Dear Sacred Heart Community,

Hope you’ve enjoyed the recent long weekends—only three weeks to go before the end of term! Teachers are busy assessing and preparing reports, which will be distributed via COMPASS on Friday, 27 June.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to Winter Woollies Day last Friday. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $500 for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout and collected a fantastic number of donated clothes to support those in need. Your kindness makes a real difference!

Trivia Night – This Saturday!

Get ready for a night of fun and friendly competition! Our adults-only Trivia Night is happening this Saturday, kicking off at 6:00 p.m., with the first question at 7:00 p.m. Bring your own drinks and nibbles, and join over 100 confirmed participants, including two staff tables. Entry is just $5, and don’t forget to bring some gold coins for games throughout the night. If you would like to attend (or form a table), please email Matt Croger, Community Council Chair, at communitycouncilshps@gmail.com to ensure we can fit everyone in. It promises to be a fantastic community event—see you there!

Staffing news

Mrs. Kerry Wode has announced she will be taking leave in 2026 after nine years as Assistant Principal at Sacred Heart. While she’s not leaving just yet, the Acting Assistant Principal will be advertised in the next few days, and an appointment will be made in the next month or so. Although a little early, I want to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for her unwavering dedication, wisdom, and compassionate leadership. Kerry has been a pillar of support for students, staff, and families alike, always leading with kindness and professionalism. Her commitment to Sacred Heart has shaped many aspects of our school community, and while there is still plenty of time before she steps away, we know her impact will be felt for years to come. She is not leaving quite yet!

The Acting Assistant Principal position for next year will be advertised extensively, and we will keep everyone informed throughout this process.

Vinnies Sleepout

Next Thursday, I will be participating in my 8th CEO Sleepout, raising awareness and much-needed funds for the St Vincent de Paul Society to support those experiencing homelessness in our region.

Homelessness remains a pressing issue, with over 1,700 Canberrans currently without a safe place to sleep. The CEO Sleepout is a powerful initiative that helps provide essential services to those in need. On the night, I will be sleeping rough outside at the Museum of Australian Democracy (Old Parliament House) with just a pillow, a sleeping bag, and three bits of cardboard.

If you would like to support this cause, I would greatly appreciate it.https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/david-austin

Every contribution helps make a difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals in our community.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to seeing many of you at Trivia Night!

In faith and partnership,

David Austin

Principal

Parent/Teacher Conferences Save the Date

Semester One student academic reports will be published via Compass on Friday 27th June. During the following week (Week 10) we will be asking parents and carers to book a parent/teacher conference with their children’s teacher(s).

Please ensure you have the Compass App up-to-date for when these notices come through.

Uniform

We have significantly updated our Uniform Policy to make it easier for families to access information about our uniform and the options for purchasing new and used items through the clothing pool.

We kindly ask for your support in ensuring that:

• Students wear the full and correct uniform, including appropriate footwear.
• All items are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
• Uniforms are clean, neat, and in good condition.
• Sports uniform is only worn on designated sports days.

Our uniform includes a navy beanie and gloves. These are the only colours which should be worn and both can be purchased through the clothing pool. We do not stock coats, so your child may wear a coat they own while outside during the colder days. A simple navy coat is always preferred!

Maintaining a consistent and respectful appearance reflects our school values and fosters a sense of pride and belonging within our community. Teachers will be reminding students about correct uniforms and may hand out a ‘Uniform Reminder Notice’ to them, to support families in maintaining our policy.

If you have any questions or require assistance with uniform items, please contact the school office.

Tournament of the Minds (TOMs) Competition

Registration of Interest notes have been handed to students in Years 3-6 who have expressed an interest in participating in TOMs this year. Please contact Jo Filardo or Kerry Wode if your child missed the note.

Online Curriculum Subscriptions

Students in Years 2-6 receive a subscription to Mathletics, while students in Kinder-Year 1 use Reading Eggs. Our usage data is looking interesting.

Mathletics and Reading Eggs are good tools to ensure your child is making valuable use of the time your family sets for online activities each week.

Mathletics Update

Wow - look at the data! 451 hours of maths this year already.

Teachers use Mathletics to support their teaching of the mathematics curriculum. Students can complete the set curriculum items and live (fast fact practice) during class or at home. Is your child making the most of their subscription? 

Reading Eggs Update

Students in Kinder and Year 1 have spent 338 hours using Reading Eggs this year so far. When they log in for a session they spend an average of 22 minutes consolidating their reading skills. To note is the increasing use of the books facility, with 519 books read - that is 10 books on average per student! When you know that this is in addition to home readers, library books, and the other wonderful literature you are sharing at home, we are certainly witnessing children who are embracing daily reading to become the best readers they can be.

Yours in working together

Kerry Wode

Compass Notifications

Please refer to Compass for the following notifications:

• Twilight Fair 2026

St Vincent De Paul Winter Woolies 

We will still be collecting donations of jackets, jumpers, gloves, beanies, sleeping bags and blankets for the winter appeal up until the collection day in week 9 at our Sacred Heart Feast Day. These items can be dropped off at the front office.

Parents and Carers, we need your help!

On 27th June is our SHPS Feast Day. As a part of our day, we like to have an act of service for our community that our students can participate in. 

This year, we will be making cookies to give to St Vinnies so they can give these out in their Night Patrol Van.

Students will be making the cookies on Monday and Tuesday of that week, then packaging them into decorated bags on our feast day. 

What we need is your time;

We are asking if there are parents who would like to help us make (with students) and bake the cookies on Monday (23rd) and Tuesday (24th) or, help to package the cookies on Friday 27th June. 

Please email  Front Office if you would like to help in any way. 

If baking is not your thing but you’re a keen gardener we could also use your help.

We have secured our annual grant from Floriade to plant our bulbs on the SHPS Feast day. 

What we need again is some of your time;

We need help with getting the garden bed ready to plant the bulbs. If you are able to help you can do this on the weekend leading into our SHPS Feast day or during the week, we would be incredibly grateful. 

Please email the Front Office if you can help. 

We had three students, Leo, Harshaan and David, represent Sacred Heart at the ACT Interschool Chess Championship. The boys played extremely well and have qualified for the finals to be held in Term 3. So proud of our team who represented our school with great pride and sportsmanship