Dear Parents/Carers

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is the period of preparation and waiting for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. "Advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning ‘coming’ or ‘arrival.’ It marks the beginning of the liturgical year in the Christian calendar and spans the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

As we journey through Advent, we prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christ’s birth. Advent is a season of hope, reflection, and anticipation, reminding us of God’s love and the promise of new beginnings.

In our school, Advent encourages us to embrace the values of honesty, compassion, inclusion, sustainability, and gratitude. It is a time to come together as a community and focus on sharing kindness, giving generously, and offering our time and love to others. Whether through small acts of service, kind words, or simply being present for someone in need, Advent calls us to reflect God’s love in our daily lives.

Let us use this sacred season to spread joy, practice generosity, and support one another with open hearts.

Ephesians 4:32

'Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.'

2025 staffing will be shared via COMPASS today. Please note class structures for 2025 will be:

• Kinder Joeys
• Kinder Kookaburras
• Prep/One Bilbies
• Prep/One Possums
• One/Two Quokkas
• One/Two Wombats
• Three/Four Koalas
• Three/Four Echidnas
• Three/Four Emus
• Five/Six Penguins
• Five/Six Dingoes
• Five/Six Kangaroos

Students will find out their teacher for 2025 on Wednesday, December 11th, at our Orientation morning. As students prepare to transition to the next year of primary school, they embark on an exciting journey of growth and new opportunities. While change can sometimes feel uncertain, the language we use as parents and caregivers plays a vital role in shaping their perspective.

Focus on framing the transition as an adventure, emphasising the opportunities for learning, meeting new friends, and discovering fresh interests. Instead of dwelling on what’s being left behind, encourage discussions about what they can look forward to. For instance, you might say, “I can’t wait to hear about all the new things you’ll learn and some of the new friends you will make.” We can help children build resilience and excitement for their next steps by modelling a positive attitude and nurturing enthusiasm toward change.

Congratulations to all our students who have represented Sacred Heart over the last few weeks in The Lego League, North West Athletics and the Triathlon. These events enable students to shine, meet new friends, and sometimes step out of their comfort zone. When students represent our school, they do more than compete – they grow as individuals and as part of a team. Please see all the updates in the latter part of our newsletter. Thank you to all the staff, students and families that support these events.

This is a reminder to save the date for our upcoming Christmas Concert on the 11th of December, beginning at 5:00 p.m. It will be held at the entry area of our school; all classes will be performing, and there will be food vans onsite. Please see the information in our newsletter.

I hope you enjoy our Friday off and stay safe over this long weekend.

Yours in partnership

Charlene Best

Principal

End of Year Reports

End-of-year reports will be live on Compass for parents/carers to access on Monday 16th December. 

According to Catholic Education Tasmania's (CET) Reporting Policy, reports give an accurate and objective assessment of the student's progress and achievement against the Achievement Standards of the Australian Curriculum. They also provide explicit reporting on a student's application and attitude to learning. 

Students in Grades Prep - 2 will receive a rating of Outstanding - Minimal.

Students in Grades 3 - 6 will receive an A - E rating for each subject.

CET's A-E Matrix (displayed below) will provide further information and clarity regarding your child's achievement.

On Wednesday the 20th of November 2024, Sacred Heart sent a team of athletes to the North West Combined Catholic Schools Sports Association Athletics Carnival, held at the Penguin Aths track. Students from grades 3-6 are chosen each year, and selections are based on performance at the Sacred Heart Aths carnival earlier in the term. This year, our students competed in 800, 400, 200, and 100m races, relays, vortex throw, long jump, and high jump. As always, this team set an extremely high standard for both behaviour at the carnival and athletic performance, with many athletes featuring in ribbon presentations for their particular discipline. A big thank you from the team must go out to Mr Creedon, Miss Robertson, and our 5-6 teachers Miss Kenny and Miss Rowe for their tireless efforts on the day, keeping the team on time and ready for their events.

Well done to all the students who participated in the All Schools Triathlon in Devonport on Friday, November 22nd. Some students competed in the individual event, and some competed in a team. Everyone gave their best and stepped out of their comfort zone.

We look forward to this event next year and hope to see more students compete in this terrific event.

Thank you to everyone who supported our students.

Congratulations to all students who participated in the Children's University Graduation in Burnie on Tuesday 26th November. Thank you to all family and friends who were able to celebrate this day with the students. Special thanks to Mrs Hingston and the CU Team for their hard work with the program this year.

On Friday 15th November, Mitch came to talk about the Spirit of Jesus with our Grade 3/4 students. He talked about the differences we can see in ourselves when we feed the positive wolf or the negative wolf. Mitch also explained the importance of being able to see the Spirit of Jesus in others as well as yourself. He encouraged us to have a discussion with families and peers about where you saw the Spirit of Jesus in your life today? 

Congratulations

Congratulations to the Sacred Savers team, who on Saturday 16th December, took part in the 2024 First Lego League Challenge held in Burnie.

After dedicating two full terms of their school year to the project, including working through lunch breaks and after-school sessions, the team was ready to face the competition head-on and proudly showcased months of hard work, commitment, and teamwork. Their efforts paid off as they skillfully navigated both the Innovation Project and the Robot Game challenges.

The team received particular recognition for their well-researched and thoughtfully developed solution: a "gamified" app designed to educate students about critical ocean issues, such as pollution, conservation, and marine life preservation. Their app idea featured elements that used augmented reality to 'collect plastic rubbish' and/or check a players 'catch' as a way to educate students on these ocean issues. The judges commended the team during their judging for their detailed solution idea. 

But it wasn’t just their innovative idea that earned praise. The team demonstrated outstanding teamwork throughout the day, from collaborating seamlessly during the robot building and coding phases to supporting each other during the presentations. Their communication skills, positivity, and ability to work together under pressure were widely noted by judges. 

Throughout the Robot Games, the team’s never-give-up attitude throughout the day stood out. Despite many challenges and code not working as intended, the team worked together to fix their code and achieved more points. They maintained a cheerful and respectful demeanour, communicated effectively with mentors and judges, and demonstrated resilience in the face of challenges.

Congratulations to all the Sacred Savers team members for their remarkable achievements and hard work! Their dedication, enthusiasm, and collaboration were truly inspiring. Well done!

Congratulations to this week's Heart Reward recipients:-

• Marlie W
• Luca N
• Charlotte T
• Maddi A
• Eilish D
• Cody C
• Aaliyah J
• Amelia S
• Florence G
• Alex C

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