Dear Parents and Carers

Please see our new newsletter banner above. A lovely reminder about what our beautiful school will look like when we are all back together.

And so we come to the end of the term. At the beginning of the year we came excitedly to school with many plans and enthusiasm. We never thought it would finish in this way!

I thank the parents for their patience this week as the teachers have been given time to plan to deliver the curriculum in a new way. It will look different to what has been happening over the last two weeks. Thank you to the parents who have given us feedback on what we have trialled.

In a long meeting yesterday the leadership team outlined to the staff how we would like the curriculum delivered in Term 2. This has come about by taking advice from Sydney Catholic Schools, the Department of Education, teacher and parent feedback. We have also spent a considerable amount of time and money ensuring that teachers and students will have access to online books and resources.

Some of the changes that we have made are following:

• Parents will be sent an email each week with the student overview with a clear outline of tasks for all subjects and a suggested timetable for each activity (guidelines only but needed by many children). The last week’s focus has been mainly maths and English. All subjects will now be included.
• Students will be sent the same overview and timetable via either Classroom or Seesaw depending on the platform that each grade has chosen. Teachers will outline which tasks need to be submitted, and feedback will be offered on at least one priority task the day after submission.
• To ensure that students are not online for very long periods of time, teachers are also preparing packs for students to pick up. The teachers are also preparing packs for mathematics for the K-2 children (see picture below).  We will arrange for pick up of those also. We will outline the best way of making these available while ensuring social distancing regulations are met.
• No live classroom Zoom teaching will happen at the beginning of the term but teachers will create daily ‘greeting’ or ‘check in’ videos for the students. They may also be creating videos for English and mathematics as necessary.
• Teachers will, throughout the day, monitor the children’s work through either Seesaw or Google Classrooms. The students can query the teachers through the messaging services in those platforms. Parents should query teachers through the usual email channels. 
• The teachers will begin to implement check-ins to ensure the children are doing their work. If the children miss a day due to illness or another reason, we ask that parents email the teacher to let them know. If the children miss a few days without explanation the teacher will make contact with parents. If it becomes an extended period, a member of the leadership team will check in with the family.
• At the beginning of next term, we will move to a booking system for the children attending the school site as only a small number of teachers will be rostered to be at school. The majority of staff will be working from home from the beginning of next term as per the government's rules to work at home where possible. Families will need to email the school office and let us know which days their children will require supervision for that week so that we can make sure there are staff on site to adequately supervise students.
• Our Diverse Learning staff will be supporting those children who need extra support in school and they are busy preparing modifications in consultation with classroom teachers. 

Enrolments 2021

In Term 2 we will begin our enrolment interviews for Kindergarten 2021. For our sibling children we will seek permission from you to contact your child’s Kindergarten to discuss your child’s readiness for school. We will not do formal parent interviews unless there is a need to have a conversation about your child and we can do that by phone. 

For our new families we will hold Zoom meetings. As we were unable to hold our Open Day Mr De has put together one of his fabulous videos to share with new families. If you do have a friend who is interested in attending Sacred Heart in 2021 please pass this link on to them or have a look with your children to remind them that we will be back together at school again one day. 

Video link - Sacred Heart School Tour

While the children are away the infants undercroft is being refurbished to look like a seaside retreat. Please see the photos of construction so far. If the children have any ideas for toys or extras to purchase for this creative play area please get them to emial the school office so we can have the area ready for when they return.

We have had a meeting with Music Mates our extra curricula supplier and we are negotiating online music content for our students. Please see their note re their other online lessons available.

At the beginning of Term 2, Monday 27th April is our school Staff Development Day. Care is available through SCECS for that day. Online learning will begin on Tuesday the 28th. The focus for the Staff Development Day will be Online Learning and ensuring our practice is focused, sustainable and beneficial for all students.

Please keep Mrs Curran in your prayers as one of her sisters passed away unexpectedly yesterday. 

Finally, I would like to wish all students, parents, staff and other members of our community a very warm, happy and (above all) safe Easter.

Regards

Julie Caldwell

Firstly, we hope that everyone is safe and well during these unusual times. From all of our families to yours, we wish you all the very best of health and happiness. 

We hold a fundamental belief that music elevates people of all ages. In times such as these, music can provide an excellent outlet and can help to keep our minds focused on the “now” rather than the “what if?”. Something that is especially important in children. And above all else, music is fun!

When the transition to on-line and virtual learning from home was announced by the State Government, we immediately began delivering our Private Lessons online via Zoom. We’re pleased to say we have had really positive feedback and results. 

With that in mind, we’re pleased to announce that we will be continuing to run lessons with Sacred Heart for the following:

Private Lessons $45 / 30min lesson

• Drums
• Guitar / Ukulele
• Bass
• Piano / Keyboard

We’ve also been re-developing the resources we use for our group lessons so that they can be delivered online. As a result of this, the school has decided to use the Music Mates videos to help with the delivery of the curriculum music program for Term 2. This means that everyone gets a taste of Music Mates which is just awesome!

Now is a great time for students who have thought about learning an instrument to give it a go. It will broaden their learning at home, give them something new to focus on and potentially, give you (Mum & Dad) some breathing space! If you are interested in getting involved in private lessons, head to www.musicmates.com.au/signuplogin

For those of you who still have credits in the system because you’re waiting for face to face lessons to resume, we’d encourage you to make the move to online lessons as this appears to be the new normal. And for those that asked, yes, we are conducting lessons over the school holidays if you’d like to get going straight away!  Please note our standard terms & conditions apply.

If you have already joined us online…THANK YOU! We’ll see you in the Zoom Room.

COMPASS: