Message from the 

School Principal

Dear Sacred Heart families,

This Sunday we celebrate Father's Day and our Sacred Heart students have been busy making cards, buying gifts from the Father's Day Stall and, of course, we had our wonderful Father's Day celebrations this morning. 

As we approach this special day on Sunday, I have paused to reflect on the special relationship I had with my Dad, my grandfather and also the bond that exists between my husband, Craig, and our own five children, their partners and our six (soon to be eight) grandchildren.  Whilst my Dad is no longer with us, I still carry precious memories growing up that include him in them. Whilst Mum was more the driving force in our family, Dad was a little bit cheeky in his own quiet way and brought the fun and humour to our family unit. The terrible Dad jokes, favourite sayings and never ending support for my siblings and I are the things that I loved and miss most about him. And our grandchildren, particularly the five boys, are always so excited to see their Pa (my husband) and share their stories with him, build Lego and give him a big hug. 

There is something special about the relationship between a child and their dad or father figure. Every family is different, and fatherhood takes many forms. For some children, it is a dad; for others, a stepdad, grandfather, foster father, uncle, mentor or another special person who provides love, guidance and support. Whilst father/child relationships come in many shapes and sizes, as do families, but there are few things that remain the same.

For children, being a father is not about having all the answers, being perfect or having the right words every time. It is found in the everyday moments — the morning routine before school, the bedtime story, the game at the park, the encouraging words after a difficult day, the proud smile at a school assembly or simply sitting down and asking, “How was your day?” These moments may seem small to us, but to a child, they can mean everything. Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson often speaks about the importance of connection in raising happy, resilient children. Children need to know that they are loved, that they matter and that the adults in their lives are genuinely interested in their world. For fathers, this means that their greatest gift is often not something they can buy or provide, but their time, attention and presence.

Fathers and father figures also play an important role in helping children discover who they are and who they might become. Through encouragement, play, patience, boundaries and example, they teach children about kindness, courage, perseverance, responsibility and how to navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs. Perhaps most importantly, children remember how they made them feel. They remember the dad who listened to their endless stories, who showed up when it mattered, who celebrated their successes, comforted them when things went wrong and made time for the things that mattered to them.

This Father's Day, we celebrate all of the men who play this important role in the lives of our children. Thank you for the time you give, the lessons you teach, the laughter you share and, most of all, for simply being there.Because sometimes, the most powerful thing a father can give his child is his presence.

Happy Father's Day for Sunday!

MACSSIS Surveys for School Improvement

In 2026, our school is participating in Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS). MACSSIS is an annual process whereby schools listen to the thoughts and feelings that students, families and staff have about how their school can improve. These surveys help inform the ongoing improvement of schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

One of the main goals of the family survey is to identify the strengths and areas for improvement in our school. MACSSIS data benefits everyone within our school and provides valuable community insights on areas that each school can focus on. Our school believes it is important to encourage families to have a voice and contribute to shaping the ongoing improvement of the school.

The survey is available online, can be accessed from Monday 31 August and needs to be completed by Friday 18 September 2026. This survey may only be completed once.

For families with more than one child attending our school, we ask that you focus on the eldest child attending the school when completing the survey. The school has invited many families to respond via this survey and participation is completely voluntary. There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers – all responses are completely anonymous and at no point are any of the responses from students, families or staff identifiable by the school.

The survey is available in English, Arabic, Assyrian, simplified and traditional Chinese, Dinka, Hakha Chin, Karen, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Zomi.

To complete the survey, please access the following link: www.orima.com.au/macsfamily.

In the search box under School Name, you must type our school’s name followed by the suburb before the portal will recognise and display the relevant school. Your family’s personal identification number (PIN) for completing the survey has been emailed to you separately.

If you have any technical questions in relation to accessing the survey, please contact ORIMA Research on 1800 654 585 or macssis@orima.com.

If you have any feedback about the survey in relation to the questions and content, please contact Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) on macssis@macs.vic.edu.au.

Thank you for your participation in the MACSSIS family survey.

Yours in faith,

Kaylene

Kaylene Carlin

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

principal@shnewport.catholic.edu.au