Principal's News

Dear Parents/Carers,

House Points – A New Initiative This Term

This term, as part of our School-Wide Positive Behaviour program, we are excited to launch House Points at Sacred Heart. Every student belongs to a school house, and when students show our school values (Respect Myself, Respect Others and Respect the Environment), teachers award points to them and their house. This might be for trying hard, being organised, showing kindness, including others, or caring for our classrooms and yard. This week's focus has been resolving conflict/disagreements in the playground calmly.  

Teachers award points throughout the day from their laptops or devices, and a screen in the school updates straight away, showing live house totals for the term and year, recent awards as they happen, and past term champions. House Points are all about noticing the good things our students do, so points are never taken away as a punishment. A huge thank you to Mr Tebble, who created the technology that has made this possible. Tonight, why not ask your child, “What house are you in?” and “What did you earn points for this week?”

Grandparents Day

Thank you to the many grandparents who joined us last Friday. It was lovely to see students and their grandparents interact, and to see our special guests interact with one another. Thank you to our staff for opening classrooms and filling our spaces with beautiful artwork. I heard many comments about the quality of the artwork and displays. 

A special shout-out to our Grade 6 students, who were outstanding hosts and a huge help with set-up and pack-up, and to all our children for making our visitors feel so welcome. Thank you also to Anant, Jacob, Ryan and Clancy who were brilliant on the piano and to Mr Frederick’s Dance Club, made up of Yr 5/6 girls, who were also spectacular. 

Year 4 Camp- Anglesea

School camps are a vital part of learning: they build independence, resilience, teamwork and a sense of belonging while extending students beyond the classroom. Shared challenges grow confidence, curiosity and problem-solving, and they create memories that strengthen class culture for the remainder of the year. I’m very much looking forward to joining our Year 4 students on Wednesday and Thursday for their annual camp to Anglesea. It’s an excellent chance to see students thrive, celebrate their strengths and support them as they try new things.

My sincere thanks to the Yr 4 teachers and Ms Lynch for their thoughtful planning and dedication to what will be a fun-filled two days. 

Class Placement — Requests for 2027

The Leadership Team, in collaboration with classroom teachers, will soon begin considering class groupings for 2027. Classroom teachers have not yet been finalised, and current staffing arrangements may change for a range of reasons.

Major factors influencing class placement decisions include academic ability, social and emotional needs, peer dynamics, and gender balance.

If there is something significant you believe we need to know, please email it to me in writing at principal@shcolac.catholic.edu.au by October 23rd. Please note:

• Requests must relate specifically to an impact on your child's learning — not simply a wish for your child to be with a particular friend or teacher.
• We will not accept requests for a specific teacher.
• We cannot guarantee that any request can be accommodated. 
• We cannot meet every request, but we assure you that we make every effort to create fair and equitable class lists.

Teachers put considerable time, care and thought into these decisions, taking all relevant factors into account. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this process.

Kind regards,

Karl Dwyer

Principal