Principal's News
Dear Parents/Carers,
Today we welcomed our 2021 Foundation class to Sacred Heart, well as a further 9 children at a variety of Grade levels across the school. Our current Grade 6 class are spending the day at their chosen Secondary school. Grade 5 children came across to the Foundation classroom to meet their little buddies and did a fantastic job of settling the children into school. It is only natural that some students and their parents might feel a little anxious about today and then starting school in the new year, but - “It’s only Primary School. We all did it and so can our kids.”
As parents we want our children to see that we have faith in them. We want them to learn that we think they’re pretty smart and can solve a few problems by themselves - This is excellent practise for when we have to solve more difficult and challenging problems later in life!
All other children spent some time in their 2021 classroom and with next year’s class teacher. We really appreciate the support our parents give us by reinforcing for their children all the good things they have to look forward to in their new class and with their new teacher.
The children have all had some say about which friends they would like to be in with in 2021 and while we can’t arrange them all, everyone will have at least one of the friends they nominated.
As you would appreciate we are trying to balance a host of issues in the composition of the classes and so these arrangements are final.
GRADUATION A reminder that the Graduation Ceremony for our Grade 6 class will be held at 6:00pm next Monday, December 14. Covid restrictions will limit us somewhat in that each Graduate can have only 2 “guests”. Grandparents cannot come, neither can younger siblings. We will not be able to have refreshments or a meal on site. The graduation will be a short ceremony and presentation in our Gym with an allowance to spill out onto the courts in front of the Gym.
As of yesterday Masks will no longer be necessary.
END OF 2020, BEGINNING 2021 Parents are advised that the last day of regular classes this year will be on Tuesday 15 December. Numeracy Testing will then be held on the 16 & 17. Parents can book these interviews via PAM after 3:30pm today.
Regular classes for 2021 will begin on Monday 1 February. Literacy Interviews will be held on Thursday, 28 January and Friday 29 January. Again, these important assessment interviews can be booked via PAM after 3:30 pm today.
GRADE 6 CAMP Just one last word on the Grade 6 camp from 2 weeks ago. The children did amazing things. They were taken well and truly out of their comfort zones, rock climbing, abseiling and climbing high along high wires, performing all sorts of activities. They needed courage, faith in their friends and camp leaders and a spirit of adventure.
The Most Courageous Award must go to Tilly McCrae though. Whilst on a bush walk with yours truly, Tilly calmly told me that she thought something had bitten her. Sure enough she had 2 small wounds on her ankle, more like grazes than puncture marks but the marks were about 5 mm apart and very suspicious looking. After consulting our parent helper, Paul Millar, we decided that we would apply a pressure bandage to Tilly’s foot and leg and sit her down. Paul walked the rest of the kids out to where he had phone reception and could call 000. Long story short, Tilly was winched out of the bush with a paramedic and flown to the Ballarat Hospital for observation. Tilly didn’t cry, she didn’t panic, she said she wasn’t scared but admitted to being “nervous” about the winching up into the helicopter, which I thought was “Fair enough”.
Thankfully no ill effects for Tilly other than missing out on some of the camp! She has a great story to tell for years to come, and I was so pleased with how our staff responded to such a critical situation.
None of us can assume that we will never be in Tilly’s situation, where we will be asked to act bravely, to feel fear, but then do what has to be done anyway. These challenges come in all forms and lie ahead of most of us. I hope I can meet mine like Tilly McCrae.
Love is born
With a dark and troubled face
When hope is dead
And in the most unlikely place
Love is born:
Love is always born.
