OFFICIAL SCHOOL BUILDING OPENING

A parent was nearly moved to tears upon entering the new administration area on Tuesday, exclaiming, "The school looks absolutely amazing — I almost cried at how good it now looks."

Dear Families and Friends,

Welcome back!

In light of the unusually short week, we’ve opted for a very light on newsletter to kick off the term. We sincerely hope you all enjoyed a restful break and Easter. It’s been wonderful to see our students, families (perhaps not quite refreshed—but definitely happy to have the kids back at school!), and staff return with renewed energy (and facilities) and enthusiasm for what promises to be a fantastic Term 2.

We couldn’t have asked for a better start—especially with Stage 2 of our building program now officially handed over, aside from the two breezeways, which will be completed in the coming weeks. These were only slightly delayed due to unforseen compliance requirements and material lead times. In addition, we still have a 'little' bit of blue tape up as our builders steadily work through some minor defects identifed prior to handover.

The response from students, staff and visitors to our new spaces has been overwhelmingly positive - they tuly love these beautiful spaces. Highlights include the reopened spacious corridor, the expanded playground area (goodbye work compound!), and the improved connection between administration and classrooms—and yes, there’s been a noticeable drop in everyone’s step count! We’re incredibly fortunate to have these beautiful, modernised spaces and are especially excited to start using the spectacular new STEM area—a must-visit for families!

A huge thank you and congratulations to our staff for transitioning so smoothly into their new teaching environments. The consistent routines set at the beginning of the year have helped maintain a calm, focused atmosphere and set us up for a wonderful term ahead. Remarkably most staff are even leaving their doors to the corridor open, such is tone across the entire building.

Importantly all classes have quickly settled back into their structured programs, beginning with literacy and numeracy blocks - it has been faultless. Many have also launched into their new topics, despite the shorter first week. Well done, students!

This week, we warmly welcome Signora Caliri to Sacred Heart — and what a wonderful first impression she has made!

Introducing her Italian program for the very first time, Signora has already captured the hearts of our students, who unanimously loved their first session. With her energy, warmth, and passion for language learning, we dare say she’s the perfect fit for our community.

Benvenuta, Signora Caliri — we’re so excited to have you on board!

Be sure to check the class and specialist overview page for what’s ahead in your child’s classroom this term.

A Flashback from the Past

And Now - Stage 2

How special is?

Our Prep and Year 5 students had the joy of using the beautiful new STEM space for the first time on Thursday, coming together for a shared Buddy activity.

It was a fantastic moment — not only for the students, who loved the experience, but also for our staff as they begin to explore the many possibilities this dynamic and flexible space has to offer. Simply the best!

Our First Display

How fitting for our first display in our newly refurbished admin area. Thank you Year 6!

Many thanks to Miss Newey and the Yr.6 Social Justice Team for selling out all ANZAC badges and pins to to support the RSL foundation.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

Well done to Sandringham Village for the beautiful job they do commerate this solemn day.

Time Tables Rock Stars

Thanks Miss Bulte for the wonderful addition to the newsletter:

At Sacred Heart, we have been focusing on improving students' number recall skills, and thanks to Times Tables Rock Stars, we've seen a remarkable increase in our Year 2 to 6 students confidence and progress in mastering multiplication facts.

Times Tables Rock Stars is an engaging online platform designed to help students learn, develop, and master their multiplication and division skills. Through its fun and interactive website, students can practice and improve their math abilities in an enjoyable and effective way.

Every week, we celebrate students who can answer each multiplication fact in under four seconds by awarding them a "Gone Green" certificate. This week, we were thrilled to see many students earning their certificates over the holidays!

Audrey S from Year 6 currently leads the school leaderboard with an outstanding average answer time of less than one second per question! We are also excited to share that Zara H from Year 3 is the first student in her year to earn a "Gone Green" certificate.

So far this year, we’ve awarded 55 "Gone Green" certificates and look forward to celebrating even more achievements as the year progresses. We are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication shown by all our students in their journey to mastering math facts!

On Wednesday, April 23, Sacred Heart students answered an impressive 7,323 questions correctly - demonstrating the incredible mathematical talent within our school!

We encourage all students to continue accessing the platform at home to further strengthen their number recall skills. Together, we can help them reach even greater heights.

Not to be outdone by her big sister in Year 3, Hart from Year 1 is already impressively sharpening her times tables skills — all in preparation for the Times Tables Rock Stars weekly challenge!

It’s wonderful to see such motivation for learning as she looks ahead to joining the middle school in the coming years. We absolutely love this enthusiasm!

Winter School Uniform

Just a reminder — we’ll be transitioning to our winter uniform from May 5th. While we encourage students to wear the winter pants for practicality and warmth, they’re also welcome to continue wearing the school navy shorts if they prefer. After all, comfort is key! This is not an excuse to wear PE sneakers i.e. non black and clearly branded.

Thank you for your support in upholding our uniform expectations. Wearing our uniform with pride helps clearly identify who we are and reinforces our strong sense of belonging.

Staffing News 2025

This beautiful little distraction made a surprise visit on Tuesday, popping in to say hello with her mum, Miss Rafferty. As a beloved member of the Sacred Heart family, gorgeous Iris stole the show, soaked up the attention and even joined Miss Maloney and Miss Wood for their Heggerty session.

For the record, the students absolutely loved every moment with Iris — and impressively, didn’t miss a beat with their learning. We love capturing and celebrating these precious moments that make our school so special.

P&F News

LITTLE GEMS💎

Passionate about athletics, the Stynes family made the trip to Stawell over Easter to take in the excitement of the iconic Stawell Gift — a running event synonymous with our state’s sporting culture. A highlight of their visit was meeting Gout Gout, the latest sensation lighting up the track.

Since the resurfacing of the Quiet Area, generously funded by our P&F, we’ve seen over 50 students making use of this special ‘no ball’ zone each day. Whether dancing, playing cards, doing handstands, or simply sitting and chatting with friends, it has become a cherished space for calm and creative play.

This area has truly added value to our playground, offering students a peaceful alternative that supports alternate play options.

Thanks superstars for taking such pride in your playground and cleaning up the yard without being asked.

I'm thinking the staff may have had enough chocolate treats over the Easter break. They couldn't quite close out this deal.

And finally...

Following the Vatican’s announcement on Monday, we give deepest thanks for the life and leadership of Pope Francis. His compassionate, wise, and deeply pastoral presence has been a gift to the world.

We pray for his eternal rest in the embrace of the God he so faithfully served. May we continue to hold close his profound understanding of what it means to be truly human, and be inspired by his daily example as God’s gentle and humble servant.

A newly offic-ed principal — looking forward to you dropping by (for all the right reasons!).

A very proud,

Simon C

P&F and Community News