Welcome back to Term 4. We are already well into Week 2 and it will be Christmas before we know it. This is going to be a very big term with lots happening and even more to get through. The students returned full of enthusiasm and energy, glad to be back in the routine of school. With the gradual easing of restrictions we are busy planning a range of different activities and events to make 2020 memorable for all the right reasons. Most notably will be the K-10 Athletics Carnival and the Kindergarten 2021 transition. We are very excited that these two events will be able to proceed, albeit with some restrictions still in place. The Athletics Carnival will be held this Friday at Albert Park for the entire school population. We have merged the two carnivals for the first time in a very long time to allow smoother running of the day and to help build community. Considering that there are to be no spectators allowed and no parent helpers we require all staff to assist in the running of the carnival. Our Infants students will join us for several hours throughout the day and will participate in the traditional activities along with the entire school. We are watching very closely the weather predictions as there is significant rain forecast for Friday and Saturday. Hopefully the rain will be delayed long enough for us to finish the carnival as we would prefer not to push it into the hotter weather of November. Unfortunately in line with the new restrictions we are not permitted to have spectators.

The Kinder transition program for our 2021 intake will proceed on the 5 November. This is an invaluable experience for our little students to make a successful transition to “Big School”. We look forward to new families beginning their Sacred Heart journey and others continuing their strong family connection. We hope to conduct two sessions with a possible third and we are as yet unsure whether we will be permitted to invite them (or anyone) to the annual Advent Liturgy.

As we race towards the end of the year there is a lot still to happen in the classroom. Our secondary students will begin their final assessment period in coming weeks culminating in the annual yearly exams for some subjects. We encourage them to be putting in place some excellent study habits as they prepare for the examinations. Continual revision and checking in with the teacher about areas where they are unsure or require clarification are excellent skills to hone. In the coming weeks exam schedules and revision tasks will come home to help them prepare successfully. Secondary students are always encouraged to make use of the study sessions on a Monday afternoon. Many teachers will make themselves available to help the students “study” for the final assessments.

At this stage we have postponed all overnight excursions until the new year. With all the necessary COVID protocols and procedures we have thought it best to wait until 2021 to conduct some of the bigger excursions. The Year 8 and 9 trips of 2020 will become the Year 9 and Year 10 trips for 2021. Any payments and fundraising will carry over into the new year. Stage 3 will be participating in a day trip to Narrandera’s Lake Talbot at the end of the year and more information will be coming home very soon.

Like many events this year, we have had to postpone Book Week celebrations. We will be conducting the Book Fair in coming weeks in a virtual form for parents and all orders are taken on line. The students will be permitted to peruse the Fair and make suggests to their parents as they have done in the past. This is far from ideal but is the best solution in COVID times. To allow the students the chance to celebrate all things books we will be conducting our own Book Week Parade on Friday 30 October. All students are permitted to come to school dressed in their favourite Book Week character. We do not encourage you to spend copious amount s of time preparing costumes or spending an inordinate amount of money, many characters can be sourced from home cupboards but you could always recycle past costumes amongst your friends. This has worked very successfully in the past. It is always a delightful day for the students and it places the importance of reading at the very centre of the child’s experience.

Last Friday was the culmination of the P & F’s fundraising effort for 2020. The 600 Club raffles was drawn by Mr Mooney in the presence of the school body, staff and Fr Lolesio. The lucky winner was Mr Bob Noble who was very surprised and gracious in accepting his $5000 windfall. He promptly donated some money back “to buy something for the kiddies”. Then there were the 5 draws for $20: Ron Loiterton Real Estate staff, Mark Hutchinson, Neil Murray,   We thank all the families who bought and sold tickets and to the P & F committee who doggedly sold tickets down the street to make in excess of $5000 for the school. These monies will be spent on additional resources for our students.

It is refreshing to note in these challenging times that what we now ask of our leaders is more about community and wellbeing than dollars and financial policy. This comment from Jacinda Ardern the returning PM for New Zealand in identifying that kindness is a true hallmark of a leader. Let’s hope that this mantra becomes the shared vision for all our leaders.

Remember if you have to choose between being extraordinary or kind…Be extraordinarily kind!