Principal's News
Dear Parents and Carers,
I have recently been asked about children bringing digital devices to school, particularly watches that have a “School Mode”. Our school has a Mobile Phone and Personal Device Policy that is available on our Website. This policy is in line with the State Government’s policy that they should not have digital devices at school.
The policy outlines our very good reasons for this position and really the “School Mode” only complicates the task for our staff in trying to enforce this policy.
We are well aware that some families feel that contact with the children after school hours via a device such as this is necessary, for instance where custody may be shared by separated parents, however our policy allows for this by recommending that children should leave these devices in their school bag until after school hours. This does perhaps pose the risk of securing these expensive devices, and the school cannot accept responsibility for them.
In short, for us to exercise our duty of care to the children, we need all parents to respect the consistent methods of communicating with the school, via the Office telephone or email. We need to protect all children from inappropriate photography where this is possible. We need to give them a break from technology and spare them the interruptions to their learning.
In summary, we do not search every child’s bag at school. If parents believe it is absolutely necessary for their child to have a device like this for after school, then it should be hidden in the child’s school bag, so that we don’t see it or have to deal with the consequences of its use here at school. All communications should continue to go through our school office especially where it concerns after school arrangements.
Thanks for your co operation with this matter.
TRANSITIONS FOR 2022 Today 64 Foundation students and another 6 children for other various grades into our school. Our Grade 6 children spent the day at their chosen secondary school.
All other children moved up into their 2022 class group. All children give us the names of some friends that they would like to be with, our class teachers have made recommendations and now the classes are final. All children have been placed with at least one of the children they identified they would like to be with, no one will be with all of the friends they identified.
It is such a complicated process with so many competing factors we are unable to make any changes once these classes are released.
KRIS KINDLE PROGRAM As is our tradition at Sacred Heart all children are invited to participate in our Kris Kindle program as part of Advent. Each class will have the children draw a name of one of their classmates from a hat and they are asked to be this person’s Kris Kindle. That is the children are asked to keep their person a secret and then try very hard to find ways to be thoughtful and kind to this person between now and the end of the year.
Each child is then asked to buy a gift worth $5, to wrap it and write this child’s name on it before placing it under the class Christmas Tree. The children then exchange gifts just before the end of the year.
GRADUATION Our Grade 6 students will be graduating tomorrow evening from 6:00pm in the Jubilee Centre at Trinity College.
Families are urged to leave plenty of time to get in as all adults must present the Digital Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate (with the live 'Coat of Arms' and ticking clock) to our Covid-19 Marshall in order to enter the auditorium.
So PLEASE DON’T FORGET YOUR PHONES!
All students regardless of their vaccination status or exact age are welcome to participate in our ceremony.
Given that we have a Graduating class of 71 students Covid-19 restrictions dictate that only the two parents of each student will be able to attend.
The ceremony will be ‘live-streamed’ via the link below
DEPARTING STAFF This year we say “farewell and good luck” to a highly valued teacher, Lou Burke. Children that Lou has taught at Sacred Heart are very much better for it. And I know their parents will agree. Lou is moving to Ballarat to support her husband, Tim. Lou, we will miss your passion, dedication and collegiality. All the best in Ballarat.
We also wish Abbey Hayes all the best as she completes her traineeship with us and heads off to University next year. Thanks for everything, Abbey
BEGINNING 2022 Some early notice, 2022 will begin for our teachers on Friday January 28 with training and preparation. WE WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING TWO TESTING DAYS at this time of year.
Instead, next year we have planned to do some Professional training on Monday, January 31 and classes for the children will resume on TUESDAY FEB 1.
Please note this is different to the information that appears in the Foundation Handbooks that we have distributed to next year’s Foundation students.