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This week’s reflection comes from today’s End of Year Mass celebrated for all Year 7 – 11 students and staff. It heralds the joy of Christmas that is coming shortly and recognises the current season of Advent, a time of waiting and preparation. It was a pleasure to have Fr John and Fr Wahid as our celebrants and congratulations to the students and staff who contributed to the mass as readers, musicians, singers and other roles.
A special welcome to Fr John Healy as one of the Sacred Heart College Chaplains following his appointment as parish priest of Woodend, Lancefield and Romsey.
As the last day of the 2024 school year for students, today provided an opportunity for students to celebrate the year that they have enjoyed, the friendships that have been consolidated and the academic and emotional growth that each has made. I would like to thank every member of the Sacred Heart College community – students, parents, staff, families and friends – for the support you have shown the school throughout the year.
Year 7 – 9 End of Year Awards
The school year concluded with Year 7 – 9 students together with many parents, family members and friends for the presentation of our End of Year Awards. These awards included Dux and Dux Proximus for each year level, subject level awards as well as a series of special awards recognising public speaking, citizenship, music and the College core values. The full list of student recipients is included later in this newsletter.
Year 9 Graduation
Congratulations to our Year 9 cohort who celebrated the end of the school year with a special assembly and presentation representing their graduation from Sacred Heart’s Junior School into Senior School next year. Special thanks to Matt Carroll, Head of Junior School and those students who assisted in putting this excellent event together. And especially to the Year 9 students and staff who managed their third consecutive event in an oppressively warm Quambi stadium.
Duke of Edinburgh Awards
Congratulations to the seven Year Nine students who have recently qualified for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. This significant achievement reflects a long period of effort across the various domains with the Duke of Edinburgh program. Of particular note are the many hours of community service required (mostly completed at the Kyneton Community House) as well as the daunting outdoor education components. Well done to the following students:
Lucas Davis
Lachlan Goodes
Kurt Shiner
Edmond Walsh
Lachlan Paag
Riley Alford
William (Liam) Conaglen
Farewell Debra McNaughton
Next Friday, the College will farewell Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching, Ms Debra McNaughton after almost forty years of teaching across a series of Victorian Catholic secondary schools. Debra is an extraordinary teacher and exemplary educational leadership to each community she is a part of. After more than twenty years at Padua College on the Mornington Penisula, Debra spent a number of years at St Patrick’s College Ballarat before nine years at Sacred Heart. Aside from her achievements as Deputy Principal, Debra has been a hugely significant contributor to Humanities education in Victoria and particularly VCE Business Management as author of the main text-book and, for many years, in various roles in VCAA’s Business Management team. Debra is looking forward to her retirement in the Central Highlands and more time with her husband, John and her beloved Samoyeds.
Staff Departures
The end of the school year also sees a number of staff finishing their time at Sacred Heart College. I would like to thank each of them for their service and commitment particularly those who have been long-standing members of the Sacred Heart College community:
Debra McNaughton - Retirement
Denise Lawrence - Retirement
Maryann Kennedy - Retirement
Vicki Devine - Retirement
Viv Penney - Noble Park English Language School
Peter Webb - 12 months leave
Dan Walsh - End of Contract
Anthony Willis - Retirement
Music Teachers - Helen Duggan and Henry Vyhnal - Retirement
A final blessing to all Sacred Heart College students, staff and families for the upcoming Christmas season and the New Year to follow. I hope the times are filled with joy, rest and good health.
Bereavements - Your prayers are asked for the following families who are mourning the passing of a loved one recently. The Branigan family on the passing of Megan Branigan, mother of Finn Year 8. Also, the Hopkins family on the passing of Tom Hoban, grandfather of Fiachra Year 9. Our thoughts are with you all at this sad time.
Yours in Mercy,
Dr Darren Egberts
Principal
College Photo Day - Wednesday 5 February 2025
The procedure for ordering your students' school photos has become even easier with MSP. Students will not automatically receive an envelope with a shoot key on it. You can order directly online with the instructions below, or if this doesn't suit you, you can request an envelope in order to pay by cash, from the College Office, or by calling MSP Photography.
Please note that if you are ordering family photos, they must be ordered by the day before the photoshoot, which is Midnight on Monday 3 February 2025.
SHC Office Hours over the Holiday Period
The Office will be closed on Friday 13 December for Staff Mass.
Office will close for the year on Wednesday 18 December 4:30pm.
Re-Opening on Wednesday 22 January 8:30am to 4:00pm
Closed on Australian Day Public Holiday Monday 27 January
Open from Tuesday 28 January 8:00am to 4:30pm
Uniform Holiday Hours
Please note the last day for Uniform Shop for 2024 is the Tuesday 10 December Hours 12:30-4:30pm.
Berthe Mouchette Poetry Recital Competition
Earlier this year, an intrepid group of 23 Year 9 French students participated in the Berthe Mouchette Poetry Recital Competition. Conducted by an external and well-established French organisation, the Alliance Française, Sacred Heart was excited to have two students chosen as finalists.
Each student memorised a poem in French which they then recited in front of examiners. From a pool of over 1100 entrants, it was exceptional to have Elena and Luke chosen as finalists. Well done and felicitations to all students involved.
Closing Mass
Our final day of school for 2024 included our closing Mass, with all students from Years 7 to 11 taking part in this special celebration of who we are as a community. We were pleased to have Fr John (Woodend, Lancefield, Romsey parish) celebrate his first Mass with us, and we were grateful for the warm presence of Fr Wahid (Castlemaine Parish), who also joined us for the celebration.
In the Mass we gave thanks for the role that the Mercy Values of respect, compassion, hospitality, justice, service and courage play as beacons in our lives, and we took to heart St Paul’s petition that “the Lord make us increase and abound in love, for one another, and for all”. Our closing Mass was also a time for students to contemplate the significance of the season of Advent, which is a special time of anticipation and hope. As the school year closes, we offer every blessing to all members of the Sacred Heart community during this time of Advent waiting, and for the coming season of Christmas.
Young Mercy Links: Leadership Formation Program
Members of our 2025 Senior Student Cabinet travelled to the Mercy Hub in Carlton on Wednesday to participate in the annual Young Mercy Links: Leadership Formation Program. Working with student leaders from other Mercy schools, our incoming senior leaders spent time considering what it means to live and lead with a heart of Mercy. The program invited each participant to consider their own story as a young leader, and to express their unique gifts and talents with confidence and a desire to place these in service to the community. A key element of the program was the opportunity to meet and spend time with the student leadership teams from other Mercy schools, and it was great to see our students come away from the event with new contacts and networks. We look forward to seeing our Senior Cabinet drawing upon this experience when the new school year begins.
ACU Young Leaders Study Tour: Rome and London
Over the past 3 weeks, Year 11 student Jack Meyer has travelled with a contingent of young leaders from Catholic secondary schools in Victorian and NSW to participate in a study tour in London and Rome. From the accounts filtering back to us from the tour, we’re proud to hear that Jack’s insights and warm sense of humour have been welcome additions to the travelling group, and that the experience is proving to be transformative academically, socially and spiritually. Jack is expected to return home just before midnight on Monday 8 December. We continue to keep Jack in our prayers for the final stages of his journey, and look forward to hearing all about his travels and learnings in the new school year.
Year 7 and 8 food Food Technology
Over the last 2 weeks the Year 7 and 8 Food Technology classes have been making gingerbread biscuits using a variety of cookie cutters. Once out of the oven, they had an opportunity to decorate them with icing pens, chocolates and lollies.
Great Victorian Bike Ride 2025 - Wodonga to Healesville
On Saturday 23 November, the Great Vic team left from Sacred Heart for Wodonga. We were so excited to be finally leaving after all the training and preparation. The first day we arrived it was hot and humid, but it didn’t stay like that the whole 9 days. We got lots of rain throughout the 9 days but there was also lots of sun and we had patches of good weather. When we weren’t battling the rain we were battling the flies, but by the end, it wasn’t important. We loved exploring all the different country towns with our friends and team mates and we enjoyed the sightseeing along the ride. The routes were really beautiful with open hills, mountains and lakes.
In the afternoons and evenings, we played cards, dressed up in op shop clothes and did challenges and scavenger hunts.
While we had some hiccups with crashes and weather, by the end of the week we were a great team and it was sad to leave the ride. We had some not so waterproof tents and broken bike brakes but we were able to overcome these challenges and thoroughly enjoy our time on the ride. As a team we would like to give a massive thank you to Mr Darroch, Ms White, Mr Walker, Dom and Udo for coming along on the ride and offering us support. The ride wouldn’t have been the same without them.
On Wednesday, 4 December, five Senior College leaders for 2025 attended the Mercy Leadership Formation Day in Melbourne, facilitated by Mercy Links.
Year 10 student, Kejsi Schulz, reflects:
With other Mercy school students, the 2025 Sacred Heart leaders got talking about what ‘our story’ is. We explored ourselves, Mercy schools, leadership and the impact that Mercy organisations have made on an international level.
We explored what we want to ‘bring to the table’ in our leadership roles next year and had lots of fun with verbs and adjectives like ‘impact’ and ‘teamwork’ and my favourite: ‘legacy’. We explored what mercy means and created our own definitions. I heard phrases such as ‘immediate’, ‘way of life’ and ‘steadfast love.’ We discussed how mercy leadership is different from traditional leadership. ‘It’s challenging, but in the right ways. It’s a calling.’
We learnt about how Mercy Organisations across the globe are making massive impacts to those in need, and had a Zoom session with a Young Mercy Links intern who has had amazing experiences across the world. Lots of connections were made, friendships created, and networks formed. We shared stories and ideas and opportunities.
We gained a new perspective on Mercy corporations, made a whole lot of new friends and connections, and were inspired by the incredible people out there who are making some change in this world, whether they’re students or Mercy Sisters.
As 2024 draws to a close, we would like take this opportunity to reflect on some of the fantastic Arts events that took place over the busy last few months.
Sacred Heart College VCE Art Exhibition
Earlier in the term, SHC staff and families have had the privilege of viewing the 2024 VCE Art Exhibition at the Trio Gallery and Studio, Kyneton, a beautiful gallery run by a former Sacred Heart Arts Learning Leader and longtime local artist, Ms Maxine McKee. There was an amazing variety of work on display completed by students studying Year 11/12 Art: Creative Practice and Year 12 Visual Communication and Design. Congratulations to those who exhibited and to their teachers, Anne Berend, Kirsten Gibson and Sam Bentley.
Special thanks to our Arts Technology Assistant, Peter Ashman, who completed the important work of transporting the valuable artworks to and from the gallery and whose assistance over the period of the development of the VCE artworks has been invaluable.
Thanks also to Year 10 students, Sylvie Rigby and Angus White, who entertained the attendees at the opening night.
Several awards were given to students during the night for their outstanding work as part of the exhibition:
- Acquisition Award - Hana Tsuya
- As part of this $500 award, Hana’s amazing work has been acquired by the school and will be displayed.
- Exhibition Award: Art – Creative Practise - Molly Pankhurst. $150
- Exhibition Award: Visual Communication and Design – Hazel Smith. $150
Arts Leaders
A final thank you and acknowledgements of the work at our Arts captains for 2024, Dylan Bunn and Iona Kerry and to our Junior Arts Leaders, Annabel Eshuys and Charli Tracey.
It’s been a fabulous year in the Arts at Sacred Heart and we’re very excited next year to bring a whole lot of interesting Arts activities for students to be part of.
Legally Blonde
Earlier in the term a number of Sacred Heart College students and ‘SHC connected’ adults were involved in the Kyneton Theatre Company's production of ‘Legally Blonde’.
Students involved were Claudia Campbell and Emily Turner (Year 10), Scarlett Varga (Year 12), Abigail Phegan (Year 9), with Lighting and Sound assistance by Lucas Davis (Year 9).
Reflecting on the astonishing season of ‘Legally Blonde’, it has been such a fun show to be a part of and it has been an amazing experience for all involved. There were 16 shows in total and all of them were incredible experiences, with some amazing people involved. There have been positive reviews from audience members and has become Kyneton Theatre Company's highest grossing show to date!
I can’t believe it is over all ready after months of rehearsals and many performances, but I know that we will all cherish the memories and connections made for many years to come.
Emily Turner (Year 10)
VCE Monologue Exam
Recently, the Year 12 Theatre Studies class have been very busy with their VCE Monologue Exam. The exam comprises a prescribed monologue performance (known as the interpretation) and a two minute explanation of the student's decisions (known as the interpretation statement).
Students can either choose to tackle the monologue from an actor/director role, where they perform the monologue, or a designer role, where they put themselves in the shoes of a set/make-up/costume/props designer working on the monologue. The monologue process started in June when all Theatre Studies students around Victoria were given ten possible monologues to choose from.
At SHC, the students eventually chose seven of the ten monologues, all of which were different in their genres, performances, and overall look. I chose the actor/director role, along with Trigorin's monologue from The Notebook of Trigorin by Tennessee Williams, which I struggled with at first, but quickly came to perform pretty well, as did all of my fellow classmates with their own monologues.
Our hard work was first displayed to the public on 9 October, initially bringing heaps of stress but ultimately a sense of achievement.
On 24 October, we drove to Darebin Arts Centre to formally perform our monologues, we each gave it our all and performed our monologues.
Dylan Bunn. (Year 11)
Music Notes
Thanks again to all those members of the school community who have made music such an important part of life at SHC.
During the year the talented members of our College Show Band shared their musical talents at various concerts around the region, lead by the amazing Sarah Gill.
Earlier this term we held the annual SHC Music Leaders’ Concert. Thanks again to the 2024 Music Captains, Amelia Walsh and Lachlan Hyatt, for hosting this event and for their organisation and leadership.
The final Instrumental Music Evening for 2024 was also held across a number of venues in the College. This evening offers a fantastic opportunity for parents to witness the development that students have made as performers. We are so very fortunate to have so many talented and committed instrumental music staff that help make this possible.
Finally, we would like to thank and farewell several members of our music staff who have given so much to the college instrumental program and are moving on.
Helen Duggan (Voice and Choir) is retiring after more than ten years involvement at Sacred Heart.
Henry Vyhnal (Violin) is finishing after 7 years teaching at SHC.
Peter Campion (Drums) is finishing his time at SHC after a twelve-month involvement and has been appointed to the Australian Army Band Corps.
Thanks again to all parents and friends who were able to support our amazing students in their work in the Music program. I would like to thank everyone who has been part of the Music program and wish you all the very best over the Christmas period.
Concession Card Holders – Camps, Sport & Excursions Fund (CSEF)
School Saving Bonus
Camp, Sport & Excursion Fund (CSEF) is a $250 payment provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families with the cost of camps, excursions and sporting funds. To be eligible you will need to hold a means tested concession card or you are a temporary foster parent. Should your application be successful the college will match the $250.00 funding.
Eligible parents receive a $900 Credit Per Student on their 2025 school fees, when the above funding and discounts are applied.
The 2025 Application Form is now available on the College Website or attached below - https://www.shckyneton.catholi...
Year 12 Students
Careers staff will be at the College from 9:30am-4:00pm on Thursday 12 December and Friday 13 December to assist/advise students on tertiary selection and change of preferences.
We would like to wish all of the Year 12 2024 cohort the very best with their career journeys. Karina and Kristina.
This week’s reflection comes from today’s End of Year Mass celebrated for all Year 7 – 11 students and staff. It heralds the joy of Christmas that is coming shortly and recognises the current season of Advent, a time of waiting and preparation. It was a pleasure to have Fr John and Fr Wahid as our celebrants and congratulations to the students and staff who contributed to the mass as readers, musicians, singers and other roles.
A special welcome to Fr John Healy as one of the Sacred Heart College Chaplains following his appointment as parish priest of Woodend, Lancefield and Romsey.
As the last day of the 2024 school year for students, today provided an opportunity for students to celebrate the year that they have enjoyed, the friendships that have been consolidated and the academic and emotional growth that each has made. I would like to thank every member of the Sacred Heart College community – students, parents, staff, families and friends – for the support you have shown the school throughout the year.
Year 7 – 9 End of Year Awards
The school year concluded with Year 7 – 9 students together with many parents, family members and friends for the presentation of our End of Year Awards. These awards included Dux and Dux Proximus for each year level, subject level awards as well as a series of special awards recognising public speaking, citizenship, music and the College core values. The full list of student recipients is included later in this newsletter.
Year 9 Graduation
Congratulations to our Year 9 cohort who celebrated the end of the school year with a special assembly and presentation representing their graduation from Sacred Heart’s Junior School into Senior School next year. Special thanks to Matt Carroll, Head of Junior School and those students who assisted in putting this excellent event together. And especially to the Year 9 students and staff who managed their third consecutive event in an oppressively warm Quambi stadium.
Duke of Edinburgh Awards
Congratulations to the seven Year Nine students who have recently qualified for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. This significant achievement reflects a long period of effort across the various domains with the Duke of Edinburgh program. Of particular note are the many hours of community service required (mostly completed at the Kyneton Community House) as well as the daunting outdoor education components. Well done to the following students:
Lucas Davis
Lachlan Goodes
Kurt Shiner
Edmond Walsh
Lachlan Paag
Riley Alford
William (Liam) Conaglen
Farewell Debra McNaughton
Next Friday, the College will farewell Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching, Ms Debra McNaughton after almost forty years of teaching across a series of Victorian Catholic secondary schools. Debra is an extraordinary teacher and exemplary educational leadership to each community she is a part of. After more than twenty years at Padua College on the Mornington Penisula, Debra spent a number of years at St Patrick’s College Ballarat before nine years at Sacred Heart. Aside from her achievements as Deputy Principal, Debra has been a hugely significant contributor to Humanities education in Victoria and particularly VCE Business Management as author of the main text-book and, for many years, in various roles in VCAA’s Business Management team. Debra is looking forward to her retirement in the Central Highlands and more time with her husband, John and her beloved Samoyeds.
Staff Departures
The end of the school year also sees a number of staff finishing their time at Sacred Heart College. I would like to thank each of them for their service and commitment particularly those who have been long-standing members of the Sacred Heart College community:
Debra McNaughton - Retirement
Denise Lawrence - Retirement
Maryann Kennedy - Retirement
Vicki Devine - Retirement
Viv Penney - Noble Park English Language School
Peter Webb - 12 months leave
Dan Walsh - End of Contract
Anthony Willis - Retirement
Music Teachers - Helen Duggan and Henry Vyhnal - Retirement
A final blessing to all Sacred Heart College students, staff and families for the upcoming Christmas season and the New Year to follow. I hope the times are filled with joy, rest and good health.
Bereavements - Your prayers are asked for the following families who are mourning the passing of a loved one recently. The Branigan family on the passing of Megan Branigan, mother of Finn Year 8. Also, the Hopkins family on the passing of Tom Hoban, grandfather of Fiachra Year 9. Our thoughts are with you all at this sad time.
Yours in Mercy,
Dr Darren Egberts
Principal
College Photo Day - Wednesday 5 February 2025
The procedure for ordering your students' school photos has become even easier with MSP. Students will not automatically receive an envelope with a shoot key on it. You can order directly online with the instructions below, or if this doesn't suit you, you can request an envelope in order to pay by cash, from the College Office, or by calling MSP Photography.
Please note that if you are ordering family photos, they must be ordered by the day before the photoshoot, which is Midnight on Monday 3 February 2025.
SHC Office Hours over the Holiday Period
The Office will be closed on Friday 13 December for Staff Mass.
Office will close for the year on Wednesday 18 December 4:30pm.
Re-Opening on Wednesday 22 January 8:30am to 4:00pm
Closed on Australian Day Public Holiday Monday 27 January
Open from Tuesday 28 January 8:00am to 4:30pm
Uniform Holiday Hours
Please note the last day for Uniform Shop for 2024 is the Tuesday 10 December Hours 12:30-4:30pm.
Berthe Mouchette Poetry Recital Competition
Earlier this year, an intrepid group of 23 Year 9 French students participated in the Berthe Mouchette Poetry Recital Competition. Conducted by an external and well-established French organisation, the Alliance Française, Sacred Heart was excited to have two students chosen as finalists.
Each student memorised a poem in French which they then recited in front of examiners. From a pool of over 1100 entrants, it was exceptional to have Elena and Luke chosen as finalists. Well done and felicitations to all students involved.
Closing Mass
Our final day of school for 2024 included our closing Mass, with all students from Years 7 to 11 taking part in this special celebration of who we are as a community. We were pleased to have Fr John (Woodend, Lancefield, Romsey parish) celebrate his first Mass with us, and we were grateful for the warm presence of Fr Wahid (Castlemaine Parish), who also joined us for the celebration.
In the Mass we gave thanks for the role that the Mercy Values of respect, compassion, hospitality, justice, service and courage play as beacons in our lives, and we took to heart St Paul’s petition that “the Lord make us increase and abound in love, for one another, and for all”. Our closing Mass was also a time for students to contemplate the significance of the season of Advent, which is a special time of anticipation and hope. As the school year closes, we offer every blessing to all members of the Sacred Heart community during this time of Advent waiting, and for the coming season of Christmas.
Young Mercy Links: Leadership Formation Program
Members of our 2025 Senior Student Cabinet travelled to the Mercy Hub in Carlton on Wednesday to participate in the annual Young Mercy Links: Leadership Formation Program. Working with student leaders from other Mercy schools, our incoming senior leaders spent time considering what it means to live and lead with a heart of Mercy. The program invited each participant to consider their own story as a young leader, and to express their unique gifts and talents with confidence and a desire to place these in service to the community. A key element of the program was the opportunity to meet and spend time with the student leadership teams from other Mercy schools, and it was great to see our students come away from the event with new contacts and networks. We look forward to seeing our Senior Cabinet drawing upon this experience when the new school year begins.
ACU Young Leaders Study Tour: Rome and London
Over the past 3 weeks, Year 11 student Jack Meyer has travelled with a contingent of young leaders from Catholic secondary schools in Victorian and NSW to participate in a study tour in London and Rome. From the accounts filtering back to us from the tour, we’re proud to hear that Jack’s insights and warm sense of humour have been welcome additions to the travelling group, and that the experience is proving to be transformative academically, socially and spiritually. Jack is expected to return home just before midnight on Monday 8 December. We continue to keep Jack in our prayers for the final stages of his journey, and look forward to hearing all about his travels and learnings in the new school year.
Year 7 and 8 food Food Technology
Over the last 2 weeks the Year 7 and 8 Food Technology classes have been making gingerbread biscuits using a variety of cookie cutters. Once out of the oven, they had an opportunity to decorate them with icing pens, chocolates and lollies.
Great Victorian Bike Ride 2025 - Wodonga to Healesville
On Saturday 23 November, the Great Vic team left from Sacred Heart for Wodonga. We were so excited to be finally leaving after all the training and preparation. The first day we arrived it was hot and humid, but it didn’t stay like that the whole 9 days. We got lots of rain throughout the 9 days but there was also lots of sun and we had patches of good weather. When we weren’t battling the rain we were battling the flies, but by the end, it wasn’t important. We loved exploring all the different country towns with our friends and team mates and we enjoyed the sightseeing along the ride. The routes were really beautiful with open hills, mountains and lakes.
In the afternoons and evenings, we played cards, dressed up in op shop clothes and did challenges and scavenger hunts.
While we had some hiccups with crashes and weather, by the end of the week we were a great team and it was sad to leave the ride. We had some not so waterproof tents and broken bike brakes but we were able to overcome these challenges and thoroughly enjoy our time on the ride. As a team we would like to give a massive thank you to Mr Darroch, Ms White, Mr Walker, Dom and Udo for coming along on the ride and offering us support. The ride wouldn’t have been the same without them.
On Wednesday, 4 December, five Senior College leaders for 2025 attended the Mercy Leadership Formation Day in Melbourne, facilitated by Mercy Links.
Year 10 student, Kejsi Schulz, reflects:
With other Mercy school students, the 2025 Sacred Heart leaders got talking about what ‘our story’ is. We explored ourselves, Mercy schools, leadership and the impact that Mercy organisations have made on an international level.
We explored what we want to ‘bring to the table’ in our leadership roles next year and had lots of fun with verbs and adjectives like ‘impact’ and ‘teamwork’ and my favourite: ‘legacy’. We explored what mercy means and created our own definitions. I heard phrases such as ‘immediate’, ‘way of life’ and ‘steadfast love.’ We discussed how mercy leadership is different from traditional leadership. ‘It’s challenging, but in the right ways. It’s a calling.’
We learnt about how Mercy Organisations across the globe are making massive impacts to those in need, and had a Zoom session with a Young Mercy Links intern who has had amazing experiences across the world. Lots of connections were made, friendships created, and networks formed. We shared stories and ideas and opportunities.
We gained a new perspective on Mercy corporations, made a whole lot of new friends and connections, and were inspired by the incredible people out there who are making some change in this world, whether they’re students or Mercy Sisters.
As 2024 draws to a close, we would like take this opportunity to reflect on some of the fantastic Arts events that took place over the busy last few months.
Sacred Heart College VCE Art Exhibition
Earlier in the term, SHC staff and families have had the privilege of viewing the 2024 VCE Art Exhibition at the Trio Gallery and Studio, Kyneton, a beautiful gallery run by a former Sacred Heart Arts Learning Leader and longtime local artist, Ms Maxine McKee. There was an amazing variety of work on display completed by students studying Year 11/12 Art: Creative Practice and Year 12 Visual Communication and Design. Congratulations to those who exhibited and to their teachers, Anne Berend, Kirsten Gibson and Sam Bentley.
Special thanks to our Arts Technology Assistant, Peter Ashman, who completed the important work of transporting the valuable artworks to and from the gallery and whose assistance over the period of the development of the VCE artworks has been invaluable.
Thanks also to Year 10 students, Sylvie Rigby and Angus White, who entertained the attendees at the opening night.
Several awards were given to students during the night for their outstanding work as part of the exhibition:
- Acquisition Award - Hana Tsuya
- As part of this $500 award, Hana’s amazing work has been acquired by the school and will be displayed.
- Exhibition Award: Art – Creative Practise - Molly Pankhurst. $150
- Exhibition Award: Visual Communication and Design – Hazel Smith. $150
Arts Leaders
A final thank you and acknowledgements of the work at our Arts captains for 2024, Dylan Bunn and Iona Kerry and to our Junior Arts Leaders, Annabel Eshuys and Charli Tracey.
It’s been a fabulous year in the Arts at Sacred Heart and we’re very excited next year to bring a whole lot of interesting Arts activities for students to be part of.
Legally Blonde
Earlier in the term a number of Sacred Heart College students and ‘SHC connected’ adults were involved in the Kyneton Theatre Company's production of ‘Legally Blonde’.
Students involved were Claudia Campbell and Emily Turner (Year 10), Scarlett Varga (Year 12), Abigail Phegan (Year 9), with Lighting and Sound assistance by Lucas Davis (Year 9).
Reflecting on the astonishing season of ‘Legally Blonde’, it has been such a fun show to be a part of and it has been an amazing experience for all involved. There were 16 shows in total and all of them were incredible experiences, with some amazing people involved. There have been positive reviews from audience members and has become Kyneton Theatre Company's highest grossing show to date!
I can’t believe it is over all ready after months of rehearsals and many performances, but I know that we will all cherish the memories and connections made for many years to come.
Emily Turner (Year 10)
VCE Monologue Exam
Recently, the Year 12 Theatre Studies class have been very busy with their VCE Monologue Exam. The exam comprises a prescribed monologue performance (known as the interpretation) and a two minute explanation of the student's decisions (known as the interpretation statement).
Students can either choose to tackle the monologue from an actor/director role, where they perform the monologue, or a designer role, where they put themselves in the shoes of a set/make-up/costume/props designer working on the monologue. The monologue process started in June when all Theatre Studies students around Victoria were given ten possible monologues to choose from.
At SHC, the students eventually chose seven of the ten monologues, all of which were different in their genres, performances, and overall look. I chose the actor/director role, along with Trigorin's monologue from The Notebook of Trigorin by Tennessee Williams, which I struggled with at first, but quickly came to perform pretty well, as did all of my fellow classmates with their own monologues.
Our hard work was first displayed to the public on 9 October, initially bringing heaps of stress but ultimately a sense of achievement.
On 24 October, we drove to Darebin Arts Centre to formally perform our monologues, we each gave it our all and performed our monologues.
Dylan Bunn. (Year 11)
Music Notes
Thanks again to all those members of the school community who have made music such an important part of life at SHC.
During the year the talented members of our College Show Band shared their musical talents at various concerts around the region, lead by the amazing Sarah Gill.
Earlier this term we held the annual SHC Music Leaders’ Concert. Thanks again to the 2024 Music Captains, Amelia Walsh and Lachlan Hyatt, for hosting this event and for their organisation and leadership.
The final Instrumental Music Evening for 2024 was also held across a number of venues in the College. This evening offers a fantastic opportunity for parents to witness the development that students have made as performers. We are so very fortunate to have so many talented and committed instrumental music staff that help make this possible.
Finally, we would like to thank and farewell several members of our music staff who have given so much to the college instrumental program and are moving on.
Helen Duggan (Voice and Choir) is retiring after more than ten years involvement at Sacred Heart.
Henry Vyhnal (Violin) is finishing after 7 years teaching at SHC.
Peter Campion (Drums) is finishing his time at SHC after a twelve-month involvement and has been appointed to the Australian Army Band Corps.
Thanks again to all parents and friends who were able to support our amazing students in their work in the Music program. I would like to thank everyone who has been part of the Music program and wish you all the very best over the Christmas period.
Concession Card Holders – Camps, Sport & Excursions Fund (CSEF)
School Saving Bonus
Camp, Sport & Excursion Fund (CSEF) is a $250 payment provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families with the cost of camps, excursions and sporting funds. To be eligible you will need to hold a means tested concession card or you are a temporary foster parent. Should your application be successful the college will match the $250.00 funding.
Eligible parents receive a $900 Credit Per Student on their 2025 school fees, when the above funding and discounts are applied.
The 2025 Application Form is now available on the College Website or attached below - https://www.shckyneton.catholi...
Year 12 Students
Careers staff will be at the College from 9:30am-4:00pm on Thursday 12 December and Friday 13 December to assist/advise students on tertiary selection and change of preferences.
We would like to wish all of the Year 12 2024 cohort the very best with their career journeys. Karina and Kristina.
