ISSUE 18: 16th July 2021
Principal / Executive Leadership Team
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students & Staff
Welcome to Term 3. We hope everyone was able to stay warm, have some quality time together and are refreshed for another productive term ahead.
I am excited to be back at school after having long service leave for the last three weeks of Term Two. A huge thank you to Mr O’Callaghan and other staff who took on additional responsibilities while I was away. It was great to hear that everything went smoothly while I was away.
Unfortunately we have had to enter our fifth lockdown as a school community over the last two years. We are so fortunate to have you, our school community, who cope through these lockdowns with resilience and complete trust in us, and we are sure this one will be the same. We are including below a further update in regards to our lockdown.
LOCKDOWN INFORMATION
Our teachers were busy today planning for remote and flexible provision from Monday 19th July to Tuesday 20th July inclusive. We expect to return to school on Wednesday 21st July. I appreciate that this is a very challenging time for all in our community and your cooperation with the school closure and Remote Learning is very much appreciated particularly when we were all given such little notice from the government.
As with other remote learning periods, our school will provide on-site supervision for students in the following categories:
- Children where both parents and/or carers are authorised workers who cannot work from home, work for an essential provider and where no other supervision arrangements can be made:
- Where there are two parents/carers, both must be authorised workers, working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision
- For single parents/ carers, the authorised worker must be working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision.
Children experiencing vulnerability, including:
- Children in out-of-home care
- Children deemed vulnerable by a government agency, funded family or family violence service, and is assessed as requiring education and care outside the family home
- Children identified by a school or early childhood service as vulnerable, including via referral from a government agency, or funded family or family violence service, homeless or youth justice service or mental health or other health service.
Thank you to parents who have informed us of your intention to attend on-site supervision for students from Monday 19th July - Tuesday 20th July. On Friday we set our staffing around those that responded to the survey. Any new people who respond to this survey may not be able to attend on-site supervision if our numbers are too high.
Students attending on-site supervision will be supervised by school staff however, I wish to advise you that your child’s teacher will not always be supervising your child if they attend on-site.
Vulnerable children or children of essential workers, travelling to school by car, will be required to be dropped off and picked up via Kiss & Go. Gates will be open from 8.15am and students will need to be picked up between 3:10pm-3:30pm. Students can still catch buses and supervision will occur for those students. Students will follow the normal timetable for the day.
A hard copy Learning Pack has been prepared for students to work on from Monday-Tuesday. Thank you to those families that collected them today. If you haven't collected your pack they can be collected from the Office on Monday morning.
A letter to parents has been included with the Learning Pack that is written by your child’s teacher outlining the work that needs to be completed. This work is flexible and can be completed at a time that suits your family's situation. We encourage students to complete this work but understand that this may be difficult for some. During this difficult time, we must all take care of ourselves and we trust that you will do what is best for your child and the family.
All students will be marked as present for the four days on the school’s attendance system. If you need to communicate with your child’s classroom teacher please do so via email.
Camp Australia has confirmed that after-school care will occur. Please book if you require this service.
Due to our lockdown, some events that were planned have been cancelled. These events include:
- Division Football & Hockey - new date to be confirmed
- Illawarra Assembly - rescheduled to 23rd July
- Please check the SIMON Calendar for all dates as this is regularly updated.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those who may be unwell, and those who are working to keep our community safe.
If you require further information or support, please contact the school today between 9am-4pm.
Over the break our concrete areas around the school have had a freshen up. Part of the fundraising levy that we collect from families each year helped pay for this work to be completed. They look fantastic and it is great to see the students using them over the break.
Grandparents & Special Friends Day has been postponed to Friday, 10th September. Given current restrictions we are unable to have our students, staff and grandparents at the church for Mass, so we have decided to move it to later in the term.
We welcome the following new staff to Sacred Heart this term - Sarah Beckwith (Year Five Classroom Teacher), Kerryn Weaver (Year Four Classroom Teacher Monday & Tuesday), Christine Sherry (Intervention/Boost Teacher) & Clare Taylor (Performing Arts Teacher).
Congratulations to Charlie Spratt, Henry Guthrie, Max Gaylard, Olivia Alvey, Remi McClelland, Maya De Rosa, Mia Hards, Thomas O’Callaghan, Rafferty Wiseman, George Miller, Tanner Strong, Isabel Alvey, Mollie O’Callaghan and Sadie Woollard who competed on Tuesday at the Cross Country Region Finals in St Arnaud. Everyone did a great job and should be proud of their efforts. Special mention to Sadie who finished 4th and has qualified for the State Finals. Thanks to the parents for transporting and supporting our students.
Well done to our boys and girls netball and boys soccer teams who competed at the School Sports Victoria Division Finals on Wednesday. All were great sports, displayed teamwork and gave their best efforts during the day. Girls netball and boys soccer were the overall winners and have qualified for the Region Finals. Thanks to Mr Burford, Mrs Campbell and Mr Barbary for their coaching and umpiring and the parents who supported the students.
God Bless!
Mark Gibson
Religious Education News
Nothing to report this week.
Ryan O'Callaghan (Religious Education Leader)
Learning Diversity & Wellbeing News
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)
Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).
Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:
- year of schooling
- category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
- level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.
This information assists schools to:
- formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
- consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
- develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.
The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.
The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to Catholic Education, Ballarat and the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).This data will be submitted on Friday 6th August.
Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).
We attached this information sheet to a newsletter, early term two, please read it to refresh your memory - NCCD Fact Sheet for Parents, Guardians and Carers
There is also an information video for parents, guardians and carers on the NCCD portal, that describes the NCCD process and the role schools play in providing a quality education for all students, including those with disability; to access and participate in all school activities inside and outside the classroom, on the same basis as their peers - As a parent, guardian or carer, what do I need to know?
If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact the school.
Lime Therapy Speech Pathology
Shanae Tilley, speech pathologist, has commenced articulation sessions with some of our junior students (parents have been notified and given permission for these sessions to take place at school) as part of SHPS’s ongoing partnership with Lime Therapy. Shanae was going to facilitate an information session on the development of language and speech sounds - what is age appropriate and what is not, on Tuesday 20th July at 5:20pm. Due to the statewide lockdown, the session has been postponed until further notice. Parents of those students who are participating in the fortnightly articulation sessions with Shanae are strongly encouraged to attend and will receive an invitation via a letter prior to the session. Any interested parents, guardians, caregivers and teachers interested in the session’s content are most welcome to attend also. Notification of when the session will be held will follow.
Learning & Teaching News
Nothing to report this week.
General News
Prep Unit News
The preps are starting a new RE topic on STORY. Your child will bring home a worksheet this Friday to be filled in and returned to school by Monday.
A reminder about the importance of reading to and with your child every night. The consistent practise helps with their reading progression. Please make sure you are recording the books your child reads each night in their reading diary. Also, learning the tricky words in the back of the diary each night after reading.
This Friday your child will be bringing home their semester 2 books to be contacted. Please contact in CLEAR contact and don’t forget the READING DIARY as well.
The preps will be celebrating their 100th day of school soon… stay tuned for an invitation coming home to join in with our celebrations!
Prep Unit Team Contact Details
- Unit Leader: Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan
- Cooinda (Year Prep): Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan
- Wahroonga (Year Prep): Miss Courtney Sheridan
Junior Unit News
Students will need to have working headphones (over-ear) and return all of their holiday books by the end of the week, please.
On Monday 23rd August, The Junior and Prep units will be showcasing their dancing skills for our parents at school in the evening by hosting the JUNIOR UNIT SOCIAL! This is an evening where the students share their Performing Arts and Visual Arts skills off to their parents without the company of their siblings. Our theme this year is SPACE and our students have been practising dances to share with you (and teach you) for the night. More details will follow which will include spacey costume ideas, times as well as an invitation.
The Junior Unit students have been learning about the Olympics by investigating the history, sports and athletes associated with the Games. We would appreciate your assistance by discussing and exploring with your child/ren the different materials relating to the Olympics you may have at home or in the media and bringing them into school to share for our class display.
Eg; photo’s newspaper clippings, books, memorabilia.
Next week the Year One students have bring home their Semester 2 Workbook. We ask families to cover this book in clear contact and bring it back to school on Monday. If you need additional time, please share this with your child/rens teacher. You are also welcome to contact your child/ren’s reading diaries in clear contact.
Please make sure you are recording the books your child/ren’s reading each night in their reading diary. Also, learning the tricky words in the back of the diary each night after reading.
Junior Unit Team Contact Details
Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.
- Unit Leader: Mrs Katrina Groves
- Karinya (Year 1): Mrs Chris Carmichael
- Barramunga (Year 1): Mrs Katrina Groves (Monday-Thursday) & Mrs Wendy Collins (Friday)
- Bundaleer (Year 1): Mrs Maree Irvin (Tuesday-Friday) & Mrs Wendy Collins (Monday)
- Waminda (Year 2): Miss Georgina Hewitt
- Kyema (Year 2): Mrs Kim Taylor
Middle Unit News
Permission for Year 3 Camp to Swan Hill was made available to parents on PAM this week. Please ensure you have responded to this as soon as possible. Further information about the camp will be provided to families in the coming weeks. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to this camp, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.
Middle Unit Team Contact Details
Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.
- Unit Leader: Miss Sophie Price
- Amaroo (Year 3): Mrs Xana Priestley
- Yongana (Year 3): Mrs Cathy Rowles
- Mootwingee (Year 3): Miss Sophie Price
- Minga (Year 4): Mrs Natalee Johnson
- Eumeralla (Year 4): Mrs Maria Beer
- Nangare (Year 4): Mrs Kerryn Weaver (Monday-Tuesday) & Mrs Emma Kotsiakos (Wednesday-Friday)
Senior Unit News
Year Six
We are introducing a fruit snack into the Year Six classrooms. Students, if they choose to, are able to bring a fruit snack that can be eaten during the morning learning block.
Literature Circle Reading continues this term. Students need to read a certain amount of pages each week as discussed with their group. Students will also have a role to complete each week. It is an expectation that your child has read up to the required page and completed their role each week.
Senior Unit Team Contact Details
Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.
- Unit Leader: Mrs Jo Campbell
- Myalla (Year 5): Mrs Sarah Beckwith
- Illawarra (Year 5): Miss Belinda Zappia
- Narooma (Year 6): Mrs Jo Campbell
- Dourim (Year 6): Mr Corey Barbary
Student Leadership Groups
The SLT met this week to discuss their plans for term three. They have some great ideas for the school’s future masterplan and for various activities particular to this term. Stay tuned.
SHPS was rostered on for Soup Kitchen next Monday, but the lockdown has changed the logistics of the facility. Students/parents rostered on for next week were - Evie Cleary, Maya Fangaloka and Maya De Rosa. Mrs Deacon will be in touch once the Soup Kitchen reopens to confirm your jobs.
Library News
Scholastic Book Club Issue #5 was sent home earlier this week. Please note, in the top left hand corner it does say Issue #5 2020 - Scholastic had a printing error and it is definitely this year’s catalogue! All orders are to be completed online no later than Tuesday 27th July. Orders also earn Scholastic dollars for the school so we can purchase resources and books to be used by all students.
Weekly Awards
Students of the Week
These will be presented at a future assembly.
Ray White Awards
These will be presented at a future assembly.