Principal News 

TERM 2

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Dear Families and Friends,

Once again, we thank you in advance for your understanding as we have another 'substantial' newsletter to digest. Whilst we recognize the potential content overload, we simply have so much great news to share and it would be remiss not to celebrate. Additionally, this platform remains a primary source of information for our busy families, including extended family members (interstate & overseas), enabling them to stay informed about the latest events in our exceptional community. Furthermore, it offers prospective families valuable insights into the quality educational programs and community activities available at Sacred Heart, providing a comparative perspective in relation to other schools in the Bayside area. 

BUILDING PROGRAM UPDATE

Last week I had a meeting with Ryan Batchelor MP, during which he confirmed the government's commitment of $3 million towards a building upgrade program for our school. This is a substantial investment that will complement existing school funding and allow for the refurbishment of all classrooms within the next 18 months (inc. 6mth planning  phase). It's important to note that this program focuses on refurbishment rather than a complete demolition and rebuild. We are actively in touch with our architects and have prioritized minimizing any disruption to the students. Our goal is to utilize all existing rooms throughout the refurbishment program.

PETER PAN NEWS

This week, there has been a growing sense of excitement in our community as the students completed their auditions for the upcoming Peter Pan production. On Wednesday, the cast was revealed, and a list was displayed in the causeway. It felt reminiscent of a scene from an American university film as the students gathered to examine the announcement. The reaction from everyone was flawless, which can largely be attributed to Miss Robertson and her diligent and exceptional manner in preparing of the children leading up to this occasion. We are eagerly anticipating the production, scheduled for late Term 3 and in time will be reaching out to families to support with costumes and props, so please watch this space. In the meantime,  be sure to read the Music News for additional details and the full cast list - we have some exciting times ahead.

Peter Pan Production: Wednesday the 13th and Thursday the 14th of September

BERRY STREET 

STAFF FULLY TRAINED 

Today, our  staff completed the final domain of the Berry Street on Character. The strengths-based approach within this domain is a fundamental part of this Education Model. This approach or perspective focuses on identifying and leveraging a student's strengths, abilities, and positive qualities, rather than focusing primarily on their weaknesses or deficits. It emphasizes the positive aspects of their character, skills, and experiences to promote growth, development, and success.

The core idea is that every student at Sacred Heart possesses unique strengths and capabilities that can be harnessed to overcome challenges, achieve goals, and thrive in various areas of life. This approach recognizes that our students are more likely to excel and experience personal satisfaction when they can utilize their existing strengths rather than constantly trying to fix their weaknesses.

We congratulate, and are thrilled to announce that all staff members at Sacred Heart have now successfully completed the comprehensive Berry Street training, spanning over a two-year period. This substantial investment ensures that we are all in sync and highlights the crucial connection between this approach and our rigorous academic program. The integration of academics and student well-being is essential as they mutually reinforce each other. We recognize that students thrive when they receive support in their learning, personal growth, and overall well-being.

Since the inception of this training, a notable aspect  has been the regular implementation of brain breaks in all our classrooms, P-6. These brief activities are incorporated at the start of lessons or during transitional periods to prime students' minds for learning and assist them in self-regulation. It is important to note that these brain breaks should not be confused with extended outdoor games.

We have also introduced ready-to-learn plans and daily circle time, more notably in the Year 3-6 classrooms. These practices, along with key strategies from Berry Street, have had a positive impact on how our students interact and respond throughout the day. Coupled with the Respectful Relationships program, there is a shared understanding of expectations and a common language when it comes to our interactions, as well as how they can identify and respond when faced with challenges or setbacks. 

Additionally, at the conclusion of lessons, staff members have introduced WWW (What Went Well) circles, providing students with an opportunity to identify and reflect upon the effective aspects of their learning experience. This has proven to be a powerful method for them to reflect upon their learning. We look forward to sharing some of these practices in the coming weeks. 

NORTHERN TERRITORY ENRICHMENT CONFERENCE

Although it now feels like a distant memory, I want to express my gratitude once again to all of you for your understanding during my recent absence in Darwin. I was there with 14 colleagues from our South Central Principal Network as part of an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander immersion program. It was a truly wonderful experience for me, as I began my teaching career over 30 years ago in the Northern Territory. It also allowed me to reflect on my early years in this rewarding professional journey.

Back in late 1989, after completing my teaching degree, I embarked on a journey up the Stuart Highway to visit my eldest brother, who had started his career as a civil engineer in the NT. Within 24 hours of arriving in Katherine (300km south of Darwin), I managed to secure my first teaching position at St Joseph's Primary School. The interview process back then in the Northern Territory was quite laid-back, as I was offered the job on the spot while dressed in a singlet, shorts, and thongs. Today, the school has transformed into a bustling P-12 college, catering to numerous students from the surrounding communities and towns. 

Within a year, four close friends from university also made their way to the Northern Territory to begin their teaching careers. It's remarkable that three remain in the NT, working in Catholic education and law enforcement. 

Even though our catch up was brief, reuniting with my dear friends in Darwin was a true highlight. We fondly reminisced about those incredible early years of teaching - the good old days.

Below is a snapshot of our time away as a Network and some photos. I sincerely thank Claire Tobin (Principal, St Joseph’s, Elsternwick) for providing a summary of the key highlights below. 

Kakadu

We began our day with a hands-on learning experience at Pudakul Aboriginal Cultural Tours on Limilngan-Wulna land. We learned about bush tucker and bush medicine, and had conversations around Aboriginal culture, tradition and history. We then journeyed on to Ubirr rock, home to some of the oldest (10,000 years) and best-preserved rock art galleries in the world. This was one of the many highlights for me - it felt so spiritual and timeless. Climbing to the top of Ubirr rock (scenes from Crocodile Dundee) and knowing that people had done so for 10,000 years was an incredible feeling. 

On the way home we visited Cahills Crossing in search of crocodiles and watched locals bravely fish from the muddy banks (There are approximately 37 saltwater crocodiles/kilometre in the NT waterways). It was an unforgettable day. 

One captivating sight on our travels was the active occurrence of the 'burning off', where dry grasses and bushland is deliberately reduced. Remarkably, there was not a single fire truck to be seen, as the locals possessed a unique connection to their land and used effective techniques to control this burning off procedure. This practice also has minimal consequences for the wildlife, given their profound knowledge of how to handle this crucial process of control and rejuvenation—a method that has been employed for well over a 1000 years.

Catholic Education Northern Territory 

We were fortunate enough to spend some time at the Catholic Education Northern Territory offices, participating in the Cultural Enrichment program they offer. Anyone who wants to work in Catholic schools in the NT must participate in this program and we were fortunate enough to meet with 2 of the staff who run the program. They took us through Aboriginal culture, history, ways of living, the stolen generation and the formal apology from the Rudd Government in 2008 and the Voice Referendum. The time we spent at Catholic Education was the anchor point for the entire week and helped us all understand so much more. I must say, this was sadly not offered when I started teaching in the NT many years earlier. We are incredibly thankful to the staff (Shane from my early years in the Territory, now a consultant in NT Catholic Ed) for facilitating this program for us, as this is not something that they typically offer to interstate Principals. 

Tiwi Islands

We caught the ferry over to Tiwi Island (which was an experience in itself, it was not at all smooth sailing!) where we were met by our local guide. Tiwi consists of two islands, Bathurst and Melville, and the latter is the second biggest island in Australia behind Tasmania. We spent time on Bathurst with some Tiwi locals while they worked on their weaving and painting as our guides also demonstrated their Totem dances and performed a smoking ceremony to cleanse us. Our group was taken on a journey through the progressive, modern day Aboriginal community of Wurrumiyanga before we visited the Museum, which had beautiful displays of traditional art and depictions of the Tiwi dreamtime stories. We then stopped off at the Early Mission Precinct, which had the most amazing Tiwi style Catholic Church - the art inside was stunning. We learnt about the history of the early mission days and how the Tiwi people have blended their culture with Christianity, as there is still a strong Catholic culture on the island.  Not surprisingly AFL has a big presence on the islands and remarkably has the highest number of AFL representatives per capita in Australia. 

In addition to the amazing experiences we had, it was also a wonderful opportunity to network with other Principals who work in the surrounding suburbs. Talking to them, being able to ask questions, having them check in and genuinely show care was something that I will always value in my leadership capacity. It was also a very special experience to share with two of my dearest friends and colleagues - Claire Tobin, who is now the Principal at St Joseph’s Elsternwick and Michelle Moore, Principal at St Joseph’s Malvern. Both were Deputy Principals at St Joseph’s Elsternwick and are outstanding leaders in their respective schools. We have lots of shared happy memories from our time in Elsternwick! 

Weeks like these cannot happen without the support of everyone back at school and I want to thank Brigid and the Leadership Team for running the school in my absence and the staff for stepping in across the week where needed. Thank you team for going the extra mile! 

YR.3&4 FAMILY MASS

It was wonderful to see so many of our middle school families attend the lovely mass on Saturday evening. Fr. Andrew expressed thanks at the active involvement of our students and families, and we extend our gratitude once more to our committed staff for their invaluable support in ensuring these occasions are meaningful for our children.

Fernhill Mercy Health - Intergenerational Change

What a extraordinary success the intergenerational program has been for our community. The Yr.5 students have truly embraced the weekly opportunity to engage with the aged-care residents at Fernhill. Activities range from singing, a game of Connect Four, to Jenga or simply a friendly conversation (This small gesture sometimes means the world). Witnessing the joy and vitality that emanates from both the children and the residence during these interactions is truly tangible and invaluable for their well-being. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to Mr. Blake and Mr. Brown for their facilitation of this beautiful pastoral program. We are shaping some truly remarkable and socially aware students.

In addition, we again thank our Yr.4 students who visit our local kinder, Nagle, each fortnight to interact with the pre-school students. Supported by Ms Tench & Mrs Pennington, our Yr.4 students have just loved these opportunities to build relationships.  

Not to be forgotten, it is also worth noting we now have a roster system for our Yr.6 students to help out with the Little Hearts of Sandy Playgroup, such is their strong desire to help out with this wonderful program. Thanks again to our talented musician, Carol (LSO) for performing last week for our pre-schoolers and toddlers. 

Next Sessions:

• 28th July 10am

A Sneaky Literacy Snapshot

What a joy it was to float through Prep this week and see our most junior students practice their reading fluency. Each day the students are given short passages of text to repeatedly read within a timeframe. The practice aims to increase their reading pace/fluency using set passages over the course of the week. Great work Preps!

In Year 2, the students were engaged in report writing and focusing on subordinating connectives as part of their Writing Revolution (TWR) lessons. It is worth noting the impressive ability of these students to effectively express their understanding of the meaning, purpose, and use of these connectives. These connectives, also referred to as sentence stems, were effortlessly provided by the students, including once, while, when, whenever, where, wherever, before, and after. Miss Donnelly's class even had a special 'jig' to reinforce their understanding. As Miss Rafferty said, she wasn't surprised as the Irish look for any excuse for a good jig. 

SPORTING NEWS

We extend our best wishes to our senior students as they prepare for the upcoming Lightning Premiership tournaments in soccer, netball, and football. These highly anticipated events serve as the culmination of the weekly interschool sports program provided to our Year 5 and 6 students.

• Soccer - 14th June (Mr Blake)
• Netball  - 15th June (Mr T)
• Football Lightning - 16th June (Mr Brown & Mr Blake)

STAFFING NEWS

It's been a busy, yet highly affirming few days for Mrs Pennington and our teachers as they have met with families to review learning goals and plans for the term. These partnership with our families is imperative in ensuring the best outcomes for our children. We thank Brigid and our staff for the phenomenal work they do in supporting the students and families with this essential process.

Feast of the Sacred Heart  

In the coming weeks we will celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Using this day as a source of inspiration, Mr Blake and Mr Brown have a special day planned for the students on this day, with a theme: Healthy Heart Healthy Minds. Drawing upon their shared passion for wellbeing, this looks to be a stunning day to close out our full term. More information to follow shortly.

Student Orientation Program

Recently, we've had quite a number of new students participating in "trial days" as they prepare to join our community for the upcoming Term 3. While I shouldn't be surprised, I'm truly affirmed by the warm reception these students have received and the remarkable flexibility exhibited by our staff in accommodating these newcomers. In the coming weeks we will have more students do trial days as they participate in these important transition sessions. 

SCHOOL DISCO

Many thanks to Pam Moore and her amazing team of parent helpers (Adele, Bianca, Ashlee, Arriarne, Tim, Tarn, Jules, Brooke, Kylie, Sarah & Adin) for organising and running the recent Kids Disco for our students. These events just don't happen, and we are indebted for their generous time  in making this such a special evening for our children. 

 CLUB NEWS

I suggested to Mr Brown after Thursday's session to maybe cancel the next few sessions as the students may be getting tired leading into the half-year break. Typical of Mr Brown, he replied, "No way, they love it, and to be honest I love it more."  I know the same sentiments can be said of Ms Hyslop, Mrs Collins and Miss McKay who also give up their precious time each week for the students for their respective clubs. #dedication

LOCK’EM IN

• Public Holiday 12th June
• Book Fair 13th - 16th June
• Grandparent’s Day - 16th June
• End of Term & Sacred Heart Day (see Education in Faith News) - 23rd June

LITTLE GEMS

And finally....

Whilst we acknowledge school closure days are not always ideal for families, I sense after a number of conversations with parents on the gate this week, our students will definitely benefit from this extended weekend and time to reset for the run home to the half-year. Once again, we genuinely appreciate your understanding as our staff had an exceptional day of professional development on Friday, and we believe that over time, these advantages will positively impact your children.

Have a great weekend,

Simon Collis

Principal

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