ISSUE 11: 19th April, 2024

Principal Message

Gospel Reflection

As we approach the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, we reflect on the comforting imagery of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who guides, protects, and cares for his flock. In this season of renewal and hope, let us take comfort in the knowledge that we are lovingly watched over and guided by our compassionate Savior. Just as the Good Shepherd knows each of his sheep by name, so too does Jesus know and cherish each one of us. As parents and members of the Sacred Heart Primary School community, let us strive to emulate the qualities of the Good Shepherd by caring for one another with compassion, kindness, and selflessness. May we find solace in the arms of our loving Shepherd and follow his example of love and service in our daily lives.

What’s on Next Week (Term 2 Week 2)

Coming Up in Week 3

Catholic Education Week (29th April to 3rd May)

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

Students have settled into the new term splendidly, with a fantastic cross country event this Wednesday. Congratulations to all our students for their exceptional performances, showcasing their dedication and giving it their all on the day, while also cheering on their fellow runners. A big shoutout to Mr. Burford for organizing the event and to all the parents who came out to support their children. Special congratulations to Murray who were the winning team, and to all our place getters across the different age groups. Great job, everyone!

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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.

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.  An advertising campaign for all Catholic schools will be starting from this week to promote enrolling children in Catholic schools.

New Families

We welcome the following new students, along with their families to Sacred Heart this term - Olympia Jordan (Barramunga), Sebastijan Krivec (Karinya), Franceska Krivec (Kyema) & Veronika Krivec (Minga).

Year One Stayback

We extend our best wishes to our Year One students for their upcoming Year One Stayback event on Wednesday. Students will enjoy a morning of swimming, followed by a day and evening filled with exciting activities. For further details, please refer to the Year 1 Report. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your child's classroom teacher.

ANZAC Day Public Holiday

On Thursday, we observe ANZAC Day with a public holiday. Our Student Leadership Team, along with Mr. O'Callaghan and I, will be representing the school at the 11:30 am service held at Henderson Park. Staff and students are warmly invited to join us if they would like to pay their respects. Lest we forget.

St Joseph’s College Enrolment Closes

This message is primarily directed to our Year 6 families. Enrolments for St. Joseph's College will be closing on Friday. Please ensure all necessary paperwork is submitted if you are interested in enrolling at the school.

Year 5/6 Leadership Day

Next Friday, our Year 5 & 6 students will engage in a Leadership Day led by yLead. The theme, "Lead With Heart," will guide students in discovering the qualities of respectful, courageous, and positive leadership within our school community. For more information, please see the Year 5 and Year 6 news section below.

Thumbs Up Morning Tea

We will celebrate our First Thumbs Up in the yard afternoon tea next Friday April 27th.

God Bless!

Mr Mark Gibson

2024 Dates of Interest

Mother's Day Stall

Our Mother’s Day Stall will be held on Friday 10^th May and students will be able to purchase an item from the stall for $5. Parents can make payment through CDF Pay (which has been set up) or some may choose to bring in cash. Children will come as a class to the stall and choose from a range of items that will be available.  If you are free and would like to help we will require parent helpers on the stall between 8:30am & 11am, please contact the office and leave your contact details and the time you are available. All money raised is used to purchase resources for your children.

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 and Teaching

Structured Literacy - The Simple View of Reading

As you would be aware, our literacy instruction at Sacred Heart is driven by the Structured Literacy methodology. This is a highly researched and recommended teaching pedagogy that is considered best practice for Literacy instruction. This explicit, teacher driven methodology is underpinned by The Simple View of Reading. Take a look at the video below to learn more about the research behind this methodology. The Simple View of Reading

SWPBS News

As we return to school ready for an exciting and busy Term 2 our SWPBS focus this week will be to revisit our classroom expectations and routines.

Effective classroom procedures and routines offer many benefits to students. Students who know how they should act in the classroom can be more successful because they can learn and achieve more. Students will spend more time learning instead of getting ready for class or asking questions about what they should do because you've streamlined the process for daily tasks. The benefits of classroom routines and procedures include: 

Creates consistency: Your students will learn what to expect when you're consistent. Routine consistency fosters a positive learning environment because the same rules apply to everyone so no one can be discriminated against or favoured.   

Reduces classroom distractions: An established routine will lessen student movement in the classroom or direct it where you want it to go. When the students know what they're supposed to be doing, it will also reduce distractions. If someone comes to class late, they can easily catch up without disrupting the class because they know the class structure.  

Boosts focus and engagement: Students will become familiar with the classroom flow and what comes next, making it easier for them to be focussed and engaged.

Wellbeing

Resilience is one of those skills that all kids need and should have. It refers to their ability to cope and adapt in situations when confronted with challenges such as adversity, trauma, tragedy, or even stress. It is essential to their mental health and wellbeing as part of their journey to adulthood. It is a skill that can be learned from an early age through the support of an adult role model.

However, being resilient does not mean your child won't experience any difficulties, but it will better equip them to manage those situations. Over-protective parenting can be viewed as being unhelpful towards the building of resilience. Although this may be a natural instinct, potentially experiencing failure is all part of the process. Encouraging children to take healthy risks will help them trust their capacity to deal with uncomfortable situations and increase their capacity for courage.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will gain an understanding of how to support their child’s brave behaviour to help them adapt and build resilience.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Resilience edition of SchoolTV

Foundation News

Welcome back to Term 2! We trust everyone had a lovely break and is ready for a fun-filled term of learning and experiences.

Well done to all of our Preps on competing in their very first Cross Country.

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Our Prep Breakfast is coming up…  Friday 17th May. A note with all the necessary information will come home closer to the date.

Our Mother’s Day Stall will be held on Friday 10th May. Please make your payment through CDF Pay.

Reminders:

• All children should have headphones at school (named)
• School starts at 8:45am each day. If you are at school after 8:45am you will need to sign your child in at the office. 
• Your child’s library bag needs to be at school every day - kept in their school bag.
• Sports days are Thursday and Friday - sports uniform is needed.
• Practise the sounds caterpillars and fluency chart each night.
• Read and record ‘Enhanced Comprehension’ and ‘Reader’ in the reading diary each night.
• Library books are to be returned to school on Fridays.
• Sounds to continue practising with your child/ren at home: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, r, f, o.

This term we are learning about the Creation Story in Religion, Addition and Subtraction in Maths and lots more sounds in Literacy… plus much, much more. Our Integrated Studies topic this term is The Changing Environment. This is a Science unit. Today we have sent home a ‘knowledge organiser’ for The Changing Environment Unit. It has key terminology that students will hear during learning and will also be a good way to start conversations with your child about what they’re learning.

 Here are some photos of how we have returned to school for term 2… ENJOY!

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Year One News

Term Two has begun with a fun and busy week of activities and learning experiences. We are all very excited for the Year One Stayback next Wednesday 24th April. 

In preparation for the day, the students have begun their Term Two Art by making Tie Dye T-Shirts which they will wear on Wednesday evening. A reminder to please respond to the permission on PAM and to read the information on the note carefully about what students need to bring to school on their Stayback day.  

Well done to all of the students on their effort and behaviour at Cross Country on Wednesday. It was a wonderful morning with many smiles, acts of kindness and persistence shown by the Year One students. 

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Year One students received their Show and Tell schedule and Term 2 Diary this week. We encourage nightly reading and practising spelling the tricky words which are located in the back of the students' diaries.

Year Two News

Welcome back to Term 2! We are very excited to see everyone looking well rested and ready to learn! Mrs Carmichael is enjoying a wonderful cruise at the moment with Mr Carmichael - we look forward to seeing her amazing photos when she returns! In the meantime, Mrs Neyland and Mr Bower are looking after Barramunga. 

Barramunga have also welcomed a new student this term, Olympia Jordan, and look forward to getting to know her.

All children should be commended for their wonderful behaviour and attitude on Wednesday for our school Cross Country! Well done to everyone for an amazing effort!

Show and Tell for week 2 will be the EVEN group and the focus is “What would your ideal day at school be like?” We are currently learning all about persuasive texts in Literacy so the children are asked to choose 3 subjects or activities that would make their day at school ideal and then PERSUADE their classmates by giving some convincing reasons! Feel free to help your child make up a list of reasons, or a poster, or just be prepared to orally share these reasons!

In maths this term we will be continuing our work on place value, the four operations as well as learning more about money. Even though so many of us rarely carry cash these days,  it is still vitally important that children are aware of the value of our Australian coins and notes.  Children are encouraged to look at coins and notes at home and chat about the value of these and if they have the opportunity to spend some coins at the shops, please encourage them to take notice of what they are using and whether they receive any change.

Children have all received a new diary for Term 2, please cover with clear contact at your earliest convenience! Just a reminder that the Enhanced Comprehension packs go home on a Monday and read each night, following the suggested questioning, and returned on Fridays.

Year Three News

Welcome back to Term 2! We have loved being back in the classroom and hearing all about your children’s Easter holidays. 

This Term Year Three will be commencing weekly homework. Over the next one to two weeks your child will bring home a homework book that focuses on 10 minutes of nightly activities that consolidate classroom learning. This homework is aimed to complement their learning and students should be able to do the activities independently. In accordance with our school’s homework policy there are no penalties for children who forget to bring their completed homework to school or don’t complete it every night. Please note this homework book will also replace the reading log that your child used last Term, students will now record their evening reading in their new homework book.

Many of our students are now ready to graduate from taking home readers to selecting ‘just right’ books in the school library. We will be supporting all students on how to choose just right books. This may take some adjustment time, if you notice that your child is bringing home books that aren’t a good fit for them, please don’t hesitate to let us know. 

This Term in Week 5, we are commencing our design and technology immersion day, where students will be creating and testing marble runs in small groups! This is an exciting week, but we would love your help!

We are seeking donations of the following, to help create our marble runs!

• Tin foil and the cardboard rolls
• Cardboard (shoe boxes, tissue boxes etc)
• Milk containers
• Any other recyclables that your child may like to use.

Please note that all supplies will form part of a whole Year Three supply and shared amongst every student. 

As always our classroom is open if you have any questions!

Year Four News

Welcome back to Term 2! We have loved being back in the classroom and hearing all about your children’s Easter holidays. 

Term One finished with an awesome camp at Roses Gap. There were many experiences that were new and challenging but our children did an amazing job.

Congratulations to the students who have received their pen licence. Over this term we hope more children will earn theirs.

As this is the beginning of the term, we ask that you check with your child on whether they need to replace any of their stationary that were supplied at the beginning of the year and have been misplaced. This does not  include grey or red lead pencils. Things to ask about are eraser, ruler, sharpener, scissors, textas or coloured pencils.

Year Five News

Welcome back to Term Two! We hope all of our Grade Five families had a relaxing break and enjoyed making special memories with family and friends! 

A big congratulations to all of our students with their efforts in our Cross Country! We saw some wonderful displays of sportsmanship and enthusiasm as students supported each other and cheered for their respective houses! 

This Term we will have a strong focus on handwriting with the aim for students to receive their pen licences. We also begin our Geography Unit on Natural Disasters and will be focussing on Earth & Space in our Science lessons. 

Upcoming Event: yLead  - Lead with HEART School Experience

Students in Years 5 & 6 are very fortunate to be able to participate in a ‘Lead with HEART’ In School experience with yLead next Friday the 26th of April. During a yLead day, students will explore leadership, develop their confidence, enhance their tool kit and create connections outside their existing network. The experience will offer a high energy environment that is inclusive, positive and offers opportunities for many students to step up and be heard.

This experience educates and empowers students to be the best they can be. Throughout the day students explore the acronym HEART, in a series of fun and zany activities, students will walk away understanding that leadership is more than a badge or title, but about the impact of their actions.

We look forward to a fun filled term together. As always, our doors are always open if you have any questions!

Year Six News

A warm welcome back from the holiday break. We hope that everyone enjoyed time with family and friends, and the students are refreshed and ready to begin the new term energised and enthused.

Literature Circles

This week, we have introduced Literature Circles to the reading program. This is a new strategy for students and it will require some preparation work to be done at home each week and possibly some parental support. Literature Circles involve students reading a book as part of a small group. They are expected to read an agreed upon number of pages each week (this may also be done during silent reading times at school,) so they can then discuss what has been read with their group as well as complete an assigned role. This week’s focus is summarising what has been read.

Cross Country

The Year 6 students had a great day at our School’s annual cross-country event on Wednesday. We congratulate students on their positive attitude and participation

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yLead  - Lead with HEART School Experience

Students in Years 5 & 6 are very fortunate to be able to participate in a ‘Lead with HEART’ In School experience with yLead next Friday. During a yLead day, students will explore leadership, develop their confidence, enhance their tool kit and create connections outside their existing network. The experience will offer a high energy environment that is inclusive, positive and offers opportunities for many students to step up and be heard.

This experience educates and empowers students to be the best they can be. Throughout the day students explore the acronym HEART, in a series of fun and zany activities, students will walk away understanding that leadership is more than a badge or title, but about the impact of their actions.

Library News

Book Club News:

Donations:

SHPS wishes to thank the families who have donated books to the library. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Scholastic Book Club Issue #3

Book Club catalogues have been sent home with students. 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 through the link provided or follow the instructions on the back of the catalogue. Cash and Cheques are NOT accepted by the school. 

Scholastic Book Club order;

Orders close at the end of the day on Thursday 11th of May and will be delivered to the school within 2 weeks. The items will be distributed to children via their classroom teachers. If you have questions or issues with Book Club, please do not hesitate to contact me rather than directly messaging Scholastic.

Mrs Irvin at mirvin@shmildura.catholic.edu.au

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