Message from the 

School Principal

Dear Sacred Heart Families,

Last weekend I was blessed to join our Year 4 students and families for their First Holy Communion. It was such a joyful occasion. In his homily, Fr Samuel reminded us of the words of St Don Bosco, “Don’t be idle.” A simple yet powerful call to live our faith with energy, purpose, and love. For someone like me who finds herself not sitting still for too long, those words stayed with me as I attended the Faith Leadership Forum on Monday with other Catholic school leaders. We explored the idea of synodality, walking together with Jesus and with one another. Just as our First Communion children are beginning their journey of faith, we too are called to keep listening to the Spirit, supporting each other, and moving forward in love.

One of the highlights of the day was hearing from Fr Bechina. I had the privilege of meeting him during a conference in Rome, so it was wonderful to hear his wisdom again here in Melbourne. He reminded us that faith-filled leadership begins with listening and compassion, putting ourselves in the shoes of others.

On Sunday, as I watched our children receive the Eucharist, and again on Monday as I sat with other leaders at the forum, I felt comforted knowing that we are not on this journey alone. Walking in faith together, guided by the Spirit, is a source of reassurance and strength.

We are called to support one another and to live out faith, hope, and love in our school community. It is a reminder not to be idle in our faith, but to walk with purpose and joy as we share our gifts with others. As Pope Leo XIV said in his first message to the world after his election in May 2025, “Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other, we will go forward.”

URSTRONG

We are excited to share that this term we have begun implementing the URSTRONG program at Sacred Heart! Our Learning Diversity Team has worked hard to select a program that meets the needs of our students and supports their social and emotional development.

As part of the program, we warmly invite parents and caregivers to attend a Family Online Session next Tuesday, 6:30-7:30pm . This session will explore the program’s approach and how families can partner with the school to reinforce these important skills at home. It will also provide interactive activities on the night that you can do with your child to strengthen learning and engagement.

Family partnership is vital because:

• It helps children feel supported both at school and at home.
• It allows parents to continue conversations about wellbeing and resilience using the same language and strategies as the program.

• It strengthens a shared understanding of how to build empathy, respect, and positive relationships.

   

We encourage all families to join this session and become active partners in supporting the growth and wellbeing of our students.   We hope to see you online!

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on the yard next week!

Kind regards,

Cath Palmer

Acting School Principal