Principal News 

What a Term at Sacred Heart!

Dear Families and Friends,

As we draw Term 2 to a close, it’s impossible not to reflect with tremendous pride on what has truly been a remarkable term at Sacred Heart. From new beginnings to outstanding achievements, this term has been filled with so many special moments that showcase the heart of our school community.

We were thrilled to officially receive handover of our new building program, featuring state-of-the-art learning facilities that will serve and inspire our students for years to come. These stunning new spaces are already transforming the way we learn, teach, and connect with all members of our community. Every day is a blessing as we watch these learning spaces come to life. 

Our reputation continues to grow, with Prep enrolments for 2026 now full and at capacity,a reflection of the trust families place in Sacred Heart and the outstanding work of our staff.

This term also saw some standout events and achievements:

• A wonderful Year 6 Confirmation, marking an important milestone in the faith journey of our students.
• The much-loved Grandparents' Day, celebrating connection across generations - my favourite day!
• A high-energy Kids' Disco, full of fun and laughter - thanks again to our amazing P&F.
• A series of sporting triumphs, starting with the Cross Country Champions for the first time, with three superstars progressing to the State Championships!
• AFL Premiers - Back-to-Back Champions, and for the first time ever, Netball Champions in both the Mixed and All Girls teams!
• Our Soccer team, proud Grand Finalists.
• And closing out our term the Feast of Sacred Heart Day and the highly successful and memorable Year 6 Camp to Canberra.

And if that wasn’t enough, excitement is already building with auditions for our Term 3 school production, Seussical. We simply cannot wait!

Across academic programs, various community events and sporting pursuits, in classrooms and on the stage, Term 2 has showcased the very best of Sacred Heart. We are incredibly proud of all that our students, staff, and families have achieved together. Bring on Term 3!

NEW WEBSITE

A huge congratulations and thank you to Sarah Rafferty (while on maternity leave) and Shanon, our talented website creator and designer, for the brilliant work in bringing this exciting project to life.

We sincerely hope this new, contemporary website is not only aesthetically pleasing but also user-friendly and a valuable communication platform for both our current and prospective families. With enhanced interactivity and improved navigation, we trust the updated resource links and integration with our nForma platform will continue to strengthen our communication channels and bring greater clarity to key school information. A notable inclusion is the PARENT RESOURCES tab linking frequently used apps and resources for our families. 

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the School Advisory Council for their invaluable input and feedback during the review process prior to launch.

As always, we welcome feedback from our school community to affirm what’s working well or to identify any opportunities for enhancement. We hope this new platform supports even stronger online engagement with all our families.

What's Coming Up in Term 3...

For the Fridge 

• Peaceful Kids Program- Please check in with Miss Wood's Wellbeing page
• 100 Days of Prep - 29th July
• Wild West Game Show - P&F - 2nd Aug
• Parent Teacher Interviews - 5th & 7th August
• Yr.5 Intergenerational Program with Fernhill Aged Care Commences
• Book Week 11th August
• First Eucharist - 14th August
• School Closure - School Review Preparation - 29th August
• Father's Day Assembly - 5th Sept
• Dad's Footy Match - 6th Sept
• School Production - 17th & 18th Sept

Canberra Camp 2025

What a brilliant week our Year 6 students had exploring Canberra last week! From the hands-on science at Questacon, to the moving visit to the War Memorial, and an up-close experience at Parliament House, this camp continues to stand out as one of the most valuable experiences in our extensive camping program,which begins all the way back in Year 2 with our exciting school sleepover.

Our students were exceptional throughout the week. Staff could not speak more highly of their behaviour, manners, and the way they represented Sacred Heart with such pride - they were flawless. We must say the uniform looked fabulous and certainly contributed to the sense of who we are. 

A BIG call out and thank you goes to Miss Bulte, Miss Newey, Miss Moloney, Lola, and Mr Jaynes for so generously giving up their time to lead and support the students throughout the week. The responsibility of caring for a group of students, away from their families, is a significant one, and it’s a commitment we never take for granted.

While a few very tired faces returned at the end of the week (staff included!), it was a clear reflection of just how much energy, learning, and joy was packed into this rich and rewarding program. We are so proud of our Year 6 students and always grateful to the staff who made this experience possible.

Year 5s Step Up!

A sneaky upside to our Year 6s being offsite last week was the opportunity to see our Year 5 students step up in their absence, and they did not disappoint!

We were absolutely thrilled to watch them lead by example throughout the week, showing great initiative and maturity. In particular, they took charge of running the Sacred Heart Feast Day festivities, and did such fantastic job. Miss Wood and Miss Maloney were blown away by their involvement and willingness to take on this added responsibility. 

Well done, Year 5! You’ve shown you’re more than ready to take on leadership in the near future.

Sacred Heart Feast Day

A very special thank you to Miss Maloney and Miss Wood for organising our beautiful Sacred Heart Mass and the wonderful festivities during the middle block. The day provided a much-needed and greatly appreciated pause in our academic program, a gentle session for both students and staff during what has been a long and full term.

A further thank you to our Year 5 students, who were actively involved in running a range of activities throughout the day. They were exceptional in their leadership, energy, and care for the younger students.

It was a truly special celebration of our community spirit and the heart of who we are.

Italian Magic

As Miss Maloney walked past Signora Caliri’s Italian cooking class on Thursday morning, she said the beautiful aroma of minestrone wafting from the STEM space could have been smelt all the way in Italy! A clear sign something special was simmering.

It’s worth acknowledging that our phenomenal Italian teacher, Signora Caliri, generously stayed back late on Wednesday evening to prepare this culinary treat for her senior language students. Interwoven with explicit language instruction, the Year 6 students were treated to one of the most immersive and authentic language experiences imaginable.

Since joining our community this year, Signora Caliri has introduced an extraordinary Italian program, one that blends culture, language, and joy in equal measure. As one staff member beautifully put it, “It’s like an angel has entered our school.” Truly, what a blessing she has been.

STAFFING NEWS

Baby Joy for Mrs McGrath!

This week, Mrs McGrath shared the glorious news with her stunning Year 3 class that she and her partner Billy are expecting their first child in late 2025. We are beyond excited for our wonderful Year 3 teacher and look forward to celebrating this beautiful journey with her over the coming months. No surprise a few students have already started a list of potential names. 

In a fun twist, it seems this incredible Year 3 cohort has quite the track record over the past three years, all of their teachers have announced pregnancies: Ms Rafferty, Ms Donnelly, and now Mrs McGrath. Look out, Year 4!

Staffing Updates – Term 3

In Weeks 1 and 2 of Term 3, both Miss Flynn and Ms Tench will be on leave. We’re pleased to announce that Miss Moloney will be covering Year 2, and Mr Homer will be covering Year 5 during this time. Both are exceptional educators who know our children and routines very well, particularlyMiss Moloney,who is an invaluable full-time member of our team.

There's Another Deputy in Town

In more exciting news, we are absolutely delighted to welcome back Ms Rafferty from maternity leave! While it’s no small step to place her little one into care, Sarah is excited to return and begin her new role as Joint Deputy Principal, working alongside Mrs Stroud.

Sarah has been deeply missed over the past 12 months but has remained closely connected with the team, regularly dropping in to stay across key developments - even managed in 'her spare time' to co-create our exciting new website launched on Friday. We look forward to supporting her as she gently transitions back into her leadership role. 

We also wish to sincerely thank Mrs Stroud, who has done a truly remarkable job managing a number of key roles during the past six months as the sole Deputy. From leading key areas of administration, literacy, and teaching and learning portfolios, to overseeing our Learning Support Officers and intervention programs across P–6. Kate's contribution has been nothing short of outstanding.

While I’m not quite redundant just yet, though it may only be a matter of time, we are incredibly grateful to both leaders for the expertise, care, and commitment they bring to Sacred Heart. We simply can’t wait to see this dynamic duo in action!

P&F NEWS

Newly Installed CCTV 

As part of recent building program and upgrade we had CCTV installed. The use of CCTV in MACS Premises assists with detecting and deterring vandalism, unauthorised entry into buildings, theft, other unwanted activities and monitoring emergency situations, should they occur.

The installation of CCTV systems supports MACS (Sacred Heart) by:

• acting as a deterrent and reducing the likelihood of crime
• deterring misconduct and inappropriate behaviour
• supporting the management and investigation of emergencies and critical incidents
• helping to verify incidents on school grounds to support an evidence-based response
• reassuring students, staff and visitors that they are protected when on school grounds.

LITTLE GEMS💎

It was pretty special to have these wonderful students drop by the office this week to showcase their amazing work. On most days, Mrs Stroud and I are lucky enough to have up to 20 students pop in to share the incredible learning happening across the school.

It’s an absolute highlight and privilege to witness our students flourish and proudly share their efforts. More chocolates and stickers on order for Term 3. 

Felicity’s recount was truly top shelf, and a wonderful reflection of the incredible work being produced by our students. Flick popped by my office, proudly clutching her writing, in search of her teacher from last year, Mrs McGrath. She was so eager to share her piece and celebrate her progress, which speaks volumes about both the pride she takes in her work and the positive relationships she’s formed with her teachers.

Loved seeing this new lighting installation pop up this week in our village outside my favourite coffee spot.

Same outfit day for our dynamic duo in the Prep Team.

And finally...

We are beyond proud of the efforts of all our students so far this year. From the  phenomenal way our new Preps have embraced school life, to the exceptional standard our Year 6 leaders have set across the school, we simply couldn’t have asked for more - our bookends.

Of course, this level of success doesn’t happen by chance.

A sincere thank you to our dedicated and passionate staff, who have once again raised the bar in 2025. This has undoubtedly been the best start to a school year I can recall, and that success is a direct reflection of the unwavering professionalism, teamwork, and leadership within each of our staff portfolios.

Their collective commitment to growth, improvement, and delivering the very best for our students is both greatly appreciated and genuinely valued. The shared belief in our aspiration to be the best school in the Bayside, and recognised leaders in educational best practice continues to come to life each day at Sacred Heart.

Well done students and staff for an outstanding first half of the year. Let’s ensure this momentum carries forward into Term 3!

With much pride and gratitude,

Simon C

Principal