Dear Sacred Heart community,

This weekend, many of our Year 6 students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, with Archbishop Christopher Prowse presiding on Friday evening and Fr Emil Milat on Saturday. This is a significant and sacred step in the faith journey of our students, as they are sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and take on a deeper commitment to their Catholic faith.

Confirmation is not only a personal milestone but also a celebration for our whole Sacred Heart community. It reflects the values we nurture at our school—faith, courage, and belonging. Students will participate in a Confirmation Retreat Day this Thursday, a time for reflection, prayer, and preparation.

Please keep our Confirmation candidates in your prayers this week.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Laura Stumbles, our Acting Religious Education Coordinator, for her leadership and coordination of the Confirmation program. Thank you also to Ben Sweeney, our Year 6 teacher, and to Fr Emil, Christine from the parish, and the entire parish team for their ongoing support, prayers, and preparation. This is an exciting and faith-filled time for our students and their families.

Enrolment at Sacred Heart

We’re pleased to share that enrolments at Sacred Heart are heading in a very positive direction. Our school continues to grow, with 10 classes currently operating in 2025, and plans to expand to 12 classes in 2026. Over the past few weeks, we’ve conducted many enrolment interviews and received a high volume of enquiries—this is a wonderful sign of confidence in our school.

In February 2024, our enrolment was 192 students. By February this year, that number had grown to 207, and we currently sit at 213 students. Our projected enrolment for 2026 is 240 students, including 45 Kindergarten students and 11 new enrolments across Years 1–6.

As part of the enrolment process, I always ask families why they’ve chosen Sacred Heart. Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of hearing many thoughtful and heartfelt responses. Some are practical—such as proximity to work, ease of pickup, or alignment with Catholic high schools. Others are philosophical—seeking values-based education, structure, or a particular teaching style.

But overwhelmingly, families tell us they’ve heard outstanding things from current Sacred Heart families and want to be part of our community. Many speak from a place of deep personal conviction: “We want our child to belong, to feel safe, to be loved and valued for who they are. We want them to know the stories of Jesus, to be part of a wider community—the Church. We want them to learn right from wrong, to be treated with dignity, and to treat others with respect.”

This growth reflects the strength of our school’s culture and the benefits of being a middle-sized school—large enough to offer diversity and opportunity, yet small enough to ensure every child is known and valued.

Please, keep spreading the word!

Reflections from the Australian Catholic Education Conference

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Australian Catholic Education Conference in Cairns, alongside over 1600 Catholic educator leaders from across the country. The theme, Hope Anchored in Faith, was deeply resonant and present in every session, liturgy, and conversation.

It was a joy to reconnect with colleagues and to share in the collegiality of over 40 leaders from our own Archdiocese. The experience reminded me of the strength and unity of our shared mission.

Three sessions stood out:

• The Conference Mass: A powerful and moving celebration with over 1600 educators, a 1000-strong children’s choir, and a joyful liturgy led by Archbishop of Cairns Joe Caddy.
• Principal Wellbeing with Dr Lucas Felstead: A timely reminder of the importance of looking after ourselves as leaders, with practical insights and sobering statistics about the wellbeing of principals nationwide.
• Family Engagement with Dr Steve Constantino: A compelling session on building a culture of trust and partnership with families—something we are continually striving to strengthen at Sacred Heart.

I return to our school community with renewed energy, deeper insight, and a strong sense of purpose. Thank you for the opportunity to attend.

Father’s Day Breakfast – Friday 5 September

We warmly invite all dads, grandfathers, and father figures (and Mums too!) to join us for our Father’s Day Breakfast next Friday, 5 September, starting at 8:00 am in the school hall. This will be followed by open classrooms and our Father’s Day Mass at 9:30 am, led by our Year 2 students.

This is a special opportunity to celebrate the important role fathers and father figures play in the lives of our children. I might even pull out a couple of Dad jokes myself! A gold coin donation on the day would be appreciated.

We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Tournament of Minds – This Weekend

We wish our Tournament of Minds teams all the very best as they compete this weekend. These students have been working diligently over the past six weeks, collaborating, problem-solving, and developing creative solutions to complex challenges.

Tournament of Minds is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop critical thinking, teamwork, and presentation skills in a fun and competitive environment.

A big thank you to Kerry Wode and Jo Filardo for their dedication and coordination of the program. We are proud of our teams and look forward to hearing how they go!

Have a great weekend!

In faith and partnership,

David Austin

Principal