Dear Parents/Carers

Over the next few weeks, we will ask our community to provide feedback through an effectiveness survey. We value the voices of our staff, students, and families, we gather feedback to support shaping our strategic direction, ensuring our approach to teaching and learning, spiritual growth, wellbeing, and leadership meets the needs of our community. Your input helps us create a school where everyone feels valued, heard, and supported.

Towards the end of 2024, we asked families to provide feedback around uniform, and the information below will support us in our decisions moving forward. Thank you to all who took the time to provide respectful feedback.

• 92% support the uniform shop moving to an online portal (Midford also has a store in Devonport for in-person sales). Our action: We are working with Midford to have this live by September of this year.
• 82.9% of parents would like to see Sacred Heart - Kinder to year two students progressively move towards wearing the smart play uniform (Sports uniform) daily. Our action: We will inform our Prep families about the progression to year one in the next few weeks.
• 56% of parents supported the year three to year six students wearing their smart play (sport uniform) two days a week and formal uniform three days a week. Our action: This was implemented at the beginning of 2025 after student feedback.

Some of the other feedback included:

To update the long-sleeved sports top to a cosy half zip…and have a softer sports material. Our action: Pursue the change with Midford.

Allow socks instead of stockings and shorts instead of trousers. Our action: Boys can wear shorts, and once we move online, we will look at changing socks to suit versatility.

Move to a smart play uniform for all students in the future: Our action is to move towards the kindergarten–year two smart play uniform and then reassess.

Staff have shirts with the logo on them to purchase and wear. Our action: to source appropriate uniforms for staff

Please see the link to our current SHU Uniform guidelines.

2025: A Jubilee Year of Hope

The year 2025 is a Jubilee Year, a significant time in the life of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has declared it the Jubilee Year of Hope, inviting all to embrace renewal, reflection, and spiritual growth. Rooted in the Church’s Holy Year tradition, this Jubilee calls us to foster hope, mercy, and unity in a world often marked by division and uncertainty.

Pilgrims worldwide will journey to Rome, crossing through the Holy Door—a powerful symbol of faith and new beginnings. As we participate in this sacred year, let us open our hearts to hope, strengthen our commitment to compassion, and work toward a more just and loving world.

What is a Jubilee Year?

The Jubilee has been an important tradition in the Church since 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII established the first Holy Year. Initially celebrated every 100 years, it later followed the biblical pattern of every 50 years and is now observed every 25 years.

This special year is a time of grace, forgiveness, and renewal. One key tradition is passing through the Holy Door in Rome, a sign of God’s mercy. Pilgrims also visit the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, expressing their deep faith. Millions have taken part in the Jubilee for centuries, making it a powerful time of reflection and spiritual growth for the Catholic Church.

How Can Our Students Live the Jubilee Year of Hope?

Our students can bring the spirit of the Jubilee into their daily lives by practicing small but meaningful acts of kindness and faith, such as:

• Spreading Hope: Encouraging and supporting their classmates, especially those struggling.
• Showing Mercy: Forgiving others and choosing kindness over conflict.
• Living with Gratitude: Thanking teachers, friends, and family for their love and support.
• Helping Others: Assisting younger students, sharing with those in need, or participating in school charity initiatives.
• Praying for Peace: Taking time to pray for those facing difficulties around the world.

By living out these values, our students and staff can make a real difference and bring the message of hope to our school and beyond.

A Prayer for Hope

Loving God,
In times of uncertainty, fill our hearts with Your hope.
When we are weary, renew our strength.
When we feel lost, be our guiding light.
Help us to trust in Your plan,
To see goodness in each new day,
And to share hope with those in need.
May this Jubilee Year bring healing, unity, and peace,
As we walk forward in faith and love.

Amen.

Thank you for your ongoing support

Charlene Best

Principal

Early Numeracy Screener

Next week some of our Prep and Grade 1 students will take part in the Macquarie University: Centre for Independent Studies project titled 'Development of a Numeracy Screen Tool to Idenitfy Students At Risk of Low Mathematics Achievement'.

This project involves teachers trialling a Maths screening tool to assess Number knowledge and skills. This project includes Prep and Grade 1 students, who have been given parental consent, completing a short 15-20 minute screener on iPads 2-3 times this year.

Our Prep and Grade One teachers look forward to implementing and reviewing the assessment screener to provide feedback to researchers about the effectiveness of the tool.

Staff RE Project

This term Mrs Katherine Crouch has led teaching staff to develop and refine units of work in the God element of the Good News for Living curriculum for implementation in the second half of this term. Staff have worked in teams to analyse core learning content and plan for learning using INSIGHT pedagogies. After teaching these units teachers will have the time to critically reflect on content, student learning and develop constructive direction for RE learning in the future.

Harmony Day is a national event in Australia that encourages people to come together to celebrate cultural diversity, understand one another, and build a sense of unity. It’s an important opportunity to share, learn, and respect each other’s differences, and at Sacred Heart, we believe this is key to creating a positive and welcoming school environment. This year, each classroom will recognise Harmony Day with prayer, activities and reflection upon the important message that "Everyone Belongs," no matter their race, culture, or background.

Let's remember that Harmony Day isn’t just a one-day celebration. It’s a reminder that inclusivity and kindness are values we can live by every single day. We encourage all our students, staff, and families to continue showing respect, empathy, and understanding towards one another in all that we do. Whether it’s through helping a classmate who is feeling left out, learning more about someone’s culture, or just taking the time to appreciate how different backgrounds can make us all richer, the spirit of Harmony Day can be part of our everyday lives.

This Term the 3/4 Echidnas have had the opportunity every Wednesday to work in the garden with Mr Lutwyche and the kitchen with Mrs Johnson. The students have been busy learning how to wheel a wheelbarrow, weed the garden and plant garlic. In the kitchen the students have followed recipes to make strawberry mint smoothies, beetroot 'pink' pasta and tzatziki dip. We are looking forward to making pizza dough in the pizza oven in the coming weeks.

Uniform:

Please be aware that Uniform collection days will be Tuesday's and Thursdays only.

Please place and pay for orders as normal and unifoms can be sent home with students or collected from the office on these days.

Term 2 will be full winter uniform, if requiring any uniform items please place orders at the office over the next few weeks.

Thank you for your support.

Medical Condition Updates:

If students have updated Medical conditions could parents please notify the school office by sending an email to shu@catholic.tas.edu.au stating 'Update regarding students Medical Condition' as its imperative that the school is aware of a medical condition that your child may have.

End of Day collection changes:

Please advise the office by phone or by emailing by 2.15pm of any change to pick up arrangements for your child . Thank you for your support.

CAR PARK INFORMATION AND SAFETY

School community safety is of paramount importance to us and we have systems in place to reduce the risk of accidents happening and it is our combined responsibility to ensure these procedures are followed for the safety of all.

Signage is to be followed around the school on Buttons Avenue as well as in Tucker Street. Parking or Standing is not permitted in the turning circle of Tucker Street. Parking is not permitted in the bus stop area in front of the school hall on Buttons Avenue. Please ensure if you are using the Top Oval area for parking that you are meeting your children at the gate to accompany them to your vehicle. Students should not be walking amongst the cars without adequate supervision. 

Using the Car Park Safely

The car park is one way and has lines marked yellow for parking bays, crossing, walkways and also to indicate no parking. The stop signs ask you to stop and give way to pedestrians crossing in the car park, please strictly adhere to this. Students are taught to always stop and look before crossing and we ask that you also provide this message regularly.

The area that is pictured to the left is not a drop off or collection zone. If vehicles are stopped here, it means that the flow of traffic is affected with the potential of traffic overflowing onto Buttons Avenue which then causes safety issues.

Please ensure you are modelling and providing the message to your children to not walk behind parked cars and to use the yellow marked walkways to the crossing and entrance gate.

When waiting to park or exiting the car park, please ensure you are driving with caution, especially when reversing.

It is also expected that if you access school via Buttons Avenue and need to cross the road that the school crossing is used.

Should you have any concerns regarding our car park, please email our school office shu@catholic.tas.edu.au

This week our 5/6 classes visited the Tiagarra Cultural Centre, where they took part in a traditional Smoking Ceremony and learned about Tasmanian Aboriginal practices and the history of the local area. They enjoyed a guided tour along the bluff, sampling bush food along the way, and explored the cultural museum. This excursion provided them with valuable insights into the rich cultural heritage of the Aboriginal community and deepened our understanding of their connection to the land.

As part of our PBS and celebrating success, staff look to catch our students actioning our school values of being Compassionate - Honest - Inclusive - Grateful - Sustainable.

Congratulations to our Heart Reward recipients:-

• Hunter H, Hunter R, Coen S, Savannah S, Brooklyn, Tullavar, Tilly P, Harvey M, Moki, Rikby

As a reward for their kind gestures, these students enjoyed an afternoon surprise with Mrs Best and Ms Richards.

Please see the updated policies from Catholic Education Tasmania Guidelines and Policies via this link.

Sacred Heart staff value the partnerships between home and school; effective communication is important to us. Please see below the expectations for using our platforms and communication channels. 

Please remember that our hard-working staff have the right to disconnect and will respond to communication within their hours of work.

Are you interested in supporting the Sacred Heart Community and being a supportive member of our SHU Advisory Board?

Our Advisory Board supports the Principal and works together to support the school community. If you are interested in becoming an Advisory Board member, don't hesitate to contact Mrs Crowden in our office for further  information.

Thank you.