ISSUE 24: 2nd August, 2024

Principal Message

Gospel Reflection

As we reflect on the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we are reminded of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, where Jesus provided for the physical needs of the multitude with just five loaves and two fish. This story teaches us about the boundless generosity and compassion of Jesus, who nourishes not only our bodies but also our spirits. In our school community, let us be inspired by this message to share our blessings with others, support one another, and trust in God's providence. May we always seek to be instruments of His love and care in the lives of those around us.

What’s on Next Week (Term 3 Week 4)

Coming up in Term 3, Week 5

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

Today's Grandparents' Day was fantastic, with many grandparents and special friends joining us. It’s a favourite day for many, and for good reason! Thank you, Mr. O’Callaghan, for organising the wonderful Mass and events. We appreciate all the donations for the delicious morning tea and the parents who helped. Please remember to collect your plates and containers from outside the stadium under the verandah.  Our Foundation students had a fantastic time celebrating their 100th Day of School. This significant milestone was made even more special with the students looking wonderful dressed as 100-year-olds.

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Fr Matthew Thomas

On Wednesday, Fr Matt suffered a heart attack.  We are pleased to let you know that he is okay and is receiving the best possible care in Melbourne.  We wish Father Matt a speedy recovery and ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  We ask that for the time being that you give Matt some space and we will keep you informed of any developments.

Year 3/4 Swimming

Our Year 3/4 students are participating in their Swimming Program this week from Monday to Friday, focusing on water safety, swimming technique, and survival skills. Please provide permission for your child to attend and refer to the note sent home for details.

Insight SRC

Last Monday, some families would have received an email requesting them to complete a survey from Insight SRC. If you received this email, we would greatly appreciate it if you could complete the survey by Friday, August 9th. Feedback provided by parents, students and staff will provide valuable input to plan programs and activities to improve your child's experience at school.

School Sports Victoria (SSV) Region Boys and Girls Netball & Boys Soccer

We wish our boys and girls Netball & boys Soccer teams at Thursdays Region games at Swan Hill. Students will depart from school at 7:15am.

Year 2 Sleepover

The Year Two Sleepover is this Thursday, with offsite activities on Friday. We wish our Year Two students a fun and enjoyable experience. Students should be dropped off after 5pm on Thursday evening.

School Closure Day

Please be advised that Monday, 2nd September will be a School Closure Day. This day will be dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of our staff and students.  Thank you for your understanding and support.

Athletics Carnival

The Sacred Heart Athletics Carnival will take place at the Aerodrome Ovals on Wednesday, 28th August. This event promises to be a fantastic day of sportsmanship and camaraderie, and we can't wait to see our school community come together for this special occasion.

Names on Jumpers

Please ensure all jumpers are clearly labelled with your child's name to prevent them from being lost. This helps save money and makes it easier to return misplaced items. Thank you for your cooperation!

God Bless!

Mr Mark Gibson

2024 Dates of Interest

Religious Education

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

Social Justice:

Last Monday Sacred Heart School cooked and served over 20 clients at the Parish Soup Kitchen. Once again our students were respectful, helpful, happy and well-mannered. Myself, together with the staff present, were incredibly proud of all these children and many positive and appreciative comments were received. A special thanks to William & Alexander Groves, Noah Stephens, Logan Pike and their parents for volunteering to assist with this important social justice initiative. The clients were served with silverside in white sauce, mashed potato, mixed veggies and dessert. They were very grateful for this healthy, warm and delicious meal cooked by school staff. 

Throughout the year, many school children (from Prep-Year 6) and their parents have been a part of the Soup Kitchen and after their shift, have been asking when they can come back and do it again. This is a sign of our school community’s commitment to help the poor, the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless and those less fortunate than ourselves.

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Learning and Teaching

This term our staff have continued undertaking extensive Professional Development relating to the Structured Literacy Methodology. So far this term we have delved deeper into note taking strategies. We look forward to developing our professional knowledge around summarising, along with combining and expanding sentences as effective writing strategies.

SWPBS News

Our SWPBS blitz focus for the coming fortnight will be on ‘Safely entering and exiting the school before and after school’. This term we have noticed an increase in the number of students not walking directly to their pick up area. When the school bell rings students should collect their school bags and other belongings and move directly to their pick up point. Students should walk around the office building when entering or exiting school unless they need to drop off or collect items from the office. School gates open at 8.19am each morning, students should not be arriving at school before this time.

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A SPECIAL REPORT: Celebrating NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to recognise and learn more about the history and culture of Indigenous communities.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, when on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Today, it is a week-long celebration held in July that consists of range of traditional and contemporary activities.

NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities and is a great opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future. Families are encouraged to join in and support young people in learning the significance of NAIDOC Week.

This Special Report offers suggestions on how families can celebrate NAIDOC Week together. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:

Foundation News

Today’s Grandparents’ and Special Friends Day celebration was absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. It was lovely to see our students working together with their grandparent or special friend to complete a task and show them all the wonderful things that we do at school. 

1.0.0 D.A.Y.S of S.C.H.O.O.L…. What a blast! On Monday the prep students had the best day celebrating their 100th day of school. Students made biscuits, a crown and did some 100 days Math. They looked absolutely amazing in their 100 year old people costumes. The rest of the week went back to normal with athletics training, subtraction, learning our new digraph /ch/ and reading stories from the Old Testament of the Bible.

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Some reminders:

• Sounds to continue practising with your child/ren at home: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, r, f, o, c, d, h, e, n, g, l, k, u, b, j, w, ck, ll, ff, ss, sh, qu, ee, z, zz, ch
• Learn all the tricky words at the back of the reading diary.
• Next week's Show & Tell is on Wednesday with the topic ‘Something from a place you have visited’.

Until next week!

Rebecca & Hayley

Year One News

It was a beautiful day today with our Grandparents’ and Special Friends Mass and celebration. The positive conversations and fabulous teamwork was wonderful to see. The pride the students displayed towards the school and their classrooms in front of their Grandparents/Special Friend was truly special. Thank you for the delicious food that was provided for our shared morning tea. 

The Year One students are to be congratulated on their exceptional efforts with their participation in the Swimming Program this week. They displayed our school values of respect, responsibility and safety in and out of the pool. 

Show and Tell focus for week 3 is ‘Your Favourite Animal.’ Students are welcome to bring in a photo, drawing, teddy or something to assist them with discussing their favourite animal and why. 

This week in our Literacy lessons students have been focusing on split digraph ‘e’ words which make long vowel sounds such as; cake, late, tape, Pete, bike, kite, bone, throne, cute, flute. We have also learnt about the suffix ‘ed’ and suffix ‘s’ as well as reading and writing ‘tricky words’: last, fast, I’m, about, ask, our. 

During our Maths lessons we have looked at 2D and 3D shapes, with a focus on recognising, naming and classifying 2D shapes along with looking at 3D objects and their features such as their  'corners', 'edges' and 'faces'. Some 3D objects we found in the classrooms were: A ‘cylinder’ bin, a ‘sphere’ ball, a ‘cube’ dice and we really wanted a ‘cone’ ice cream! 

Here are some photos of our wonderful week 3

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Year Two News

Science: Thanks to all parents who sent in a shoe box for their child to make their Toy Car Launcher. They have all been made and we are now very excited to be testing them out this coming week!

Swimming: Congratulations to the children on their organisation during our Swimming program. This year is the first year we have not had to chase up owners for items of clothing! The Year 2 children were at all times respectful and their behaviour was a credit to themselves and our school. Here is a small sample of photos with a Swimming Seesaw post for each child coming through in the next week.

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Year 2 Sleepover: If you have not given permission for your child to participate in this ‘event of the year’, then please do so, asap. Just a reminder that the Olive Grove gate will be open at 5pm on Thurs 8th for parents to bring their child and belongings back to school. We would love it if parents could help set up bedding for their child. The only food the children will need is recess in a brown paper bag which we will store in the fridges overnight. 

Chris & Wendy

Year Three News

Our Year Three students loved celebrating Grandparents Day today. Dourim did an amazing job of hosting assembly!

As we lead up to weeks 4 and 5 please note the following reminders.

Week 4 - Swimming

• Narooma - 9.30 - 10.15
• Dourim - 10.15 - 11.30
• Students will be changing back into their sports uniform at the Waves complex.
• Students will be walking to and from the Waves complex.
• Please ensure students are wearing their bathers under their sports uniform in the morning, packing a towel, goggles and a plastic bag.

Week 5 - Year Three Camp (15th and 16th of August)

• Parents are welcome to view and share our social story about Year Three camp. We recently discussed this with both of the classes.
• Please view the camp itinerary here.
• More information about the Pioneer Settlement can be found here.
• Mrs Kotsiakos will be the contact for medications and will be collecting these, it is essential that medications are handed directly to an adult and not left in their luggage.
• Mrs Beckwith will be collecting the students spending money of $20.
• Please ensure students arrive to school no later than 7.30am
• If you have any questions regarding camp, please contact your child’s teacher.

Please note, there won't be any homework for weeks 4, 5 and 6, due to swimming and camp.

Year Four News

What a wonderful way to finish the week with our Grandparents and Special Friends Day.  It was lovely to share Mass, the follow up activity and morning tea with these special people in our lives.

Next week we have lots happening!

Year Four will begin their swimming program. There has been a change to the times that were given on the note sent home earlier in the week. The 3 classes will be going in two groups. Kyema and half of Illawarra will be Group 1, Myalla and the other half of Illawarra will be Group Two. 

11am - Year Four Group 1

11.45am - Year Four Group 2

Please ensure your child comes to school wearing their bathers. They will get changed into their PE uniform after their session. We will be changing at the Waves. Other things to bring;

• Change of underwear
• towel
• Bag for wet clothing
• Goggles
• thongs/slides

As the Olympics are happening, we have decided to focus our learning around Olympic related tasks. Therefore, next week Year Four students will be participating in ‘Potato Olympics’.

Each student will need to bring 2 potatoes to school to participate in the learning activities. They will also need a tissue box or a small box for one of the tasks. All other materials will be provided.

Thank you all for your support with morning tea for Grandparents Day this week. Thank you also in anticipation of ensuring your child has all they require for the swimming program and our Potato Olympics!

Until next week, have a great weekend

Natalee, Jaimi, Cathryn

Year Five News

Our Grandparents and Special Friends day was such a special way to end our week! Thank you to those who provided food for our wonderful morning tea. It is always such a memorable day for our students to spend time showing their grandparents around their school and sharing learning with them! 

This week Grade Fives have been learning all about fractions! Students have been learning about the types of fractions and how to add fractions with common denominators. Some students have shown such strong understanding that we were able to extend beyond this and add fractions with different denominators! 

We have continued to use appositives in writing and finished our week creating a structured paragraph about solids. Teaching at a sentence level has helped improve the quality of our students' writing significantly. The conversations in class are a testament to their determination to understand the technicalities of their writing and we love seeing students identify their use of different writing techniques!

Students have also thoroughly enjoyed learning about life in 1800’s Australia, watching BTN and ‘My Place’ videos to create a venn diagram comparing life now to life then.  We were very hands-on in Science this week, identifying the characteristics of solids and how we can change their state. 

Such a great week of learning! 

Happy weekend, 

Danielle, Jacinda & Amilea

Year Six News

No news this week

Library News

Book Week 17-23rd August-Week 6

SHPS library has purchased CBCA-shortlisted age-appropriate books for the students, which will be displayed during book week. 

There will be a Book Week colouring competition for each year level. It will begin on Monday, 5th August, and will end on Friday17th August. Please ask your classroom teacher for an entry and return it to your teacher once completed by the due date. This Book Week activity is encouraged, however, students are not obligated to submit an entry. Please note: one entry per student and one winner per year level. Winners will be announced on the last day of Book Week.

Looking ahead:

 Friday, August 23rd is Book Week dress-up or casual clothes day. We encourage students to dress up as their favourite book character, or a Book Week inspired costume related to the theme- ‘Reading is Magic’. Students are also encouraged to bring their favourite book to school and share why with their classmates.

We have booked a Book Week live streamed performance titled ‘MAYBE A MIRACLE!’ for our concluding Book Week day.

MAYBE A MIRACLE! is a new educational musical adventure from Perform Education and touring schools in partnership with The Children’s Book Council of Australia, to celebrate Children’s Book Week 2024 and the theme “Reading is Magic”. It is a highly interactive musical exploration of making the most of even the most ordinary situations and a celebration of the power of positive thinking. MAYBE A MIRACLE! is a joyful leap into the world of imagination that books inspire every individual to be part of, while featuring a selection of the 2024 CBCA Short Listed books to help point the way.

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