Sacred Heart Primary School Mildura eNewsletter

Principal / Executive Leadership Team

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

This Sunday marks the start of Advent as we begin preparing for the coming of Jesus. The first week of Advent symbolises ‘hope’ and calls Christians to delve into their hearts and put their hope in Jesus. Advent reminds us of the sacred meaning of Christmas and encourages us to be thankful during this special time. It is hard to believe that it is less than a month until Christmas.

School Concert

I have been amazed at the work Miss Clare Taylor and students have been doing in preparation for the school concert. This has been completed within a very short timeframe and I think we will have a very enjoyable production for the community to view. Filming will continue and hopefully be finalised on Monday. Dourim’s song will be filmed on Monday, along with all of the ‘Leads’.

Concert Viewing and Picnic Night

We are providing an opportunity for parents, students and grandparents etc. to have a viewing at the school of the school concert on a cinema screen on Monday 6th December from 6:15 pm-7:15 pm. The viewing will occur on the school oval. Families are invited to enjoy a picnic from 5:15 pm. This will be a great opportunity for members of our community to gather together and mingle after limited opportunities across 2021. Those that attend must QR code check-in and show evidence of vaccination.

School Transition and 2022 Class Placement

Our second Whole School Transition is being held on Monday between 11.27 am and 1.27 pm. Once again students will be allocated to different classrooms, teachers and other students at their appropriate level in preparation for the 2022 school year. This experience will help teachers as they are making decisions in regards to student classroom placement in 2022. Parents will be notified of their child’s 2022 teacher and classroom via an envelope sent home with students on Friday, 3rd December.

Ballarat Camp

We wish our Year Five students all the best for this week’s Ballarat Camp which is being held from Wednesday to Friday. Miss Zappia, Mrs Beckwith, Mr Dashington, Miss Madden, Mr O’Callaghan and myself will attend with our students. We are really pleased that students are able to participate in this camp, which means that all year levels have been able to hold all camps this year. To revisit your permission form on PAM please go to School Activities under your child’s profile.

School and House Captains

All speeches and voting for School & House Captains have now been completed. We congratulate students on presenting fantastic speeches. On Tuesday parents of successful students will be notified and captains will be announced to Year Five classes. Captains will then be announced at this Friday’s Assembly.

School Advisory Council

Our final School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting will be held on Tuesday 7th December at 5:15 pm in the staffroom. We will send out an agenda to parents next week.

Assembly

Thank you to the Wahroonga and Year Six Buddies for hosting today’s Assembly. Cooinda and their Year Six buddies will host this Friday’s Assembly. Parents of students involved and those who are receiving

awards will receive an invitation to the Assembly. All visitors to school grounds must comply with vaccination requirements, density limits, face mask requirements, QR code check-ins and practice respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.

Year 6 Swimming

The final session of Year Six Swimming that was recently cancelled will now be held this Wednesday. Narooma will attend from 1 pm to 1.45 pm and Dourim will attend from 1.45 pm to 2.30 pm.

Community Service Students

Past Sacred Heart students Massimo Cirillo and Teika Collins will be joining us to do some Community Service this week. Both Massimo and Teika have just finished Year 11 at St Joseph’s College. They will be timetabled to help in various classrooms across the week.

Congratulations Mrs. Groves

We congratulate Mrs. Katrina Groves who recognised by the online Herald Sun as being Mildura's best teacher. Katrina was nominated by a parent from the school and voted by readers. Katrina had to compete against many great educators across Sunraysia. This is great recognition for the fantastic work Katrina does.

Mrs Groves Article

Important End of Year Dates

School Concert Viewing & Picnic - Monday 6th December 5:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Whole School Transition (2022 Classes) - Tuesday 7th December
Year Six Transition Day (2022 Year 7) - Tuesday 7th December
Graduation Dinner - Wednesday 8th December @ 6pm
Year One Fun Day - Wednesday 8th December
End of Year/Graduation Mass - Thursday 9th December @ 11.30am
Senior Unit Fun Day - Friday 10th December
Final School Assembly (Special Presentations) - Friday 10th December
Year Two Fun Day - Monday 13th December
Middle Unit Fun Day - Tuesday 14th December
Prep Unit Fun Day - Tuesday 14th December
Last Day for Students Tuesday 14th December (3.10pm finish)
Staff Finish - Friday 17th December

2022 Dates

Staff Return - Friday 28th January
Students Return - Monday 31st January
Get to Know You Interviews - 8th & 9th February
Beginning of School Year Mass - Thursday 10th February

Have a great week everyone and God Bless!

Mark Gibson

Religious Education News

God of daily bread,

God of simple pleasures:

we ask for enough for today.

Help us give ourselves

the very thing we need:

a walk to clear the head,

a phone call that draws a familiar voice, a brief exchange with a passer-by,

a gentle word of encouragement. These little things and their significance can be easily dismissed,

but it is often the non-grand gesture,

or an everyday routine,

or an in-the-moment whim

that reminds us that our God

was always there.

Amen.

~ The Corrymeela Community

End of Year & Graduation Mass

Our End of Year/Graduation Mass will be held at the Sacred Heart church on Thursday, 9th December beginning at 11.30am. Parents attending this celebration will be required to check in and provide vaccination status.

Missions Auction

Mrs Guthrie has been given some beautiful donations from a local lady named Mrs Kate Power. These crocheted/knitted products have been donated as part of our Missions Fundraising. We sincerely thank Kate for her donations. We are proposing that families can put in a bid for these products as a ‘Silent Auction’ by contacting the front office. In next week’s Newsletter we will announce the families that have purchased these handmade items. Please refer to the photos below and make a bid on the items if wish via phone or email office@shmildura.catholic.edu.au

General News

Our Year 5 Students have been enjoying catching up with their new buddies who will be starting in Prep next year!

Program Support Group (PSG) meetings - Thank you to the parents of the students who were due to have their PSG meeting this term for attending either via Zoom or in person. There are a couple of meetings to be followed up on Tuesday of next week. Term 4 evidence of progress (in light of the goals set for term 3) and at least one goal for Term 1, 2022 have been written for all students who receive additional support and have an Individualised Learning Program (ILP). Not all students required a PSG meeting this term as most were facilitated in Term 3 via Zoom.

Students who have an ILP require at least two PSG meetings and up to four PSG meetings per year, depending on their level of adjustments (adjustments made in the classroom (QDTP), ones made some of the time (supplementary), most of the time (substantial) or all of the time (extensive). PSG meetings can be held at any time throughout the year, separate from the formal/scheduled PSG meetings at the discretion of teachers and parents.

There will be a handover at the beginning of the 2022 school year between the 2021 and 2022 teachers to discuss students’ needs, adjustments and possible/required support.

eSafety Education - This year, eSafety presented free online safety training to over 8,000 parents and careers, giving them the knowledge, skills and tools to help keep their children safe online. They will be running an expanded parent and carer education program in 2022.

Side By Side Psychology - Kate French, Clinical Psychologist, will be running an online program for one week, for parents of children who are presenting with some anxiety if you are looking for support or may be waiting on some intervention elsewhere.

The 7 Day Blueprint to Understanding and Parenting your Anxious Child

Prep Unit News

Well done Prep unit on your excellent Christmas concert performances today… you were all spectacular!

During our Integrated Studies learning this term we have been discussing and exploring natural and man-made materials, what materials things are made from and what are the best materials to use for certain things. The students did an experiment using a cup they made from paper and one from modelling clay to test their theory that paper isn’t a good material to use to make a cup. Here are some photos of the students testing out their cups.

Unit Leader: Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan
Cooinda (Year Prep): Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan
Wahroonga (Year Prep): Miss Courtney Sheridan

We are borrowing take home reader books from our classrooms (diaries and library bags are still required daily) for the next week, however we require ALL other books to be returned to school as soon as possible in preparation for the end of year.

Junior Unit News

What PHENOMENAL costumes Junior Unit!

Our children certainly did light up the stage today with their Christmas Concert performances.

We thank our fabulous Junior Unit families for organising costumes as well as Ms Taylor for her dynamic planning of this Christmas concert.

Next week we continue with another whole school transition day and the preparations begin for our end of year Fun Days.

Year One Children will be celebrating at the Mildura Wave Pool on Wednesday 8th December and Year Two children will be celebrating Monday 13th December at Jaycee Park and Mildura Splash park. More information will follow in the coming days. Please ensure that you give permission via PAM when the email alert comes through to ensure your child/ren can attend.

Please contact your child's classroom teacher directly should you require any further clarification.

We are borrowing take home reader books from our classrooms (Diaries and library bags are still required daily) for the next week, however we require ALL other books to be returned to school as soon as possible in preparation for the end of year. If you have any other school books at home, please return these.

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

Nothing to report.

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

Ballarat Camp

A note with what to bring, departure/arrival times, behaviour expectations and staff contact details were sent home with your child week. Please read over the Behaviour Expectation note with your child and return it to school by Tuesday November 30th. If you have any queries, please contact your child’s teacher.

Year 5 Gift to 2022 Prep Buddy

A note was sent home with your child on Wednesday regarding the purchase of a book as a small gift from Year 5 students to their 2022 Prep buddy. If you wish to purchase this book for your child’s buddy, we ask that you do so before Tuesday, December 7th. You can purchase this book for $10 through CDF Pay.

2022 Year 6 Polo Shirts

A note has been sent home with students today regarding the purchase of Year 6 commemorative sports polo t-shirts. We ask that parents please place their order by the 10th of December 2021 to increase the chance of these t-shirts being ready for collection prior to the commencement of the 2022 school year.

Totally Workwear will only be supplying one “run” of screen printing for the Year 6 polos t-shirt, so please ensure you order the number of shirts you are needing for the year as you won’t be able to get any more of these during the year.

The price per t-shirt is $39.00 and can be ordered and paid for at Totally Workwear, Mildura

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

Library News

Library borrowing has now ceased for the year. All students need to return their books no later than this Thursday, Dec 2. Children can return books before school by dropping into the ‘Minion mouth’ returns box in the library, or may still attend on their usual library day with the class. There are a number of books still outstanding from the previous lockdowns. Please have a hunt at home for any Sacred Heart books. Children in Prep- Year 2 may still borrow a Take Home book from the classroom until Thursday this week ( at teacher discretion). These are to be returned daily to the classroom. Take Home books can be identified with a ‘TH’ on the white sticker.

Hopefully all books will be returned by Thursday; any outstanding at that time will receive an overdue notice. Last year, the Cooinda Preps were the first class to return all books! Who will it be this year???