School News

2024 School Leaders, Semester One Class Captains & Environmental Monitors Presentation

We acknowledged and presented badges to our 2024 School Leaders and Semester One Class Captains and Environmental Monitors at a Special Assembly last Friday. It was fantastic to have Jess Wilson (Member for Kew) and Father Trevor join us and present the badges and certificates to our new leaders.

Classroom Helper Course

The Prep-2 Classroom Helper Course will be held on Tuesday 12 March commencing at 8:45am in the MPR. An Operoo form has been sent home. Please indicate whether you would like to attend. If you have already completed the course, you do not need to attend, however, you are more than welcome to if you would like a refresher.

Lent at Sacred Heart Kew

As we enter the third week of Lent, we are excited by a number of upcoming activities to support Project Compassion and, as Father Trevor reminded us, to put down some of the busyness of life and turn back to God, turn back to family and turn back to friends. 

See the full poster of the Lenten activities we are undertaking.

Hot Cross Buns - on sale on TUESDAYS at SHS

Students were delighted to find out that delicious Hot Cross Buns are now available through the tuckshop on Tuesday lunchtimes for the remainder of term. Served warm or cold, butter or plain, traditional or double choc chip - what a treat! Many chocolatey smiles were seen out on the playground! 

Make a note in the diary - Hot Cross Buns are available for a gold coin donation on Tuesday lunchtimes! A huge thank you to the Parents Association for organising and staffing this wonderful initiative!

Friday 1 March - World Day of Prayer

Well done to the Preps who were amazing to create and lead the whole school at today’s assembly. We know that praying during Lent is one of the most important things we can do - so well done!

Tuesday 12 March - Time to Connect (Yarning Circles)

On Tuesday 12 March, Year 5/6 will participate in an education session to learn about Yarning Circles. Yarning Circles are an important process that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use to learn from one another, build respect, and share knowledge. It is also a method that engenders the building of robust, trusting, and caring relationships between people/s.

We are hoping that our school student leaders may be able to share their knowledge from this visit and lead school classes in some age-appropriate exploration of this community and cultural practice.

The educator and sessions have been organised in association with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.

Friday 15 March - St Patrick’s Day

The Year 3's have been busy preparing to lead the school in St Patrick’s Day celebrations on Friday 15 March. There are two main elements to the day.

A Touch of Green: Students are encouraged to dress up with a touch of green and make a gold coin donation to Project Compassion. 

A Taste of Green: In addition, the Year 3's have created some special St Patrick’s Day themed party flavour boxes with treats inside. They will be on sale for $2 each (for Project Compassion) at recess. Maximum, one sale per student and only 100 boxes available. First in, best dressed!

Preloved Toy Drive

The Year 2's have been busy collecting and sorting your donations for the pre-loved toy drive in support of the Kew Toy Library. And next week it will be the Year 1's turn! 

Please do consider talking with your child about selecting a toy that another child might enjoy. A list of toys needed is below.

2024 Lenten Toy Drive (Kew Toy Library)

End Date: Friday 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

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

District Swimming

Yesterday, selected Year 3 - 6 students represented Sacred Heart Kew at the North Balwyn District Swimming carnival at Boroondara Sports Complex. Congratulations to all the competitors for representing our school with pride. Well done to Freddie G for progressing through to the Division competition today.

Lucinda V (3GR)

James E (4JM)

Anne E (4JM)

Alexia S (4JM)

Charlie G (4JM)

Suri B (4JM)

William W (5CB)

Emily L (5CB)

Lucy J (5CB)

Freddie G (5CB)

Bill C (5CB)

William T (5CB)

Eli D (5CB)

Tom B (6AP)

Joel M (6AP)

Alaia L (6AP)

Nadia P (6AP)

Garden Club 

The Garden Club was back in action on Wednesday. It was wonderful to see the keen gardeners ready to tackle the ever growing weeds. The next Garden Club will meet on Wednesday 13 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 6 - Friday 8 March (NO ASSEMBLY-School Closure Day)

Week 7 - Friday 15 March

Week 8 - Friday 22 March (NO ASSEMBLY-Wellbeing Groups)

2024 Term Dates

Term 1

Thurs 1 February (Students begin) – Thurs 28 March

Term 2

Mon 15 April – Fri 28 June

Term 3

Mon 15 July – Fri 20 September

Term 4

Mon 7 October - Tue 17 December

2024 School Closure Days

The following days and dates will be School Closure Days in 2024:

Term 1

Thursday 7 March

Friday 8 March

Monday 11 March (Labour Day Public Holiday)

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