This week’s prayer is taken directly from last night’s Valedictory Mass for Sacred Heart College’s Class of 2025. This fantastic group of young women and men complete their time in secondary education today before moving into VCAA exams, holidays or the world of work. They are a remarkable group having started Year 7 in 2020 but then having their world turning upside down seven weeks into the year as Covid lockdowns commenced. I saw their resilience and agility first-hand as 7A’s Science teacher.

This morning following their Valedictory Mass and final whole school assembly yesterday, students departed Sacred Heart College symbolically for the final time through the College Chapel’s ‘Red Doors’ and with the applause of our Year 7 students gathered as a guard of honour.

On behalf of the Sacred Heart College community – students, staff and families – I wish each of the Class of 2025 the very best for coming months and for all that life holds for you.

2026 Parent Purchase of Laptops

Last week, all 2026 Year 10 families as well as prospective Year 7 2026 families should have received correspondence from the College on arrangements for the purchase of student devices for 2026. The correspondence included details on the devices themselves, access to the purchase portal as well as applications for families looking for support with this purchase.

Links to this correspondence can be found below.

College Tuition Fees 2026

Sacred Heart College is planning to write to all families next month confirming school fees for the 2026 school year. Although I am unable to specify the actual increases expected for 2026, we anticipate that this increase will be higher than recent years. Employers and Catholic school staff across Victoria are currently involved in a process to confirm the next industrial agreement for our school system. All Victorian Catholic school employers (including Mercy Education) will be subject to the results of this negotiation.

Although a timeline for the process is not confirmed, it is expected that teachers and Catholic school staff more generally will receive significant salary increases. This reflects the relatively modest increases in the last industrial agreement.

Although I am fully supportive of teachers and school staff receiving a deserved salary increase, these increases will need to be mostly funded through increases in school fees. Similar increases are expected across all Victorian Catholic schools over the next twelve months.

Junior School Showcase

All parents and members of the Sacred Heart College community are reminded that the 2025 Junior School Showcase is on Thursday 30 October from 4.00 – 7.30pm. The Showcase is always a wonderful night that celebrates the creativity, determination and hard work of students. Similar to recent years, the Showcase has three components:

1. Year 9 Expo projects
2. Year 8 Make A Difference (MAD) projects
3. Year 7 Learning Journey projects

I encourage as many family and community members to attend and applaud the work that will be on show.

Yours in Mercy,

Dr Darren Egberts

Principal