It has been a busy start to the school year with lots of changes. Well done to the children for the way they are settling into the routines of their new classrooms.

For those currently unwell, we hope for a speedy recovery for you.

For those who’ve welcomed a new addition to the family, we extend our warmest congratulations on this happy occasion.

For those families who’ve experienced a recent bereavement, please know you are in the prayers and thoughts of all in our community.

Secret Agent Society 2025 (SAS)

SAS is an award-winning, evidence-based program that teaches children how to detect the thoughts and feelings of themselves and others.  Through SAS, children can be empowered to:

Understand the social needs and preferences of a wide range of people,
Explore their own range of needs, and
Communicate their needs more comfortably with others.

These life skills are important for children to navigate social conflicts and also develop the confidence to create and maintain friendships at different stages in their life development.

For more information go to https://www.secretagentsociety.com/

Thank you to those families that have shown interest in being involved in the SAS program this year.  If you are interested in your family being involved in SAS this year and have not registered your interest please contact myself, Felicity Bryant or Tony McDonald ASAP.

An information session will be held on Tuesday March 18th at 9am at the school.   

Please let Debbie, Felicity or Tony know if you’ll be in attendance. 

Student Attendance

At Sacred Heart, most students come to school regularly and as a result are learning new skills socially, academically and emotionally. This is an expectation and a right that we would like to see enacted for every student.

We know that coming to school on time every day is a necessary condition for learning to occur. Students who attend school every day benefit from all of the support and teacher assistance that is available and are much more likely to go ahead in their learning.

Being ready to begin the day's learning with the rest of the class is also very important and we ask for your support in ensuring that students are in their classes by the beginning of day bell. Being prepared for the day, and starting with peers, encourages a great day of learning and helps with organisational details of the day.

Parents/guardians are responsible for making sure that all children attend school every day unless they are too unwell, in which case the school must be advised.

Social Media and Children

Most of us use some form of social media and have a profile on a social networking site. Many visit these sites every day. Children are no exception to this rule. The age of those accessing social media is getting younger and younger, which means parents need to be aware of the positives and negatives of our children accessing this at home.

There are plenty of good things about social media — but also risks and things children and preteens should avoid. They don't always make good choices when they post something to a site, and this can lead to problems with friendships and at times their safety.

To help them find the balance, it's important to talk with your children about how to use social media wisely.

Social media can help children:

stay connected with friends and family
volunteer or get involved with a campaign, nonprofit, or charity
enhance their creativity by sharing ideas, music, and art
communicate with educators and fellow students
learn about current events

The flipside is that social media can be a hub for potentially harmful or questionable activities.

Privacy & Safety

Children should know about privacy and safety. Without meaning to, they can share more online than they should. Many children post photos of themselves online or use their real names on their profiles. They also might reveal other personal details such as their school’s name or birthdate, etc.

Mental Health Effects

Spending too much time on social media can have negative mental health effects. Sometimes it’s not just how much time children spend on social media, but how it's used that can affect their mood. For example, seeing how many "friends" others have and the pictures of them having fun can make children feel bad about themselves or feel like they don't measure up to their peers.

Time Drain

Children sometimes spend so much time on social media that they don’t have enough hours in the day for doing homework, reading, exercising, sleeping, spending time with loved ones, or enjoying the outdoors.

What Can Parents Do?

It's important to be aware of what your children do online. The key is to stay involved in a way that makes your children understand that you respect their privacy but want to make sure they're safe.

Tell your children that it's important to:

Be nice. Mean behaviour is not OK. Make it clear that you expect your children to treat others with respect, and to never post hurtful or embarrassing messages. And ask them to always tell you about any harassing or bullying messages that others post.
Think twice before hitting "enter/send". Remind children that what they post can be used against them.
Follow the "WWGS?" (What Would Grandma Say?) rule. Teach children not to share anything on social media that they wouldn't want their teachers, future friends, — and yes, grandma — to see.
Use privacy settings. Privacy settings are important. Go through them together to make sure your children understand each one. Also, explain that passwords are there to protect them. They should never share them with anyone, even a best friend.
Don't "friend" strangers. "If you don't know them, don't be friends with them online."

And don't forget: Setting a good example through your own virtual behaviour can go a long way toward helping your children use social media safely.

We welcome any emails or calls if families wish to seek support and can be contacted via email at any time or a phone call to school.

Email:

Tony McDonald: tmcdonald@shtatura.catholic.edu.au

Felicity Bryant: fbryant@shtatura.catholic.edu.au

Deb Turvey: dturvey@shtatura.catholic.edu.au

If ever you need help sorting out personal or family issues, give CatholicCare Victoria a call.  They offer many services to all members of our community – ALL FREE.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy fortnight ahead.

Tony, Felicity and Deb.

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