Principal News 

TERM 2 - WEEK 3

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CAMPS 2024

*Updated Key Dates T2-T4 2024

Dear Families and Friends,

What an eventful fortnight it has been at Sacred Heart! There's been so much to celebrate within our wonderful learning community, with numerous additional activities spread throughout the week. School life has certainly never been more vibrant as we managed to fit in a farm visit, cross-country event, Anzac Day liturgy, and the weekly winter interschool sports program into our already packed learning schedule. While I would love to suggest that the following is just a 'snapshot' of life at Sacred Heart, the truth is, with so much worthy of celebrating, our fortnightly publication tends to grow by the hour. Enjoy a coffee and hopefully we are able to provide a sense of the remarkable things happening in our classrooms and community.

Building Program Update 

We are thrilled to announce that on Friday, we received the official 'green light' for our proposed refurbishment, with all funds now committed from the State and MACS. Next week, we will issue a letter of intent to the builder, and we anticipate a lead time of approximately two weeks before the builders are on site. Based on this timeline, students in Year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 will transition into their temporary learning spaces for the first stage of the program, commencing on May 27th.

At this stage, we may require parental support as we relocate approximately seven classes to other internal learning areas for the duration of Stage 1. We would greatly appreciate assistance with the movement of key pieces of furniture for our proposed moving date: May 23rd.

While we acknowledge that this is an exciting time of transformation for our learning community, we ask for your trust that this transition has been well-considered to ensure minimal disruption to the children and their learning. More specific information will follow regarding team teaching arrangements, logistics, and the support we will provide our teachers and, importantly, the students during this building phase.

Student Awards 

We are excited to announce a new change to the student awards process at our assemblies. We continually strive to recognise and celebrate the diverse talents and achievements of our students, we believe it is important to adapt our recognition methods to better reflect our school values and the efforts of our students.

Starting from our next assembly, we will be introducing a revised format for student awards, focusing on two distinct categories:

1. Value of the Week Award: This award will be presented to a student/grade who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to embodying and utilising the value of the week in their actions and interactions within the school community. Whether it's fairness, kindness, respect or any other value we emphasise, this award will recognise those students who exemplify these qualities that week. It will also be an opportunity for the classes to unpack and reinforce a particular value throughout week e.g. Welcome Circles and teachable moments.  

2. Academic Achievement or Effort Award: In recognition of the hard work by our students in their academic pursuits, this award will honor achievement or notable improvement in academic performance. Whether it's mastering a difficult concept, excelling in a particular subject, or displaying remarkable effort in overcoming challenges, this award will spotlight the academic accomplishments of our students.

We believe that these two categories encompass a wide range of achievements and qualities that we value as a school community. By introducing this revised format, we aim to provide more opportunities for our students to be recognised for their unique strengths and contributions.

As always, we encourage all students to continue striving for excellence and embodying our school values in everything they do. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our students at our upcoming assemblies.

In addition, we will be revisiting and reinforcing the school rules and associated expectations, particularly as we transition to a building program. These will be unpack across all grade levels in the coming weeks. More information will follow in the coming days. 

Snapshot From The Classrooms

This term, our Year 3 to 6 students have begun their novel studies. This presents a wonderful opportunity for them to delve deeply into a variety of texts. Engaging in novel studies not only enhances fluency and comprehension but also exposes students to different emotions, experiences, broader vocabulary, and the importance of building background knowledge. Through novel studies, students can enhance their critical thinking skills, whether independently, in small groups, or through whole-class discussions. As noted across our 3-6 classrooms the students are also deepening their ability to analyze literature and, ultimately, foster a love for reading by immersing themselves in rich texts. Thanks Mrs Stroud for supporting the staff with their planning for these units.

For example, in Year 5 this week, students explored onomatopoeia and how adjectives and adverbs enhance their writing. While examining certain characters in their text, they listed descriptive words (adjectives) and constructed a paragraph incorporating onomatopoeia. Micaela's paragraph was particularly impressive and I even suggested she may like to consider taking over the fortnightly newsletter, such was the quality of writing.

In Year 3, students focused on unpacking "rich" vocabulary to support their background knowledge and understanding, specifically for comprehension purposes. One of the key words studied was "penicillin." Additionally, they delved into the concepts of "content" and "function" words, which are two categories used to classify words in a sentence based on their roles and meanings. I was blown away at the ease in which students could distinguish and identify examples for each word type.

Another key observation in Miss Bulte & Mrs McGrath's class was watching the smooth transition between various aspects of their literacy block. In addition to explicitly stating the expectations, there was also a very clear visual prompt embedded in their daily slide deck. 

Using mini whiteboards isn't limited to literacy; they're also utilized daily during our numeracy block for working out problems and sharing answers. This enables teachers to swiftly review students' workings and solutions. It was impressive to witness this practice being implemented across all year levels. Additionally, it was most affirming to observe that all classes were utilizing slide deck resources from Ochre. This not only reinforces the structure of the sessions but also promotes explicit teaching instruction, focusing on delivering exactly what is required without unnecessary extras - Teach the stuff and cut the fluff! 

It has also been pleasing to see on Mondays, Mr. Blake leading an enrichment group with our middle to senior students. This week, their focus was on worded problems.

A Touch of Science

Our topic focus this term is science, and much like our literacy and numeracy blocks, this is timetabled across the entire school. It was wonderful to see all classes engaged in their physical sciences unit right on cue on Monday afternoon. From light to sound, and even heat conduction, I have yet to see a student not enjoy a hands-on science session. Audrey B was put on the spot as I entered the room, and Mrs. Maddocks asked if she could explain to Mr. Collis what bioluminescence is. Audrey responded, "The production and emission of light by a living organism." Nice work, Audrey.

Wellbeing Sprints

This week, Mr. Brown and I conducted check-ins with all teachers specifically regarding the well-being of their students. This bi-termly practice allows staff the opportunity to communicate any immediate concerns or well-being considerations that need to be monitored. Additionally, it provides a platform to identify students who may need additional support and ensures that we have appropriate measures in place. Over time, this process helps us track student well-being trends. We are grateful to our teachers for their intimate knowledge of their students and to Mr. Brown for facilitating this invaluable process. Wellbeing matters, and it will always be a priority at Sacred Heart!

ANZAC DAY LITURGY

Supported by Mr. Blake, we extend our congratulations and gratitude to our wonderful Year 6 leaders for their presentation of the annual ANZAC Liturgy at last week's assembly. This solemn gathering was a beautiful and thoughtful recognition of the women and men who have fought, and continue to fight, for peace and harmony in our world. It was one of the many special days throughout the year.

Staffing News

As previously communicated to families, Mr. Blake will sadly be returning to Ireland at the midpoint of the year after serving the Sacred Heart community for 10 years. As his remaining weeks seem to be passing by rapidly, we are pleased to announce that we have already managed to cover Mr. Blake's two-day classroom duties. We are blessed that Mrs. Maddocks will extend her time fraction from three days to four consecutive days, and we are thrilled to welcome back Ms. Tiffany Levy to Sacred Heart to work on Fridays in Yr.5. Ms. Levy taught these students, so this is truly a wonderful outcome for our students, staffing arrangements, and families, providing certainty and continuity. More details will follow regarding the important coverage of Mr Blake's RE and Mathematics roles. 

ART 

Mrs. Hyslop's art classes have been praised on numerous occasions and are arguably the best I have seen. Visiting educators and families often comment on the stunning work created by our students, which beautifully adorns our walkways, creating our very own gallery. In recent weeks, students have been working on a range of themed Anzac art and portraits, and I'm sure you will agree that the children's work is 'art gallery worthy.'

Remarkable Prep Portraits

Yr. 2 ANZAC Portraits & Yr. 5&6 Shrines

School Uniform

Just a reminder we'll be transitioning to our winter uniform on May 6th. While we encourage students to wear the winter pants for practicality and warmth, they can also opt for the school navy shorts if they prefer. Long sleeve white shirts are still required as part of winter uniform attire.  Thanks for understanding with our uniform expectations as this clearly identifies and defines who we are and where we belong.

Cross Country 

So close, but not quite there yet for our team of champion runners who came second this year at the zone Cross Country Championships. We are immensely proud of their efforts and look forward to seeing the following students progress to the next stage, the Beachside Championships:

• Under 10 Boys: Noah J 5th
• Under 10 Girls: Amelia S 3rd, Amelia J 9th, Sadie S10th
• Under 11 Girls: Olivia M 3rd, Emily H 5th, Odette L 7th, Micaela P 10th
• Under 11 Boys: Marlow S 6th
• Under 12 Girls: Tilly M 2nd, Edie C 5th
• Under 12 Boys: Michael N1st, Finn H 5th

ENROLMENTS & TOURS 

While our Open Days for 2024 have officially concluded, we continue to see a steady stream of school tours for families interested in enrolling for 2025 and 2026. As mentioned previously, we are pleased to announce that we will once again be offering two capped Prep classes for the upcoming school year. Additionally, enrollment numbers for 2026 are filling up quickly, so please spread the word about our wonderful school community to ensure that interested families do not miss out on the opportunity to join us.

Little Hearts of Sandy Playgroup

Family and friends are most welcome to attend our Little Hearts Playgroup. Please note, there is no age limit on toddlers or pre-schoolers. We typically have about20 pre-schoolers and toddlers and it has been fabulous to see lots of new faces at these sessions. We'd love to see you there! 

• 31st May
• 21st June
• 26th July
• 30th August
• 18th October
• 22nd November
• 6th December

P&F NEWS

Next meeting: Monday 6th May

We look forward to another exciting term ahead for the P&F with a few key dates below to lock into the family calendar. 

SAVE THE DATE

LITTLE GEMS

If you have been wondering why your child has been coming home with pockets and shoes full of sand, look no further. 

What a joy to have these superstars drop by my office on Friday, they must have known it was newsletter day. Maggie and Amelia showcased their impressive fluency skills using a passage from Matilda (Novel Study). Their smiles pretty much say it all. 

And not to be outdone, Chase, Faustina & & Emily presented their outstanding writing from TWR. On tour, leaving my office, the trio headed to the staffroom to share with Mrs Stroud & Miss Rafferty.  Oh, I forgot to mention with 24 Freddo Frogs to share with their class. 

It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn. Random act of kindness or just wonderfully community minded children. On Saturday, Connor & Isla noticed the 'leave fairy' was doing a sweep/rake of the grounds, and in passing offered up an hour of their Saturday to help out, unprompted.

And finally....

It's been yet another monster fortnight at Sacred Heart, the best school in the bayside. As we continue to make strides, we have never been more committed to self-improvement. Our aspiration is always to embody the best versions of ourselves (students, staff and families).

Ultimately, we're a 'village', working together to ensure optimal educational and wellbeing experiences for our students, families, and staff.

A most proud, 

Simon Collis

Principal

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