Dear Families,

We have made it to the end of Term 3. We are greatly appreciative of our communities support throughout this term. The two highest priorities we have at Sacred Heart are providing a safe and supportive learning environment as well as improving outcomes for our students.  Significant planning and work goes into these two priorities and they form an integral aspect of our decision making processes. 

Several of the strategic priorities we have achieved this term are:

• Implementing and embedding research based best teaching practices as part of the Insight Project
• Reviewing, developing and completing a new mission and vision statement in consultation with the school community
• Creating a purpose statement and defining our school values
• Continuing staff education on safeguarding practices (child safety)
• Fostering ongoing connections between parish and school
• Educating staff on First Nations histories and perspectives
• Transitioning to a new behaviour data system on COMPASS that stores all student data in a central location

To be able to achieve these goals we need commitment from our staff and community. Our staff have worked extremely hard throughout Term 3 to provide engaging and enriching learning opportunities for all students. The work of our staff in impacting student outcomes is not just limited to the classroom. All staff have fully engaged in professional learning, dialogue and discussions to achieve the priorities we have at Sacred Heart. I thank all of our staff for their efforts.

I wish all of our families a safe and restful holiday break. Term 4 for students will commence on Tuesday October 17. 

Thank you for your ongoing support and may the best team win on Saturday.

Warm regards

Michelle

Please note that Monday October 16 is a student free day. Staff will be attending an Insight PL at the Paranaple Centre in Devonport with colleagues from Catholic Education. Students will begin Term 4 on Tuesday October 17. 

Prep Bilbies

Carter - For enthusiastically approaching all new experiences. 

Dash - For reading new words independently. Amazing work, Dash!

Prep/1 Possums

Adalyn L - For always being a kind and hardworking student. 

Xander - For his hard work and huge improvement in InitiaLit. 

1/2 Koalas

Ellie A - For her love of learning and desire to be challenged. Ellie’s abilities have grown significantly this term. 

Huon - For his ability to work co-operatively and respectfully with all members on the 1/2 Koalas. 

1/2 Wombats

Anabelle - For her consistency to complete work to a high standard and maintain focus on learning. 

Hannah - For all her efforts during InitiaLit and making great progress on her reading fluency. 

3/4 Emus 

Paegan - For her excellent progress in reading, keep up the good work!

Jack M - For using determination and courage to step outside your comfort zone!

3/4 Echidnas

Evie - For transitioning to the 3/4 Echidnas and Sacred Heart confidently. 

Jacob - For your positive attitude when tackling new learning tasks and always trying your best. 

4/5 Penguins

Connor D - For increased participation in classroom tasks and contributing to classroom conversations. 

Lilah - For being an outstanding student who always tries her best. You always give 100% in your work and contribute positively to our classroom. 

5/6 Dingoes

Thomas - For showing greater independence in his work habits. Keep it up Tom!

Zoe B - For putting her best efforts during the Science Investigation. Well done Zoe!

5/6 Kangaroos

Hamish - For trying your best during Spelling Mastery and as a result, making excellent progress!

Laine - For effectively using appositives and subordinating conjunctions to create topic sentences. 

We welcome Evie who has joined us this week into the Grade 3/4 Echidnas class and wish her all the best as she starts her time here at Sacred Heart.

Mr Scott is away for the final three days of Term. Mr Lyall will teach PE. Please note that Senior PE is Thursday this week. Miss Hankey and Miss Rowe will be attending a meeting on Wednesday October 18. Miss DeDuege will teach Prep Bilbies. 

If your child/ren will not be returning to Sacred Heart in 2024 can you please advise the office or Mrs Wootton as soon as possible. We are currently in the process of finalising our class structures and staffing for 2024. All of our class groupings and staffing are based on current enrolment numbers and unknown changes can affect what we are able to offer. Vacancies exist in some classes for 2024. If you know of anyone who is considering enrolment, please ask them to contact the school office as soon as possible.

Planning for class groupings will commence in early Term 4 once our budget for 2024 is known. Please speak to your child's classroom teacher if there is anything we need to be aware of when placing students before the end of week 2. 

Farewell to Matilda, Nixon and Zayn who are leaving us at the end of this term and will be attending school in Launceston. We wish them all the best with this transition and thank them for being part of our school community. 

Join us for a free webinar!

Autism Awareness Australia and Autism Partnership Australia invite you to join our upcoming free webinar, "Navigating Fussy Eating for Autistic Children.’

Imagine a world where your child enjoys meal times, is comfortable to explore new flavours, and benefits from a balanced diet. Now imagine if you could make this a reality. 

Join our free Zoom webinar on October 10 for a practical and judgement-free conversation with Autism Partnership about overcoming fussy eating. This isn't just another webinar; it's an opportunity to gain practical insights, actionable tips and effective strategies from a leading expert in the field, National Clinical Director of Autism Partnership Karen McKinnon.

Here's what you can expect:

• Expert Guidance: Karen's wealth of experience and in-depth understanding of autism will guide you on how to support your child in expanding their palate. She'll share strategies to make mealtimes more enjoyable, help your child discover new foods and improve their overall nutrition.
• Interactive Q&A: Have specific questions or concerns? Our interactive Q&A session gives you the opportunity to have them addressed by our experts.
• Supportive Community: Connect with other parents and carers who are on the same journey. Share your experiences, learn from others, and know that you're not alone.

So, if you want to address mealtime challenges with expert advice in a supportive environment, register for our free webinar below!

https://events.humanitix.com/fussy-eating-strategies-for-autistic-children-or-free-webinar