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(03) 5421 1200
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This week’s prayer is the beautiful prayer of St Francis of Assisi and calls all to peace; tragically this call remains current and contemporary almost 800 years after his death.
Earlier this week, I was privileged to attend the second annual conference of Mercy Ministry Companions (MMC). This organisation has formal governance responsibilities for a number of ministries of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia and Papua New Guinea including Mercy Education, Mercy Health, Aged Care and Community Services. The conference included senior delegates from each of the organisations as well as a number of Sisters of Mercy. A highlight of the conference was an exploration of the five core values of MMC (which reflect the various values of the organisations it has responsibility for) by Sr Liz Dowling rsm:
- Compassion
- Respect
- Hospitality
- Justice
- Hope
Student and Staff Activities
Although this is the first newsletter for term four, the school has been abuzz with a large of number of events and activities, these include:
The Junior School Showcase (scheduled for tomorrow as I prepare this report on Wednesday) which brings together the work by Year 9 Expo students, Year 8 Make A Difference (MAD) students, as well as the personal learning profiles prepared by our Year 7 students. I wish each of them the best and look forward to seeing their work.
Next Tuesday sees the completion of thirteen years of compulsory education for our Year 12 cohort, with students commencing final preparations for VCAA examinations or starting life beyond school in employment or further education. The day is a full one with a final assembly, a number of year level events and Graduation Mass in Quambi in the evening.
Sacred Heart College remained a busy place during the recent school holidays with students undertaking Unit 3 & 4 VCAA subjects completing practice exams and a number of students and staff volunteering to run Camp Campaspe for local primary school aged children. Particular thanks to Mr Sam Weir for his leadership of this program.
Last Thursday night, I was privileged to join many others for the screening of the Year 12 Media Studies students’ 2023 films. This is the students’ major work as part of Media Studies and the very high quality on display is a testament to the efforts of the students, their families and Mr Ben Gallagher, the Year 12 Media Studies teacher.
Yesterday’s beautiful spring sunshine provided a perfect backdrop for a group of students and staff who worked diligently on a revegetation project adjacent to the Campaspe River. This project was made possible through a grant received from LandCare and includes removal of invasive weeds and the planting of native trees and grasses.
Yours in Mercy,
Dr Darren Egberts
Principal
Head of Senior School - Paul Matthews
The VCE students are less than two weeks away from the first written VCE examination. The English exam commences on Thursday 24 October which is the start of the written exam period, and continues until the French exam on Wednesday 15 November. Some of our students have already completed part of their examinations, these include Drama performances and Language Orals. We wish all students the very best and hope all of their hard work throughout the year is reflected in their Study Scores and ATAR. I would also like to thank all of the dedicated Unit 3-4 teachers, parents and carers who have supported our students throughout the year.
Year 10 and 11 (Unit 2 VCE subjects) are less than five weeks away from their Semester Two examinations, starting 13 November. These examinations provide students with opportunities to develop and refine their revision skills as they progress through the Senior School. It is important for all students who are preparing for the examinations to use their time effectively and develop a study timetable. This strategy will maximise the time available to them in the lead up to the examinations, especially over the five day Melbourne Cup break. Other useful revision strategies include the use of past examination questions, as explained in the article, Past exam papers: a useful study tool. There are a few other revision strategies in the article, Revise, revise, revise.
The remainder of Term 4 is a very busy time for our Senior students. There are a number of key dates and events taking place, such as the examinations and the Step-Up program for 2024. All Year 10 and 11 students will receive an End of Year Arrangements booklet to support them over the coming weeks.
VCE Coordinator - Jodie Wattie
With Exams just around the corner for students in all Year Levels, here is a great article from Andrew Fuller with some useful tips and helpful thinking ideas. It’s a great opportunity to talk to your students about how they feel about the exams coming up, explaining that it is completely normal to feel stressed, and this is your bodies way of getting ready. Talk to your students about the best way for them study, maybe make a plan for the fridge!
Enjoy the article and encourage your students to seek regular help from their teachers in the lead up to exams.
A special ‘Good luck’ to all of our students completing external exams for their Unit 3/4 subjects over the next few weeks.
Campion code for Sacred Heart College is: 74F4
If your child is studying VCE English Units 3 and 4 in 2024 they require a text for Step Up in November.
The (Extra) Early Orders Booklist is called Early English VCE Units 3 & 4, on Campion. This text will be used during Step Up so orders need to be completed by Thursday 2 November. Books will be delivered to the school on Friday 17 November.
All other booklists are in process and will be published as soon as possible.
At Sacred Heart College, we value the partnerships formed between families, the College and Community. Our intention is to support parents/carers/guardians while raising awareness of the benefits of engaging in their child’s education. Studies have shown that a family’s engagement has a direct, positive impact on a child’s learning success.
The aim of the Sacred Heart College’s Parent Engagement Partnership is to strengthen the collaboration between school, families and the broader community, by providing Professional Learning through quality presenters on a variety of current educational topics. These opportunities can provide parents with knowledge, strategies and skills to support their child.
Parent Engagement is one of the best strategies to create a positive learning environment for all students, where home and school come together as a team. When families are engaged in their children’s school lives, students have the home support they need to develop a lifelong love of learning.
As a result, we believe that this partnership can create a more effective network of support for our students, harnessing the full capacity of the community to support student learning and enhance student outcomes in all facets of their lives.
We’re excited to announce that Sacred Heart College Kyneton is one of 123 childcare centres, schools, Scouts and Girl Guides groups, and youth groups to receive a 2023 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant.
Delivered through Landcare Australia’s Junior Landcare program, and funded by the Victorian Government, the grants provide young people with the opportunity to engage in outdoor, hands-on biodiversity focused projects or learning activities that encourage them to value and actively care for Victoria’s biodiversity and natural environment.
We are using the $4900 grant for our Campaspe River revegetation project.
Our school backs on to the Campaspe River and for many years we have been working to remove weeds and restore some form of indigenous riparian strip. There have been several efforts at spraying, cutting and grooming of woody weeds, followed by several rounds of plantings and follow up weed control to reduce competition from invasive introduced species. We are now ready to do another round of weed control, replanting, nest box placement and follow up weed control to reduce competition for new plantings.
There are several educational outcomes that we would expect from the project. Firstly, the students are learning about the planning process for a revegetation project, and then about the grants application process. Throughout the revegetation project the students will learn how to identify invasive species and how best to control them. They will also learn about riparian species indigenous to the area. They will then have the hands-on experience of sight prep, planting and maintenance. Finally, they will be involved in a program that is clearly improving the local environment and actively working to reduce the human impact of climate change.
On Wednesday 11 October, Brendan and Paul from Campaspe River and Land Management Group, aided Sacred Heart College students and staff in the planting along the Campaspe River. Brendan also provided materials for the planting and donated several Australian Anchor plants (Discaria pubescens), that are listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act and are rare in Victoria.
Year 11 and 12 Environmental Studies students were involved in planting across the morning as part of this revegetation project. The College will oversee ongoing maintenance and weed control with an aim of reducing competition from introduced species, and the students will monitor the success of the planting in the months ahead.
The Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants are funded by the Victorian Government through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. They contribute to the targets of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037, the Victorian Government’s plan to stop the decline of our native plants and animals and improve our natural environment.
The 2023 first round of the Sacred Heart College Junior Chef Competition was held recently, involving students in Grade 4 representing six Catholic Primary Schools from the region. Held in the College’s Frayne Hospitality Centre, the primary students were challenged to prepare a stack of three pancakes with a mixed berry sauce.
The Junior Chef competition aims to provide Grade 4 students with an opportunity to experience the secondary environment, while building on their culinary and teamwork skills. This competition also provided an opportunity for the VET Hospitality students at Sacred Heart College to act as mentors to these primary students. The primary schools used their own methods for selecting the students for their teams, some asking them to provide a written application on why they would like to be involved, with others challenging students to a pancake cook-off to secure their place. The event, which was first held in 2018, continues to grow in popularity, and schools regularly have large numbers of students eager to be involved.
“It was fantastic to see the young people so excited and engaged in cooking. They all worked extremely well in their teams and had obviously practised their recipes several times in advance,” said Head of Junior School, Haley Galloway.
The teams will participate in the final to select the winning team on 24 October where they will be challenged to make home made fettucine pasta. The winning school will receive a $250 gift voucher from the Riddell's Creek Nursery to allow them to purchase plants for the school’s kitchen garden.
All at Sacred Heart College hope that this experience will be the start of an interest in cooking for the students involved for years to come.
Sacred Heart College 11 Theatre Studies presents ‘Where in the World is Frank Sparrow?’, by Angela Betzien.
‘Where in the World is Frank Sparrow’ weaves a stark urban reality with the mythic underworld, where young Frank Sparrow must endure dangers and trials, overcome weakness, find love and face death.
A uniquely modern legend, this stage show propels its audience through the dangerous streets of Stab City, into a dark underworld of change and transformation.
It will be staged at the Mary Moloney Theatre, Sacred Heart College, Kyneton - Thursday 19 October 2023 and Friday 20 October 2023, 7:00 - 8:30pm.
Bookings via www.trybooking.com/CMFPF
Debutante Ball 2024 Information
Parents and Students are reminded that the Debutante Ball is only open to current SHC students.
Dress: Debutantes must wear a long white dress with elbow length white gloves. Select a style that suits the occasion. Low cut styles would be considered inappropriate. Strapless dresses are no longer allowed to be worn at the Debutante Ball. When selecting a dress design, and shoes, please ensure that the wearer can move and dance comfortably.
Information is now available for the 2024 Year 11 Debutante Ball
click here
Recently our Year 10 students participated in their Work Experience Program. Undertaking a work placement helps students gain an understanding of a professional work environment, an opportunity to explore career options, increase self-confidence and independence, with opportunities to develop work-related competencies and newly acquired skills.
It was lovely to hear student feedback and reflections about their experience;
“It has assisted my career journey with showing me another pathway into the industry I would like to get into.” (Harry)
“It helped me ask questions about how universities work, and what the people presenting to us were working on. I also learnt new skills about using technology.” (Alice)
“Being able to experience the life of a veterinarian and veterinary nurse.” (Molly)
“It gave me a view into a workplace and how it functions.” (Nash)
Patrick Leathem attended Midland News in Castlemaine for his Work Experience, and the article he wrote was published in the newspaper. They also made the following comment about Patrick!
"Patrick has been a pleasure to work with and we hope he has enjoyed the experience".
Here we are, at the business end of what has been a wonderfully full year of Music at Sacred Heart!
Our VCE Music students have started their Performance Examinations (where a 20-minute performance accounts for 50% of their entire study score); our Year 11s are busily prepping for performance and written exams; our Year 10s are rehearsing incredibly hard for a major recital event, and our Year 7 & 8 students are all set to sit a Music theory test before launching into making a racket, playing their instruments!
We have a number of imminent events in store, starting with our Instrumental Music Recital Evening, next Wednesday evening (18 October). All students who learn an instrument will be performing in front of a very safe and supportive audience. The event starts at 7pm, and will take place in the following three venues:
- CHAPEL – students of Mrs Helen Duggan, Ms Sarah Gill, Ms Sue Morris and Mr Henry Vyhnal
- MUSIC CLASSROOM – Mr Tim Allan, Mr Andrew Rousch and Mr Mark Roberts
- MARY MOLONEY THEATRE - Mr Adam Orlando, Mrs Anna Clarke and Miss Lizzie Dynon
I would also ask that parents diarise our Music Leaders’ Concert, which will start at 7pm on Thursday 2 November.
Applications are now open for students to apply for the 2024 Music Scholarships. This is open to all students studying at Sacred Heart in 2024, and all musicians are encouraged to apply. Applications are completed online at https://tinyurl.com/SHCmusicscholarship2024. Please note that applications for scholarships close on Thursday 19 October, 2023. No late entries will be accepted.
We are also accepting enrolments for the Instrumental Music Program in 2024. If you would like to apply, please do so online at https://tinyurl.com/shcmusic2024. Please note that all students currently enrolled to learn an instrument are required to have a parent/guardian re-enrol them for next year through this link.
I also warmly invite all members of the community to a FOMP (Friends Of the Music Program) Meeting at 7pm on Monday evening
16 October, where we will discuss how best to support the Music department through assisting with logistics of the upcoming events. New members are always very welcome!
Drama Performance Exams
Term 4 has started off with a bang in the Arts at Sacred Heart. This year performance exams were held at the start of term which featured music and drama students, all presenting work to be assessed by external examiners. The Year 12 Music class is attending a range of venues over the next few weeks, with exams in voice, guitar, and drums.
The Year 12 Drama class travelled to Bendigo on the first day of term, for their Drama Exam. As part of this, the students presented a seven minute ‘solo performance’ which they had researched, written and devised over the last four months. It’s a stressful experience, creating and presenting your own work and the students did a fantastic job.
Huge thanks to Ms Haley Galloway and pre-service teacher, Ms Neneh Hutson, who came on the day and supported the students with last-minute rehearsals and feedback. The Year 12 Media Film Festival was also on last week in the Mary Moloney Theatre at Sacred Heart, where students presented their Year 12 Media School Assessed Task, a short film that the students had written, directed and filmed, which was the result of nearly six months work.
Media Film Festival
It was a packed house last week for the Year 12 Media Film Festival, as family, friends and actors all came to congratulate the students on their fantastic work.
Below are some comments from members of the class about the process they went through to create their film:
"Having to film a video throughout Year 12 for Media was a difficult and scary proposition to begin with, but the class was so engaging and comforting, it really helped in the process of creating the films. It’s interesting to look back at the end of it and see everyone’s personality and interests come through in their own films, too." Kiera Jacks
"It was a challenge to find the time to constantly adapt and work on my film with the workload. But I thoroughly enjoyed creating a creative piece of work and my final product was something I was very proud of." Dana Murray
"A challenge for me was filming and acting in my film at the same time, as it restricted the camera movements that I was able to do. With the support of my family and classmates, I was able to get help with shooting and produce a film that I am really proud of and allowed me to creatively express myself." Amelia MacDonald
"The biggest excitement of the year in Media was being able to talk to and get feedback from a class of all different creative minds. I always felt the class was pushing me to improve and create new things. I struggled with the editing process, so it was amazing to get new ideas from all the people around me and ultimately learn how to express my ideas in a project I am proud of." Charlotte Godsmark
"The production of my media product was a consuming process that was rewarding. It was a difficult process to go through, due to the learning process undertaken on the way, but the enjoyment of seeing my vision come together from a script to final visuals made the experience feel so amazing." Noah Morris
"I enjoyed the overall production and filming process of my film, as I was able to get ‘out and about’ in a field that I have a lot of interest in. I loved hearing the day to day life of what it is like working in the conservation industry around Barwon Heads. A struggle I encountered, throughout the filming, was large restrictions on what I was able to film, I had to cut out multiple shots including Drone shots, aerial shots and mounted moving shots." Taylor Cole
VCE Art Exhibition
Finally, this week we launch the Sacred Heart VCE Art Exhibition at the Kyneton Auction House.
The 2023 Exhibition, ‘Art From the Edge’, features a range of student works from Year 11 and 12 Art: Creative Practice and Year 11 and 12 Visual Communication and Design.
Students in Art and VCD studied the role of artists and designers in society and developed their individual ‘art practice’ and design skills, communicating ideas using a range of techniques and ultimately developing a folio of works, many of which are in this exhibition.
We’ve called our exhibition ‘Art From the Edge’, as artists and designers often sit at the edge of society, but we rely on them to speak truth about the way our society works, and in the process, hold up a mirror to ourselves.
It’s really been a privilege to see what our talented students can create, so we encourage everyone to come and see their
amazing work at the exhibition, which runs for three weeks.
Huge thanks to Dr Lynda McCord, Ms Kirsten Gibson and Mrs Anne Berend for their amazing efforts, to get our students to this stage!
Chickenpox
There is a suspected case of chickenpox within the College.
Chickenpox (varicella) is a highly contagious viral disease, with the main symptoms being a blistering skin rash, low-grade fever, general discomfort and fatigue. As chickenpox is contagious, the College is taking every precaution to prevent further spread of the virus. If your child is unwell and/or has any of the symptoms listed above, please don’t send them to school. Seek medical attention. If any student at the College is unwell and or is found to have any chickenpox symptoms, they will be isolated and parents/emergency contacts will be called to collect the student. If chickenpox has been diagnosed.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Health Centre Coordinator, Jalna Holmes, at the College on 5421 1200
