2020 School Term Dates

Staffing Update

Mr Matthew O ’Dwyer’s late appointment to a new position has meant some slight staffing changes for 2020.
• We congratulate Mrs Katie Imbriano on her appointment to the position of Religious Education Coordinator at Sacred Heart Primary School for 2020.
• Mrs Amy Kelly will be teaching with Katie on 5/6W.
• We congratulate Mr Aaron Fox who will take on the Curriculum Coordinator position.
• We welcome Mrs Vanessa Miller to staff. Vanessa will be teaching Kindergarten Red.

School Communication Methods

Communication and Using SZapp

Our main form of communication with parents is via the ‘SZapp’ app and email. This will be particularly significant in this current bushfire and emergency season. We ask that all parents have the SZapp smart phone app installed and notify the school of any updated contact details ASAP.
a) We have recently improved the privacy settings on SZapp by adding an access code. Approach a member of staff to ask for the code. Please share this code individually with other parents and guardians. For security reasons we will not be publishing this code in any newsletter or online site.
b) Please check your ‘Manage tab’ to ensure you are subscribed to your child’s 2020 stage group.

Facebook Pages

The school community have two facebook pages that you can follow to see what is happening within our school and community.

• Sacred Heart Primary School
• Sacred Heart Parents and Carers

Sport’s Uniform Days

Your child should wear their sport’s uniform on the following days:

Kinder Wednesday and Friday
Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) Wednesday and Friday
Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) Tuesday and Thursday
Stage 3 (years 5 & 6) Tuesday and Thursday

Book Club

Scholastic Book Club orders are due Friday 14th February. 

Before School drop-off and the Afternoon pick-up Procedures

We wish to remind all parents and carers who do the before school drop-off and the after school pick–up of our procedures. These directives are for the wellbeing of all our students and ensure that students are supervised by a teacher on duty at all times.

Morning Arrival

Students can be dropped off at Drive-Through or Murphy St from 8.30am when a teacher starts duty. No child should be on the premises before this time as there is no teacher on duty and thus your child is unsupervised. If you need care before 8.30am, please book your child in to our before-school service with YMCA.

Afternoon Pick-Up Procedures 

Pick up: Parking is available in the main school carpark, below the bus bay on Murphy St or in adjacent streets. Please do not use the church carpark.

We ask that all parents and carers do not enter the building to wait beside individual classrooms. Instead, please wait at these nominated locations and ask your child to come to you:

• Kinder Courtyard. Teacher on duty.
• Maker Space inside the building between canteen and library. All parents and carers must only enter the building via the front door. No teacher on duty.
• Outside Stage 3 Corridor exit door. No teacher on duty.
• Near the main hall doors. Children exit via the Stage 3 Corridor door. Teacher nearby at Drive-Through.
• If parents and carers need to visit the classroom to see the teacher or to pick up items, please make your way into the building, once the majority of students have cleared the corridor.
• Please teach your child to see the teacher on duty (Kinder Courtyard and Drive-Through) or the front office staff if ever they cannot find the person who is picking them up.
• No child should be walking up to the church carpark or down to Beasley Street. They should be with the teacher at Drive-Through.

Drive-Through: Cars come down Hodgson Crescent, turn left into school driveway, queuing around the top near the hall.  Teacher(s) on duty will direct you to pick-up or waiting bays and send your children to you. Cars must then exit the carpark and turn left onto Hodgson Cres, being careful at the pedestrian crossing.

Children going to Drive-Through, exit via the Stage 3 Corridor door and wait quietly on the yellow cross or under the trees near the lower hall doors, with the teacher on duty.

Bus: Limited buses arrive at Hodgson Cres. Children meet the teacher on duty in the Kinder courtyard, and will walk up to Hodgson Cres with the walkers.

YMCA ASC: Children exit via the Stage 3 Corridor door and enter the back hall doors to greet YMCA staff. Kinder and Yr 1 children will be met by YMCA staff at their classroom as arranged.

Walk/ride: Children can walk or ride to cross streets with a teacher on duty. Beasley St and Hodgson Cres (meet at canteen/bike cage), or Murphy St and Hodgson Cres (meet in Kinder Courtyard).

Teachers are on duty until 3.30pm at Drive-Through and in the Kinder Courtyard. Children not picked up in these areas by these times will be taken to the Front Office and a phone call made.

Safety: We would also like to remind all Parents and Carers that students need to stay by your side once they have been collected by you and remain in your duty of care. In no instance should a student be playing on any school equipment while the teacher is on duty.

Parking Fines

We have been advised by a parent that a parking fine was issued last week for "parallel park close to dividing line/strip". There is a solid white line where Murphy Street and McNeil Place intersect.  Please be aware that this area is monitored by ACT Govt parking vehicles and you may be issued with an infringement notice.

Community Council Connections

Welcome back families and friends as we start our 50th anniversary year for Sacred Heart Primary School. 

1. New to the school? Join our two social media channels on Facebook. School postings can be found on the public Facebook group and are streamed to the school website, while parents and carers can ask and share information in our private group. Sacred Heart primary School | Sacred Heart Parents and Carers
2. A reminder our Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the Community Council will be held on Tuesday 18 Feb (week 3) at 6pm in the Italian room. The Community Council is designed to support the running of the school and endorse the school strategy. We work closely with the school executive team to help create the best environment to nurture children to learn and play. The AGM is a chance for you to understand and contribute to the running of our school. All welcome, especially new families from kinder to year 6. At the AGM you can nominate to be part of the Community Council Executive, come along to find out more or ask the front office for more information. 
3. Being our 50th anniversary, we have many celebrations planned for the year, led by Selena and Natasha Lanzetta's mum Josie. Josie is meeting with the sub-committee next week to plan activities to mark a memorable year for our school, with plenty of opportunities for the wider community to participate and be involved. 

If you see a new face at drop off or pick up, make sure you smile and extend a warm welcome. We have a fantastic community and we will continue to see it grow in 2020.

Sarah Lloyd

SHPS Community Council Chair

Religious Education

“Refresh my heart in Christ” – Philemon 1:20b

Welcome back to school for 2020

I hope all our families have had an opportunity for some rest and the chance to reflect on the joy and peace of the Christmas season.

This year we celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of Sacred Heart Primary School. The staff recently participated in a Spirituality Day exploring how the heart relates to 'living in communion', the history of the school and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. With Mary Help of Christians Parish, we as a community wish to embrace this wonderful milestone of the school and the special place Jesus has in our lives.

Please note the enrolment dates for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Colleen Jamieson is the Sacramental Admin Assistant for Mary Help of Christians Parish wodensouth.sacraments@cg.org.au.  Please visit mhoc@org.au for more details.

Important Dates for Term 1

14 Feb- Opening School Mass 9.30am

18 Feb – Enrolment open for First Holy Communion (Year 4)

26 Feb – Ash Wednesday 7.30am, 9.30am (School Mass) and 6pm Masses

4 March – First Holy Communion (FHC) Parent Formation Night 7pm (Sacred Heart Church)

7/8 March – FHC Presentation Masses

11 March – FHC Session 1 (Sacred Heart Church 7pm)

18 March – FHC Session 2

20 March- Harmony Day School Celebration

25 March – FHC Session 3

31 March – Enrolment open for Confirmation (Year 6)

1 April – FHC Session 4 and practice

4 April – First Holy Communion Mass 6pm (Palm Sunday)

5 April – First Holy Communion Mass 10am (Palm Sunday)

9April – Holy Week Liturgies, Holy Thursday 7pm Lord’s Supper

10 April – Good Friday 3pm Passion of our Lord

11 April – Easter Vigil 7pm

12 April – The Resurrection of the Lord, Easter Sunday 8.30am, 10am

SACRED HEART 50TH ANNIVERSARY

There will be a  5oth Annirversary Committe meeting on Monday 10th February, 7pm in the Italian room at Sacred Heart.

Please note that the email has changed for the 50th Annirversary Committe:

sacredheart50th@gmail.com

Working With Vulnerable People Card

The Working With Vulnerable People Act requires those who work or volunteer with vulnerable people to have a background check and be registered.

The Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (the WWVP Act) commenced on 8 November 2012. It aims to reduce the risk of harm or neglect to vulnerable people in the ACT.

Here is the link to apply or renew a WWVP Card:

https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/1804/~/working-with-vulnerable-people-%28wwvp%29-registration

 School Counsellor

Dear Parents and Carers,

My name is Kate Dean and I am a Student and Family Counsellor with CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn and I am excited to be working at Sacred Heart once again in 2020. I will be at the school every Thursday this year.

My role is to support the emotional and social wellbeing of students and their families. As a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers I offer a professional service and I provide a safe space to talk about any issues your child is experiencing. Please feel free to contact me through the school office if you have any concerns for your child, or you can speak with your child’s teacher and they can refer you to me. You will need to fill out a referral form and I will make contact with you when I am next at Sacred Heart.

It has been a tough summer break this year with bush fires, smoke and high temperatures. I have included a few links to support you with helping your child through this time.

https://www.psychology.org.au/getmedia/9cd44a11-cdcd-41e6-bd13-70a704716b54/Helping-children-affected-bushfires.pdf

https://www.psychology.org.au/getmedia/5c0d043b-11b4-467e-be7c-f56743b366b0/Preparing-children-for-the-threat-of-bushfires.pdf

http://earlytraumagrief.anu.edu.au/files/Preparing_children_for_the_threat_of_bushfire_ACATLGN_APS.pdf

https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/10-ways-to-support-your-child-during-the-bushfire-season/

It’s also really important to look after yourselves as well. These resources may be useful if you are needing further support.

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/ptsd-trauma/coping-with-bushfires

https://www.96three.com.au/bushfire-trauma-12-expert-tips-for-helping-someone-whos-struggling-to-cope/

If you find you are still struggling or concerned about your child then I’d be happy to have a chat with you.

Kind regards,

Kate Dean
Student and Family Counsellor
CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn

Community Rewards Program

Dear Parents and Carers,

Sacred Heart Primary School has recently been added to the Community Rewards Program with the Canberra Southern Cross Club. For every CSCC member associated with Sacred Heart Primary School on their membership, the school will receive rewards for every dollar spent on covered activities. For example, the club will donate 7.5% of the value from every meal purchased to the school! This is a great fundraiser to help us improve our facilities and resources at the school.

The CSCC is the venue where we hold our Year 6 graduation every year, and in 2020 will be hosting our 50^th Year celebrations.

Below is the sign up link created for Sacred Heart Primary School. This is a quick way for CSCC members to join the program.  https://csccmarketing.wufoo.com/forms/zxluvjx0lixq75/

There is also a sign up form available at the front office if you would like to register that way.

How it works:

Once a member has registered to support a Community Rewards Group, every time the member spend money on food and/or beverages at the Canberra Southern Cross Club’s Woden, Tuggeranong, Jamison and Yacht Club venues, 7.5% of the spend will be donated to the group of their choice.

EXCLUDED PURCHASES

Purchases made on functions, in function rooms, on our boat (MV Southern Cross), at Snapper and invoiced purchases are not included within the Community Rewards Program. If the supporting member’s membership card is not provided and swiped at the time of purchase, the purchase cannot be included in calculating the supported group’s rewards.

NOTE FOR MEMBERS

The Community Rewards Program works alongside the Canberra Southern Cross Club’s Members Pricing. Members are entitled to both the discounted members pricing while also giving 7.5% to their preferred community group through the Community Rewards Program. The 7.5% is calculated on the discounted invoice after Members Pricing is applied.

Here are what some schools have earned so far.

Private Piano Tuition for 2020

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
• Mr Michael Dooley Phone: 0424987337

Congratulations to the following students celebrating their Birthday 

Elliot A, Tatenda K, Rachel W, Matilda W, Michael K, Kamaljot K, Riley W, Scarlett M, Samantha L.