Ex Student Ned Long from Collingwood Football Club comes Back to Holy Spirit
Our school was abuzz with excitement during a special visit from Collingwood midfielder Ned Long.
Lucas Robertson did a wonderful job interviewing Ned, while Lucas Minto-Whittle and Cooper Robertson were outstanding hosts, guiding him through classrooms where he chatted with students and answered their questions.
We really appreciate the time Ned took to chat to all our students, he is such a great role model and an inspiration. We are all so proud of his achievements.
You can watch the full interview below:
Farewell to Rob and Anne
Dear Parents and Friends,
Thank you so much to those of you who were able to join us at the Church on Tuesday afternoon to officially farewell and celebrate Rob and Anne.
It was a beautiful service, made even more special by the heartfelt speeches.
A huge thank-you to Jacky Oro-Ruzzene and Rob De Melis for speaking on behalf of the school community for both Anne and Rob.
There were plenty of tears and a generous dose of laughter, but most of all, we were able to sit, reflect, and honour these two incredible humans.
They have served us well, and we will certainly miss them.
We would also like to extend a well-deserved thank-you to Teresa for the amazing job she did organising the food and refreshments after the Mass. She didn’t do it alone, so we would also like to acknowledge and thank the many parents who donated food as well.
We were blown away by your generosity and greatly appreciate you all.
Year 6, Good Times With Graduation
Written by: Frankie, Hannah and Ellie
From water splashes to sausages in the sun, Funfields had it all.
We did everything from splashing our friends in the Wavepool to screaming our heads off on the Voodoo; everything was fun and memorable, even waiting in line with our friends.
As soon as the long bus drive had finished, everyone ran off towards the rides.
Once it was 12 pm we had sausages cooked by the teachers with a cold fizzy drink and sat down to talk about what to do next. One second the teachers were handing us sausages and the next we were already back in the wave pool or lazy river, on the gravity wave and other fun slides.
The rides were amazing, The Super Nova to The Voodoo, you would think it was scary but this year excited screams beat the horrid ones.
Overall Funfields was an amazing experience, everything made it a fun and incredibly memorable way to end our journey at Holy Spirit.
Graduation Mass and Party
Written by: Tony and Roy
On the 11th of December at 5pm, the Year Sixes of Holy Spirit graduated.
They started at the Church, where they held their graduation mass. Soon after, they hurried into the hall for their beautiful graduation dance and to take photos together.
Eventually, they moved to the Year Sixes disco party, where it was crazy and like a moshpit. For food they had chicken nuggets, spaghetti, lollies and cake! At 10pm, everyone started going home all tired and it ended.
Thanks from HSPA!
Thank you to our school and local community for supporting our various HSPA events throughout 2025 including St. Pats Day Cake Stall, Trivia Night, Easter Raffle, Mothers Day Movie Night, Mothers Day Stall, Christmas in July Cake Stall, Fathers Day Stall, Footy Day, Fete and Christmas Raffle.
Your generous contributions have helped to make each event a success. Funds raised earlier this year, were put towards our amazing adventure playground!
Everything beyond that is being directed towards future initiatives to benefit current and future students.
We are very proud to share that the total funds raised this year through HSPA events was $45,870! Our fete contributing $35,500 to that total.
Thank you to the HSPA committee, Kimberley Tsolakis, Voula Nuske, Lisa Murray, Draga Sarcevic, Belinda Robertson, Allan Tran, Ange Petruccelli, Angeline McLaughlin, Anna Siassios, Clare Peyton, Dorothy Agnew, Egidia Di Fuccio Govic, Fi O’Donoghue, Jacky Oro Ruzzene, Peggy Tsigaras, Sofia Rallis, Tanya Mansour and Terri Fiorenza, for all of your time and effort towards each and every event in 2025.
If you would like to be a part of HSPA in 2026, or have any fundraising ideas, please let the office know.
Fire Carrier Commissioning Ceremony
Our 2026 Fire Carriers were commissioned by our current Fire Carriers during a touching ceremony led by Lisa Moloney, Fire Carrier Program Coordinator. Lisa also commissioned Rob Costin, a long-time supporter of the program.
Prior to the commissioning, Lisa spent time with all eight Fire Carriers discussing the importance and responsibilities of their role in Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education (FIRE).
Congratulations to our new FIRE Carriers: Olivia Henderson, Isabelle Pappas, Nektarios Kalodimos and Lucas Robertson.
Thank you to our current FIRE Carriers — Vikki Doukouris, Lily Rio, Zack Viglione and Roy Stacey — for your passion and dedication. Once a Fire Carrier, Always a FIRE Carrier!
INDIGENOUS RESPECT DAY
Our school was transformed into a sea of red, yellow and black during our Indigenous Respect Day casual clothes day last Thursday. Thank you for your generous support in sending along a gold coin donation for the Opening The Doors Foundation — we raised nearly $150.
Our Fire Carriers also shared Indigenous books with students and taught them an Indigenous dance using Move It Mob Style.
Connecting with the Community
As part of their Italian lessons, our Junior students explored the customs and traditions of Christmas in Italy.
A central figure in these celebrations is La Befana, an old woman who, according to legend, set out to search for baby Jesus after being encouraged by the Three Wise Men to follow the star. To this day, she is said to continue her search each Christmas.
Our Junior students created their own La Befana crafts and the Grade 2 children shared these thoughtful gifts with our Senior Citizens community on Thursday morning.
They also delighted everyone by singing a Christmas song to celebrate the occasion.
Buon Natale everyone and Happy 2026!
Signora Angela
Senior Great Debate
Written by Chloe
On Thursday the 11th of December 2025 the Seniors took part in the annual Holy Spirit event the Great Debate and boy was it an experience!
At 9am, students Years 5 & 6 participated in the big debate everyone was looking forward to. Both debates were incredible to compete in and watch in the audience. I was in the first debate and although we did not win, we tried our best and it was amazing.
The day was fantastic but the lead up to it was even more fantastic!
It was a way to socialise with peers that you don’t usually communicate with and it also helped you to jump out of your comfort zone and speak in front of lots of people. The first debate was about whether fashion does more harm than good and the second debate was about whether kids should choose their own bedtime.
It was so interesting to see what points and rebuttals each team would talk about and how they would present it. Congratulations to both the winning teams from Senior D and congratulations to Frankie on getting the title: Debater of the Great Debate.
It was an extraordinary thing to be a part of and I hope everyone took something positive out of it.
Everyone should be proud of what they did, and we’ll make sure that this is a Primary School memory to remember.
A Magical Evening at Our Annual Carols Night
Our school community came together for a wonderfully festive Carols Night, filling the grandstand and surrounding lawns with families who brought picnic rugs, warm smiles, and plenty of Christmas cheer.
The evening opened with Junior students presenting a delightful performance of The Legend of La Befana. With joy and confidence, they brought the story to life and set the tone for a night full of music and celebration.
Each class then took to the stage to share a favourite Christmas song, complete with actions and lively dance moves that had the audience clapping along. The bright costumes—shades of red, white and green, topped off with stars, antlers, and plenty of sparkle—added an extra layer of excitement.
Students in Years 3–6 delivered a brilliant finale performance, showcasing impressive singing and choreography that demonstrated weeks of preparation and teamwork. Every item presented throughout the night was carefully planned and choreographed by Mrs K., whose creativity and dedication helped make the evening such a success.
Adding to the fun, a surprise visit from “Santa” thrilled students and younger siblings alike. Santa also had the honour of presenting prizes for the annual Christmas raffle, much to everyone’s delight.
It was a wonderful night of celebration, community spirit, and festive joy. Thank you to all families who attended and helped make Carols Night a truly memorable event!
To the Holy Spirit Community, thanks for a wonderful 2025. We wish you a very Merry Christmas!
