Dear Sacred Heart Families & Friends,

Welcome back! I am delighted to extend a warm and heartfelt greeting to each and every one of you as we embark on a brand new school year filled with promise, growth, and endless possibilities.

To our returning students and families, your familiar faces bring joy and excitement to our school once again. To those joining us for the first time, whether as students, parents, or educators, we are thrilled to welcome you into the Sacred Heart family. Together, we form a diverse and dynamic community committed to learning, collaboration and the pursuit of excellence. This year promises to be one of continued growth, innovation and shared accomplishments, all of which are deeply embedded in our context of a Catholic faith community.

Our dedicated team of educators is eager to inspire and guide our students toward academic achievement, personal development, and the joy of discovery. This year, we continue our partnership with Traces of Learning, alongside Jarryd Bradford as our learning consultant. Jarryd is working with both educators and students, deepening knowledge of our Discovery & Inquiry curriculum and learning about our world. Stay tuned for curriculum updates throughout the year.

We believe that education is a collaborative effort, and the partnership between home and school is crucial to the success of our students. Parents/carers, your involvement and support are invaluable and I encourage you to actively participate in your child's educational journey. One way we do this is to provide an opportunity for you to let us know more about your child through the Getting to Know You Conversations next week. You can learn more about this below.

As we navigate the school year ahead, let us foster a culture of kindness, respect, and empathy. In our diverse community, we celebrate our differences and learn from one another. Together, we create an inclusive and nurturing environment where everyone feels valued, heard and supported.

I am confident that the 2024 school year will be a memorable chapter in the story of Sacred Heart. Let us approach each day with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a commitment to excellence. Together, we will make this academic year a journey of discovery, achievement, and lasting friendships.

In faith and gratitude,

Kaylene Carlin

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

New Baby!

Over the school holiday break, Nicole (Year 1N 2023) and Mat welcomed a beautiful baby boy, William John, born 20th December. The new family are all doing well and we cannot wait to meet this precious Christmas baby. I know you will join me in welcoming William to our Sacred Heart family and congratulating the new parents.

Educators new to Sacred Heart

This year, we welcome some new educators to our Sacred Heart community - Therese Kehoe (Year 5T), Kristian Magill (Year 5K), Katrina Scolaro (Year 4K) & Heaven Zheng (Year 4H). All of the educators have settled in beautifully since beginning and have experienced a beautiful warm welcome from everyone, especially their respectives classes of children. I know our parent community will also give them a big welcome when you meet them.

This week, I introduce Therese & Kristian to you. In the next newsletter, you will learn more about Katrina and Heaven.

Hi! My name is Thérèse and I am delighted to have joined the Sacred Heart Community. Irish born and bred, I made the move to Australia just over a year ago and have loved my time here so far. Having taught in a Catholic school in Ireland for 12 years, I am extremely excited to work in a new environment and look forward to the challenges it will bring. On a personal level, music and sports are my passion. I play traditional Irish fiddle and tin whistle and also play on GAA teams here in Melbourne. Despite missing family and friends, I feel very ‘at home’ in Australia and am grateful for the people I have met and the opportunities which have been afforded to me.

Hi! My name is Kristian and I have just recently joined Sacred Heart Primary School. I am delighted to have joined such a wonderful school with a fantastic environment. I have been teaching now for 5 years. Within that time I have taught all over the world, from Ireland, China, Qatar and now Australia. I feel having taught in so many different countries, has enabled me to embrace some wonderful cultures whilst learning from some fantastic teachers and students. I look forward to continuing this whilst working here in Australia, at Sacred Heart. My interests outside of teaching include playing Gaelic football. I have played in Ireland and America. I am also an avid Chelsea FC fan, whilst also being a huge fan of many other sports including padel, basketball, soccer and golf which I play with my friends on the weekends. On a more personal note, I am heading back to Ireland this year to get married. I look forward to getting to know everyone in the Sacred Heart community.

Getting to Know You Conversations

Beginning a new school year brings much excitement, anticipation and new relationships.

An important part of your child’s educational life is the relationship between your child, their teacher and your family. We would like to provide an opportunity for you to meet with your child’s teacher for a ten minute conversation whereby you can share your child’s interests, likes/dislikes, strengths etc early this term. If you require a longer time period, please speak with your child’s teacher to arrange an alternative time.

Dates: Tuesday, 13th February & Wednesday, 14th February 2024

Times: 3.30 - 5.30pm each day

If you are unable to make either of these times, please contact your child’s teacher directly to arrange an alternative time.

Booking Details

Bookings will be made via School Interviews online and bookings can be made now using the following address in your browser or scanning the QR code to the right.

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/3vpr7

The event code is: 3vpr7

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the School Office on 9391 6262.

School Uniform Requirements

It has been wonderful starting the year seeing students proudly wearing their school uniforms that importantly identify them as Sacred Heart students. It is expected that all students are in full school uniform at all times. Sports Uniform is to be worn on PE days only, Interschool Sports Days for Year 5 & 6 and other whole school sporting events.

School uniforms can be purchased from the uniform supplier, PSW. We also have second hand items at school and there is also a parent-run Facebook page for the purchase of second hand items.

In consultation with the MacKillop Leaders and SAC members, we have added a new uniform item to our uniform options for 2024. The crew neck windcheater is available as an additional item, providing students with a choice of the rugby jumper or crew neck top. The PSW is being updated to include the windcheaters as an option.

Children must have a Sacred Heart hat for recess and lunch breaks in Term 1 and Term 4, in line with our Sun Smart guidelines. If children do not have a hat, they will be directed to play in a shaded area of the school grounds.

Other expectations to note include:

Hair beyond shoulder length for all students is to be tied back. Scrunchies or ribbons must be navy or white
Jewellery is not to be worn to school. The only permissible jewellery is a single stud or sleeper in pierced ears
Makeup (including mascara) and nail polish are not permitted to be worn at school. Students wearing makeup or nail polish will be asked to remove it.
Coloured runners can only be worn on sports day. Black shoes must be worn on all other days.
Windcheaters that are not school uniform are not permitted to be worn.

All items of uniform, including bags, lunch boxes, drink bottles and inside of their school shoes/runners, need to be clearly labelled with your child’s name. We will always endeavour to return lost/misplaced items to students but this is only possible if it is clearly labelled.

School Advisory Council - Calling for Expressions of Interest

What is the School Advisory Council?

School Advisory Councils (SAC) are advisory bodies which form an important expression of the educational partnership that exists between parents, schools, parishes and the wider community to support all students.

The SAC provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where the parent voice and perspective are available to influence the decisions made by the principal and parish priest for the good of school and parish where the wellbeing and outcomes for students is paramount.

More specifically, the role of the School Advisory Council includes:

encouraging the partnership and participation of school, parish and the wider community in the life of the school and parish
allowing school principals, parish priests and parents to work closely in the common mission they share.
providing a forum for discussion and discernment, where the parent voice and perspective are available to inform and support the decisions made by the Principal and Parish Priest for the good of School and Parish where the wellbeing and outcomes for students is paramount
ensuring that, at the local level, Catholic schools will remain 'actively embedded in the life of the faith communities of the local Church’

The dates for this year's meetings are as follows: 5th Mar, 30th April, 11th June,13th Aug, 8th Oct and19th Nov. The Annual General Meeting will be held prior to the SAC meeting on the 19th November. The meetings are held on Tuesday evenings at the school at 7pm and finish between 8pm and 8.30pm.

VACANT POSITION

There is currently one position available on the School Advisory Council and I strongly encourage you to put your hand up to join the group. I especially encourage those of you who are new to our school to become involved. All are welcome!

If there is more than one expression of interest, there will be a selection process as per the MACS guidelines for the operation of School Advisory Councils.

Please email Kaylene at principal@shnewport.catholic.edu.au with your Expression of Interest or if you have any questions.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST PERIOD CLOSES FRIDAY, 23rd FEBRUARY AT COB

News from the Office & School Events

Special Events Information & Administration Updates