On Friday 29th of June, Year 4 went on a fabulous excursion to the Big Dig Archeology Centre.
We discovered some fascinating information about the lives of three convicts that travelled on the First Fleet ships to Australia back in 1788. Their names were Anne Armsden, Margaret Byrne and George Cribb. We explored the area where their houses used to be because they were all so close together and lived in the area we now know as The Rocks.
Anne Armsden’s crime was highway robbery. She robbed two very wealthy women. Anne stole two rolls of cloth that were worth more money then Anne made in one year. Anne Armsden committed this crime because she was very poor and did not have very nice clothes. Her punishment was to be hung up by the neck until she died. Anne arrived in court and begged for a change in punishment so the judge gave her the choice to be hung or to go to Sydney, Australia for seven years. Anne chose to come to Australia. When she got here she met a very rich man named George Leg. Anne and George married one another hoping to live happily ever after. However, George was sadly eaten by a shark.
George Cribb’s crime was possession of fake money. George was travelling along the highway and the police pulled him over. They said, “Can we have a look in that suitcase?” and George tried to run away. When George got arrested he was sentenced to travel to Australia as a convict as punishment for his crime. When he arrived in Australia he became a butcher. He earned lots of money and he owned a butcher shop as well as a pub.
George was unlucky in love and had 3 wives. Their names were Martha, Fanny and Sophie. George’s nephew fell in love with Fanny and Fanny loved him back. Unfortunately, they ran off together leaving George alone.
The third convict, Margaret Byrne, stole objects that belonged to a rich lady. One day the rich lady saw Margaret take a plate so they called the cops and Margaret was arrested. Margaret was sentenced to seven years in Australia. After her sentence was over she became a baker and married a man who was also convict.
Once we finished learning about the First Fleet convicts we got to visit the pit which was filled with sand. We were put into groups and started to dig for artefacts. When we entered the sand it felt like foam beads melting on a hot summer's day. We got to take our shoes off and the sand started tickling the majority of our feet. Some of the artefacts we found were broken plates, a toy bus, dominoes, a horseshoe, a lemon juicer and a hair brush.
The day was so much fun because we learnt so much about the convicts and the First Fleet ,which we have been learning about in History.
The bus ride was long but awesome because we got to sit next to our friends.
This was the best excursion that we’ve been on.
By Chelsy and Riley in 4R
Holy Spirit Primary St Clair
www.hsstclair.catholic.edu.au
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11 May 2026
From Facebook
🌿 A Special Visit from Jarara! 🌿 Our Kindergarten students had a wonderful time working with our long valued partners from Jarara! at Holy Spirit, we are incredibly proud of our ongoing commitment to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the heart of our learning. This visit was all about bringing the Early Stage 1 Syllabus to life through authentic cultural connection and creativity. Our Kindergarten team collaborated closely with Jarara to ensure that every activity, ncluding beautiful traditional art aligned perfectly with our learning outcomes. 🎨✨ Click here for more photos https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vRS5aLSLOk9q4mZuBWhNrUFFSmM_5g2_?usp=drive_link
10 May 2026
From Facebook
🔟 Friends of Ten in Year 1! 🔟 Our Year 1 mathematicians have been busy mastering their Friends of Ten! 🧠✨ To help these number pairings stick, we’ve been put to the test with some friendly competition. Students have been using tens frames to challenge their partners, racing to see who can be the first to call out the matching ""friend"" to make ten. Whether it’s 6+4 or 8+2, our learners are getting faster every day! It’s been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and growing confidence with their mental math strategies. Ask your little mathematician tonight: ""I have a 3, who is my friend of ten?"" 🙋♂️🙋♀️ #Year1Maths #FriendsofTen #ActiveLearning #FutureMathematicians
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11 May 2026
From Facebook
🌿 A Special Visit from Jarara! 🌿 Our Kindergarten students had a wonderful time working with our long valued partners from Jarara! at Holy Spirit, we are incredibly proud of our ongoing commitment to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the heart of our learning. This visit was all about bringing the Early Stage 1 Syllabus to life through authentic cultural connection and creativity. Our Kindergarten team collaborated closely with Jarara to ensure that every activity, ncluding beautiful traditional art aligned perfectly with our learning outcomes. 🎨✨ Click here for more photos https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vRS5aLSLOk9q4mZuBWhNrUFFSmM_5g2_?usp=drive_link
10 May 2026
From Facebook
🔟 Friends of Ten in Year 1! 🔟 Our Year 1 mathematicians have been busy mastering their Friends of Ten! 🧠✨ To help these number pairings stick, we’ve been put to the test with some friendly competition. Students have been using tens frames to challenge their partners, racing to see who can be the first to call out the matching ""friend"" to make ten. Whether it’s 6+4 or 8+2, our learners are getting faster every day! It’s been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and growing confidence with their mental math strategies. Ask your little mathematician tonight: ""I have a 3, who is my friend of ten?"" 🙋♂️🙋♀️ #Year1Maths #FriendsofTen #ActiveLearning #FutureMathematicians
08 May 2026
From Facebook
Mother's Day Breakfast A huge thank you to all the mums, grandmothers, aunties, and special women who joined us for our Mother’s Day breakfast this morning 💐 It was wonderful to come together, share smiles, and celebrate the incredible women in our community. Moments like these remind us how strong and connected we are. Happy Mother's Day on Sunday to all our wonderful mothers and mother-like figures 💕💗 For the link to all the photos from today's celebration, please see this week's parent newsletter.
07 May 2026
From Facebook
A huge thank you to our amazing group of mothers and volunteers who generously gave their time, energy, and care to help run our Mother’s Day Stall! 🌸💝 Thank you also for preparing the raffle items, which will be drawn tomorrow — your generosity and support helped make the event even more exciting for our students and families. The children were so excited and appreciative as they carefully selected gifts for their loved ones. Thank you for helping create such a special, joyful, and memorable experience for our students and the wider school community. We truly appreciate all that you do and the wonderful spirit of generosity you bring to our school! 💐
07 May 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 5 students have been hard at work this week. In English, they have been reading a biography of Peter Lalor, a key figure in Australia's democratic history. To show off their comprehension skills, the students have been practicing the skill of paraphrasing. This involves taking complex information from the text and rewording it in their own way while retaining the original meaning. ✍️ Today's focus was the introduction. The students loved using their whiteboards to draft their ideas, tweak their sentences, and share their sentences with their peers. 💡💬 Keep up the good work.
05 May 2026
From Facebook
Last Friday, Year 3 participated in the World of Maths incursion, exploring 17 engaging, hands-on activities designed to build and apply a wide range of mathematical skills. Students worked both collaboratively and independently to solve problems, think critically, and use strategies involving number, measurement, patterns, and reasoning. It was fantastic to see students making real-world connections and discovering that maths can be both fun and meaningful!
05 May 2026
From Facebook
Yesterday, Year 4 attended the “Freaky Forces” science incursion in the MPA and enjoyed a hands-on exploration of forces. Students investigated how friction affects movement, how centre of gravity impacts balance, and why objects behave the way they do. A highlight was the balloon experiment—standing on balloons without popping them—showing how spreading force over a larger area prevents breakage. A fun and engaging way to bring science to life!
02 May 2026
From Facebook
Thank you. We are blessed to have such a wonderful staff, great partners in Zing and amazing parents who are always so supportive at any events we host!
02 May 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 1 explorers traded their desks for a day of discovery at the World of Maths excursion! 🧮✨ It wasn’t just about numbers—it was about solving puzzles, building towers, and seeing how math lives everywhere in the world around us. From hands-on challenges to teamwork triumphs, our little learners showed off some seriously impressive problem-solving skills. The best part? Seeing those ""Aha!"" moments when a tricky puzzle finally clicked! 💡 Check out some of the highlights from our day of counting, measuring, and (most importantly) having a blast! 📸👇 #WorldOfMaths #Year1Adventures #LearningThroughPlay #FutureMathematicians #SchoolExcursion #HandsOnLearning"
01 May 2026
From Facebook
01 May 2026
From Facebook
This term, our Year 6 students wiill be investigating how the properties of materials determine their use. Today’s challenge was to taking everyday items like metal clips, bottle tops, playdough, sponges, and wooden tiles and find a way to make them float. Working in teams, the students manipulated the materials before making their predictions. The students then tested their objects to determine whether or not they were able to float. It was a fantastic day of hands-on learning and scientific thinking! Well done, Year 6, on such a focused and engaging start to the term! 🌟
01 May 2026
From Facebook
Yesterday, our Year 3 students attended Parish Mass, celebrated by Father Peter. During the Mass, Father Peter reflected on the Gospel of John and spoke to the students about the importance of coming together in faith and supporting one another as a community. A heartfelt thank you to all the families who joined us in prayer and supported our students. Your presence helped create a truly special and prayerful celebration.