A Big Warm Welcome to Our New Preps
Our Preps have settled into school life beautifully.
They are becoming more confident each day as they learn routines, make new friends, and explore their learning spaces. It’s been wonderful to see their buddies help them out throughout the day.
We are so proud of the way they have embraced their first week at school.
🌞Shining Your Light Bright🌞
Our motto for the year is Shine Your Light Bright.
The theme encourages our school community to be sources of inspiration by sharing their unique gifts and talents with one another. We look forward to watching our children live out our motto by being positive role models, making good choices, helping one another and being resilient learners!
Each class has created a statement explaining how they will follow our motto.
These statements will be displayed in the foyer in the office area – feel free to stop by and have a read!
Wellbeing at Holy Spirit Primary
Hi, my name is Chris Namor.
This year at Holy Spirit, I am very excited about taking on the role of the Wellbeing Leader.
Throughout this year at Holy Spirit, I will be taking on two new initiatives:
- Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) utilises a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) framework to create safe, respectful, and inclusive environments, fostering student growth, responsibility, and engagement.
Key behaviours focus on being safe, respectful, and responsible, such as following instructions, persisting with tasks, using kind words, and working cooperatively.
2. Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)This initiative upskills experienced teachers to become Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders and aims to increase the capacity of Victorian primary schools to support the mental health of their students.
I look forward to working with our incredible students and families at Holy Spirit and supporting them where necessary.
Feel free to come and say hello!
Hi, my name is Giulia Olivieri. I am pleased to be part of the school Wellbeing Team, working alongside Chris, our Wellbeing Leader.
With a background in social work, my passion lies in supporting students’ social and emotional learning, and it is a privilege to contribute to initiatives that promote positive wellbeing outcomes for all students.
My role involves facilitating the Peaceful Kids program and LEGO® Based Play.
The Peaceful Kids program is a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program to lessen anxiety and stress and increase resilience in children, while LEGO®-Based Play uses structured, collaborative play to build communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
I am looking forward to supporting our FIRE Carrier (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) student leaders as they promote Indigenous education and cultural understanding within our school community.
Our Wellbeing Team will work collaboratively to deliver experiences such as incursions, welcoming alumni to speak with students and opportunities to engage meaningfully with our local community.
With appreciation,
Giulia
Catholic Identity
Welcome back, everyone!
Our first term is off to a great start.
Each class has set up their prayer tables. As you enter the classrooms, you will notice they are adorned with a green cloth. The green colour represents Ordinary Time in our liturgical calendar.
Keep your eye on these, as they will change to purple in Week Four. The purple colour lets us know that we have entered the season of Lent.
We will acknowledge this very important season in our liturgical calendar with an Ash Wednesday Mass. This Mass will be held at our church at 11.30 am on Wednesday 18th February. We hope you can all attend to help us commemorate this occasion.
Our ‘Beginning of the Year’ whole-school Mass will be held at the end of Week Three on Friday 13th February at 9.15 am. The theme for this Mass, and in fact for the entire school this year, will be ‘Share Your Light – Inspire Others’. This is such a special Mass, and definitely one not to be missed!
At this Mass, we will be debuting our new school choir, thanks to the effort and talent of Grace Karakoukas, our Performing Arts teacher.
I look forward to seeing you all there. All are welcome — bring your best singing voices!
Loretta Phelan (Religious Education Leader)
Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day
General Messages
School & Parish Lawn Mowing
Have you ever wondered who mows the school lawns? For those that don’t know the school lawns (and the parish ones also) have been mowed for many years by a group of volunteers who are connected with the school and/or parish.
Being done by this volunteer group helps create a sense of community and importantly saves the school having to pay for professional mowers.
Can you assist? Like most volunteer groups there is often the requirement for additional hands and we would love to have a few more helpers.
The group typically mows on a Saturday morning (sometimes midweek, late afternoon, in the summer months). Mowing is done when needed (less than 15 times per year).
We work on a ‘whoever is available’ basis – that is, we have no formal roster. This works well as on any given day. We normally have 5 or so attend, more than enough to gets things finished in less than 90 minutes. There would be no expectation to assist at every mowing session and all that is needed is suitable clothing.
While our focus is on getting the job done there is always an opportunity to have an informal chat afterwards and we do have an end of year dinner.
If you are interested in helping this group, please contact the school office and your details will be passed onto the mowing team.
