Principal News
Dear Sacred Heart School Community,
Maria's Legacy
Whilst we will be officially recognising Maria's magnificent contribution to our school later in the year (Maria will still be part of our staff until the end of 2022 as she enjoys a thoroughly deserved long service leave) it would be remise not to acknowledge her legacy in our school newsletter, as she prepares for her last week of service to our school community.
To give Maria's contribution to our school some context, in the Year 1996:
Dolly the sheep became the first mammal to be successfully cloned, in the UK Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales got divorced and Mad Cow Disease hit Britain causing the mass slaughter of Herds of Cows. In technology, DVD's were launched in Japan and the number of users on the Internet world wide exceeded 10 million. This was also the year Ebay started.
In Australia, Fitzroy defeated Fremantle at the Whitten Oval in what would be Fitzroy's final ever victory as a stand-alone club. John Burgess was shelved from the Seven Network after being the long-time host of Wheel of Fortune. Rock star Michael Jackson, aged 38, married Debbie Rowe, aged 37, at Sydney's Sheraton on the Park Hotel. The Wiggles' Wiggly Wiggly Christmas album was released
Closer to home, Maria Rontani started what would be a twenty seven year career at Sacred Heart Primary School as the school's Administration Officer.
"I have been privileged to work with Maria for the last four and a half years. During this period as Maria has started to think about the next phase of her life, she has been as committed to her role as I am sure she was back in 1996. Her love of all things Sacred Heart School has never wavered and her loyalty, passion and diligence have been a constant for our school community.
As a new principal, I have been gifted to work with a fellow staff member who in their school administration officer position, knows and executes with knowledge and wisdom gained over time, the needs of her role from an administrative perspective. At the same time, Maria has shown a caring naturalness to meet the personable demands of her position. As are all school employees in her position, Maria is often the first school contact when parents and students need advice and sometimes even comfort and wise counsel. Very importantly for me and I am so grateful, is Maria's innate disposition and ability to know when to use her initiative and alleviate some of my workload and when the situation needed, know to defer to me. Maria has been like a big sister always reminding me to take care (filtering phone calls, getting the cheapest quotes, getting me more organised and in my early days ensuring I limited my intake of coffee!) These actions inevitably took the pressure of everyday tasks from me and were frequently completed without me knowing.
In Maria's working life at our school, she has been the person who has had to face the most challenging change to school administration and finance procedures and practices in the past number of decades, and this was the implementation of ICON. With the collegiality of Rosemarie our schools magnificent bursar and guidance and wisdom of our school's business manager Bernadette, Maria was able to meet the challenges of a change in routine to everything she had been doing in the previous twenty five years, with diligence and determination. I know for a fact, that our school's transition to ICON whilst challenging, was accomplished without the angst and despair evidenced in some other schools.
Again, this is not Maria's farewell acknowledgement, but rather a necessary reminder of Maria's Legacy when we all return next term without the familiarity of Maria at her desk. The school community will be informed about Maria's farewell from students and parents when it is organised in term four."
Welcome Christopher
On behalf of our school community, I would like to welcome our new student Christopher who joined our Year One class earlier this week. I know that our school community will make sure that Chris and his family feel a genuine sense of belonging very quickly.
Congratulations Rayzon, Sabina and Babin
Congratulations to our very proud Year Prep student Rayzon and his mum Sabina and dad Babin, on the birth of Rayzon's little brother Riyon. From all reports, Sabina is doing well and as you can see from the picture, Rayzon is going to be a great caring big brother.
Feast of the Sacred Heart
A reminder to all that you are warmly welcomed to the celebration of our Sacred Heart Parish and School feast day this Sunday 19th June at 10.30am and afterwards for light refreshments in the school multi purpose room. We would love to see as many families as possible joining us to celebrate our school and parish feast day.
Enrolments for 2023
A reminder that enrolments for 2023 Year Prep will officially close tomorrow. In the event we still have positions for Year Prep 2023, we will continue to take applications. If you know of any families who would like a tour, please encourage them to contact the school by phone or email.
AUSLAN News (Meet Erin and watch some of our student's AUSLAN)
Hi Everyone,
My name is Erin. I have been working as a learning support officer in grade 2 since the beginning of the year, but I have also just started teaching Auslan to the rest of the school for half an hour a week! I have been teaching Auslan at another primary school for a year and a half and am currently in the process of finishing my teaching degree at university.
I am hard of hearing myself but grew up in a hearing environment. I started learning Auslan when I was 17 and it is now just as prominent in my life as spoken English as I live with a fully deaf person and have many deaf friends.
It’s very exciting to have this opportunity at Sacred Heart, I love spreading knowledge of the Deaf community and the language, as well as working in the grade 2 classroom. I am absolutely loving it.
Joke Corner from the Parish Bulletin
Macca and his wife were sitting in the living room and he said to her, "Just so you know, I never want to live like a vegetable, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug." His wife got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all of his beer. (My apologies to anybody named Macca in our school community)
Please take care.
Yours Sincerely
Mark Tierney
Principal
Working with Children Checks (From Maria)
Working With Children Register
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
We are required by law that all volunteers – be it as classroom helper, attending excursions or being in the school with children, to have a working with children check. (WWCC)
If you do not have this check then you are not allowed to assist in anyway at school. For example, you will be unable go on excursions, help in the classroom, assist on the Mother’s/Father’s day stall or sell icy poles or popcorn.
All, contractors and visitors who have business working in the school (cleaners, maintenance persons etc.) must also present their WWCC before entering the school.
These are kept up-to-date on the Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria website by our office.
You may have a WWCC card for your employment and we may not have a copy on file. If so, please present to the office so we can make a copy.
You may not have a working with children check and do not wish to have one because you are not available to help out at school. That is okay.
You may want to help out at school but have not had the chance to apply for a working with children check.
You will need to apply on line at: https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/ and search WWCC.
There is no cost to apply for a WWCC as a volunteer (the only out of pocket expense would be having your photo taken – similar to passport photo). Please read the instructions on the above website about what is required to apply.
