Principal News 

TERM 2 - WEEK 1

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CAMPS 2024

*Updated Key Dates T2-T4 2024

Dear Families and Friends,

Welcome back after what has undoubtedly been a restful term break for all. It is great to see the children and staff looking rejuvenated and ready for another full and productive term filled with new and exciting learning opportunities. We commend our staff for seamlessly returning to their teaching routines from day one. The sense of calm and order throughout the school reflects the clear routines implemented at the start of the new school year.

All classrooms have settled in instantly, engaging with their tightly structured learning program, starting with their daily literacy and numeracy blocks. Well done, students! We couldn't have asked for a more responsive and positive start to the term. 

CELEBRATING ROUTINES 

At Sacred Heart we continue to pride ourselves in routines as these play a crucial role in fostering a conducive learning environment and promoting student success in several ways:

Structure and Stability: Routines provide a sense of structure and stability for students. Knowing what to expect and when helps them feel more secure and comfortable in their learning environment.

Time Management: Routines help students manage their time effectively. By establishing regular schedules for classes, breaks, homework, and extracurricular activities, students learn valuable time management skills that are essential for success and later in life.

Consistency: Consistent routines help reinforce learning. When students engage in regular activities such as daily learning blocks (literacy & numeracy), they have more opportunities to practice and master new skills. At Sacred Heart we have established clear timetables across all levels to ensure rountines are maintained and curriculum is accounted for. 

Reduced Anxiety: Predictable routines can help reduce anxiety and stress in students. Knowing what comes next can alleviate uncertainty and create a sense of calm, enabling students to focus better on their studies. Across all classrooms, our teachers present visual timetables/schedules on their boards each day for the children to clearly follow i.e. what comes next and what to expect. 

Establishing Habits: Routines can help students develop positive habits. Whether it is practising good study habits, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, or demonstrating respect and responsibility in the classroom, consistent routines reinforce positive behaviour.

Promoting Independence: Routines encourage independence and self-discipline. When students learn to follow a schedule and complete tasks on their own, they develop important life skills that prepare them for higher education and the workforce.

Teacher Efficiency: Routines benefit teachers as well by providing a framework for planning and instruction. When students know the routine, teachers can spend less time managing classroom logistics and behaviour and more time focusing on teaching and learning. This has been a particularly strong focus and notable strength at Sacred Heart.

Social Skills: Routines often involve collaborative activities and promote positive interactions with peers, helping students develop social skills such as cooperation, communication, and teamwork.

Not surprisingly, establishing consistent 'school & home' routines provides the best opportunity for our students to thrive. 

School uniform... the new jacket

Wow! What a sight at the gate this week with so many students sporting our new school zip jackets. They look absolutely stunning and have really elevated our uniform range! A huge thank you to Amanda and Tarn for making this happen. It is fantastic to see our families embracing them in such volume, and the students are especially thrilled with them!

Just a reminder, as mentioned in our communications over the break, we'll be transitioning to our winter uniform on May 6th. While we encourage students to wear the winter pants for practicality and warmth, they can also opt for the school navy shorts if they prefer. Comfort is key, after all!  Thanks for understanding with our uniform expectations as this clearly identifies and defines who we are and where we belong.

Dyslexia Victoria Recognition

We're thrilled and proud to announce that Sacred Heart has recently been recognised and included in the Dyslexia Victoria Explicit & Structured Teaching Map. This map formally acknowledges schools that utilize explicit teaching practices and implement a Structured Literacy approach, which is best practice. This recognition reflects the dedication of our outstanding team to these effective teaching methods. Congratulations to all staff involved, in particular Kate Stroud and Sarah Rafferty for leading and driving these practices!

Literacy Collective - School Closure 15th April

We had the privilege of hosting Professors Pamela Snow and Tanya Serry, along with Dr. Nathaniel Swain, at our Literacy Collective event on Monday. Joined by educators from Sacred Heart Sandringham, St. Joseph’s Elsternwick, St. Joseph’s Malvern, St. Agnes Highett, and St. Joan of Arc Brighton, we delved into best literacy practices, explicit teaching, implementing a knowledge-rich curriculum, cognitive science, and evidence-based reading instruction – not limited to phonics alone.

With 150 attendees, it was a brilliant opportunity to learn from the best in the field and grow alongside like-minded educators. We extend our sincere thanks to the team at St. Joseph's Elsternwick for their outstanding hospitality in hosting this special event.

We also want to express our gratitude to the dedicated leaders in these communities for their collective efforts in facilitating this highly impactful professional learning opportunity for our staff. In particular, we are indebted to Kate Stroud for her exceptional work in organizing these internationally recognized presenters and agenda for the day – a 12mth investment bringing this all together.

Building Program Update 

This week, we received an update from MACS indicating that our proposed building program is edging closer, with essentially two more key steps remaining. The final step involves issuing the letter of intent to the builder by the end of next week. Consequently, we anticipate that the builder will hopefully be onsite in early May.

As previously communicated, this process will require parental support as we relocate approximately seven classes to other internal learning areas for the duration of Stage 1. We would greatly appreciate support with the movement of key pieces of furniture once we settle on a movement date. 

Staffing News

As some families may already know, our wonderful Year 2 teacher, Miss Donnelly, recently got engaged to her partner, Mark, over the term break. In recent days, you may have noticed her glowing with excitement, showcasing a stunning ring across the playground. We are absolutely thrilled for her as she begins planning for this beautiful next chapter in her life. We sincerely thank our Sacred Heart families for their warm acknowledgment and embrace of this special news, especially considering her immediate family is back in Ireland.

In keeping with our talented Irish teacher theme, we are thrilled to acknowledge Miss Rafferty formally graduated this week with her Masters in Educational Leadership. We are so proud of Miss Rafferty as she worked full-time while completing her Masters. 

Cross Country Trials

This week, our prospective zone cross-country runners, under the initiative of Mr. Brown, ventured to the Shane Warne Reserve to compete in our inaugural Sacred Heart House Cross-Country carnival in preparation for the upcoming interschool competition. It was an excellent opportunity for the students to compete against their peers and test their abilities over the competition distance, and they performed exceptionally well.

In recognition of Mr. Blake's dedication to promoting healthy and active students through his many years of facilitating the weekly Running Club, we have decided to honor him by naming a special 'new' annual Cross-Country Cup after him – The Blake Cup. This gesture is a fitting tribute as Mr. Blake prepares to return to Ireland at the halfway mark of the year, following ten years of dedicated service to Sacred Heart.  The inaugural cup was celebrated at this morning's Assembly.

We congratulate the following students on their achievements:

ENROLMENTS & TOURS 

While our Open Days for 2024 have officially concluded, we continue to see a steady stream of school tours for families interested in enrolling for 2025 and 2026. As mentioned previously, we are pleased to announce that we will once again be offering two capped Prep classes for the upcoming school year. Additionally, enrollment numbers for 2026 are filling up quickly, so please spread the word about our wonderful school community to ensure that interested families do not miss out on the opportunity to join us.

Little Hearts of Sandy Playgroup

Family and friends are most welcome to attend our Little Hearts Playgroup. Please note, there is no age limit on toddlers or pre-schoolers. We typically have about20 pre-schoolers and toddlers and it has been fabulous to see lots of new faces at these sessions. We'd love to see you there! 

• 31st May
• 21st June
• 26th July
• 30th August
• 18th October
• 22nd November
• 6th December

P&F NEWS

We look forward to another exciting term ahead for the P&F with a few key dates below to lock into the family calendar. 

SAVE THE DATE

LITTLE GEMS

Sneaking in a little bit of precious buddy time between our Yr.4 and Yr.2 students to reflect on their holidays. Check out these smiles!

Building Connections

We just loved having Tom drop by on Thursday before his parent teacher interviews at St Bedes. He caught up with 'all' staff, did a number of small jobs around the school before heading over to the hall to set up the chairs for Friday assembly. #randomactofkindness You made our day, Tom!

And finally....

We sincerely appreciate your understanding regarding the professional development day on Monday. We believe that these occasions, where all our staff and those from other schools come together, provide valuable collaboration opportunities and the chance to learn from 'the best in the business'. These advantages will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your children. I look forward to busy term ahead!

Simon Collis

Principal

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