ISSUE 10: 12th April, 2024

Principal Message

Gospel Reflection

As we approach the Third Sunday of Easter, we are reminded of the disciples' encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus. This encounter serves as a powerful reminder of the presence of Christ in our lives, even in the midst of uncertainty and doubt. Just as the disciples' hearts burned within them as Jesus spoke to them, may our hearts be ignited with faith and hope as we journey through the Easter season. Let us open our eyes to recognize Christ's presence in the ordinary moments of our lives, and may we be inspired to share the joy of his resurrection with others. As we continue to celebrate the Easter season, may we walk with renewed faith and courage, knowing that Christ walks with us always.

What’s on Next Week (Term 2 Week 1)

Coming Up in Week 2 

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

We hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic Easter break and two weeks off. Term Two starts for all students and staff on Monday, April 15th. We're excited about the new term ahead and all the great things it will bring!

Our Year 4 students had a fantastic time during their three-day camp at Roses Gap in the last week of Term One. Congratulations to all the students! A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Rowles, Mrs. Willerdorf, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Burford, and Mr. Goss for their hard work in organising and making the camp a success.

We're starting the term with a gentle pace to help everyone ease back into it smoothly. 

Cross Country

Join us for our SHPS Cross Country this Wednesday at the Aerodrome Ovals! Drop off your child at the Athletics Track from 8:30 am, and they'll return to school after the events. Children are requested to wear a coloured t-shirt representing their house team (Hattah - Yellow, Mallee - Red, Murray - Blue, Kulkyne - Green). Students should have a drink bottle, small brain food snack and hat.  Parents are invited to attend with the schedule outlined below. We're excited to announce a new and shorter event this year, where both girls and boys will run together! This is possible thanks to our new electronic timing system. Please note that children will run in the age group corresponding to their age they turn in 2024. Upon return, all students will enjoy a sausage sizzle at our normal lunch time..

Cross Country Assembly

During our upcoming Friday assembly, we'll be presenting Cross Country awards. This will include handing out the shield to the winning team and recognising our age group champions.

2024 Foundation Enrolment

We're excited to announce that enrolment for new Foundation students in 2025 has begun! If you're interested, you can inquire, apply, and schedule tours by clicking here. The deadline for enrolments is Friday, May 31st, 2024, at 4 pm. We encourage our current families to apply now through the school website link provided above. If you know any new families considering Sacred Heart for their child, please share this information about our enrolment process with them.

2024 Foundation Open Day Tours

Join us for our Open Day Tours for families considering enrolling at Sacred Heart for Foundation in 2024! Tours will be held on Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, at 9:30 am, 12 pm, and 5:30 pm. It's a fantastic chance for new families to experience our learning environment and for parents to connect with each other as we prepare for a seamless transition to school. To book a tour, please complete the form by clicking here.

God Bless!

Mr Mark Gibson

2024 Dates of Interest

Religious Education

2024 Sacramental Dates

Sacrament of Confirmation (Year 3 & Above) 

• 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 Diversity

Vision & Hearning Checks

Hearing and vision screenings are critically important for children as they play a pivotal role in their overall development and academic success. Imagine your child struggling to follow classroom discussions or constantly squinting at books – undiagnosed hearing or vision issues can hinder their learning and social interaction.

Early screenings can identify problems like hearing impairments or nearsightedness, which could go unnoticed. For example, if your child has an undetected hearing problem, they may have trouble understanding instructions, affecting their academic progress and self-esteem. Similarly, untreated vision issues can lead to difficulties in reading, impacting their educational performance.

Wellbeing

School TV

Because parenting doesn't come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource implemented at our school to help support you in the challenges of modern-day parenting relating to youth mental health and wellbeing. Parenting is a learning journey and SchoolTV supports families by providing credible information from trusted sources with practical strategies to help alleviate some of the challenges being faced by young people today.

Watch video interviews with leading wellbeing specialists and browse a library of resources. Each topic is accompanied by factsheets, podcasts, books, articles, apps and other videos.

This award-winning resource helps families build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It will assist you in starting those conversations on topics that can sometimes be awkward or difficult to tackle.

Parents and caregivers are the greatest influence on a young person's life and SchoolTV focuses on empowering confident parenting.

Explore SchoolTV today!

Year One News

We have had such a fantastic first term of learning and getting to know one another in Year One, we cannot believe how quickly the term has flown. We thank you for your support towards your child at school and thank you for your dedication with nightly reading. We have already seen students' reading abilities expand and their love for reading becoming more apparent. 

Throughout Term One our main Literacy focuses were blending phonemes and identifying digraphs, looking at syllables in words, identifying fragments and sentences, writing super sentences, understanding nouns and verbs, handwriting on 24mm dotted thirds with correct letter formation and sizing, reading and writing high frequency words with an understanding of the ‘tricky’ part and sequencing stories. 

Our main Numeracy focuses were reading, writing and understanding number and place value to 100, use of hundreds charts and number lines to identify numbers, data representation and interpretation, informally measuring length and describing duration of time using months, weeks, days and hours. 

Our History and Health focus was ‘Then and Now’ with the key inquiry question: How has family life changed over time? We compared life in the past, present and future; Family connections; Special celebrations; How times have changed; Personal growth and changes as well as stages of life. A highlight was the incursion with Historian Bob Walton. We celebrated this learning by playing olden day games in our last class sport session. The students had such a fun time playing hopscotch, marbles, elastics, skipping ropes, hoops, knucklebones and tic tac toe. 

Throughout our Social Emotional Learning lessons, we focused on The Zones of Regulation, Emotional Literacy and Personal Strengths. During Religious studies, the students learnt about Relationships, Christian Ethics: Personal and Social, Prayer, Liturgy, Sacraments, Lent and Holy Week. 

Early Term 2 

Wednesday April 17th: Cross Country. Sacred Heart Primary School are hosting their annual Cross Country event at the Aerodrome ovals where the children will run 1 km. 

Wednesday April 24th: Year One Stayback. Please check your child’s bag for a note that was sent home during the last week of Term 1 regarding the Year One Stayback. If you need another copy, or would like some more information, please email your child’s teacher.

We hope you have all had a blessed Easter and restful, happy and safe time with your family. 

We look forward to seeing Year One students and families again in Term Two on Monday 15th April. 

Principals Awards

Our Term 1 Principal's Awards were announced atassembly on the last day of Term 1.  Well done to these outstanding students.

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