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Dear Parents, Students and Staff,
Our Year 6 students will be filled with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation this week. Confirmation is the sacrament by which Catholics receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Through Confirmation, the Holy Spirit gives them the increased ability to practice their Catholic faith in every aspect of their lives and to witness Christ in every situation. Congratulations to all, we are looking forward to celebrating this special day with you. Thank you, Thomas Dabbah, Sacramental Coordinator, and our staff for all of the preparation.
We had such a great time at our school disco on Saturday! It was so wonderful to see the children given the opportunity to connect and have fun outside of school hours. Special mention to Laura Ugarte and her team for all of their hard work leading up to this event and for all of the work on the day.
I also sincerely thank my staff for attending in their own time, you are such a wonderful bunch of humans!!
Our girls, Clara, Mia and Heidi all participated in the Balmoral Burn for Sacred Heart over the weekend. The girls had an absolute ball and perhaps next year we can get a group of children from Sacred Heart to attend together as a team! So much fun for a great cause too. Congratulations to the girls and to the many others that attended. We are proud of you all!
Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Survey
We invite staff, students and parents to complete online ‘The Tell Them from Me (TTFM)’ Partners in Learning Survey to provide feedback on their experience of our school. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.
The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Mosman.
The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Please refer to the compass message posted earlier this week or use the following URL Link:
http://tellthemfromme.com/xg6xk
The survey window will open today and close on Friday 7 June, 2024.
May God bless all our families.
Leanne Meehan
EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL
Disco
Such a fun time was had by all of the children, parents and teachers who were able to attend the P & F Disco on Saturday. Many months of planning went into the organisation of the event and parent volunteers did an amazing job setting up the disco with signs, balloons, shiny decorations, face painting, colouring stations, music and lights. Parents also volunteered to help sign children in and out, supervise various areas, serve food and provide first aid, just to name a few aspects. When the music stopped, parents organised a safe dismissal for all of the children and the clean up of the hall was expertly managed.
A big thank you to Laura Ugarte and her team of Kindergarten parents for organising and running two very successful discos. The whole event is a credit to the Sacred Heart spirit of community.
Amadeus - Concert Thursday 27 June 2pm
Our Amadeus tutors are planning a mini concert for our Years 3-6 students to showcase their skills and give parents a glimpse into the learning so far this year. Each of the ensembles or bands will perform 1 -2 short pieces of music. So that the tutors can tune all of the string instruments and give the children an opportunity to practise throughout the day, the concert will start at 2pm in the school hall. We warmly invite you to attend our afternoon of musical entertainment.
Mini Soccer Field
Our Primary undercroft area is looking amazing with artificial turf installed and lines marked for a mini soccer field. The children also use this area to sit after play times and having the turf will provide a much warmer space. We have left an area at the end free for when we have BBQ’s, stalls etc and will look at improving the look of this area in the future. Thank you to our P & F and parents for all of their fundraising, time and work to contribute to this wonderful space. I’m sure you will agree that it really enhances the overall feeling and ‘greenness’ of our playground.
Sport
Congratulations and thank you to Miss Calizar for all of her preparation, planning and organisation of the day, along with staff from Zing Activ and our teachers for a very successful athletics carnival. The carnival couldn’t run without the support of our parents who were able to assist at many of the events across the carnival. We really appreciate and thank you for your support.
Uniform
Beanie - Sacred Heart Beanie available
We have noticed during the Autumn and Winter months that students come to school in a variety of coloured beanies as we know the mornings can be quite cold. To ensure that our uniform still looks smart, we have sourced an embroidered Sacred Heart Beanie. Students can wear the school beanie to and from school, and before school starts, the coldest parts of the day, as part of their winter uniform. Once the school day starts, students should keep the beanie in their bag. Only the regular school hat should be worn during recess and lunch.
Hats - Unfortunately we are seeing some students bring a variety of hats - coloured, emblems, clubs etc to school. Students should only wear their Sacred Heart school hat at recess and lunch. No other hats are allowed.
Around the classes
Deep Learning about Antarctica
We are excited to share that our Year 6 students, who are currently studying Antarctica as part of an integrated unit of learning, had an incredible opportunity this week. They engaged with wildlife scientist Dr. Vanessa Pirotta via Zoom. Dr. Pirotta, a specialist in whales who has visited Antarctica three times and is also an author, delivered an engaging presentation. She shared her experiences and knowledge about whales and Antarctica, answering our students' questions in depth. The students thoroughly enjoyed this unique learning experience and gained valuable insights into the fascinating world of Antarctic wildlife. Dr Pirotta’s book ‘Voyage of a Whale Calf’ is filled with interesting facts, and available in the library. Keen whale spotters can also find our large ocean friends making their way up the coast over the next couple of months, so keep a look out!
Pollocean Competition - final week!
Continuing along the ocean theme, we have had some amazing entries for the Pollocean competition. THANK YOU!!!
The creativity and use of recycled materials has been inspirational. Year 6 is beginning to look like a colourful aquarium!
Please bring any remaining entries to Year 6 by Monday morning. This will be the final date as winners will be announced at assembly on Tuesday morning.
Environment Update
Environment update
Last week, our Environment Leaders for 2024 hosted the quarterly meeting of the Green Schools Collective. They gave an engaging presentation on the sustainability initiatives underway at Sacred Heart and provided a guided tour of our working gardens. We were honoured to welcome Deputy Mayor Councillor Pip Friedrich, Jenni Haggland from the Green Schools Collective, and over 30 participants from six schools in the Mosman area.
This was an amazing opportunity for our Year 6 Environment Leaders. Their enthusiasm was evident both before and after the event, and they received tremendous feedback from attendees.
We are proud of their hard work and dedication to promoting sustainability within our school community. Special thanks to the teachers and support staff who helped to make this event happen!
Religious Education Updates, Term 2 Week 5, 2024
Acknowledging Saint Marcellin Champagnat, this Friday 31st May- for students in the Champagnat (Gold) House:
This Friday, students in the Champagnat House (Gold) are invited to wear their sports uniform & a gold/yellow accessory (hair band, hat, ribbon, socks-
NO coloured hair, please) in acknowledgement of Saint Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers.
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What is the connection between Sacred Heart school and Saint Marcellin Champagnat? On the 14th of September, 1922, the Marist Brothers opened a school on our site- prior to this date, the school that was built on our site had been run by the Sisters of Mercy and it was known as St Brigid’s school. In 1944, St Brigid’s part of the school was closed and the Marist brothers school was extended in the year 1945. In 1954, the school on our site was opened as the Sacred Heart school. |
Sacred Heart Feast Day, Friday 7th of June & St Vincent de Paul Winter Hamper Appeal
A reminder that next Friday, 7th of June we will celebrate our feast day- The Feast of the Most Holy Sacred Heart of Jesus. Students are invited to wear Mufti clothing (comfortable, warm clothing & closed shoes for fun activities). We will begin the day with a whole school Mass @ 9:15am, followed by special feast day celebrations for the students.
This will include a sausage sizzle at 2nd lunch (1 x sausage sandwich per child). Please pack a normal fruit break and 1st lunch. Please also pack extra snacks if you think that 1 x sausage sandwich will not be enough for your child’s 2nd lunch.
*****If your child will NOT be partaking in the sausage sizzle OR if your child has specific dietary requirements, fill this google form in by this Friday, 31st May*****
Please continue giving generously to the St Vincent de Paul Winter Hamper Appeal (see flyer below for more information). Winter hampers will be presented to St Vincent de Paul representative Peter Marshall, at our Sacred Heart Feast Day Mass on the 7th of June- if you are donating a pantry item, please ensure that it is in date- thank you.
Upcoming School Grade Masses, Fridays at 9:15am (families warmly welcome to attend!)
- Friday 31st May- Year One and Year Five combined Grade Mass
- Friday 14th June- Year Two Grade Mass
Upcoming Weekend Family Masses, Sunday 9am
- Sunday 2nd June- Year Four families assisting (click here to volunteer)
- Sunday 9th June- Long weekend
- Sunday 16th June- Year Three families assisting (click here to volunteer)
Sacraments- Year Six Confirmation Masses
We wish our Year Six Confirmation candidates all the very best as they prepare to make their Sacrament of Confirmation this week. Let us keep these children in our prayers.
This fortnight we are still celebrating May the month of Mary.
We celebrate Mary by praying the Rosary.
We pray not to ensure that we will have all we need, or that life will forever go our way. Rather we pray to know God through Our Mother Mary. We pray in order to have the grace to deal with life as she would have us deal with it. We pray to hand our lives over to her all loving will. Our Mother Mary intercedes for us. She is our constant link to God our Father.
Introduction to the Rosary for Children
Feast of Corpus Christi- Thursday 30th May
Join in St Mary’s Cathedral Walk With Christ - Sunday June 2nd at 2.30 pm.
Join in the annual Walk with Christ Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Sydney. This procession will once again be held on the Feast of Corpus Christi, and is a family event.
For more information visit
www.sydneycatholic.org/walkwithchrist
Feast of the Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary - Friday 31st May
Commemorates the Virgin Mary's visit to her cousin, Elizabeth.
Mary and Elizabeth's joy reminds us of how the Church ought to respond to Christ's incarnation: “Mary, living Tabernacle of God made flesh, is the Ark of the Covenant in whom the Lord visited and redeemed his people. Jesus' presence filled her with the Holy Spirit.
Please find attached Touching Base #2 - Now more than ever.
This is a reflection based on this year's theme for National Reconciliation Week.
I offer it to you in the hope it might be helpful to you and your family to see what's happening within our community. Below is a link to events and initiatives in our community to connect, learn, reflect and celebrate.
click here
Reflections. Celebrations. Remembrances.
When we highlight events within our communities and when we share, we are reminding each other of what is important and what we value.
Past. Present. Future.
We all have one.
Christ came that we might have life and have it in abundance. (John 10:10)
Now more than ever ... we should all have it in abundance.
Our Holy Family Parish has asked me to pass on this RCIA information evening flyer.
New Initiative
Come when you can Wednesday morning walking group. We will walk for approximately 1 hour to Mosman park or the surrounding area, including Tea/coffee on the way.
Meeting point at the Cardinal St, front school gate at 8:45-9am.
Wear your comfy walking shoes.
Many Blessings
Anna Macri
Family & Faith Educator
“Children who are surrounded by, and included in, rich and increasingly complex conversations, have an overwhelming advantage in vocabulary development, in understanding the structures of language, and in tuning into the sounds of the English Language. Oral language is important for both reading and writing.” (Research into Practice 2010)
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you to all the Kindergarten and year one and two parents and carers who recently attended our Parent Engagement Workshops: "Understanding Your Child’s Reading Development," where they delved into the intricacies of their child's journey towards becoming proficient readers. Throughout the session, various essential skills necessary for reading proficiency were discussed in detail. From decoding and comprehension to fluency and vocabulary acquisition, parents gained a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of reading development.
The quote above created a great start to our workshop and reinforced that when children are involved in lots of interesting and detailed conversations, it really helps them learn words, understand how sentences work and recognize different sounds in English (the alphabetic code). Oral language provides the foundation for learning to read and is related to overall reading achievement throughout primary and secondary schooling. Hence, talking and listening to others talk is super important for them to become good at reading and writing later on.
The workshop also emphasised the importance of parental involvement in nurturing these skills outside the classroom. By providing a supportive environment at home, parents play a crucial role in reinforcing what children learn in school and fostering a love for reading. Experiences with books and other forms of print and seeing people reading and writing as a part of their everyday lives also prepares children for reading.
I extend my gratitude to all the parents for their active participation and engagement in the workshop. Your commitment to understanding and supporting your child's reading development is truly commendable. I hope that the insights gained during the workshop will empower you to play an even more significant role in your child's educational journey. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where every child can thrive as a reader and lifelong learner.
Thank you for your dedication and partnership in this important part of your child’s learning journey.
Nerissa McCartney
Leader of Teaching & Learning
Student Leadership and Boys Education
On Wednesday 22 May the boys in Years 4-6 participated in ‘Raising Boys to Live and Learn’ workshops with Mr Warren Hopley, an experienced Principal who has specialised in the area of Boys Education over many years. During these workshops the students reflected on the key values of our school and the contributions that they can make individually to our community. They also identified the not so good ways.
Our staff participated in a meeting facilitated by Warren also reflecting on how boys can be ‘tuned in’ and ‘tuned out’ of learning and school life.
On Tuesday 11 June from 6:30-7:30pm you are invited to attend a parent session in the school library with Warren. The topics explored during this session will include:
- Why father-figures are important
- How boys think and learn
- How we can help boys be happy and well balanced
- How parents can help at home
- What schools are doing to help boys learn
Please RSVP for this session: Click here to register your attendance.
In addition to these sessions we will have whole grade leadership days with all students in Years 4-6. More information regarding these days will be shared.
Term 2 Wellbeing Groups
This term as part of my role I am facilitating Wellbeing Groups across all classes K-6. In these small groups resources and activities from the 'Grow Your Mind' Program will be utilised. Themes such as: Resilience, Friendships, Emotional Regulation, Gratitude and Growth Mindset will be explored. Your child/children may work with me at some point this term in these groups. Attached is a link to the parent ebook from Grow Your Mind for your reference.
National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week
National Sorry Day is observed on May 26th each year in Australia. It is a day of remembrance and reflection dedicated to acknowledging the historical mistreatment and injustices suffered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly the Stolen Generations.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
The theme for 2024 is 'Now More Than Ever', encouraging all Australians, from individuals, families, and communities, to organisations and government, to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in their everyday lives.
All classes will recognise and reflect upon the importance of National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week.
Have a wonderful week and remember to keep refilling that cup.
Amanda Macourt
Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement
Welcome to Week 5 of the sporting section for Sacred Heart! It has been a thrilling couple of weeks since our last update with many events occuring.
First thing on the agenda is that on Monday 27 of May, a few of our Stage 3 boys represented Sacred Heart at the Competitive Winter Interschool Sports Tournament for Football (Soccer). Although our boys just missed out on making the top 4 teams, they had a great day out. Thank you to Miss Blake for being at the event in my place and assisting on the day.
Rugby Union trials were also held last week on Tuesday May 21st with a few boys representing Sacred Heart. I would like to congratulate Flynn Daggett for being selected and making it into the next round for the Rugby Union Trials. We wish him luck as he competes on Monday July 1 and makes the journey down to Forbes for this trial. He will be trialling for a spot to make MacKillop Teams.
On Monday June 3, we will also have Henry Pearson and Zachary Meacock attending the Sydney Cricket trials. This event has been postponed multiple times due to the weather, so we hope for a blue and clear sky on this day. They will be competing for a spot to progress into MacKillop selections. We wish them all the best for this trial.
Another important date to mark is Tuesday June 11 as it brings us to the start of our friendly interschool sports initiative. Students in Stage 2 (Year 3 and Year 4) will be travelling down to Artarmon Reserve to verse schools within our region in a friendly game of OzTag. Wednesday 26 of June will begin our Stage 3 (Year 5 and Year 6) interschool sports initiative after the first one was postponed. Students will also be heading down to Artarmon Reserve for a friendly game of football (soccer).
Lastly, the final news - TODAY is also the day for our Athletics Carnival. I am looking forward to an exciting and amazing day ahead with exceptional weather. We are partnering with Zing Activ and it will be held at Rotary Athletics Field. Photos to come in the next edition of the school newsletter. I would like to take this time to thank our amazing staff members who assisted on the day by taking up and executing their roles to the best of their ability - to all of our wonderful parent volunteers, thank you so much for making the time and assisting on the day. Events like this can only happen thanks to your help and sacrifice! Finally, a special thank you to Mrs. Matchett for also assisting me in the organisation of the event and for the extra hours she put in to help me. I am excited to see the results from the day!
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
Reading certainly is Magic! Last Wednesday, Sacred Heart was one of 21,969 locations that joined in the National Simultaneous Storytime and read “Bowerbird Blues”. The author, Aura Parker read her book and shared some interesting facts about Bowerbirds and how they only find and collect things that are blue for their bower - a nest they make in a shady place under trees in your garden or in forests.
It was exciting to think that 2,359,147 other people were reading the same book at around the same time as us. Year 3 and 5 looked at the aspects of visual literacy and the impact it has on a reader. They have drawn some beautiful illustrations depicting scenes from the story, thank you for your enthusiasm!
The Premier’s Reading Challenge is well underway with many of our students recording books on their personal reading logs. Please email cecilia.jago@syd.catholic.edu.au if you have any issues signing in.
We are thrilled to see students being adventurous and borrowing books of a different genre than what they would normally read and also challenging themselves with higher reading levels. Please remind your child of their Library day (refer to your class timetable), remember to return books and use a Library bag if borrowing more than one book at a time.
The next big event for the Library is Book Week - READING IS MAGIC. Plans are well under way, we have some fabulous authors organised to visit our school and Scholastic Book Fair is booked for that week too. More details to follow in the coming weeks.
Happy Reading!
Cecilia Jago and Josie Spano
Last week some of our Year 4-6 students participated in the Sacred Heart Minecraft competition.
The topic was Neighbourhood Heroes. The purpose was to encourage our students to celebrate the everyday heroes who contribute to the smooth functioning of their communities. From firefighters to shopkeepers to teachers and beyond, the focus is on showcasing the diverse jobs and roles within a neighbourhood. Collaboration and teamwork will be emphasised, highlighting the vital contributions each individual makes to the community.
Winners will be announced at our Friday morning assembly.
Miss Blake
Year 6 Classroom Teacher and Gifted Education Coordinator
Australian Girls Choir Open Day
Look no further than the Australian Girls Choir (AGC) because we encourage, challenge and inspire girls as they learn to sing, dance and perform. School aged girls are invited to come along to our June Open Day to try our fun and inclusive class and learn more about being part of the AGC! Please visit our website to register to attend our free Open Day: ausgirlschoir.com.au/joinagc
