School News
Happy World Teachers' Day
Today is World Teachers’ Day. I am sure you will agree that we have outstanding teachers and staff at Sacred Heart Kew who consistently go above and beyond for the students in their care. On World Teachers’ Day incredible teachers are celebrated for educating, inspiring and supporting students. Staff will be celebrating World Teachers' Day at Sacred Heart next week with a special lunch provided by the Year 5 families and PA. Thank you for your generosity in recognising what we do for all of our students.
2025 Planning
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 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 Sessions
Next week, we look forward to our Prep 2025 Transition Sessions as we welcome our newest members to the Sacred Heart Kew family.
As is tradition, there will be 3 Transition Sessions and a Parent Information Night. These will take place on the following days.
Wednesday 30 October Session No. 1
Wednesday 6 November Session No. 2
Wednesday 13 November Session No. 3 and Parent Info Night
At the end of last term, all Prep 2025 parents received an email outlining relevant information pertaining to their child and their particular session times.
We cannot wait to officially welcome our 2025 Preps!
Outside School Hours Care Update
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.
Year 5 Kinder Visit
On Tuesday, the Year 5 students welcomed their Kinder buddy from Little Assets (formerly Petit Kinder). The children were taken on a tour of the school and spent some time playing on the equipment. The Year 5 students did a fantastic job explaining what school life will be like for them in Prep next year.
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.
School Counsellor
Elise, our school counsellor, is available on Tuesdays in 2024. Parents are welcome to reach out to discuss if counselling is the right fit for them and their child. Please contact the School Office admin@shkew.catholic.edu.au
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 4 - 1 November (No Assembly-Wellbeing Groups)
Week 5 - 8 November (No Spotlight on Learning)
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
Monday 4 November (Time in lieu day for staff) *
Tuesday 5 November (Melbourne Cup Day Public Holiday)
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