Principals Report July 2013
Holy Spirit School Principal’s Report
New Principal announced for 2014 – Ms Geraldine Egelton
July 2013
New Holy Spirit School Principal Announced: Dr Cathy Day, our Director of Catholic Education, has announced the new principal of Holy Spirit School as Ms Geraldine Egelton! This is wonderful news for us as Geraldine has been a most popular Holy Spirit School Deputy since 2001. This appointment will also make for a smooth transition from one principal to another, for staff, students, the parish and for parents. Geraldine and I taught together at St Josephs’ the Strand, in the early 1980’s and we’ve worked together in the admin of Holy Spirit very closely – a total of some 15 years. Geraldine has also held positions of administration at Ryan College during the 90’s. She is a person of great commitment to the Catholic faith and always has children as her primary focus. She is a skilled professional. We have been blest by this wise decision. I thoroughly recommend your new principal to you! Special thanks also to our school board Chair, Jennifer Celotto, who was a member of the interview panel which interviewed all applicants.
LOTE:
The Italian Speaking competition was held at Holy Spirit this year with seven schools participating. We were very proud of our participants:
Poems - Andrew Edmonds, Ainsley Wells, Chloe Crocker, Jade Clohesy, Sarah Waddel, Emily Prescott , Ali Thomas Speeches - Sophie Morris, Sophie Horan, Olivia Sewell, Nathan Clohesy, Amelia Hawke All from years four to seven. Ben fatto Signora Sim!!!
Sport: This term our upper-school are participating in futsal, rugby, soccer and tennis training – with much enthusiasm and fun.
National Tree Day: Mrs Alyward accompanied several “Busy Bees” to Riverway on this great day to join the Townsville City Council and other Townsville schools to celebrate National Tree Day. We received 120 trees/shrubs which were dutifully planted in the Year 4 and Year 2 areas by Year 2 and Year 4 students under the close supervision of Year 7 “Busy Bees” – great job!
Catholic Education Week: Catholic Education Week Mass Bishop Michael with School Leaders at the all schools’ Mass to celebrate Catholic Education Week at the Cathedral.
Holy Spirit School Leaders Kelly Morris and Callum O’Dwyer mixing with School Leaders from St Peters School, Halifax after the Mass.
Carbon Kids Conference:
On Friday 26 July 2013, 12 students attended the Carbon Kids programs and climate science workshop. At the conference we participated in a lot of different workshops to educate us on our roles in climate change and environment sustainability. For example we tested for the most energy efficient light bulb, the carbon dioxide output of candles and the carbon dioxide output of people. Some students even explored the protein source of the future - BUGS! The year six students who attended designed and wrote a marketing brief for an environmentally sustainable Tourism venture for the Great Barrier Reef as part of our role as reef Guardians. It was a wonderful experience by all and we look forward to sharing our knowledge with the school in the coming weeks. Christopher Francisco, Thomas Whiting, and Jake Good
ICT: Jen Hall, our intrepid ICT co-ordinator, has provided the School Board with an overview of classroom, student and staff progress in technological skills – great progress has been made this year. I am most pleased with staff “monitors” who each sponsor several peers in their ICT Professional Development.
Indigenous Family Gathering: Evon Downie, Janet Good and myself met with seven of our families for a Pizza n Palava evening. We discussed the indigenous children’s new websites (called “Leading Spaces”) enjoyed each other’s company (with kids sent home full of cake and soft drink) and also drafted the beginnings of an agreement between Holy Spirit School and indigenous families (a new Australian Government requirement).
Challenge Games: The Challenge Games of 2013 has been another successful event on the Townsville calendar. Students from 69 schools and over 830 students took part in the 2 day event at the Sports reserve. Events ranged from track races, vortex throwing to soccer and relays. Special memories were created and the Holy Spirit students did us proud. Dave Nichols our very own Para-Olympian was on hand for the students to meet and touch his Gold and bronze medal from the London Para-Olympic Games. Holy Spirit was represented by Tommy Lloyd-Jones, Joshua Farrington, Rachael Jobst, Natalia Novinetz and Matthew Thompson. Thanks to Mr Martin, Mrs Miles, Mr Moore, Mrs Bice, Mrs Smith, Ms Hallam and our parents for getting the students to these Games. Bring on 2014, the 20th anniversary of the Challenge Games.
Visitors: Hardly a day goes by that we aren’t hosting a visitor or two – all coming to Holy Spirit School for different reasons: sometimes for curriculum, sometimes J.C.U. “prac” student supervision, other times to visit classrooms or a special feature like ICT, or the gardens, grounds and sustainability projects etc. Such was our visitor last Monday when a teacher from St. Edmund’s College, Canberra came to collect ideas on our many environmental projects.
Lynch Family Hall Use: We hire the Hall to special groups. In the past 12 months we’ve had a wedding reception, numerous Indian-community and parish functions, a Queensland History Teachers’ Conference as well as numerous Professional Development courses. We even had James Blundell singing here last week (at a political rally). Full marks to Bernie Morgan (office staff) for the wonderful booking co-ordination and hall supervision of the past 12 months.
Papua New Guinea Teachers’ Visit: Early this month ten teachers from a Port Moresby Vocational School spent the day with us, visiting class rooms, inspecting our technology structures and program and investigating our on-line curriculum. It was a pleasant day with learning happening in ourselves as well as our visitors.
P&F Rides Day: A BIG thank you to all who attended and helped out at the Rides Day. Special thanks to Pauline Thomas, Craig and Rona Burkhardt, Jason Wenta, Allyson Buchanan, Kath Morris and Bernie Morgan your efforts were truly appreciated. A very relaxing day was had by all with a great number of families enjoying the rides and catching up with Mr Lucas. Evidence once again of the generosity and Spirit that is always present at our school!
Inquiry Based Learning: Once again we have two staff involved in the Inquiry Based Learning training. This is the fourth year we have been involved in this valuable pedagogical project – all towards better teaching/learning.
“Kindy”: Both Leanne Barton and Tom Eldridge from Townsville Catholic Education Office met with me last week to discuss possible “Kindergarten” sitings (if the Queensland Government approves sometime this year).
Summary: When I peruse the staff Professional Development training for this term, I am amazed at the initiative and commitment of so many staff to their personal/professional renewal. It’s a pleasing attribute of this staff. A good example would be the First Steps training program (over 4 months) that Lyn Brodnik has conducted (after school) for six of our staff who had not been trained in this area – a magnificent voluntary commitment. Aren’t we blest with our staff!!
What blessings! Paul
New Principal announced for 2014 – Ms Geraldine Egelton
July 2013
New Holy Spirit School Principal Announced: Dr Cathy Day, our Director of Catholic Education, has announced the new principal of Holy Spirit School as Ms Geraldine Egelton! This is wonderful news for us as Geraldine has been a most popular Holy Spirit School Deputy since 2001. This appointment will also make for a smooth transition from one principal to another, for staff, students, the parish and for parents. Geraldine and I taught together at St Josephs’ the Strand, in the early 1980’s and we’ve worked together in the admin of Holy Spirit very closely – a total of some 15 years. Geraldine has also held positions of administration at Ryan College during the 90’s. She is a person of great commitment to the Catholic faith and always has children as her primary focus. She is a skilled professional. We have been blest by this wise decision. I thoroughly recommend your new principal to you! Special thanks also to our school board Chair, Jennifer Celotto, who was a member of the interview panel which interviewed all applicants.
LOTE:
The Italian Speaking competition was held at Holy Spirit this year with seven schools participating. We were very proud of our participants:
Poems - Andrew Edmonds, Ainsley Wells, Chloe Crocker, Jade Clohesy, Sarah Waddel, Emily Prescott , Ali Thomas Speeches - Sophie Morris, Sophie Horan, Olivia Sewell, Nathan Clohesy, Amelia Hawke All from years four to seven. Ben fatto Signora Sim!!!
Sport: This term our upper-school are participating in futsal, rugby, soccer and tennis training – with much enthusiasm and fun.
National Tree Day: Mrs Alyward accompanied several “Busy Bees” to Riverway on this great day to join the Townsville City Council and other Townsville schools to celebrate National Tree Day. We received 120 trees/shrubs which were dutifully planted in the Year 4 and Year 2 areas by Year 2 and Year 4 students under the close supervision of Year 7 “Busy Bees” – great job!
Catholic Education Week: Catholic Education Week Mass Bishop Michael with School Leaders at the all schools’ Mass to celebrate Catholic Education Week at the Cathedral.
Holy Spirit School Leaders Kelly Morris and Callum O’Dwyer mixing with School Leaders from St Peters School, Halifax after the Mass.
Carbon Kids Conference:
On Friday 26 July 2013, 12 students attended the Carbon Kids programs and climate science workshop. At the conference we participated in a lot of different workshops to educate us on our roles in climate change and environment sustainability. For example we tested for the most energy efficient light bulb, the carbon dioxide output of candles and the carbon dioxide output of people. Some students even explored the protein source of the future - BUGS! The year six students who attended designed and wrote a marketing brief for an environmentally sustainable Tourism venture for the Great Barrier Reef as part of our role as reef Guardians. It was a wonderful experience by all and we look forward to sharing our knowledge with the school in the coming weeks. Christopher Francisco, Thomas Whiting, and Jake Good
ICT: Jen Hall, our intrepid ICT co-ordinator, has provided the School Board with an overview of classroom, student and staff progress in technological skills – great progress has been made this year. I am most pleased with staff “monitors” who each sponsor several peers in their ICT Professional Development.
Indigenous Family Gathering: Evon Downie, Janet Good and myself met with seven of our families for a Pizza n Palava evening. We discussed the indigenous children’s new websites (called “Leading Spaces”) enjoyed each other’s company (with kids sent home full of cake and soft drink) and also drafted the beginnings of an agreement between Holy Spirit School and indigenous families (a new Australian Government requirement).
Challenge Games: The Challenge Games of 2013 has been another successful event on the Townsville calendar. Students from 69 schools and over 830 students took part in the 2 day event at the Sports reserve. Events ranged from track races, vortex throwing to soccer and relays. Special memories were created and the Holy Spirit students did us proud. Dave Nichols our very own Para-Olympian was on hand for the students to meet and touch his Gold and bronze medal from the London Para-Olympic Games. Holy Spirit was represented by Tommy Lloyd-Jones, Joshua Farrington, Rachael Jobst, Natalia Novinetz and Matthew Thompson. Thanks to Mr Martin, Mrs Miles, Mr Moore, Mrs Bice, Mrs Smith, Ms Hallam and our parents for getting the students to these Games. Bring on 2014, the 20th anniversary of the Challenge Games.
Visitors: Hardly a day goes by that we aren’t hosting a visitor or two – all coming to Holy Spirit School for different reasons: sometimes for curriculum, sometimes J.C.U. “prac” student supervision, other times to visit classrooms or a special feature like ICT, or the gardens, grounds and sustainability projects etc. Such was our visitor last Monday when a teacher from St. Edmund’s College, Canberra came to collect ideas on our many environmental projects.
Lynch Family Hall Use: We hire the Hall to special groups. In the past 12 months we’ve had a wedding reception, numerous Indian-community and parish functions, a Queensland History Teachers’ Conference as well as numerous Professional Development courses. We even had James Blundell singing here last week (at a political rally). Full marks to Bernie Morgan (office staff) for the wonderful booking co-ordination and hall supervision of the past 12 months.
Papua New Guinea Teachers’ Visit: Early this month ten teachers from a Port Moresby Vocational School spent the day with us, visiting class rooms, inspecting our technology structures and program and investigating our on-line curriculum. It was a pleasant day with learning happening in ourselves as well as our visitors.
P&F Rides Day: A BIG thank you to all who attended and helped out at the Rides Day. Special thanks to Pauline Thomas, Craig and Rona Burkhardt, Jason Wenta, Allyson Buchanan, Kath Morris and Bernie Morgan your efforts were truly appreciated. A very relaxing day was had by all with a great number of families enjoying the rides and catching up with Mr Lucas. Evidence once again of the generosity and Spirit that is always present at our school!
Inquiry Based Learning: Once again we have two staff involved in the Inquiry Based Learning training. This is the fourth year we have been involved in this valuable pedagogical project – all towards better teaching/learning.
“Kindy”: Both Leanne Barton and Tom Eldridge from Townsville Catholic Education Office met with me last week to discuss possible “Kindergarten” sitings (if the Queensland Government approves sometime this year).
Summary: When I peruse the staff Professional Development training for this term, I am amazed at the initiative and commitment of so many staff to their personal/professional renewal. It’s a pleasing attribute of this staff. A good example would be the First Steps training program (over 4 months) that Lyn Brodnik has conducted (after school) for six of our staff who had not been trained in this area – a magnificent voluntary commitment. Aren’t we blest with our staff!!
What blessings! Paul
