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Dear Parents,
We were extremely lucky to be able to celebrate our Mothers, Mother-figures and Grandmothers last week with our Mother’s Day Breakfast, open classrooms and Mass on Friday.
Mothers are timeless teachers in the classroom of life. They are the most influential educators and they share with us great wisdom; a legacy so precious and valuable. The love of a mother is pure and unadulterated. They do not have any selfish motives and offer the most unconditional love on earth. All mothers are no less than a miracle.
As a Catholic community, we should also recognise Mary, Jesus’ Mother. Her willingness to say “yes” to God’s calling is one which we try to emulate in our lives every day. Mary demonstrates the important role a mother plays in their child’s life, even if that child is the Son of God. We see her gentle guidance in Jesus’ formative years, and it was through Mary’s prompting that Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding in Cana.
For those who have lost their mum, always remember that the memories of our mother’s live on forever as they leave an indelible imprint on our hearts. Let those memories of the times you shared give you comfort for her life was rich because of you. She will continue to participate in every act, thought and decision you make. Mothers may hold their children’s hands for only a short while, but they will hold their hearts forever.
Much effort goes into these special occasions and it is very much appreciated. I thank Carolina Briscoe, Eimear O’Riordan and India Drinan as well as all of the Year 5 parent volunteers for their preparation for our Mother’s Day Breakfast. Special thanks to Miss Jackson for her thoughtful and always considered masses. Miss Jackson goes above and beyond in everything she does and our community is very fortunate to experience such wonderful examples of her faith in action. A special thanks to Year 5 students and their teachers for their contribution to the mass, Mrs Macri for the beautiful gifts, Mia (Bennett and Matthew Zhao’s mum) and our choir for leading us so beautifully as usual. I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
TTFM- TELL THEM FROM ME SURVEYS (ATTENTION Year 4, 5, 6 parents ONLY)
As part of our focus on school effectiveness, Sacred Heart will be participating in an online survey for students – Tell Them From Me® (TTFM®). The survey will provide us with valuable feedback on what our students think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. Schools in Australia and around the world have used the Tell Them From Me survey to help them improve. All parents and staff will be invited to participate in this data collection also, details on how to have your say will be shared next Monday.
During the next few weeks, all students will be given the opportunity and time to participate in this survey during regular school hours. Students who agree to complete the survey will be given a random username and password to access and complete the survey online. Students’ names cannot be linked to their responses which allows it to be completely anonymous. Results will show all student scores combined together – it is not possible to single out individual students in the results.
The survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The survey measures include such topics as emotional and social well-being, physical health, and behaviours and attitudes linked to student success.
Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. Your child will not take part if either you or your child do not wish to. If, during the survey, your child is uncomfortable answering any question, he/she should leave it blank and move on to the next one. Your child can stop the survey at any time.If you do not want your child to take part in the survey, please contact the school office by Friday 16 May.
P&F Meeting is tonight at 6:30pm in the school library
May God bless all our families.
EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL
Winter Uniform
We have been advised that the winter track pants had been delayed due to a material shortage. They are now being made and should be in supply very soon. All other uniform items are in stock.
Morning drop off
Teacher supervision starts at school at 8:10 am. We are seeing an increasing number of children being dropped at the school gate before this time. Children should only be dropped after 8:10am. Imagine if your child had an accident or even wandered away when you have left them unsupervised.
We are very lucky at Sacred Heart that we have SCECS before school care operating at our school from 7:00 am each morning. Should you need care before 8:10 am, please use this service.
Naplan
Preliminary results for some of the tests have been released to schools. We haven’t as yet been given a date when we will receive the full results and reports for parents. Once they arrive, we will share with our Year 3 and Year 5 parents.
Good News Story
Congratulations to Evie who recently participated in the Cheerleading Summit 2025 Youth Competition. in Orlando, Florida. Evie’s team made the finals and Evie learnt so much from the experience and participation. The judges awarded them zero deductions and a dazzling 94.3 points. Congratulations Evie, we are so proud of you.
Mrs Jane Taylor
Assistant Principal
This week I would like to explain how we use ‘mentor texts’ in the classroom.
Think of mentor texts as our classroom superheroes for learning! They are simply high-quality books or pieces of writing that we use to show students how good readers and writers work. We also use mentor texts as an exemplary tool to explore textual concepts, such as, point of view or how a story is structured.
Mentor Texts for Reading: Our Guiding Stars
When we're focusing on reading, these mentor texts help us demonstrate specific reading skills. For example, we might use a picture book to show how to:
- Decode tricky words: How good readers sound out unfamiliar words
- Make predictions: What might happen next in the story based on what we've read.
- Infer information: Reading between the lines to understand what the author isn't directly saying.
- Discuss characters: Noticing and talking about the different qualities and actions of characters.
Instead of just telling students how to do these things, we show them 
examples in real books using quality. It's like having a guide showing us the best way to navigate a new place!
Mentor Texts for Writing: Learning from the Masters
Just as they help with reading, mentor texts are powerful tools for improving writing.
Instead of just saying "good writers use repetition," we can show students a passage from a mentor text where an author uses repetition effectively. Then, we can discuss why the author chose to repeat those words or phrases and what impact it has on the reader.
These mentor texts help students learn about the "craft" of writing – things like:
- How to start a story in an engaging way.
- How to use descriptive language to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind
How to organize their ideas clearly. - How to use different sentence structures for effect (and so much more!)
Why are Mentor Texts Important?
Using mentor texts brings stories and writing to life! They provide clear examples and inspire students to try new things in their own reading and writing. The texts we choose are carefully selected to be engaging and to challenge students in ways that help them grow their skills.
We hope this gives you a clearer picture of what mentor texts are and how they're helping your child become a more confident and skilled reader and writer. Engage your children in conversations about their classroom ‘mentor texts’ and enrich their lives with quality literature!
Nerissa McCartney
Leader of Teaching and Learning
GROW YOUR MIND- Parent Engagement Workshop (via Zoom)
We are excited to invite you to a special parent workshop designed to support your child’s learning and wellbeing. This online session will offer practical strategies and insights to help you nurture a positive mindset and support your child’s growth.
We strongly encourage all parents to attend!
When: Monday 26 May
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: Online (Zoom)
- Click here to register your attendance: Register Here
Free Parent Webinar on Screen Time!
Managing screen time can be tricky, so we’re excited to share a free online webinar with Brad Marshall (The Unplugged Psychologist), offered by NSLHD Population Health Promotion (School Years team) in collaboration with our local councils.
Brad will share practical tips on: 
- How screen time affects kids
- Spotting signs of too much screen use
- Building healthy tech habits at home
There’ll also be a chance to ask questions
When: Wednesday 28th May, 2025
Time: 6:30pm–8:00pm
Where: Online via Microsoft Teams
- Click here to register your attendance: Register here
Have a great week!
Amanda Macourt
Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement
Upcoming Whole School Masses for Term Two- families are warmly welcome to attend
- Mary Help of Christians Whole School Mass, Friday 23rd May @ 9:15am
- Sacred Heart Feast Day Whole School Mass, Friday 27th June @ 9:15am, followed by special feast day celebrations for the students.
Year Six Confirmation Retreat Workshops, Tuesday 20th May.
Next Tuesday 20th May, all Year Six students will participate in
Confirmation retreat workshops as part of the Sacrament of Confirmation unit in Religious Education. The workshops are for all Year Six students to engage in, including those who are not receiving their Sacrament of Confirmation. Students are invited to wear mufti clothing next Tuesday, as part of their retreat day. Please ensure closed shoes are worn.
Sacrament of Confirmation Ceremonies: Thursday 29th May at Blessed Sacrament Clifton Gardens 5:30pm & Friday 30th May at Sacred Heart Mosman 5:30pm and 7:15pm.
Family Mass & Morning Tea dates for Term 2
- Year Two Family Mass- Sunday 18th May 9am
- Confirmation Creed Masses- weekend of 24th/25th of May
- Year 5 and Year 1 combined Family Mass- Sunday 1st June 9am
- Year 4 Family Mass- Sunday 15th June 9am
- Year 3 Family Mass- Sunday 22nd June 9am
- Kindergarten & Year Six combined Family Mass- Sunday 29th June 9am
Happy World Support Staff Day!
Today we said thank you to our amazing Support Staff at Sacred Heart. Those who work tirelessly to ensure that all staff and students are supported. Their dedication, patience and kindness make everything that we do as a school, possible. We are blessed to work with you all and we can’t thank you enough.
Sacrament of Confirmation Ceremonies: Thursday 29th May at Blessed Sacrament Clifton Gardens 5:30pm & Friday 30th May at Sacred Heart Mosman 5:30pm and 7:15pm.
Family Mass & Morning Tea dates for Term 2
- Year Two Family Mass- Sunday 18th May 9am
- Confirmation Creed Masses- weekend of 24th/25th of May
- Year 5 and Year 1 combined Family Mass- Sunday 1st June 9am
- Year 4 Family Mass- Sunday 15th June 9am
- Year 3 Family Mass- Sunday 22nd June 9am
- Kindergarten & Year Six combined Family Mass- Sunday 29th June 9am
The month of May is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary. The month of May falls within the liturgical season of Easter, which is represented by the liturgical colour white — the colour of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). The remainder of the month (beginning after Pentecost) is in Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical colour green. This symbol of hope is the colour of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. During the month of May we also honour,
May 13th -Our lady of Fatima - Our lady appeared and spoke to 3 children on the 13th day of each month. News of these apparitions began to spread throughout the region. The children recounted that our lady told them that God had sent her a message for every man, woman and child living in the century.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/our-lady-of-fatima-485
7 tips for things to do with your family for the month of May
- Put up an image of Mary—in your office, home, room or on your phone
- Read bible passages on the Virgin Mary
- Pray the Rosary
- Receive the Sacraments
- Perform works of Mercy
- Evangelize—remind others of how much the Virgin Mary loves them
May 16th - Ascension or 7th Sunday of Easter, Jesus tells his disciples to preach the Gospel to the whole world.
This year National Families Week will be celebrated from 12-18 May 2025. Australia's annual celebration of families. https://familiesaustralia.org.au/events/national-families-week/
Each year, thousands of people and hundreds of organisations around the country come together for Australia’s annual celebration of families National Families Week (May each year).
National Families Week is a time to celebrate with your family, connect with your extended family and friends, and share in the enjoyment of family activities within the wider community. No matter where you live – in our major cities or a remote community in the country – all Australians, including community organisations, schools, councils, companies and individuals are invited to participate in National Families Week each year.
The aim of National Families Week is to not only celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society, but to also reflect on the critical role that families play in teaching, supporting and nurturing children as they grow.
Don't forget to join in our,
Walking for wellbeing every Tuesday morning after school drop off. Meet at Cardinal St gate at 8:40am
Mass & Morning tea every Wednesday morning Mass at 9:15am, meet in the church at 9:10am. After mass we walk to a cafe for a warm cup of coffee & conversation.
Community playgroup Monday 2nd June 9am - 10:30am in the Parish Hall. Tea/Coffee & biscuits provided. All are welcome
Anna Macri
Family & Faith Educator
Welcome to the Week 3 Sports Newsletter. What an exciting couple of weeks it has been so far in our sporting sector. Please read on for news of upcoming events, results and good news stories.
Firstly, we had 26 students attend the SCS Cross Country Championships on Tuesday 6th of May. We had a lot of great results with every student completing the hard and gruelling course. Every individual student that participated should be so proud of their amazing results. A special congratulations to Gisele Camus for coming 1st in her Conference out of 81 students and to Grace Meacock who came 4th in her Conference out of 91 students. We had all four Conferences attend this event, so it was a big day with lots of competitors. Both Gisele and Grace will be progressing onto the MacKillop Cross Country Championships on Wednesday 11th of June at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.
On Friday 9th of May, Eve Grover travelled down to Canberra to participate in the MacKillop Selections trial for netball. Please join me in congratulating Eve as she has been selected to progress onto the NSWCPS MacKillop team and is invited to attend the NSWPSSA Netball Championships in Coffs Harbour in August. If successful at this trial, Eve will progress onto the School Sport Australia State Championships.
On Tuesday 13-15 of May, Jorge Pyke will be attending the NSWPSSA Boys Basketball Trial in Minto as part of the MacKillop team. If successful, he will progress to make up the State team at the School Sport Australia Basketball Championships. We wish Jorge the best of luck at this trial. No matter the results, it is a great achievement to make it this far.
On to our final trial for this month, four boys will be attending the Sydney Catholic Schools Rugby Union trial on Monday 19th of May. We wish these boys the best of luck as they fight for a position on the SCS team:
- Rahul Soni
- Conrad Barbour
- Hamish Seve
- Jack Slater
- Iggy Findlay
Stage 3 (Year 5 and Year 6) will be having their interschool sports gala day on Monday May 26th. This is a fun gala day used to allow children to build friendships outside of their school environment and participate in a friendly game of European Handball. The schools involved for this gala day will include:
- Sacred Heart, Mosman
- Marist College, North Shore
- St Mary’s Cathedral College
This is also a final reminder that our school's K-6 Athletics Carnival will be occurring on Wednesday 28th of May. We will be partnering again with Zing Activ to assist with the running of the day. With the success and the facilities provided last year, we will be holding the carnival again at Rotary Athletics Field, Lane Cove North with access to equipment hire and a long jump pit. Please also note that the 200m sprint event will only be held if time permits. 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.
Finally, I wanted to close off with a Good News Story! Tomas Benton in Year 6 has been really passionate about cycling and has achieved some amazing results. Just last week, Tomas participated and won his first race for Randwick Cycling Club. It is a great achievement, and I hope that this good news story will inspire others to get involved. Please see the action shots below. Congratulations again Tomas! It is definitely an achievement that the community at Sacred Heart is proud of. We look forward to more successes in the future!
That is all for now in sporting news. I will update you next time at the mid term newsletter entry!
Kind Regards,
Miss Austrie Calizar
Sports Co-ordinator
