Principal News
It doesn't get any better!
Dear Families and Friends,
We are absolutely delighted with how well the children have transitioned back into the new term. While it’s clear many had a VERY full and active holiday period, they’ve quickly settled back into school routines from day one.
That said, unfortunately, we appear to be experiencing another wave of illness across our community, with a noticeable number of students unwell in recent days. We kindly ask families to remain vigilant, and if your child is showing any signs or symptoms of illness, please keep them at home. Illnesses spread quickly in school settings, and we’ve already had both staff and students impacted, and it's only Week 1. Thank you, as always, for your understanding and support.
Welcome Back, Sarah!
This term, we’re thrilled to welcome back Sarah Rafferty from maternity leave. As one of our Deputy Principals, working alongside Kate Stroud, Sarah plays an integral role in leading Teaching & Learning across the school.
While Kate has done a phenomenal job in Sarah’s absence, we think she might be the most relieved to have her partner-in-crime back on deck! It’s been most affirming to see so many families reconnecting with Sarah at the gate, clearly, she’s been missed.
A Huge Thank You – Working Bee Heroes!
Sincere thanks to Brendan Tudor and his dedicated crew of parent volunteers who rolled up their sleeves at Saturday’s working bee. From sandpits to garden beds to general grounds upkeep, we are incredibly grateful to this generous group for giving up their precious family time to support our school. The grounds came up a treat! Let's just say, the topped up sandpit has gone down a treat.
Playground News
Following early conversations with our P&F (not yet through formal meetings), we’re excited to share that our major community focus for 2025 will be a much-needed upgrade to our adventure playground.
We are currently in the process of engaging playground contractors to develop a fresh design that is engaging for all students. The goal is to begin works in early Term 4.
Given the scale of this project, we are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our P&F. Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be launching several key fundraising initiatives to help us reach our target, so stay tuned! Your generous support will be greatly welcomed.
This is set to be a fantastic and exciting addition to our school grounds, and we look forward to keeping you updated every step of the way.
Basketball Tower Upgrade
And in more exciting news, we’re also working closely with The Sandy Saints, our affiliated basketball club to upgrade the basketball towers. We’re so grateful for this longstanding partnership and the advocacy of our parents in maintaining these strong community ties.
Special thanks to Katrina C, Sarah D, and Kate Stroud for coordinating this exciting upgrade, which we hope to see begin in the coming days.
A MUST READ 🫣
We have a sneaky and VERY proud celebratory piece in the Deputy News this week. All the hard work is paying off.
State Cross Country Championships
Congratulations to these three superstars who proudly represented Sacred Heart at the recent State Cross Country Championships. An absolutely extraordinary achievement!
- Noah placed 9th out of 100 competitors
- Amelia finished 23rd out of 100
- Emily came 45th out of 100
What an outstanding outcome! We are so incredibly proud of these students and their inspiring efforts. Well done, team Sacred Heart!
Wellbeing in Action at Sacred Heart
This week, our wonderful Wellbeing Leader, Miss Wood, has been working with students across the school to prepare artwork for our new School Rules display, a meaningful addition to our newly refurbished corridor. While each class has been revisiting our rules and expectations as part of their regular termly refreshers, this visual display will serve as an ongoing reminder of how we engage respectfully with one another at Sacred Heart.
In addition, Miss Wood has launched her first Peaceful Kids sessions, with great success, with small student cohorts across the school. These sessions form part of a broader wellbeing framework that includes her leadership in Respectful Relationships, regular check-ins with students, families, and staff, and coordination of our popular Calm Club.
Miss Wood is doing an exceptional job leading a number of important wellbeing initiatives across our school. Her passion and commitment are a true blessing and deeply valued by all, especially our students!
Beachside Champions 2025
We are beyond proud of our senior students who took out the Beachside 9s Tournament on Friday!
After their impressive win at the Dendy Championship late in Term 2, the team had to be reduced from 18-a-side to 9-a-side for this carnival , which meant, unfortunately, not all students could participate.
That being said, we were truly blown away by the way those who missed out responded with such maturity, and equally by how the selected players rose to the challenge and represented our school so well. It also worth noting Eddie S sadly broke his finger on Tuesday and was unable to play in this carnival.
Mr Jaynes summed it up perfectly: “I had just the best day.”Another super team and AFL coach in the making! Perhaps it's time for a trophy cabinet.
Good luck to our netballers who will compete on Monday.
NEW WEBSITE REMINDER
Don’t forget to explore our new, contemporary website! Designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly, we hope this refreshed communication platform meets the needs of both our current and prospective families.
With enhanced interactivity, improved navigation, and streamlined access to updated resource links, including direct integration with our nForma platform. This upgrade aims to strengthen communication and bring even greater clarity to key school information.
A notable new feature is the PARENT RESOURCES tab, which conveniently links to frequently used apps and tools to support our families.
As always, we welcome feedback from our school community, whether to affirm what’s working well or to help identify opportunities for further improvement. We hope this platform continues to support strong, meaningful online engagement with all our families.
What's Coming Up in Term 3...
For the Fridge
- 100 Days of Prep - 29th July
- First Eucharist Information Afternoon - 31st July (3pm)
- Wild West Game Show - P&F - 2nd Aug
- Parent Teacher Interviews - 5th & 6th August (Please note change from 7th to 6th)
- Yr.5 Intergenerational Program with Fernhill Aged Care Commences
- Book Week 11th August
- First Eucharist - 14th August (6pm)
- School Closure - School Review Preparation - 29th August
- Father's Day Assembly - 5th Sept
- Dad's Footy Match - 6th Sept
- School Production - 17th & 18th Sept
P&F NEWS
LITTLE GEMS💎
We are thrilled to continue our unique and treasured relationship with Mercy Health Aged Care. This intergenerational program remains a highlight for our senior students, who visit the residence fortnightly to share stories and connect with the residents. We are so grateful for the opportunity to create such meaningful memories and relationships.
Alongside this, our Year 4 students continue their regular visits to Nagel Kinder each fortnight, further highlighting the outward-facing, community-minded initiatives we value so deeply at Sacred Heart.
A Warm Welcome Back
It’s been so wonderful to see the steady stream of students visiting Miss Rafferty to proudly showcase their work since her return from maternity leave.
One particularly special moment came when Beau, with all the sincerity, asked, “Were you once a teacher?” To which Faustina quickly chimed in, without missing a beat: “The best.”
The look on Miss Rafferty’s face said it all. It’s clear just how missed and loved she has been by our students.
Such impressive work from these students. Oli's maths (Yr.4) was first class, and check out the 'complex sentences' from Ellira & Mary (Yr.3). Week 1, and the bar has been lifted again!
And finally...
It’s hard to believe we could have asked for a better start to the term.
Of course, this kind of smooth and positive beginning doesn’t happen by chance. My sincere thanks go to our dedicated staff, our hardworking and passionate students, and our deeply invested families for making it all possible.
If this is any indication, we have a truly exciting and phenomenal term ahead!
With much pride and gratitude,
Simon C
Principal
