Term 4 - Week 2 (11 October, 2024)

From The Principal

Dear Families, 

Welcome to the beginning of another term of learning at our wonderful school.  

At Sacred Heart we aim to ‘Walk every day with Jesus’ by living in both action and in word our Mercy values of Hospitality, Integrity, Compassion and Excellence. The last of these, ‘excellence’, is often linked to academic or sporting excellence, but this is not the case. ‘Top marks’ is not our goal for our learners, for each of them to improve and achieve, is. 

Excellence at Sacred Heart is ensuring that we make progress in our learning so that we feel successful. We do this by putting the best version of ourselves forward every day. Some children arrive at school ready to learn and to put their ‘best foot forward’. Others need more time and the support of their teachers. All children need to feel safe and supported and to feel like they are part of the team. Feeling that they are safe is a core ingredient to achieving their best.  

Safety in a school is achieved when our children know that things are predictable, and when they know that they are supported, even in their mistakes. When the rules apply to one child, but not another, this is not predictable, and children will see these rules as unfair. This is why our school, like all schools, have rules that are well known, are expected and inclusive of everyone. 

When routines and expectations are predictable, children feel safe to make mistakes and learn. In this way, all children at Sacred Heart can aspire to excellence.  

Role Name Change - In our ever-changing world, it is essential for us to continually reflect on how we bring our Catholic identity and mission to life within our school community. This reflection has led all Toowoomba Catholic Schools to collaboratively review the vital role of religious leadership. 

As a result, the position of Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE) has been revitalised with a new focus and title of Assistant Principal Mission and Identity (APMI). 

At Sacred Heart, Mrs Lucas, our ‘APMI’, plays a pivotal role in guiding Catholic education, overseeing the religion curriculum, and nurturing the religious life of our school. This work is at the very heart of everything we do. The role of the APMI is essential in ensuring that our Catholic school remains a living witness to Christ’s message as expressed in the Gospels. 

Beginning this term, Mrs Alice Lucas will now have the new role title of APMI. 

In future newsletters Mrs Alice Lucas will write more about her role and her aspirations and hopes for this role at our school, and how this will shape this next chapter of our continuing Catholic faith journey. 

God bless, 

Mr Tyronne Maher

From The APMI

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome back! For those of you who are new to Sacred Heart, I have been away from school for the last 12 months on maternity leave. Hand on heart, I take my hat off to all parents! As a first-time mum, to say that I have a newfound respect and awareness of the demands on parents is an understatement. Throughout the highs and lows of the emotional rollercoaster that is parenting, I have learnt so much about being a parent. In the early hours of the morning when I was walking Eli up and down the hallway at home, mentally (and probably verbally) begging him to go to sleep, I would find myself falling back on my faith as a soft spot to fall. It was strangely calming to repeat the Hail Mary over and over again and like magic or divine intervention, he would drift off to sleep in my arms. I am so grateful to Katie Horne for stepping into my position here at school for the last year. I can tell that Katie fell in love with our wonderful school community here at Sacred Heart! You will still see Katie here on Fridays for this term as I ease back into working life.  

Compassion in Action  

This week I spent an afternoon with the students of 2/3C and I was so impressed by their ability to engage in dialogue about what it means to live life with a compassionate heart. After reading a beautiful book the students had time and space to explore what compassion means to them. Many of the students decided to make a card to thank a special person who has shown compassion to them, a parent, friend or teacher. Some students took the time to try to define and describe compassion. Maeve (Year 2) said that ‘Compassion smells like love, cupcakes, waffles, pancakes and cookies. It sounds like happiness. It looks like friendship’.  

World Teachers’ Day 

On Friday the 25th of October, we will celebrate World Teachers’ Day! We will celebrate our teachers and thank them for all the work they do to educate, inspire and empower our students. It would be wonderful if children could make a card with a heartfelt message inside for their teachers! Thank you to the Parent Engagement Network for providing morning tea for the teachers as a special way to thank our teachers!  

Day for Daniel  

Help us make the 20th Day for Daniel - Australia's largest child safety education and awareness day - the biggest yet! Held annually on the last Friday of October, Day for Daniel honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe. On Friday the 25th of October, all students and staff are invited to wear red to school. Students will still need to wear their school hat and closed in shoes. All students need to wear a sun safe shirt (preferably with a collar and sleeves). We will not be raising money; rather we will be focusing on educating our students about ways to stay happy and safe by using the Daniel Morcombe Foundation’s child safety resources.  

Grandparents Day  

Please save the date for our upcoming Grandparents Day on Monday the 28th of October!  

Colour Fun Run  

We're already a few weeks into our fantastic fundraiser, and the excitement is palpable! Our upcoming Crazy Colour Day (29th of October) promises to be a whirlwind of vibrancy as we have an afternoon of fun in the sun! 

Congratulations to 2J for being the class with the most profiles in the first week of fundraising! They have all received their icy poles!  

But it's not just about the spectacle; it's about making a difference. Through your efforts so far, we have raised nearly $7000 to go towards purchasing new reading resources. 

During next week’s Assembly, we are going to hold a random draw competition. Any student who has raised over $100 will go in the draw to win a special prize pack. 

Remember, there's still time to get involved! Sign up at funrun.com.au and share your fundraising link far and wide. 

Students will need to wear a white shirt to the Crazy Colour Day so now's the time to be checking to see that your child has a white shirt ready to go.  

Remember, there's still time to get involved! Sign up at funrun.com.au and share your fundraising link far and wide. 

 Mrs Alice Lucas

Prayer of the Week

Student Protection Contacts

School Student Protection Contacts (SSPC) 
Our school has five School Student Protection Contacts. Mr Maher, Mrs Jackman, Mrs Lucas, Mrs Barrett and Ms Campbell. These are nominated staff members to whom students, staff and parents can raise concerns related to student safety. Although School Student Protection Contacts receive additional training, all school staff receive regular training and information to enable them to respond to student protection concerns. 

From The Middle Leader/Curriculum Co-ordinator

We at Sacred Heart School, have a strong commitment to ensure that every child can read proficiently by the time they finish school. We know that being able to read well is a fundamental skill to achieving success at school and beyond. Led by Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office (TCSO), The Reading Improvement Strategy (RIS) was introduced in 2017 to all TCS Primary Schools and led to considerable improvements in student reading. Changes to the Australian Curriculum and the evolution of recent reading research has prompted a review of the RIS program to ensure our children have the best chance of success. The Grattan Institute’s ‘The Reading Guarantee’ confirms the value of a structured literacy approach, including a focus on phonics in the early years, which if adopted, will ensure that all students have the best chance to read well.  

This year, to make sure all students have the best chance to succeed, we at Sacred Heart implemented the Diocesan Approach to Reading as communicated earlier this year. This approach is based on the latest science of reading. This new approach has been used in every classroom, every day. There is clear alignment between the actions recommended in the ‘The Reading Guarantee’ and the initiatives established in TCS’s Diocesan Approach to Reading.  

Throughout the year you could see the following in your child’s classroom: 

1. Systematic phonics instruction • Your child learning words by ‘sight’, starting with high frequency words; however, these were taught by first attending to sound/letter correspondence within the words. This process is vital so that children can store sound/letter relationships permanently in their memory and apply to new words. • Students practice these skills using ‘decodable’ texts, which align with the phonics rules they’ve learned. 
2. Whole-class read-alouds • Your child’s teacher has engaged in whole-class read-alouds. This ensures that all students experience exciting stories and learn new vocabulary, even if they can’t yet read confidently on their own. 
3. Explicit vocabulary teaching • Throughout their schooling, your child will be taught new words explicitly. • By the end of school, they’ll have a rich vocabulary and background knowledge, enabling them to understand more complex texts in subjects like Biology and History. 
4. Diagnostic check-ins • Strong and regular diagnostic check-ins are conducted for each student. • These assessments help identify the next steps in their learning journey. 
5. Individualised support • All students will continue to receive targeted evidence-based reading instruction as a whole class and individualised support will continue through small focus groups and one-on-one instruction for students who require more opportunity for practice or learning intervention. 

Thank you for partnering with us in your child’s education. Together, we’ll continue to nurture their love for reading and empower them to live a full and flourishing life. 

Mrs Charlie Barrett

From the Learning Support Teacher

Screen time and child development 

Research has shown that delays in executive functioning, language and thinking skills can be associated with screen time.  A theory as to why screen time is associated with delayed language and cognitive development is that it takes away from the time that children would usually spend doing things that benefit development, such as playing with toys, interacting with parents and peers and sleeping.   

Below are some guidelines around the recommended amount of screen time which may be useful for you and your family. 

Children younger than 18 months - Avoid using screen media other than video-chatting with family. 

• This is a time that children develop their language through interacting with their parents and family.   

• Even before a child speaks, through gurgling and responses from others they learn turn taking, responding, voice tone, and are developing vocabulary.  Children are learning words and meanings long before they can say them. 

Children 2-5 yrs – 1 hour per day of high-quality programs 

• Make sure you are an active participant with your child, even if you have to pause the video.   

• Make comments and ask inferential questions such as ‘Why do you think the rabbit ran away?’ Just as you would do if you are reading a story together. 

Children 6 years and older – Place consistent limits on the time spent using media.  

• Make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviours essential to health. 

• Establishing a routine lets children know what the expectation is and leaves less wiggle room for children to try to negotiate more screen time. 

• Time is an abstract concept and may be difficult for some children to understand.  Using a daily visual schedule, phone or egg timer and verbal reminders – eg you have 5 minutes left on your tablet, make screen time a more concrete concept for children and will let them know what to expect. 

Designate media-free times together – simple day-to-day tasks leave so many opportunities for language learning.   

• Meal times are great for practising new vocabulary and conversational skills. 

• Organise fun media free times, such as a games night, arts and craft time or story time. 

• Play language games in the car such as sound or colour eye spy, 20 Questions and many more. 

Mrs Genny McNair

From the School Counsellor

October is Mental Health Month 

One of my roles as the guidance counsellor is to encourage “help seeking”. During Mental Health Month, I would encourage all families to reflect on their attitudes towards “help seeking” and examine any barriers to seeking help.  

Just like we get dental check-ups, checking in with your GP, to talk about your mental health is equally important. It is also important to model to our children that its o.k. to talk about our mental health and seek specialist help if we need to.   

It is important to remember that most adults most of the time are in a positive state of mental health. But It is also normal for life’s ups and downs to take its toll and normal for our mental health to change.  

At school, we aim “to help” children to flourish. This represents the ideal functioning and is often described as relating well with others, feeling happy, thinking positively, learning with intention, feeling purposeful, curious and hopeful about the future. If children are happy, they are more likely to learn, achieve goals and want to attend school and be with their friends. However, it is also normal for children to have emotional ups and downs.  

It is also important to discuss with your family General Practitioner (GP) about your concerns as early as possible. GPs can discuss with you if there are any health concerns that might also be impacting on a child’s wellbeing or may also discuss whether it’s appropriate to seek more specialised support. If more specialised mental health support is required, they can discuss referral options with you. 

If a child’s mental health is having a severe impact on everyday activities it is even more important to address these concerns with your GP or contact the local Child and Youth Mental Health Team through the Toowoomba Base hospital.  

It is important to remember that mental health changes over the course of our lives and will change in response to different situations, stressors and experiences. Many factors contribute to where a student might be in terms of their current functioning or where they are sitting in terms of their mental health.  

Parents, family members and teachers are key people in student’s lives who can help students by noticing any unexpected changes in a child’s mental health and then to encourage “help seeking” behaviours. Encouraging students to seek help can make an enormous difference to their wellbeing and improve their educational outcomes and future career opportunities. 

Please remember that at school we don’t diagnose children. That’s what mental health professionals do and that is why at times we recommend that families seek external advice support and assistance.  

If this article has raised any concerns or questions, please feel contact the guidance counsellor at Sacred Heart Primary sarah.jackman@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Mrs Sarah Jackman

Meal Deal - Term 4

MEAL DEAL for Term 4

Funds raised support the 2024 Seniors and their end of year Grad Mag publication 

 Week 7 of Term 4  -  Wednesday, 13 November 2024 

 $5 meal deal – Sausage in Bread & Snow Cone 

Gluten free option available 

Orders on Flexischools - Link below

Prep Enrolment

Sacred Heart Trivia Night

The Arts

CHOIR:

Every Thursday afternoon 2.55-3.30pm in the Music Room.  

The choir is available for all students in Year 3 to 6.

If you would like your child to be involved in the choir, please contact Cherie Runciman, cherie.runciman@twb.catholic.edu.au  or send them along next Thursday after school.   

DANCE CLUB:

The Senior and Junior Dance Club are currently working towards their items for the Christmas Concert. 

INSTRUMENTAL PROGRAM:
Lessons will continue on Wednesday with Miss Joy for Term 4.

There are still spots available for this year. If you would like to enrol your child, please fill in the online form below or contact me directly via email. Cherie.Runciman@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Ms Cherie Runciman

Sport

Swimming Block  

In 2 weeks time, all students will be participating in swimming lessons at the Glennie Aquatic Centre. This is a good time to get organised for swimming lessons – please check that your child has swimmers (one piece for girls), goggles, a towel and thongs ready to go. Also, this is an ideal time to check that all of your child’s uniform is labelled with their name in case anything is misplaced in the process of getting changed from their uniform to their swimming attire at school.  

Our swimming block is in week 4 (starting the 21st of October). The children will participate in a 30 minute swimming lesson each day of Week 4. Each class will travel to the Glennie Pool by bus. There is no additional cost to families. The focus in these lessons is participation, with lessons delivered by qualified trainers and adjusted to meet the needs of your child. As a part of the school day, all children are expected to participate to the best of their ability. Please let your child’s teacher know if they are nervous or worried so that extra support can be provided. If children are not well enough to swim, they must have a signed and dated note from a parent (or carer) to present to their teacher. Swim shirts may be worn but should be well fitted so that they do not limit your child’s range of motion. Due to the number of children swimming, parents will not be contacted in the instance of children forgetting their swimming gear. Please see your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns. 

 Mrs Alice Lucas and Mrs Kara Wann

Toowoomba Hockey Presents Summer Sixes

Catholic School Parents Australia - National Parent Survey

National Parent Survey

The CSPA 2024 Parent Survey on Student Wellbeing and Learning is seeking your perspective as parents/carers of children who attend a Catholic School in Australia.

You are invited to share your views on existing and emerging affirmations and/or challenges in relation to your child/children’s wellbeing and learning. Please consider completing this anonymous, confidential, and completely voluntary online survey.

More information about the study, how to participate, and how to have questions answered, can be found here.

Thank you for your interest.

Walk to Remember

Vera Lacaze Kindergarten - 60 Years Celebration

The Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop hours:
Mondays (THIS INCLUDES PUPIL FREE DAYS) & Thursdays 8.00am - 10:30am.  If a Public Holiday falls on a Uniform Shop day, the Uniform Shop will be closed.

Please note during the Term 4 Prep Transition Afternoons the Uniform Shop will be open:

Thursday, 17th October 2.30 - 3.30 pm

Tuesday, 5th November 2.30 - 3.30 pm

PLEASE NOTE: WE CAN NO LONGER ACCEPT DONATIONS OF PRE-LOVED ITEMS
Thank you for your understanding in this regard.

*We accept EFTPOS only - NO CASH OR LAYBY*  

SCHOOL BAGS: School Bags are COMPULSORY to the WHOLE SCHOOL.
Do you have the correct bag?  These are available from the Uniform Shop for $39.50 

SCHOOL PULLOVERS - This is a compulsory uniform item for Years 1 to 6.

SPRAY JACKETS are compulsory for students in Years 1-6 only.
PREP STUDENTS DO NOT REQUIRE SPRAY JACKETS!

FREE BUTTONS available for boys’ red shirt, girls’ red and white blouse & Prep red polo.

Thank you for your continued support of the school’s uniform shop.

 Mrs Fay Rhodes
Uniform Shop Convenor

Sacred Heart Parish

Tennis Coaching 2024