School News
2025 Planning
As previously communicated...
While our current focus is very much on ensuring Term 4 is a success in every sense of the word, we would ask that parents who intend moving their child from Sacred Heart Kew for next year to please notify the school via admin@shkew.catholic.edu.au. Thanks to those families who have already communicated these intentions.
Thank you for providing us with the most up to date information regarding your child(ren’s) enrolment status at Sacred Heart Kew next year. As such, we have planned for next year based on known enrolment numbers, formulating class and year level structures as per below. Over the next few weeks we will continue to plan and allocate funds towards our school programs for 2025.
2025 Class Structure
In 2025, the following Class structure will be in place:
2 x Prep
1 x Year One
2 x Year Two
2 x Year Three
2 x Year Four
2 x Senior (Senior A & Senior B groupings)
2025 Class Placement
In the coming weeks, staff will begin to consider and discuss student class placements for 2025. This task is quite extensive and a variety of factors are taken into account during this process. At Sacred Heart Kew, classroom teachers are ‘best placed’ when deciding the future learning environments for your child.
Later on this term, students will select a list of children whom they would like to be in a class with next year. Students will be placed with one of these children as a classmate for 2025.
At Sacred Heart Kew our year levels often work collaboratively throughout the school week and all students are provided opportunities to work with their year level peers, as well as their usual classmates. It is also important to note that many friendships are fostered out in the playground and not necessarily within the classroom setting.
When completing this important activity, our staff really are the experts in placing students, having the ‘big picture’, considering all elements, when determining class groups each year. A reminder to parents of 'twins' that due to various circumstances, we can not always guarantee to keep your children together or separate them, from year to year.
Educational Concerns to be placed in writing and forwarded to Principal
If you do have a genuine ‘educational concern’ for your child, this needs to be placed in writing/email and forwarded to the Principal. If this is the case, please complete this by TODAY (Friday 8 November).
PLEASE NOTE - As a school, we do not act on parent requests for specific teachers.
Please note that any correspondence with classroom teachers will not be considered, all requests do need to be made in writing and sent to the Principal by the above date.
Prep 2025 Transition Session
Next Wednesday 13 November, we have our final 2025 Prep Transition session, Parent Morning Tea and Parent Information Evening. It will be a HUGE day!
Tennis Australia & Weetbix Promotion for Australian Open
On Thursday, some of our Year 3 children participated in a Tennis Australia & Weet Bix promotional photo shoot at recess time. Apparently the photos will be used in an upcoming promotion for the Australian Open (a Weetbix competition to win a VIP experience at the Tennis in January).
The photographer and media staff noted that they have never worked with a more attentive, polite and respectful group of children (and she has worked with a number of schools for different campaigns). Congratulations to all the children involved. We cannot wait to see the finished product!
Outside School Hours Care Update
As previously mentioned, Camp Australia will not continue to provide OSHC to Sacred Heart Kew next year. Instead, our new OSHC provider will be MACSEYE (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Early Years Education). MACSEYE is a newly approved provider, set up by MACS to offer a range of early childhood and school aged care programs.
There are a couple of reasons for this change.
1. Due to our lower attendance numbers (Camp Australia were only going to provide us with After School Care next year - we were no longer a viable option for Camp Australia).
AND
2. In the next 12-18 months, all MACS schools' will have MACSEYE as their OSHC provider, so the new partnership has presented itself at a good time for us.
As mentioned above, MACSEYE will start operating and providing OSHC from the beginning of the 2025 school year. MACSEYE is committed to see every child and family flourish. Their programs are designed to foster a sense of identity, health and well-being. As a Catholic provider, MACSEYE will have strong links with our school and local parish, working together to build a vibrant community of support for children and families. MACSEYE is an approved registered provider, and sets a high standard of quality in line with the National Quality Standards.
We're confident that MACSEYE will provide a high quality service for our students. Families who need Outside School Hours Care will need to enrol with MACSEYE. We will share information how to enrol soon. If you have any questions, please let the school know or you can also email MACSEYE directly at contact@macseye.vic.edu.au
Further news and updates regarding MACSEYE (our new OSHC provider) will be provided in due course.
Religious Education News
Welcome back to Term 4. We have a busy term of learning, prayer and liturgy ahead! Thank you to Father Trevor for supporting the school with his visits to the classrooms for our Junior grades, and for welcoming the middle and senior grades to Mass throughout the term.
Families are always welcome to attend mass with the classes. Please note a couple of upcoming opportunities.
Friday 15 November: Year 3 attending 9.15am mass
Friday 22 November: Year 4 attending 9.15am mass
Remembrance Day 2024: Monday 11 November
Families and Friends are welcome to join Sacred Heart in a commemoration for Remembrance Day next Monday 11 November. It will commence at 10.45am at the Cenotaph by the oval. The commemoration will be led by Year 2HC.
Sacred Heart School Community Carols: Thursday 5 December 6-8pm
More details to follow but set aside the evening for a wonderful night of carols and cheer in our Church. To be followed by refreshments in the school grounds.
End of Year Thanksgiving Mass: Tuesday 17 December at 9.15am
Please save the date for our end of year celebration at our beautiful Parish Church. To be immediately followed by our Light of Leadership ceremony.
Advent Program
Please note the following dates below detailing the Whole School Advent paraliturgies which will start from Week 8.
Each year level will take a turn to lead us through this special time.
School Fee Payments
Thank you to all families who have finalised their accounts for 2024. There are still a number of outstanding accounts, unless prior arrangements are in place, it would be appreciated if all accounts could be finalised by the end of term. Thank you for your cooperation.
2025 School Fees
Please read the document below which outlines School Fees and Student Levies for 2025.
School Assemblies
All parents are welcome to attend our Assemblies which take place in the MPR on Fridays at 2.30pm (see below dates). Classes will be timetabled to present an item to the school community.
Term 4 Assemblies:
Week 6 - 15 November (No spotlight on Learning)
Week 7 - 22 November (No Assembly-Wellbeing Groups)
Week 8 - 29 November (Year 3)
Week 9 - 6 December (No Assembly-School Closure Day)
Week 10 - 13 December (No Assembly)
Week 11 - 17 December (Year 6 Final Assembly 11:30am)
2024 Term Dates
Term 4
Mon 7 October - Tue 17 December (12:45pm finish)
2024 School Closure Days
Term 4
Friday 6 December (Staff Planning for 2025 School Closure Day)
Children finish on Tuesday 17 December at 12.45pm
Wednesday 18 December (Time in lieu day for staff) *
As was communicated to families towards the end of last year...
* Time in Lieu (TIL)
The new Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2022 (the Agreement) introduces a formal time in lieu (TIL) process for teachers. The Agreement provides that a principal may require a teacher to undertake work and attend a school activity outside the normal hours of attendance (i.e., in excess of the 38 hours or normal hours for a part-time teacher) and when this occurs, it will attract TIL.
Principals should prepare for the accrual and acquittal of TIL through their annual planning process. The timing of the acquittal of TIL is at the discretion of the principal, having regard to the operational needs of the school and causing the least disruption to the educational program of the school.
Principals may elect to acquit TIL through designating days during the year on which all staff and students are not required to attend school. For 2024, there are opportunities to acquit TIL for the whole school on the following days:
Friday April 26 (day after ANZAC Day);
Monday November 4 (day before Cup Day);
early finishes on the last days of Terms 1, 2 and 3;
end of Term 4 from Wednesday 18 December.
Please note that no primary school students should be dismissed from schools prior to Tuesday 17 December 2024 – this is their earliest finish date