Message from the 

School Principal

Dear Sacred Heart families,

With Kaylene enjoying some well-earned long service leave this week, I have the privilege of stepping into the newsletter and sharing a few thoughts with you.

My dad always used to say, “No news is good news.” I suppose there is some truth in that. When life is rolling along without too many hiccups, all is well. But sometimes, when we are busy checking in and out of each day, it is easy to forget to stop and, as they say, “smell the roses.”  Maybe it is because we are finally crawling out of the depths of winter (although that could just be me and my strong dislike of winter!), but I had one of those moments last night. 

After finishing parent-teacher interviews for my youngest daughter at MSJ last night, there was absolutely no possibility of me cooking dinner. Somehow, though, all four of us… all four of us!!!! ...ended up sitting down for dinner together (fish and chips!), in the same room, at the same time, for the first time this week.

And for a moment, I stopped.  We talked.  We caught up on the events of the week.  We made plans to head to the Dees’ last game this weekend.  Nothing particularly extraordinary happened, but I found myself feeling incredibly grateful that, amongst the busyness and routine of life, we were simply together.

There is a little bit of that feeling at Sacred Heart at the moment too.  It is “business as usual” and what busy business it is!  Teaching and learning, excursions and incursions, planning Book Week costumes, preparing for Sacraments, celebrating Science Week and all the many other things that fill our school days.   But perhaps “business as usual” is something worth being grateful for.

As we reach just over the halfway point of the term, it is worth stopping for a moment to notice how hard everyone is working, how far our students have come and just how much is happening each day.  Sometimes the ordinary rhythm of school life can hide all the wonderful things taking place within it.

So, as we move into the second half of the term, we will continue with business as usual - but hopefully with a reminder to stop every now and then. To look around. To listen. To smell and notice Spring beginning to arrive!  To enjoy the ordinary moments and the people we share them with - apple cake in the staffroom (thanks for baking on Wednesday Kate!) 

And to thank God for the gift of another day together.  Learning, growing and simply getting on with the wonderful business as usual of life at Sacred Heart.

Have a great weekend.  Go Dees!

Religious Education Symposium 

As Catholic educators, we are grateful for the opportunity to continue growing in our own faith and understanding. Recently, Cath, Bree, Vivian and I attended the Religious Education Symposium, "Inspired by Faith", where Catholic educators from across Melbourne gathered to reflect on the evolving landscape of Religious Education, faith formation and the mission of our Catholic schools. The symposium provided valuable insights and practical ideas to enrich our work with students and strengthen our commitment to nurturing young people in faith, learning and service. I invited Bree (2B) to include a reflection on her experiences and key takeaways from this enriching professional learning opportunity and I am pleased to share this with you below: 

I recently had the privilege of attending the ‘Inspired by Faith’ Religious Education Symposium, and I left the two days feeling inspired, renewed and reminded of why Religious Education and faith formation are so important to me.One message that really stuck with me was Brother David Hall’s image of Catholic communities as ‘constellations’. A constellation is made up of individual points, but it is the connections between them that allow us to see something greater. It reminded me that our Catholic identity is not something we build in isolation; it is strengthened through connection, shared purpose and a sense of belonging to something beyond ourselves. When these connections are nurtured, our faith becomes something that is not only taught, but lived and experienced together. This image resonated deeply with my own passion for strengthening relationships within and between our school, parish and wider communities.The Symposium also gave me valuable time to reflect on my own faith, learn from inspiring educators and faith leaders, and deepen my commitment to continuing to learn and grow as a Religious Education teacher.

Breanna Moller (Year 2B)

Financial Landscape for Catholic Schools 2027

Supporting our staff while planning for the future

Currently, all Catholic schools are working through planning and budgeting activities for 2027 to ensure we are well placed to support our staff, students and school communities in the coming year. This includes looking at how we can accommodate the changes likely to flow from a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) with school staff.

We recognise the significant financial pressures many households are facing, and we are making a conscious effort to ensure these costs are not passed on through significant fee increases.

We will continue to keep our parent community informed throughout this process. As always, our focus remains on maintaining strong school communities and continuing to deliver a high-quality Catholic education for every student

School Fees & Levies 2027 - Tiered Family Fee Structure

As we begin planning for the 2027 school year, I am writing to provide you with important  information regarding Sacred Heart Primary School's school fees and levies for next year. Whilst a more detailed letter with actual figures will be provided to all families in the coming weeks, I wanted to inform you of the changes as soon as possible. 

Under the directives of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools for all Catholic schools, we will be moving to a tiered family fee structure in 2027. A tiered family fee structure is a pricing model that recognises the financial impact of having multiple children enrolled at the school at the same time. Rather than charging a fixed fee for each child, the family contribution is calculated using a sliding scale, with the overall fee reducing proportionally as additional children are enrolled. This approach helps make Catholic education more affordable for larger families while ensuring the school can continue to provide high-quality learning opportunities and support for all students. 

At Sacred Heart, we remain committed to using our resources thoughtfully and responsibly to provide the best possible learning environment and learning opportunities, whilst continuing to nurture the wellbeing and growth of every student. However, like all schools, Sacred Heart has experienced significant increases in the costs of delivering education. These include staffing and salary increases, WorkCover premiums, Child Safety compliance requirements, risk management, curriculum resources, professional learning for staff, capital works and increased system-wide operating costs, amongst others. 

We understand that any increase in school fees can place additional pressure on family budgets, particularly during a time when many households continue to experience rising living costs. Please know that this decision has not been made lightly. We also recognise that every family's circumstances are different. Once the final figures are determined and communicated, if you have any concerns regarding school fees and levies or would like to discuss a payment arrangement that best suits your family's situation, I warmly encourage you to contact me. All conversations are treated with sensitivity, respect and confidentiality, and we are committed to working alongside families wherever possible.

Thank you for your continued trust in Sacred Heart and for the partnership we share in the education and formation of your children. Your support enables us to continue nurturing a community where every child is known, valued and loved. 

Yours in faith,

Kaylene

Kaylene Carlin

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

principal@shnewport.catholic.edu.au