Dear Parents and carers,

This morning Mr Brierley and Mrs Edwards ran another Volunteers session for our parents. Thank you to our many parents who already volunteer or intend to volunteer in our school. It was wonderful to be able to see our Kinders go to the Zoo this week surrounded and supported by our staff and volunteer parents. Your help in all aspects of the school make it a much richer place to be.

Over the past week we have run a P and F meeting and Sports Club meeting at the school. Thank you to the many members of both committees for the work you do. Please look out for a note and survey from the P and F.

Thank you to the many staff who supported our Year Six to enable them to have an educational excursion to Canberra last week. This is a big ask of staff to be away from their families. The children’s trip was made even more memorable by being there on the day that Queen Elizabeth passed away. Our Captains were able to sign a remembrance book on behalf of the school.

School will be closed next Thursday in accordance with the public holiday that has been called to honour the Queen. Our Book Week Pyjama Day and reading picnic in the morning will go ahead as planned on Friday the 23rd of September .

Congratulations to Oliver and Mia Bursik who were today presented with an Ipad each as they won the Scope IT “robot naming” competition. Scope IT are the company that runs our coding classes. Our children love their coding classes and were very excited for Oliver and Mia. The children named the robot Sir Codealot. ScopeIT have added this to their website.

At last week’s P and F meeting we shared the overall Naplan results for our school for 2022. Congratulations must go to all of our staff, parents and teachers for their work with our students. The percentage of students who scored in the top two bands has risen again this year. This is compared to 60 statistically similar schools (socio economically). In all measures in Years 3 and 5  bar one, the school scored well above the statistically similar schools.  In Year 3 Reading 98% of our students scored in the top two bands (statistically similar schools scored 84% in top two). In Spelling in Year 3 91% of our students scored in the top two bands while only 76% in the statistically similar schools scored in the top two bands.

When we receive our Naplan results we spend many hours analysing the results in order to formulate our future directions. We are very proud that our trend data shows that Sacred Heart students' scores in Naplan have on average been improving over the last six years. This is in direct proportion to the time, energy, budget resourcing and annual improvement plans that have been put in place over time. While we congratulate the current Year 3 and Year 5 teachers it is also appropriate to congratulate all teachers especially our Diverse Learning teacher Mrs Miller (literacy coach and data analyst) and her team, Mrs Samantha Edwards our Curriculum Co ordinator and Mrs McCartney our Literacy Co ordinator.

The two examples of the Naplan trend data below show the schools average test scores over time in Reading and Spelling (green is the school, black the statistically similar schools). This trend data shows the schools growth from 2014-2022. The Spelling trend data clearly shows that the introduction of a strong phonics program and the impact it has had on spelling over time. Similarly with Reading the introduction of an early identification - early intervention model has supported many children as well as a very focused and structured literacy block of teaching literacy each day in each class. In 2023 we will plan to move forward with an early identification - early intervention model for mathematics that is currently being trialled this year.

Congratulations to Andre de Villiers who has gained a position at Marist Catholic College, North Shore as a PDHPE Specialist Teacher.

We are currently looking for two Learning Support Officers, four days per week - one commencing in Term 4 2022 and one commencing in Term 1 2023.  If anyone in our community is interested in discussing these positions, please contact Mrs. Samantha Edwards Samantha.Edwards@syd.catholic.edu.au.

Please note the additional Staff Development Days that have been added to Term 4 - Monday 10th October and Monday the 7th November.

Sacred Heart Book Week - 23rd September

On the 23rd of September, our  last day of school this term we will be holding a  pyjama day (please note: no dress ups or parade this year).  This is a donation day for St Vincent de Paul because they support families in very difficult situations and help make their dreams of having a safe place come true. This links with the theme of Dreaming with Eyes Open. Parents are invited to the morning to assembly for a cup of coffee donated by McGrath Mosman and a reading picnic afterwards.  Please see Mrs Jago’s note for all the details.

Regards

Julie Caldwell