Learning and Teaching News

A Great Start to the Year in Our Classrooms

The beginning of the school year has been off to a wonderful start across our classrooms. Teachers and students have been busy getting to know one another through activities that build routines, relationships and a strong sense of belonging. These early weeks are an important time for settling in, feeling safe and connected and establishing positive learning habits.

Our whole-school throughline, community, continues to guide our work. We are intentionally creating learning experiences that build strong foundations for both teaching and learning to flourish. Through shared routines, clear expectations and caring relationships, we are strengthening the sense that we belong to one connected school community.

Assessment: This week, teachers have also conducted assessments with students from Years 1–6. This year, assessments have been completed one-to-one and in small groups, allowing teachers to gain a deeper understanding of each child’s learning strengths and needs. This approach differs from previous years, where students were invited in larger group sessions on our whole school testing day.  As a school, we are committed to continually refining and improving our routines and practices. We regularly review our approaches and make adjustments in response to evidence-based teaching and learning practices, always with the goal of supporting the best possible outcomes for our students.

Keep your eye on this page this year, as we continue to share our teaching and learning with you throughout the term.

Altar Servers

Altar serving is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage more deeply with our Parish community and to build a stronger spiritual connection with the celebration of the Mass.

Training for interested students will begin soon and will be led by Fr Samuel and Cath. Students will learn the various altar-serving roles and responsibilities, with new servers supported by experienced servers through a “shadowing” approach that helps build confidence and understanding.

Students who have been Baptised and have received First Reconciliation and Holy Communion are welcome to participate. 

Training will take place during RE lessons or at lunchtime to minimise impact on other learning areas.

If your child is interested in becoming an altar server, please email Cath at cpalmer@shnewport.catholic.edu.au to register your interest.

Year Level Class Information Sessions

WHEN: Wednesday 18th February (Week 4) 

WHERE: Online (Google Meets)  & Recorded for Sharing Afterwards 

TIMES:  3:35 - 4.00pm              

                4.05pm  - 4:30 pm

HOW: Links to each Year Level session will be available on the Google Parent Calendar under Wed 18th Feb. 

On Wednesday afternoon/evening, 18th February,  Year Level Class Information Sessions will be held online for families to attend. In these sessions, teachers will provide helpful information about their particular year level for parents/carers to facilitate a smooth transition into a new year level and communication throughout the year.   

The sessions are not compulsory to attend however families are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about their child’s day at school, build family engagement & support the child in their learning.

Each session will be repeated twice for those who have children in different year levels. 

Slides will be made available to families after 4.30pm on the day of the information sessions.

New Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting Policy

Strengthening Learning 

At Sacred Heart, our learning programs continue to grow and evolve in response to the direction of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) and their MACS 2030 Strategy, which calls for every student to be inspired and enabled to flourish and enrich the world.

As part of this direction, MACS has provided a Vision for Instruction and a Vision for Engagement, guiding schools to be clear, intentional and purposeful in both what we teach and how we teach it.

Previously, the learning areas, History, Science, Technologies, Civics and Citizenship, Geography and Religious Education sat under the title Faith Life Inquiry. Moving forward, learning will now be organised into two clearly named areas:

This change provides greater clarity for students, teachers and families about the purpose of each learning area, while still honouring the rich, connected learning experiences already happening at Sacred Heart.

Religious Education remains a distinct and essential learning area, where students:

• Learn about Catholic beliefs, traditions and Scripture
• Grow in their understanding of faith, spirituality and prayer

• Explore how faith shapes relationships, choices and community life

   

This ensures that faith learning is explicit, intentional and clearly visible.

People, Place and Purpose is our Sacred Heart way of bringing the MACS visions to life. It brings together learning from areas such as Humanities, Science, Health and Technologies and connects them through big ideas that matter.

This learning:

• Centres on big concepts connected to the Victorian Curriculum
• Begins with explicit teaching of knowledge, concepts and skills
• Invites students into rich, well-scaffolded projects
• Helps students understand why their learning matters

• Encourages students to see themselves as active contributors to the world

   

Rather than relying on the term “inquiry,” this approach ensures that discovery is guided, purposeful and supported by strong teaching.

This is not a new approach, but a refinement of what we already do well.

Through Religious Education and People, Place and Purpose, we are creating learning that is clear, meaningful and deeply connected to who our students are, and who they are becoming.

We look forward to sharing the students learning with you throughout the term.

New Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Policy

We invite families to view the Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Policy, which outlines how learning is planned, assessed and communicated at Sacred Heart. 

Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Policy

Cath Palmer

Deputy Principal

Catholic Identity & Pedagogy