ISSUE 3: 9th February, 2024

Principal Message

Gospel Reflection

On this Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, let us ponder the importance of kindness in our interactions. In a world that can sometimes be demanding, a simple act of compassion can make a profound difference. Encourage your children to approach others with empathy and understanding, fostering a community where the warmth of kindness becomes a guiding light for us all.

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

We extend our gratitude to the numerous parents who participated in the Get to Know You Meetings held on Tuesday and Wednesday. These well-attended meetings serve as a crucial foundation for fostering a positive partnership between home and school. Your willingness to share your child's strengths, challenges, and interests greatly aids our teachers in providing personalised support and guidance. 

Additionally, it was heartening to witness the presence of many parents, grandparents, and friends as we celebrated our Beginning of School Year Mass on Thursday morning.

It was fantastic to have Jacob Koschitzke, Dion Prestia, Jacob Bauer, and Oliver Hayes-Brown from the Richmond Football Club join us during their Community Camp on Thursday, generously answering numerous questions from our students.

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We extend our gratitude to families for supporting our Pupil Free Day today, allowing our staff to participate in professional learning centered on Structured Literacy. This aligns with our School Improvement goal to enhance literacy outcomes by strengthening the capabilities of our staff in delivering best practice literacy instruction.

Here are some important messages for this week:

School Photos

Information regarding School Photos will be distributed to all families this Monday 9th February, and orders must be submitted online. Photos will take place on Monday, February 19th, with all students required to wear their normal summer school uniform. Students in classes with PE on this day should remember to bring their runners to change into.

Shrove Tuesday Breakfast

On Tuesday, join us for a free pancake breakfast from 7:50 am to 8:45 am as we observe Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins in our Catholic church calendar. If you can assist with serving, setting up or cooking, please inform the Office.

Ash Wednesday Mass

This Wednesday at 10am, we invite parents to join us at the Sacred Heart Church for Ash Wednesday Mass with St. Paul’s Primary School. We eagerly anticipate coming together to observe the start of Lent. Lent is a time before Easter when Christians remember Jesus's journey. People often give up something they like and try to be kinder to others to show love and respect, just like Jesus did.

Project Compassion

On Monday, Project Compassion boxes will be sent home with all families. Project Compassion, Caritas Australia's annual Lenten appeal, invites us to join millions in supporting the world's poor. Please return your Project Compassion boxes to school by Thursday, March 28th.

School Assemblies

Beginning in 2024, our school assemblies will occur fortnightly, with Year 6 Amaroo hosting the first one for 2024 at 2:30pm on Friday. Following the assembly, Amaroo parents are welcome to join an afternoon tea in their child's classroom, offering an opportunity to view student learning.

Prep Rest Day

To support our Prep students in adjusting, rest days are integrated into the program until the Labour Day long weekend, with the upcoming one scheduled for Wednesday next week.

Student Drop Off

To ensure student safety, we kindly request that drop-offs occur after 8:19 am, as many students are unsupervised before this time at the front of the school. Thank you for helping us maintain a secure environment for all our students.

Soup Kitchen

Once a month, the Sacred Heart community, comprised of staff, parents, and students, gather to serve and prepare meals at the Sacred Heart Parish Soup Kitchen, offering warmth, company and support to those experiencing homelessness or poverty. Mrs. Carmichael, our Soup Kitchen coordinator, is seeking volunteers for Monday nights. If you're available to assist, please email her at ccarmichael@shmildura.catholic.edu.au. A letter will be sent home with more details next week.

God Bless!

Mr Mark Gibson

Please note one of our Year 6 famillies did not receive their vineleaf at the end of year / graduation mass last year, we do believe it was on the table at the church, if you know of someone that may have collected it by accident please let the school know. Many Thanks!

Religious Education

2024 Sacramental Dates

Sacrament of Confirmation (Year 3 & Above) 

Parent Information Session - Wednesday, 27th March

Celebration of Sacrament - Friday 17th, Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th May

Sacrament of First Eucharist (Year 4 & Above)

Parent Information Session - Wednesday, 28th August

Celebration of Sacrament - Friday 25th, Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th October

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Year 2 & Above)

Parent Information Session - Wednesday, 16th October

Celebration of Sacrament - Wednesday 27th November

Learning and Teaching

This week students and teachers have been busily completing some assessments for the beginning of the year.

Phonics Check: Year 1 students have been completing the Phonics Check. The Check looks at how well your child can 'decode' written words. Teachers listen to how the child sounds out the letter and letter groups and how they blend these sounds together from left to right to make words. The Phonics Check helps your child's teacher and the school to confirm whether your child is making their expected progress in reading. We can then use this information to inform our teaching program.

CHIPS: Foundation students have been completing the CHIPS Assessment. CHIPS assesses the four processing skills known to impact on early literacy development. Screening results obtained may assist with early detection of literacy challenges in beginner readers, and provide greater understanding of the processing difficulties struggling readers face. 

PAT Testing: Students in Years 1-6 have been completing their PAT Testing for both Reading and Mathematics. ​​PAT assessments measure what students  know, understand and are capable of across domains, and help monitor progress over time.

Learning Diversity

SWPBS News

At Sacred Heart we want everyone in our community to be Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Our school wants us to develop these values so that they become a part of how we live our life at school each day. This will lead to a safer, kinder and more considerate school community and will help everyone to be able to learn and grow to their full potential. 

As a Catholic School, the example of Jesus is at the heart of all that we do. This is how Jesus lived his life and we encourage everyone to be the best versions of themselves each day and contribute to our school in a positive way. 

As part of our commitment to creating a respectful, responsible, and safe learning environment, we have implemented a School Wide Positive Behavior Matrix. This matrix outlines the expected behaviours of being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe that we strive to see from every member of our school community.

Each fortnight, we will be launching a special focus from our Matrix. Our first focus is on the value of ACCEPTANCE. We firmly believe that fostering a sense of acceptance is crucial in creating an inclusive and harmonious environment for everyone.

During this period, students in all classes will be engaging in discussions and activities centred around the concept of acceptance. We will be exploring various ways to demonstrate acceptance, including:

• Kind and Friendly Communication: Students will learn the importance of using kind and friendly words when interacting with others.
• Inclusion: Students will discover the power of including others in their activities and interactions in a kind and friendly manner, particularly those new to our school community.
• Helping Others: Students will understand how assisting others in a kind and friendly way can contribute to a positive atmosphere.
• Respecting Differences: The significance of respecting and appreciating the diversity among our peers will be emphasised.

To enhance this learning experience, we will be utilising videos and activities that demonstrate kindness and helping others.

As we introduce these behaviours, we encourage our students to actively model them within the school environment. Our dedicated teachers will be on the lookout for instances of acceptance, providing constructive feedback, and acknowledging those who embody this expectation.

Foundation News

Thank you for taking the time to come and meet with your child’s teacher this week during our Get to Know You Interviews. The Foundation Information note was sent home with students last week. This note outlines all the important information in our Unit. Please take the time to read this note carefully and ask your child’s teacher for a copy if you did not receive one. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. 

 Over the next two weeks students will be introduced to these 7 sounds/letters S, A, T, P, I, N, M. These are the first sounds that we learn in InitiaLit. We will practise hearing these sounds in words and learn to correctly form/write the letters used to represent them. Here is a link to a website that gives you the correct pronunciation of each of these sounds

We will also practise blending these letters to form short words, e.g. 's'+ 'a', +'t' = 'sat'. As well as learning to segment the sounds we hear in words, so we can then spell them e.g. 'sat'= 's'+ 'a' + 't'. The ability to blend and segment sounds in words are critical foundational skills for reading and spelling. A quick reminder of the terms we use in class.

Sound: Is what we hear. What is the 1st sound in the word sat?

Letter: Is what we see. How do we write the sound 's' in the word sat?

The Foundation Information Session will be held on Thursday 29th February @ 3.30pm in Coonda. This is an important meeting to attend so that you gain an insight into how reading is taught at Sacred Heart and the expectations of home reading.

Some reminders:

- Each morning the students need to do their jobs before finding something to do. They need to bring into the classroom from their bag their drink bottle, lunch container, snack container and brainfood container. 

- The school library books are borrowed on Wednesday and returned on the following Monday. If your child does not bring back their books or does not have their library bag on library day they will not be able to borrow new books.

- Your child’s library bag needs to be at school every day - kept in their school bag.

- Please begin to bring in a pair of headphones for use on the iPads.

- Remember to use 2 small containers for recess and lunch so that they fit into our fridge boxes. The time frame the students have to eat their lunch and snack is short so packing a sandwich and one other thing is often enough and then 2-3 snacks for recess. Here is an example of the perfect size snack and lunch containers. Please be mindful of students with allergies to nuts.

- Brainfood needs to be in a small container and placed on children’s tables in the morning.

- Sports days are Thursday and Friday - sports uniform is to be worn on these days.

Please remember to email your child's teacher a family photo.  This will be printed and displayed in our classrooms on our ‘Family Tree’.

Cooinda - bocallaghan@shmildura.catholic.edu.au 

Wahroonga hmoore@shmildura.catholi.edu.au 

Foundation Rest Days: 

Students will have the following days/dates as a rest day from school:

Friday 9th February

Wednesday 14th February

Wednesday 21st February

Wednesday 28th February

Monday 11th March

Year One News

We had a fantastic time meeting parents and discussing your precious children at our Getting to Know You interviews. Thank you for making the time to meet with us.  

Next week Year One children will be participating in the burning of the palm leaves, celebrating Shrove Tuesday as well as Ash Wednesday. You are all invited to attend Mass on Wednesday beginning at 10am should you wish to.

Show and Tell begins on Monday with this week's focus: Something that you really like or love. Physical items, photos or videos are all welcome and can be emailed to your child’s teacher. 

We will also begin bringing home the ‘Enhanced Comprehension’ books on Monday. (Different texts, yet same style of questioning as Prep). These are borrowed every Monday and need to be returned every Friday. These texts provide a great opportunity for your child to hear how you read with fluency, add character voices and build on their comprehension and word knowledge.

This week students built on their understanding of Data. We made predictions about the possible coloured cars we could see, then went out into the yard and counted cars using tally marks. Students then graphed their findings and spoke about the most and least common colours. Students have been establishing classroom expectations and school expectations to enhance their knowledge and independence. On Thursday both year one classes looked at friendship and respect through teamwork. Attached are photos from this week's learning opportunities.

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Year Two News

We have noticed that the lunch and recess containers are still not fitting into our Blue Fridge boxes. This means they are overflowing and very heavy. We would appreciate it if children could be supplied with a smaller box that is adequate for the food supplied. Some food items may not need to go into the fridge and could stay in their bags.

Thank you to those Waminda parents who organised and came along to the GTKY Interviews with Mrs Collins. Due to illness, Mrs Carmichael will meet with Barramunga parents in the coming weeks, so look out for those dates. Thanks

Many of our activities over the past 2 weeks have been about working cooperatively and sharing ways we can be a good friend to others. We even went out to the sandpit and with a partner had the challenge of working together to build the tallest sandcastle. 

Kindness is important to Year 2’s as it is free and an easy thing to do. We made a big poster for our classroom that said “IF YOU CAN BE ANYTHING IN THE WORLD: BE KIND” to remind us to be kind to ourselves, kind to others and kind to the environment.

Chris & Wendy

Year Three News

It was great to see you at our Getting to Know You  interviews. We appreciate your valuable insight about how we can best support your child. 

This week we commenced home reading. Your child has a reading log to complete after reading each night.  In Year Three some students will continue to choose books from our classroom book box, while some will be ready to select ‘just right’ novels from the library. Thanks for your patience as we get to know each of our children academically and help them find the right fit. 

We’ve currently had a number of toys and teddies coming from home. Unless you’ve made special arrangements with your child’s teacher, could you please ask your child to leave these items at home. Also, a reminder that coloured scrunchies and colourful jewellery items are not part of our school uniform. 

Your child is welcome to bring fruits and vegetables to snack on at our 9:55 brain break. 

Sarah, Emma and Maree.

Year Four News

What a great start to the school year we have had in Year 4.

Thank you to all of our parents that attended our GTKYI interviews this week, if you weren’t able to make it please make contact with your child’s classroom teacher for an alternative time.

Next week students will have the opportunity to nominate themselves for the role of class captain and make their speeches. We look forward to hearing from our future Year 4 leaders.

Year Five News

Congratulations to our 2024 Class Captains; Ned Fyfe (Eumeralla) and Noah Stephens (Minga). We are positive that you will both shine in your new roles as leaders to our class and school. 

We ask that students name their stationery for their pencil cases as soon as possible. If your child has not yet brought in a pair of headphones, can this please occur ASAP.

Just a reminder that we have Brain Break every day at 9.55am, students are encouraged to bring in a fruit snack for this time.

Year Six News

Students had fun participating in a STEM challenge to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving in a design technology context this week.

Students were given the task of designing and constructing a pirate ship that could remain afloat whilst holding as many coins (dice) as possible. The task enabled students to use a variety of materials in order to solve the design challenge.

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Next Friday it is Amaroo’s turn to host our School assembly.

Library

Welcome to the 2024 school year at SHPS. Students and staff have had a great first week and have enjoyed their library sessions. Most classes have explored and borrowed books to read and engage in, some to take home and others to enjoy in their classrooms. 

This year, Ms Ag Zema has taken time away from the library to pursue studies. We wish her all the best for the year ahead. I am happy to announce that I have taken Ms Zema’s  place in the library part-time. My name is Mrs Maree Irvin, and I work on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the library. Please feel free to contact me at mirvin@shmildura.catholic.edu.au

Scholastic Book Club Issue #1

Book Club ‘newspapers’ have been sent home with students this week. Each order made contributes to “Scholastic Dollars” that the school can use to supplement resources. Orders must be made via the online “LOOP” ordering system that can be found here or follow the instructions on the back of the newspaper pamphlet. Cash and Cheques will NOT be accepted at school. 

https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx

Orders close not later than Monday 12th February and will be delivered 1-2 weeks after that. They will be distributed to children when they arrive.

Library Timetable:

Tuesday- Dourim (Yr 3), Narooma (Yr 3), Yongana (Yr 6), Mootwingee (Yr 6),  Minga (Yr 5), Karinya (Yr 1) and Eumeralla (Yr 5).

Wednesday- Myalla (Yr 4), Illawarra (Yr 4), Kyema (Yr 4), Amaroo (Yr 6), Bundaleer  (Yr 1),  Wahroonga (Prep) and Cooinda (Prep).

Friday- Waminda and Barramunga (Year Two).

On Library days, students are expected to have their library bags and books to return/borrow. 

The Library will also be open before school (Tuesday and Wednesday) and at afternoon play (recess) on Tuesday to Friday.

Camp Australia

A Word from our After School Care Provider - Camp Australia

Students of The Week

Note - Assemblies are now held fortnightly, Students of the week will be presented at these.

No awards / Assembly this week.

Parent Information

Arriving and Leaving Safely

Kiss & Go

To help keep everyone safe during drop-off and pick-up please take note of the following rules at Kiss and Go and the School Crossing that should be followed both in the morning (8:10-8:45am) and afternoon (3pm-3:30pm):

• Stay in your vehicle unless you need to assist younger students with their seat belts.
• Aim to keep your car in the Kiss & Go area for a maximum of two minutes to allow others to use the space too.
• Access the Kiss & Go only from Olive Grove, not 12th Street.
• Please refrain from dropping off students outside of cars in Olive Grove.
• Avoid performing U-turns within the Kiss & Go area.
• For your safety, use the school crossing if you need to cross 12th Street.


Thanks for helping us keep our school safe for everyone!

Pick Up and Drop Off Points

These designated areas serve as convenient points for collecting or dropping off children at the school if you are walking in with them. Please ensure you find a suitable and permissible parking spot for your car in order to use these locations.

Riding Scooters & Bikes

Certain students walk, ride bikes, or scooters to school and are requested to use either the 12th Street entrance or the Tamarisk Grove entrance at the rear of the oval. Riding into or through the school grounds is not permitted.

Collect Children from School Grounds

Feel free to come into school to pick up your child directly from their classroom. It's an excellent opportunity to meet other parents, have casual conversations with teachers, and ensure your child is organised at the end of the day. If you choose this option, please park appropriately and be outside the classroom by the 3.10 bell; otherwise, your child will be directed to the supervised Kiss and Go area. Students and young siblings should refrain from using the playground equipment.

School Crossings

Students walking home are advised to use the school crossings on Twelfth Street, Walnut Avenue and Eleventh Street to safely avoid heavily trafficked roads. All crossings are supervised by a School Crossing Supervisor, and it's crucial to follow their directions.  We also encourage parents to model expected behaviours by using the School Crossings also.

Buses

Several of our students catch buses home from the St. Joseph’s bus stop on 11th Street. Each day a teacher gathers these children together and accompanies them to the bus stop to supervise until they are all safely on the bus.

Drop Off Times

Preferred 'Drop Off' Time: 8.25 - 8.45 am. For safety reasons, please refrain from dropping off students before 8.19 am, as there is no supervision provided.  Our gates open at this time.

Pick Up Times

Recommended 'Pick Up' Time: 3.10 - 3.25 PM. While we understand occasional delays, if regular or extending beyond 3.30 PM, please consider enrolling your child/ren in After School Care.

Walking or Riding Home

If your children walk or ride home or to your workplace after school, please submit written permission authorising them to leave unaccompanied. They must exit through the main 12th Street gate or accompany the 11th Street bus group through Tamarisk Grove.

Alternative Pick Up Places

For safety, we strongly advise against arrangements where children wait unsupervised at public pick-up locations like Walnut Avenue or St Joseph’s College.

EATING AND DRINKING AT SCHOOL

Healthy Eating

To sustain learning and promote healthy eating we encourage students to bring to school predominantly healthy food choices.

Brainfood

Students have a brain food break during the morning to keep children’s brains fuelled for learning. We ask that families send an extra fresh fruit or vegetable snack for children to have during this time. When sending the snack, please pack it separately from your child’s lunch in a small, named container so it can be placed on their desk each morning.

Lunch Snack

The main meal of the school day; a sandwich or roll, a salad or a slice of quiche. A healthy ‘treat’ may also be appropriate here that is healthy and gives long-term energy.  Lunch is eaten usually in the classroom from 11:25am-11:40am.

Recess Snack

We encourage parents to pack fresh fruit or vegetables in your child’s recess snack box.  You may like to pack one or two other snack items for them at this time.  This snack is eaten at 1:40pm.

Packing Food

 The school has a bank of refrigerators for the storage of students’’ food. For the ease of packing and unloading the fridges, we ask that parents provide separate, small, well-labelled containers or zip-lock bags for their child’s recess snack and lunch. Insulated ‘puffy’ lunchboxes and ice-blocks are not required.

School Canteen

Our School Canteen operates on a Wednesday and Friday and provides a range of lunch options at low cost.    The current menu and prices can be accessed through and ordered via the CDFpay website https://shmildura.cdfpay.org.au

OFFICE INFORMATION

Office Hours

Office hours will run from 8:20am to 4:00pm every day. Phone calls can be made starting at 8:00 am.

Change of Personal Details

If there are any changes to your contact details (address/phone number/emergency contacts), kindly inform the office by calling 50231204, emailing office@shmildura.catholic.edu.au, or visiting the office in person.

Simon Everywhere and Parent Access Module (PAM)

Simon Everywhere is an App for smart phones that allows parents to access all information relating to their child/ren such as reports, attendance and much more. It also allows you to update medical information, give permission for excursions, access teacher emails and also receive notifications from the school.

For parents familiar with PAM, the new App works mostly the same as PAM and you can still access PAM through the web site: pam.shmildura.catholic.edu.au, however the app has additional functionality such as Push notifications and the ability to sign in without having to enter your username and password each time.

1. Go to the App Store or Google Play Store and search Simon Everywhere
2. Download and open the App and Allow Notifications
3. Enter your name and phone number and press verify, you will receive a code via SMS
4. Click on 'Add School'
5. Select Sacred Heart Primary School, Mildura - Parent Access
6. Enter your PAM username and password. If you do not know your credentials, please call the school.

7. Click on the Home icon.
   

Simon everywhere works best when notifications are turned on. You can check the notifications setting on your phone to be sure by going to the Settings – Notifications – Then find the Simon Everywhere App.

Sickness at School

Children with severe colds, flus, or other debilitating illnesses must stay at home. Do not send the child if they have:

• Fever: Children with a fever over 38 degrees should stay home.
• Prescribed antibiotics: Keep a child at home for at least 24 hours if prescribed antibiotics for an acute illness.
• Diarrhea: Children with watery stool should return only after being symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
• Vomiting: Children who are vomiting should stay home until at least 24 hours after it has stopped.

After School Care

After School Care is available for Sacred Heart students and is located on our school grounds.  Camp Australia run this program for students from Sacred Heart Primary School and St Paul's Primary School.  The program runs from the Art House building which is located on Olive Grove.

Sacred Heart families can make use of the Camp Australia After-School Care Program that is held on the grounds of Sacred Heart.  The service is available from 3:10pm through to 6pm on school days.  A healthy snack is provided to children.  Registration needs to be done through the Camp Australia website www.campaustralia.com.au .  Further information can be obtained by calling 1300 105 343.  Each day the office will print out a list of students attending Out of Hours School Care and notify the students at the end of the day via the announcements.

Marking Child’s Absence 

1. Log into the App - SimonEverywhere or login via PAM (type pam.shmildura.catholic.edu.au in your address bar).
2. You can either log by clicking on the large blue calendar section that says Parent Notified Absences or you can click on the 3 menu lines at the top right-hand side of your screen. NOTE: On your phone it will appear below your child/ren’s name.
3. You will then need to click the blue + Add Absence button circled below
4. Then select your child, and in reason

If your family is going on an extended family holiday. Please contact the school to inquire about an Student Absence Learning Plan.

School Day

• 8:19 am - Gates open & students can access Courtyard
• 8:34 am - Access Courtyard and play on Oval (classrooms opening optional for teachers)
• 8.49 am - School day begins - classroom open
• 8:55 am - School starts.
• 9.55 am - Brain Break
• 10:55 am - Lunch Play
• 11.25 am - Lunch Eat
• 1.40 pm - Recess 
• 2.10 pm - Recess Finishes
• 3.10 pm - School finishes

Sports Uniform Days

Prep:  

• Cooinda (Mrs O’Callaghan) - Thursday & Friday  
• Wahroonga (Miss Moore) - Thursday & Friday  

Year One: 

• Bundaleer (Mrs Coffey & Mrs Priestley) - Tuesday & Wednesday 
• Karinya (Mrs Groves) - Tuesday & Wednesday 

Year Two:

• Barramunga (Mrs Carmichael) - Tuesday & Friday
• Waminda (Mrs Collins) - Monday & Friday

Year Three:

• Narooma (Mrs Beckwith) - Monday & Tuesday
• Dourim (Mrs Kotsiakos & Mrs Irvin) - Monday & Thursday

Year Four:

• Illawarra (Mrs Willersdorf) - Monday & Tuesday 
• Myalla (Mrs Rowles) - Monday & Wednesday
• Kyema (Mrs Johnson) - Monday & Thursday 

Year Five:  

• Minga (Mrs Deacon) - Monday & Wednesday 
• Eumeralla (Mrs Gunn & Mrs Pacher) - Monday & Wednesday

Year Six:  

• Amaroo (Mrs Campbell) - Tuesday & Friday 
• Yongana (Mrs Zaxos) - Monday & Friday
• Mootwingee (Mrs Thompson) - Thursday & Friday

Term Dates