Message From Our 

Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As I am writing this newsletter, I do not know what Term 4 looks like regarding Remote Learning. We will keep you up to date with all communication as it becomes available.  We will not be asking for devices to be returned to school this week. However, I do remind families of your signed agreement that iPads are an educational device, belonging to the school and are to be used only for learning. Please put them away somewhere safe over the school holidays and do not let them be used. If school resumes onsite on Monday, October 4th please make sure all devices are returned to school for classroom use on that day. Your full support regarding this is greatly appreciated.

As part of our ongoing transition towards in-time reporting practices, you will find a selection of your child’s work samples and assessment pieces uploaded to PAM tomorrow. This is an important step in the transition process as some of these pieces relate to Literacy and Numeracy.  Our aim this term was to make the pieces available to families by the last week of term. If you have more than one child at Sacred Heart, when accessing your child’s samples and pieces on PAM you will find there are slight differences between units eg, one unit might have two literacy pieces while another unit has one.  This is due to units being at different stages when the most recent lockdown began and the difficulty in accurately assessing work remotely.  From now on, you will receive termly pieces uploaded to PAM as part of our reporting process.  Parents will be able to access PAM tomorrow to see the completed tasks and assessments. I ask that parents/carers take the important time to discuss the learning with your child/children. If you would like to discuss any of the assessment tasks, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher. If you need any help accessing PAM the step by step instructions are under Parent Access Module in our newsletter.

Please remember to have the school broad brimmed hat ready for when we return to school next term as required in our SunSmart Policy. Whenever children are outside, which includes sports lessons they must wear their school hat. Under our Covid Safe Plan we aim to have many activities outdoors so it is important that all children have their hats at all times. The first two weeks of Term 4 will be a change over time between winter and summer uniform but we do ask that all children are in full summer uniform Week 3. Please ensure all hats and jumpers are clearly named.

We are currently seeking nominations for our School Advisory Council 2022. Becoming a member of our School Advisory Council [SAC] is an excellent way for parents to become involved in the life of the school. There is further information regarding the SAC on the flyer in this newsletter or Maria Spedding, our SAC Chair, members of the SAC or myself are available for further information. Recent areas the SAC has advised on is our Master Plan, Strategic Plan and various areas of school improvement and curriculum initiatives.

Don’t forget our Footy Colours celebration on Friday. We invite children to dressed in their favourite footy, netball, soccer or whatever team they would like. We know Mr Cameron and Emily are very excited to have the red, white and blue colours flying!

I am extremely appreciative of all our staff who have so worked hard over the past term to manage the continual changes and find new ways to engage all the learners in their class. They have been extremely agile and adaptive when presenting the learning and are continually trying new ways to cater best for the children and their families. I am so proud of our children, who are missing their friends and normal routines but still continue to be their best. They have experienced many disappointments this term but with their positive mindset have made the best of the situation. It is a pleasure for me to ‘pop in’ and visit goggle classrooms and see their happy faces waving back on screen. Finally, a big thank you to our parents who are not only juggling remote learning and work from home but continue to support us in a way of teaching could never have been imagined. Parents, children and staff thank you. Your wonderful work is greatly appreciated.

Term 3 finishes on this Friday 17th September at 2.30pm. All onsite children will need to be picked up at 2.30pm from school, unless they are attending After School Care. 

I wish our children, families and staff a safe and relaxed break away from screens and out in the sunshine. We are very much hoping to see everyone back on site on Monday, October 4th.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus continue to watch over our school community and bless us always.

Pauline Hindson

Principal