Dear Families and Friends,

It was with immense joy and gratitude that we recently celebrated a significant milestone in the life of Sacred Heart School the official opening and blessing of our new learning spaces. This occasion was more than a construction milestone; it was a celebration of vision, teamwork, and a shared commitment to providing the very best for our students.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped bring this project to life. Our sincere appreciation goes to the builders from Bowden Corp, particularly our onsite foreman, Lee, whose dedication transformed plans into inspiring spaces. We are also deeply grateful to our architect, Clara from Baldasso Cortese, whose design and vision was instrumental in shaping the vibrant learning environments we now enjoy.

We acknowledge and thank Marc from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) for his guidance and steady support throughout this journey. His leadership helped keep our focus firmly on what matters most creating spaces that nurture learning and community.

To Fr Martin, we thank you for your support throughout the journey, your involvement in our liturgies, and your blessings on both Friday and Monday. We are grateful to work in partnership with you as we continue to nurture the faith and wellbeing of our school community.

To our staff we express deep gratitude for your professionalism, patience, and flexibility during the building process. You embraced change with resilience, worked through noise and disruption, and continued to prioritise student learning under challenging conditions. Your commitment to consistent, best practice in teaching has been truly admirable.

We also acknowledge our wonderful families for their ongoing support and trust. Your partnership makes a real difference, and we are particularly thankful to our many for their support not only on Friday with the many tasks involved, but also for their daily presence and unwavering commitment to the life of our school.

And finally, to our students thank you. You are the reason we do what we do. Your resilience, excitement, and love of life and learning remind us daily of our purpose and mission. We hope you enjoy these before and after photos showcasing the transformation of our building project.

As we blessed our new spaces, we prayed that they would become places of growth, discovery and friendship, where minds are challenged and hearts are nurtured. Thank you to everyone who joined us and supported us throughout this journey. We look forward to many meaningful learning moments ahead as we begin this exciting new chapter together.

A beautiful poem written by Mataya in Year Five was shared at our Opening. Her heartfelt words truly encapsulate the spirit of Sacred Heart.

Prepping for a Grand Opening

On Friday, as we edged closer to our Official School Opening, you could be forgiven for thinking it wasn’t a momentous occasion as our teachers were still deep in the rhythm of teaching and learning, business as usual. With many classroom doors open to the corridor, it was remarkable to see the level of focus, teachers delivering instruction with such clarity (#explicitteachinginaction) and students quietly engaged in their learning.

While these exceptional spaces certainly contribute to the tone, the real credit goes to our dedicated staff. Their collective effort in establishing clear expectations and nurturing a calm, purposeful environment has been outstanding. This culture does not happen by chance; it is the result of a shared vision, professionalism, and a consistent approach with a strong focus on routines from Prep to Year 6.

Well done to our students and staff, you’ve created a truly brilliant environment for learning at Sacred Heart.

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a significant milestone in a young Catholic’s faith journey. As one of the three Sacraments of Initiation - alongside Baptism and Eucharist -Confirmation is often described as the moment when a person becomes more fully united with the Church and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Through the laying on of hands and anointing with sacred chrism by the bishop, candidates are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. This sacred ritual strengthens the grace received at Baptism and equips individuals with spiritual gifts to live out their faith with courage, wisdom, and love.

Confirmation is not just a one-day event; it marks the beginning of a deeper, more conscious commitment to living a life guided by the teachings of Jesus. It is a time for candidates to reflect on their personal faith, embrace their role in the Church community, and open their hearts to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

At Sacred Heart, we are proud to walk alongside our students as they prepare for this important sacrament. With the support of their families, teachers, and parish community, they are growing in faith and ready to take this next step with confidence and joy.

This year, our students will wear a stole as a symbol of their commitment to faith and their readiness to receive the Holy Spirit. The stole, decorated with symbols representing the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation, reflects each student’s faith journey and growing role within the Church. We are especially grateful to Miss Bulte for pioneering this meaningful tradition, which will now become part of our annual celebration.

🌟 A Special Thank You to Miss Bulte and Miss Newey 🌟

A heartfelt thank you to Miss Bulte and her mum for dedicating countless hours sewing, designing symbols with a Cricut, and carefully ironing them onto the stoles. We truly appreciate their amazing effort and generosity.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Miss Newey for her incredible leadership and dedication in guiding our Confirmation candidates this year. Her thoughtful planning, deep faith, and unwavering support have helped create a rich and meaningful learning experience for our students. The impact of her work is evident in the confidence and understanding with which our students now approach this sacred step in their journey. Thank you, Miss Newey, for being such a gift to our community.

A special acknowledgement to Miss Bronagh Maloney for her outstanding efforts and leadership over the past fortnight. She has seamlessly prepared for and managed two significant events within our community, all while continuing to teach her beautiful Prep class. We are indeed very proud of Miss Maloney as she continues to shine in her role as Religious Education Leader.

Forget the ads—the burgers really are better at Sacred Heart!

On Thursday, our students participated in a Confirmation Retreat Day in preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. The day began with a series of engaging rotational activities that invited students to reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their personal faith journeys.

A special highlight of the morning was a visit from Bishop Tony Ireland, who spent time speaking with the students, answering their thoughtful questions, and offering words of encouragement as they prepare for this important milestone.

Lunchtime was a hit, with a delicious burger bar enjoyed by all, fueling everyone for the afternoon walk to the beach. The peaceful setting by the water provided a perfect space for quiet reflection, connection, and gratitude.

Thank you to Miss Maloney, Fr Martin, Miss Bulte and Miss Newey for supporting and guiding our students. A special thank you to our Burger Bar staff - Vincent and Josh, for serving our very hungry students.

Maximising Impact: Intentional Teaching Time and Targeted Support

At Sacred Heart, we are deeply intentional with our teaching time, valuing every minute as an opportunity to support student growth. By making the most of each moment, we honour our students and strive for the best possible outcomes. We continue to plan and timetable with purpose ensuring that key learning is given the time it deserves and nothing important is overlooked or treated superficially.

We are incredibly proud of the team we have built in supporting our students double dose instruction, is in when instructional lessons are supplemented to provide additional instructional time. Importantly, our students are not regularly removed from their core classroom instruction for intervention. Instead, we work hard to create a timetable that protects essential learning time while still providing targeted support.

Timetabling is certainly complex, but research consistently shows that increasing the dosage of high quality instruction leads to stronger student outcomes. By continuing to prioritise purposeful planning and collaboration, we give every child the best possible opportunity to succeed.

Last Thursday, we celebrated LSO Appreciation Day with our team of Learning Support Officers (LSOs) at Sacred Heart. A special morning tea was held to thank them for their hard work and to recognise their daily contributions.

This incredible team goes above and beyond for the students in their care, and we can’t thank them enough for all they do. Whether it is in class support or targeted intervention, we are truly grateful for their ongoing support of our teachers and the students in our community.

Sexuality Education Program

This term, we will commence our Sexuality Education Program for students in Years 4, 5, and 6 at Sacred Heart. The sessions will be facilitated by experienced educator Cath McCallig from Sex Ed 4 Schools, who brings a respectful and age-appropriate approach to this important area of learning.

Please take a moment to read Miss Wood's Wellbeing Information in the newsletter for further details. An Information Session will be held via Zoom next Tuesday, May 27. Please check Nforma for the link. Thank you to Miss Wood for the time and dedication she puts into this space as it provides important information to support our students and families.

Parliamentarians Visit Sacred Heart

This week, we were honoured to welcome Members of Parliament, Mr Ryan Batchelor and Mr Brad Rowswell, to Sacred Heart. Their visit was an exciting opportunity for our school community to engage with state leaders and share the wonderful things happening in Catholic education.

Mr Batchelor and Mr Rowswell toured the school, visited classrooms, and spoke with staff and students about learning and leadership. It was a valuable experience for our students to meet elected representatives and gain a deeper understanding of civic responsibility and public service.

We thank Mr Batchelor and Mr Rowswell for taking the time to visit, their presence was greatly appreciated, and we look forward to continuing a strong connection between our school and our local and state representatives.

Interschool Sports

Our Year 5 and 6 students have now played four rounds of Interschool Sport on Fridays, with matches against St Joan of Arc, St Finbar’s, St Mary’s, and Galilee. We are very pleased to hear that all the children participating have displayed great sportsmanship win, lose, or draw.

A big thank you to Mr Jaynes for all the organisation he puts into our sporting events. It’s a very busy calendar, and we are indeed lucky to have him leading the way.

Bayside Youth Awards

Congratulations to the following students who were nominated and recognised at the recent Bayside Youth Awards: Mataya, Pippa, Olivia, Grace, Sophie & Eddie.

Appreciated by our families for this recognition, we look forward to building upon this unique opportunity in the future. We are so very proud of our students! Thanks Miss Bulte for putting these students forward for these awards.

Staffing News 2025

This week, Mr Collis had the privilege of attending a Principal Conference in Broome a valuable opportunity to network, learn, and reflect. While in Western Australia, he also visited a small school in remote Derby, located two and a half hours’ drive from Broome. The visiting principals from Melbourne organised some AFL footballs, boots and equipment to be taken and donated to this community, we hear on the grape vine there are a few more Carlton supports signed up now. We look forward to welcoming Mr Collis back next week and hearing about his experiences.

P&F NEWS

LITTLE GEMS💎

Thank you to everyone who helped on Friday to prepare for our Official Opening our school looked amazing, and your efforts were truly appreciated. Over the weekend, autumn made its presence known as our beautiful tree near the hall scattered a blanket of leaves. A special shout out to Evie, Ella, and Anabelle in Year 4 for taking the initiative to rake them up during lunchtime. Well done, girls it's wonderful to see you taking such pride in our school.

This young man popped by the office on Friday to show his work, whilst he was disappointed not to find Mr Collis - we did manage to find the hidden chocolates. Impressive work from Josh!

Last but not least, our chickens...

Perhaps the highlight of our week has been welcoming some new enrolments to Sacred Heart. Over the past fortnight, these students have grown more comfortable in their new environment and have truly found their voices.

At the same time, it will be bittersweet to farewell Nick Daicos, Josh Daicos, and all their friends as they prepare to graduate from our school.

Finishing the week in Mr Collis’s seat — happy to hand the reins back,

Kate Stroud

P&F and Community News