Term 4 Week 2
Principal Report
Welcome back to all students and parents for Term 4! I hope everyone had an enjoyable break and are ready for a busy term ahead full of learning and many exciting events. I am looking forward to seeing our students continuing to thrive as they participate in the various opportunities provided to them throughout the term and continue to embody our school Habits of the Heart and Mind.
We welcome a new student into Year 3 this term, Charlie Stone. Charlie has been travelling Australia with his family and has recently settled in Cunnamulla. I am sure he will be warmly welcomed into his new classroom and the Sacred Heart community.
Staffing 2023
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Cara Haig to the role of Acting Principal at Sacred Heart for the 2023 school year. Cara has many years of leadership experience as a Principal, Deputy and Middle Leader and will continue to lead our school’s strategic direction. Her deputy principal position will be advertised shortly.
Classroom teachers and class structures will be announced midterm.
New School Song Launch
Last term, our students were lucky to work with Josh Arnold on writing and producing a new school song. The students ensured our school values and aspects of school life were encompassed in the lyrics. The song and film clip are finished and we will be launched at our next whole school assembly this Friday 14th October 8:40am. Parents and community members are welcome to come along and celebrate with us.
Visitors
This week we welcome many visitors to our school, Mr Marty Savage (Senior Education Leader), Mrs Janine Ritter (School Accountant) and Mrs Lisa Cavanagh (Education Officer: Mission and Identity). During their visit they will be working with the school Leadership Team on strategic goals for 2023 and beyond, annual budgeting and our school Illuminate project (planning and teaching of Religious Education).
PPF Meeting
Out next Parent Partnership Forum meeting will be next Monday 17th October at 5pm. I encourage all parents to attend to hear important messages for the term and contribute to decisions that impact our school. Topics for discussion Graduation, Carols, Tuckshop.
Have a fantastic week.
Polly Goodman
Principal
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Prep
Welcome back to Term 4, the last term of 2022! I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday and is ready to start a very busy term!
The Preps have settled back into the school routine very nicely and have definitely gotten stuck back into their work. This week, the students started their English unit about persuasive texts. We discussed how these texts are trying to convince or persuade the readers to do something. Our first book we investigated was ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus’. We discussed the pigeons’ different reasons and arguments from the story. We then had to create our own arguments, putting ourselves into the mind of the Pigeon. We decided that “We should be allowed to drive the bus because we won’t go far, and we would give you $100!” This is going to be a very interesting unit with lots of interesting persuasive statements.
In Science, we are learning about the weather. We ventured outside and discussed what the weather looked like on the first day of school and then drew this in our books. The first week of school was definitely a great week to be discussing the weather with all the quickly changing conditions we experienced last week. The students will be learning about the seasons and different conditions, as well as how these conditions affect our daily lives.
In Maths, we participated in some basic rotations to get our minds back into numbers and shapes. We practiced our counting skills in a variety of different activities and created some artworks using different shapes.
With the start of the new term also comes a new imaginative play area within our classroom. At the start of each term, the students have been welcomed with a new imaginative play area and this term the students have the ‘Prep Construction Site’. Students were very excited and eager to play in this new area and are enjoying using the tools to complete some “renovations” on the Prep classroom.
Finally, we are also very excited to welcome the Prep students for 2023 next week for their first transition morning. We have some fun activities planned and can’t wait to spend the morning with them.
Have a fabulous week!
Miss Aimee Bretherton
Prep Teacher
Year 1
Welcome to Term 4! Before I shed light on all the exciting things that are happening this term, I’d like to revisit the whirlwind that was week 10 of Term 3. The Year Ones had a great time finally becoming certified Junior Palaeontologists at their Night in the Museum open afternoon. They created an engaging short film about Catherine McAuley that was shown at the Liturgy the students hosted on the final day of term. I couldn’t be prouder of how they all spoke and sang as part of their first Year 1 Liturgy. We also had a blast participating in games as part of the students’ behaviour celebration afternoon. I think it’s safe to say we ended Term 3 on an exhausted high.
This term we have jumped straight into many new topics. In English we are exploring imaginative texts. We are studying characters and how they have been developed. We have already discussed Mrs Honey and the inside and outside traits of the characters from the Gruffalo.
You may have heard the exciting news of our classroom pet fish – Red. He will be joining the students this term and will be used a stimulus for a character description activity in the coming weeks.
In Science, we are looking at our changing world. We have been learning to identify different features of the world around us and are becoming observers this term to identify when, how and why different things change. We are growing grass heads this term and keeping a journal of how they change from week to week.
Locations and positions are our maths focus for the first fortnight along with the usual number consolidation. Students are learning to explain the location of different objects and provide directions from one place to another.
It has been a lovely first week and I look forward to the rest of the term.
Miss Abby Davidson
Year 1 Teacher
Year 2
With a short four day week and the heavy rain, we seemed to be all over the place last week however we did manage to start several of our units of work. In English this term we are investigating different modes of communication that come in the post. An oldie but a goodie and still very necessary skills for the children to learn. It will prepare them for online shopping ! They will find out about different forms of communication that cater for different needs and as Christmas draws closer, we’ll explore how to contact Santa for special requests. We will be testing reading again in week 5 onwards and although some students won’t reach year 2 benchmark, all have made very pleasing progress. I am delighted with how far they’ve come and tell them daily how proud I am of them.
During maths lessons, we will explore concepts that we haven’t touched on, date, namely length, area, volume and capacity in addition to chance and probability and revising some concepts that are still proving challenging for some. We’ve been doing a daily practise of maths mental, so please feel free to reinforce the learning of tables. I always maintain that if you know them, despite maths perhaps remaining a mystery to you, you can get by.
In our religious education unit this term we are revising what we already know about the Bible, identifying narratives from both the Old and New Testaments, exploring the promise God made to Sarah and Abraham, before concentrating on the season of preparation for the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
In our science unit, All Mixed Up, we are learning about materials that don’t mix well and others that are difficult to separate. Plenty of hands on investigations happening there, with a bit of cooking thrown in, which is something both the children and myself enjoy doing.
During health and PE lessons this term we are concentrating on protective behaviours, learning to recognise, react and report unsafe situations. We are into homework again and homework centre will be operating this week on Tuesday and Thursday.
Mrs Jenny Shellshear
Year 2 Teacher
Year 3/4
Welcome back to Term 4! I hope you all had a relaxing, refreshing and enjoyable holiday, ready to go for final term of the year. Our class is looking forward to the short but busy term ahead.
This term in English students will be exploring poetry. We will investigate the different language features and structures used in poems and the effects these have on the reader. Students will then write a poem about a celebration from around the world. They will experiment and adapt with the language features they have learnt and adapt their poem to music to create a song.
In Music, students will explore the different elements used in music, focusing on pitch, tone, beat and rhythm. We will develop our skills through a variety of different vocal training exercises and kodaly’ (clapping sequences) using the appropriate musical language.
In HASS, we will be looking at celebrations and commemorations both in Australia and around the world. Students will research and explore celebrations including: Christmas, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Hannukah and Ramadan. The information discovered will be used to write their poem in English and then transferred to Music.
I look forward to meeting with each of you throughout the week for Parent Teacher Interviews.
Miss Ellie Charlton
Year 3/4 Teacher
Year 5/6
Welcome back to Term 4! I hope all families had an enjoyable holiday and are ready and excited for the term ahead. Our class is looking forward to the many exciting events this term – Graduation Night, Graduation Dinner, Christmas Carols, Market Day and the Swimming Carnival. We are also looking forward to all the learning and collaboration too!
This term, the Year 5/6 Students will be developing their understanding of business concepts through an interactive market day. In groups, students will choose a product/service to sell and be involved in the planning of creating a business. They will also design a persuasive advertisement to market their good/service. Students will explore persuasive techniques and the world of advertisements as their English focus. Our Mathematics focus for the enterprise stimulation is budgeting and data. Students will collate data of their earning and apply formulas in excel.
In Music, students will be creating their own Christmas song, experimenting with digital music software. Students will be exploring how energy is used to make changes in their world in Science.
Year 6 Parents, please make sure to be searching for photos to be included in the graduation PowerPoint. Please email them to the school directly or a physical copy can be scanned at school.
I look forward to meeting with everyone this week during parent teacher interviews.
Miss Lilly Daly
Year 5/6 Teacher
Swimming Lessons
Swimming lessons with Miss Maryanne at the town pool begin this week. All students are expected to participate in these lessons as it is part of the HPE curriculum. If your child is unwell and not able to participate in a lesson, please write a note for the classroom teacher or phone the school office. All students need to bring their togs, towel, thongs (optional) and $1 to participate.
Class swimming days and times are:
- Thursdays
- 12:00pm - Year 2
- 2.00pm – Prep & Year 1
- Fridays
- 12:00pm - Year 3/4
- 2.00pm - Year 5/6
Class & Uniform Awards
Birthday Awards
Prep Transition Days
Prep Enrolments 2023
Tuckshop
We are looking for volunteers and cake cookers to run tuckshop on a Friday for Term 4. If you can spare one Friday this term, can you please let Mrs Crick know at the office. Tuckshop runs from 9am – 1.30pm
Flexischools App
The tuckshop has purchased an App called Flexischools. This will make ordering and paying for Tuckshop easier. Attached are the instructions to download and use the App.
Uniform Policy
The school uniform represents the pride we have for our children and our school. A smart, neat and user-friendly uniform encourages the children to take pride in their appearance and in the school. The school uniform requirements:
Hats: Our school policy is ‘NO HAT – NO PLAY’. A green school hat must be worn and can be purchased form the office.
Jewellery: The only jewellery allowed is one set of fine studs or sleepers, a chain with some form of religious significance and watches.
Nail Polish: Nail polish is not to be worn.
Hair: Children’s hair must be neat and tidy. If hair is below the collar it needs to be tied back with appropriate white or green accessories. It is expected that hairstyles reflect the code of dress required by the school. The colouring of hair and unusual hairstyles are not acceptable.
Student Protection
At Sacred Heart the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. All children should grow up free of violence or exploitation and be able to learn in a safe and supported environment. Schools have a number of specific child protection reporting obligations that are detailed in our Student Protection Processes and Guidelines.
If a student wants to talk to someone about harm, abuse or inappropriate behaviour toward themselves or others, they can speak to a trusted staff member or one of our School Student Protection Contacts (SSPCs). The SSPCs receive additional training and are identified in the student protection posters displayed around the school.
Summary documents have been developed for parents and caregivers about our student protection obligations and our broader strategy for maintaining safe school environments.
Further information on all of the above topics can be found on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools website at the link below:
Embed Link - https://www.twb.catholic.edu.au/parents-and-community/student-protection/
Our Schools Student Protection Contacts are:
- Mrs Cara Haig (Deputy / LST)
- Mrs Carolyn Crick (Administration Officer)
- Ms Karen Bruggemann (School Guidance Counsellor)
- Mrs Polly Goodman (Principal)
School Fees
At Sacred Heart, we have several payment options for your convenience: Cash, Cheque, ETPOS, Direct Debit and Centrepay. For further details on these payment options please see the school office.
Sacred Heart Parish
Church Times
- Sunday 16th October – Mass @ 8.30 am
- Sunday 23rd October – Mass @ 8.30 am
- Sunday 30th October – Mass @ 8.30am
- Sunday 6th November – Mass @8.30am
- Saturday 12th November – Mass @ 6pm
- Sunday 13th November – Mass Eulo @ 9am
- Sunday 20th November – Mass @ 8.30am
- Sunday 27th November – Mass @ 8.30am
Parish Raffle Winners
1st $300: Father Shane Carr
2nd $200 : Shanise McDermott
3rd $100: Marg Storey
Important Dates
