While most young people are neurotypical, some exhibit variations in brain development, such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, making them neurodivergent.

Embracing neurodiversity involves accepting, celebrating, and supporting neurodivergent children and adolescents without attempting to change or treat their differences. Using respectful language, challenging unhelpful attitudes, avoiding assumptions, and actively promoting inclusivity can help embrace neurodiversity effectively.

Acknowledging the unique ways neurodiverse young people do things and then adapting tasks and activities to ensure their full participation will encourage them to develop strategies that feel natural to them. It will help improve their mental health, wellbeing and sense of self. By recognising and nurturing their strengths, parents and caregivers can contribute to building an inclusive and compassionate society where all young people can thrive.

Learning more about neurodiversity, equips caregivers with insights into effective communication techniques, educational strategies, and parenting approaches tailored to the specific needs of their neurodivergent child.

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 the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Neurodiversity edition of SchoolTV
https://hsstsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/neurodiversity

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.