Sacred Heart Primary School Mildura eNewsletter

Principal / Executive Leadership Team

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff, Students and Friends,

The cold weather is certainly upon us and a timely reminder to practice good hygiene and keep students at home if they are unwell to minimise the spread of germs.

We look forward to Week Five as we celebrate Catholic Education Week.

Catholic Education Week

The theme of ‘Let the Words you Speak Always be Full of Grace’ (Colossians 4:6) is integrally connected to blessing. Our words of grace and our actions are indeed blessings each day for ourselves, our students, families and colleagues as we participate in this grace filled work of Catholic Education.

We look forward to coming together with our neighbouring Catholic Schools for Mass on Friday at 11.30am at the St Joseph’s College Mercy Campus. Parents are invited to this Mass. Please contact the school office to let us know you will be attending.

Please be aware of the following arrangement for Friday’s CEW Mass:

Lunch orders will be available on this day, however they will be eaten during the second break.

Students wear their correct school uniform. Any classes that have sport are asked to bring their runners to change into.

Only students in Year 5 & 6 will go up for Communion/Blessing during the Mass. Everyone else will receive a general blessing.

Any students who are doing a job, reading or are in the choir will sit up the front.

We have 2 buses that will shuttle students to the Mercy Campus. The buses will make three trips to transport classes.

All students will be transported back to Sacred Heart after the Mass.

Parent consent via SIMON is required for this offsite activity.

Please contact the school if you have any questions.

Prep Breakfast

Thank you to Mrs O’Callaghan and Mrs Collins for coordinating this morning’s Prep Breakfast. Well done to all students for their participation in their first ‘camp’ experience at Sacred Heart.

Open Classrooms

During the week parents will be invited in for Open Classrooms. Times for the visits are as follows - Monday 2:10-3:10pm, Wednesday 9:00-9:45am, Thursday 11:30am-12:30pm). Parents can visit their children's classrooms and observe or participate in learning.

Diocesan Catholic Leadership Award

This Friday evening in Ballarat, Mrs Marion Guthrie will be presented with her Diocesan Catholic Leadership Award. As Mrs Guthrie is away, Mr Gibson & Mrs Carmichael will receive this award on Mrs Guthrie’s behalf at a dinner in Ballarat. Mrs Guthrie is a truly deserving recipient of this special award and it is testament to her outstanding work in the area of Catholic Mission over many years. You are an inspiration Mrs Guthrie, congratulations from everyone within the Sacred Heart community.

SHPS Staffing

Ms Bianca Niutta has informed us that she will be resigning from her position at Sacred Heart as her family will be relocating back to Ballarat at the end of this term. We wish Ms Niutta, her husband Scott and their family all the best and we thank Ms Niutta for her contribution to our school community over the last four years. We are currently working on a Teaching & Learning Leader replacement for Ms Niutta and will inform the school community once this is confirmed.

In other Staff news, Miss Brittany Huddleston (Learning Support Officer) and her partner Tim are expecting a baby later this year. We wish Brittany and Tim all the best during this special time.

Condolences

Our thoughts, prayers & best wishes are with Amanda, Dale & Amelia King following the passing of Amanda’s brother Tony this week. Condolences and deepest sympathies to the family during this difficult time.

District Football & Hockey

We wish our boys and girls Football & Hockey teams all the best at Tuesday’s District games against St Paul’s, Trinity Lutheran & Henderson College. Mr Burford & Mrs Rowles will attend with our Football teams and Mrs Beckwith & Miss Matthews will attend with our Hockey teams. Please provide parent consent via SIMON if your child is participating.

2024 Prep Enrolments Close Friday 26th May

We are currently taking enrolment applications for 2024 Prep Students. Enrolments will close on Friday 26th May 2023 at 4pm. We encourage existing families to apply now via the school website if you know your child will be attending Sacred Heart: (Click here)

If you know of any new families who are looking at enroling we encourage you to share our enrolment processes that are outlined here.

Instrumental Music Lessons

Sacred Heart is lucky to have Maddy Barbary available for Year 4-6 students to receive instrumental lessons at Sacred Heart during or after the school day. Lessons can be offered in flute (classical), flute (folk), recorder, saxophone, clarinet or piano. Maddy is in her final year of study at The University of Melbourne’s Conservatorium of Music studying a Bachelor of Music.

Maddy will offer a $270 per term program for each student and will offer a choice for individual lessons or group lessons that can be arranged with parent consultation. This allows for at least 8 lessons each term. Time slots would be 25 minutes for individual lessons and 35 minutes for paired/group lessons.

If interested please contact Maddy directly on 0457 081 016 or email maddy.barbary20@gmail.com

Sacrament of Confirmation

We pray for many of our Year Three students who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th May. There will be five Masses over the weekend. As a school community we wish students and their families all the best at each of these special celebrations.

Student Teacher

This week we welcome student teacher Charli Massotti to Sacred Heart. Charli will be working with Minga for one week.

Assembly

Thank you to Myalla for hosting today's Assembly. Kyema will be hosting next week’s Assembly which will be held in the Stadium on Friday at 2.30pm. All welcome to attend.

Have a great weekend everyone and God Bless!

Ryan O’Callaghan

Religious Education

2023 Sacramental Dates

Confirmation

Sacrament of Confirmation - Friday 26th to Sunday 28th May 2023

First Eucharist

Parent Information Evening - Wednesday 12th July 2023 @ 7pm SH Church

Sacrament of First Eucharist - Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd October 2023

Reconciliation

Parent Information Evening - Wednesday 11th October 2023 7pm SH Church

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Wednesday 22nd November 2023 7pm SH Church

Learning and Teaching News

Catholic Education Week ‘Open Classroom’ Times

You’re invited to come and view the learning at our wonderful school at the following times next week!

Monday 22nd May 2:10-3:00pm Wednesday 24th May 9:00am-9:45am Thursday 25th 11:30-12:30

Book Fair

Books can be purchased before and after school each day next week at the following times 8:20 am-8:40 am and 3:00 pm- 3:40 pm Payment is by card only or secure online payment as per the note sent home Wednesday.

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 23nd successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

This year’s text, ‘The Speedy Sloth’ will be read in the library on Wednesday 24th May at 11:00 am- all children are welcome!

Learning Diversity News

Nothing to report this week.

Prep Unit News

Wow wee! What an amazing day it has been today. The prep students have had so much fun celebrating their prep breakfast at ‘CAFE SHPS’. They enjoyed cereal, toast and juice all served by our Junior Unit teachers. The preps then participated in 4 activities: making fruit kebabs, Mr Squiggle art work, fruit loop pattern necklaces and bracelets and designing and making a party hat. They have had a treasure hunt, watched cartoons and enjoyed socialising with one another.

Thank you to our Prep families for the wonderful work you have been doing at home supporting your child to learn the alphabet sounds (phonemes) and completing their daily reading. It is important that the students consistently read (every night) so that they are practising the decoding skills they have learnt at school.

This week in class we have been learning about measuring length, practising a lot on the formation of our letters in writing (making sure they are the correct way and starting at the correct spot) and using our phonemes (sounds) to write sentences. To complete our unit on push and pull forces the students will be designing and making a toy car. Each student will need to bring in 4 milk or orange juice bottle tops.

Enjoy the photos of some of this week’s learning!

Looking ahead, we are preparing ourselves for the Junior Unit Social on Thursday 8th June at 6pm! Last week a note was sent home about the history of the Junior Unit Social and the costumes each Prep class will be wearing for the evening. This week an invitation to the Junior Unit Social came home with further details about the night. If you have any questions please contact your child’s teacher.

Some reminders for the beginning of term:

Please cover your child’s reading diary in clear contact.
School starts at 8:45am each day. If you are at school after 8:45am you will need to sign your child in at the office.
Your child’s library bag needs to be at school every day - kept in their school bag.
Sports days are Tuesday and Wednesday - sports uniform is needed.
Practise the sounds caterpillars and fluency chart each night to develop automaticity. Automatic recognition of letters/sounds is extremely important in reading and writing.
Read and record ‘Enhanced Comprehension’ and ‘Reader’ in the reading diary each night.
Library books are to be returned to school on Fridays.
Sounds to continue practising with your child/ren at home: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, r, f, o, c, d, h, e.

Prep Unit Team Contact Details

Unit Leader: Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan
Cooinda: Mrs Rebecca O'Callaghan - bocallaghan@shmildura.catholic.edu.au
Wahroonga: Mrs Wendy Collins - wcollins@shmildura.catholic.edu.au

Junior Unit News

Next week is exciting for our Junior Unit students. Not only are we celebrating Catholic Education Week but it’s National Simultaneous Story Time.

On Wednesday, we look forward to NSST. This year’s text, ‘The Speedy Sloth’ will be read in the Library at 11:00 am and all children are welcome to attend!

On Friday we celebrate Catholic Education Week and are attending Mass at SJC Mercy Campus at 11.30am with children from all of the other local Catholic schools. Families are welcome to join us for this celebration..

Please continue to encourage your child/ren to read and spell their ‘Tricky Words’ which are located in their reading diary as well as complete some of the games to enhance their fluency, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Year Ones have been enhancing their knowledge of long vowel sounds, common digraphs and trigraphs. They are focusing on: /_y/ cry , /igh/ light, /ue/ glue, /ew/ grew, /oo/ moon, /oa/boat, /ow/ snow, /ee/ tree, /ea/ leaf, /ai/- rain, /ay/ play, /ar/ star.

This week an invitation to the Junior Unit Social was sent home with details about this exciting evening. If the invitation has been misplaced, it has also been attached here.

Year 1 Maths: Measurement- tall, taller, tallest. Long, longer, longest. Wide, wider, widest

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 Christine Sherry (Friday)
Bundaleer (Year 1): Miss Hayley Moore
Barramunga (Year 2): Mrs Chris Carmichael
Nangare: (Year 2): Mrs Maree Irvin

Middle Unit News

Next week Minga are welcoming Miss Charli Masotti to their class. Miss Masotti is a first year education student and will be helping in Minga for the week.

Just a reminder that we are posting lots of amazing work and assessment tasks on Seesaw which we encourage parents to view and discuss with your children. Should you be having issues with accessing your Seesaw parent account please contact your child’s teacher.

We are looking forward to a busy Catholic Education Week next week and can’t wait to welcome parents into our classes at the following times:

Monday 22nd May 2:10-3:00pm

Wednesday 24th May 9:00am-9:45am Thursday 25th 11:30-12:30

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 Sarah Beckwith
Yongana (Year 3): Mrs Georgina Whitehouse
Mootwingee (Year 3): Mrs Jaimi Willersdorf
Minga (Year 4): Miss Sophie Price
Eumeralla (Year 4): Miss Rosie Lennox

Senior Unit News

Year 5 - Well done to Myalla on presenting at today’s assembly. Next week Kyema will be presenting their assembly with a focus on Catholic Education Week. We welcome all families to come along.

Please remember that it is expected that our students are reading at home 15-20 minutes per night and practising their timetables. We will commence testing these in the coming weeks as well.

We have been practising having an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ across the senior unit and we will continue this until the end of term using our Gratitude Jars.

Senior Unit Team Contact Details

Click on the teacher's name if you wish to email them.

Unit Leader Year 5: Mrs. Natalee Johnson
Unit Leader Year 6: Mrs. Loretta Thompson
Illawarra (Year 5): Mrs. Cathryn Rowles
Kyema (Year 5): Mrs. Natalee Johnson
Myalla (Year 5): Mrs. Emma Kotsiakos (Monday-Thursday) & Mr. Corey Barbary (Friday)
Narooma (Year 6): Mrs. Jo Campbell
Dourim (Year 6): Mrs. Loretta Thompson
Illawarra (Year 6): Mrs. Amelia Pacher (Monday-Thursday) & Mr. Jacob Burford (Friday)

Library News

Sacred Heart Environmental Commitee SHEC

One of the roles of the SHEC Class Representatives is to teach their peers about looking after the environment. Jacob is reminding his class about the importance of turning our food scraps into food for the worms. By giving food scraps to the worms we ensure our garden has a plentiful supply of worm castings and we stop putting food in landfill.

Did you know that food waste that ends up in landfills and rots produces a large amount of methane – a more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2? The food wasted in landfills is responsible for roughly 8 percent of global emissions.