Dear Parents/Carers

As we settle into term three, I congratulate our newly elected class captains for terms three and four. These students have earned the respect and trust of their peers through their dedication, growth toward leadership, and positive attitudes. As class captains, they will serve as role models, demonstrating the importance of leading with kindness, courage, and integrity. We look forward to the positive impact they will make in our school community.

Ensuring the well-being and pastoral care of staff and students remains a primary focus, as it cultivates a nurturing and supportive environment that allows individuals to excel academically, spiritually, and emotionally.  Focusing on well-being promotes a positive atmosphere conducive to learning and personal growth. As a staff, we collectively communicate weekly to ensure the support required for students needing a little extra. Kindness is integral to who we are as human beings, together we are better and often we need to be reminded of the incredible God given gifts we all bring to this place – our space. Father Chatty continually reminds us at Mass that where there is love and kindness, there is God. As a proud faith-based community, well-being is intertwined with spiritual development throughout our catholic teaching and faith. The teachings of compassion, love, and service to others are central to the school's mission. We are fortunate to have a well-being team comprising of our Catholic Care Counsellors - Jade, Jasmine, Jade V, our wellbeing officer Hannah, Miss Lee McCormack, myself and our deputy principals, Miss Laine Davis and Mrs Gretchen Lane. Catholic Care Tasmania offers school counselling to students at Sacred Heart five days weekly. Catholic Care’s School Counselling Program has significantly grown, and we are grateful as a school to have a counsellor onsite five days a week to support our students. As quoted by our Jade, ‘Jasmine, Jade VZ and I are all very pleased and grateful to be a part of the SHU wellbeing team and school community and thoroughly enjoy the privilege of getting to know and work with students, their families and school staff.’

By prioritising mental, emotional, and spiritual health and through the dedicated efforts of a well-being team, we continually work to create an environment where everyone can feel supported and valued. Thank you to students, staff and community members who continue to demonstrate kindness and respect, upholding our school values of compassion, honesty, and gratefulness. Positive behaviour creates a nurturing and inclusive environment for everyone.

‘Let all that you do be done in love.’ - 1 Corinthians 16:14

May we all continue to know the importance of love in all our actions, highlighting the significance of caring for the well-being of others in a faith-based educational setting.

Thank you for your continued support, 

Charlene Best

Principal

You may have noticed the increased use of Whiteboards in our classrooms. Whiteboards are a great way to Check for Understanding and ensure that every student is learning and working. Writing responses on whiteboards gives the teacher the chance to quickly glance around the room and see how many students have an incorrect answer and, if necessary, reteach. It is a real-time assessment of students’ understanding. All teachers have high expectations with whiteboard protocols and consistent language is used across our school.

Whole School Whiteboard Protocols:

Teacher: “Pens up”, students: “Pens ready”

Hover it 

Chin it

Bin it

Park it

Furious Flash - for rapid recall

At Sacred Heart Catholic School, we are committed to implementing a School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) approach to teaching and managing student behaviour. SWPBS approach means that we use DATA to track progress and identify areas for intervention and support, use school-wide EXPECTATIONS in specific settings to EXPLICITLY TEACH expected behaviour, and ensure we celebrate successes. 

Our school community has identified the following school expectations to teach and promote our high standards of responsible behaviour:

• Be your best
• Be safe
• Be respectful

‘The aim of teaching is not just to keep our students safe, but also to support their academic and social flourishing.’ (Bennett, 2020, p.81)

Now Introducing....

HEART MOMENT cards

Students will receive 'Heart cards' from staff for demonstrating our school values of sustainability, honesty, inclusion, compassion and gratitude. Staff will outline the reason for receiving this card for students to bring home.

The small section will be torn off and placed into a box to be drawn 3 times a term. The students drawn will receive a special reward. 

Classes are also now working towards filling out a 'Heart chart'. Leadership will sign off when they observe classes following our school behaviour expectations. Once classes have received 20 signatures, they will choose a whole-class reward. 

*Please note this will be introduced in Week 4 during our assembly (Monday, 12th August 2024). 

This term, 5/6 Kangaroos have been working on design challenges including creating captivating logos, innovative uniforms and lovable mascots.

Here are some photos of what they have produced so far.

Keeping our community well:

Please be mindful of not sending your children to school when they are unwell. 

It is also important to remember that staff and students are required to isolate at home for 48 hours when they have any gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and/or Diarrhoea).

If your child is not attending school, please remember to mark them as absent/unwell on Compass. 

A pair of pink framed glasses have been found at school. If you have lost a pair of glasses please see the front office.

You are invited to our 'Raising Resilient Kids' seminar with Clinical Pyschology, Lisa Ford.

See the flyer for more information.