ISSUE 21: 15th July, 2022
Principal / Executive Leadership Team
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students & Staff,
Welcome to Term Three. We hope everyone was able to stay warm, have some quality time together and are refreshed for another productive term ahead.
School Sports Victoria(SSV) State Cross Country
Congratulations to Polly Ryan and Ivy Hards who competed in State Cross Country on Thursday which was held in the Yarra Glen. Both girls did an amazing job in trying conditions and a very strong field of competitors. Ivy finished in 81st place and Polly 91st. Great effort girls. Thank you to their parents who took the girls down and gave them this fantastic opportunity.
Baby News
A big congratulations to Ms Clare Taylor and her partner Blair on the safe arrival of Elizabeth on Tuesday. It is great to hear that Elizabeth, Clare and Blair are all going well and enjoying this special time.
Prep Enrolments 2023
We still have five available spaces for 2023 Prep enrolments. If you know of anyone who is interested in enrolment at Sacred Heart please get them to contact the school.
Parish Mass - Barramunga
We have Barramunga participating in the Parish Mass at the church this Thursday 21st July. This celebration will begin at 9.30am and parents are welcome to attend.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Mrs Carmichael (Year 2 Waminda Teacher) & Wayne Carmichael (Gardener) whose son Josh played his first senior game at Collingwood last weekend. Josh is an ex Sacred Heart student. It was a very exciting time for the family and many from the school community were keen to hear from them about their experiences of watching Josh.
DOBCEL Circuit Breaker Long Weekend
After consultation with the School Advisory Council the School Leadership Team has approved the DOBCEL proposed Circuit Breaker weekend in mid August, giving students a four day weekend from 12th-15th August.
Our DOBCEL Executive Director, Mr Tom Sexton has recommended this as a course of action for schools to prevent the staffing and student absences that we experienced in Term Two.
Rational behind the Circuit Breaker:
There are currently around 8000 COVID cases being reported in Victoria per day.
- Influenza cases are also rising rapidly and are greater than pre-pandemic levels.
- Peak influenza and COVID infections are predicted to occur in late winter or early spring - with the August and September period being the historical time of greatest illness within the community (Doherty Institute and Flu Tracking).
- The Diocese is seeking to be proactive in the interests of students, families and staff by creating a planned opportunity to pause and prevent additional illness and absences.
This means that our school will be closed on Friday 12th August and Monday 15th August. On Friday 12th August staff will participate in the already scheduled ReLATE professional development.
The circuit breaker weekend is in addition to any other school based measures that schools may take to manage staff and student absences throughout Term Three.
We understand that pressure has been great in all areas of our community this year and that this decision may place additional stress on some. Camp Australia has confirmed that after-school care will be available on these days. Please book if you require this service.
DOBCEL Board Visit
On Monday morning some Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited Board members visited Sacred Heart to meet with Renee Kelly (parent), Ryan and myself. The DOBCEL board are travelling around the Diocese visiting school communities throughout 2022. Whilst visiting, they had an opportunity to learn more about how Sacred Heart uses allied health services, how inclusive education practices support could look in the future and they also had a tour of the school. Later that evening the Board members met with the principals to discuss the Board's role of governance over our schools.
Have a great weekend everyone and God Bless!
Mark Gibson
COVID Update
COVID is still out there in our community and we can expect that this trend will continue for some time. We would encourage families to continue with twice weekly testing at home to help prevent the spread. RAT tests can be collected at any time from the front office. We will still send these home at times throughout the term.
The COVID Schools Operations Guide has been updated to reflect that:
- Visitors and staff are no longer required to meet COVID-19 vaccination requirements to attend school.
- Staff and students must inform the school if they have tested positive to COVID-19 and isolate for 7 days.
- If a student or staff member tests positive through a RAT test, but they don’t have symptoms or have not been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 it is recommended getting a PCR test within 48 hours and staying isolated at all times until they receive their result. If the subsequent PCR test is negative, you can return to school.
- Household contacts are required to test negative using a rapid antigen test on at least 5 out of 7 days if they are attending or working at a school onsite.
- Household contacts are required to inform the school that they are attending during the 7 day period.
- Social distancing, good hand hygiene, air purifiers and use of outdoor spaces for teaching are still recommended.
- Students and staff refrain from returning to school if they remain symptomatic.
- Parents/carers who are positive to COVID are able to leave isolation if other arrangements cannot be made to transport someone they live with to and/or from school.
- After having COVID you do not need to be tested if you have been re-exposed within 12 weeks of ending self-isolation.
- It is recommended that face masks are worn in indoor settings (except for close contacts, who must wear a mask indoors unless an exception applies).
- Everyone including students aged 8 years and above must wear a face mask when travelling on public transport, taxis or rideshare vehicles.
Learning and Teaching News
Social Emotional Learning- Resilience, Rights & Respectful Relationships
This week, staff participated in professional development led by Deidre Reid who is the Project Lead for Respectful Relationships from the Department of Education. The Respectful Relationships program along with the associated learning materials have been designed for teachers in primary and secondary schools to develop students’ social, emotional and positive relationship skills and are used across all year levels at Sacred Heart.
Social and emotional learning involves students having opportunities to learn and practice social skills (which are more crucial now after the students’ experience of the pandemic) such as cooperation, managing conflict, making friends, coping strategies, being resilient and recognising and managing their own feelings.
Religious Education
Grandparents & Special Friends Day
This very special day is being held on Friday, 29th July. Invitations have been sent home with all students. Mass will be held at the Sacred Heart church at 9.15am. Following this, everyone will return to school where students & Grandparents/Special Friends will do an activity together in the classrooms. After this, morning tea will be held inside & outside of the school Stadium. A more detailed note will be sent home with all families and included in next week’s Newsletter. We are really looking forward to this event as it hasn’t been held since 2019.
Feast Day St Vincent’s Donations
We sincerely thank all families for your very generous donations which have gone towards the St Vincent’s Winter Appeal for those in need in our local community. A total of $840 was raised along with donations of rugs and blankets.
2022 Sacramental Program Dates
Sacrament of First Communion (Eucharist) 2022 Year 4 students
Parents Information Night Wednesday 7th September 7pm Sacred Heart Church
Celebration of Sacrament Friday 21st Saturday 22nd Sunday 23rd October
Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) 2022 Year 2 students
Parents Information Night Wednesday 12th October 7pm Sacred Heart Church
Celebration of the Sacrament Wednesday 23rd November 7pm Sacred Heart Church
Learning Diversity News
What is the NCCD?
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards), Australian students with disability must be able to access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers. To ensure this, students with disabilities may receive adjustments to access education, based on the professional judgement of teachers, in consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians or carers.
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) gives Australian schools, parents, guardians and carers, education authorities and the community information about the number of students with disability in schools and the adjustments they receive. The Australian Education Regulation 2013 requires all schools to report the data collected for the NCCD to the Australian Government on an annual basis.
What is the purpose of the NCCD?
The NCCD collects data about school students with disability who are receiving adjustments across Australia in a consistent, reliable and systematic way. It enables schools, education authorities and governments to better understand the needs of students with disability and how they can be best supported at school.
From 2018, the student with disability loading provided by the Australian Government is based on the NCCD; schools will continue to manage their total resources to meet the learning needs of their students.
How is the data used?
Data from the NCCD is used:
- as an evidence base, to give teachers, schools and sectors information about students with disability and the level of educational adjustment being provided
- to inform policy development and future planning to better equip schools and education authorities to support students with disability
- to improve understanding of the requirements and responsibilities of school teams and the broader community under the DDA and the Standards
- to capture the work of schools under the obligations of the DDA and the Standards, allowing students with disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students
- to highlight the individual needs of each student with disability by focusing on the level of educational support provided to them at school.
High level, de-identified information from the NCCD is used in national reporting to inform policy and program planning to support students with disability.
How does the NCCD assist schools?
The NCCD prompts schools to identify students with disability and to review their processes and practices. It records the adjustments already undertaken in schools to support students with disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers.
- Reviewing learning and support systems: The NCCD allows schools to better understand the functional needs of their students with disability. It captures the work of schools in providing personalised learning and support for students with disability who require adjustments due to the functional impact of their disability.
- Providing greater understanding: The NCCD helps schools gain a greater understanding of their students with disability and identify areas of need for both students and staff.
- Developing professional judgement: The professional learning available to support the NCCD process helps build the professional judgement of school teams who are required to provide educational adjustments for students with disability without relying on a medical or clinical diagnosis alone.
- Recognising support and adjustments provided: The NCCD helps to formally and consistently recognise the support and adjustments provided to students with disability as defined in the DDA.
Prep Unit News
Welcome back to Term 3! We trust that everyone had a lovely break and is feeling refreshed ready for an excellent term of learning.
Some reminders for the beginning of term:
- Pronouncing the Alphabet Sounds
- Please cover the Term 3 reading diary in clear contact.
- 2 small lunch boxes: 1 for recess snacks and the other for lunch… this is so that they fit into our fridge containers.
- Students need to be at school on time each day (beginning of school is (8.38am). This allows them to settle into the morning routines and avoids disruption to learning. If you are arriving later than this time you need to come through the office and sign in.
- Show and Tell needs to be small enough to fit into the small container (if you need to know how big these are please ask) and into school bags!
- Monday = Enhanced Comprehension Book Pocket comes home and stays at home until Friday.
- Monday - Friday = Students borrow and read each night a ‘Home Reading Book’. The book is returned to school each morning for the selection of a new book. If you don’t return your book your child/ren will not be able to borrow a book.
- Monday - Friday = Reading Diary is to be at school each day. You will now need to record the ‘Home Reading Books’ in the diary each night… please see the photo below for an example.
- Sounds to continue practising with your child/ren at home: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, r, f, o,
- Learn all the tricky words at the back of the reading diary.
The Preps will be celebrating their 100th day of school soon… we will be dressing up as 100 year old people (see the example below).
A reminder about having a brainfood snack of fresh fruit or a vegetable for the children to eat at 10am. Please pack it separately from your child’s lunch in a small, named container so it can be placed on their desk each morning.
Dexteria - Fine Motor Skill Development for Grades K - Adult
This is a fantastic app that is worth downloading… Dexteria is a set of therapeutic hand exercises that improve fine motor skills and handwriting readiness in children and adults. The exercises take advantage of the multi-touch interface to help build strength, control, and dexterity.
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
Welcome back to another fun filled term. Our special Grandparents Day will occur on Friday 29th July, Year Two’s Sleepover event is on Thursday 4th August and our Athletics Day is at the Aerodrome Ovals on Wednesday 10th August (just to name a few significant events). We will also host an Assembly, celebrate Book Week and significant Masses throughout the term.
During our Social Emotional Learning times, Junior Unit students are learning about personal strengths which are different from their general strengths or talents. Students are working towards identifying their own personal strengths and the personal strengths in others. Some that have been mentioned are honesty, loyalty, friendly, adventurous, strong, responsible and respectful. This may be a conversation that could be continued at home.
A reminder about having a brainfood snack of fresh fruit or a vegetable for the children to eat at 10am. Please pack it separately from your child’s lunch in a small, named container so it can be placed on their desk each morning.
Next Friday 22nd July, All students are required to wear their sports uniform to prepare for time trials for our Athletics Day. These will be run by Mr Burford.
Our students Reading diaries are needed at school each day please. They are used for checking in with students, having conversations with them about books they have read or comments that have be written in as well as monitoring reading and spelling of tricky words.
Year One
Fortnightly Show and Tell has started in Year 1. A reminder to help your child/ren practise their Show and Tell as this term's themes relate closely to our school events and learning. Bundaleer's Show and Tell day is Thursday and Karinya's is Friday. Photos can be emailed any time to Mrs Pacher - apacher@shmildura.catholic.edu.au. If you have any questions about Year 1 Show and Tell please contact Mrs Pacher
In light of our fast approaching Grandparents Day (which we are super excited about), Year 1 teachers would like a photo emailed through of the students' grandparents please. (email addresses are linked below).
Year 1 children have been focusing on suffixes /ing/ and /s/ this week as well as sorting adjectives and nouns. We continue to practice reading and spelling the tricky words house, why, because, before, after, these.
During Maths the strategy of doubles, doubles plus one and doubles plus two have been introduced in addition.
Year Two
During Week 2, Our Year 2 students will be bringing home ‘HOMEWORK.’ More information will follow next week.
Student Library days:
Monday - Waminda
Tuesday - Karinya
Wednesday - Bundaleer, Barramunga
Thursday - Kyema
These days may be different to earlier in the year, so please remind your children to bring their library and books on their new day.
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 Katrina Groves (Monday-Thursday) & Mrs Amilea Pacher (Friday)
- Bundaleer (Year 1): Mrs Maree Irvin (Tuesday-Friday) & Mrs Amilea Pacher (Monday)
- Barramunga (Year 2): Miss Georgina Hewitt
- Waminda (Year 2): Mrs Chris Carmichael
- Kyema (Year 2): Mrs Kim Taylor
Middle Unit News
Welcome back to Term 3! We hope everyone has had a wonderful break and is ready for a very busy term ahead!
Year 3 Camp
Year 3 Camp to the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement is fast approaching! Please respond with permission for this on PAM as soon as possible. Further details of the camp will be provided soon. At this stage please ensure that your child’s medical profile is up to date and you have answered the questions on the permission form.
Local History Excursion
In Week 4 all Middle Unit classes will be exploring the Sunraysia area for a Local History experience. This excursion supports the learning students have been participating in the classroom. Days for each class are as follows:
- Monday 1st of August - Year 4
- Wednesday 3rd of August - Year 3
Please ensure you have responded with permission on PAM as soon as possible.
Year 4 Homework
This term Year 4 has increased our homework expectations. Students will still have their times tables to complete but will now also have a spelling element. Students are also reminded to read for a minimum of 15 minutes each night and write in their reading diary. Homework is due on Fridays.
Year 3 Homework
This term Year 3 has increased our homework expectations. Students will have a weekly times table task to complete. Year Three focuses on 2x, 3x, 5x, and 10x multiplication tables. Students are also reminded to read for a minimum of 15 minutes each night and we strongly encourage the students to take the responsibility to record in their diary the book they are reading and a comment themselves. As per the email sent out earlier this week, there is a link to our Soundwaves program where students can complete online activities to support our weekly spelling focus. The spelling homework is only a recommendation.
Students can login at www.fireflystudents.com.au
Class Code:
Minga- torn302
Eumeralla- other710
Homework is due on Fridays.
Diorama Materials
As part of our History unit next term, students will be making a diorama. Could students please begin bringing in any items that may be useful such as boxes (including shoe boxes), cardboard, bottles, material scraps,wool, buttons etc.
Science Immersion Days
This week Middle Unit students have enjoyed learning about Changes of State during our Science Immersion Days. Students had so much fun mixing cornflour and water to make a slimy mixture and discussed whether this would be classified as a solid or a liquid. We also melted crayons using hairdryers to investigate the power of heat.
Library
Just a reminder that Library days have changed this Term. Please ensure your child brings their library bag everyday along with any books, especially on their library day.
Monday - Eumeralla
Tuesday - Amaroo, Minga
Wednesday - Mootwingee
Thursday - Yongana
Laptops
Please ensure your child is charging their laptop each night. These devices are used regularly each day by students, and it is important for them to arrive each day with their laptop fully charged.
Middle Unit Team Contact Details
Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.
- Unit Leader: Miss Sophie Price
- Minga (Year 3): Mrs Cathryn Rowles
- Eumeralla (Year 3): Mrs Sarah Beckwith
- Amaroo (Year 4): Mrs Natalee Johnson
- Yongana (Year 4): Mr Corey Barbary
- Mootwingee (Year 4): Miss Sophie Price
Senior Unit News
Year Five
Homework will be handed out to students each Monday and is due back, completed, each Friday. It is also an expectation that students complete at least 15 minutes of reading each night as part of their homework. Students have homework diaries to help them track their reading which need to be signed by a parent and sighted by their teacher. Each Learning Team has a Homeworkopoly board that the students will keep track of returning signed dairies each day and homework on a Friday. Students have already enjoyed ‘Homework Free’ Day, being able to wear a funny hat or wig for a day through the ‘Chance’ cards, testing their general knowledge with ‘Pop Quiz’ questions and choosing from the ‘Prize Box’.
Year Six
The Year 6 students have started homework this week. This will be handed out to students each Monday and is due back, completed, each Friday. Students have also commenced Literature Circle groups this week. Students will be expected to complete reading at home for this each night. Students have homework diaries to help them track their reading which need to be signed by a parent and sighted by their teacher. It is really important for your child to complete this reading so they can fully engage in their group’s conversation about the book. If you have any questions about this, please contact your child’s teacher.
Library
Please note changes to some library borrowing days:
Illawarra - Tuesday
Myalla - Thursday
Dourim – Wednesday
Narooma – Wednesday
Laptops
Please ensure your child is charging their laptop each night. These devices are used regularly each day by students, and it is important for them to arrive each day with their laptop fully charged.
Year 5 Ballarat Camp
You will receive information about the upcoming Year 5 School Camp to Ballarat (24th – 26th of August) next 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 Kerryn Weaver (Monday-Wednesday) & Mrs Emma Kotsiakos (Wednesday-Friday)
- Illawarra (Year 5): Miss Belinda Zappia
- Narooma (Year 6): Mrs Jo Campbell
- Dourim (Year 6): Mrs Xana Priestley
Library
Scholastic Book Club Issue #5
GROW YOUR HOME LIBRARY (& INDEPENDENT READERS) WITH THE FREE BOOK OFFER! Every child deserves access to quality and affordable books, and Scholastic Book Club offers great prices with Value Books as low as $3 on every issue of Book Club. Best of all, if you order on Issue 5 you can select FREE BOOKS!
Place your Issue 5 order on LOOP to select up to 3 FREE BOOKS. To qualify all you have to do is spend over $30 and you can select 1 FREE book, or spend over $50 and you can select 2 FREE books or over $70 and you can select 3 FREE titles from a special online list. The list will display after you create your order and head to the checkout. See www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP for more information.
Did you know that 20% of your Book Club order goes back to our school in Scholastic Rewards? These Rewards are redeemed on Books and Educational Resources which helps stretch our budget further.
Orders for Issue #5 close on Thursday 21st July.
In the library this week, students in Prep - Yr 2 have been listening to picture story books written by Nick Bland and have enjoyed making character masks. Children in Year 3 & 4 have been writing book reviews and the Year 5 & 6 classes have been learning about the Dewey Decimal System and finding out how to search for Non Fiction Books.
Timetable:
Monday - Eumeralla, Preps, Waminda
Tuesday - Illawarra, Amaroo, Minga, Karinya
Wednesday - Bundaleer, Barramunga, Year 6, Mootwingee
Thursday - Yongana, Kyema, Myalla
These days may be different to earlier in the year, so please remind your children to bring their library and books on their new day!
Students have also received overdue notices - I am aware that a few children didn’t bring their books this last week as their day had changed, but any books borrowed prior to the holidays are now regarded as overdue, so please return these asap. Children are able to return books to the Minion Mouth prior to school any day and can borrow at lunchtimes if they miss their normal library session. If you are unable to find these books at home please send me a note or an email on wcollins@shmildura.catholic.edu.au so I am aware that parents have helped children look at home.
Physical Education News
Students of the Week
- Year 6, Narooma - Mia Hards
- Year 6, Dourim - Myles Hendy
- Year 5, Myalla - Liv McInerney
- Year 5, Illawarra - Anastacia Dini
- Year 4, Yongana - Victoria Cirigliano
- Year 4, Mootwingee - Airleas French
- Year 4, Amaroo - Isla Njegovan
- Year 3, Minga - Stella Brown
- Year 3, Eumeralla - Ivy Baird
- Year 2, Waminda - Lola Hamence
- Year 2, Kyema - Jack Milton
- Year 2, Barramunga - Austin Kerr
- Year 1, Karinya - Emma Curran
- Year 1, Bundaleer - Sophie Ferguson
- Prep, Wahroonga- Leo Golding
- Prep, Cooinda - Ilario Frasca
