School News
English Immersion Morning - Monday 25 March
Classroom Helper Course
Thank you to all the parents who were able to attend the Classroom Helper Course on Tuesday. Classroom teachers will send communication in the next few weeks asking for your availability to help in the classroom from Term 2. A reminder to please check that your Working with Children's card is up-to-date and that the School Office has a copy.
We are looking forward to welcoming our Classroom Helpers next term.
St Patrick's Day Mass
Today, our School and House Captains celebrated the annual St Patrick’s Day Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral with other Melbourne Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools. Thank you to Mr Weekes and Mrs Story for attending this special celebration with our school leaders.
Sports Day
Wednesday 27 March sees us celebrate our annual School Sports Day. This is always a wonderful occasion, with all children participating in sprints, a long distance event and a range of tabloid sports. On Sports Day, we encourage students to dress up and be part of the spirit of their house during the course of the day. All students are able to come to school in their sports uniform and a t-shirt that represents their house colour, ready for a day of races, sporting activities and fun.
Mr O’Shea has once again prepared a fun and enjoyable day for everyone to be involved in. Thanks to our Year 6 House Captains who are also working behind the scenes, preparing House chants as the excitement and team spirit builds. Thanks also to the Year 5 parents who on behalf of the PA have organised a hot dog lunch for the children.
If you have not yet ordered a hot dog for your child, click the Trybooking link below.
https://www.trybooking.com/CQCXX
Parents are invited to attend both the long distance races in the morning and the sprint races in the afternoon. We ask that spectators spread out along the green hill for the morning long distance races (9:00-10:45am) and spread out along the Glenferrie Road side of the school oval for the afternoon sprint races (1:45-3:15am).
Thanks for your support with the above matters. We are very much looking forward to our 2024 School Sports Day on Wednesday 27 March.
Jess Wilson MP - Shout Out to School Leaders - Speech to Parliament (March 5, 2024)
Last week, Jess Wilson MP gave our School Captains (Alaia and Joel) and all our 2024 Year 6 leaders a special shout out during her Speech to Parliament. Check it out below.
Lent at Sacred Heart Kew
As we enter the fourth week of Lent, we have enjoyed a number of activities that honour our Lenten Program and support Project Compassion.
See the full poster of the Lenten activities we are undertaking.
St Patrick’s Day
Well done to all the students and staff who wore a touch of green, and thank you to Year 3 for organising the St Patrick's Day treat boxes today. Money used to purchase the treats will be donated to Project Compasssion.
Hot Cross Buns - on sale on TUESDAYS at SHS
Students and Staff have been enjoying Hot Cross Buns through the tuckshop on Tuesday for a gold coin donation at lunchtimes. This will continue for the next two weeks. A huge thank you to the Parents Association for organising and staffing this wonderful initiative!
Thursday 28 March - Egg Drop Challenge (led by 4JM)
Preloved Toy Drive
The Year 2's are still collecting toys on a Friday until 22 March.
Toy donations should be complete, in good condition and not contain little pieces. Toys should be designed for children aged 0-7.
Types of Toys gratefully received include:
Musical Instruments
Wooden Toys (blocks, stacking cups etc)
Play Sets
Toy Vehicles (Cars, Aeroplanes, Boats, Tractors, Cranes, Dump Trucks)
Doll Houses and furniture
Role-play equipment eg. kitchens, appliances, crockery, cookware, tools
Train sets
Puzzles (up to 500 pieces only)
Duplo (but no lego thank you)
Larger toys include:
Ride ons
Outdoor slides
Please note that toy library has currently enough:
Walkers
Costumes
Soft Toys
Holy Week Activities
Holy Week is a special time in the Church calendar. It includes the last part of Lent (which ends on Holy Thursday) and into Easter. There are a number of whole school events in place to mark Holy Week in Week 9 including:
Monday 25 March - Palm Sunday paraliturgy (11:15am in MPR)
Tuesday 26 March - Stations of the Cross (see below)
Thursday 28 March - Holy Thursday paraliturgy (8:50am in MPR) and Good Friday paraliturgy (12:15pm in MPR)
All families are invited to attend the paraliturgies.
Stations of the Cross
On Tuesday 26 March, each class will have the opportunity to walk the Stations of the Cross around the Church.
What are the Stations of the Cross? (From The Way of the Cross, Juliette Levivier)
It was in Jerusalem that Jesus suffered his Passion and died on the cross, giving his life for us to save us from sin. It was there too, three days later, that he rose from the dead. A short time later, the first Christians started to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to pray at the place where Jesus died and rose to life. They followed the same way that Jesus had walked as he went to the cross. When they returned home, they wanted to remember this ‘way' and to continue to meditate on Jesus' passion. In the 14th century some Franciscan monks decided to recreate this 'way of the passion' inside churches, for all the people who couldn't go to Jerusalem. That's why, today, there is a way of the Cross (usually depicted in Artwork) in every church.
Call out for magazines
The Art Room is in need of magazines, preferably magazines that include good quality fashion, architecture, interior design and art such as Inside Out and Vogue. If you have any spare magazines that you would like to kindly donate please send them to the Office. Mrs Burnes thanks you in advance.
School Counsellor
Have you ever wondered what school counselling involves? Sometimes children and young people find living in our demanding, complex world difficult to navigate. This can impact their social, emotional and educational development. School Counselling is a confidential service offered at Sacred Heart Kew that assists students who may be experiencing small or big problems such as:
- worries
- friendships concerns
- trouble sleeping
- anger
- low self-esteem
- family tensions
The counsellor helps students to discuss their tricky feelings, understand their thoughts and behaviours, and provide coping strategies to reduce and mitigate symptoms before they become worse. Counselling sessions are a positive and fun experience, and can promote good help-seeking behaviour. Class observations are also offered by the school counsellor to gain further insight on how their emotional world is impacting student’s classroom behaviour.
Elise, our school counsellor, is available on Tuesdays in 2024. Parents are welcome to reach out to discuss if counselling is the right fit for them and their child. Please contact the School Office admin@shkew.catholic.edu.au
Congratulations and Good Luck Freddie G
Congratulations to Freddie G (5CB) who progressed through to Division Swimming on March 1 with a second placing. We wish Freddie good luck as he competes at Regionals on Friday 22 March.
Garden Club
The next Garden Club will meet on Wednesday 20 March.
A reminder that ALL children are invited to Garden Club on a Wednesday (every fortnight) from 7.50am. Please remember to drop your children around 7.50am as the Glenferrie Rd pedestrian gate will be closed by 8am.
Running Club
All children from Years 3 - 6 are welcome to attend Running Club with Mr O'Shea and Mr Millane every Friday morning from 7:45am.
Here's what you need to know......
- Children will need to bring their own water bottle and perhaps a small towel
- Enter from the Glenferrie Road pedestrian gate
- All fitness levels are welcome
- Along with running, there will be some fitness circuits and health-related learning involved including: stretching, breathing, tempo running, warm up and cool down (process), making use of smart watches and fitbit's
Friday Afternoon School Assemblies at 2.30pm
All parents are welcome to attend our Assemblies which take place in the MPR (see below dates). From Term 2, classes will be timetabled to present an item to the school community.
Term 1 Assemblies:
Week 8 - Friday 22 March (NO ASSEMBLY-Wellbeing Groups)
2024 Term Dates
Term 1
Thurs 1 February (Students begin) – Thurs 28 March (12:45pm finish)
Term 2
Mon 15 April – Fri 28 June (12:45pm finish)
Term 3
Mon 15 July – Fri 20 September (12:45pm finish)
Term 4
Mon 7 October - Tue 17 December (12:45pm finish)
2024 School Closure Days
The following days and dates will be School Closure Days in 2024:
Term 2
Thursday 25 April (ANZAC Day)
Friday 26 April (Time in lieu day for staff) *
Monday 10 June (King’s Birthday Public Holiday)
Term 3
None
Term 4
Monday 4 November (Time in lieu day for staff) *
Tuesday 5 November (Melbourne Cup Day Public Holiday)
Friday 6 December (Staff Planning for 2025 School Closure Day)
Children finish on Tuesday 17 December at 12.45pm
Wednesday 18 December (Time in lieu day for staff) *
As was communicated to families towards the end of last year...
* Time in Lieu (TIL)
The new Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2022 (the Agreement) introduces a formal time in lieu (TIL) process for teachers. The Agreement provides that a principal may require a teacher to undertake work and attend a school activity outside the normal hours of attendance (i.e., in excess of the 38 hours or normal hours for a part-time teacher) and when this occurs, it will attract TIL.
Principals should prepare for the accrual and acquittal of TIL through their annual planning process. The timing of the acquittal of TIL is at the discretion of the principal, having regard to the operational needs of the school and causing the least disruption to the educational program of the school.
Principals may elect to acquit TIL through designating days during the year on which all staff and students are not required to attend school. For 2024, there are opportunities to acquit TIL for the whole school on the following days:
Friday April 26 (day after ANZAC Day);
Monday November 4 (day before Cup Day);
early finishes on the last days of Terms 1, 2 and 3;
end of Term 4 from Wednesday 18 December.
Please note that no primary school students should be dismissed from schools prior to Tuesday 17 December 2024 – this is their earliest finish date