Principal's News

Dear Parents/Carers

    Welcome everyone to Sacred Heart for 2021. Like everyone else we are glad to put 2020 behind us and cautiously look forward to a better year this year. 2020 certainly taught us not to get too far ahead in our planning. It taught us that we cannot take for granted the lots of the things that we have always assumed we can always do. I remember hearing a number of times last year that none of us would ever complain about having to go to work again, when this type of everyday activity was taken away from us. Or just the chance to visit our close family whenever we felt like it?

The people of Australia, of Victoria particularly and especially the people of Melbourne and little Colac can be very proud of our civic mindedness during this ongoing pandemic. It shows there is still a lot to be said for LISTENING to others (particularly the EXPERTS) and doing as we are asked for the common and greater good.

However, we are very much aware that the Coronavirus continues to pose an ongoing threat to our health and our way of life, and so we must remain vigilant and continue to practise social distancing where possible, good hand hygiene, mask wearing where necessary and testing for the virus if we have any suspicions about our health.

We want our school to operate as “normally” as we can all year and so we have in place a few small adjustments aimed at keeping us all safe, well and operating.

The most important adjustment concerns our vigilance around our own health and that of our children. Parents are asked to continue to be a little “over cautious” when they suspect someone in their household is sick with Covid-19 symptoms. Advice from Government Health authorities remains “The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms. Students with underlying conditions (such as hay fever or asthma) If a student has persistent symptoms due to an underlying condition such as hay fever or asthma, the student should still be tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms that are different to or worse than their usual symptoms. Students whose symptoms are clearly typical for their underlying condition can continue to attend school. Parents/carers should also consider getting a medical certificate from the child’s treating GP to confirm that it is safe for them to attend school with persistent symptoms that may overlap with some of the symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough or runny nose.”  School Operations Guide Term 1 2021

Parents are permitted to come on to the school grounds this year, however our protocol remains that all parents should report to the School Office as their first port of call when coming on to the school grounds.

I am hoping to be able to conduct assemblies with all of the children this year, however parents are not(yet) permitted to attend.

Parents should try not to congregate in groups around school pick up points at the beginning and end of the day and are encouraged to practise “social distancing” in these situations.

And finally again from the School Operations Guide which I am mandated to follow:

Management of an unwell student or staff member

It is important that any staff member or student who becomes unwell while at school gets tested and returns home. While it is unlikely that a staff member or student who is unwell with flu-like symptoms will have COVID-19, there are some sensible steps schools can take while a student awaits collection by a parent or carer as a precaution: • Staff and students experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID-19, such as fever, cough or sore throat, should be isolated in an appropriate space with suitable supervision and students should be collected by a parent/carer as soon as possible.

So in all our best interests we will continue to treat as suspicious and act cautiously when a child or staff member has any of these symptoms.

WELCOME We were delighted to welcome all of our new students to Sacred Heart this week. I know of at least one Prep student who caught the bus today - second day! A very confident group, well done to all parents and carers, we look forward to a long and happy partnership with you, as together we guide these young people towards their very best future.

We welcome too, some new staff; Aaron Walters is teaching Grade 4, Julie Leonard is sharing a Grade 2 class and is our new Religious Education Leader, Rob Walters (no relation) will be looking after our English as a second language program and Abby Hayes and Cooper McKay are completing a 12 month training year with us as Learning Support Officers after completing Year 12 last year.

SCHOOL CLOSURE Our school will be closed this Friday as our staff meet to digest much of the information we have been gathering since the Maths testing at the end of last year. Each year our school is entitled to close for 4 days for Professional Development, and while it is an early inconvenience this Friday, parents may be pleased to know that that is already the 2nd one for the year!

HATS Sacred Heart is a “SunSmart School” and as such we have a policy that all students should wear a hat whilst outside playing at recess and lunch times during first and fourth terms. Children who do not have a hat will be instructed to play only in shaded areas such as our courtyard.

Please ensure hats are CLEARLY NAMED. Hats will be kept at school during both first and fourth terms.

END OF DAY ROUTINES Consistency and Predictability are the key themes to enable us to ensure each and every student catches the right bus or is delivered to the car every afternoon. At the end of each day we will continue to utilise 4 main Exits:

Our Prep Gate for families who have a child in Grade Prep in 2021. Brothers and sisters of Preps should also use this exit. If your youngest child is in Grade 1, and you normally collect your children by car, I would suggest that you use this week to start using either 'Crossing 1' (Hart Street) or the 'Gym Gate' (Pound Road) as your new “Collection Point” This will leave the area immediately in front of the school free for this year’s Preps and their siblings.

Bus children will continue to meet Mrs Daffy at the 'Bus Gate' on Pound road.

Crossing 1 (Hart Street) refers to the parking area along both sides of Hart Street, but north of our school along in front of Trinity College.

There may well be some teething problems as these routines are settling during the next couple of weeks but we ask everyone to remain patient and courteous as we endeavour to deliver all students safely to their ride home from school each day.

Dear God,

We give thanks for places of simplicity and peace.

Let us find such a place within ourselves. 

We give thanks for places of refuge and beauty. 

Let us find such a place within ourselves. 

We give thanks for places of nature’s truth and freedom, of joy, inspiration and renewal, places where all creatures may find acceptance and belonging. 

Let us search for these places: in the world, in ourselves and in others. Let us restore them. Let us strengthen and protect them and let us create them.

May we mend this outer world according to the truth of our inner life and may our souls be shaped and nourished by nature's eternal wisdom.

Amen

The most inspiring thing I’ve seen for quite a while, Amanda Gorman reciting her poem at Joe Biden’s inauguration. It’s only a little over 5 minutes if you find the time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4YuEvJ3y4

“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light if only we are brave enough to see it; If only we’re brave enough to BE IT”