ISSUE 3: February 10th 2023

Principal / Executive Leadership Team

Hello everyone,

On Tuesday morning before school I had a medical episode at home and spent two days in hospital and are now feeling fine but spending time resting and recovering at home.  Several factors could have caused this, and I am awaiting results.

 I hope to be able to return to school soon but in my absence Mr O’Callaghan will cover for me and I thank him for all that he has done for me to date. I also thank anyone who is required to do extra during my absence.  

 Thank you for your understanding! 

Mark

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff & Students,

I hope that everyone has had a great week.  It was wonderful to see so many parents, grandparents and friends celebrating our Beginning of School Year Mass on Thursday morning.  Thanks to all for coming along, and thank you to Staff who helped out, Mrs Guthrie for her music, Father Shaiju for leading our celebration and our students for the respect and reverence shown throughout the Mass.

Mr Gibson is currently away and will return at the beginning of Week Five.

Swimming Program

Our Year 5/6 students are participating in their Swimming Program this week from Monday to Friday. Swimming lessons will focus on water safety, swimming technique and survival skills.  Lessons are being held at Mildura Waves.  Lesson times are: Year Six - 9.30am & 10.15am and Year Five - 11am & 11.45am.  Parents please ensure that you have given permission on PAM for your child to attend this program. Please see note in the Senior Unit section.

Get to Know You Interviews

Thank you to the many parents who attended Get to Know You Meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday.  These meetings were really well attended and are an important starting point to begin a positive home-school partnership.  We thank parents for sharing the strengths, challenges and interests of your child which is very helpful for our teachers.

Prep Assessments & Prep Rest Day

The second day of Prep Assessments is being held this Wednesday, whilst Prep students have their rest day.  Mrs O’Callaghan & Mrs Collins will work with students individually for a 30 minute period.  Times have been booked via PAM.

Student Leadership Meeting

2023 Student Leaders will have their first meeting for the year with Mr O’Callaghan at 8.15am on Thursday.  Meetings are being held every fortnight at the same time.  

School Photos - 20th February

Families have received information about School Photos and orders need to be completed online.  Photos are being held on Monday, 20th February.  All students are expected to wear their full summer school uniform on this day.  Classes who have PE on this day will need to bring their runners to school to change into. Please refer to flyer insert below, hard copies were sent home earlier in the week. The photographers have asked that we stress family photo orders are placed before 4.30pm on the 19th of Feb, they will not be able to take family photo orders after this day and time.

Shrove Tuesday Breakfast - 21st February

On Tuesday 21st February we celebrate Shrove Tuesday.  Shrove or Pancake Tuesday marks the end of Ordinary Time in the church's liturgical calendar. It signals that we are coming into Lent. We will celebrate Shrove Tuesday from 7:50am-8:40am with families welcome to join us for a free pancake breakfast at school. If any parents can assist with serving, setting up or cooking please let the Office know.  We hope to see lots of families enjoying a pancake!

Ash Wednesday Mass - 22nd February

Each year, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection. Our combined Ash Wednesday Mass with St Paul’s Primary School is being held on Wednesday, 22nd February beginning at 10am.  Families are welcome to join this celebration.

Assembly

Thank you to the class of Dourim (Year 6) for hosting today’s Assembly.  Minga (Year 4) will host next Friday’s Assembly. All are welcome to attend.

Pupil Free Day - Friday 3rd March

A reminder to families that Friday, 3rd March is a pupil free day.  Staff will be working with Anne Ruddell from Catholic Education Ballarat on School Wide Positive Behaviour Supports (SWPBS) on this day. 

God Bless,

Ryan O’Callaghan

Religious Education

This week’s Reflection

Prophets - A Call to Transformation

Schools are places of the prophets! All of us in Catholic Education are called to be prophets. The word prophet in ancient Greek phophetes means “one who speaks for God.” In Hebrew the term for prophet is nabi which means “the one who is called.” At the beginning of 2023 let us take time to reflect upon what we are called to do in Catholic Education and how Christians may announce the presence of God through their words and actions. In many respects those involved in Catholic Education participate in the work of prophets. What does this mean for us? Joan Chittister explains the work of a prophet in the following way:

The prophet does more than denounce evil. Instead, prophetic spirituality envisions a world in which justice and equality, peace and community, are the norm rather than the struggle. It is the prophet of our time who leads the way to the development of an alternative vision of life by imagining a new normal. Today’s prophets prepare for the reconstruction of society by imagining the achievable and drawing others to see it as well p. 52

The truth is, every generation, and every segment of society has its prophets. These people we recount with pride, were the builders and the truth tellers who exposed corruption and worked with the underlings of society. They were missionaries and holy pioneers, spiritual leaders and protectors of the oppressed. Because of them, the entire society was better in the end – no matter how much resistance they faced as they began their small and local projects for peace, justice and equality. p. 132

Chittister, J. (2019) The Time is Now A Call to Uncommon Courage Convergent New York

Project Compassion

Families will receive a Project Compassion box during Week Five.  Spanning across the six weeks of Lent each year, Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world.  Your generous support can help change lives today - and For All Future Generations.  We encourage families to support Project Compassion this year.  Boxes are due back to the school office on Thursday, 6th April. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation

- Extra Opportunity for students in Year Three & Above

The Sacred Heart Parish is offering an extra opportunity for any students in Year Three or above who missed out on receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation last year. This will be held on Wednesday, 22nd March at 7pm.  Please email ryocallaghan@shmildura.catholic.edu.au if you wish for your child to make this Sacrament or call in to the school office to pick up a Registration Form.  Registration for this Sacrament needs to be completed by Wednesday, 15th February.   

2023 Sacramental Dates

Confirmation

Parent Information Evening - Wednesday 29th March 2023 @ 7pm SH Church 

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 25th to Sunday 27th August 2023

Reconciliation

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

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Wednesday 29th November 2023 7pm SH Church

Learning and Teaching News

Classroom Learning

Children have settled well into their new classroom routines with a sense of calm being apparent when we walk around the school. At present, teachers are collecting assessment data from children particularly in the areas of Reading, Spelling and Mathematics. This data is analysed by teachers in their teams which allows them to plan for the most effective lessons to support children from their point of need. 

Brain Food

All children are encouraged to bring in a fruit or vegetable snack for their mid morning brain food snack. This helps children to maintain their focus during the morning and to get them through to their lunch. The snack needs to be fresh fruit or vegetables- not biscuits or fruit cups in juice. Some ideas: cut up apple, pear, carrot sticks, Qukes, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, grapes or berries.

NAPLAN

From 2023, NAPLAN will take place in March instead of May for Years  3 and 5 children. The earlier assessment is to give teachers and parents information about the skills and abilities of children in a more timely fashion. Information will be sent home with children in these year levels. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me via email bniutta@shmildura.catholic.edu.au to arrange a time to meet and discuss further.

Prep Unit News

Thank you for taking the time to come and meet with your child’s teacher this week during our Get to Know You Interviews. On Monday a Prep Information note was sent home with students outlining all the important information in our Unit. Please take the time to read this note carefully and ask your child’s teacher for a copy if you did not receive one. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.

Over the next two weeks students will be introduced to these 6 sounds/letters S, A, T, P, I, N. These are the first sounds that we learn in Initialit. We will practise hearing these sounds in words and learn to correctly form/write the letters used to represent them. Here is a link to a website that gives you the correct pronunciation of each of these sounds. Pronouncing the Alphabet Sounds

We will also practise blending these letters together to form short words, e.g. 's'+ 'a', +'t' = 'sat'. As well as learning to segment the sounds we hear in words, so we can then spell them e.g. 'sat'= 's'+ 'a' + 't'. The ability to blend and segment sounds in words are critical foundation reading and spelling skills. A quick reminder of the terms we use in class.

Sound: Is what we hear. What is the 1st sound in the word sat?

Letter: Is what we see. How do we write the sound 's' in the word sat?

Change of date for the Prep Information Session: Thursday 23rd February @ 3.30pm in Coonda. This is an important meeting to attend so that you gain an insight into how reading is taught at Sacred Heart and the expectations of home reading.

Some reminders for the beginning of the year:

- Each morning the students need to do their jobs before finding something to do. They need to bring into the classroom from their bag their drink bottle, lunch container, snack container and brainfood container. 

- The school library books are borrowed on Monday and returned on Friday. If your child does not bring back their books or does not have their library bag on library day they will not be able to borrow new books.

- Your child’s library bag needs to be at school every day - kept in their school bag.

- Please begin to bring in a pair of headphones for use on the iPads.

- Remember to use 2 small containers for recess and lunch so that they fit into our fridge boxes. The time frame the students have to eat their lunch and snack is short so packing a sandwich and one other thing is often enough and then 2-3 snacks for recess. Here is an example of the perfect size snack and lunch containers. Please be mindful of students with allergies to nuts.

- Brainfood needs to be in a small container and placed on children’s tables in the morning.

- Sports days are Tuesday and Wednesday.

Junior Unit News

Thursday’s Beginning School Mass was a joyful celebration for our school community, acknowledging our captains, new students and staff. Our Junior Unit students demonstrated respectful and responsible behaviours throughout the service and sang beautifully. 

We thank you  for taking the time to meet with your child’s teacher for our Get to Know You Interviews. Earlier in the week, a note was sent home with students outlining all the important information in our Unit. Please take the time to read this note carefully and ask your child’s teacher for a copy if you did not receive one. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Today our students have brought home their school work books. These books along with their diary will need to be covered in CLEAR contact and returned to school on MONDAY MORNING. Some students may need to finish colouring them in. Should you require additional time, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher. 

Year One children have a termly focus on tricky words that are located in the back page of their diary. (Page 15). Students are encouraged to read and spell these words independently. Students this week revised the words; 

(Set 1) said, are, her, was, you, very.  Next week we will focus on set 2- put, have, were, then, there, they.

This term we also are building on reading and spelling CVC and CVCC words with automaticity. 

Eg; pat, leg, just, left, lunch

Show and Tell has already commenced in Year Two and begins next week in Year One.  We are looking forward to hearing all about our students' special news.

Middle Unit News

It was wonderful to meet with parents this week and get to know our students a little better through your eyes. On Monday information sheets for both Year 3’s and 4’s were sent home. This outlines any important information for the Middle Unit in 2023. Should you have any questions please ask your child’s teacher. 

Whilst we have not yet commenced homework we are encouraging students to engage in reading for 15-20 minutes each night. We don’t have reading diaries this year (there will be a reading section to sign on our homework sheets in a few weeks). 

A reminder that all students require a set of working headphones at school.

Senior Unit News

It was great to see so many parents this week and get to know the students a little better. On Monday information sheets for both Year 5’s and 6’s were sent home. This outlines any important information for the Senior Unit in 2023. Should you have any questions please ask your child’s teacher. 

Students are attending the Library on a Monday or Friday for borrowing. The expectation is that they should be engaging in 15 minutes of reading each night. 

Swimming Program begins on Monday for Year 5 and 6. Students in Year 6 will arrive at school in their bathers, Year 5 PE uniform. Full details in the attached note.  If you have not given consent for your child, please do so asap or speak to the classroom teacher. Personal items should be named clearly and it is a good idea if your child is either responsible to pack their swimming bag or help the parents so they are aware of what items they bring.

A reminder that all students require a set of working headphones at school.

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected as Class Captains for 2023.

Year 5

Vincent Dicheria (Myalla)

Braxton Ficarra (Waminda)

Isla Njegovan (Kyema)

Year 6

Andreas Zevas (Dourim)

Caiden Middleton (Narooma)

Alana Chatfield (Illawarra)

Library News

A friendly reminder:

The Scholastic Book Club Issue #1 orders are due Wednesday 15th of February. 

Orders are online ONLY via the “LOOP” ordering system and can be found here or by following the instructions on the back of the newspaper pamphlet.

https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx

Orders will be delivered 1-2 weeks after the closing date and distributed to students upon arrival.

Administration Updates

A hard copy of accounts were sent home with students yesterday. If you have any queries, did not receive one or wish to have it emailed please contact the office. Please note we will not be sending any more hard copies out during the year, you may receive them via email.

Students of the Week

Cooinda -     Eliza Kilpatrick       Wahroonga - Lemmy Mortimer

Bundaleer -  Olivia Petrie              Karinya -  Sid Ryan

Nangare -     Fletcher Farley        Barramunga - Ivy Pengelly

Amaroo -    Halo Rudd-Morfaw           Yongana - Elizabeth Dichiera

Mootwingee - Chloe Watson            Minga - Anthony Scullino

Eumeralla -  Fiona John         Waminda -     Mason Kerr                  Kyema - Annie Kelly

Myalla -         Alexander Hawson    Illawarra -   Xavier Robinson    Narooma - Archie Wilkes

Dourim - Olivia Alvey

Ray White Positive Behaviour Awards

Respectful - Charlie Spratt

Responsible -  Jimmy Dunstan

Safe - Will Buchanan