Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Staff,

I am delighted to be able to spend the remainder of this school term with you as Acting Principal. I certainly do not feel like a stranger at Sacred Heart, as I have had the pleasure of working here before, not only in my current capacity as a relieving Principal but also as a colleague Principal to both Mrs Caldwell and Mr Campbell prior to my retirement in 2019. Sacred Heart is a thriving and welcoming school community and I look forward to working with all of you for the remainder of the term. Of course, it is important that we continue to keep Mrs Caldwell and her husband in our prayers.

Next week our Year3 and Year 5 students will sit for their NAPLAN tests. Whilst NAPLAN is an important and useful assessment device it is important to remember that it is just one assessment among many that students undertake during their school years. I am sure that students at Sacred Heart have been well prepared for the testing and I encourage our boys and girls to approach the tests next week with a sense of calm and confidence.  Of course, it is important that we also keep these students in our prayers.

I know that you will join with me in wishing our year 6 students and their teachers well for their much awaited excursion to our National Capital, Canberra.  I look forward to meeting with our Year 6 boys and girls when they return to hear of their new knowledge and insights and also of the fun they will have had on their journey.

Finally, I would like to wish all Mothers and Grandmothers every blessing for a happy Mothers’ Day this Sunday. It is all too easy to become distracted by the commercialism of days like this. However, it is also so important – especially during the month of May, where we honour and celebrate Mary the Mother of Jesus – that we recognise the love and dedication of our own mothers, grandmothers and other special women in our lives.

With best wishes,

Steve Conlon

Acting Principal