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- From the Principal's Chair
- From the APA Chair
- APRE News
- HSCS Indigenous Shirts
- IMPORTANT MESSAGE REGARDING ACCESSING INFORMATION FROM COMPASS
- Ignatius Park School Tour
- Tuckshop News
- Defence
- Pastoral Chaplain's Chat
- Date Claimers
- Term Dates
- Community News
- Speech & Drama
- Uniform Supplies
- Assembly and Bell Times
- Absent from School
- Our Mission Statement
Welcome to Week 3 and Happy Catholic Education Week! This year marks 175 years of Catholic Education in Queensland. It started in Brisbane all those years ago and now boasts 307 Catholic Schools in our fantastic state. This week is a chance for us to celebrate our traditions and charisms and remember why Holy Spirit Catholic School came to exist. Due to the Covid restrictions, many of the celebrations have had to be cancelled but we can still celebrate in our own schools. Having spent my own school days in the catholic system and now my own children completing their studies in catholic schools, it is a great reminder why we 'choose the catholic school difference'. Thank you to our families for the wonderful support of our catholic school and we look forward to your continued enthusiasm to keep Holy Spirit the premier school in Townsville.
Our 'Run around Qld' is in its final weeks and we have some star performers. Congratulations to Lachlan H (Yr 4) who is currently passing through Roma and on his way to the Gold Coast. Also to Ella M (Year 6) who is departing Barcaldine for Emerald. The students are there most mornings churning out the laps to travel around our beautiful state. The 'Run around Qld' starts at 8am and is for those students who wish to run, walk skip around the course starting from the back of the hall. All from Year 3 and up are invited to attend.
Thank you to the families that followed in some fantastic advice and have a sign for the car for pick ups in the afternoon. It has made the transition through the waiting zones that little more smoother for all involved. A wonderful family even made one for yours truly as a special gift. Thank you
The Catholic Education Office continue to update schools on Covid restrictions and procedures and many routines are already established in our school. We continue to monitor the situation and follow our hygiene protocols in the classrooms and playgrounds. If anything eventuates and needs to be passed onto parents, Compass will continue to be our method of communication. Please ensure your family details are up to date so that all information can be passed on.
Enjoy your week
Happy Days
Year 5 & 6 Interschool Sport - Cancelled
The Townsville School Sport Executive met recently and unfortunately, have made the decision to cancel the anticipated reboot of Interschool Sport in Term 3. The decision was not made lightly, understanding the impact this will have on many school communities. The current restrictions and guidelines, along with working with outside agencies and venues and their individual Covid-19 plans, meant that mitigating the inherent risks involved were not possible.
Holy Spirit Athletics Carnival – Thursday 27 and Friday 28 August
Training for track and field events has been taking place during physical education lessons and will culminate with an Athletics Carnival held on the School Oval across two days on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 August. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions this event is for students only. Students will compete in their Year Levels, although results for students will be calculated by year of birth as per Qld School Sport. Students 5-8 years will take part in track and novelty events with an emphasis on both fun and participation. Students 9-12 years will be eligible for age champions as they will compete in both track field events. Further information will be available closer to the date.
School Safe Persons
Student protection and wellbeing are paramount at Holy Spirit Catholic School. We place the highest priority on the safety and care of the children and young people. All children have a right to expect that the school will always do all that is possible to protect them from any harm and create safe learning environments. All school staff attend yearly training in student protection matters. The four staff members who are appointed as School Safe Persons receive comprehensive in-service.
The Safe Persons at Holy Spirit Catholic School are: School Principal Geraldine Egelton, Classroom Teacher Evon Downie, Classroom Teacher Kim Williamson and HPE Teacher Brenton Place. Safe Persons posters are displayed in all classrooms and prominent locations around the school. Further information about Holy Spirit and Townsville Catholic Education’s commitment to Student Protection is available here.
Strength in the Spirit,
Brenton Place
Acting Assistant to the Principal – Admin
In Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 13:44-46), Jesus told three parallel stories: the hidden treasure, the fine pearl and the fishing net. The first tells a story about a man who found a box of treasure in a field, another about a merchant who found the most perfect, beautiful pearl. Jesus wanted us to understand that God’s love for us is like priceless treasure, worth more than all our worldly possessions. We can share in God’s kingdom now on earth, through the way we live with love, forgiveness, kindness, generosity, honesty and truthfulness, all things we value in our friends or those around us.
This week at Holy Spirit we value excellence. Excellence often refers to greatness, the very best. Achieving excellence is a very difficult thing to do at times. It is a quality that people really appreciate, because it is so hard to find. 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. This week, during Catholic Education Week, we pray that our students draw upon their many skills and show excellence in a given area.
Catholic Education Week is a lovely time to reflect on the importance of being in one of the 307 Catholic Schools in Queensland with their distinctive mission and ethos. While COVID-19 has limited how we celebrate this as a group, it is a great opportunity to look at what makes Holy Spirit a great school. A number of Year 6 students were asked what it means to be in a Catholic School and here are a couple of their responses…
God bless.
Caroline Fuller
HSCS Indigenous Shirt now ready
Holy Spirit Catholic School Indigenous Shirt for students and staff is ready to be ordered online. These shirts are optional and will have special days to be worn to school. There are shirts available in the Office to use as a size guide if needed (during Office hours). All orders must be in no later than 31/07/2020. Delivery will be made to the school at the beginning of September.
To order, please use the following link:
https://www.blackchrome.com.au/shop/holy-spirit-catholic-school/
IMPORTANT MESSAGE REGARDING ACCESSING INFORMATION FROM COMPASS
To ensure that you can access your child's school report and naplan results please update the Family Details Update form sent this week. If your details or circumstances have changed in any way, please make the neccessary changes and return to the school office ASAP.
To assist us in planning for 2021, could you please return the continuing enrolment form also sent home this week, by Friday 14th August, to your child's classroom teacher. Please check your child's bag if you haven't seen this. We realise this is very early for some families, however, we require approximate numbers to inform the Townsville Catholic Education Office.
Continuing enrolment form can also be found HERE
Holy Spirit Catholic School uses Flexischools ordering system. To register, login or to place orders, please click this link:
ROSTER |
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30.07.20 |
John Edwards |
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31.07.20 |
Jeena Philips-Koshy, Tim Marrinan, Virginia Novinetz |
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03.08.20 |
Kate Smith, Paula Luke | ||
04.08.20 |
Sue Viviers, Thiru Sasi Emmanuel, Tina McDonough | ||
05.08.20 |
Christine Nash, Kerri Player, Sandra Farrington, Sheena Kernorske |
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CAKE (We are kindly accepting donations of packet cakes only at this time) | |||
03.08.20 |
Belinda Tuckett, Lanie Hedger |
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04.08.20 |
Helen Spagnol | ||
05.08.20 |
Bernadette Bryant | ||
FRUIT |
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03.08.20 |
Allyce Rawnsley, Penny Lange | ||
04.08.20 |
Bernadette Bryant, Louise Sutton |
Dr Seuss Picnic: Grab your tickets today
It’s fun to have fun but you have to know how! The young and young at heart are invited to join us for a morning of wacky fun in the park at our Dr Seuss themed picnic. Get into the spirit and come dressed as your favourite Dr Seuss character. We have lots of fun activities planned for all ages.
BYO rug and pack a picnic to enjoy on the lawns. We will provide some light snacks, cordial and water but you will need to BYO coffee
Deployment: Embracing the Challenge webinar series
DCO has recently launched a webinar series, ‘Deployment: Embracing the Challenge’, which aims to provide easily accessible support and information to families with a loved one who is deployed. Importantly, it’s also a chance to ask questions.
The next webinar is on the 30th of July at 2000 AEST and is aimed at helping families adjust to deployment.
Over the coming months there will be a number of webinars, with each targeting a different aspect of the deployment experience. For future webinars, follow DCO on social media for up-to-date information and links to get tickets for upcoming webinars in the series. Free webinar tickets are available through Eventbrite with links available from the ‘events tab’ on the DCO website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Forcenet.
Depending on your individual circumstances, there’s also a range of practical and emotional support available before, during and after deployment, such as:
- Immediate 24/7 support from our DCO Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608
- Brief intervention counselling from our regionally based social workers
- Referral to community and longer-term supports
- Absence from home support calls
- Crisis and emergency support
- And online resources and support packs like the Absence Support Booklet, Family Care Plan & Helping Kids Cope with a Parent’s Absence from Home factsheet
Check out DCO’s website for further information and to view the full range of services available, www.defence.gov.au/DCO
If you would like to access any of the services that DCO has to offer, the Defence Family Helpline is your first point of call for support and information, and can connect you to your local DCO team - such as to a Defence Social Worker, Family Liaison Officer or to one of our Education Liaison Officers.
The Helpline is available 24-7 and is staffed by qualified human services professionals including social workers and psychologists. You can contact the Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608 or by email, defencefamilyhelpline@defence.gov.au
FREE training: Certificate II in Community Pharmacy
The Community Work Skills – Fundamentals of Community Pharmacy program is a unique program providing jobseekers with the opportunity to gain formal training and work ready skills to become a pharmacy assistant. As part of the program, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch will deliver SIR20116 Certificate II in Community Pharmacy training to eligible Queenslanders in the Townsville region. This program is proudly funded and supported by the Queensland Government under the Skilling Queenslanders for Work Initiative. Click here to learn more about the initiative.
The training is delivered full time face to face with a combination of classroom and practical learning. As part of the seven week program, participants are required to complete ten days of unpaid vocational placement, preparing them for the workplace and life as a pharmacy assistant.
To be eligible for this government subsidised program, applicants must be:
- Aged 16 years or older
- Finished secondary school or have left school
- An Australian citizen or permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrant) living in Queensland,
- A New Zealand citizen permanently residing in Queensland,
- A temporary visa holder living in Queensland with the necessary visa & work permits on the pathway to permanent residency
- Presently not undertaking, enrolled or deferred from study in another course of study e.g. university or vocational training
- Currently not employed by a government department, government agency or local council
- Not in receipt of Australian Government services e.g. Centrelink and/or have accessed Government employment support e.g. Jobactive or DES providers) for more than 6 months and remain unemployed*
Course details
Course dates: 31st August 2020 – 16th October 2020
Venue: Seagulls Resort, 74 The Esplanade, Belgian Gardens Townsville 4810.
Duration: 7 weeks (including 10 days placement)
Times: Monday – Friday 9am – 4.00pm
Please note – this course is face to face delivery and is unavailable online.
To apply, please complete and submit the expression of interest form and one of our friendly staff members will contact you to determine eligibility.
Defence Family Helpline
For advice, support or local community information, contact our all-hours Defence Family Helpline. Run by the Defence Community Organisation, 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.
Talk openly about feelings
Your young person will benefit from being around adults who talk about their own emotions and feelings rather than ignoring or bottling things up. A focus on emotions builds their vocabulary and also gives them permission to do the same.
Talk about the emotional impact that daily events such have on you Ask them how they feel or react emotionally to things that happen to them Use specific terms for feelings such as ‘irritated’, ‘nervous’, ‘tense’, ‘annoyed’
Build awareness of the triggers
Your young person may experience mood swings due to the changes occurring in both their body and brain as well as the changes COVID-19 brings. They may feel confused and even fearful of their reactions. Help your young person recognise the situations and events that trigger different emotions. Your young person may be aware that returning to school, for example, may make them nervous but they may not realise that they become annoyed when they’re told to do something rather than when they are asked.
Discuss trigger events and moments with your young person Make a list of trigger moments to help him prepare for them Develop plans to better manage emotions before they spiral out of control.
Encourage journaling
Young people often have difficulty internally processing many of the events that happen during the course of a day, leading to confusion and worry. Encourage them to keep a daily diary or journal so they can make better sense of events and situations that impact on them emotionally. Getting their thoughts and emotions down on paper helps them gain clarity, gain control of their emotions and build better mental health. Writing thoughts and worries down prevents constant rumination, which often leads to catastrophising.
Differentiate between feelings and mood
Adolescence can be a confusing time, particularly when they’re changing from primary school to secondary school. Feelings of confusion and self-doubt can seem like constant companions. Help your young person understand the difference between mood and feelings. A mood can stay for a long time – days and weeks – and is impacted by the lifestyle factors such as sleep, diet and exercise. Feelings are fleeting. They come and they go. They are easily shifted with simple tools such as breathing, visualisation and distraction.
Accepting discomfort
We naturally want to feel happy and content, however life is never that simple. Your young person is more than likely learning to come to terms with that. Help them feel comfortable with unpleasant feelings such as sadness, disappointment, jealousy and frustration. Let them know that there are behaviours that can’t be tolerated such as aggression and hurting others, but there is nothing so bad that they can’t talk about it. Introduce them to healthy coping skills they can use to make uncomfortable situations more tolerable. These include:
Humour: having a laugh or finding a funny side is a great coping strategy Normalisation: understanding that you are not the only person experiencing something helps to rationalise thinking Distraction: taking a break from a situation if only for a short time is very therapeutic Compartmentalisation: stopping an event infecting all areas of life is a wonderful coping skill Goal-setting: finding solutions to problems and taking the first steps needed to reach them creates a sense of hope and momentum
Emotional intelligence is a skill that grows over time. It’s like working out at the gym – those muscles will take time to build. Similarly, those emotional muscles will take some time to grow stronger. They may need time to talk about and explore their feelings, and become more accustomed to experiencing feelings, even those that make them feel uncomfortable.
Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas
Date |
Event |
July |
27.07.20 - 31.07.20 |
Catholic Education Week |
31.07.20 |
National Tree Day |
Date |
Event |
August |
27 & 28.08.20 |
Athletics Carnival |
Term Dates 2020 |
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Term 3 |
Monday 13 July 2020 |
Friday 18 September 2020 |
Term 4 |
Tuesday 6 October 2020 |
Friday 4 December 2020 |
Pupil Free Day: Friday 4 September 2020 |
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.
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 |
1.30 pm |
Five minute warning bell |
1.35 pm |
School day resumes. |
2.50 pm |
School day concludes |
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.