Principal's News

The School newsletter will be emailed to families each Tuesday 

via your email address used for your PAM account.

Dear Parents/Carers,

I’m sure we all felt some relief at yesterday’s announcement of no new coronavirus cases and no further deaths in Victoria. We pray and hope that this current trend continues and that we can all look forward to being with family and friends from across Australia, at least by the end of this horrible year.

For the time being all of our current precautions must remain in place. Children or staff with any symptoms must not come to school. Parents cannot come on to the school grounds unless in an emergency. Extra cleaning continues, hand sanitiser is used when leaving and entering rooms. We have staggered lunch and play times, and our specialist teachers are visiting classes rather than all classes passing through the same room etc etc.

Last Friday our Grade 5 and 6 students enjoyed some interschool sport with our neighbours from St Mary’s. Our teachers were absolutely delighted with the behaviour of all students and went out of their way to tell me about it - which I love.

The kids certainly enjoyed the day and I congratulate them all on the way they conducted themselves.

TRANSITION We have begun planning for a different looking transition program for our students this year. Letters have been sent to all of next year’s Foundation students via their kindergartens describing our plans for Friday 20 November for these students. Unfortunately our Foundation BBQ has been cancelled for 2020 and we are still awaiting clarification for Transition plans for our Grade 6 students moving on to Secondary school.

PUBLIC HOLIDAY Our school will be closed next Tuesday 3 November for the Melbourne Cup Public Holiday. We will be open on Monday 2 November. In previous years we have used this Monday as a “School Closure” to write reports, however given the circumstances this year we have pushed this day back until Friday 20 November to give our teachers more time with the children before trying to write end of year reports. 

ALL SAINTS DAY One of our traditions at Sacred Heart is to celebrate Mass on the Feast of All Saints (Sunday 1 November) and to then hold a “Mission Fete” where we raise money for the work of Catholic Missions throughout the world. Unfortunately it will not be possible to either gather for the Mass or hold our fete (Lots of scenarios for doing this have been discussed and ultimately rejected).

Instead, we will be using technology to pray “separately but together” on Thursday 29 October and will instead be having a Pyjama and Silly Sock day. Our Grade 6 leaders are organising the day and will be running a couple of competitions such as guessing the number of lollies in the jar on this day as a way of supporting the Mission work of the Church. Children should bring a Gold Coin donation for wearing their Pyjamas and maybe another dollar or two to enter the comps and raffles.

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS School Photographs will be taken this Friday 30 October. Details for ordering the photos are printed elsewhere in today’s newsletter.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”      Matt 5:1-12

It is fitting that this week’s gospel includes the beatitudes, in which our Lord sits among the people and teaches them some truths about God’s family.  We can imagine a motley group of people who want to hear what  Jesus has to say.  Like us, they probably left this encounter pondering what these sayings meant to them and struggling with how they could live these teachings, which reflect a kind of otherness from what they knew themselves to be now.  Perhaps encounters during the coming days allowed them to grasp, internalize, and live some of those truths, thereby reflecting God’s image into the world, revealing kinship to themselves as well as to others. 

So it is with us today, as we remember and honor those who have finished the struggle and dwell with our Lord as his children, seeing him as he is, face to face.  We who continue to struggle need their prayers and the light of God reflected through their lives to show us the way and give us hope that we, too, are God’s kinfolk.

Starting Wednesday 28th October - Fr Michael O’Toole is recommencing Masses at St Mary’s Church under the strict COVID -19 regulation’s:

1. *Everyone must book into Mass once a week Monday to Saturday.                    (Parish Office hours 9am to 12 noon – ph. 5231 2177)
2. 20 people to attend each Mass.
3. In entering St Mary’s Church you must sanitize your hand and wear a facial mask and check  the ‘Attendance List’ and that your contact details are correct.
4. At the end of each Mass the Church is to be cleaned by those in attendance.