ISSUE 13: 3rd May, 2024

Principal Message

Gospel Reflection

As we approach the Sixth Sunday of Easter, we are reminded of Jesus' commandment to love one another as he has loved us. This call to love is at the heart of our Christian faith and is especially poignant as we journey through the Easter season. Just as Jesus demonstrated selfless love by laying down his life for us, so too are we called to love and serve one another with generosity and compassion. As parents and members of the Sacred Heart Primary School community, let us embrace this call to love, fostering a culture of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in our school and beyond. May our actions reflect the love of Christ and inspire others to experience the joy and hope that come from living in community grounded in love.

What’s on Next Week (Term 2 Week 4)

Coming Up in Week 5

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

This week has been wonderful as we celebrated Catholic Education. Today, we joined neighbouring Catholic Schools for Mass at Sacred Heart Church. It was a deeply moving and respectful gathering. Thank you to all schools for making this event memorable.  We also recognised Mrs Chris Carmichael’s 30 years service and dedication to Catholic Education.

On Thursday 27 students showcased their talents at the Division Cross Country event, competing across various age groups. We are proud of each student's outstanding performance, representing Sacred Heart with excellence in every race. Congratulations to Ethan Dalla Santa (2nd place), Lucianna Lazo (3rd place), Jenson McGlashan (3rd place), and Imogen Stafford (3rd place) for their impressive achievements. These students, along with Lily Colbert, Emmy Guthrie, Max O’Callaghan, Austin Fox, Alexander Henderson, Ivy Hards, and Morgan Boake, have qualified for the Regional Cross Country event on May 28th in St. Arnaud.

On Wednesday, we welcomed approximately 60 visitors to our school for Open Day tours, providing them with insights into education at Sacred Heart.

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2024 Foundation Enrolment

Enrolments for 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 4pm. 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.

Grip Leadership Conference

Mr. O’Callaghan and the Student Leadership Team will participate in the GRIP Leadership Conference this Wednesday at the Grand Hotel. This event offers targeted training for student leaders, emphasizing immediate action and practical skills. We aim for our leaders to gain clarity and inspiration for their roles as senior student leaders at Sacred Heart.

Parish Mass

Cooinda will attend this week’s Parish Mass at Sacred Heart Church on Wednesday morning at 9:30 am.  

Mothers Day Stall

Our Mother’s Day Stall is being held on Friday. Classes will be called to shop for a $5 gift for Mum during this time. Payments can be made through CDF Pay or in cash. Parent helpers are needed from 8:30am to 11am. Contact the office to volunteer your time.

Mothers Day Mass

Sacred Heart is hosting a Mother's Day Mass on Saturday, May 11th, at 6pm in the Sacred Heart Church. Families, students and staff are encouraged to join us for this special occasion.

Parents and Friends Trivia Night

Our Sacred Heart Parents and Friends invite you to join us for a Music Trivia Night at Club DaVinci on Friday, June 21st, starting at 7pm. Tickets are priced at $85 and include beverages (beer, wine, and soft drinks), as well as antipasto upon arrival and supper. Stay tuned for further details on ticket purchasing. This event isn't a fundraiser; rather, it's an opportunity for our community members to connect and mingle with others from the school community. Special thanks to Pauline Tallent, Chantelle Hill, and Anna Cavallo for coordinating this event.

Olive Grove Gate

Please note the Olive Grove gate will be unlocked in the mornings at 8.20am to allow parents and students to enter the school but we request this gate remains closed at all times to ensure student safety. This gate will also not be opened for early access on assembly days. We request parents enter via the front entry or via Tamarisk Grove near the stadium.

Cold Weather Dress Code

As the weather cools, it's important for students to dress warmly to stay healthy. Please remember to wear the winter uniform on chilly days. Avoid wearing tights with summer uniform, and note that the navy blue weather-proof jacket does not substitute for a jumper. Additionally, jackets cannot be worn in classrooms, so wearing a jumper is still recommended.

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

Next week all students will be participating in a Writing Moderation task. Writing Moderation is a process where students are provided a prompt to respond to, and our teachers work together to cross mark responses according to a rubric based on the Victorian Curriculum. This is a fantastic process that ensures a high standard of assessing students' knowledge is maintained.

Foundation News

This week in Foundation we have added new sounds to our sound knowledge bank (m, s, t, a, p, i, n, f, r, o, c, h) and we have continued to use these sounds to write sentences. We are focussing on making sure we write using the correct structure for a sentence: a capital letter at the start, full stop at the end and finger spaces between each word. We have been learning some tricky words in class over the last weeks - I, a, the, is, my, was, to. Remember these words cannot be directly sounded out using the sounds we have learnt to date. Remind your child of the tricky part of the word e.g. is: the s, sounds like z in this word. You can practise these ‘tricky words’ with your child in the back of their reading diary. In Math, we have started learning about subtraction, this could be a fun activity to do with your child at home. Here are some photos from this week’s learning!

In Integrated Studies next Wednesday we are making ‘Teddy Bear Shelters’. If you have any small boxes, small plastic water bottles or small plastic containers could you please send them into school for us to use.

Our Prep Breakfast is on  Friday 17th May. A note will come home on Monday 13th May with all the details!

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 must 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.

Year One News

This week in Year One, students have focused on reading and spelling words with the phoneme focus /_y/ cry,  /igh/ light as well as learning about adjectives. We discussed the purpose of describing a noun and how that can enhance a sentence or paragraph. We continue to build on their ability to read and spell words with the phonemes, /ea/ weak, /ee/ week,  /ai/ sail,  /ay/ play, /oa/ boat, /ow/ snow.  Students also focused on consolidating their addition strategy knowledge as well as skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s up to 120. During Religion and SEL there have been some wonderful discussions about being ‘bucket fillers’ and what ‘love’ means. It has been fantastic to hear students giving compliments, using positive words and being helpful! 

Home Reading 

Just a reminder to try and listen to your child read for 10 minutes per night. Children's reading abilities and growth expand so much when they practise at home and consolidate their learning. Some students may bring home the same book more than once or are able to read every word correctly and that is absolutely fine. Reading the same book over again is a great way to enhance reading fluency and comprehension.

There are also lists of ‘tricky words’ in the back of each student's reading diary for your child to practise reading and spelling for extra support.

 Seesaw Show and Tell    

As part of our Speaking and Listening assessment, students will be filmed presenting Show and Tell next week then uploaded to Seesaw. The topic links with Mother’s Day and is ‘A special female in my life’. Please discuss this topic with your child over the weekend and give them time to rehearse this task, ensuring they explain ‘why’ when presenting. If you are unable to access Seesaw to see your child's wonderful work, please let their teacher know.

Mothers Day Stall

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

Year Two News

Earlier this week students brought home “Who is my mum?” sheet in a plastic pocket. Children are asked to interview their Mum, fill the sheet in, decorate it and bring it back to school for our Show and Tell in weeks 4, 5 and 6. All students will be filmed while presenting their ‘Mum interview’ which will be our Term 2 assessment for Speaking and Listening. Children may also have a photo of Mum printed out or emailed to the teacher in preparation. The videos and self assessments will be shared via Seesaw after week 6. 

It would be helpful if all Term 2 diaries were covered in clear contact to help them survive this long 11 week term! 

Thanks Chris & Wendy

Year Three News

Congratulations to Austin Fox and Olly Harding who represented Sacred at the interschool cross country today. They did an amazing job and we are proud of how they represented our school. 

We would appreciate your assistance in helping our students bring their jumpers home by checking they are named and that handwritten tags haven’t faded. 

A few reminders:

• Homework is issued on Monday and is due at school on Friday. The tasks are designed to be simple practice of learning we have already completed -please encourage your child to speak with us, or make contact with us yourself if they are having issues completing their homework. 

• Library day is Tuesday. Many of our students are now choosing ‘just right books’ from the library instead of take home readers. It is important that students have their library bag in order to return and borrow new reading material.

Year Four News

This week we congratulate the following Year Four students who represented Sacred Heart at the inter school cross country, held on Thursday. Imogen Stafford, Emmy Guthrie, Ava Clohesy, Lily Colbert,  Max O’Callaghan, Ollie McClelland & Alexander Henderson. Special mention to the girls who as a team finished first overall. This was achieved through the outstanding efforts of the team including Margot Miller (Year 5) with Imogen finishing 3rd, Emmy 5th, Lily 6th & Ava 17th.  Imogen, Emmy and Lily now advance to the regional final. Joining them will be Max, who finished 5th and Alexander who finished 10th. Lots more training ahead of these students in the coming weeks!

A reminder that all Year Four students have library on Wednesday and should be bringing their books to and from school in a library bag. Our expectation is that in Year Four, students should be reading for 10-15 minutes per night.  We also expect students to be consolidating their automatic recall of multiplication tables. Our daily maths reviews are a chance for students to show how they are improving. Also in Maths, Miss Price has begun working with a group of students with the focus on problem solving. Students have enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with others as well as working independently on learning tasks. Below are some photos of these children working.

Year Five News

A big congratulations to the following Grade Five Students Kyle Campbell, Stella Brown, Sophie Mobilio, Joseph Mammone, Margot Miller, Dustin Gray, Jenson McGlashan & Annabelle Pahek on representing our school in the inter-school cross country on Thursday morning. You all represented our school with pride and did a fantastic job. A huge congratulations to Jenson who came 3rd in his race and who now advances to the regional level. 

Well done to Minga students for their assembly and thank you to the families and friends who came to our afternoon tea and contributed a plate. We loved sharing our learning with you. 

In our Religion unit we are looking into our own heritage. We encourage you to have a conversation with your child about your own heritage. You might like to tell them some family or cultural traditions you share. Any special achievements from members of your family or the countries your ancestors or you yourselves have come from. Students will be representing this in their chosen way - through poetry, song, video, poster or poem formats.

Our Maths topic is still heavily focused on multiplication strategies. We strongly encourage students' practice their times tables at home as this will help them immensely with larger multiplication problems. 

Students had a wonderful day last week at the Y-Lead leadership day. We are continuing learning about how to be great leaders in our home, school and communities in SEL. 

Our doors are always open and we love seeing our parents & families. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us via email or in person. 

Have a wonderful weekend, 

Danielle, Jacinda & Amilea.

Year Six News

We begin by congratulating Ethan Dalla Santa, Morgan Boake, Nicholas Stewart, Lewis Harding, Will Shiner, Licianna Lazo, Ivy Hards, Lily Fraser, Polly Ryan and Lyla Parsons who competed in the inter school cross country yesterday. We are very proud of your efforts and the way you represented our school.

YLead - Lead with HEART

Last Friday, students were very fortunate to take part in a YLead experience. ‘Lead with HEART’ explored what it takes to be a respectful, courageous and positive leader in the community. The full-day experience was delivered to students in order to educate and empower them to be the best they can be. We will continue learning about how to be great leaders in our home, school and communities during SEL lessons. 

On the 26th of April the year 5 and 6 students of Sacred Heart  were offered the opportunity to work with the team of Ylead. In the morning we went to the stadium to be introduced to two of the members of Ylead; Joe and George. They explained to the students the skill of creating positive energy through conversation and connection. We were able to work with people younger and older than us in a group of 6. Each child was able to embrace each other's intellectual, physical and creative skills, this activity allows students to respect the diversity and unique talents within each student. Throughout the day we learnt what Yleads motto (Lead With HEART) stood for: Helpful, Energetic, Active and Aware, Resilient and Team Player. We hope everyone is able to take what they learnt from the day and hopefully use the skills in our daily lives. By Alexis Agnas

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Literature Circles

A reminder that students have started Literature Circles in their classrooms. They need to be reading the allocated pages for their group and completing the allocated role in readiness for their group discussion.

Congratulations to Mischa Byra who made it to regionals in Swan Hill for her cupcake decorating and  came second.  She spent about 3 hours creating and painting her decorations and her hard work truly shows! 

Library News

Scholastic Book Club News:

Orders for the Scholastic Book Club Issue #3 are now closed and finalised. Within a fortnight, orders are delivered to SHPS and given to students via their classroom teachers. 

Occasionally, some orders may be on backorder. If this is the case, students usually receive stickers with a note from Scholastic Australia. 

If you have questions or issues with Book Club, please don't hesitate to contact me rather than directly messaging Scholastic.

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

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 24th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

This year’s text, ‘BOWERBIRD BLUES’ will be read in classes or the library on Wednesday 22nd May

Book Fair:

Our Scholastic Book Fair is nearly here! It will open in Week 6 from Monday-Friday at 8.20-8.40 and 3.00-3.40, so come along to find the best new books and help to earn free books for our library!

Physical Education

On Thursday we had 27 students compete in the Division Cross Country across the 9-10, 11 and 12 year age groups. Each student ran incredibly well, behaved and demonstrated excellent sportsmanship. 

Congratulations to Ethan Dalla Santa (2nd), Lucianna Lazo (3rd), Jenson McGlashan(3rd) and Imogen Stafford (3rd) on their top three placing in their respective age groups. Those students, along with Lily Colbert, Emmy Guthrie, Max O’Callaghan, Austin Fox, Alexander Henderson, Ivy Hards and Morgan Boake have qualified for the Region Cross Country event to be held on the 28th of May in St. Arnaud, we wish them all the best.  

Student Awards

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