Dear Families & Friends,

As we head into the winter months, we are seeing an increasing number of children and teachers coming down with colds and flu, as well as COVID19. We thank you for your support in keeping children at home when unwell, so as to prevent the further spread of illness within our school community. Overall teacher shortages continue to pose a challenge for all schools and getting access to replacement teachers is not always possible. We always look to replace teachers when they are absent or place a leader in the classroom if we can but there may be times when grades need to be split as a last resort. When this happens, children are usually provided with access to the curriculum through Google Classroom or other learning materials and supported by the teacher in the classroom they are going to for the day.

Learning Conferences - Monday, 19th June (Class free day)

What are Learning Conferences at Sacred Heart?

A Learning Conference is a meeting with a student and his or her family and teachers during which the student shares their work and discusses progress with their parent/guardian. The teacher facilitates/guides the meeting with input from the student and family. The Learning Conference is for 10 minutes. If you think you will need more time, please discuss this with your teacher prior to the appointment date.

Students will share two pieces of work (English & Mathematics) with their family which will help students reflect on their learning, growth and future goals.

What is our why?

Learning Conferences are an important part of the assessment and reporting policy and strategies. Learning Conferences can:-

enhance both student & parent engagement in the educative process
empower students by taking ownership of their learning, reflecting upon their personal goals
help students build trust with their teacher, and deepen the capacity for students to advocate for themselves
build relationships and connections between all involved
support effective teaching
support students to think critically about their learning

What are the roles?

The teacher acts as a guide for the discussion

The student presents their work and facilitates the discussion

The parents listen and speak with their child about his or her academic and social progress and needs & ask questions of the teacher.

Bookings

Bookings for Learning Conferences can be made via School Interviews on the following link or using the QR code shown here. Bookings will open at 8am Monday morning, 5th June.

Or click here to book a Learning Conference for your child/ren.

If you have any questions or need to make an alternate time, please contact your child's teacher.

Teachers, parents and students encouraged to have their say on the future of education

The Hon Jason Clare MP Minister for Education

Teachers, parents and students are being encouraged to take part in a national survey to help shape the future of school education. The survey is being released as part of the Expert Panel Review into the next National School Reform Agreement. It is all about ensuring those directly involved in the education system get a say in how we make it better and fairer.

Survey participants can have their say on range of issues including:

Improving education outcomes
Supporting student health and wellbeing, and
Supporting and retaining teachers.

The Expert Panel, led by Dr Lisa O’Brien AM, will report to Education Ministers at the end of October on the practical reforms that should be tied to funding in the next National School Reform Agreement. The survey is available to complete here and will be open until Friday, 23 June 2023.

Comment attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“Australia has a good education system, but it can be a lot better and a lot fairer.

“I want to hear what teachers, parents and students have to say. The views and experiences of teachers, parents and students are crucial to building a better and fairer education system.”

“I want to hear what teachers, parents and students have to say. The views and experiences of teachers, parents and students are crucial to building a better and fairer education system.”

This year, Andrea and Michael have been working together as Family & Community Engagement team to explore ways in which we build on family school partnerships.

One of the initiatives is a Cuppa & Chat with either Andrea or Michael and a member of the leadership team. The purpose of the Cuppa & Chat is to meet parents you may not have met before, share ideas and feedback with our school leadership and engagement team or just say Hi!

Our first Cuppa and Chat will be on Wednesday, 7th June after school drop off in the staff room. All are welcome

National Reconciliation Week

This week in National Reconciliation Week. Our Year 6 Indigenous Perspectives Leadership group share with you some insights and perspectives on what they believe is important in building understanding of our history and responsibilities moving forward. Click on each link to hear what our students have to say.

Indigenous Perspectives at Sacred Heart - Xavier

What is National Reconciliation Week? - Sascha

What is the Referendum? - Amelia

The Stolen Generation - Mustafa, Kaelen & Tyler

Truganini - Luke & Henry

Smart Watches

‘The digital world is characteristic of the contemporary world...the web and social networks have created a new way to communicate and bond…Yet to understand this phenomenon as a whole, we need to realise that, like every human reality, it has its share of limitations and deficiencies.’

Pope Francis, Christus vivit, 2019.

We have observed an increasing number of students wearing smart watches at school. Current policy is that students 'hand in' their mobile phones at the start of the school day for them to be kept securely in the office and given back to the students at the end of the school day. Currently, there are no directives for children to hand in smart watches.

We understand that for some families, smart watches provide an additional opportunity to communicate between parents and their child however we ask you to be mindful of when and how often you might be communicating with your child during the day, if at all. Whilst we are reluctant to ban smart watches, we will continue to carefully monitor the use of smart watches during learning and play time to ensure children are using them appropriately.

If your child is wearing a smart watch to school, please ensure the watch is set to 'school mode' or an equivalent setting. All messages to your child whilst they are at school should come through the school office or your child's teacher.

We thank you for your support in this matter and supporting the school in keeping your child safe in a digital world.

Warm regards,

Kaylene Carlin

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

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