Dear Parents and Carers,

We are delighted to be welcoming the children back.

We are so looking forward to having most of our children back onsite next week. Schools are not meant to be without the sounds of laughter and chatter. We have missed their beautiful smiles and conversation.

We thank you for the work you have been doing to support your children’s learning at home and wish you well as you begin to enter back into your places of work. 

We also very much appreciate your time in completing the electronic forms to support your child/ren’s smooth transition back to face-to-face learning. 

If you have not yet let the school know of your plans for returning to school could you please send an email to the front office.

Children’s Week 2021

It is great to begin returning to school as we celebrate Children’s Week, especially considering this year’s theme - 

Children have the right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others.

This Saturday is Make a Difference Day

We all have opportunities every day to change the world. It’s amazing what just a small effort by an individual or group of individuals can do to change the world or at least their local neighbourhood. Make a difference Day was established to help encourage us to take one day a year to try to make a difference in the world.

What small thing are you going to do this weekend to change the world?

Take care and keep safe

The variation in school start time is in response to education directives.

Our 8.45am plan reflects the CE Cohorting considerations we need to apply for maximising a safe return for students:

• Schools will limit unnecessary physical interaction between students on school grounds and the mixing of student cohorts (those not routinely learning together) where possible.
• This may include dedicated entry and exit points for different Year groups based on school-specific requirements.
• Student cohorts will have identified shared areas and use of shared spaces will be staggered. 
• Limiting interaction between students does not apply to siblings.

At Sacred Heart we have planned for staggered use of shared spaces during the days and other breaks. However, before school drop off was going to be too hard to stagger cohort arrival times or to designate different arrival areas for different year groups.

Instead, we have limited physical interaction and offered support to all families by shortening the time before class begins; by requiring students to only sit in lines for a short time; and asking staff to be on the playground 10 minutes early.

We anticipate as the ACT rules relax and the mornings warm up that this change to the start of the school day will only be a short-term variation.

The changing COVID routines – an update to previous communication

Arriving in the morning

• Children to arrive at school from 8.45am as there will be no supervision before that. This is to assist with cohort separation on the playground.
• Drop your child to the blacktop area, via either of the two drive-through points. You are also welcome to park in the side streets off Murphy St* or in the main school carpark and walk with your child up to the waiting teachers. Parents are asked to avoid entering the school grounds.
• We will have many staff members outside from 8.45am to greet you and help your child make their way to the class line. We have music and things planned to build the joy.
• *Parking off Murphy St will give parents the best opportunity to watch your child until the bell goes. If you need a clean break (as for some that is best), staff will be ready to support your child while you leave. We have found most children calm quickly once they are in the classroom with their teacher. We will phone you if we have concerns about them settling in.

Masks

• Students from Kinder – year 6 are not required to wear a mask.
• Updated correspondence we have received says -

“Students in Years 3 to 6 are encouraged to wear a mask at school if they are comfortable doing so (at the discretion of the student and their parents/carers). Children in Preschool to Year 2 should not wear masks as they are likely to be worn incorrectly and may present a choking hazard, (also at the discretion of the student and their parents/carers). Masks may not be suitable for students with disabilities. Schools will make allowances for those students to not wear masks if required.

Ventilation and jumpers

• We are hearing from our colleagues across the border that open windows are a little cool for kids who have been inside for weeks! Remember to send your child to school with a jumper
• Remember your drink bottles please.

Reading every night continues to be essential. Other than that please use your afternoons to reconnect as a family without the need for teaching!

All the details and in our 'Frequently Asked Questions' page, please follow the link to the Sacred Heart website

2021 Return to School Social Story

Sports Uniform days for Term 3

• Kinder- Wednesday and Friday
• Stage 1- Wednesday and Friday
• Stage 2- Tuesday and Friday
• Stage 3- Tuesday and Thursday

Tournament of the Minds

Our team of seven talented students represented the ACT at the national final for Tournament of the Minds last weekend. The final was held in two parts this year due to lockdown restrictions in  Australia – online or live. In normal times we would have travelled to Perth to compete! Our team performed well, but did not come away with the win.

We delivered their finals pack of goodies to them last Friday. Here they are posing with their packs and the ACT trophy.

Congratulations to our talented, and hardworking, students.

Yours faithfully,

Have you downloaded the  Compass app yet? Please check your emails from the end of term.

If your child has been absent from school or remote learning, please send an absent note as soon as possible, so that we can record an explanation, rather than an Absent without Approval. 

Many parents would have received an email reminder with details of your child’s absent dates. Look for an email from Compass Chronicle -  compass@compass.email.

Prayer and Reflection Resources

These prayer and reflection resources are for all families to find comfort, connection to faith and reassurance in these unsettling times. We encourage our school community to set aside time for personal and family prayer.

The Catholic Voice aims to provide a selection of news, views, reviews, feature stories and pictures of life in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. The latest edition is available at www.catholicvoice.org.au

Online Mass

Live Stream Mass is available from St. Christopher’s Cathedral Monday-Saturday 12.15pm and Sunday 11am.

https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/

Join parishioners from around the Archdiocese as we come together to pray the Rosary.

Every Wednesday and Friday at 4pm during lockdown. 

Simply click on the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85022458332?pwd=MDZ4ODFhNjIvdnpFd21aVDQzWnAydz09

Or enter in the details below after opening the Zoom app.

Meeting ID: 850 2245 8332
Passcode: 543675

Mary Help Of Christians Parish

Fr. Richard has his recent homilies available on the Mary Help Of Christians web page. Please click on the link below to listen.

http://www.mhoc.org.au/prayer/homilies/

Virtual Parish Youth Group

A great way to connect and chat with our Youth Minister Nick and Fr Richard. Get those curly questions ready and have some fun connecting with others.

Saturday 23rd October 2021.

If you need anything, don’t hesitate to email Nick.

Details:

Yr 5-8 4:30pm-5:15pm

Link: https://cgyouth.whereby.com/woden

Yr 9-12 7:00-8:00pm                                     

Link: https://cgyouth.whereby.com/woden

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
• Mr Craig Mewett Phone: 0409 151 887 / 6278 7382

New school bikes for Stage 1 - Sporting Schools funding and our partnership with Trek Phillip has meant we have been able to purchase four new Trek bikes for younger students to get involved and develop their cycling skills at school. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

New sporting equipment - With Sporting Schools funding and our Rebel Sport Member rewards we have been able to purchase a range of new sporting equipment including cricket kits and bats, high bounce balls, gridiron balls, frisbee golf games and three new scooters for use with students building balance skills during our cycling programs.

Kinder tennis racquets - To coincide with Kindergarten doing tennis for sport this term, each Kindergarten student will receive a free tennis racquet as part of the annual ANZ Hot Shots racquet give away. 

Murray learnt how to french knit.

Alby made a diorama showing the habitat for a blue-ringed octopus.

Drawing on our whiteboards whilst they were on our heads was not so easy! 

Crazy hat day in 1White 

Crazy hair day in 1Red

As we start to head back to face-to-face learning and the Sacred Heart staff return together once again, we share with you the last of our messages to each staff team. We look forward to being together again as a whole staff with the Students and the Sacred Heart Community.

Congratulations to the following students celebrating their birthday this week 

Moustafa M, Aidan O.