2025 Term 1 Week 4

Principal Report

Welcome to Week 4 of Term 1, 2025.  It’s hard to believe that we are almost half way through the first term of school for the year.  It was pleasing for me to return from leave to see every class learning their routines and settling in so well to their new classes.  I’m very proud of how well all classes are running and how engaged the students are in learning.

The teachers have also been furthering their own learning this week during a visit from our Education Officer – Mrs Kimmorley. They focused their learning on explicit teaching and are working on tightening routines so that every student is actively participating in the learning. This is vital as repeated practise is the only way we can move new information into our long term memory and attach it to information we already know.  This strengthens the pathways in our brain and helps us further our knowledge which we can then apply in different situations. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support in creating a smooth start to the school year.  As you may or may not know, my mother recently passed away and I have been in Brisbane for quite a while. It is a difficult time for my family as we navigate life without our beloved “Nana”.

I look forward to seeing you at assembly tomorrow.

Mrs Cara Haig

Principal

Classroom Learning Snapshots

PREP with Miss Ball 

In prep, we have started the foundational skills in handwriting, as we have been practicing pencil grip through various activities, which then led to the students recognizing and tracing their own name. This week we have been learning all about the letter and sound ‘A’ and ‘M’. We have also started our English rhyming unit, looking at the nursery rhyme ‘Little Miss Muffett’ and ‘Down by the Bay’. The students are working to identify the rhyming pairs from these songs alongside several other nursery rhymes.

In Mathematics, the students have been learning about numbers 0-10, and they are doing incredibly well with recognising and identifying individual numbers.  The Preps have loved learning these numbers through number games and songs.

This week we have started our Religion unit, we have been discussing God, who he is, who he loves, and where he lives. The students found this very interesting and have been asking excellent questions!

Year 1 with Miss Charlton 

Students have been busy doing their UFLI Phonics in English to enhance their reading and writing skills. In Mathematics we’ve been focusing on place value. Students have also been looking at their immediate family in HASS, and have loved creating their family tree. We are now moving into aspects of daily life in the past and present day, which links to our Religion units where we are exploring Jewish daily life.

Year 2 with Mr Smith 

In Year 2, we’ve been busy with various subjects. In Math, we’ve focused on understanding hundreds, tens, and ones, adding multiples of 10, and practicing skip counting. In English, we’ve read texts like “Tricky’s Bad Day,” “Mr. Huff,” and “Too Loud Lily,” and worked on sequencing events. Our Science unit has been exciting as we explore how sound is created in movies and try to create our own examples using classroom items. In Religion, we’ve looked at our school history, relationships with God, and the importance of forgiving each other.

Year 5/6 with Miss Walker

Students have been exploring how ways to collect and represent data in Mathematics. We've also dived straight into the learning pit again, focusing on place value, including decimals. In Science, we have been learning all about light sources and how they affect us. During our English lessons students have been exploring text types and understanding an author's purpose. We are continuing UFLI to refine our skills in phonemic awareness and understanding morphology. Students have enjoyed discussing faith and what it means to us during Religion.

Class Awards

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the following students who had a birthday. 

We hope your day was very special!

Alice Palmer - 13th February

Deegan Murphy - 14th February

Jaylan Munn - 21st February

Swimming

Swimming lessons continue at the town pool on Thursdays and Fridays. All students are expected to participate in swimming as it is a part of the HPE curriculum. If your child is unwell and not able to participate in a lesson, a note for the classroom teacher or phone/message the school office is required. Students need to bring their:

• togs (swim shirts recommended)
• towel
• thongs (optional)
• $1 to participate.
  

Extra Curricular Activities

Our extra-curricular activities are underway and already proving popular!

• Monday – Chess Club – 3-4pm Library (Years 4-6 welcome)
• Tuesday – Instrumental Music Lessons Online
• Thursday – Choir Practice – 8am Year 1 Classroom (All welcome)

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.

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:

• Mrs Carolyn Crick (Administration Officer)
• Mr Jesse Kupper (School Guidance Counsellor)
• Mrs Cara Haig (Principal)

What's On

With so much happening at the school, we have multiple ways to keep you updated on upcoming events and important dates.

Our newsletters are now available on the SZapp app. Please install it to stay informed! A revised version of the newsletter will be sent home with students every week.

We also post regularly on Facebook and share information for the coming week every Sunday.

Tuckshop

Tuckshop is open on Fridays. 

You can order and pay for lunches via the Flexischools app anytime before 8.45am on Friday morning.

Simply download the Flexischools app from the Apple or Google store and follow the prompts to create an account. Once set up, click “Order Food” to place your order and pay. 

Important Dates