Principal News

Dear Sacred Heart Community

Classes for 2022

One of my most important tasks each year, (along with the collaboration of our staff), is allocating teachers to classes and organising the class combinations. This year, class combinations have been dictated by the consequences of Covid these past two years, numbers of students in each year level and a ratio of boys and girls that gives each gender the same opportunities to flourish with their fellow cohort of students. Our classes and their teachers for 2022 are:

Year Prep: Amanda and Giulia (Fridays)

Year One: Alexandra (Monday to Wednesday) and Ann (Thursday and Friday)

Year Two: Bethany

Year Three/Four: Marie

Year Four/Five: An all boys class with Marty

Year Five/Six: Denise (Tuesday to Friday) and Lauren (Monday)

You will notice two new names amongst our teachers for 2022. I worked previously with Giulia at St Mary's Thornbury and Lauren comes very highly recommended from mutual colleagues in leadership. 

You will also have noticed that Year Four/Five is an all boys cohort. This has been dictated by the number of males in this area of the school. However parents may remember that some of this cohort were in an all boys class in Year One/Two also with Marty as their teacher, and what a successful year it was for all concerned. Marty was able to introduce some teaching pedagogy that is pertinent to males and as a result student achievement and development of personal and interpersonal skills improved at an increased rate. In 2022 Marty will be implementing a very similar model in the Year Four/Five classroom.

School Reports

School reports will be available on the parent portal on the last day of school, Wednesday 15th December. Early next week a detailed letter will be sent home from Jessica detailing instructions for setting up your access. On this day our students will meet their 2022 class teacher/s and their fellow class members. You will also be informed by letter on this day about your child's 2022 class teacher/s.

School Advisory Board

Our 2021School Advisory Board AGM was conducted on Tuesday night. The main task of the AGM is to farewell leaving members, seek nominations for positions on the Board and welcome the new members. I would like to thank all the members of the 2021 School Advisory Board for their continued work helping our school to improve its functioning. Their genuine interest and passion for school improvement is so important in enabling me to be a better principal.

Before I thank the leaving members I would like to present our 2022 School Advisory Board members:

Chair: Annemarie Kaszubska

Secretary: Amelia Van Lint 

Vice Chair: Mark Haley

Gauri Shah

William Frisina

Geeta Parekh

Pradeep Vajrapu*

Merlyn Dsouza*

Prem Parmar*

Father Eloysius (ex officio member)

Mark Tierney  (ex officio member)

We welcome our new members Prem (mother of Arvin Year Prep), Pradeep (father of Viraj Year Prep) and Merlyn (mother of Glendon Year Three and Jazlyn and Tazlyn Year Prep in 2022)

I would like to sincerely thank Nadine Maiolla for her role as School Advisory Board President over the past four years. Nadine’s passion to help the school improve and function as an ever developing place of learning has been such a support for my aligned endeavours. Nadine has been with me since day one during the interview process, and I am incredibly grateful for her wisdom and guidance.  We will miss your presence within our school community Nadine, but know exciting times are ahead with Nicola moving to Santa Maria next year. A big thank you to Elissa Keogh for her contribution over the years in a number of different roles. Elissa and Mark have always been at the forefront of every school initiative that has required parent involvement. May your sea change be everything you hope for. As I did earlier in the year, I would also like to acknowledge Liam Holm for his great contribution during his time on our board this year.

Final Transition for Year Prep 2022

On Monday we had our third and final transition session for our Year Prep Class of 2022. Again the group were incredibly settled but enthusiastic and showed they are ready for the start of 2022. On Monday a number of the group purchased their school uniforms as can be seen in these photos of very proud children, next year's Prep Class. All that is left for our Year Prep 2022 class, is a day in the last week of school when they meet their buddies.

Last Lunch Orders

A reminder that tomorrow will be the last day of lunch orders with Parade, as the Preston Campus is closing next week. The orders have been a great success and will resume next year. Because of their popularity, I will look into the possibility of organising lunch orders two days a week next year.

Congratulations

Regular readers of our newsletter will remember me acknowledging the great performance of our Year Six student Oscar, winning the competition Best Fairest in the Yarra Junior Football League earlier this year.

The plaudits for Oscar have continued with him winning his Club Best Fairest with the Preston Football Club and being joined by his younger brother Zane, who won second place in his team's Best and Fairest award. Great effort boys. (The Carlton recruiters watching and hovering)

It has been an exciting and busy couple of months for our two great school secretaries Maria and Rosemarie. Earlier this term Rosemarie became a grandmother when her daughter Ariane gave birth to Stephanie. Both mum and daughter are doing really well.

Last week Maria became a grandmother for the second time when her daughter Elissa gave Xavier a little brother Leonardo (Leo). As you can see from the photos below, Xavier is checking to ensure Maria has not lost her touch. The great news is that Maria has not lost her touch and Elissa and Leo are doing well.

Production News

Raffle

We will be holding a raffle (food hamper) after school each night of next week leading up to our production, as a small fundraiser to recoup some of our production costs. Could I thank Jeffrey Archer (father of Austin and Aylah) for his donation of the delicious meat tray and Kanza Sharjeel (mother of Areesh and Rahim) for her donation of a Cheesecake Shop cake. On the night of the production there will also be an opportunity to make a gold coin (or more if you desire) donation.

Live Stream/Recording

Kate is in the process of organising a company to record the concert. More information including cost will be given tomorrow. 

School Fees

Thank you to all those families who have paid their school fees in the past few weeks. We still have small number of families yet to pay their term four dues, and we ask that this be please paid before the last day of school.

Please take care.

Yours sincerely

Mark Tierney

Principal