Learning & Teaching

NAPLAN 2026

 Congratulations to Our Students

We would like to congratulate all of our students who recently completed NAPLAN. They approached the assessments with a positive attitude, resilience and a willingness to do their best, which we are incredibly proud of.

We are also thrilled to share that we achieved an outstanding 99.6% participation rate across the school. This reflects the strong support from our families and the commitment of our students - thank you for ensuring your children were ready and present during this important time.

We look forward to receiving the results later in the year, which will support our ongoing planning for teaching and learning.

Well done to all involved!

ICAS 2026

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 2026. 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: 10 - 14 August 
• Mathematics: 24 – 28 August 

Actual dates for each test will be finalised closer to the date and around our school calendar and events. 

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 27th July. Each test will cost $21.95 (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/parent-payment/ARU821 

Our school access code is:  ARU821

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.

Term 2 Assembly & Bell Times

During Term 2, there will be some changes to our Friday timetable to support our Years 5 & 6 students participating in Winter Interschool Sport.

The adjusted timetable will operate in Weeks 2, 3, 4 and 6, 8 & 9.

On these Fridays:

• Learning will take place in three longer blocks across the day
• Assembly will be held at 9:05am every Friday (this remains the same every week, regardless of sport)

Block 1: 8:50 – 10:50 (Assembly at 9:05am)

Recess: 10:50 – 11:30

Block 2: 11:30 – 12:30

Eating: 12:30 – 12:40

Lunch: 12:40 – 1:20

Block 3: 1:20 – 3:20

If Interschool Sport is cancelled on any of these days, the school will return to the normal Friday timetable.

Thank you for your support as we provide these opportunities for our senior students.

Meet Mr H.S. – Our Sustainability Scarecrow

Introducing Mr H.S., the heart of Holy Spirit Community School! Mr H.S. is a harvest farmer who takes great pride in the flowers and vegetables that grow in his garden. He is kind to children and animals, always lending a green thumb to sustainability and garden projects. Coming from a long line of school gardeners, Mr H.S. loves nothing more than sharing his knowledge and helping others grow and shine.

Mr H.S. is a creative revamp of our previous school scarecrow. He was taken back to his wooden structure and thoughtfully rebuilt, with bubble wrap and other soft plastics used to create his form. His clothes were generously donated and transformed with artistic flair into a high-fashion look, while his head was cleverly crafted from an old broken bucket and scraps of wool.

He was brought to life by our talented Sustainability Leaders, Eloise and Poppy, along with our Visual Art Leaders, Ava, Remy and Annabelle.

A special thank you to Beth Neason for her leadership, time and dedication in guiding this project. We are incredibly proud of this sustainable and creative achievement.

Keep an eye out for Mr H.S. when he returns to our Kitchen Garden - he is currently being showcased at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show!

Key Dates for Learning & Teaching in Term 2

• Yr 6 CAMP - 21st - 24th April

~ ~ ~

As we come to the end of a busy and rewarding term, we would like to thank our families for your ongoing support. Your partnership plays an important role in the life of our school and in supporting your child’s learning.

We wish all of our families a safe and restful holiday break.

May you enjoy a joyful and peaceful Easter filled with hope and blessings.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 2.

Kayla Flindt-Petersen

Learning & Teaching Leader