Principal News

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term Three! It has been wonderful to welcome everyone back after what I hope was a restful and enjoyable holiday break. The school is once again full of energy, laughter and smiling faces, with students returning refreshed and ready for another exciting term of learning.

Many of my conversations at the school gates have centred around sport, and what a fantastic few weeks it has been for sports lovers! From the FIFA Club World Cup, Wimbledon, the Tour de France, State of Origin and, of course, our own AFL season. There has certainly been something for everyone to watch, celebrate and passionately discuss. We even have one of our staff member’s partner, preparing for the Commonwealth games, representing Australia in artistic gymnastics. We wish Emily all the best.

We finished Term Two on a wonderful high with our World Cup celebration. Students proudly wore colours representing countries from around the world, alongside plenty of green and gold, as we gathered in the hall to enjoy the excitement together. Our celebratory sausage sizzle, led by our senior students was a great success and added to the festive atmosphere.

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers and one very dedicated grandpa who generously gave their time to cook the sausages. Thank you also to our Year 6 students who did a fantastic job serving lunch to the school community. A special thank you to Laura Fonti, Joel Ronchi, Jorge Cunha, Ray Gusman, Gerry Doyle (Lilah & Avi’s grandfather), for helping coordinate the event and ensuring everything ran so smoothly.

We also extend a very warm welcome back to Miss Moloney, who has returned from a (much warmer!) visit home to Ireland and has rejoined the students in 5M. We are delighted to have her back and look forward to hearing about her adventures.

Speaking of Ireland, I continue to be amazed by the number of Sacred Heart families, staff members and even Father Martin who travelled overseas during the holidays and have returned ready to jump straight back into school life. While a few of our younger travellers have needed a quick recharge with a short rest in sick bay thanks to a little jet lag, they've bounced back quickly and are happily back in the classroom.

Our Gaga Ball Pit is Officially Open

Steve, our Maintenance Officer, has worked hard at Sacred Heart over the holidays. Our Gaga Pit is finished and by the crowds of students gathered around it and the action packed games that have ensued, it is a great success. It has quickly become a popular addition during recess and lunchtime, providing another fantastic opportunity for students to be active, build friendships and enjoy playing together. We will see our Sports Leaders supported by some Year Five students give a fluro display of this great game next Thursday at the ART GLOW SHOW. We thank Mr Jaynes for teaching the students the rules and sportspersonship that this game promotes. The upgrades to our grounds in addition to the Gaga Pit and our amazing new Adventure Playground include; several four square courts, the mud kitchen and water pump. We also have Calm Club several times during the week, where activities such as drawing, playing and Wool Club take place, and of course our Choir meet once a week. There are many lunch time and recess activities to choose from.

2026 ART GLOW SHOW

We are looking forward to our upcoming 2026 Glow Show next Thursday 23rd July from 3:30-6:00pm. We are blessed to have Ms Liz Gray, our Art teacher leading this important biannual show. Ms Gray works so hard behind the scenes and in class to ensure that our students are challenged and grow in the curriculum area of Art. This year's GLOW SHOW promises to be another highlight for the Sacred Heart community. This exciting evening will showcase collaboration with our amazing specialist team, celebrating the arts alongside Italian, STEM and Physical Education. In addition to this our choir will perform and of course our silent auction. Please join us in the Mac Killop Hall after your sausage for a 4:00 pm official opening.

State Cross Country Championships

Congratulations to Noah, Isabelle and Amelia on their outstanding performances at the Victorian State Cross Country Championships on Thursday 16th of July at Yarra Valley Racing Club.

Noah produced an incredible run to finish 4th overall in his age group, earning selection in the Victorian Team. He will now represent Victoria at the School Sport Australia National Championships in September. An outstanding achievement!

Amelia also had a fantastic race, finishing 17th in a highly competitive field of 86 runners, while Isabelle recorded an excellent 8th-place finish as a bottom-age competitor.

We are incredibly proud of all three students for their dedication, determination and the way they represented Sacred Heart.

Prep 100 Day - Wednesday 29th July

We can’t believe that our not so little Preps now, celebrate 100 days at school in a few weeks. An exciting day has been planned by their wonderful teachers; Miss Wood, Ms Levy and Miss Porter supported by their equally amazing Learning Support Officers. Prep parents, please join us for a short assembly in the Prep W/L classroom at 9:00am to start the celebration!

Major Fundraiser

Planning is well underway for our major school fundraiser, the Sacred Heart Winter Olympics. This is always a wonderful opportunity to bring our community together while raising valuable funds to support our new Adventure Playground. Please book your tickets. It is going to be fantastic!

Many thanks to BAKERS DELIGHT HAMPTON for donating the bread to the captains lunch on the last day of term. The ongoing support to our families and school shown by Paul, Bakers Delight Hampton owner, has been phenomenal. It is truly appreciated.

Parent & Friends Association

A reminder that our next Parents & Friends meeting will be held next Monday 20th July at 7:30pm in the staffroom.

School Advisory Council

Our School Advisory Council will also meet the following Monday 27th July at 6:00pm. We thank our council members for their ongoing commitment and service to our school community.

Parking Reminder

Thank you to the many families who continue to support safe drop-off and pick-up procedures.

A reminder that the two-minute parking zones are strictly for drop-off and pick-up only. Please remain in your vehicle while using these spaces, as staff are working hard to help children safely reach your car as efficiently as possible. We are aware that parking officers have recently issued infringement notices, so we appreciate everyone's cooperation in following the parking regulations to help keep our children safe and traffic flowing smoothly.

Finally, as a school community, we keep the O'Callaghan, Gilmour and Riddex families in our prayers following the passing of David O'Callaghan, a much-loved father, father-in-law and grandfather.

David was a familiar and much loved presence at Sacred Heart for many years, collecting and dropping off his many grandchildren and always greeting others with warmth and kindness. A devoted parishioner of over 40 years and a dedicated volunteer with the Sandringham St Vincent de Paul Society for more than 20 years, he quietly served his parish and wider community with generosity and compassion. Many of our longer serving staff members also knew David well, and it was lovely that he was able to attend our Grandparents' Day celebrations last term.

We know David was deeply loved by his family and especially cherished by his grandchildren, many of whom shared beautiful reflections at his funeral. His passing, following a recent diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease and a rapid decline in his health, has been a great sadness for the family.

Please keep them in your prayers.

Take care and wishing God's blessings and peace upon each of you.

Mrs Cathy Ferrari

Take care and wishing God's blessings and peace upon each of you.

Mrs Cathy Ferrari