So much is happening every day at Sacred Heart and the year has begun in earnest. We have had an action-packed start to the school year and have already to kicked off some significant events for the school year.

Last Thursday we held our Annual Swimming Carnival. It was a huge success and full credit goes to our students for participating and supporting the day.  The students’ behaviour, efforts and positive attitude all day were appreciated. Thank you to Ms Withers and Ms Van Kerk Oerle for their outstanding organization. Congratulations to Mercy house for a very comprehensive win. Maybe NEXT YEAR will be the year of O’Shaughnessy. We now look to the Western Region next week 22 February where our Primary swimmers will compete against the other regional schools for a chance to progress to Dio level. We wish them every success.

We also celebrated our Opening School Mass where our 2024 Student Leaders were invested. It was a wonderful celebration of the promise and hope for the new school year and our two 2024 Captains – Lucy Paterson and Thomas Peacey - captured this with an excellent appreciation of the opportunities that this year will offer and the sentiment and message behind the 2024 school theme – Seek Respect. Be Kind. I have included their Opening Address because their wisdom and passion is a powerful testament to the calibre of our students and their determination to make an impact on those around them.

Every year, the students of year 10 are presented with the challenge of creating and deciding upon a theme for our school, that mirrors Sacred Heart’s values and creates a place where our aspirations can grow, where we can learn and work to become the best version of ourselves.

This year was our turn. Choosing a theme that represents what we stand for and strive to achieve is never an easy task. Fortunately, our school community is blessed with many individuals who have an understanding of what is required for us to succeed in academically, on the sporting field and in our everyday lives by the way we treat other people. Although Sacred Heart is small in size, our school is not limited in depth, creating numerous and varied opportunities for our staff, P & F, parish and students to all come together and share with each other. This results in a variety of outlooks into how we should all carry ourselves and others. 

‘Earn Respect, Be Kind.’ This is the theme for our Year 10 class of 2024. When we first began our journey in high school the name we chose to represent us as a cohort was Yindyamarra: respect, so it seems most appropriate that respect plays a significant role in our theme. Ever since our first day at Sacred Heart, kindness and the idea of treating others the way we wish to be treated has been instilled in us at all times and we have continued to practise kindness every day since then and will continue to for the rest of our lives. 

The theme can be used not only in our time at school, but in our everyday lives. It begins with learning how to earn respect through our actions. This could be, offering help and support to others, being polite and speaking up if someone around you isn”t being treated fairly. 

Together, respect and kindness go hand in hand when it comes to creating a positive place where reinforcing each other and building a community where everyone feels both safe and valued is prioritised. This combination deeply strengthens our relationships which in turn, fosters a sense of belonging, wellbeing, teamwork and trust. 

Respect is important because it creates trust. By trusting someone it creates a stronger connection. It allows someone to feel that their perspective is valued. It encourages open communication, honesty and loyalty. But overall respect creates both a positive and a supportive community, where students and teachers both feel recognised. 

As our high school years go on, we’ll be faced with more and more challenges and our wellbeing and strength of character will be tested. At times it will be stressful and often difficult to face, but being kind even when we find it hard to, is often the best medicine, not just for ourselves but whoever it is we’re being kind to. 

We hope that 2024 will be a year that is filled with many positive memories. Whether it be our education, our hobbies or anything we wish to achieve, we need to take every opportunity that comes our way. We’re all in for a long and busy year so it’s very easy to lose track of the person we really are and what we value. So if you ever stop and find yourself in that position, remember this….. ‘Earn Respect, Be Kind’. 

Thank you to Mrs Maxwell for her preparation of this important event and to Fr Lolesio for his spiritual guidance and leadership.

We also celebrated Ash Wednesday  to mark the beginning of Lent. Our Stage 2 cohort led the ministries of the Mass. Thank you to their teachers – Ms Van Kerk Oerle, Mr Niddrie, Mrs Smith and Mr Winsor for their support of our young leaders. We then shared a bowl of rice in recognition of the fact that many people across the world survive on the meagre intake of a single bowl of rice each day. There were many children who felt the effects of a small meal and were left hungry and looking for more. We are truly blessed to have the privilege of plentiful food and clean drinking water. The monies raised will help Mercy Works provide for disadvantaged communities worldwide.

Tuesday was a wonderful example of the wonderful community of Sacred Heart. We hosted three different Information Sessions for our parents in Infants, Primary and Year 7. We had so many parents and families that joined us after for a community gathering and BBQ. We were overwhelmed with how many people took time out of their busy schedules to listen to the wealth of information that our teachers presented and to spend time catching up with our community. Hopefully next year we will have even more people and even more food. Thank you to our dedicated and passionate teachers who were inspiring in their presentations about what they hope to achieve with all students and the innovative ways they are trying to meet the needs of every child in our classrooms. Please trust the expertise and determination of our teachers to provide the very best for your child and if you ever have any questions please make sure that you make contact with the classroom teacher or PCA.

This Tuesday night we will continue with the Information Sessions when our Year 10s gather at 5.30opm in the library for all the details around their final year at Sacred Heart. Their will be information presented regarding legal attendance expectations, NESA credentialling, ROSA requirements, career paths, Work Experience and Stage 6. Hennessy staff will join us in the latter parts of the presentation and will provide a BBQ for all Year 10 and any Coota families that currently attend Hennessy for Years 11 and 12.

Today will be the second instalment of the All Schools Beach Volleyball Carnival. Building on the success of last year we will host over 880 students from across the region to have a fun day on the sand. This is such a fabulous event and we hope that it will continue to promote all things good about Cootamundra and our school. Thank you to Mr Winsor, Ms Withers, Mrs Maxwell, Ms Van Kerk Oerle who have been behind the organisation of the day. We are also grateful to the Town Beach Volleyball committee for supporting this endeavour and allowing this event to proceed. Our committed P & F have also been very busy preparing to cater for the event and we are always looking for new parents to help out in any way to provide additional resources for our school. Please contact the Front Office if you would like to assist.

It is the end of another big week. I hope you all have a peaceful and restful weekend.

As we being this season of Lent in preparation for Easter consider what Pope Francis recommends as ways to fast this Lent.

God Bless

Ms Nicky Trinder

Principal

Parish Sacramental Program

Session 1: 8th February

Session 2: 15th February

Session 3: 22^nd February

Session 4: 29^th February

Session 5: 7th March

Twilight Retreat and First Reconciliation: 14^th March 3.30pm–7.00pm(shared supper)

Sacrament of First Eucharist Celebration: Saturday 16^th March (6 pm Mass)

Opening School Mass

Last Friday was a beautiful to start the year. Each class created varied and personal posters based around our liturgical theme. Our School captains Lucy Paterson and Thomas Peacey inspired us with their reflection on what we can do to Earn Respect, Be Kind.

Ash Wednesday: Rice Day

Thank you to all the families that supported Rice Day and Mercy Works. As a school community we raised $531.05.