Our Spirit

4 February 2016 WEEK 1 TERM 1

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to the 2016 school year. We extend our sincerest welcome to

the students, families and staff who have joined our community, both in

our school and in our new Early Learning Centre. We also warmly

welcome back our existing families. Having earnt an excellent reputation,

our school continues to grow. We have over 600 students in our primary

classes and 66 in our new Early Learning Centre. We trust that everyone

has entered into the year feeling like they belong to this vibrant, caring

and supportive community.

As you would already know, the year has begun with sad

events touching our community. We were deeply saddened

by the passing of one of our most respected and loved

teachers and friend, Mrs Vicki Livingstone, and the much

loved father of three of our students, John Aleer. As a

community of faith, we continue to pray for Vicki, John, their families and

their friends. We also ask that you keep in your prayers the members, and

family members, of our school who are unwell at this time. In this

Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we have been called to reach out

to all those in need. Prayer is one way of showing the love and

compassion God asks us to offer others.

At Holy Spirit, we are fortunate to have a team of dedicated educators

and support staff who have worked very hard over the last week, and in

their own time during the holiday break, to ensure that students have had

a settled and successful start to the year. The smiles on the faces of our

students and the comments overheard, clearly indicate that it has been

a positive first week of school.

Our new Early Learning Centre was officially handed over to us in the

holidays. The staff have worked tirelessly building each piece of furniture,

preparing the rooms, and meeting to ensure that programs were in

place. Despite an unfortunate water leak in one of the

rooms due to the relentless rain, we began our pre-

school program this week. Our Early Learning Centre

adds a special dimension to Holy Spirit. We look

forward to the ELC’s involvement in the life of the

school.

We all know that children receive the best education

when parents and teachers work as a team. Parents’ enthusiasm, support

and involvement are integral to the success of our school, as are the skills,

dedication and professionalism of our teachers. Together, staff and

parents can provide educational excellence for every student, so that

they can achieve their personal best. Together, we can support one

another to provide a friendly, safe and caring learning environment.

ALIVE

WITH THE

SPIRIT, WE

CELEBRATE

FAITH,

Learning

and Life.

School Address

Kelleway Avenue

Nicholls ACT 2913

School website

www.holyspirit.act.

edu.au

Email

office.holyspirit@

cg.catholic.edu.au

Phone

62418640

H o l y S p i r i t P r i m a r y S c h o o l

Our spirit Parent I nformation Night

Will be held on Tuesday 9th of February and will be followed by a

general social meet and greet in Shakespeare’s Corner.

The evening will run as follows:

6:00pm First Information Session (15 minutes)

6:15 – 6:20 Change over time to move to the next classroom if

you have another child

6:20 – 6:35 Second Information Session (repeat of first session)

6:35 - Social Get Together (drinks, cheese and biscuits)

This is an opportunity to become informed about your child’s class and what will be happening

throughout the year. If you would like to personally meet with your child’s teacher, please email

them (firstname.lastname@cg.catholic.edu.au) to arrange a mutually convenient time.

School Procedures

For school to run well, especially large schools such as ours, we need parents support in

following procedures. These procedures are put in place to ensure, first and foremost, that our

school is safe and we can optimise teaching and learning opportunities. With this in mind can I

ask that you please make note of the following.

Signing in and Signing Out

Students who arrive late for school need to be signed in via the front office.

Students who are departing early or are leaving the school for an

appointment also need to be signed out at the front office. When signing

your child/children out you will be given a sign out slip to give to the

classroom teacher when collecting your child. Teachers will request this slip

before you collect your child/children from their classroom.

Notes if your child is absent from school

It is not necessary to phone the school if your child is absent for a day or two but a written note

on their return is a legal requirement. The note (written, via email or the Skoolbag App) should

state the dates and reason for absence and be submitted to the classroom teacher. If your

child is going to be absent from school for an extended time of three days or more we ask that

you contact the school to inform us. This can be done via email.

Afternoon Collection from Classrooms

The end of the day is a busy time in classrooms and teachers are trying to

not only teach but also give out valuable information and organise the

packing of school bags etc. With many parents standing directly outside

classrooms chatting and looking into the classrooms many children

become distracted and find it difficult to follow their teacher’s important

instructions. As such, we ask parents of children in Years 1 to 6 to organise a

designated pick up place away from classrooms. We are suggesting the

following areas; the concrete area where the children line up each morning, the grassed

courtyard area outside the admin block or maybe on the grass in front of the fence surrounding

the netball courts.

Pickup and Traffic Control

The safety of our students is the top priority and these guidelines are in place for their safety. If

followed they also improve traffic flow.

Top Car Park (in front of Administration Building)

This is a stop, park, get out and walk your children into/from the school grounds area. Parents

are asked not to stop and drop in the driving lane letting children out into traffic and blocking

the traffic flow. Please only use the disabled park if you have a permit.

Our spirit

Bottom Drive Through Area (behind Kinder Building)

Parents are asked to drive right around to fill up all spaces in the drop and pick up zone

indicated by the white line on the footpath. Your children will be told to walk around to your

car waiting behind the white line when your car has come to a standstill. If you stop

prematurely, staff will ask you to keep moving around to fill the space. Following these

directions increases the traffic flow significantly. PARENTS ARE TO REMAIN IN THEIR CARS. If your

child needs assistance with a seatbelt or putting a bike or scooter in the car we ask you to park

and not use this drive through zone.

Netball/Basketball Car Parking

As per any car park, please park safely and with consideration for other drivers.

Especially in the morning, please do not block any cars off as some parents park, take

their child/ren to the concrete area and then leave. Please be mindful of this at all

times. Children should remain with parents in this area and be escorted from or to

their cars. The safety of our students is paramount.

Morning and Afternoon Supervision

Morning supervision begins at 8:30am. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ARRIVE BEFORE THIS TIME.

Afternoon supervision concludes at 3:30pm after this time the children will be escorted to the

front office to wait to be collected. If you are running late it is a good idea to phone the school

so we can inform your child.

We work hard to maintain an environment that is safe and happy for our students.

Our school rules, which will be reinforced by all in our school, are:

Be Safe Be Responsible Be Respectful Be a Learner

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to lead our school, alongside our staff and you, the

parents of our students. I welcome open communication as we strive to provide the best

possible learning, nurturing and faith-filled environment for your children. We aim for high

standards and will continue to plan for, and deliver programs for our 21st Century learners –

current students and future members of society who are skilled communicators, effective

collaborators, and critical and creative thinkers.

As a Catholic community, throughout the year, our school will provide experiences of focus

assemblies, liturgy and prayer to assist the spiritual and personal growth of all our students.

This year, our Whole School Focus theme is ‘Opening the Door of Mercy’.

We hope that throughout the year our school will be a place where staff,

students and families have opportunities to demonstrate and experience

the merciful love of God in our lives.

We look forward to another great year at Holy Spirit, with a vibrant curriculum, a happy and

safe values based school environment and rich teaching and learning provided by a

dedicated and caring staff.

Working with you to educate your child,

Anna D’Amico

Principal

Staff List 2016

Principal - Anna D’Amico

Assistant Principal – Cameron Tarrant

Early Learning Centre Director – Bronwyn Newth

Religious Education Coordinator – Kate MacGregor

Coordinator – Julie Jenkins

Coordinator – Seamus Farrell

EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

Red Group – Belinda Schroder (Teacher)

Yellow Group – Catherine Druhan (Teacher)

Orange Group – Catherine Druhan (Teacher)

Valeria Nascimento - Preschool Assistant and Before School Care Coordinator

Judy Kahlefeldt - Preschool Assistant and After School Care Coordinator

Lian Kiley – Preschool and Before School Care Assistant

Qin Bao - Preschool and After School Care Assistant

Rebecca Amon - Preschool Assistant

Michelle Kingma – Office Manager

LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANTS

Mary-Ellen Bakker

Sue Cougar

Sharon Harrison

Manda Kresic

Angela Laria

Emma Pavey-Dray

Tina Santamouris

Rosemary Vecchi

SUPPORT

Mary-Ellen Bakker – Library Assistant

Emma Pavey-Dray – School Based IT Support

Richard Allen – Indigenous Support

Vicki Walsh – Defence Students Transition Aide

Sharon Harrison – Student Welfare Officer

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Kathryn Leslie

Sally Wyers

JANITOR

Noel Gomez

KINDERGARTEN

K Bartley – Samantha Bartley

K Bell – Anne Bell

K Johns – Jane Johns

K McFarlane – Narelle McFarlane

Our spirit

Our spirit

YEAR ONE

1 Creagh - Liz Creagh

1 Hardiman – Jodie Hardiman

1 Masters – Diana Masters (Mon - Wed) & Maree Bertilsson (Thurs -Fri)

1 Wood – Shannon Wood

YEAR TWO

2 Kaptein – Lisa Kaptein

2 Kelly – Anna Kelly

2 Spencer – Ryan Spencer

2 Taylor – Kathryn Taylor

YEAR THREE

3 Gaffey – Karen Gaffey

3 Hague – Brendan Hague

3 Nuske – Bronwyn Nuske

YEAR FOUR

4 Camp – David Camp

4 Hickman – Samantha Hickman

4 Jackson - Emma Jackson

YEAR FIVE

5 Cannon – Sarah Cannon

5 Eldridge – Charissa Eldridge

5 French – Lizette French

YEAR SIX

6 Jenkins – Julie Jenkins

6 Kennedy – Tony Kennedy

6 Cambridge/MacGregor - Katrina Cambridge (Mon-Wed) Kate MacGregor (Thurs-Fri)

SPECIALISTS

Kathy Talbot (Mon - Wed) Katrina Cambridge (Thurs - Fri) – Library

Kate Cummings – Counsellor (Thurs from 9 – 3.30 and fortnightly Fri12:30-3.30)

Prue Roveta – French (Mon – Thurs)

Seamus Farrell – Sport (Mon - Thurs)

Justine Brasnett – Learning Support Teacher (Mon - Thurs)

Melinda Brown - Learning Support Teacher (Mon)

Kate Willett – Literacy and Numeracy Support Teacher

EARLY CAREER TEACHER AND COORDINATOR RELEASE

Nerissa Hannaford (Wednesday, Thursday)

Kate Willett (Thursday, Friday)

Maree Bertilsson (Wednesday)

Melinda Brown (Tuesday)

STUDENT WELFARE NEWS

KIDSMATTER PRIMARY

KidsMatter Primary is a mental health and wellbeing framework for primary schools and is proven to make a positive difference to the lives of Australian children. KidsMatter Primary provides the methods, tools and support to help schools work with parents and carers, health services and the wider community, to nurture happy, balanced kids. Good mental health is vital for learning and life. Children who are mentally healthy are better able

to meet life’s challenges. They also learn better and have stronger relationships with teachers,

family members and peers.

KidsMatter has been developed in collaboration with beyondblue, the Principals Australia Institute

and, with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and

beyondblue.

KidsMatter Primary has three major aims:

To improve the mental health and wellbeing of primary school students

To reduce mental health problems among students To achieve greater support for those students experiencing mental health problems.

One in seven Australian children has mental health problems – KidsMatter aims to reduce this. There are four components

which we work through in a cycle. We are currently working through Component 3.

Component 3: Parenting support and education

I will frequently place links here for parents and carers to access, which gives up to date information on children’s mental

health. These links will provide helpful information for you to be able to quickly access important knowledge and resources.

This week’s link helps us to Catch them being good!

MINI VINNIES NEWS Mini-Vinnies is a St Vincent de Paul group of young people, in a primary school, who get together to

organise help for others in need, within their school community and beyond. This year we will again hold

a regular Mini Vinnies group here at Holy Spirit Primary. It will be open for students in Year Four to join

and we will meet once a fortnight.

HOLY SPIRIT LUNCH TIME SOCIAL CLUB

Our lunch time Social Club will continue this year in the same format as last year, where the children will be invited to attend by their classroom teacher. They may choose a friend to bring along and we will hold structured activities and be there to support them, as they build on their social skills.

SAFE SCHOOLS HUB

As a parent, you want your child to feel safe and to be safe at school. The National Safe Schools Framework values the vital role that you play in supporting your child, in connecting and communicating effectively with your child's school, and in building and nurturing positive relationships. The Safe Schools Hub for Parents provides you with a guide to the Framework, with information and resources that you may find useful in helping to make your child's school experience a positive and happy one. The following is a link to the Safe Schools Hub website which is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education. http://safeschoolshub.edu.au/for-parents

PLAY GROUPS

Holy Spirit Play Group

We hope to continue our play group during 2016 and we invite parents and carers to attend Play Group in

our Community Hub from 9.00am – 11.00am on Thursday mornings, please feel free to come along during term time.

Cheeky Cherubs Playgroup is held in our Community Hub on Wednesday mornings from 9.30-11.30; it is run through ACT Playgroups. There are limited places and a small fee does apply to this group so if you would like further information please contact the front office. Always feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance, at

Sharonmarie.harrison@cg.catholic.edu.au

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Our spirit SCHOOL FEES

School Fees will be sent home tomorrow with the eldest child. Fees

for Term 1 are due for payment by Friday 26 February, except for those

families paying their fees by direct debit.

If you have not updated your current direct debit with a new

payment amount to cover the increase in school fees for 2016, please contact the office to obtain a direct debit form.

Students with siblings at a systemic secondary school (e.g.

John Paul College, Merici College, St Francis Xavier College, St Clare’s) are eligible for a sibling discount. If you have not

filled out the necessary form to receive your discount, please contact the front office.

If you have any queries regarding your school fees please contact me.

Kathryn Leslie

Office Manager

ELC UPDATE……..

Wow what a wonderfully exciting start to our year in the ELC. With all the rain over the weekend we had one very wet and muddy room. Our Orange

and Yellow classes moved beautifully into the multipurpose room within the school. I was very

impressed with all of our children and the educators; everyone accepted the situation and

got on with the fun of playing, exploring and creating friendships. The stories I have been

hearing around the classrooms has been fantastic, playing with playdough, paints, bikes and the

sandpit appears to be the favourites. Thank you to all our parents and families for their patience and understanding as we work out our teething issues. We are looking forward to growing and exploring throughout the year

with everyone.

Bronwyn Newth Director

ACTION BUS SERVICE

Route 427 – Diversions will be in place along Manning Clark Crescent in Franklin.

The following stops will not be service during this temporary diversion:

Stop ID 6184 – Manning Clark Cres before Flemington Rd

Stop ID 6185 – Manning Clark Cres after Flemington Rd

Stop ID 6183 – Manning Clark Cres before Oodgeroo Ave

Stop ID 6182 – Manning Clark Cres after Oodgeroo

Our spirit

DEFENCE NEWS

Hello and Welcome back to all our Defence Families! A huge welcome to our Holy Spirit community for all our new Defence Students and their Families. This year we welcome Bronte, Reuben, Jordan, Amelia and

Alexander to Kindergarten, Federick (Grade 1), Amanda and William (Grade 2), Bethany (Grade 3) and Ryan (Grade 6). There are lots of new friends for them to make. You may be interested to know we have 41

Defence Kids here at Holy Spirit. For Defence Families who are new (and existing) to Canberra, there are some major events happening in February and March.

What : DCO Welcome to Canberra Family Day The Defence Community Organisation (DCO) is hosting a family day to welcome Defence families to the Canberra region.

When : Saturday, 5th March, 11am – 2pm

Where : ADFA Gymnasium and AFL Oval.

“Explore & Interact” is the theme for DCO Canberra’s 2016 welcome event. Families are encouraged to explore what services Defence stakeholders offer and interact with the wide range of activities available. Info stalls, RMC Band, face painting, magic show, jumping castle, rock climbing wall, Yellow Brick Road competition, sausage sizzle, coffee van and much more…

RSVP dco.canberra@defence.gov.au 02 6265 8777 More info may be found at www.defence.gov.au/dco LIKE Defence Community Organisation on Facebook to receive updates and event info in your newsfeed.

What : National Multicultural Festival This annual fun, free, family friendly event has a range of activities, shows, food stalls and dancing to celebrate the cultures of the world.

When : 12 - 14 February

Where : Civic

More info may be found at http://multiculturalfestival.com.au

What : The 2016 Royal Canberra Show

When : 26 - 28 February

Where : EPIC Showgrounds

More info may be found at http://www.canberrashow.org.au/

You can also join their special Facebook page for updates and special offers at

https://www.facebook.com/rncas

What : Duntroon Playgroup Come along and have a cuppa whilst the children have some fun for all ages.

Where : Duntroon Community Centre, Gymkhana Rd, Duntroon When : Monday 10 am to 12 noon Tuesday 10:00am to 12 noon

Friday 10:00 am to 12 noon For more info contact Jenny or Katie on 6265 9411.

For all our new families I shall be sending home a “Welcome Pack” next week with lots of information for you. So keep an eye out for it! In the meantime, if you have any concerns with your child, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Ciao for now

Vicki Walsh

Our spirit

School Banking 2016 is set for the Outback. Join the Dollarmites as they venture through the Canyon

of Savings.

Since 1931, the School Banking program has been introducing interactive and exciting new ways to teach students lifelong money skills. Eight New Reward Items. The School Banking program continues to encourage good savings behaviour by rewarding students with thrilling reward items. For every 10 deposits made through the program, students can redeem a reward from the Outback Savers range. The first two reward items released in Term 1 include Flying Snake Tails and Wildlife Writer Sets.

Parents Packs will be sent home to all children with

information on how to get started, if you have not

received one please ask the Front Office.

Win a Family Wildlife Adventure Holiday and meet Bindi and Robert Irwin at Australia

Zoo. This year, we’re giving students the chance to win a family trip for up to two adults

and three kids to explore Australia Zoo, plus a full day Platinum Zoo Adventure Tour, where

you’ll get to pat wombats, cuddle koalas and feed wallabies, all while your personal

photographer captures every incredible moment, Domestic return economy airfares to Sunshine

Coast, Qld, 4 nights’ accommodation, 5 days’ car hire and $1,000 spending money. How to

enter: Students who make 15 or more School Banking deposits by the end of Term 3,

2016 will automatically receive an entry into the competition for a chance to win.

For more information please contact the Front Office or our School Banking Specialist Jo

on 0475821274.

Banking Day is every Friday