ISSUE 39: 29th November, 2024

Principal Message

Gospel Reflection

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, a season of hope, preparation, and anticipation. As we light the first candle on the Advent wreath, we are reminded to "stay awake" and be ready for the coming of Jesus, as the Gospel calls us to live with purpose and awareness.  Advent invites us to pause amidst the busyness, reflect on what truly matters, and prepare our hearts for the gift of Christ at Christmas. Let us encourage our children and families to embrace this season with kindness, patience, and generosity, fostering a spirit of hope in our homes and community.  May this Advent be a time of peace and renewal for all.

What’s on Next Week (Week  9 )

End of Year Calendar Dates

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

Weekly Update

This week has been filled with exciting events and milestones:

• Leadership Speeches: Our 2024 House and School Captain candidates delivered inspiring speeches, and students from Years 3-5, along with the 2024 Leadership Team and staff, cast their votes. Congratulations to all our Year Five nominees!
• First Reconciliation: Congratulations to our Year 2 students who received their First Reconciliation on Wednesday. A big thank you to the parents who supported their preparation.
• Year 5 St Joseph’s Visit: Year 5 students enjoyed a fantastic visit to St Joseph’s College Mercy Campus on Tuesday, engaging in various activities.
• T20 Cricket: Congratulations to our T20 Blast Cricket team, who competed at the State Finals in Melbourne today!  The boys won two out of four games and played very well.  Thanks to Mr Burford and Mrs Scott for attending with the boys.

Building Works

Starting Monday, we will begin building works to transform our library and staffroom into functional classroom spaces. These updates will include improved lighting, sinks, storage, displays, whiteboards, televisions, phone access, and breakout spaces connected to the parent retreat and boardroom, along with dedicated classroom entrances.

While these areas may have limited access during the works, we aim to have the majority of the renovations completed by the end of the year, ensuring the spaces are ready for the start of the new school year. Thank you for your understanding as we enhance our facilities!

2025 Staffing and Class Allocations

Staffing for 2025 has been finalised, and a letter detailing your child’s classroom teacher will be sent home on Monday. Thank you to our Unit Leaders and staff for their thoughtful planning. While we strive to accommodate all parent requests, it’s not always possible, and we appreciate your understanding.  In blue, are the classrooms students will work in on Tuesday for their Transition Day.

Whole School Transition

On Tuesday our school will host an Transition Day for all students. This day will allow our Grade 6 students attending St Joseph’s College (SJC) to explore what awaits them in High School next year.  For those students attending SJC, there is a Parent/Student Information session on Tuesday evening. Students from Foundation to Year 5 will transition to their new class groups for 2025, marking an exciting moment. In most cases student’s won’t be working in their 2025 classroom; with classrooms for transition day listed above.  Additionally, we'll warmly welcome our 2025 Foundation students on this day.

During this event, there will be an information session for 2025 Foundation parents in the school stadium from 9am to 10:30am. For students not continuing at Sacred Heart in 2025, supervised activities occur in the Kyema classroom with Mrs. Gunn.

Student Leadership Assembly

The Student Leadership Team will host Assembly this Friday, 6th December at 2.30pm in the Stadium.  The announcement of the 2025 Student Leaders will take place during this Assembly.

End-of-Year Arrangements

The final school day for students in 2024 is Wednesday, 18th December. From Monday, 15th December, to Wednesday, 18th December, we will focus on preparing for our upcoming building project, which involves significant classroom changes for 2025.  All students will be engaged in learning activities, but it will be different to our normal routines. During this time, students may not be in their usual groups, classrooms, or with their regular teachers.

We appreciate your understanding as we make these adjustments to prepare for the changes ahead, which will impact six classroom spaces in 2025.

Parent Code of Conduct

The updated Parent Code of Conduct has been distributed via SIMON and must be reviewed and acknowledged before the start of the new school year. Currently it has been signed by 54% of families.  This annual process ensures we maintain a respectful and collaborative school community.

Kiss & Go and School Crossing

To help keep everyone safe during drop-off and pick-up please take note of the following rules at Kiss and Go and the School Crossing that should be followed both in the morning (8:10-8:45am) and afternoon (3pm-3:30pm):

• Stay in your vehicle unless you need to assist younger students with their seat belts.
• Aim to keep your car in the Kiss & Go area for a maximum of two minutes to allow others to use the space too.
• Access the Kiss & Go only from Olive Grove, not 12th Street.
• Please refrain from dropping off students outside of cars in Olive Grove.
• Avoid performing U-turns within the Kiss & Go area.
• For your safety, use the school crossing if you need to cross 12th Street.


Thanks for helping us keep our school safe for everyone!

First Day for Students in 2025

Students will return to school on Wednesday, 29th January, 2025.

God Bless,
Mark Gibson

Learning and Teaching

School Reports

Our teachers are in the final stages of completing students' End of Year Reports, which provide a brief overview of your child’s progress during Semester 2. The general comments will offer a clear summary of your child’s work habits, organisational skills, personal and social development, as well as key achievements. Reports will be made available for parents to read on SIMON Everywhere on Tuesday the 10th of December. Our reports are designed to be read alongside work samples provided across the year on Seesaw. If you are having trouble logging into your Seesaw or SIMON Everywhere account, please contact your child’s teacher or the front office.

Foundation News

This week we have been learning about blends in literacy. These are not digraphs but clusters of two or three consonants that appear together in a word. Each letter in a blend makes a sound and these sounds are then blended together. For example, in the word play, the p and the l must be blended together to read the full word. 

Foundation students have also begun non-fiction writing. We have written our own information report on Frogs. We explored some non-fiction books about frogs and together created and labelled our own digraph. Students then developed sentences about what frogs eat, how they move, what parts they have and how they reproduce. 

Reminders:

• Next week, students will spend Tuesday in their 2025 classes on Transition Day
• A note will come home soon regarding our Prep Fun Day on December 13th
• Last day of school is Wednesday 18th
• Please return all library books by next week
• Last Show and Tell Wednesday “Something that you might put on a Christmas tree”
• Please view Seesaw to see end-of-year assessment tasks

Year One News

This week students have been consolidating their reading skills by building their fluency of tricky words as well as digraphs, trigraphs, homophones and prefixes. They have learnt about the elements of narrative writing and wrote short stories using wonderful descriptive language and fantastic super sentences. We have continued our inquiry topic of the 5 senses, with students using this knowledge to support their narrative writing. 

Reminders:

• Next week, students will spend Tuesday in their 2025 classes on Transition Day
• Year One Fun Day on December 9th… Parents will need to approve the activity on PAM
• Last day of school is Wednesday 18th December
• Please return all library books by next week
• Last Show and Tell next week: Christmas is a special time because … complete the sentences with love, reverence, kindness and hope.
• Please view Seesaw to see end of year assessment tasks

Year Two News

Next week the Year 2 students will continue to sell icy poles for 50c on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. With the money raised we will select some tags from the Christmas Giving Tree at the SH Church and buy presents for the needy children in our community. We will select these tags, some children will be given the task of buying the presents with their parents and then we will all be responsible for wrapping and delivering the presents back to Fr Matt at the church. Year 2 children will be rostered on for one session each of selling the icy poles and are very much looking forward to this Social Justice initiative.

Congratulations to all Year 2 children who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation earlier this week. May they continue to ask for forgiveness when needed and be able to forgive others who have hurt them. Help them to be peacemakers in their school and family.

The Year Two Fun Day is fast approaching on Friday 6th December! A letter with all the details was handed out to children earlier this week.  Parents will need to approve the activity and give your child’s swimming ability on PAM. 

Thanks Mrs Carmichael & Mrs Collins

Year Three News

This week parents  received a hard copy note regarding our Year Three Fun Day! Information and consent to attend is on SIMON. Please make sure you take time to read over this event, as some of the dot points to which you are consenting to have recently changed. Consent to attend is due on Wednesday the 4th of December. We are looking forward to celebrating the year with our students! 

Students in Year Three enjoyed wishing Mrs Scott a very happy birthday last weekend. We would like to thank her for all of her support in Year Three!! 

If you haven’t done so already, please ensure that all library books are returned to school next week.

Next week is our last week for Stop Motion, if your child is bringing anything in from home they will need to do so then. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Year Four News

This week the Year Four students have listened to the prospective School and House Captains for 2025 deliver their speeches knowing that next year many of them will be doing this. It has given them the opportunity to think about how their actions often speak louder than words. It is great to see most are looking forward to seeking a leadership position in 2026.

Next week the Year 2 students will continue to sell icy poles for 50c on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. With the money raised they will select some tags from the Christmas Giving Tree at the SH Church and buy presents for the needy children in our community. Please remind your child if they would like to purchase an icy pole, they need to line up with their 50c outside the Year Two rooms.

Reminders:

• Next week, students will spend Tuesday in their 2025 classes on Transition Day
• Year Four Fun Day on December 9th… Parents will need to approve the activity on PAM
• Last day of school is Wednesday 18th December
• Please check under beds and on bookshelves for any school library books and return all library books by next week. 

Enjoy your weekend,

Natalee, Jaimi & Cathryn

Year Five News

This week student’s enjoyed a visit to St Joseph’s college where they were able to explore the Grade Seven’s impressive science experiments. 

Students also presented their speeches for School & House Captains. We know this can be a stressful time as we prepare to meet our 2025 leadership team. We are so proud of each student who bravely nominated and stood in front of their peers to present their speeches. While we know some may miss out on a badge, we have no doubt the school is in capable hands next year as many of our students are set to be wonderful leaders! 

Next week, students will spend Tuesday in their 2025 classes on Transition Day.

Year Six News

Graduation Dinner

The Year 6 Graduation Dinner will be held at Willow and Ivie on Tuesday December the 10th.  You can access the menu options for your child and pay for their meal using CDF Pay. Please complete this by Friday December 6th.

Transition Day

On Tuesday 3rd December, all students enrolled at St Joseph’s College for 2025 will attend a Transition Day. Parents should have received an email from SJC detailing requirements for the day, drop off and pick up times and general information. We wish our Year 6 students a wonderful orientation day.

Fun Day

This week permissions for our End of Year Fun Day were made available on PAM. Please ensure you have responded to this event. Details of this event can be found on PAM. 

Year Six Kris Kringle

Next week, your child will bring home a note explaining how Kris Kringle will work in the Year Six classrooms this year. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

Dates to Remember:

• Tuesday, December 3rd -  Transition Day
• Tuesday, December 10th - Graduation Dinner (see information above)
• Thursday, December 12th - End of Year / Graduation Mass
• Friday, December 13th - Senior Unit  Fun Day (Parents will need to approve the activity on PAM)
• Wednesday, December 18th - Last day of school

Student Awards

No awards this week

Library News

Wow the books are coming in thick and fast! Thank you to all the families who have found and returned books already. It is a very busy time in the library with lots of books being moved and stored to make way for the renovations. Students are still able to enjoy books at school, especially the lovely Christmas books that are out for reading in classrooms or during break times.

First Aid

Please check your ‘junk’ folder in your emails, as my emails are finding their way there. If your child has Anaphylaxis, Allergies or Asthma, there is a high chance that I have sent you an email regarding this. 

As the end of the year approaches we need to think about updating Asthma, Allergy and Anaphylaxis Action Plans. Asthma Australia recommends all students with Asthma provide schools with an updated Asthma Action Plan at least annually. 

Please organise appointments to get these plans renewed as soon as possible, as I would like to have them all in by Term 1 2025. 

ASCIA recommends that a student’s ASCIA Anaphylaxis and Severe Allergy plan should be updated every 12-18 months, when they are reviewed by their doctor and receive a new adrenaline injector prescription. 

If your child has an Action Plan that has not been updated in the last 12-18 months, please consider arranging an appointment with their GP to organise this as soon as possible. 

If your child is in Grade 6, please consider that when they attend high school, these Action Plans are still required to be provided to their school. 

As the weather starts to warm up, please ensure you are packing a drink bottle to come to school with your child. Staying hydrated throughout the day is super important to reduce the risk of heat related illnesses. 

If your child suffers from hayfever and other seasonal allergies, please also consider administering their medication at home before they arrive at school, such as Claratyne and Zyrtec. This will avoid having to bring the medication down to school throughout the day. 

If you have any questions about all things First Aid please email me:

ejones@shmildura.catholic.edu.au or by phone on 5023 1204

Ebony
First Aid Officer

Parent Information

Arriving and Leaving Safely

Kiss & Go

To help keep everyone safe during drop-off and pick-up please take note of the following rules at Kiss and Go and the School Crossing that should be followed both in the morning (8:10-8:45am) and afternoon (3pm-3:30pm):

• Stay in your vehicle unless you need to assist younger students with their seat belts.
• Aim to keep your car in the Kiss & Go area for a maximum of two minutes to allow others to use the space too.
• Access the Kiss & Go only from Olive Grove, not 12th Street.
• Please refrain from dropping off students outside of cars in Olive Grove.
• Avoid performing U-turns within the Kiss & Go area.
• For your safety, use the school crossing if you need to cross 12th Street.


Thanks for helping us keep our school safe for everyone!

Pick Up and Drop Off Points

In the mornings, the Olive Grove gate will remain closed, so students and visitors can only enter through the 12th Street or Tamarisk Grove gates. After school, only the Olive Grove gate near the Art House will be open and supervised by a staff member. This change aims to enhance student and traffic safety.

Please ensure you find a suitable and permissible parking spot for your car in order to use these locations.

Riding Scooters & Bikes

Certain students walk, ride bikes, or scooters to school and are requested to use either the 12th Street entrance or the Tamarisk Grove entrance at the rear of the oval. Riding into or through the school grounds is not permitted.

Collect Children from School Grounds

Feel free to come into school to pick up your child directly from their classroom. It's an excellent opportunity to meet other parents, have casual conversations with teachers, and ensure your child is organised at the end of the day. If you choose this option, please park appropriately and be outside the classroom by the 3.10 bell; otherwise, your child will be directed to the supervised Kiss and Go area. Students and young siblings should refrain from using the playground equipment.

School Crossings

Students walking home are advised to use the school crossings on Twelfth Street, Walnut Avenue and Eleventh Street to safely avoid heavily trafficked roads. All crossings are supervised by a School Crossing Supervisor, and it's crucial to follow their directions.  We also encourage parents to model expected behaviours by using the School Crossings also.

Buses

Several of our students catch buses home from the St. Joseph’s bus stop on 11th Street. Each day a teacher gathers these children together and accompanies them to the bus stop to supervise until they are all safely on the bus.

Drop Off Times

Preferred 'Drop Off' Time: 8.25 - 8.45 am. For safety reasons, please refrain from dropping off students before 8.19 am, as there is no supervision provided.  Our gates open at this time.

Pick Up Times

Recommended 'Pick Up' Time: 3.10 - 3.25 PM. While we understand occasional delays, if regular or extending beyond 3.30 PM, please consider enrolling your child/ren in After School Care.

Walking or Riding Home

If your children walk or ride home or to your workplace after school, please submit written permission authorising them to leave unaccompanied. They must exit through the main 12th Street gate or accompany the 11th Street bus group through Tamarisk Grove.

Alternative Pick Up Places

For safety, we strongly advise against arrangements where children wait unsupervised at public pick-up locations like Walnut Avenue or St Joseph’s College.

EATING AND DRINKING AT SCHOOL

Healthy Eating

To sustain learning and promote healthy eating we encourage students to bring to school predominantly healthy food choices.

Brainfood

Students have a brain food break during the morning to keep children’s brains fuelled for learning. We ask that families send an extra fresh fruit or vegetable snack for children to have during this time. When sending the snack, please pack it separately from your child’s lunch in a small, named container so it can be placed on their desk each morning.

Lunch Snack

The main meal of the school day; a sandwich or roll, a salad or a slice of quiche. A healthy ‘treat’ may also be appropriate here that is healthy and gives long-term energy.  Lunch is eaten usually in the classroom from 11:25am-11:40am.

Recess Snack

We encourage parents to pack fresh fruit or vegetables in your child’s recess snack box.  You may like to pack one or two other snack items for them at this time.  This snack is eaten at 1:40pm.

Packing Food

 The school has a bank of refrigerators for the storage of students’’ food. For the ease of packing and unloading the fridges, we ask that parents provide separate, small, well-labelled containers or zip-lock bags for their child’s recess snack and lunch. Insulated ‘puffy’ lunchboxes and ice-blocks are not required.

School Canteen

Our School Canteen operates on a Wednesday and Friday and provides a range of lunch options at low cost.    The current menu and prices can be accessed through and ordered via the CDFpay website https://shmildura.cdfpay.org.au

OFFICE INFORMATION

Office Hours

Office hours will run from 8:20am to 4:00pm every day. Phone calls can be made starting at 8:00 am.

Change of Personal Details

If there are any changes to your contact details (address/phone number/emergency contacts), kindly inform the office by calling 50231204, emailing office@shmildura.catholic.edu.au, or visiting the office in person.

Simon Everywhere and Parent Access Module (PAM)

Simon Everywhere is an App for smart phones that allows parents to access all information relating to their child/ren such as reports, attendance and much more. It also allows you to update medical information, give permission for excursions, access teacher emails and also receive notifications from the school.

For parents familiar with PAM, the new App works mostly the same as PAM and you can still access PAM through the web site: pam.shmildura.catholic.edu.au, however the app has additional functionality such as Push notifications and the ability to sign in without having to enter your username and password each time.

1. Go to the App Store or Google Play Store and search Simon Everywhere
2. Download and open the App and Allow Notifications
3. Enter your name and phone number and press verify, you will receive a code via SMS
4. Click on 'Add School'
5. Select Sacred Heart Primary School, Mildura - Parent Access
6. Enter your PAM username and password. If you do not know your credentials, please call the school.

7. Click on the Home icon.
   

Simon everywhere works best when notifications are turned on. You can check the notifications setting on your phone to be sure by going to the Settings – Notifications – Then find the Simon Everywhere App.

Sickness at School

Children with severe colds, flus, or other debilitating illnesses must stay at home. Do not send the child if they have:

• Fever: Children with a fever over 38 degrees should stay home.
• Prescribed antibiotics: Keep a child at home for at least 24 hours if prescribed antibiotics for an acute illness.
• Diarrhea: Children with watery stool should return only after being symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
• Vomiting: Children who are vomiting should stay home until at least 24 hours after it has stopped.

After School Care

After School Care is available for Sacred Heart students and is located on our school grounds.  Camp Australia run this program for students from Sacred Heart Primary School and St Paul's Primary School.  The program runs from the Art House building which is located on Olive Grove.

Sacred Heart families can make use of the Camp Australia After-School Care Program that is held on the grounds of Sacred Heart.  The service is available from 3:10pm through to 6pm on school days.  A healthy snack is provided to children.  Registration needs to be done through the Camp Australia website www.campaustralia.com.au .  Further information can be obtained by calling 1300 105 343.  Each day the office will print out a list of students attending Out of Hours School Care and notify the students at the end of the day via the announcements.

Marking Child’s Absence 

1. Log into the App - SimonEverywhere or login via PAM (type pam.shmildura.catholic.edu.au in your address bar).
2. You can either log by clicking on the large blue calendar section that says Parent Notified Absences or you can click on the 3 menu lines at the top right-hand side of your screen. NOTE: On your phone it will appear below your child/ren’s name.
3. You will then need to click the blue + Add Absence button circled below
4. Then select your child, and in reason

If your family is going on an extended family holiday. Please contact the school to inquire about an Student Absence Learning Plan.

School Day

• 8:19 am - Gates open & students can access Courtyard
• 8:34 am - Access Courtyard and play on Oval (classrooms opening optional for teachers)
• 8.49 am - School day begins - classroom open
• 8:55 am - School starts.
• 9.55 am - Brain Break
• 10:55 am - Lunch Play
• 11.25 am - Lunch Eat
• 1.40 pm - Recess 
• 2.10 pm - Recess Finishes
• 3.10 pm - School finishes

Sports Uniform Days

Prep:  

• Cooinda (Mrs O’Callaghan) - Thursday & Friday  
• Wahroonga (Miss Moore) - Thursday & Friday  

Year One: 

• Bundaleer (Mrs Coffey & Mrs Priestley) - Tuesday & Wednesday 
• Karinya (Mrs Groves) - Tuesday & Wednesday 

Year Two:

• Barramunga (Mrs Carmichael) - Tuesday & Friday
• Waminda (Mrs Collins) - Monday & Friday

Year Three:

• Narooma (Mrs Beckwith) - Monday & Tuesday
• Dourim (Mrs Kotsiakos & Mrs Irvin) - Monday & Thursday

Year Four:

• Illawarra (Mrs Willersdorf) - Monday & Tuesday 
• Myalla (Mrs Rowles) - Monday & Wednesday
• Kyema (Mrs Johnson) - Monday & Thursday 

Year Five:  

• Minga (Mrs Deacon) - Monday & Wednesday 
• Eumeralla (Mrs Gunn & Mrs Pacher) - Monday & Wednesday

Year Six:  

• Amaroo (Mrs Campbell) - Tuesday & Friday 
• Yongana (Mrs Zaxos) - Monday & Friday
• Mootwingee (Mrs Thompson) - Thursday & Friday

Term Dates