Principal News

Dear Sacred Heart Community

As the week has progressed, Sacred Heart has started to resemble the school we are so privileged to work in as educators of great young students. A school has an almost eerie atmosphere when there are so few students onsite. However this began to change on Monday, when we welcomed back our Year Prep students and today, when our Year One and Denise's class both returned. Smiling faces, earnest conversations, laughter, enthusiastic learning and energetic play are what a school is accustomed to and it has returned in part this week. We look forward to our other classes transitioning back tomorrow and over next week.

Tomorrow Friday 22nd October

Year Five/Six classes return

Week Beginning Monday 25th October

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - Year Prep students onsite

Thursday and Friday - Year One and Two students onsite

Tuesday and Wednesday - Year Three and Four students onsite

Thursday and Friday - Year Five and Six students onsite

Student Wellbeing

Our staff have been involved in conversation about our student's wellbeing upon their return to school. It is a fact that for every student who returns with unbridled joy, there will be another who is anxious about getting back into routine, concerned about friendship groups and the danger the COVID 19 virus presents. All our students will be somewhere along a continuum that has these emotions at opposite ends. No matter where your child sits on this continuum, it is perfectly natural and it is important to recognise, that the same experience will be felt by our students differently. This is what makes us human and not robots. I myself have two children in their twenties. One we will probably not see this weekend with the opening up of Melbourne, whilst the other will probably not venture out of Preston. Same experience, different resulting decisions.

Please be assured that our teachers have factored these wellbeing challenges for our students into their planning. Our teachers will be giving our students the opportunity to voice their concerns, will validate the emotion and will present strategies, classroom practices, and protocols that will try and alleviate our student's anxiety. For instance in Year Two/Three, Denise gave her students the opportunity to discuss their concerns about returning to school last week, and then put together a power point that hopefully will help alleviate some of her student's concerns. We will continue to monitor our students closely until the end of the year, and welcome any input from parents who have concerns about their child's wellbeing.

Protocols (As of last Monday)

• All students from Year Three to Six are to wear facemasks inside the school building (This is a mandate from our Chief  Health Officer. If there is a legitimate reason your child cannot wear a face mask please email). I have noticed today that we also have some students in Years Prep to Two wearing a facemask which we really encourage.
• Parents/Guardians are not permitted into the yard of a morning or afternoon after next week (We will have one week of grace of a morning, as we realise there may be some students coming back this week who will need some encouragement from mum and dad)
• Parents are asked to limit their presence in the school office. If business can be completed over the phone or by email please do so
• If you do need to enter the office, please remember to QR code and face masks are mandatory. You will find the front door locked, so if not sighted, please ring the school so you can gain entrance.
• Our students will not be mixing indoors across classes. For example normally our Year Prep and Year One class gather together for "Discovery" and our Year Five/Six classes gather together for prayer and class meetings. This will not be occurring at least for the next three weeks.
• Teachers are encouraged to use outdoor spaces as much as possible to conduct classes as the photo below shows, with Kate and her Year One class today.

Lastly in accordance with our Premier's mandate, all our staff  have had at least one vaccination with the vast majority double vaxed. The remaining couple due for their second will be over the next two weeks.

• We realise that some students will have grown out of the school summer uniform. Please do not stress as our uniform shop cannot be open until further notice for obvious reasons. If it means your child has to wear an item of coloured clothing not a problem until we get back into a routine.

Monday Year Prep Return

Thursday Year One and Denise's Class Return

Thank You

Thank you to our Year Three student Harper and her mum Hayley who have spent the last couple of weeks kindly covering some of our library books for Gerry. 

Congratulations

Even though the Grand Final was a few weeks ago, it would be remiss of me not to congratulate the Galvin King family on their unwavering support of the Demons, and their beloved clubs deserved premiership.

School Closure day

Please be aware that the Monday before Melbourne Cup day, Monday 1st November as is traditional, will be a school closure day. On this day our teachers will be writing reports.

Term Fees and Rebates

Please be aware that unlike last year, we will be rebating swimming fees for this year and depending on your child's incursions and excursions during the year, the balance of the excursion levy. Fortunately this year we have been able to limit our costs due to school closure to more manageable levels. This rebate will be reflected in your fee statement which are being prepared.

                                                    From the Parish

Please take care.

Regards

Mark Tierney

Principal