Road to Respect
On Friday 28 February, we were fortunate to host the Carlton Road to Respect Program.
Head Educator Lucy Cody and AFLW player Harriet Cordner spoke with all year levels about the importance of active listening, recognising the “roller coaster” of comfortable and uncomfortable emotions, and the value of talking to someone about how we feel.
Students were reminded that sometimes we can clearly label our emotions, and sometimes we can’t — and that’s okay.
Students explored practical strategies to help manage their emotions, including mindfulness techniques and the importance of deep breathing to relax and reset.
They particularly enjoyed practising “goal post breathing” and listening to Harriet explain her “Taco Breathing” strategy, which she uses before the start of a footy match to feel calm and focused.
It was an engaging and valuable experience for all students, reinforcing the importance of respect, self-awareness and positive wellbeing strategies.
Last week on Friday some Carlton players came to teach us about emotion. We learned about how to calm our body down in hard situations. It was so much fun when they came and it really helped us learn how to control our body with breathing exercises. I learned so much from this, it was an amazing day. – Annie, Middle M
Last Friday two Carlton footy players came to our school to talk about different ways to calm down and to respect our team mates when they make mistakes. The first thing that we did was listen to Miss Harriet, one of the Carlton players who told us a story of how bad her day was but how she was able to calm down and process what happened. I learned how to calm down by Taco Breathing – George, Middle M
Middles Camp
Our Middle School students headed to Lady Northcote in Bacchus Marsh from Monday 2 March to Tuesday 3 March for two big days of outdoor challenge and teamwork.
They took on canoeing, the flying fox, frisbee golf and a range of team-building activities that pushed them to back themselves, communicate well and have a go, even when things felt a bit outside their comfort zone.
Between sessions, they refuelled with delicious food, and came home tired in the best way: proud of what they’d tackled and stronger as a group.
Senior Excursion
by Olivia – Year 6 student
On the 19th of February the senior students went to The Chinese Museum.
We learned how to do a special Chinese ink painting, how the Chinese men mined for gold, and how dragons are really special symbols in Chinese culture. We also learned about Chinese Empires, and the Han Dynasty.
My highlight of the experience was when we got to go through a replica of a boat that the Chinese gold miners had to travel on when coming to Australia. ‘
I felt like I was actually on a boat.
💡Spotlight on Art
Koi Fish in the Senior School
Senior School students have been learning about the meaning of koi fish in Asian culture, where they’re often seen as a symbol of perseverance, strength, and good fortune.
In many stories and artworks, koi are linked with determination—swimming upstream and not giving up. They can also represent growth and positive change over time.
Their drawings capture that sense of movement and resilience—pushing forward, even when the current is strong.
🥇Student of the week⭐
| Junior Z | Ava K and Evie K |
| Junior S | William N and Ava Mar |
| Middle M | Harrison M and Raphael T |
| Middle T | Ethan C and Nicholas V |
| Senior D | Dallas H and Michael T |
| Senior E | Jack R and Jemima B |
| PBL | Leo P (SE) and Alexander V (JS) |
General Messages
School Closure Day
A reminder that our school will be closed for professional learning on Monday, March 16. The focus for our professional learning day will be further developing our understanding of our new initiative – Positive Behaviour for Learning.
Holy Spirit Instagram Account
If you would like to follow the account, please click on this link: Holy Spirit Instagram
Ride to School Day
Holy Spirit is participating in the Annual Ride to School Day on Friday, March 30. If you ride your bike or scooter to school you will be in the draw to win some prizes!
Concessional Fees
A reminder that any families on a health care card may be eligible for CSEF and MACS concessional fees. Please contact the office for the necessary forms to fill in. You need to fill these in every year.
Any families who were on Direct Debit last year will need to fill in another form for 2026. Please contact the office for this form.
Regards
Child Safety
At Holy Spirit our aim is to ensure that we continue to develop proactive strategies that promote a culture of openness and the awareness of a shared responsibility for child safety and wellbeing. To do this successfully we :
- Aim to create an environment where our children feel safe and their concerns are heard
- Develop mutual respect between adults and children is constantly promoted
- Staff members are continually updated on how to prevent, identify and address child safety and wellbeing matters.
As part of the MACS, ’11 Months, 11 Standards’ Child Safe Standards initiative, all staff will complete the professional learning modules focussing on each standard. This month, we focussed on Child Safe Standard 1: Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
Staff learned about the importance of providing a safe, nurturing positive environment so children are comfortable and feel free to express their culture and spiritual beliefs.
Parents are invited to provide input into the development of our Child Safety procedures and practices.