Principal's News
Dear Parents and Carers,
It is great to witness the learning as I visit classrooms each day. This week, some of our Grade 5 students explored the power of renewable energy by designing and testing their solar ovens. Using simple materials like cardboard boxes, foil, and plastic wrap, they harnessed the sun’s energy to cook a classic treat - s’mores!
“On a hot day, with the help of a black surface to absorb heat, the s’mores took just 10 minutes to melt into gooey perfection. Through this experiment, students discovered how solar energy could be used for cooking, learned about heat absorption and insulation, and saw firsthand how sustainable energy sources work.”
Caitlin Welsh and Betsy Riches
The project was educational and a fun and tasty way to bring science to life. It certainly tapped into the Sacred Heart motto, “Have fun and learn stuff!”
Pupil-Free Week to Start Term 2 - Investing in Teacher Development
The first week of Term 2 includes two public holidays: Easter Monday and ANZAC Day (Friday). With the support of our governing body, DOBCEL, and our School Advisory Council (SAC), Tuesday, April 22nd, Wednesday, April 23rd, and Thursday, April 24th will be student-free days. On these days, Sacred Heart staff will participate in collaborative professional learning with colleagues from Southern Zone Catholic primary schools.
The focus for these professional learning days will include:
- Tuesday, April 22nd: Religious Education Professional Development
- Wednesday, April 23rd: Intellischool Training
- Thursday, April 24th: Presentation of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035, titled "Pursuing Fullness of Life for All." This comprehensive plan aims to enhance the performance of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat over the next decade. The strategy will be presented to all staff members of DOBCEL schools by Executive Director, Tom Sexton, throughout Term 2. All schools in the Southern Zone will gather at St Joseph's Primary School, Warrnambool, on April 24th to ensure everyone understands this strategy and its vision. This day will be a School Closure Day for all schools in the Southern Zone. The entire Executive Summary of the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy is available on the DOBCEL website or hard copies can be obtained from the school office.
This arrangement creates a three-week break, including Easter, for our students at the end of Term 1.
Harmony Day
Unfortunately, I missed our Harmony Day celebrations on Friday as I was at a Principal meeting at St Mary’s. I am reliably informed that it was a fantastic day. Thank you to all staff, notably Ms Lynch, as I know she did a power of work to bring everything together.
Ride to School day
Thank you to everyone who supported last week’s ride to school day. A few extra bikes and scooters are also on the rack this week. All drivers are reminded that this is a school zone with a permanent 40km/h limit. We all know kids can be unpredictable road users and need to remain vigilant around schools particularly.
Hot Dog Day - Friday 4 April
Children will receive a hot dog and a drink for lunch on this day (there will be no lunch orders). Parents have already been charged for the cost of this lunch in their levies so there is no need to send money for on this day.
However, the funds raised through the hot dog days are used to offset the cost of the Grade 6 camp.
Kind regards,
Karl Dwyer
Principal