Welcome back to Term Two! I hope you all had a restful break and have returned invigorated and ready for another productive term. We loved seeing the smiling faces of our children this week and hearing all about their holiday adventures. 

I sincerely thank our School Captains, Madeleine Montgomery and Sammy Panta, for laying a wreath on our behalf at the Dawn Service at Old Parade Ground, Georges Height Oval. We thank them and their parents for attending this special event.

We will also have an ANZAC Day prayer at our assembly this Friday. As we pause to remember the fallen, we are also able to reflect upon why Anzac Day is so important to our nation. We not only remember Gallipoli, but in person and in spirit, we commemorate the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our nation in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.                                                                                                   

They shall grow not old,  

                                         

Our beautiful Chloe Venn (Year 5) chose to cut her hair during the  school holidays to raise money for charity and donate her hair to Wigs 4 Kids. She is raising money for children with cancer, and HoHi (Homes of Hope International) to raise money and awareness for children living in extreme poverty and vulnerable to human trafficking.  

The link for donations is https://gofund.me/e6e3ba77

Chloe is aiming to raise $5000 because this amount means another girl can be rescued by HoHi, and costs for that girl are covered until she is 18 years old at the Homes of Hope shelter. There are so many children impacted by trafficking but they can only save 1 or 2 girls at a time.

It’s a relatively small charity run by someone from Manly Life - so it’s definitely for a great cause, they‘ve rescued so many already and hopefully one more girl can be saved

And Chloe‘s hair is packed and ready to be sent to Wigs 4 Kids today! WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU, CHLOE!!

                                                                                              

MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATIONS- Friday 10 May 

• Breakfast (7:30am) 
• Open Classrooms (8:45am)
• Mother’s Day Mass (9:15am)

                              

       

May God bless all our families.

Leanne Meehan

EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL

I hope that you were able to enjoy the term break and that your child has returned refreshed and excited for another term of learning. 

Winter Uniform 

We have seen a big improvement with students wearing the correct uniform on the correct day.  This week is changeover time and starting next week, Monday 6th May, all students should be in their full winter uniform. School and sport uniform days remain the same as last term Uniform Days for SHM, Term 2, 2024.

The Winter Uniform is to be worn by all students from Kindergarten to Year 6 every day during Terms 2 and 3 except for assigned sport days. The formal uniform consists of the following:

Girls:

• Shoes Black leather school shoes (Lace up or Velcro)
• Dress Navy Tunic (with SMH logo) & blue long sleeved shirt (with SHM logo)
• Socks Navy tights or navy knee high socks
• Navy fleece (with SHM logo) ● Tie Cross tab in navy & gold

Boys:

• Shoes Black leather school shoes (Lace up or Velcro)
• Shirt Long sleeved shirt with SHM logo
• Shorts Navy tailored shorts or long trousers
• Socks Navy knee high socks
• Navy fleece (with SHM logo)
• Tie in navy & gold

ACARA Item Trial

Each year, The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) selects schools to participate in an Item Trial.  The Item Trial is being held in approximately 480 schools across Australia throughout May and June.  Sacred Heart has two classes chosen to participate this year - 3 Gold and 5 Blue, on Friday 17 May.  The purpose of the Item Trial is to evaluate test items (questions) that are under consideration for inclusion in future NAPLAN tests. ACARA appoints a test administrator to our school to organise the Item Trial.

Our classes 3 Gold and 5 Blue will participate in two Item Trial tests on the day, for example, a Reading and a Numeracy test, a Writing and a Conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) test, or two Writing tests, taking approximately two hours.  Students in these classes need to have their headphones and iPad fully charged.  The Item Trial is about testing the questions, not about testing the students or their ability.  Hence, your child’s results are not reported to the school or to parents.  We look forward to this experience and assisting ACARA with the Item Trial. 

Sport

Dance - Our dance lessons have come to an end.  We had an exciting evening at the Zing Active dance challenge with around one hundred and twenty of our Year 3 - 6 students attending and showing amazing school spirit.  Some of our students won beautiful ribbons for their partner ballroom dances and overall we were awarded two big trophies - one for winning the school showdance with our ‘90’s dance mix’ and one for Year 5 as the winners of the best Year 5 group across all of the schools participating.  Additionally, our K-2 students showcased their dancing at school by performing some of the moves they had learnt throughout the term.  Thank you to the many parents who were able to attend the events and experience the program.    

Athletics - This term Miss Calizar, along with our partner Zing Active, will teach the skills and rules of Athletics.  Our Athletics Carnival is being held on Wednesday 29 May.  The event is at Rotary Athletics Field: Mowbray Rd W, Lane Cove North as this field provides access to high jump and long jump facilities and equipment hire.  If you haven’t done so already, please access Compass for details and to grant permission for your child to attend.  

Scope IT

We again partner with Scope IT this term.  They teach Arduino coding for Year 6 students, Web Design for Year 5 students, Minecraft for Year 4 students and Scratch Junior for Kindergarten Gold.  Kindergarten Blue, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 will participate in Scope IT lessons in Term 3.  All lessons are designed to provide deep learning opportunities and link with the classroom teaching and learning in Science or Geography. Thank you to Mrs Petersen for her organisation and partnership of this learning for our students. 

PAWS Rules

Thank you to Miss Blake who leads our whole school positive behaviours for learning.  This term, our Paws focus centers on 'We Participate'. This expectation emphasises kindness, respect, and active listening. In our school environment, this translates to using positive and respectful language, attentively following instructions, tidying up after ourselves, and greeting teachers and others with a cheerful "good morning". These valuable life skills extend beyond the classroom, shaping our students' behaviour and interactions both at school and at home, fostering a culture of respect and cooperation.

Reporting and Parent Teacher Interviews 

This term, our teachers provide a written report on your child’s academic achievement and effort which is available at the end of week 9.  Our written reports meet the specified requirements as set out by the Federal and State Government along with Sydney Catholic Schools. They provide information on a student’s learning in all of the mandatory New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) subjects as well as Religious Education.  For Years 1 to 6, teachers assess a student’s progress and achievement against learning standards, reported as elementary, basic, sound, thorough or extensive, as well as a general comment.  Kindergarten teachers assess student progress and achievement against three standards, basic, sound or thorough as well as a general comment.  This year, additional content areas have been added for English in line with the new syllabus.  As per government requirements, If you do not wish to receive a scale report for your child, please request this in writing.  

We will hold Parent Teacher Interviews at the end of the term to give you an opportunity to discuss the report and your child’s progress for Semester 1. 

World Oceans Day Competition

Welcome everyone to Term Two and here’s hoping you all had a restful break with your loved ones over the school holiday period. Please see important information for our Term Two Religious Education calendar.

ANZAC Prayer Service this Friday, 3rd of May led by Year Five at Assembly (in the Hall if wet weather.)

Mother’s Day Celebrations, Friday 10th of May- Week Two

Join us for our annual Mother’s Day celebrations at Sacred Heart!

• Mother’s Day Breakfast from 7:30am onwards
• Open Classrooms
• Sacred Heart Mother’s Day Whole School Mass, Friday 10th May commencing at 9:15am

If you would like to be part of the Mother’s Day photo presentation at the Sacred Heart Mother’s Day Whole School Mass next Friday, 10th of May, please send your family photo:

kristen.jackson@syd.catholic.edu.au by this Friday, 3rd of May. Please include your child’s full name & class- thank you!

Whole School Masses for Term Two

• Sacred Heart Mother’s Day Whole School Mass, Friday 10th May @ 9:15am
• Mary Help of Christians Whole School Mass, Friday 24th May @ 9:15am
• Sacred Heart Feast Day Whole School Mass, Friday 7th June @ 9:15am, followed by special feast day celebrations for the students. This will include a sausage sizzle! If your child has specific food intolerances/allergies or would prefer not to take part in the sausage sizzle, please email: kristen.jackson@syd.catholic.edu.au by Friday, 17th May.

School Grade Masses, Fridays at 9:15am (families warmly welcome to attend!)

• Friday 17th May- Year Three Grade Mass
• Friday 31st May- Year One and Year Five combined Grade Mass
• Friday 14th June- Year Two Grade Mass
• Friday 21st June- Kinder & Year Six combined Grade Mass
• Friday 28th June- Year Four Grade Mass

Sacramental Program dates

Sacrament of Confirmation 

Lesson 1: Wed 1st May choose 5pm or 6.30pm

Lesson 2: Mon 6th May choose 5pm or 6.30pm

Lesson 3: Wed 15th May choose 5pm or 6.30pm

Confirmation Retreat Day: Tues 21st May 

Creed Masses: Weekend of May 25/26.

Confirmation Ceremonies: Thursday 30th May & Friday 31st May

Feast of St Joseph the worker - 1st May  

St Joseph was a great man, but where would he be without his family, without Jesus and Mary? I doubt he would make many appearances in 21st-century blog posts— most 1st-century Jewish carpenters don’t. Joseph’s holiness came through Jesus and Mary, by serving them and receiving from them. Similarly, God draws us to Himself through those around us. We do not become saints as isolated individuals, but as members of a family or community.

With their parents leading the way by example and family prayer, children and indeed everyone gathered around the family hearth will find a readier path to human maturity, salvation and holiness. (GS 48)

Of course, Joseph’s family isn’t your normal family.There’s a special grace about Jesus and Mary (understatement of the year). If we compare our families to the Holy Family, we might be tempted to be discouraged, but by God’s goodness, Jesus and Mary are not distant, but rather intimately close to us: Jesus is our saviour and brother, and Mary is our tender mother.

I am so happy the children have been enjoying the new take home Prayer Bear. We have resumed Prayer Bear rotations in kindy classes this week. Please remember to take some photos and encourage the children to pray with the bear, they could draw pictures in the activity book of the things they are grateful for.

Term 2 - Join me

Monday fortnight’s - 9am playgroup in parish hall.   ALL ARE WELCOME

Tuesday and Wednesday mornings - Kiss and drive morning greetings with families & students.

Tuesday - 9:15am Eat, Pray & laugh, Morning prayer followed by coffee.   

Feast of Our Lady Of Fatima 13th May, The children saw this beautiful woman, dressed in white and standing above a bush. The Virgin Mary told the children that world peace would occur if they spread the godly message of prayer. She visited the young children on the 13th for the next six months. 

OUR LADY OF FATIMA PROCESSION 2024 

Join us on May 11 for a Vigil Mass at 6 pm at St Mary’s Cathedral - followed by a candle-lit Procession around the Cathedral forecourt and bear witness to the beauty and richness of our devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. The ‘Feast of Our Lady of Fatima Procession’ is a chance for thousands of young Catholics to know they are not alone, as they experience the strength and warmth of community. Something for all the family to experience

 

 

Many Blessings

Anna Macri

Family & Faith Educator

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope you had a wonderful holiday break and were able to spend some quality family time together with your children. 

Two reminders for early this term:

As communicated on compass. The ‘Grow Your Mind’ Wellbeing Parent Information Session will take place next Tuesday May 7th at 6pm in the Blessed Sacrament school hall. The session will be facilitated by an expert from GYM - unpacking the Wellbeing Program and providing you with tips for supporting your child's wellbeing and positive mental health. If you are yet to do so: Click here to register your attendance

We will be participating in National Walk Safely to School Day on Friday May 10. Walking to school is a great way to incorporate physical activity into a daily routine to support healthy development. Regular physical activity, especially walking, can improve self-esteem and confidence, help concentration and improve overall fitness. Encouraging kids to be active each day establishes good habits that can stay with them throughout their lives. We hope that you can join us in supporting this initiative next Friday. Find attached a PDF document Flyer - A Parent Guide to Road Safety.

Have a wonderful week and remember to keep refilling that cup.

Amanda Macourt

Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement

Dear Parents,

To begin this term, we welcome you to attend our Parent Engagement Reading Workshops for Kindergarten and Year 1 & 2 (combined), which are being hosted across our two schools. The first workshop for Kindy parents is being held at Blessed Sacrament Clifton Gardens and the Year 1 & 2 workshop being held at Sacred Heart, Mosman. Please see the flyers for dates and times.

Our focus will be on, ‘Understanding the Development of Reading in the Early Years and How to Support your Child at Home’.

This workshop aims to explain and support you in your understanding of reading development in the early years and the significance of adopting a balanced approach to reading. It aims to provide you with a deeper understanding of how foundational skills in reading evolve and share effective strategies to foster a love for reading in your child at home. 

As a parent or carer, your engagement is critical to your child’s learning and reading journey, and we see this journey as a partnership in which we work collaboratively as a community to ensure learning growth for all children. 

The sessions will be held in-person and will not be recorded or available via Zoom.

If you are able to attend please RSVP with your name, your child’s name and year level to n.mccartney@syd.catholic.edu.au 

I look forward to seeing you there, 

Nerissa McCartney

Leader of Teaching & Learning

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope everyone had a restful break and is ready to get back into the swing of things for Term 2. It will be a very busy Term 2 of sports. To start us off with our sporting news, I have some great news from our Sacred Heart Basketball team!

Right before the start of the school holidays, The Chickz won their basketball grand final. Congratulations to The Chickz, and to any other of our Sacred Heart teams that has progressed that far. We all know that it is an amazing achievement, and a great show of teamwork and camaraderie.

On this note, we will also have a few students representing Sacred Heart for the following trials:

• Rugby League: Henry Pearson (MacKillop Selections). He will be trying for a spot to make MacKillop Teams. We wish Henry the best of luck on Friday the 10th of May.
• Cricket: Zachary Meacock and Henry Pearson (Sydney Trial). These students will be competing for a place to make the MacKillop Selections on Monday 6th of May.
• Stage 3 Competitive Interschool Sports: We will have a few of our Year 5 and Year 6 students representing our school in Interschool Sports for Netball and Football (Soccer). We also wish them luck on their journey on Wednesday 8th of May.
• Conference Cross Country: Students who have progressed from our school level cross country will be participating in conference cross country on Tuesday May 14.

On the note of Interschool Sports, Stage 2 and Stage 3 will be partaking in their interschool sports journey this term. This side of interschool sports is non-competitive and is a means for students to network with other schools in our network while being exposed to, and trying out a variety of sports. Students will be participating in it for half a day, and it is a day for enjoyment, community and learning. More details to follow. 

Stage 2 (Year 3 and Year 4): June 11

Stage 3 (Year 5 and Year 6): May 15 and June 26

On Wednesday 29th of May is also our K-6 Athletics Carnival. We will be partnering again with Zing Activ to assist with the running of the day. As mentioned previously, we will be trialling a new venue this year at Rotary Athletics Field, Lane Cove North with access to equipment hire and a long jump pit. As per usual with the running of any sporting event, any parent volunteers are greatly appreciated to assist with carrying out the roles required for the day. If you are interested and available, please be sure to contact me and have all of your volunteer documentation up to date and submitted to the school office.

That’s all for now in sporting news. I look forward to giving you all further updates on our student achievements. Until next time! 

Kind Regards,

Miss Austrie Calizar

Sports Co-ordinator

Welcome back to school. We had such glorious weather here in Sydney, hope everyone had great weather and a wonderful break wherever you were. It was wonderful to see some our students recording their books on their reading logs for The Premier’s Reading Challenge during the holidays.

Congratulations to Claire Killen (1G) for being the first at our school, to complete her reading challenge for this year. Gabrielle Natal (3B) has also completed her challenge, with Elisabeth Marshall (1B), Sally Old (2B), Eli-Raphael Stamatopolous (KG) and Arthur McLagen (2G) close to finishing – well done! The challenge finishes mid August, so still plenty of time to enter all our books read, either at school or at home.

Did you know that children who develop a love for reading, open doors to a world of endless possibilities. Through the pages of books, they embark on adventures to far-off lands, explore different cultures, and meet characters who inspire and challenge them. Reading enhances their vocabulary, improves comprehension skills and fosters critical thinking. It ignites their imagination, allowing them to dream big and envision worlds beyond their own. Reading cultivates empathy as children step into the shoes of diverse characters, understanding their perspectives and experiences. Ultimately, the habit of reading not only enriches their minds but also nurtures their souls, shaping them into curious, compassionate and well-rounded individuals ready to tackle the challenges of the world. 

On May 22^nd, we will literally drop everything and read for the National Simultaneous Story Time. Every year, a picture book written by an Australian children’s author/ illustrator is selected and read simultaneously in libraries, schools, preschools and bookshops around Australia. This year’s book is ‘Bowerbird Blues’ by Aura Parker. We have several copies of the book which our Year 6 will read and share with their Kindy buddies. We will also have a link to watch and listen to the author reading her own book.

Library times are Tuesdays and Fridays this term, with Library Lunch Club every second lunch on Tuesdays. Please check your child’s class timetables for their library day. Kindly return all overdue books before new borrowing can commence. Books can be returned to the library on any day. Looking forward to see all our students in the Library.

Issue 3 is out now. Brochures will be sent home later this week. Book Club is all about providing value for families and they are offering this to families in 3 ways.

• 177 titles for just $10 or less,
• Everyone purchasing on LOOP receives a $5 promotional credit on this issue, to be used on Issue 4,
• PLUS - parents can spend their $5 credit earned from Issue 1.

Our school also receives rewards from sales to purchase books and resources for our school. 

Happy Reading! 

Cecilia Jago and Josie Spano

We are so happy to see many returning students and thrilled to welcome our new students to SHM's 2024 Arrowsmith Program. What a great start to the year, the children have been working hard and all of them have already made great progress.

As we are coming into the season of winter, where generally virues become more prevalent, this is just a general reminder of the importance of hygiene.  The school can ensure the cleanliness of the classroom, due to our regular cleaning schedule. In addition, teachers are reminding students the importance of hand washing. To prevent the spread, please keep your child at home if they are coughing, sneezing or unwell. 

We thank you for your assistance with this.