Dear Parents and Carers,

This is my final newsletter for the year! What a year it has been!

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your welcome, hospitality and support this year. It certainly has been a year of triumphs and challenges but we made it through.

On a personal note, I would like to make special mention of Father Phil who I think is a model of great faith, passion and love for us all. We really are very blessed to be led by Father Phil and I thank him personally for his listening ear and wise words.

To all of the staff that make up this community, thank you!!!! I truly do feel as though I have known you all for much longer than just this year. We have shared many laughs as well as professional and personal challenges along the way but most of all the impact on me of my time with each and every one of you has been immeasurable.

As teachers we ask ourselves everyday how we can improve our teaching and learning, how we can motivate our children. We talk endlessly about new curriculum, models of assessment, habits of mind, and so on and after all the tinkering and debates we are no closer to understanding exactly what makes children engage and succeed. The only consistent factor is the role of the teachers themselves, whose abilities, passion, knowledge and enthusiasm is crucial in supporting their students to grow into confident, well-rounded citizens. I am pleased to say that those teachers are here at Sacred Heart, they care for their students and want what is best, they are willing to go the extra mile and they are lifelong learners. The teachers at this school entered this profession to make a difference and I know that the students and all of you understand this and appreciate it.

And now to the most important people, the reason why we are all here.... the children that make up Sacred Heart.  It would be nothing more than a building without them, they are a giftand have made my time here so special. I wish those in Year 6 and those leaving our school all the very best on the next step in their educational journey and those I will see next year, a beautiful and very Merry Christmas filled with many blessings.

Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and is a time of waiting and joyful anticipation for the coming of the Messiah. In the liturgy of the Church we await both the birth and the promised return of Christ. This week, we marked the first week of Advent with a special prayer at assembly where we lit our first Advent Wreath candle.

What do the candles mean?

• The first candle, called the “Prophet’s Candle,” symbolizes hope. The Old Testament prophets, especially Isaiah, waited in hope for the Messiah’s arrival.
• The second candle, called “Bethlehem’s Candle,” represents faith. Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, forging a connection between King David and his coming descendent whose kingdom and throne would be established forever.
• The third candle, called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” symbolizes joy. To the shepherds’ great joy, angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too.
• The fourth candle, called the “Angel’s Candle,” represents peace. The angels proclaimed that Jesus came to bring peace on earth—He came to bring people close to God and to each other again.
• The (optional) fifth candle, called “Christ’s Candle,” represents purity and light. It is placed in the middle of the wreath and lit on Christmas Day, commemorating the arrival of the Light of the World.

STAFFING

Kindergarten Blue: Miss Abbey Adamo         

Kindergarten Gold: Miss Sarah Morgan

*Mrs Nerissa McCartney 2 days per week (extra teacher)

1 Blue: Miss Jessica Hollingsworth               

1 Gold: Mrs Natasha Roache

2 Blue: Mrs Bridget Choi (M, T, W),  Mrs Kylie O’Callaghan (Th, F)          

2 Gold:**TBC (due to unexpected circumstances, the teacher we employed can no longer  fulfill the position for 2024, Mrs Taylor and I are currently interviewing)

3 Blue: Miss Kristen Jackson (M, T, W),  Mrs Jane Tracey (Th, F)                   

3 Gold: Mrs Cathy Curran (M, T, W, Th), Mrs Veronica Hunt (F)        

4 Blue: Mrs Emma McCoy                             

4 Gold: Mr Thomas O’Donoghue

5 Blue: Ms Liane Morris (M, T, W),  Mr Daniel Nokes (Th, F)     

5 Gold: Mrs Marilina Watson (M, T, W, Th),  Mrs. Anna Siokas (F)                             

6 Blue: Mrs Martina Petersen 

6 Gold: Miss Ashley Blake                       

*Mrs Sue Loughland (1 day per week 6 Blue and 1 day per fn 6 Gold)

CAROLS ON THE COURT

The children and staff have been working immensely hard on our upcoming Carols on the Court evening on 13 December. Although the feedback was to have it earlier, hence the original 5pm start time, we think that 6pm will accommodate more families during this very busy season.

We will now begin promptly at 6pm so your children should be dressed and at school at least 20 minutes prior. It is also likely to be quite warm but I can't do anything about the sun situation on the basketball court so I am asking that you consider this in your preparation. 

The spirit of Christmas is in the 'togetherness', it's in the thought to which you put into thinking about others, it's a selfless time, where we forgive, take stock of what's important and become 'better' versions of ourselves. So with that in mind we are not spending money on hiring stages and chairs this year. Alternatively, we will provide some courtesy chairs (approximately 350 chairs) around the perimeter of the court and we invite families to bring a picnic blanket or their own low chairs to sit on as there will be some spaces for that on the court in front of the usual assembly area and on the top balcony outside Year 2 and Year 3 classrooms (image below).

COSTUMES

Kindergarten: Farm animals (onesie or make your own) - Sheep - Horse - Donkey - Cow - Pig

Year 1: Angels - White pants/leggings, dress or skirt - White tops - Halo - Wings (any style)

Year 2: Stars - Black pants/leggings or shorts/ skirt / dress - Black top - Gold star headband or gold star on top - Gold tinsel pinned around the bottom of their top

Year 3: Shepherd - White top - Black pants / legging / shorts - Tea towel or scarf for their head - Material or long top or robe over the top - String for the headband and belt

Year 4: Angels - white & gold - White top with gold tinsel pinned/ sewn around the bottom - White pants/ legging/ shorts - Gold tinsel halo - Wings optional

Year 5: Kings - Cape / cloak - bright colours & can be ornate - Bright coloured tops - Black pants/ leggings / shorts / dress - or white tunic with bright belt (like the photo) - Gold or Jewelled crown

Year 6: Black pants/ leggings/ shorts - Christmas T- shirt ( red, green, white,) with a Christmas print. These might be a shirt that they have in KMart or Target to celebrate Christmas.

YEAR 1-6 return to school on Wednesday 31 January, 2024 

KINDERGARTEN begin school on Thursday 1 February, 2024

May God bless all our families.

Leanne Meehan

Executive Principal