Sacred Heart Primary School, Cunnamulla eNewsletter

Principal Report

It is hard to believe that Term 3 is coming to a close. It certainly has been a very busy time around the school, particularly with the organisation of our classroom refurbishment project on top of our usual rigorous learning agenda.

Thank you to those who attended our Term 3 PPF meeting last Thursday at the revised time of 3:15pm. It was lovely to have an opportunity to share the school’s strategic directions and annual action plan completion with a larger audience. We were very excited to tell everyone about our classroom refurbishment as well as our successful $1.5 million dollar Go For Gold application. We were the only catholic school in Queensland who was successful in obtaining this State Government grant. Our school will certainly be the flashest primary school in South West Qld and will have high quality facilities on par with some of the most affluent schools in Qld.

You should all have received a letter last week outlining our plans for moving to the Shire Hall on the 28^th October to allow our renovations to begin. Please ask the school office if you require a copy of this letter. The students had some fantastic questions for us when we spoke to them about the move. As more information comes to hand we will do our best to keep you informed of the plans.

Before I sign off, I would like to offer a huge congratulations to Penny Schmidt who competed at the Australian Athletics Cross Country last week end in Tasmania. She did a great job coming 33^rd out of 50 competitors. We would also like to wish Penny luck when she competes at the state athletics in October in the 800m. We know you will represent our region with pride.

I hope you have a happy and safe holidays. We look forward to seeing you all back at school on MONDAY 30^th September.

Mrs Cara Haig

Co-Principal

Prep

Welcome to Week 10! What an incredible fortnight it has been in Prep! As we continue to consolidate and assess what the students have learned over the term, I am thrilled to share their remarkable progress. We also had a blast celebrating Under 8s Day at the State School. The event was filled with fun activities and lots of smiles, making it a memorable experience for our preps.

In English, the Prep students have excelled in their imaginative vs. informative texts assessment. They have been diligently preparing fact files and character profiles for various animals, showcasing their growing writing skills and creativity. The rich vocabulary from “Giraffes Can’t Dance” has inspired their descriptive writing about giraffes, and their imaginative ideas have truly shone.

In Mathematics, the students have demonstrated a strong understanding of collecting, sorting, and comparing data. We have now shifted our focus to discovering positions, which is essential for mathematical reasoning. The students are enthusiastically engaging with spatial concepts and applying their knowledge in practical activities.

In Science, our lessons have been filled with excitement as we explore the world of animals. Moving on from plants, we are now delving into understanding external features and grouping animals based on shared characteristics. The students are eager learners, and their curiosity is driving our discoveries.

In Religion, I was incredibly proud of the students during our fathers and loved ones Liturgy. Their heartfelt prayers and participation were truly touching and demonstrated their growing confidence and communication skills.

As we approach the end of the term, I am immensely proud of the hard work and dedication shown by all the Prep students. Their enthusiasm for learning and their achievements in assessments across all subjects are commendable.

I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you, parents. The parent-teacher interviews have been fantastic! They’ve provided valuable insights, and it has been wonderful to touch base on your students’ progress. Thank you to all the parents for your ongoing support and involvement.

Best wishes for the upcoming school holidays, I hope you have a safe and happy holiday – the students and yourselves truly deserve a well-earned break!

Miss Sophie Walker

Prep Teacher

Year 1

Welcome to Week 10! I can’t believe we are at the end of Term 3!

The year 1’s have used the last fortnight to finish off any assessment left and continue their learning of ongoing concepts across all learning areas.

We have completed our English assessments with the students producing some wonderful descriptions about Penny’s invention from our core text this term The Imagineer. The students have worked hard on developing their understanding of focus vocabulary and the importance of using different types of words- everyday or wonderful words- to make our writing better. I have completed our phonological testing for the term as well and it has been wonderful to see the growth in all students in a variety of different areas. Well done, your hard work is paying off!

Maths has seen us begin applying our knowledge of skip counting concepts to solve unfamiliar problems. We have been using skip counting to continue patterns up to 120, including ones that start at numbers not commonly used in the pattern (counting in 2s starting from an odd number). The students have also had to use concepts they have previously learnt to solve problems that do not have a clear set of instructions or more than one way to solve it. It has been a lot of repetition and memory recall for us during maths over the last fortnight! The students have given all these tasks a good crack and the persistence they are building is great to see.

In Week 8 we ventured over to the Cunnamulla State School for Under 8’s day. We all had a blast and enjoyed our time engaging in the fun activities and mingling with other students. Thank you to everyone who made this day possible.

Parent Teacher Interviews are done and dusted for this year. I am very appreciative of all parents for coming in to discuss your child’s learning and I hope you have all seen the growth inthem just as I have over the last term.

Just a friendly reminder we will be hosting the Catherine McAuley Liturgy this week on Friday morning. Please send your child to school as they each have an important part in this Liturgy and we will be practicing all week.

Enjoy the very much deserved break and take this opportunity to relax and reset before a very busy term begins for the end of the year.

Miss Ellie Charlton

Year 1 Teacher

Year 2

Welcome to Week 10! Term 3 has flown by.

The last few weeks have been busy with different learning activities. We have been learning about calendars and different number equations in maths. English has been super busy getting our toy narratives ready for our Night at the Toy Museum production for parents.

In HASS we have continued to learn about the different toys and comparing them from old to new. We have been super lucky to see some older toys come in from different students that are more then 50 years old. Thank you to the grandparents and parents who allowed the students to bring these in.

We were lucy enough to Snowy White and the seven cool dudes in week 8, which was a great show in the shire hall about healthy eating and active habits. The students got a lot of laughs and enjoyed being outside of the classroom for a little while.

Grade 2 were very lucky to attend the under 8’s day at the state school in week 8 also. They had a blast doing all the activities that were up for offer- from the fire truck to face painting. A huge thankyou to everyone in the community that put the effort in for our younger students to be able to get together and have a fun filled day.

Please remember that Monday the 9^th of September is our ‘Night at the Toy Museum’ production where all of the children will be showcasing their studies of different toys that they have worked super hard on. We would love to see as many family members there as possible, anyone is welcome!

Year 2 has worked incredibly hard over the last few weeks of this term completing many assessments. We want to say how proud and impressed we are with their determination, persistence, effort and courage when completing their assessment tasks. A BIG congratulations to all our Year 2’s for the amazing growth we have seen in all areas of learning this term. We have some fun activities left for the end of term and we are excited to continue our learning while celebrating our success for working hard to grow in our learning.

We know their brains must feel overwhelmed and ready for a nice holiday to rest and recharge.

Have a happy and safe holiday break and we look forward to seeing everyone recharged and ready for learning in Term 4.

Miss Ailie Lewis & Miss Grace Carter

Year 2 Teachers

As the term comes to an end, we want to take a moment to reflect on the fantastic learning experiences and achievements our students have enjoyed across various subjects.

In English, the students recently completed their persuasive orals, where they confidently presented well-reasoned arguments. The students demonstrated great progress in their speaking and listening skills. It was inspiring to see their ability to form persuasive arguments, use evidence to support their views, and engage with their audience.

In Maths, the students have been hard at work with their assessment tasks, focusing on problem-solving and applying the concepts they have learned throughout the term. These tasks challenged them to think critically and solve real-world problems. I am incredibly proud of the way they approached these assessments with focus and determination, showing a solid understanding of mathematical principles.

As part of our Connected Unit, the students took part in a playground design project. Each student was tasked with creating a playground that was not only fun but also safe and functional for the benefit of our community. They had to consider aspects such as space, materials, safety standards, and accessibility. The final designs were incredibly imaginative, and many students demonstrated creativity and thoughtfulness in their approach. We hope to share some of these designs with you next term!

Overall, this term has been filled with growth, creativity, and exciting learning opportunities. I am so proud of how far the students have come, and we know they are ready for a well-deserved break.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to wish all of our families a happy and restful holiday. Thank you for your continued support throughout the term. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready to tackle another exciting term ahead.

Miss Aimee Bretherton

Year 3/4 Teacher

Year 5/6

What an exciting and productive fortnight it has been for our Year 5/6 students!

Our students have been working diligently to complete their brochures, persuading tourists to visit the beautiful Bowra Sanctuary. This project has put their design and digital technology skills to the test, as they learnt to use Canva to complete the task. The results are looking fantastic!

To enhance the authority of our texts, we had a special visit from Dan, who shared Aboriginal artifacts and answered questions about the history of Bowra. The students incorporated these fascinating facts into their writing, making their brochures even more trustworthy and informative. Thank you, Dan, for your dedication to our education!

We have continued to build our morphology skills in spelling and expand our vocabulary. The students are becoming more confident in their language abilities, which is wonderful to see.

In math, we’ve been reconsolidating our number operation solving skills and deepening our understanding of transformations and tessellations. For the final week, we have moved on to exploring the concept of chance.

Our HASS studies on the government culminated in a final exam. Although challenging, the students persisted and learned to work in a typical exam-like environment, which is a valuable skill for their future education.

In religious studies, we’ve been discussing acts of mercy and how we can live them out in our own lives. These discussions have been meaningful and thought-provoking for the students.

We have also been refining our netball skills in PE and performing our “Spy School” plays for drama. The students have shown great enthusiasm and talent in both areas.

Amidst our busy assessment period, we were fortunate to visit the Shire Hall and participate in the “Snowy and the Seven Cool Dudes” performance. Additionally, we attended a special viewing of the “All Aboard” show at the railway station. These experiences were a highlight for the students.

As we approach the holiday break, please ensure your child attends school right up until the last day. The Year 5/6 students will be learning and completing assessments until the holidays begin.

Wishing you all a very happy holiday break!

Mrs Abby Kindelan

Year 5/6 Teacher

Birthdays

2025 Prep Enrolment

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.

School SZapp

The school has the SZapp available for down loading. This app is great for finding out what is happening at school. The newsletter goes directly to the app and notifications come straight from school. The instructions are as follows.

Tuition Fees

Term 3 Fees are now overdue, can these please be paid by end of Term. 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.

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.

It is a legislative requirement that all non-state schools have at least two nominated staff members to whom a student can report the behaviour of another staff member that the student considers inappropriate. We call these specially trained staff members School Student Protection Contacts, or SSPCs. Each SSPC has been nominated by the principal in recognition of their integrity, approachability and knowledge in the area of student protection. Whilst students are encouraged to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns. You will have noticed posters throughout the school depicting our current SSPCs. The SSPCs are also published on our school website along with information about our student protection processes. In everything we do at Sacred Heart Primary School student safety is our highest priority, therefore the SSPCs at our school are key personnel in our overall safeguarding processes.

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:

Miss Ailie Lewis (APRE)
Mrs Carolyn Crick (Administration Officer)
Mr Jesse Kupper (School Guidance Counsellor)
Mrs Cara Haig (Co-Principal)
Mrs Pollyanna Goodman (Co-Principal)

Tuckshop

You can ONLY order Tuckshop on the App. Please down load the Flexischools App.

Flexischools App

The tuckshop uses the App called Flexischools. This will make ordering and paying for Tuckshop easier. Attached are the instructions to download and use the App. Make sure you update your child's class name.