Learning & Teaching
Learning together as one community
Welcome back to Term Three!
Our Inquiry focus for this term is Science!
Our Key questions we are investigating this term are:
- Prep - How do living things grow and change Why should we care for living things?
- 1/2 - How are we connected to our environment?
- 3/4 - What is my impact?
- 5/6 - How do living things adapt in order to survive?
Some events to look forward to this term:
- Science Week - 14th - 18th August
- Book Week - 21st - 25th August
- Book Week Dress Up Day - 25th August
- Holy Spirit Art Show - 7th September
- Footy Day - 13th September
We can't wait to share our learning with you this term!
STEM at Holy Spirit
Look at the engaged faces of our students learning in our STEM classroom. They are learning about storm water.
A big thank you to Danielle James, our STEM teacher for all you are doing for our students.
STEM Reports
You will have noticed that our STEM reports have not been finalised. These are currently being updated and will be resent home to you within the first weeks of this term. A Dojo and email will be sent when they are ready for viewing.
P-2 Classroom Helper workshop
We will be offering our final Classroom Helper workshop for 2023 on Wednesday 2nd August at 9:00am. Venue: TBC
If you are interested in joining us on this day, please complete the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/LEGUFPXrdYrhGrh48
This workshop is ideal for new families to HS or parents who have not attended one in previous years.
Please note: You must complete your Child Safe Training to assist in the classroom, excursions, incursions or at Holy Spirit. This training is completed each year. You can find the training here: https://forms.gle/tpvMqPTCxiZ111bA8
ICAS Assessments
We are delighted to inform you that Holy Spirit will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS competitions this year for our Years 3 - 6 students.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies.
Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.
We encourage you to consider entering your child into ICAS this year. Learn more about ICAS here: https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas
Holy Spirit has signed up for both the English and Mathematics ICAS Assessments in 2023. These tests will be completed at school, during school hours, and are not compulsory to complete. You may enter your child in one or both of the English and Mathematics ICAS Assessments. Students must be in Years 3 - 6 to have the opportunity to sit these assessments.
Testing Date period
English: Monday 14th - Friday 18th August
Mathematics: Monday 28th August - Friday 1st September
Actual dates of the assessments are TBC.
Our school has signed up for the ICAS Assessments Parent Payment System (PPS) for (English & Mathematics). Through this system parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school.
Please use the following details to register your child/children by no later than Monday 31st July. Each test will cost $19.25 (inc. GST) per child per test. Payment is required at the time of registration.
Please note that unfortunately late payments for assessments are not available. The school cannot extend this time or sign students up later as the enrolment process is completed through the ICAS Parent Payment System website.
To sign up
Our parent page link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
Our school access code is: RFY966
Click on ‘Enter’
Follow the steps to register your child/children in one or both of the English & Mathematics assessments. Finalise enrolment, payment and save. The information of enrolment will then be sent to the school. Please ensure that your child’s information is accurate and current as this is what you will see on the final certificate and report documentation.
A permission slip will be sent home to all families that enrol their child/children into an English and/or Mathematics ICAS Assessment closer to the assessment date.
We are proud to offer the ICAS Assessments, and look forward to celebrating some fantastic results later in the year.
Please do not hesitate to contact myself via Dojo or email if you have any questions.
Robotics by Kids Unlimited
This term, Kids Unlimited will be returning to Holy Spirit to run a robotics program.
It is an opt-in program, open to all students from Years 1 - 6, running for 8 sessions, beginning on 18th July. The sessions will be held in the school library. There is a fee for this program.
Please note this is not a Holy Spirit staffed program. It will be run by the external providers at Kids Unlimited.
As these workshops are being run by Kids Unlimited, students must be supervised, by their parents, from the end of day bell at 3:20pm until the workshops begin at 3:30pm.
Please open the flyer for more information and to book your child in. Places are limited!
We look forward to seeing what our students create in these workshops and cannot wait for them to share their learning with us.
Premier's Reading Challenge
Amazing effort by Holy Spirit! Our reading tally is up to a whopping 1088 books.
Our most read books:
- Possum Magic by Mem Fox (14 reads)
- Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey (12 reads)
- The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson (8 reads)
- The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (8 reads)
52 days left of the challenge. It's not too late to join if you would like to. Information and logins are available via your class announcement section on your child's/children's classroom Dojo.
We can't wait to keep sharing our reading progress with you.
Library
The Library will be open to our families, before school, on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week, from 8:35 - 8:50am. You are welcome to visit Trish in the library to read with your child or borrow a book.
Assembly
Our class presentations will begin in Week 2 of this term.
Congratulations to Amy T our STAR piano performer who performed at assembly for us in Week 8 of Term 1, Amazing!!
Please check the school calendar for the class presenting at assembly each week. Assembly will be held each week at 2:30pm.
Have the best fortnight!!
Kayla Flindt-Petersen
Learning & Teaching Leader