Dear Community,

Welcome back for Term 3. Seeing everyone enthusiastic and ready for a busy and productive term was great. Although the weather was extremely cold and miserable during the break, it is always great for us all to take a break from school, recharge our batteries, and spend extra time at home with our families. I hope you all enjoyed your time at home.

A special welcome to three students who have joined our community this term. We welcome Klara (Year 1), Edward (Kindergarten) and Gyalzin (Year 1) and their families to Sacred Heart. You are most welcome!

We have hit the 200-enrolment milestone- starting at 186 at the start of the year.

We welcome Mr Matthew Maloney to Sacred Heart as Coordinator and welcome back Mrs Sam Peake from Maternity Leave (Library Mondays and Tuesdays). Welcome to Jane Cox, who will be in Learning Support for the rest of the year. Welcome back to Tracey Kane (Canteen) after Long Service Leave late last term. Mrs Kerry Wode (Assistant principal) is on Long Service Leave and will return in Week 6.

Teachers have spent much of their holidays preparing and planning teaching programmes for this term. Many have also attended Professional Development courses. All staff are ready for a busy and productive term.

New Works

In the next few weeks, a new tubular black steel fence will begin to be installed at our school. This has been funded by Catholic Education and partially funded by the Sacred Heart Parent Community.  The old fence has had its day! Installing a new black tubular fence around the perimeter of Sacred Heart Primary School offers significant benefits in terms of security and aesthetics. Replacing the old, dilapidated fence with a sleek, black tubular design will significantly improve the school's appearance and make it more inviting for students, parents, and visitors—a big thank you to Catholic Education for their support.

NAPLAN Results

I am pleased to inform you that the 2024 NAPLAN results will be sent home this week to our Year 3 and 5 parents.

NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) provides valuable insights into our students' achievements in key areas such as reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar, and punctuation), and numeracy. It is one of many tools we use to understand and support the learning journey of our students.

As you review your child's results, please remember that NAPLAN is just one aspect of their educational experience. It offers a snapshot of their performance at a particular point in time. Each child is unique, with their strengths, interests, and areas for growth. At Sacred Heart Primary School, we believe in nurturing the whole child, fostering their academic, social, emotional, and spiritual development.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss your child's progress in more detail, our teachers are always available to support you. We encourage you to reach out and schedule a meeting with them.

School Satisfaction Surveys (Tell Them From Me)

As part of our focus on school effectiveness, Sacred Heart Primary School will participate in an online survey for staff, parents, and students—Tell Them From Me​^® (TTFM^®). You will receive a link to complete this survey in the next few weeks.

The student survey will provide valuable feedback on what our students think about school life, how engaged they are with school, and how teachers interact with them. Schools in Australia and worldwide have used the Tell Them From Me survey to help them improve.

During the next few weeks, all students will be given the opportunity and time to participate in this survey during regular school hours. Students who agree to complete the survey will be given a random username and password to access and complete the survey online. Students’ names cannot be linked to their responses, which allows it to be completely anonymous. Results will show all student scores combined– it is not possible to single out individual students in the results.

The survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. It measures topics such as emotional and social well-being, physical health, and behaviours and attitudes linked to student success. The survey also allows students to give their thoughts and feedback in open-ended question responses.

Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. Your child will not participate if you or your child do not wish to. If, during the survey, your child is uncomfortable answering any question, he/she should leave it blank and move on to the next one. Your child can stop the survey at any time.

If you do not want your child to take part in the survey, please let your teacher know by Friday 2 August.

In faith and partnership,

David Austin

Principal