2025 Term 4 Week 2 Newsletter

Principal's Message

Dear Sacred Heart Community,

The warm weather this week has certainly made it feel like summer is already here, though I suspect we’ll still get a few cooler days before it truly settles in. It’s a good reminder to stay hydrated and sun-smart as we move into the warmer months.

Catholic Leaders’ Days – Thursday & Friday
This week I’ll be joining all 56 Principals from across our Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese, along with key Catholic Education Office staff, for our annual Catholic Leaders’ Days. These are always valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues, share ideas, and reflect on our shared mission. We’ll hear from Archbishop Christopher Prowse and Executive Director David de Carvalho, and engage in workshops focused on Principal wellbeing, Foundational Catholic Principles and Values, and long-term strategic development. I always come away from these days feeling inspired and energised for the work ahead. I will be away from school Thursday and Friday this week.

Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival
We’re thrilled to have over 50 students and 4 staff heading to the annual Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival this week. This event is a highlight for many, bringing together students from across the region in the heart of a small country town. It’s a wonderful day of sport, community, and fun. A big thank you to our staff for their support and to our families for helping make this possible — your encouragement and involvement are always appreciated.

Year 3 & 4 Camp at Warrambui
Next Monday and Tuesday, our Year 3 and 4 students will head off to Camp Warrambui — an exciting adventure for many of them! Camps like this offer so much: building independence, strengthening friendships, and creating lasting memories. A heartfelt thank you to our Year 3 and 4 teachers — May Schneider, Jo Filardo, Matthew Maloney, and Caroline O’Mara — for their dedication and support. I’ll be heading out after school on Monday to spend some of the evening with everyone, and I’m looking forward to sharing in what promises to be a fantastic experience. Updates and photos will be on our socials (if we have coverage!)

Class Allocation Guidelines – 2026

As we move through Term 4, we will be finalising staffing arrangements and preparing class groupings for 2026. The following guidelines outline the principles and process we follow to ensure a fair, transparent, and student-centred approach to class allocations.

At Sacred Heart Primary School, we believe that teachers are best placed to make decisions about student placement, given their deep understanding of each child’s learning, social development, and classroom dynamics. However, we also value the insights of parents and invite you to share any information that may support your child’s wellbeing or learning needs.

In 2026 we have grown to two classes per year level in Kinder, and Years 1, 2,3 and 4.  When forming class lists, the following factors will be carefully considered:

• Gender balance
• Diverse learning needs
• Work habits
• Cognitive ability
• Friendships
• Behavioural considerations
• Health needs
• Religious background (particularly in Sacramental years)
• Common names (to avoid confusion)

Our goal is to create balanced classes that support both academic and social growth. While we aim to accommodate educationally-based parental requests where practical, we cannot guarantee all preferences will be met.

Principles and Process

• Every effort is made to place each child in a setting that supports their learning and social development.
• Parents wishing to raise specific concerns should email me directly at david.austin@cg.catholic.edu.au by Friday of Week 4 (Term 4 – 7 November).
• All parent input will be considered, but no guarantees can be made.
• Input from the Classroom Support Teacher, School Counsellor, Chaplain, and current class teachers may be sought where appropriate.
• Class teachers begin compiling lists from mid-Term 4, which are then reviewed and confirmed by me.
• Students will be informed of their class placement in December, typically during the final week of term, and will have the opportunity to meet their new teacher. New students joining in 2026 will also be invited to attend.

After appropriate consultation, I reserve the right to make final professional decisions regarding student placement.

As we settle into Term 4, it’s wonderful to see so many rich experiences unfolding for our students and staff — from sporting carnivals and leadership gatherings to the excitement of school camp. These moments not only build skills and memories but also strengthen the sense of community that makes our school so special. Thank you to everyone — staff, students, and families — for your continued support and enthusiasm.

 In faith and partnership,

David Austin

Principal

Assistant Principal

There are many things happening across Australia in the eSafety space, namely the Social Media Age Restrictions for children under 16 years of age and CyberBullying initiatives.

A great source of information for parents and carers is the website created by the eSafety Commissioner. The parent page and eSafety website can be found by following the links below.

It contains many guides, but important right now is: 

• information about their current webinars
• Social Media Age Restriction advice 
• how to create family tech agreements

Please consider registering for their next webinar on Cyberbullying at 7pm on 12th November. The flyer is attached to this newsletter.

Update to our BYOD program

We published details of a change to our BYOD program in 2026, last term. Just in case you missed it - starting with Year 3 students in 2026, families will no longer need to purchase an iPad for school use. A repeat of this information is attached below for interested parents and carers. Families with children currently in Year 2 were sent the letter via Compass. 

Yours in working together

Kerry Wode

Reminders

Important Information Regarding Boorowa

The Rosary

The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary falls on October 7th. At this time, we are encouraged to seek Mary’s guidance and inspiration. The Rosary is a beautiful prayer and we encourage all families to pray the Rosary together. 
Today, with the help of the Year 6 Faith leaders and Fr. Emil, as a whole school we prayed the whole Rosary with the Glorious Mysteries. It was a beautiful prayerful experience for all students.
Thank you to Fr. Emil for coming to support us in this special prayer.

eSafety Commissioner

Socktober

Last Friday we held our annual crazy sock day to help raise funds for Catholic Mission. Catholic Mission is the Pope’s international Mission agency in Australia. An international organisation that partners with communities, helping them to flourish by supporting grassroots projects, including healthcare, education, and spiritual care. Our network of religious and lay missionaries operates in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, the Americas.
We are grateful for the efforts parents and students. We raised $273.

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Playgroup

The Thompson family recently donated new dress ups to Playgroup.

The children are really enjoying the new selection. Thank you.

Tennis

Chess

Mary Help of Christians, South Woden

MHoC Website

Please find a snapshot below of what’s in this week’s bulletin:

• Fr Rozo Palic visiting our church on 30 October for a healing Mass,

• Lalith Perera joining us for a Parish Day retreat on 9 November and

• Canberra Camino of St Joseph Men’s Overnight Walk 14-15 November and
  

Birthdays

Congratulations to the following student celebrating their birthday this week.

Liesl H.

Awards

 Awards will be presented during the Friday morning assembly at 8:55am.

Saver Plus

Positive Partnerships

Music Tuition

Private Piano Tuition

Those parents who are wanting their child/children to have piano lessons, can contact the teachers directly on the following contact numbers;

• Mrs Hildegarde Mendoza Phone: 0417 580 975
• Mrs Pam Cox Phone: 0418 442 203

Private Guitar Lessons

Those parents who are wanting their child/children to have guitar lessons, can contact the teacher directly on the following contact details.

Private Violin Lessons

Those parents who are wanting their child/children to have violin lessons, can contact the teacher directly on the following contact details.

• Peter Thorne: 0413 106 584 or   Email