Dear Parents/Carers

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all families, staff, and students for their positive contributions during the 2024 year. A supportive partnership between home and school is imperative to working together as a community, and it has been positive to observe the excitement as we progress toward the end-of-year celebrations.

Over the last few weeks, our 3-6 classes have attended overnight camps and a long-day excursion. Although the weather was interesting, the spirits were high. I was fortunate enough to attend the 3/4-day excursion, and it was a fantastic time to connect with students away from the classroom, enjoying the many activities, challenges, and teamwork opportunities together.

As reports are distributed via our COMPASS portal this Friday, it is important to check and connect if you are having difficulties accessing them. Please see our Administration team if you have any difficulties. School reports are a chance to celebrate progress, reflect on growth, and plan for future success. Here’s how to positively support children during this important time:

• Start by acknowledging their hard work and highlighting areas where they’ve excelled to build confidence. Praise their effort and dedication, not just their grades. When discussing areas for improvement, frame them as opportunities for growth and help your child set specific, achievable goals for the following year.
• Encourage reflection by asking questions like, ‘What are you most proud of?’ or ‘What do you want to work on?”’ This can foster ownership and help them think critically about their progress.
• Offer emotional support by staying positive and recognising their feelings. Reassure them that their worth isn’t tied to grades and that challenges are part of the learning process.

‘What we focus on grows.’

A special farewell goes to the staff members leaving us this year. Your dedication to nurturing and guiding our students has been a blessing, and you will always remain a cherished part of our school family. We pray for God’s guidance and abundant blessings in your future endeavours. This year we say farewell to Mrs Sue Linhart she will be moving further West with her family, and joining St Peter Chanel in Smithton, we thank her for her positive contributions and wish her well on her new adventures. Miss Michelle Waldhauser will be leaving Sacred Heart after seventeen years and we thank her for her contributions to our community over the many years, we wish her well on her new adventures. Mrs Ebony O’Keeffe will take Maternal Leave in 2025, and we look forward to welcoming her baby to our Sacred Heart family. Mrs Rachel Donnelly will join St Brigid’s in Wynyard for 2025 to pursue her leadership pathways; we wish her a wonderful year. We wish Miss Kayla Frankcombe the best in her new position and thank her for her contributions. I thank Mrs Bloom for her support and contributions this year and wish her an exciting 2025 welcoming her new baby. I want to thank Mr Paul Kenny for his positive contributions to Music and for filling in for terms three and terms four in 2024.

To all our students and families, thank you for your support and commitment to living out our Catholic values daily. May you enjoy a peaceful and joyful Christmas filled with the hope and love that the birth of Jesus brings.

I wish everyone a safe and blessed holiday season. We look forward to welcoming all students back on Friday, February 7th, 2025, refreshed and ready for a new year of growth and learning.

Yours in partnership

Charlene Best

Principal

Our 5/6 and 3/4 students had an overnight camp and long day excursion at Camp Banksia and Camp Clayton in Week 7. Despite the weather, students thoroughly enjoyed participating in the activities provided. Students showed outstanding teamwork and courage during their time there.

Congratulations to this week's Heart Reward recipients:-

• Coen S
• Harley M
• Ingrid A
• Archie S
• Mackenzie W
• Elsie
• Tullavar F
• Harry S
• Cooper W
• Scout B

As a reward for their kind gestures, these students were invited to an afternoon surprise with Mrs Best and Ms Richards.

Thank you to our wonderful school community for supporting our Family Christmas Concert, it was an amazing night and the students sang so beautifully.

Students and families can join the Big Summer Read at Libraries Tasmania for the chance to win prizes and be part of a statewide reading club. The Big Summer Read is a reading initiative that makes reading over the summerholidays fun and engaging. Students can participate in reading challenges, add book reviews and track reading progress as they aim to read at least 10 books for achance to win a major prize.
The Big Summer Read ends on 2 February 2025.

Visit https://libraries.tas.gov.au/BigSummerRead to register and join the Big Summer Read.

Please keep yourself updated with current Catholic Education Tasmania Guidelines and Policies via this link.