From the Principal
I have had many opportunities over the past week to type 2020! Already we are deep in the planning for the next year and 2020 seems to have come around very quickly. Next week will be the first session for the prospective Kindergarten cohort of 2020. Enrolled and interested parents are invited to a short presentation and tour of our wonderful Infants facilities. We will meet in the library at 12noon on 27 June and then move down to watch our Infants students in action. If you know of anyone who is considering enrolment next year please let us know, so that we can make sure they are invited and have an opportunity to learn about our marvellous school.
In the following week we will also be conducting a taster afternoon for the students of Year 7 2020. On Monday 1 July at 4pm we invite all current Year 6 students and their parents to meet the staff and to walk through our facilities in secondary. We hope to welcome some new enrolments, so again, if you know of anyone who is considering Sacred Heart for their secondary education then please contact the front office.
Fr Joshy
Last week there was an announcement that Fr Joshy Kurien has been appointed to serve in the Goulburn parish from September of this year. Fr Joshy has been an important part of our community since 2014 and we are grateful for the wisdom, service and care he has given to our school community. At this stage we have not been appointed a replacement priest and we pray that someone will be assigned to the Cootamundra/Harden Parish to fill Fr Joshy’s shoes! Stay tuned for farewell details!
Uniform
As the temperature has plummeted our uniform has morphed into some slightly different variations. We are very proud of our uniform and the esteem with which it is held in the wider community. Like any uniform, by its very definition, it is about consistency. Additional layers underneath the uniform are definitely permissible, as we don’t want our students shivering with the cold. However, the additional layers must not be visible above, below or over the uniform. This includes hoodies, flannies or even different coloured jackets. We have a beautiful coat that is incredibly serviceable and warm, that has been adopted by the bulk of the students and staff. It is affordable and looks very impressive as part of our winter uniform. Black socks that cannot be seen are not going to be challenged unless the student removes their tracksuit pants. So too, scarves need to be navy in colour. We also have a tendency for some students to consistently wear sports uniform rather than the correct school uniform on all days of the week. Unless there is a legitimate reason (and I have had a few) then students must be in the correct uniform at all times.
CONFIRMATION 2019
Last Saturday’s Confirmation mass was a beautiful acknowledgement of our students’ commitment to their faith. Fr Percy was engaging and warm in his conferring of the Sacrament. We again thank Mr O’Brien, Sr Kathy and the sacramental team for all their efforts in preparing our candidates.
Mock Trial
On Friday our Mock Trial team conducted themselves with distinction when they competed against the Scots All Saints team from Bathurst. The solicitor who presided over our trial was one of our very own alumni – Mr David Miller (the class of 1983). David travelled all the way from Sydney to be our adjudicator and he shared his wisdom and knowledge in a very collegial and supportive manner. He also told the story of the Susan Kiefel who is the incumbent Chief Justice of Australia. From humble beginnings as a secretary in a legal firm she was encouraged to study law despite only having secretarial qualifications. She went on to study at Cambridge and now serves in one of the highest legal positions in Australia. He encouraged our students to rise to all the challenges and to push themselves to see what they could achieve. This is excellent advice for many of our Year 10 students on the cusp of leaving our school.
SEMESTER REPORTS
Teachers are feverishly completing assessments and marking to compile the semester reports to be sent home in the final week. As has been instructed in previous emails this term, there will be no comments attached to the reports this time but we are striving to provide better and more useful feedback in a variety of forms. Attached to this newsletter is a copy of the Engagement with Learning criteria which will constitute the attitude and effort component of our report. This should help you to understand the reasons behind the grading system and to help students identify positive, effective and beneficial habits to develop to support their education. It is always in the parents’ interests to ask students for their assessment feedback and to read the detailed and comprehensive feedback on their learning at that particular point in time. There are always opportunities for feedback and we are working to provide you with an accurate picture of ‘where your child is going in their learning’, ‘where they are now and ‘what are their next steps’ to progress their learning. A reminder that the parent/teacher/student interviews will be held in week1 and 2 of Term 3. So we encourage you to come along and bring your child’s report.
The days are getting shorter as we nudge towards the winter equinox but we are still enjoying delightful winter’s days. Take care and be kind!
God Bless
Mrs Nicky Trinder
Principal
