Looking for practical ways to support your child's online safety? Join our free webinars designed specifically for parents and carers. 

Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online

Learn how to effectively use parental controls to protect your child from harmful content, manage their online time, and monitor their communications. This 45-minute webinar will cover: 

• Types of parental controls for smart devices, apps, gaming platforms, and computers. 
• Integrating parental controls with other online safety strategies to build your child's digital and critical skills. 

3 June, 3.30pm AEST

Suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary school and lower high school. 

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Supportive Families!

I want to extend a warm shout-out to our families who generously support our school community by volunteering at events throughout the year. Volunteering is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow parents and build meaningful relationships with our staff. Plus, there's nothing quite like the joy on your children's faces when they see you at school—yes, even your older kids secretly love having you around!

Recently, our student leaders took the initiative to organise an exciting disco for Year 5 and Year 6 students. This event not only showcased their leadership skills but also reflected their commitment to fostering a vibrant school community. Through careful planning and collaboration with school leadership, they created a fun-filled evening featuring lively music, colourful decorations, and engaging activities, all of which left lasting memories for their peers.

The disco provided an excellent opportunity for students to socialise while also encouraging teamwork and responsibility among the leaders as they managed logistics, promoted the event, and ensured a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone involved.

A special thank you goes out to the staff who dedicated their evening to supervise and to the parents who manned the BBQ and served food and drinks to our students. Events like this simply wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our volunteers.

In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out for volunteers to assist with Holy Spirit Day and to help at checkpoints during our SPIRIT walk. Additionally, our Athletics Carnival in Week 9 will require all hands on deck to create an exciting day of sporting achievements.

If you’ve ever considered volunteering at our school but want to start small, our Tuckshop ladies would be thrilled to have you! They often struggle to find enough volunteers, and even if you can spare just one morning a week or once a term, it would be greatly appreciated. Our small group of volunteers will assure you that the work is manageable and doesn’t require any specific skills. Plus, you’ll enjoy a free morning tea or lunch, bottomless tea and coffee, great music, and wonderful company. Seeing parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles in the Tuckshop adds an extra layer of excitement!

Thank you for your continued support!

Nicole Lennox

On the fifth Sunday of Easter, the Gospel (John 13:31-35) returns to the event of the Last Supper, when, just after Judas had left, Jesus told his disciples he would soon be leaving them.  Jesus then gave them a new commandment, ‘to love one another as he had loved them.’ 

This week, we value Excellence.  Achieving excellence is a very difficult thing to do at times.  Striving for excellence is trying to do our best at whatever task we set our minds to do.  At Holy Spirit, staff are always looking for ways to help students achieve excellence.   We pray that our students draw upon their many skills and show excellence in a given area.

Tomorrow is International Day of Families (15 May). Families are the foundation of

society.  Some of the most formative years of our lives are spent growing up with our families, so they should be celebrated! Founded by the United Nations in 1994, the International Day of Families is observed on May 15 every year to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world and has been around since 1994.  This year’s theme, Lending a hand to thrive: supporting each other, highlights the importance of connection, care and resilience within families.  It’s an opportunity to reflect on the strength of family bonds, reconnect with loved ones and embrace activities that bring us together.

Lending a hand to thrive:  supporting each other is at the heart of strong families and connected communities.  When families support one another through life’s challenges, they create a foundation for resilience and growth.  Whether it’s parents guiding their children, siblings looking out for each other, or extended family stepping in during difficult times, these acts of care and encouragement strengthen family bonds.  A helping hand, whether emotional, financial, or simply being present, can make all the difference in ensuring that no one feels alone in their struggles.  No matter what family looks like for you, let’s celebrate the power of support and the difference we can make for each other.  For more information, you can visit National Families Week website at www.nfw.org.au  

The Feast of Mary, Help of Christians is May 24th.  Mary Help of Christians is the Patron Saint of Australia and also of the Townsville Diocese.  When the Bishops of Australia met for their first synod, in 1844, they decided that under the title “Help of Christians”, Our Lady should become the Patroness of the Australian Church.  Mary has long been recognised for her powerful role as intercessor to her Son, Jesus, for the needs of the faithful and their protection.  

Mary Help of Christians
Patroness of Australia & Townsville Diocese 

Almighty God, deepen in our hearts
our love of Mary Help of Christians.
Through her prayers and under her protection,
may the light of Christ shine over our land.
May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.
Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Bless especially the men and women
of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.

God bless.

Caroline Fuller

Year 1

Our Year 1 students have been busy creating something special for Mother’s Day, a homemade Pink Lemonade sugar scrub! They carefully measured, mixed, and packaged this delightful gift with love and care. We hope it brings a smile to our community's wonderful mums and carers!

Our Year 1 students have been actively engaged in hands-on math rotations this week! Through fun and interactive activities, they explored number patterns, shapes, and problem-solving strategies, building confidence and a love for learning along the way.

Staff Professional Development

Last week, our staff participated in a professional development day, engaging in valuable learning and collaboration to strengthen our teaching practices and support student success.

Kristy Bates

Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning  (APPL)

Our Spirit Walk is on Friday 13th June, 2025

Remember to create a profile page at www.myprofilepage.au and share your profile to family and friends to receive online donations.

Simply raise $10 to receive your first incentive prize, there are 15 prizes to collect!

Become a Fundraising Monstar and receive a Monty Handball by completing all your online virtual badges!  Can you receive them all?

eSafetyparents

Online safety basics – what you need to know

Hello to all of our defence families and friends, I have included some information regarding “National Families Week” for your consideration. Please follow the links below or go to the Defence Kidz website.

The unique challenges Australian Defence Force
(ADF) families experience are recognised annually at events across Australia, as part of “National Families Week”. 

 In 2024, “Veteran Families Day” was formally recognised by the South Australian
Government.

This year, Defence Kidz (Defence Kidz Foundation Inc.) have invited DMFS to share
an initiative with the DSM Network:
 “Create to Celebrate, developed by Defence Kidz to mark Veteran Families Day on
15 May.
Veteran Families Day is a national opportunity to recognise the strength, resilience
and sacrifices of the families who support our current and former serving members.
It’s a day to acknowledge that behind every veteran is a family that has walked
alongside them through service, deployment, transition and beyond.
To help schools honour this important day, we’ve created a free resource pack to
support classroom engagement and reflection. The pack includes:
 
•             Colouring sheets representing the Army, Navy and Air Force
•             A military-themed word find activity
•             Australian Curriculum-aligned lesson plans for Reception to Year 6
•             A reflection booklet for students to draw and write about their families
•             An explanation sheet with ideas to implement in the classroom or
               schoolyard

A message from your Family Liaison Officers
We know that periods of separation—whether due to deployments, exercises,
courses, or unaccompanied postings—can be challenging for Defence members and
their families. But you are not alone. There are a range of support services and
programs available to help you navigate these times. Through Defence Member and
Family Support (DMFS), you can access resilience-building workshops, social
connection events, and practical resources tailored to your needs. If you are part of
an Unaccompanied Resident Family (URF), there are community engagement
activities and welfare support networks designed to keep you
connected. There are also great resources for children to help them understand and
cope with parental absences. Our role as your Family Liaison Officers is to support
you, provide guidance, and ensure you have access to the services that can make a
real difference. If you ever need a chat, advice, or just a friendly face, please reach
out—We are here to help.

Regards, Deb and Heather
You can contact us on 07 4430 3879 or by email dmfs.townsville@defence.gov.au

Join Our Mailing List

Moving? You can change your Area Office subscription by clicking this button too!
Our monthly eNews provides information about our support services, programs and upcoming events.
Be the first to know about upcoming DMFS events and activities so that you don't miss out on tickets. Stay up to date with community information and stay connected with what's on in your community.
By joining our mailing list, you will receive a monthly update straight to your inbox. It's as easy as scanning the QR Code. Please share with new families posting to the region.

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.

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. 

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.