Dear Community,

Welcome back to another exciting year at Sacred Heart Primary School. I hope you had a great Christmas and holiday break. We had over 200 students start on Tuesday, including 34 new Kindergarten students and 19 new students across Years 1-6. A very special welcome to all our new families—we are thrilled to have you as part of our school community. The children have had a very happy and settled start to the year, and it’s great to see them looking so smart in their school uniforms. We look forward to a fantastic year of learning, growth, and fun together.

Staffing News
After 10 wonderful years at Sacred Heart, Mrs. Katie Imbriano will move on to new opportunities. Her last day with us will be Friday, February 21. Katie has been an outstanding teacher and leadership team member, always dedicated to her students and colleagues. Her contributions to the school community have been invaluable, and she will be deeply missed by staff, students, and families alike. We sincerely thank Katie for her incredible contribution to our school and wish her all the best for the future. Mrs. Caroline O’Mara will be taking on a full-time role for the final 7 weeks of the term, and we are currently advertising for a replacement to fill Katie’s position.

School Calendar
We are currently uploading all school events to our online calendar. In the meantime, attached is a printed Term 1 Calendar and listed below some key Term 1 dates to note:

• Welcome Breakfast & Meet the Teacher (7:45 am), Opening School Mass (9:30 am)- Friday, February 14th
• Kinder rest days: Friday 7th February, Wednesday 14^th February, Wednesday 19^th February, Wednesday 26^th February
• Parent Teacher Meetings - Monday 17^th to Wednesday 19^th February
• School Assembly (Week 3) -led by Leadership Team)-Friday, February 21st, 2:20 pm
• Year 5/6 camp - Wednesday 26^th February to Friday 28^th February-
• Ash Wednesday Mass-9:30 am- Wednesday, March 5th
• Swimming carnival- Tuesday 11^th March
• NAPLAN test period - Wednesday 12th - Friday 21st March
• School Assembly (Week 6 led by Year 6)- Friday, March 14th; 2:20 pm
• Athletics carnival- Thursday 27^th March
• School Assembly (Week 9- led by Year 1)- 2:20 pm- Friday, April 4th
• Last day of Term 1- Thursday 11th April
• Pupil Free Day- Friday 11th April

Welcome Breakfast & Meet the Teacher
Next Friday, February 14th, we invite all families to a Welcome Breakfast from 7:45 a.m. We will serve free bacon and egg rolls, fruit, tea, and coffee, with a coffee van available. This is a great chance to meet other parents and staff. Following breakfast, families are welcome to visit classrooms to meet the teachers before we meet for our Opening School Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Church.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Changes to Assemblies in 2025
This year, we have made some changes to our school assembly schedule to maximise learning time while still ensuring regular opportunities for student recognition and celebration:

• Morning assemblies will now be held on Mondays and Fridays only.
• Monday mornings: Whole school gathering for announcements and birthdays.
• Friday mornings: Presentation of weekly awards.
• Friday afternoon assemblies will be held only three times per term (Weeks 3, 6, and 9). Each class will be rostered to showcase their learning at one of these assemblies.

These adjustments allow us to balance celebration and instructional time more effectively. I appreciate your support.

Recess Time Change

We have adjusted our recess time to support smoother transitions this year, better scheduling of teacher release times, and maximize learning opportunities in the afternoon. Recess will run from 1:15 to 1:45 PM instead of 1:45 to 2:15 PM. This change will allow for more instructional minutes in the classroom during the latter part of the day while ensuring students have a well-balanced break. 

Kindergarten Rest Day Reminder
This is a friendly reminder that our Kindergarten students will have their rest day tomorrow. This is an important part of their transition into full-time schooling and an opportunity for individual assessments. Please book in via Compass Conferences if you have not done so. We appreciate your support. 

Traffic Safety

This morning, we had a concerning near miss at the school crossing, where a student was almost hit by a car. This reminds us of the importance of following all road safety procedures to protect our children. Please be extra vigilant when driving near the school, adhere to speed limits, and always stop for pedestrians at crossings.

Transport Canberra and City Services have advised that a key focus will continue to be 'line of sight safety offences,' including parking on nature strips, verges, corners, and in 'no stopping zones.' These actions reduce motorist visibility and put students at risk. Additionally, vehicles parked in the wrong direction of travel or too close to an unbroken dividing line create hazards for all road users.

We are so excited to be back and looking forward to a fantastic year ahead! If you have any questions or concerns or just want to check in, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or me.

In faith and partnership,

David Austin

Principal

It’s been lovely greeting families as we start our new school year and to catch up with holiday happenings as I’ve chatted with our wonderful students.

As we keep in mind that we are a community of busy people with many new members, young and old, I would like to take a moment to remind you of some of our important procedures.

School Hours

Teachers are on duty between 8.30am and 3.30pm each day.

Mornings: 

1. Children should not be on the playground unsupervised before 8.30am. If you need care before 8.30am, please utilise our Before-hours-care offered by YMCA.

https://ymcacanberra.org.au/school-aged-care/find-before-or-after-school-care/

1. From 8.30am, children can be dropped off on Murphy St, at the front drive-through or lower car park. Parents and Carers are welcome on the playground staying for the morning assemblies on Monday and Friday, or until children line up on the other days of the week.
2. All children should be at school by 8.55am to start the day with their class.

Afternoon:

Teachers dismiss children from the classrooms. (This week we will often walk children to pick up areas!) 

YMCA will usually pick up children in Kinder and Year 1 from the classrooms. Older children walk directly to meet YMCA educators in the school hall.

Children make their way out of the building to our three supervised pick-up points and to the hall for After School Care. 

1. Murphy St Park and Pick Up. Please park facing uphill on Murphy St or in the adjacent streets. Parents and carers wait near the gate for the duty teacher to send your child to you. Children will raise their hand to indicate that they can see you. Children walking home, who need to cross Murphy St, must wait for the duty teacher to assist them. Please respect our neighbours by avoiding parking in their driveways, and walking through and littering their gardens.
2. Drive-Through off Hodgson Cres. Please come down Hodgson Cres, turning left into our driveway. Students will exit the building and make their way to the shady area near the hall doors. Join the queue for drive-through. The teachers on duty will assist your child to the car. A nametag in your windscreen is very helpful! Leave the car park by making a left hand turn onto Hodgson Cres.
3. Main car park off Hodgson Cres. Park in the carpark. Children are to wait at drive-through until you arrive. Walk up to gather your child. Please be very careful of moving vehicles. Leave the car park by making a left hand turn onto Hodgson Cres.
4. Walking/riding across Hodgson Cres or Beasley St. Children meet the duty teacher at the bike cage or near the canteen. The group walks down to the main school crossing, with the teacher supervising crossing these busy roads.

Any child not collected by 3.30pm will be brought to the office. A phone call will be made to check what is holding you up.

Wet Weather Arrangements (as we practised this week!)

Morning

• If it is quite wet or actually raining in the morning, please drop your child to the hall from 8.30am.
• Children will put their bags in their class line, then join in quiet games or conversations with their friends. 

If your child is anxious with this change, please bring them up to the teacher on duty. We make alternative arrangements if the noisy hall overwhelms a child.

Afternoon

Please discuss your family plans with your child, so that they are aware of wet weather arrangements. We ask families to take extra care in the rain. Don’t rush, we will keep your child dry and safe with us until you arrive.

• If the ground is wet, normal arrangements apply. 
• If it is actually raining the following safety arrangements will be in place. 

Drive-through off Hodgson - students line up in the hall or at the main door with the duty teacher. We will assist your child to your car as you drive around.

Murphy St pick up - students will meet the teacher in the shelter of the kinder courtyard. An extra teacher wearing an orange vest, will be outside the courtyard gate (further up the hill than the normal black gates). Parents can pull up to the kerb and we will help your child to come to your car.

Walkers/bus/bikes will operate as normal, with the teacher carrying an umbrella.

Parking - parents are invited to park and come to the kinder courtyard or awnings around the front of the school as normal. Please do not park and leave your car alongside the kindergarten kerb on Murphy St, as this is the wet-weather pickup area.

Communication, Payments and Calendar

Good communication is the key to smooth relationships. We ask parents to set yourself up for the year on the following platforms. For more information refer to the Parent Information Note (PIN)  coming home next week. For support please speak to a staff member.

1. Calendar -  COMPASS or our school website https://sacredhps.act.edu.au/
2. COMPASS - app or online 
1. Helpful hint when logging in the first time: search for PEARCE rather than Sacred Heart
2. Ensure you have updated the App and your preferences to reflect the year level your children are in this year.
3. Email - Teachers can be contacted directly via their cg email or the COMPASS platform.
4. Qkr! App - Use Qkr! for all online payments, including Canteen and Merchant Feast. 
5. Our social media platform is Facebook  www.facebook.com/SHPSPearce and Instagram Sacredheart.pearce
6. Facebook ‘ Sacred Heart Parents and Carers’ Group - send a membership request to join our FB parent group. Group moderated by our Community Council. Used to share information and for you to ask questions about what’s going on.
7. Remember to visit our school website, especially the staff lists and the ‘for parents’ tab with the What to do if….? FAQ flowcharts.
8. Parent Reps - Each year level has an active parent rep who assists with communication between home and school. Information coming shortly.

Lunch clubs

Our school offers many extra-curricular opportunities for students to choose. Some are paid groups with specialist staff; others are free activities run by our talented teachers. 

Please refer to the list below for what is being offered during Term 1. You may wish to talk to your child about joining in. Clubs start in Week 2, unless otherwise stated. Please note chess is run by external companies and require enrolment and registration fees.

Monday

• Gardening with Mr  Sweeney. Free for children in Yrs 2-6. Meet Mr Sweeney near the hall doors at 11am

Tuesday

• Chess Lessons with Sydney Chess Academy. Please refer to the flyer further in the newsletter for the costs and enrolment process. Meet Jordan at 3 Red classroom at 11am. Chess starts 13 Feb (Week 3)
• Library is open. Children in Yrs K-6 can choose to spend their lunch playtime in the library reading, drawing and playing quiet games including lego. Come into the library via the Maker Space doors

Wednesday

• Ukulele with Mrs Riley. Free for children in Yrs3-6. Meet Mrs Riley at the music room at 11am.

Thursday

• Choir with Mrs Riley.  8.30-9.10am in the music room.  Full details for how to enrol in choir will be published next week. Choir will start Week 3.
• Typing Club and Library open with Mrs Morella. Bring your device to learn typing or spend a quiet time in the library reading and drawing. Come into the library via the Maker Space doors.

Friday

• Building Club and Library open with Mrs Iles. Children in Years 1-2 are invited to come build with our construction equipment. The library is also open for a quiet time reading, or drawing

Save the Date

1. NAPLAN - The annual NAPLAN tests will be held across Australia between 12-24 March. Information will be sent via COMPASS to families with children in Years 3 and 5 shortly. Here is the link to the NAPLAN website with Parent and Carer Information for general community reference. https://nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers
2. School Photos - Tuesday 20th May

Yours in working together

Kerry Wode

Compass Notifications

Please refer to Compass for the following notifications:

• Medication and Medical Plans
• MHoC 2025 Sacramental Programs
• ICT Agreements on Compass as an event

Hello from the Library,

Welcome to a new school year! I have included some useful information about the library.

• Book borrowing will commence in Week 2. To borrow, students require a library bag. Sacred Heart bags are available from the school clothing pool, but a calico bag or a material bag are sufficient.
• The annual Book Fair will be held in the library from March 4 to March 7 (Week 5). More information regarding the Book Fair will be sent home closer to the event.
• Regularly throughout the year, students will bring home the Scholastic Book Club magazine. If you wish to order, please complete the order form online. The books will be delivered to your child’s class when they arrive. Our school receives credit from each order to buy school resources, so it is a great opportunity to purchase high quality books and help the school at the same time.

Trish Iles

Thursday Recess Treats

Every Thursday for recess the canteen has a variety of sweet and savoury treats available for $1.00-$2.00 on Thursday recess only.

Volunteers

Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Tracey Kane via email .