Dear Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of another remarkable term, I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. This term has been filled with incredible achievements, memorable moments, and significant growth, all made possible by the unwavering support and dedication of our entire school community.

To our dedicated teachers and staff, thank you for your tireless efforts, your passion for education, and your commitment to nurturing and inspiring our students every day. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for everything you do.

To everyone who contributes to making our school a better place, whether through volunteering, participating in events, or simply spreading positivity, your contributions are invaluable and greatly appreciated.

As we look forward to a well-deserved break, let’s take pride in all we have accomplished together. I wish you all a restful, joyful, and safe holiday, and I eagerly anticipate the exciting opportunities that await us in the next term.

BATHURST

Year 5 had an amazing time in Bathurst for their very first sleepover camp. Mrs Taylor was privileged to be able to attend and she loved observing our students interact and collaborate on a range of activities. I especially want to acknowledge and thank our dedicated staff who always strive to provide the best possible experiences for our students. Thank you, Mrs Taylor, Mrs Watson, Ms Loveridge, Mr O’Donoghue, Mr Nokes, Mrs Luscombe and Ms Calizar.

See recounts of the event written by a number of our Year 5 students.

YEAR 6 EXPO

I had the pleasure of being able to witness the AMAZING work undertaken by our Year 6 students and their teachers. CONGRATULATIONS to you all and thank you for all of your hard work, creativity and enthusiasm. Thank you also to the parents and friends who were able to attend. HUGE thanks to Mrs Petersen and Ms Blake!!

ARROWSMITH

Last week, we were so fortunate to have a visit from Debbie Gilmore who has been a teacher, literacy adviser, Assistant Principal, Principal and administrator. Debbie always sought innovative, inclusive programs that made a meaningful impact on students' lives. When she found Arrowsmith, it transformed her understanding of what was possible. In her role as Head of Diverse Learning, she spearheaded an initiative to bring Arrowsmith to Sydney Catholic Schools. 

Since 2013, she has been leading the strategic growth and development of Arrowsmith, and every day, she speaks to educational leaders about the power and potential that cognitive programming can have in deepening lifelong learning experiences. As a parent, Debbie has seen first-hand how Arrowsmith can transform students' brains and lives and the surrounding community. She toured our school and met with our incredible students and of course my AMAZING Arrowsmith teachers; Mrs Thaw, Mrs Stackpool and Ms Hampson.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

• The Arrowsmith Program is formulated on the application of neuroscientific research and is evidence-based.
• The goal of the program is to help students become effective, confident and self-directed learners for life.
• Research shows the program effectively supports students who have difficulties with reading, writing, mathematics, comprehension, non-verbal learning, working memory, dyslexia and attention.
• Students undertake individually designed cognitive exercises to address the root causes of their particular learning difficulties.
• Specialist teachers facilitate the individualised student programs.
• The Arrowsmith Program can contribute to greater academic success, social competency and wellbeing.
• The innovative program embodies Sydney Catholic Schools’ values of ‘excellence’ and ‘empathy’, addressing the needs of diverse learners to fulfill their learning potential.
• The Arrowsmith Program aims to create a new reality and transform a child’s future.

SCHOOL COUNSELLOR TIPS:

1. Curriculum Reform Staff Development Day on Friday 5 July (no students at school)
2. Staff Spirituality Day on Monday 22 July (students return for Term 3 on Tuesday 23 July)

May God bless all our families.

Leanne Meehan

EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL

As we near the end of another Term, I wish all of our students a very happy and restful break and hope that you are able to have some time together as a family to relax and regroup.  For our teachers the mid term break is when they plan teaching and learning for the term ahead and I hope they also have time to spend with their family and friends.  Students return to school for Term 3 on Tuesday 23 July. 

Amadeus Concert Tomorrow - 2pm  

We warmly invite you to attend our afternoon of musical entertainment at our Amadeus mini concert tomorrow.  Years 3-6 students will 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.  The concert will start at 2pm in the school hall. 

Year 5 Camp

A wonderful time was had by all on the recent Year 5 camp to Bathurst.  Students visited the museum in Bathurst to learn all about Bush rangers, historical items and  events.  Staying at the Bathurst Goldfields, the students participated in a wide range of activities including damper making, old fashioned games, boomerang throwing and painting, tent building and of course the most popular - gold mining. Some students even found some tiny samples of gold to take home.  Students heard stories and viewed artefacts from the 1800’s.

Public Speaking Competition

Well done to all of our students and teachers from Year 1 - 6 for participating in the public speaking competition.  On Friday, our Sacred Heart winners proudly represented the school at the Network Public Speaking Competition for 2024, hosted by St James Catholic Primary School. Glebe.

Alba, Annelise and Caitlin competed against 12 other schools in a rigorous competition and it was great to see how they expressed themselves with so much confidence and talent. The speeches were adjudicated by Sydney Catholic Schools Principal Manager, Peter Cranney and Rosemary Peric, Sydney Catholic Schools Teaching and Learning Coach.  They had a very difficult job with a variety of topics, content and style evident amongst the contestants.  A special congratulations goes to Alba who was awarded 1st Place in the Stage 1 category.

Student Academic Reports

Your child’s report on their academic achievement for Semester 1 (Terms 1 & 2) will be available on Compass this Friday 28 June. We advise that you print a copy for your records, particularly if your child is in Year 6, as you lose access to Compass if not continuing to a Sydney Catholic School High School. Your child’s teacher has written a comment which is in line with NESA and Sydney Catholic Schools requirements for Semester 1. 

When you read your child’s report, please be mindful that the report is based on the learning for the year so far - a snapshot in time. Teachers select an achievement grade based on a variety of learning and assessment tasks over the semester.  This might include samples of work, formal and informal testing and anecdotal records of achievements.  Please look at how your child is achieving at this point in time rather than comparing to previous years as students may have changed stages or are at a different point of learning within the stage. When looking at grades, carefully consider the achievement level descriptors associated with the report.  Kindergarten have a three point grade scale; Basic, Sound and Thorough and Years 1 - 6 are graded as below.

• Extensive - The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge.  In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations.
• Thorough  - The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills.  In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations.
• Sound - The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.
• Basic - The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills.
• Elementary - The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in a few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Our Semester 1 Parent Teacher Conferences are next week. This is an opportunity for you to discuss your child’s Academic Report and their progress for Semester 1. 

Each teacher has been allocated set times to conduct their conferences. The conference is face to face, held at school, however if you prefer Zoom, please email your child’s teacher for a Zoom link.  The conference should take no more than ten minutes and is booked via Compass for each child.   

As you can imagine, teachers have spent many hours writing reports and whilst the conference is not compulsory, we ask that if you intend to participate, that you choose one of the times that your child’s teacher has allocated.  

We have also been able to remove some of the previous conference bookings from Compass so hopefully your page will be a little less cluttered and you can easily find a ‘green’ box ‘Parent Teacher Conference - Semester 1.  If you have children in classes that are holding their conferences on the same day, you may need to book for one child first, then use the drop down box next to your child’s photo to book for your next child.  

Should you have any difficulties booking, please contact the school office for assistance. 

Staff Development Day Reminder

Students will finish this term on Thursday 4 July as our staff will have a Staff Development Day on Friday.  This is a Network day on reading for K-2 teachers, writing for 3 & 4 teachers and Mathematics for 5 & 6 teachers.  We have a Staff Development Day on Monday 22 July which is based on staff spirituality with a focus on ‘hands’ providing outreach to those in need.  Please contact SCECS if you need care on these days. 

Around the classrooms

Natural Disasters Presentation: "It's a Disaster" A Success!

Year 6 students hosted an engaging event, inviting their parents and peers from across the school to learn about Natural Disasters, their impacts, and methods of prediction and prevention. This comprehensive multimodal presentation covered various disasters, including bushfires, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, cyclones, and earthquakes.

The presentation featured diverse formats such as presentation boards, video displays, technology builds, apps, and live experiments. Visiting students participated in Kahoot quizzes to test their knowledge and admired the creativity and detail in each presentation. The creativity, energy, and enthusiasm of Year 6 students were evident throughout the day. Even the cleanup was outstanding. Well done, Year 6!

May God’s love be with you. 

Jane Taylor

This Friday, students in the Polding House (Red) are invited to wear their sports uniform & a red accessory (hair band, hat, ribbon, socks- NO coloured hair, please) in acknowledgement of Bishop John Bede Polding.

What is the connection between Sacred Heart and Bishop John Bede Polding? John Bede Polding was the first Roman Catholic Bishop and Archbishop of Sydney. Born in England, he arrived in Sydney in 1835. His compassion shone through with the care that he showed towards convicts, Indigenous Australian communities and women in need. Polding honoured every human being with the respect of God. He worked tirelessly to bring Priests and Religious orders to Australia to establish Catholic schooling and provide an education for the youth. Our Red ‘Polding’ House is named after Bishop John Bede Polding for all his good works, and for the contribution that he made to the establishment of Catholic Education in Australia.

Upcoming Grade Masses, Fridays at 9:15am- families are warmly welcome to attend!

Friday, 28th of June: Year Four Grade Mass

Upcoming Sacred Heart Family Masses, Sundays at 9:00am- all families are welcome! 

Year Five families, please click on the link if your child would like to assist at the Family Mass this Sunday, and/or if you are able to contribute to the morning tea:

Sunday, 30th of June: Year Five families assisting and providing morning tea

Kristen Jackson

Religious Education Co-ordinator

This week we celebrate  - John the Baptist

Saint John the Baptist is one of the few saints who have two feast days.

Each year the Church celebrates the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist on June 24th as well as the date of his martyrdom which is on August 29th.

For Catholics, John is the patron saint of baptism, bird dealers, converts, lambs, tailors and prisoners.

I would like to acknowledge and give a huge thank you to Mrs Josie Spano our wonderful school support officer. She has so generously donated many hand knitted scarves and socks which as a school community we have donated to our residents at MacKilop Grange retirement village & surrounding nursing home.

We have recieved many calls of gratitude & thank you cards from the residents; it is a pleasure to have this relationship with them.

Thank you Mrs Spano you have made many people happy & warmer this winter.

Come along to our Walking for wellbeing group.       

Wednesday morning 8:45am after morning drop off.

1 hour in the morning, fresh air, laughter & coffee is a great way to begin your day.

There  is 1 more playgroup session for this term- Next Monday 1st July from 9am.  

We have many toys, lego, books, games & dress ups for the kids to play. Parents & carers can chat & enjoy morning tea

If you are unwell or know of anyone in need of healing prayers, a reminder that our Holy family parish have an Anointing Mass for the sick - Friday 5th July, midday Mass. Sacred Heart Church followed by a luncheon in the parish hall.

As we come to the end of term, I hope you can all find some calm from our busy life in the holidays. If you like the idea of peace and being still – you might like this song by Lauren Daigle.  

I have enjoyed meeting a few more parents this term and look forward to meeting more next term. My prayer for you as we edge towards the end of the term, is peace. Peace Be Still (Lyrics) ~ The Belonging Co ft. Lauren Daigle

Many Blessings

Anna Macri

Family & faith educator

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you are aware, the new NESA K-6 English and Mathematics syllabuses are being fully implemented in all NSW primary schools, and at Sacred Heart, we continue to engage in Staff Development Days and online training provided by Sydney Catholic Schools to support our dedicated teachers on their journey and continued implementation of the new NESA Syllabus in K-6 English and Mathematics.

K-2 Implementation

Last year, we began implementing the new syllabus for Kindergarten to Year 2. Our dedicated teachers have successfully completed the first year of this transition, focusing on new teaching methods and curricular improvements. This year our K-2 teachers have been engaging in a system-wide focus on Reading, in which SCS is providing professional learning opportunities for teachers to further develop and deepen their understanding to explicitly teach and assess each of the key components within the new Syllabus.

K-2 Syllabus English & Mathematics Focus Areas

The focus areas for each stage support students’ growing knowledge and understanding in the areas of:

3-6 Implementation

This year marks the start of the new syllabus implementation for Years 3 to 6. Our teachers are actively engaging in professional learning and are being supported by the Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) with detailed units of work to ensure a smooth and effective transition. For SCS the NSW Curriculum Reform school and system priorities focuses on improving writing skills for students in Years 3-4, and advancing mathematical understanding for students in Years 5-8.

3–6 Syllabus  English & Mathematics Focus Areas

The focus areas for each stage support students’ growing knowledge and understanding in the areas of:

For Parents and Carers

For Parents and Carers, the good news is that each new syllabus being released as part of NSW Curriculum Reform is accompanied by a Parent Guide to assist you in understanding these changes and how they will impact your child's learning journey. The Parent Guide is available in both digital and print formats for your convenience. You can access the digital version through the NESA website here or request a printed copy from the school office.

The Parent Guide:

This guide aims to provide clear and concise information on the following:

• Curriculum Structure: An overview of what your child will be learning at each stage.
• Learning Outcomes: Descriptions of the key learning objectives.
• Support Strategies: Practical tips on how you can support your child's learning at home.

We encourage all parents to review this guide to assist in your own understanding. Your involvement is invaluable as we continue to work together throughout your child’s educational journey. 

Warm regards,

Nerissa McCartney

Leader of Teaching & Learning

Dear Parents and Carers,

On Monday 17 June I attended a Sydney Catholic Schools Professional Learning Day on Understanding and Supporting Student Attendance. The day highlighted the importance of regular student attendance at school for learning and wellbeing. The system guidelines and procedures for monitoring attendance were also outlined. We will be following these in our attendance analysis and procedures. It is identified that <90% attendance rate = emerging attendance concern, <80% attendance rate = significant attendance concern, <70% attendance rate = critical/complex attendance concern. It is so important that the children are at school everyday and on time. For your reference, find Attendance_Matters_Fact_Sheets.pdf important parent information fact sheets to support you in ensuring your children are getting to school. Every minute counts, every day!

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been an exciting couple of weeks since the last update of the sporting news segment. Welcome to the last sporting update for Term 2!

To start things off, Sacred Heart would like to congratulate our alumni's Holly Warn for making the Paris Paralympics team. Holly was a student at Sacred Heart for Year 2 and Year 3 (2017-2018) of her schooling years before moving interstate to pursue her swimming career. She will represent Australia in August for the Australian Para Dolphins swim team for the 400m and 100m freestyle S7 event as the youngest member of the team at 15 years old.

In a beautiful letter written to the school, Holly has thanked the Sacred Heart community and SCS for their support in helping her realise her dream.

The photos below are of Holly after receiving her Sydney Catholic schools Sport medallion Award in 2018. The second photo is one receiving her ticket to Paris when the paralympic team was announced. Sacred Heart will definitely be following along to cheer her on!

Onto the next piece, Henry Pearson and Zachary Meacock were finally able to attend their Sydney Cricket trial on Monday after multiple postponements. We would like to congratulate Zach Meacock for progressing into the MacKillop Selections trial in Wagga Wagga in September.

That’s all for now in sporting news. I hope you and your families have a restful and enjoyable break. I look forward to giving you all further updates on our student achievements next term. Until next time!

Kind Regards,

Miss Austrie Calizar

Sports Co-ordinator

Census will again occur on Friday 2nd August, 2024.  Please see the attached Standard Collection Notices together with Sydney Catholic Schools Privacy Policy regarding the collection and use of personal information.

Is slow processing speed impacting your child’s academic performance? 

If your child is bright and hardworking, yet can’t seem to keep up with their learning, they may have slow processing. Processing Speed is the speed at which we receive, understand and respond to information. It is a vital cognitive capacity that underpins learning: 

Here are some common signs to look out for: 

1. Slow Completion of Tasks: Your child consistently takes longer than their peers to finish assignments, homework, or tests, despite putting in effort. 
2. Difficulty Following Directions: They struggle to follow multi-step directions or instructions, especially when tasks require quick processing of information. 
3. Attention Issues: They may appear easily distracted or have trouble maintaining focus, particularly when tasks require sustained attention or quick responses. 
4. Executive Functioning Challenges: Weaknesses in planning, organising, and prioritising tasks, which can affect their ability to manage assessments and responsibilities effectively. 

Sacred Heart Mosman, is one of the only schools to be offering the Arrowsmith Program which unlike other interventions, targets the underlying cause of many learning challenges, such as slow processing speed and strengthening the cognitive capacities that underpin academic success. Early recognition and appropriate support can make a significant difference in helping children overcome challenges related to slow processing speed.

To enquire about the Arrowsmith Program please email

lucinda.thaw@syd.catholic.edu.au

This is just a reminder, we ask that all items of school uniform can be clearly marked with the students name, so that we are able to return the item to the student.

Dear families,

Please find attached our end-term SCECS_OSHC_End_of_Term_Newsletter_Mosman.pdf for SCECS OSHC, Mosman.