Dear Community,

Happy Easter! I hope you all had a great long weekend in beautiful weather and reflected on the most critical time in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar.  

On Easter Sunday, we celebrated our belief in life. The challenge of Easter is to carry that celebration into each moment of our lives so that when times of crucifixion threaten our lives, we can be patient and believe that there will be resurrection times as well.

The great challenge of celebrating Easter is to be optimistic people. Even the apostles who were closest to Jesus had problems with that; they fled in horror on the day of crucifixion and only slowly came to believe in the resurrection. We all know that pessimism is “catching”, but so is optimism. It’s much nicer to be with people who spread happiness than with those who thrive on spreading tales of doom and gloom.

We are on holiday during Easter most years but have over a week to go! Hang in there!

Enrolment 2025

Officially, the enrolment period for Catholic schools begins in early May: on Monday, May 6, and finishes on Friday, May 24. We have already received over a dozen kindergarten enrolments, and I spent today interviewing several families willing to join Sacred Heart as our new Kindergarteners in 2024.

We will be conducting some targeted marketing and advertising (social media, signs, etc.), but the best form of advertising, I believe, is ‘word of mouth’. Please spread the word, and if you know families interested in Catholic education at Sacred Heart, please have them contact me—I am thrilled to show them around our fantastic school.

Sacred Heart Primary School will hold two Open Days for interested families early next term on Monday, May 6, and Wednesday, May 22, from 9.30 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Enrolment forms are available on our website and can be completed until May 24. 

Please inform any friends or family about these days. Please spread the word!

Marist commitment

I held a ‘Boys at Sacred Heart’ meeting a few weeks ago, and many parents attended. Some boys leave Sacred Heart at the end of Year 3, and this meeting allowed me to share what we offer the boys who wish to stay at Sacred Heart and hear any suggestions or concerns from parents.

During this meeting, many parents were concerned that Marist College had reassured ‘Catholic boys’ who stayed at Sacred Heart that they would be offered a place in Year 7—but what about those non-Catholic boys?

I wrote to Mr Matthew Hutchinson, Headmaster of Marist College Canberra and met with him this week to discuss this. We have a strong connection in the local Catholic school community and are both the local schools in the Mary Help of Christians Parish, South Woden.

I am thankful that Mr Hutchison met me to hear my concerns. Following the meeting, Mr Hutchison has assured “that all boys from Sacred Heart Primary School, regardless of religion, will be offered a place at Marist College” if they decide to stay at Sacred Heart and wish to join Marist in Year 7.

I've included a copy of the letter below.

Just to reassure you, if you wish to join Marist in Year 7, you will be offered a place if you stay at Sacred Heart until the end of Year 6.

Dear David,

Thank you for the opportunity to catch up today. I am writing to assure you that all boys from Sacred Heart Primary School, regardless of their religion, will be offered a place at Marist College Canberra in Year Seven should they remain at Sacred Heart for the entirety of their primary school education.

I sincerely hope that this commitment reassures you and the Sacred Heart community.

Kind regards,

Matthew Hutchison

Headmaster

Spelling Mastery

This week, the staff participated in Professional Learning on 'Spelling Mastery'. From next term, we will add this to our curriculum for students in Years 3-6. Our Catholic Education system is committed to improving literacy and numeracy results through the ‘Catalyst’ programme, and this programme will further enhance students' spelling skills while fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for language.

Out of 24 ACT Catholic Schools, Sacred Heart ranked 5th (Year 3) and 10th (Year 5) in 2023 NAPLAN results - which shows we are doing well but could continually improve.  As we prepare to implement Spelling Mastery, we wanted to take a moment to share with you the benefits of this program and how it will positively impact your child's educational journey.

What is Spelling Mastery?

Spelling Mastery is a comprehensive spelling program developed to provide students with a solid foundation in spelling rules, patterns, and strategies. It utilises a systematic, explicit approach to teaching spelling that has been proven effective in helping students become proficient spellers. The program will operate four days per week, for 20 minutes per day, and follows a structured curriculum focusing on phonemic awareness, word recognition, and spelling rules; your child will develop more vital spelling skills that extend beyond rote memorisation.

As your child masters spelling patterns and rules, they will gain confidence in tackling new words independently. This confidence will benefit them not only in spelling but also in other areas of literacy and communication.

We are excited to embark on this journey with your child and witness their growth and achievements in spelling and beyond. If you have any questions or want more information about Spelling Mastery, please don't hesitate to speak with your child’s teacher.

Mother’s Day- Friday 10^th May 2024- Claim the date

A note regarding Mother’s Day early next term went home via COMPASS yesterday. Please claim the date and complete the form for catering purposes.

In faith and partnership,

David Austin

Principal