Principal News 

TERM 2

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Dear Families & Friends,

Please note the chalk drawing on the Newsletter Cover Page was drawn by the talented Elsie. 

A child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.

In a village fair and bright,

Where love should be the shining light,

I pray for hearts to embrace with care,

Lest a child be burdened, lost in despair.

Grant us, O Divine, the gift of sight,

To see those who dwell in darkest night,

May we extend our hands and heal,

To nurture wounds, so they may feel.

For the child who's left alone,

May our compassion be clearly shown,

Let us build a village strong and warm,

Where no heart suffers in silent storm.

For if we turn our backs and shun,

A flame may rise, a battle begun,

In unity, we must firmly stand,

To keep our village safe and grand.

So, let us cherish, support, and believe,

In every child's potential to achieve,

For the village that thrives with love's embrace,

Shall forever bask in warmth and grace.

May this prayer ignite our souls to be,

A village that shines for eternity,

Where every child finds love's sweet embrace,

And harmony prevails in every place.

This week, Miss Healey shared the above prayer with our staff during our weekly gathering. We often discuss the idea that "it takes a village to raise a child" when talking with families. Every day, I witness our village in action, whether it's through the interactions at the gate, one-on-one sessions in our classrooms, or the strong partnerships we have with our families. Sacred Heart is truly an extraordinary community. Lately, we have welcomed new families, and we will continue to do so in the upcoming Term 3 from nearby school communities. Our village keeps growing and proudly demonstrates its collective strengths and values of inclusivity and empathy. I want to express my gratitude to the Sacred Heart community who continue to fill me with immense pride as I see these powerful attributes shine and permeate from the playground to the classrooms.

And just like that...

Where has the time gone? It has been quite an extraordinary half-year filled with so many learnings and accomplishments - we indeed have much to celebrate and be grateful for in our wonderful community at Sacred Heart. 

I want to sincerely congratulate our enthusiastic and passionate students and staff for fully embracing everything that came their way and for the numerous new learning opportunities this semester. In 2023, we have taken things up a notch with a well-structured and demanding academic program, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy. Our dedicated staff have worked tirelessly to solidify these evidence-based practices throughout the half-year, and the investment made by all is truly paying off, as they have been exceptional.

Below is a small snapshot of Term 2, that hopefully captures these wonderful achievements within our community:

And finally, we extend our gratitude to the students, staff, and families who have shown unwavering dedication and incredible hard work in bringing about this success. Sacred Heart is flying at the moment, evident in the impressive number of school tours - more than 35 this term alone, numerous expressions of interest in all grade levels and two fully booked Prep classes for 2024. 

We take immense pride in all that we have accomplished within such a short span of time. Our teaching and learning practices are grounded in discipline and evidence, while we maintain a careful balance between the well-being of our students and fostering a sense of community. 

These approaches and events have struck a chord not only within our immediate community but also in the larger community, making Sacred Heart a highly appealing option for both current and prospective families. Parents, we cannot thank you enough for spreading positive word-of-mouth about our school and feel blessed to receive such a unique and overwhelming level of support and advocacy from our families.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day 

What an incredible response we had for our annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day last Friday. The McKillop venue was filled to capacity, reflecting the value attributed to this special occasion in recognizing these cherished members within our community. This day remains my absolute favourite throughout the school year as it presents an opportunity for acknowledgement, and, most importantly, a reminder to our students about the importance of sharing our stories and experiences for the generations to come. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that my treasured and symbolic wooden chest, crafted by my English grandfather, was once again presented this year to highlight the significance of passing on stories and acknowledging the influential figures on our journey.  

We dearly thank our beautiful Yr.3/4 students for their song and stunning poems to top off this morning assembly. Moving to the classrooms was another highlight, as they too were at capacity from our special guests visiting their grandchildren in their learning spaces. Thanks Karen and our generous mums for preparing the lovely morning tea to close out this incredible day for our community. 

Below is Emmerson's (4C) gorgeous poem she read at assembly.

My grandparents are the best 

They have come from very far

I have two nanas 

and a pa and a ba.

I want you to get to know them 

So you can see,

 why they are so special,

 and amazing to me.

I want to start with nana juju .

She is my dad's mum 

She always has the best treats 

And she is so much fun 

Next I have my pa 

He is a funny old guy 

I love to swim in his pool 

And I know whatever I ask for he will buy 

Now I have my ba 

He really is the best 

I love his games and jokes 

But then he always needs a rest 

Finally there’s nana Kaza 

Her pancakes are number one 

She’s always up for a adventure 

Even though all her joints are done ! 

I hope you all can see,

How special they are to me.

I’m so happy today that everyone’s grandparents could come,

I hope they all have so much fun !

A Sneaky Literacy Snapshot

Despite the onset of fatigue with many of our students in the final week of Term 2, it has been incredibly uplifting to observe our students and staff fully engaged in their uninterrupted literacy program. It has been brilliant to witness them utilising MSL soundpacks, Heggerty, Spelling Mastery, and The Writing Revolution (TWR). These distinctive programs and practices have been continuously highlighted as they have made a significant impact on our curriculum delivery over the past 12 months. We have seen remarkable growth and investment in this essential area across all our classes, particularly in the professional development of our staff. An additional notable focus in all classrooms this year has been on reading fluency. Each day students read set passages of text to complete within a set timeframe. The aim is to improve on the pace in which they read.  

Such is the caliber of these teaching and learning practices we firmly believe that these have had a strong correlation with the substantial increase in enrollment inquiries in recent months. 

Numeracy Time

Thanks Mr Blake for taking the time to run a full day creativity workshop for all our grade levels this week. This unique workshop involved using ‘small wooden planks’ to build various structures and promote creativity and problem solving. Additionally, this provided invaluable planning time for our staff to prepare for their maths units for Term 3.  Most importantly, the students had such a brilliant time constructing, creating and just having fun playing. 

Wellbeing Day - Body Image and Self-Awareness

In recent months, our awareness has grown regarding the increasing number of students who access social media platforms and engage with a wide range of content. We now live in a generation where children and teens can browse through hundreds to thousands of images and websites within a few hours, using various platforms. Gone are the days when a visit to the doctor or dentist meant flipping through outdated magazines like New Idea, Women's Weekly, or TV Week. Unfortunately, we now have a generation of children who are exposed to an excessive amount of unrealistic and idealized body types, creating a distorted perception of reality and placing undue pressure to conform or be judged.

During this term, three of our school leaders attended a course that focused on body image and its impact on children. This powerful course offered valuable advice, guidance, and resources for both staff and students to address these concerns and provide support. I commend our staff in grades 3-6 for organising a series of impactful workshops on Monday that centered around these issues (inc. inclusivity, self-esteem, social media, acceptance). The response from our students and families has been overwhelmingly positive.

Sacred Heart Day 

Healthy Heart Healthy Mind 

What a fitting conclusion to our immensely successful semester at Sacred Heart. Commencing the day with a mobile coffee van for both staff and families, we proceeded to the Mary McKillop Hall for our final gathering, featuring a special Liturgy prepared by Mr. Blake and our students. The festivities were concluded with an assortment of well-being activities led by Miss McKay, Mr. Blake, and Mr. Brown. Our focus on nurturing a healthy heart encompassed an array of activities ranging from mindfulness exercises and refreshing breaks for the mind, to fostering gratitude awareness and even engaging in some spirited school camp chants due to the inclement weather with Miss McKay - in her element. We extend our sincerest gratitude to the many parents who not only attended but actively participated in these activities. Once again, we express our thanks for the extraordinary level of support and involvement of our parents within our community.

Year 5 Book Club 

Congratulations to our Year 5 students, Mr. Blake, and Mr. Brown for hosting a wonderful Book Club event on Wednesday morning to celebrate the completion of their shared novel, WONDER. Families were invited to join the students, sharing their favourite books and participate in some of the daily Yr. 5 rituals. This presented a marvellous opportunity to showcase and witness firsthand the remarkable efforts we have put into implementing the Berry Street model. The day commenced with a Berry Street ‘Welcome Circle’, where students established expectations and identified values for the upcoming activities. Following that, an ice-breaking activity, known as a positive primer in Berry Street terminology, was conducted to set a positive and interactive tone for the day. The morning ritual concluded with a prayer led by Mr. Blake. It was truly a brilliant morning for our Year 5 students and their families. We again thank Mr Blake and Mr Brown for pulling this together. 

STAFFING NEWS

A special call out to Mrs Jacqui Reed who has returned to Sacred Heart in recent weeks to fill in for Mrs Bunn, currently on long service leave. We’ve loved having Mrs Reed back in our community to teach Japanese, a program she passionately delivered to children over many years. Mrs Bunn will return next term after her gorgeous travels through Europe. 

Please note Mrs Stroud (MSL/Intervention) will be on long service leave for the first week of Term 3. We wish her a very happy and well-deserved extended break.  It was pretty special this week to be included in emails Mrs Stroud sent to all families of the children she works with to celebrate their remarkable work and progress. We love these 1%ers!

Year 3 Changes

In Semester 2 we warmly welcome Mrs Capron to our dynamic Yr.3 team. She will work on Wednesday and Friday in 3T with this beautiful group of students. As a result, all Yr.3 students will no longer need to come together every Friday with Miss Healey i.e. there will be two stand alone Yr.3 classes from Semester 2. Whilst we acknowledge the current arrangement has been most successful, we believe that this slight adjustment will greatly benefit our students and families moving forward. We continue to thank Mrs Tucker for her dedication and commitment to her students, and importantly Miss Healey for her remarkable efforts in supporting the larger class every Friday. 

We thank you for your understanding and look forward to introducing the impressive Mrs Capron to our community in the coming weeks.

Leadership Update

Every term, the members of the Leadership Team must prepare reports highlighting their accomplishments and ongoing tasks in their specific roles. I want to express my gratitude to this dedicated team for their outstanding efforts in driving our school's improvement agenda. Although I recognize the extensive changes and considerations needed (and occasional discomfort which is expected) to implement these initiatives, I am amazed at the remarkable progress we have made in such a short time, especially in shaping our teaching and learning practices. This can be largely attributed to Mrs Stroud, Miss Rafferty, Mrs Pennington, Mr Blake & Mr Brown. I would also like to extend a special thank you to our middle leaders, Miss Maloney (P-2), Ms. Tench (3-4), and Miss McKay (5-6), for their outstanding support and management of their respective teams this year. As positive role models, these 3 new leaders have excelled in this capacity and I have particularly enjoyed watching them shape their teams, leading by example. 

LITTLE GEMS

In the final week of another BIG and fulfilling term, Miss Rafferty, our amazing and inventive Year 1 teacher, introduced her students to these delightful 'Mood Calming Stickers.' It was perfect timing. The children can attach them to their sleeves or the corners of their desks. The stickers have a slightly abrasive texture and are scented with essential oils. They are specifically designed to aid with BIG emotions like stress and frustration by soothing the nervous system. I’m pleased I didn’t miss out and now have one attached to my winter jacket. 

DISPLAYS

Love your displays Yr.3 as part of your Maths focus on money. Next time you visit the school, be sure to check out the precision displays from Miss Healey and Mrs Tucker. In marking the end of term (or seasons), Miss Prosser and Miss Donnelly have sadly taken down the stunning writing pieces in our walkways. These exceptional examples reflect the remarkable work and growth of their students this term. We cannot wait for the next instalment.  Love your work Mrs Collins and Ms Tench. Your students have thoroughly enjoyed preparing their 'Staying Alive' reports in this clever manner. It is also worth noting that Ms Hyslop was caught in work again on her scheduled days off putting up more incredible art pieces through the building. These pieces re-affirm we have the best art program and teacher in the state, and the quality of the children’s work is often referenced by our prospective families on school tours. 

STUDENT VOICE

On Wednesday morning I floated through the staff room and noticed Miss McKay and about eight Year 6 students workshopping their pieces for the newsletter. A must for families to read, these wonderful entries showcase ‘student voice’ across school life at Sacred Heart. Thanks Miss McKay for actively supporting the students and promoting these special pieces. 

MORNING CIRCLES

It has been such a joy to visit classrooms and witness our teachers commencing their day with a Berry Street Circle (inc. prayer in some classes). These circles serve as an excellent way to connect, establish expectations for the day or session, and foster meaningful relationships within the class. Our Year 6 teachers have been implementing this practice for several months, and it is truly fabulous to see this now adopted throughout the entire school. On Thursday, I had the privilege of being invited to join the preps for a morning circle, which encompassed a prayer, an Acknowledgement of Country, and an opportunity for the children to express what they anticipate when working in teams. The preps also reinforced the expectations for their upcoming learning. We are definitely witnessing remarkable growth (social & emotional and academic) in our most junior students under the guidance of Miss Maloney.

FERNHILL AGED-CARE

Oh my goodness our Yr.5 students are definitely enriching the lives of the Fernhill residents. Each week as they pass my office the students stop and proudly and passionately share what they did with these precious members of our extended community. This week it was a bit of soccer snakes and ladders using a giant dice. The benefits are immeasurable. 

BASKETBALL NEWS

Congratulations to our U9 & U12 Champions, 2023.  A special mention to Sandy Saints U9 Lightning Bolts as they won a second back-to-back trophy for the U9 Full height Southern Basketball Competition. Remarkably they only had 5 players available on Sunday (no subs)  as Ted, Gus and Sidney weren’t available. Great effort boys!

LOCK’EM IN

• Term 3 Commences - 10th July
• Parent Teacher Interviews - 17th & 18th July
• Book Week - 21st August
• Dendy Athletics - 25th August

And finally....

Wishing our amazing community a restful, safe and well-deserved break. It has been an fabulous half-year, and remarkably we have an even bigger semester planned ahead. 

Thanks for making Sacred Heart the best place to be and the school of choice for many,

Simon Collis

Principal

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