Dear Sacred Heart Families,

As we come to the end of the 4th week of Term 1, the school year is now well underway and we have settled in beautifully to life at Sacred Heart.

New staff , parents and visitors are commenting on the sense of calmness and peace that is present in the school and this is an environment that we work towards creating intentionally.

Educational research consistently highlights the significant impact of a calm learning environment on students' academic performance and well-being. A harmonious atmosphere also fosters focus, respect and positive relationships, allowing every individual to reach their full potential. I encourage you to read the section below where I write more about creating a school wide culture of safety and wellbeing at school.

It was wonderful to see so many parents/carers attend our Class Information Sessions on Wednesday afternoon. These information sessions provided an opportunity for teachers to communicate important information to parents. It helps establish a partnership between parents and educators, emphasising the shared responsibility for a child's education. If you were unable to attend, teachers have or will make the slides available for you to read in your own time.

Have a wonderful weekend all.

I remain yours in faith and gratitude,

Kaylene Carlin

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

School Advisory Council

School Advisory Councils (SAC) are advisory bodies which form an important expression of the educational partnership that exists between parents, schools, parishes and the wider community to support all students. The SAC provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where the parent voice and perspective are available to influence the decisions made by the principal and parish priest for the good of school and parish where the wellbeing and outcomes for students is paramount.

Congratulations to George Dimitrakopoulos & Camilo Pizarro on their appointment to the School Advisory Council for a three year term.

A message from George

Hello everyone,

My name is George Dimitrakopoulos, and I am excited to join the School Advisory Council for Sacred Heart. We are fairly new to the school ourselves, joining the Sacred Heart family with two of my girls, and this year our third has just joined Prep (our fourth is still a couple of years away).

I am a Principal Solutions Architect in one of Australia's leading Cloud and Cyber security organisations, which keeps me insanely busy along with wrangling my four daughters, but I am always up for a chat, so pop on by and say Hello!

I am eager to contribute to the growth and success of our school community. Sacred Heart's ethos of "Image of the Child" rings true in my mind and I would like to assist in any way possible in making a meaningful impact on our students' educational journey.

A message from Camilo

I’m excited to introduce myself as the new parent member to the school advisory council.

My family and I are new to the Sacred Heart community as we recently moved back from the Bellarine Peninsula after 3 wonderful years.

Together with my wife Helen we have two beautiful children Camilo and Isabella, Camilo started grade 3 this year, during our free time we enjoy the beach, family dinners and going to the football.

I was a previous school advisory council member at my son's school in Queenscliff, I believe with my experience I can contribute to our school community’s values, growth and vision.

I’m committed to listening to the needs of the community and working together to create a lasting positive environment.

The School Advisory Council for 2025 at Sacred Heart Primary School are:

Principal: Kaylene Carlin

Parish Priest: Fr Samuel (Custodian of Mission)

Chair: Hamish George

Secretary: TBA

Parent Representatives: Hamish George, Zoe Wen, Aaron Greaves, George Dimitrakopoulos & Camilo Pizarro.

Parishioner: Marlene Monahan (Custodian of Mission)

Staff Members: Erin Stone (Deputy Principal), Cath Palmer (Deputy Principal) Caitlin McEwan (Family Partnerships & Engagement Leader)

Contact Details: sac@shnewport.catholic.edu.au

Uniform Reminder

I would like to kindly remind all families about the importance of students being in correct school uniform, as per our uniform policy, which fosters a sense of pride and belonging in our school community.

Students are only permitted to wear the sports uniform on designated sports day, PE days or interschool sports days for the Year 5 & 6. I have noticed an increasing number of students wearing their sports uniform on days that are not designated PE days.

Key reminders include:

Uniform items: All students are expected to wear the full & correct school uniform, including the appropriate footwear and tops, shorts or dresses, as per the uniform guidelines.
Personal grooming: Hair should be neat and tidy and tied back if past shoulder length. Students are not permitted to wear jewelry or makeup to school. Students are permitted to wear a stud or small, hoop earring if ears are pierced, but nothing that is at risk of catching onto an item or finger that can pull the earring out.
PE uniform: On days when students have physical education, they are required to wear the designated PE uniform, which includes the appropriate shorts, T-shirt and runners.

We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a positive, predictable and consistent school environment. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the uniform policy, please do not hesitate to contact myself or the school office.

Information about our correct school uniform can be found in the Information Book 2025 attached below.

Please note, a few parents and students have raised the topic of skorts as an option to be added to the school uniform. This will be on the agenda at the next School Advisory Council Meeting on 4th March for discussion.

Creating a school wide culture of safety & wellbeing for all

At Sacred Heart, we hold the child at the centre of everything that we do. Our 'Image of the Child' encapsulates this beautifully....

At Sacred Heart, we believe that the child is at the centre of all we do.

We recognise that each child is unique and thrives when provided with meaningful experiences through which to flourish.

Children are curious and active in their learning when given opportunities to ask questions, discover, investigate and reflect.

We believe in educating the whole child to become confident and creative, with a passion for lifelong learning and an optimism for their future.

A school-wide culture of safety and wellbeing is essential to ensure every single child reaches their full potential and it is a culture that we, as a staff and school community, are deeply committed to.

We know that students thrive academically, socially and emotionally in environments where they feel safe and valued. Research also highlights that schools with a strong safety and wellbeing culture see reduced incidences of bullying, improved mental health outcomes and stronger relationships for all. Without this culture, incidents of bullying can emerge and increase in number, leading to impacts on a child's self esteem and engagement at school.

At Sacred Heart Primary School we are deeply committed to fostering an environment of safety and inclusion. Whilst incidents can and do occur at times, the school has clearly defined processes and pathways that we follow to ensure all incidents are taken seriously, investigated, documented and communicated to those who are involved, including parents/carers when appropriate. There are times when actions are taken that are not known to all but this does not mean that matters have not been addressed or taken seriously.

The school adopts both a proactive and responsive approach to student wellbeing, behaviour and safety for all. An example of this includes a commitment to focusing on our Ways of Being Together in each class at the start of each year and developing routines that respect the rights of all to be safe and learn at school. At times, children may be asked to complete a behaviour reflection sheet that supports the child to reflect on what has occurred and why and how he/she may respond differently in the future. These sheets are sent home to be signed by parents to ensure important conversations are taking place both at home and at school.

One of our strategic goals for 2025 is a focus on students demonstrating respect for self and others by following the school's behaviour expectations, contributing positively to the learning environment that is reflective of our Catholic identity. As a staff, we have begun working on the design and implementation of a behaviour curriculum that clearly details school wide norms reflective of our Ways of Being Together. We will be communicating more about this over the course of the year.

As you will be aware, Sacred Heart Primary Schools sits under the broader governance of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS). As such, MACS policies that guide our practice are implemented at Sacred Heart when resolving conflicts, investigating inappropriate and/or unsafe behaviours or other matters of concern. These policies include but are not limited to those listed below and are available on our school website under the 'Our School' & 'Policies' tab:

Student Behaviour Policy
Duty of Care Policy
Bullying Prevention Policy
Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
Child Safety Code of Conduct
PROTECT

If at any time, as a parent/carer you would like more information about practices and responses at Sacred Heart or are concerned for your child, I strongly encourage you to speak to myself, one of our two Deputy Principals, Erin Stone and Cath Palmer or a member of the Learning Diversity and Ways of Being Together team, Rosy & Nicole (P-2) or Lisa (Year 3-6) or your child's teacher.

It is in partnership that we can ensure that Sacred Heart is a place where everyone feels safe, respected and listened to. Thank you for your support in this very important aspect of our work as educators and parents.

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