Thrive & Flourish

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to the final week of Term Three. It is so hard to believe that we are three-quarters of the way through the school year. We hope the holidays coming up are an opportunity to have less structured routines and hopefully some time together as a family.

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.

Attendance

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. If families are going to be away for an extended period, (eg: family holiday), we ask that prior notice is given to the school, so that if parents wish, a learning program can be put in place for their children.

If parents would like support with this, please feel free to contact a member of the Wellbeing Team. We thank you for your support with this.

PBIS

Our current total of tickets for this term is…………

What a fantastic effort to achieve so many tickets. Our goal is to reach 3500 tickets. No doubt we will reach this very quickly and achieve our whole school reward.

Well done to the children on their enthusiasm for collecting raffle tickets and helping to build a positive and affirming community here at Sacred Heart.

R U OK? Day – Thursday 12th September

Last Thursday was R U Ok? Day across Australia.

R U OK? inspires and empowers everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them and if needed, start a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling. As the graphic above suggests, we can ask a loved one, friend or colleague, R U OK? On any day of the year. That one act of reaching out just might be the catalyst of starting a conversation or engaging support for someone who may need it.

You don't need to be an expert to reach out - just a good friend and a great listener.

Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life:

Ask R U OK?
Listen.
Encourage Action.
Check in.

Workshop Wonders

Workshop Wonders is a fantastic program that takes place at Sacred Heart, in conjunction with the Tatura Men’s Shed. Leigh and Dean work with four senior students every Monday afternoon, teaching them skills for using basic tools to construct their own individual projects – a work in progress at the moment.

This term, the children also learnt how to make a desk organiser tray using a variety of tools and materials.

Check out our handy work below.

Well done Eva, Lucas, Urijah and Addisyn. We look forward to seeing how your individual projects finish up.

Thanks Leigh and Dean for all your help and working with us this term.

School Holidays:

Already starting to quake at the thought of the kids moaning "I'm bored!" five seconds into the first day of the school holidays?

Here are a few fun activities to keep them occupied without leaving the comfort of home sweet home.

Hold a Lego Building Contest:

Put that tub of LEGO to use and challenge the kids to each build a house - with a 30-minute time limit - then judge first, second and third prize or just admire each other’s creations if competitiveness is going to cause a problem.

Grow a Herb Garden:

Herbs are fun to grow and your kids will love having their own garden to tend. They're easy to grow from seed, requiring little patience as some herbs, like cress and rocket, should start to sprout in as little as two days.

How it works: find a sunny spot in the garden – most herbs need lots of sunshine. Fill your pots almost-full of potting mix. Add a sprinkle of compost and mix in well. To sow seeds, follow packet instructions.

To plant seedlings, make a well in the pot that is as deep as your seedling. Gently prise the seedling from its container (you may need to tap on the bottom of the container to loosen the roots). Give the roots a little room by carefully loosening the soil around them. Plant into your pot, making sure the new soil stays level with the soil the seedling is planted in. Press down firmly around the plant to compact the soil a little. Once your herbs are in, give them a good watering to help them settle into their new soil.

Movie Marathon:

Enjoy a movie marathon (especially on a rainy day!) A rainy day is the perfect time to organise a movie marathon.

Cupcake Decorating Competition:

A cupcake or cookie decorating competition is the perfect way to keep the kids amused for a few hours AND sort afternoon tea. Get the kids involved in baking a batch of cupcakes or cookies, then set them loose with a rainbow of icing colours, bowls of sprinkles and lollies and their imaginations to come up with the most amazingly decorated cupcake of the day.

Wellbeing Support

Wellbeing support can be accessed in the following ways:

Any staff member can arrange for a referral to Student Wellbeing if they have concerns about a student’s wellbeing.
Parents can also request support for their child/ren by contacting a member of the wellbeing team at school.

Email:

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

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

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

At times, a student may be referred to an external support service. We also respect the fact that some students and parents may prefer to seek professional support independent from the school setting. In such cases, Sacred Heart values working collaboratively with external support services. We encourage parents/carers to communicate with the school if there is a significant issue affecting their child’s wellbeing.

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 all families a safe and happy holidays and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in Term Four.

Tony, Deb and Felicity.