Sacred Heart Primary School Mildura eNewsletter

Principal / Executive Leadership Team

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students & Staff,

Grandparents & Special Friends Day

This Friday, 28th July we celebrate ‘Grandparents & Special Friends Day’. Please be aware of the following details:

Mass will begin at 9:15am at the Sacred Heart Church, Mildura
Grandparents are welcome to come to school in the morning and walk over with their grandchildren, others may choose to meet them at the church.
As this Mass is a special one, once the children are over at the church, they can sit with their grandparents/special friend.
After we return from Mass the children and their grandparents will go to their Family Group rooms.
Following this, Morning Tea will be held inside and outside the school Stadium.

No Canteen - Friday, 28th July

Due to the Grandparents/Special Friends Day morning tea there will be no lunch orders on Friday, 28th July.

Assembly - Eumeralla

Thank you to Yongana who led our Assembly today. They did a brilliant job. Mootwingee will host our next Assembly, which will be held in the Stadium at 2.30pm on Friday 28th July.

School Advisory Council

Our School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting will be held on Tuesday, 25th July at 5:15pm in the staffroom. An agenda will be sent home on Monday for our SAC members.

Prep Enrolments 2023

We still have five available spaces for 2024 Prep enrolments. If you know of anyone who is interested in enrolment at Sacred Heart please get them to contact the school.

Staffing News

We wish Mrs Carmel Pollifrone all the best for her Long Service Leave over the next two weeks. With Carmel away, Francesa Scullino will be covering Carmel’s timetable and working with the Prep classes.

Athletics Carnival

Our Sacred Heart Athletics Carnival will be held at the Aerodrome Ovals on Wednesday 9th August. This is always a great school community event. We look forward to seeing lots of parents and friends coming along to support our students.

Relay Run Off Day

Relay Run-Off Day for all year levels is this Monday 24th July during the morning session. These trials are held to determine which students represent their house in the relays. Students should wear their sports uniform.

Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Intervention Supports (SWPBS)

Sacred Heart follows the SWPBIS approach. This is a whole school approach to creating an environment, which encourages effective learning through the development of a positive, calm and welcoming atmosphere. We encourage positive feedback to students often and endeavour to teach students how to behave appropriately. Over the last year staff have been working on developing our Positive Behaviour Learning Matrix which is our blueprint for expected behaviours. This Matrix has been developed in collaboration with staff, students and parents. The matrix looks at the key areas that we need to display our expected behaviour of Respect, Responsibility and Safe. We are now very happy to launch our new Matrix. This matrix and behaviours will be displayed around the school and discussed regularly with the children at Sacred Heart.

Have a great weekend everyone and God Bless!

Mark Gibson

SABBATICAL LEAVE REFLECTIONS

MERCY INTERNATIONAL HOUSE - Baggot Street Dublin

At the end of Term Two I went on an overseas trip and visited places in England and Ireland to learn more about the Mercy charism and the Sisters of Mercy founder Catherine McAuley.

Catherine McAuley was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1778. In 1824 she used her inheritance from an Irish couple she had served for twenty years to build a large House of Mercy on Baggot Street. This house was a school for girls, a safe shelter for young women seeking employment and a centre of outreach to the sick and those in need.

In 1831, with the Archbishop Daniel Murray Catherine and her first companions founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy with the house serving as its first convent.

Within a few decades, her congregation had spread worldwide. In 1846 the Sisters of Mercy started to bring Catherine’s work to Australia and before long the nuns were opening schools across Australia. Sacred Heart and many other of our Diocesan schools were operated in their early history through the dedication of those connected to the Sisters of Mercy. Sacred Heart commenced in 1906 and the Mercy order continued to work in the school until 1976.

While in Ireland I had the privilege of staying in the house. It was amazing to experience and stay in the Convent that Catherine, her companions and nuns once did their amazing work. The centre was an amazing place of hospitality, heritage, pilgrimage and renewal.

I apologise for the poor and limited photography below. For those interested more about the historical significance of the house I have included a link to an interactive tour.

Mercy International House Tour

Religious Education

2023 Sacramental Dates

First Eucharist - Year 4 & Above

Parent Information Evening - Wednesday 6th September 2023 @ 7pm SH Church

Sacrament of First Eucharist - Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd October 2023

Reconciliation - Year 2 & Above

Parent Information Evening - Wednesday 11th October 2023 7pm SH Church

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Wednesday 22nd November 2023 7pm SH Church

Learning and Teaching News

Structured Literacy - Syllables:

Sacred Heart is changing the way we deliver literacy instruction at school. This year is significant for staff as they undertake professional learning to become more aware of current evidence and best practice in this area. This week, staff have participated in professional learning with a focus on syllables.

Systematic teaching with syllable instruction:

Systematic teaching means that we teach syllables in a logical, organised order. The SunLit Structured Literacy Scope and Sequence will assist teachers with an explicit syllable instruction which is scaffolded from Foundation to Year 3.
This means that young readers can begin reading words like kitten and tennis as soon as they have mastered their letter sounds and closed syllable words like kit and ten.

Learning Diversity News

Wellbeing Dog - Coco has been attending school each Monday and Friday this term. She has been allocated to classrooms for half an hour at a time at this stage which seems to be working; having ‘energy offset’ breaks when the students are playing outside during lunch and recess. Her breaks are taken either on lead in the playground/oval or out the front of the school, off lead with two senior students playing with her.

From week 3, Coco will be wearing a Dogs Connect bandana which will signify that she is ‘working’. When the bandana is removed she will know that it is playtime, alone time or generally, non ‘work’ time.

Please note that when Coco is on the school grounds, other dogs are not permitted to be.

Social Justice - Soup Kitchen

On Monday we took charge of the Sacred Heart Parish Soup Kitchen. We had 14 adults and 2 children come to the Monaghan Centre for a hot meal and some company. Thanks as always to our school staff and Naomi Nelson for supplying a most delicious dinner and homemade dessert. The clients were incredibly grateful and left with a shopping bag of take home meals and groceries. A huge thanks also to Katrina & Darren Clarke from Mallee Food Distributors who recently donated many supplies to the SK and for their generosity, we are very appreciative.

In the past few months we have had many students (ranging from Year 1 to Year 6) volunteer their time to the Soup Kitchen with the view that everyone deserves equal opportunities especially those in greatest need of a healthy, warm meal. I would like to say what an awesome job each and every one of these students have done on their rostered shift and how proud it makes me to say “these are the children from Sacred Heart PS”. Last Monday the team consisted of Alana Chatfield, Oliver Hobbs, Gemma Carruthers & Olive McGlashan who were so good at sharing their happiness and kindness with the clients; the feedback was so positive.

I’d like to share a conversation I had with one gentleman when I went over to him to apologise for the slight delay in serving the main meal. His response was “No problem at all, this is the best place I have sat all day!” I said why is that and his reply was “because it’s warm, it’s comfy, it’s safe, there’s good light but mostly because I get to see happy smiling faces and I have someone to talk to!” I shared this conversation with the students who then realised how important this Social Justice program is for those who are less fortunate in our Sunraysia Community; the meal is good but it is more than that!

God Bless

Mrs Chris Carmichael

Prep Unit News

We have had a fantastic week of learning in Prep for week 2 of term 3. We have learnt 4 digraphs! Digraphs are two letters that make one sound - the digraphs we have learnt are ck, ll, ff and ss. We have had many InitiaLit lessons on how we generally find these digraphs at the end of words… see if you can spot any in the books you are reading at home to your child. Athletics training is in full swing as we prepare for our annual athletics day in week 5.

Sounds to continue practising with your child/ren at home: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, r, f, o, c, d, h, e, n, g, l, k, u, b, j, w, ck, ll, ff, ss.
Learn all the tricky words at the back of the reading diary.

A reminder our library day is on Monday , so please make sure our books are returned on Friday ready for borrowing each Monday.

Show and tell reminder for this week (Monday): students are to bring a small ‘stuff toy’. Please remember to practise your child’s show and tell with them. This is extremely important so that they have something to talk about when it gets to their turn.

The Preps will be celebrating their 100th day of school on Monday 31st July… we will be dressing up as 100 year old people (see the example below).

Prep Unit Team Contact Details

Unit Leader: Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan
Cooinda: Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan - bocallaghan@shmildura.catholic.edu.au
Wahroonga: Mrs Wendy Collins - wcollins@shmildura.catholic.edu.au

Junior Unit News

Next Monday 24th July all students are required to wear their sports uniform in preparation for time trials for our Athletics Day. These will be run by Mr Burford.

Students have set their own learning goals around our school expectations: Respectful, Responsible and Safe. We hope you have a chance to check these out on Seesaw and provide your child/ren with feedback.

Thank you for encouraging routine in your home by supporting the children to read nightly, fill in their diary, practise their tricky words and bring books and diary back to school in their library bag each day. This assists with their routines to ensure our students are able to follow instructions with ease.

We have our SPECTACULAR Grandparents day celebration happening at school this Friday. Please ensure that you provide a plate of ‘sweets’ to share, on a disposable plate.

Year 2:

Lunch boxes- Please ensure that the children have a small lunch and recess box as they are all currently not fitting into our blue tubs. These tubs then need to fit on a shelf in the school fridges.

Sleepover- Our Sleepover will take place on Thursday 31st August with the children returning to school at 5pm. We will then follow up on Friday with super fun activities. More information to follow.

Year 1:

Next Week, students will bring home their work book and writing book. We ask you to cover in CLEAR contact and RETURN to school on Monday morning.

Art: On Tuesday, students will tie dye shirts as part of our ‘Stay Back’ experience. If you have any spare plastic bags at home, we would appreciate these being brought in.

The students have also been enhancing their knowledge of angles, lines and 2D shapes. We hope that you have had a chance to access Seesaw and check out these authentic learning experiences to create some followup discussion with your child.

Junior Unit Team Contact Details

Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.

Unit Leader: Mrs Katrina Groves
Karinya (Year 1): Mrs Katrina Groves (Monday-Thursday) & Mrs Christine Sherry (Friday)
Bundaleer (Year 1): Miss Hayley Moore
Barramunga (Year 2): Mrs Chris Carmichael
Nangare: (Year 2): Mrs Maree Irvin

Middle Unit News

Pen Licences

This term students in Year 3 and 4 have begun working towards gaining their Pen Licence. Students have been encouraged to show their best handwriting at all times and ensure they set out their workbooks neatly. Well done to those students who have already achieved their Pen Licence.

Year 4 Homework

This week Year 4 students commenced weekly homework. This term we are asking students to complete a weekly spelling task, nightly reading (including filling in their Reading Log) and choosing one task from the Homework Grid. It will be especially important that homework folders are returned to school on Fridays as this contains all homework for the term and weekly spelling words will be added.

Year 3 Homework

This week students began taking home a multiplication sheet. Each week students will be tested on their knowledge of the multiplication strategy and move through the different numbers. We are encouraging practise at home along with nightly reading. Take home books are still available in each classroom, however as we move through to the end of the year, borrowing from the library is preferred.

Year 3 Swan Hill Camp

A reminder to please ensure you have responded with permission for the upcoming Year 3 Swan Hill Camp on PAM. Further information about the camp will be provided next week.

Middle Unit Team Contact Details

Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.

Unit Leader: Miss Sophie Price
Amaroo (Year 3): Mrs Sarah Beckwith
Yongana (Year 3): Mrs Georgina Whitehouse
Mootwingee (Year 3): Mrs Jaimi Willersdorf
Minga (Year 4): Miss Sophie Price
Eumeralla (Year 4): Miss Rosie Lennox

Senior Unit News

Year 5 and 6 students will be participating in Maths Olympiad and Maths Games on Wednesday morning.

We look forward to celebrating Grandparents and Special Friends day on Friday. Mass will be at 9:15am at the Sacred Heart Church. Students are asked to bring a plate of morning tea to share.

Senior Unit Team Contact Details

Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.

Unit Leader Year 5: Mrs. Natalee Johnson
Unit Leader Year 6: Mrs. Loretta Thompson
Illawarra (Year 5): Mrs. Cathryn Rowles
Kyema (Year 5): Mrs. Natalee Johnson
Myalla (Year 5): Mrs. Emma Kotsiakos (Monday-Thursday) & Mr. Corey Barbary (Friday)
Narooma (Year 6): Mrs. Jo Campbell
Dourim (Year 6): Mrs. Loretta Thompson
Illawarra (Year 6): Mrs. Amelia Pacher (Monday-Thursday) & Mr. Jacob Burford (Friday)

Library News

Scholastic Book Club News:

Thank you to the parents and caregivers that have placed their order on this Issue of Book Club! There is still time to order if you haven't already. It's packed with hundreds of books from just $3 to help you on your child's reading journey and there’s a free book giveaway promotion in this edition. Orders close Thursday 27th of July.

Please order via the online LOOP ordering system through the link provided or by following the instructions on the back of the catalogue. The school does not accept cash and cheques.

Please make your order via the link: https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx

Did you know that every purchase you make on Book Club earns our school 15% of the order value in Scholastic Rewards? We use these to purchase more books and educational resources for the school. It all helps!

Orders will be delivered to the school within two weeks. When the orders arrive at the SHPS library, the students will receive them from their classroom teacher/s. If you have questions or issues with Book Club, please do not hesitate to contact me rather than directly messaging Scholastic.

Ms Zema at azema@shmildura.catholic.edu.au