Welcome back and thank you for your effort in preparing your child or children to commence the school year. 

This year we welcome new staff members Patricia Elechko as the Prep C Teacher, school officers Tracey Rowe, Jessica Casey and Jessica Pugh. Derek Auret also joins the cleaning staff.

The first day of the school year is always a day of mixed emotions. It is wonderful to see students reconnecting with friends and staff members. There will be great stories to share, some possibly a little embellished, and new friends to be made.

Like any year, life can throw curve balls. Our attitude can be our best asset to determine how we manage challenges. During the professional learning days, our staff members spent a day with sports psychologist, Dr. Jo Lukins. One of the key messages from Jo is: ’The way you choose to think matters. It is what drives our behaviour’. Also, paying attention to ‘our systems’ such as a good diet, sufficient sleep and exercise help us to perform well.

Currently we are undergoing our final phase of the building program - the Administration Block and staff room. I apologise for the inconvenience but the end is in sight, hopefully we will be in the new block by early Term 2.

We also commence the year with the continuity of Covid-19 regulations. For the health of all in our school community please comply with requests. We have seen what has happened to communities when the needs of self are put before the good of all.

This year we welcome seventy new families and I know you will welcome them with Holy Spirit hospitality. Wishing you all the best for the 2021 school year. I look forward to working with you and your children.

God bless,

Geraldine

Welcome back to the 2021 school year. It was lovely to see so many smiling faces this morning as our families returned to school. A special welcome to those families and students who are new to Holy Spirit. Each year, our school focuses on a Holy Spirit Value each week and this week we commence the school year with the Value of 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 as we commence a new school year, we pray
that our students draw upon their many skills and show excellence in a given area.

At the end of 2020, Pope Francis declared 2021 to be the Year of St Joseph. The Holy Father wrote Patris corde against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which, he says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden
presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.” The following litany reflects the values our school promotes with our community.

May the example of St Joseph guide us in our ways in 2021.  May we reflect the heart of God, sure in faith, strong in hope, built on love.  And may our journey lead us into God’s gentle and almighty Presence, our God whom we will one day see face to face.  We ask this through Christ out Lord.  Amen

Next Wednesday morning, our Year 3 to 6 classes will gather for our Opening Mass.  In addition to celebrating the beginning of a new school year, we will commission our student leaders at the end of the Mass.  Our Year Six students have a very important role in developing school spirit as leaders and role models for the younger students.  The Opening School Mass will commence at 9am in the Lynch Family Hall.  Due to current regulations in relation to indoor spaces, numbers will be restricted to parents/carers and grandparents of those children from Grade 5 and 6 with leadership positions (maximum 4 people per student).  Seating will be organised at the back of the Hall for these family members.  

SAINT JOHN BOSCO is the patron saint of apprentices, editors and publishers, schoolchildren, magicians, and juvenile delinquents.  His feast day is this Sunday – January 31.  He was born in Piedmont, Italy and grew up in extreme poverty.  After ordination, he devoted his whole life to educating young people, especially the poor.  He founded the Salesians, men and women who continue this work with youth throughout the world.

I hope you all have a lovely start to the school year.

God bless

Caroline Fuller

What a great start to the day! 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;
• not exceeding occupant density limits for classrooms;
• staying home when unwell; 

  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!

All instrumental music notes handed out to students today need to be handed back into Mrs Laing, this Friday 29th January.

Thank You.

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

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 weekly 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

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.

Holy Spirit Catholic School uses Flexischools ordering system.  To register, login or to place orders, please click this link:  

Flexischools

Tuckshop welcomes all new and returning parents to 2021. We are looking forward to a great year. Notes will be coming home 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 2021 Menu and roster forms on the school’s website:
https://www.hsstsv.catholic.edu.au/about/tuckshop/

Our breakfast program will commence next week starting February 2nd.

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.

Welcome to the Holy Spirit School Community

We would like to introduce ourselves, Haylie Stanhope and Zita Whiteside, as the Defence School Transition Aides here at Holy Spirit Catholic School.  This position has been created to support students of Defence families, enrolling in or transferring to new schools, during deployments and Defence separations.  

We look forward to meeting our new defence families soon. 

“Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.”                    

(Author Unknown)

Welcome to Holy Spirit Catholic School!       

My role as Pastoral Chaplain is to support students, families and staff, within the classroom and wider school community. 

You can find my room in the ‘Special K’ Block, which is located behind the Year 3 and 4 classrooms and close to the Ignatius Park staff parking area. If you would like to say hello, please visit or email me at kdonlan1@hsstsv.catholic.edu.au

I look forward to meeting you sometime throughout the year and wish everyone a year filled with love, laughter and good health.

Enjoy the journey that awaits you!

With gratitude

Kerry 

All uniform supplies are available at The School Locker, Domain Central (close to Bunnings).

Phone 1800 826 155

The School Locker

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.