ISSUE 26: 10th September 2021
Principal / Executive Leadership Team
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students & Staff
It was great to see all of our Prep & Junior students back at school today along with their teachers. I am sure that you, like me, are glad to see some students return to onsite learning. Upon returning to school we will focus on re-engaging students and supporting the social and emotional learning of students. We will transition gradually back into normal learning.
Students in other year levels (3-6) will also continue with remote learning next week. While we will continue to provide a supervision program for students in those year levels, it will only be accessible to those eligible under the vulnerable children or children of authorised workers categories. If students will be attending school we request that you complete the form that is available in the Daily Messages on SIMON (PAM) and can be accessed via https://forms.gle/j4eYyVTDtrjiEBSu6
For parents who have children returning to onsite learning, please be assured that our school practices are COVIDSafe and aligned with the latest advice from the Department of Health. Guidelines we follow are based on the health advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, which Sacred Heart is legally required to follow.
With the uncertainty of what Term Four looks like and lots of events to catch up on, the decision has been made to hold the Junior Unit Social on Thursday during the school day. Unfortunately, parents will be unable to attend but we will video our Prep and Junior students performing their dances. The video will be shared with families. A note was sent home today and is also included below.
This Friday is AFL Day. Whether learning from home or at school we hope to see everyone ‘decked out’ in their favourite footy colours. Our annual Staff v Students game will be held at a later date in Term Four when all of our Year Six students return.
Term Three comes to a close this Friday afternoon at the earlier time of 2.10pm. Term Four begins on Monday, 4th October.
A reminder that school hats again need to be worn by children when outdoors at school. If students don’t have a hat they cannot play in all areas.
Just a reminder that all school fees are due during the last week of term (before Friday 17th September) if you have decided to pay over the counter or via Direct Credit unless you have made alternative individual arrangements with Mr Gibson or Mary Avery. Please speak with Mary Avery if you have any queries at all.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to RUOK? Day yesterday. Thanks to the staff who organised a Kit Kat for students to share with their families. It was wonderful to see many of our families learning from home driving past to say hello and give us a toot!
God Bless!
Mr Mark Gibson
School Advisory Council (SAC) Report
We had a long but productive SAC Meeting last Tuesday, 7th September. This meeting had a significant focus on 2022 planning. We shared decisions made in relation to feedback that was given by members at our last meeting in relation to 2022 class structures and school fees.
The SAC members supported the decision to change technology provision at Sacred Heart after having Kevin Cummins, a technology expert from Catholic Education Ballarat talk about the advantages of Chromebooks and our proposal. The members were also supportive of students not taking devices home to protect them, encouraging shutting off from technology and knowing that families often have many devices at home already. The proposal outlined in the newsletter a few weeks ago is included again below.
2022 Technology Proposal
From 2022 we will move from families purchasing a laptop in Year 3 ($770) to receiving an iPad ($420) for Prep-Year 2 students and a Chromebook ($440) to use from Year 3-6. A Chromebook is a web based laptop.
Having shared iPads in our younger year levels is problematic with logging into programs and storing work being very difficult. As a school we have put in place infrastructure in 2021 to ensure our management of iPads and Chromebooks are very simple. Also, we believe that the Chromebook is a very good device for students as they are easy to manage.
Currently students pay a $110 Technology Levy for each student and in Year 3 they purchase their laptop. Over the life of attending Sacred Heart parents contribute $1,520 in fees towards technology. If we were to adopt this model parents would not need to purchase devices in Year 3. Costs would be covered through an increased Technology Levy spread over their time at school. We are proposing that this levy would be $190 ($70 programs and $120 for devices) per student each year. This would mean a parent contribution of $1,330 over the child’s school life.
For students who have already purchased a laptop they would only be charged the $70 programs levy in 2022. Under this proposal students wouldn’t take devices home, they would be safely stored at school and the iPads and Chromebooks would become the families when they are no longer needed at school for a very minimal cost.
Over 2021 Sacred Heart has adopted new methods of communication to families through our digital newsletter and have continued to use SIMON and Facebook. Improvement in our communication was identified as an area of focus for our school in 2021 and we are seeking feedback from families to see if our current methods are successful or need to be further improved or changed. We are asking that families fill out this short survey by the end of the school holidays. Please complete https://forms.gle/wp5tewpLx5jyz8cZ6
Other areas covered included how senior students are given opportunities for extra-curricular opportunities, Year 6 shirts, NAPLAN and Social-Emotional Survey results from a survey completed by students at the end of Term Two. Our next meeting will be our School Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 3rd November at 6pm.
Religious Education News
Sacramental News Update
Year Four First Eucharist
First Eucharist packs will be distributed to students who have registered to make their First Eucharist next week. Parents will need to collect these from the front office anytime between Monday & Friday. There will be a cover letter included in this pack with all details regarding this Sacrament. There is no parent meeting in preparation for this Sacrament as current restrictions won't allow for this. Parents are asked to confirm with the Parish Office between 5th-8th October their preference for First Eucharist Mass - we are hoping that the numbers will be increased to more than 20 in attendance before that time. It will be the same weekend as set before (23rd/24th October), however there will be additional Masses:
Friday 22nd October 6pm
Saturday 23rd October 9.30am
Sat 23rd October 6pm
Sun 24th October 9am, 12 noon & 5pm
Please contact the school or email ryocallaghan@shmildura.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions.
Ryan O'Callaghan (Religious Education Leader)
Learning Diversity & Wellbeing News
Interventions will continue during week 10 for students who are onsite and for those learning from home.
Term 3 Program Support Group (PSG) meeting minutes will continue to be sent out to parents who attended them via Zoom.
Co-Regulation and how it relates to self regulation:
Adult caregivers such as parents, teachers, coaches, and other mentors play a critical role in shaping and supporting self-regulation development from birth through young adulthood through an interactive process called “co-regulation.” Please read the following article which outlines our role as parents and caregivers in developing a child’s ability to self regulate through the parent’s/caregiver’s co-regulation strategies in the early years.
Learning & Teaching News
Our Year 3 and 5 students sat their National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests back in May and the results were released last week. Letters containing your child's results are being sent to parents of the children who undertook the NAPLAN this year. Despite the repeated Remote/online learning phases that the students have endured over the past 18 months, the results are generally positive. The NAPLAN assessment should be seen as a guide to a child’s performance as results may be affected by factors such as health, personal or family issues, or other extenuating factors prevalent at that time. Whilst the NAPLAN results provide an indication of your child’s progress, please remember that school-based assessments provide a more balanced overview of your child’s learning. If you have any questions regarding aspects of your child’s progress, please feel free to contact the class teacher to discuss this with them.
General News
Prep Unit News
Well done Prep students and parents on the fabulous learning that has continued to happen throughout this remote learning. We (Miss Sheridan and Mrs O’Callaghan) are super proud of all the students!
A reminder about the School Nurse envelopes that were sent home prior to remote learning, please return them to school next week.
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
Yet another awesome week with our clever little people showcasing their talents and skills via Zoom and Seesaw.
Congratulations champion children for maintaining a high standard of learning during this week.
Congratulations to our families for once again prioritising our children’s education. We are appreciative and grateful of all your efforts.
We had a great first day back at school together and CANNOT WAIT to have a full week next week with you all.
We wish Alyssa and Chloe Watson all the VERY best on their new adventure as they relocate to Queensland with their family. We thank them for their valuable contribution to our Sacred Heart community.
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
A big well done to all Middle Unit students for their hard work this week. This week the Year 4 students moved to work from their Remote Learning Portal. Well done to the students for their flexibility and confidence in navigating this new platform. Year 3 students continue to navigate Google Classroom with confidence and ease and should be very proud of their skills!
On Wednesday we wrote some lovely cards for Mrs Beer’s Mum who is turning 100 this month. Mollie Kelly lives in a nursing home in Ballarat so we are going to send all the cards made by Middle Unit children with the hope of bringing her some happiness on her birthday!
On Thursday, we learnt all about RUOK Day. We all dressed up in a touch of yellow and participated in Social Emotional lessons based around the themes of RUOK Day. We learnt about self care and people we can talk to if we need support. Students also spread the message of checking in on our friends by taking photos and videos (stay tuned for the compiled video made by our talented Mrs K to be shared next week)!
Today to end our week, we had a Crazy Hair/ Hat Day which was so much fun! Check out some photos below!
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
We congratulate our Senior students on their efforts in completing another week of Remote Learning. We also acknowledge and thank the continuous support of parents during these times.
Yesterday, the focus of our lessons was on students’ mental and physical wellbeing and taking the time to have conversations with those around us to check in and ask R U OK? Students created Footpath Art and Posters to display at their homes and they wrote cards or letters as a way to stay connected to family, friends or people who live nearby. Below are some photos of some of the activities the students engaged in throughout the morning before switching off from their work at 11am.
Year Five Camp
Permission for Year 5 Camp to Ballarat was made available to parents on PAM last 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.
Year 6 Graduation Dinner Committee
Yesterday, families of current Year 6 students were sent an email asking for interested parents to form an organising committee in preparation for the Year Six Graduation Dinner. Please email the School Office office@shmildura.catholic.edu.au if you wish to be part of this committee by Friday 17th September.
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
Nothing to report this week.
Library News
Library next week
Monday - Bundaleer
Tuesday - Yr 2
Thursday - Karinya, Preps
Friday - Barramunga.
Children in Yr 3-6 that are working on site will be able to borrow at lunchtimes. Please remind all children onsite to bring their library bags and books to school so they can return and borrow new books.
Weekly Awards
Students of the Week
There are no Student of The Week Awards this week.
Ray White Awards
There is no Ray White Awards this week.