PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents and Carers,
This is my final newsletter for the year! What a year it has been!
As we reach the end of another school year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who makes our school the special place that it is.
To our students—you are the heart of this community. Your curiosity, resilience, and achievements inspire us every day. Watching you grow, learn, and shine this year has been a true joy.
To our teachers and staff—you are the foundation of this school. Your dedication, creativity, and care make all the difference. Thank you for your tireless efforts to create a nurturing and enriching environment for our students. Some of you will be leaving at the end of the year and I wish you all an abundance of blessings as you begin the next chapter in your journey.
To our families—you are our greatest partners. Your unwavering support, involvement, and encouragement are essential to our success. Whether attending events, volunteering your time, or simply cheering from the sidelines, you have been there every step of the way. HUGE THANKS FOR MY GORGEOUS HAMPER, I feel very spoiled!!
This year has been full of learning, growth, and shared moments that remind us why we come together as a community. As we move into the holiday season and a well-deserved break, I hope you take time to reflect on the accomplishments of the year and look forward to the opportunities ahead.
Thank you for your trust and partnership throughout this year. I wish you all a joyous and restful holiday season, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year for another chapter of learning and success at Sacred Heart. Please remember that Year 1-6 return to school on Monday 3 February and our Kindergarten children will return on Tuesday 4 February.
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.
We farewell Miss Sarah Morgan who has been a wonderful part of our school family—our Kindergarten teacher.
She has been the guiding light for so many young learners, shaping their first experiences of school with care, patience, and a whole lot of love. She has not just taught the ABCs and 123s but also planted the seeds of curiosity, confidence, and kindness in every little heart.
Sarah, watching you nurture each child with such care has been inspiring and a reminder of the incredible impact teachers have on young lives.
We are so excited for you as you step into this next chapter of your life at Loreto, Kirribilli and we know you’ll continue to bring light and joy to everyone you meet.
On behalf of the entire Sacred Heart community, thank you for everything you’ve done. You will be missed, but you will always remain a cherished part of our school family.
In 2025, we welcome the following staff to our Sacred Heart Family:
Miss Montana James
Miss James is an enthusiastic and motivated teacher having worked across the Diocese of Broken Bay. She comes highly recommended and has been commended for her great work ethic and initiative. She prides herself on building trusting relationships and creates positive and engaging learning environments that foster student growth. Miss James is very much looking forward to joining our Sacred Heart family in 2025, we are thrilled to welcome you, Miss James!
Miss Catherine Pringle
Miss Pringle is an experienced teacher who will join our Sacred Heart team in 2025. She is a compassionate educator with a strong interest in social justice and believes in empowering the new generation to be individuals of integrity and purpose. I had the pleasure of working with Miss Pringle at Blessed Sacrament before she moved interstate. She has now settled back in Sydney and is ready to contribute to the success of our school. Welcome, Miss Pringle!
Mr Jack Harton
Mr Harton comes to us with many years of experience in classroom teaching and leadership, more recently as an Assistant Principal in Ireland. He is an enthusiastic and energetic teacher who loves using a variety of methodologies to engage his students. Mr Harton has been credited as someone who can motivate his students and build lasting relationships. He has been working within our school over the past few months as a casual teacher and is very much looking forward to joining our team in a full-time capacity in 2025.
Mrs Sharon Roberts
Mrs Roberts will be teaching Drama and Music in 2025. She is a highly experienced educator and leader with extensive knowledge, skills and expertise in all facets of the Creative Arts. She has a wealth of experience as a classroom teacher, performing arts faculty head, Deputy Principal and 10 years as a Principal. Throughout her career she has championed Creative and Performing Arts Education as an essential component of holistic education. Her knowledge of the K-12 Drama and Music curriculum is extensive. At primary level, she has designed performing arts programs for students at many schools, delivered primary drama and music workshops and conducted annual auditions for some 200 prospective students who wish to gain a place in the selective Drama or Music stream at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. Mrs Roberts will work alongside Ms Liane Morris who will be our Visual Arts teacher. Warm welcome, Mrs Roberts!
Mrs Sarah Forrester
We welcome Mrs Sarah Forrester to our Administration team. Sarah currently works at St Thomas Catholic Primary School, Nth Willoughby where she will remain 2 days a week and at Sacred Heart 3 days per week in 2025. Sarah is a very experienced School Support Officer and uses all of the platforms within our school so that transition has been seamless. She has been working 1 day per week with Mrs Imlach and the team to begin handover. We welcome Mrs Forrester to our Sacred Heart Family.
Class Teachers 2025
Kindergarten Blue: Miss Jessica Hollingsworth
Kindergarten Gold: Miss Montana James
1 Blue: Miss Catherine Pringle
1 Gold: Mrs Juli Loveridge (M, T, W, Th)
TBC (F)
2 Blue: Mrs Bridget Choi (M, T, W)
Mrs Kylie O’Callaghan (Th, F)
2 Gold: Mr Daniel Nokes
3 Blue: Miss Abbey Adamo
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: Mr Jack Harton
5 Gold: Mrs Marilina Watson (M, T, W, Th)
Mrs Sue Loughland (F)
6 Blue: Miss Kristen Jackson (M, T, W)
Mrs Jane Tracey (Th, F)
6 Gold: TBC *we have been overwhelmed with the number of applicants for our positions but we want to ensure the best fit for our school so we will continue our recruitment for this role
May God bless all our families.
Leanne Meehan
Executive Principal