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Prayer
Lord,
You invite all who are burdened to come to you.
Allow Your healing Hand to heal me.
Touch my soul with Your compassion for others;
touch my heart with Your courage and infinite Love for all;
touch my mind with Your Wisdom,
and may my mouth always proclaim Your praise.
Teach me to reach out to You in all my needs,
and help me to lead others to You by my example.
Most loving Heart of Jesus,
bring me health in body and spirit
that I may serve You with all my strength.
Touch gently this life which you have created,
now and forever.
Amen.
This week’s prayer speaks to personal news that I wish to share with the Sacred Heart College community.
I have recently received news that I have been diagnosed with an early-stage cancer. I am currently asymptomatic. I will have treatment early next term with very good prospects of making a full recovery. The treatment will require me to be away from school for 6-8 weeks and I expect that to be during the second half of third term and into the September holidays. After treatment and recovery, all advice indicates that I will be free to return unhindered to school.
Personally, I would like to thank my family for their unconditional love and support, and also that of the leadership team.
My message for anyone of a certain age in the SHC community is to make sure that you avail yourself of the various medical tests that we are privileged to have in Australia. They can be irritating and time-consuming but they can also be life-saving.
Feast of the Sacred Heart
On Thursday of this week, the College community gathered with our College Chaplains and special guests, Sr Madeline and Sr Carol to celebrate the school’s feast day. The opportunity to celebrate Eucharist as the term comes to a close is a privileged one as is the opportunity to recognise a small number of students and staff through presentation of Spirit of Sacred Heart awards.
End of Term Arrangements
Second term for all students concludes tomorrow with arrangements for coming weeks detailed below:
- Friday 26 June All students conclude at 2.30pm for mid-year holidays
- Monday 13 July Student Free Day (RE PL Day) - Please note the office will be closed on 13 July.
- Tuesday 14 July All students commence term 3
Staff Farewells
With first semester coming to a close, Sacred Heart College is farewelling two teaching staff members:
- Natalie Port (Mathematics) – Natalie is returning to full time study
- Zarya Volya (English/French) – Zarya has accepted an ongoing teaching position at the Alice Miller School.
Bereavements: Your prayers are asked for the McNally family on the passing of Helena Muster, grandmother of Finnian Year 8 and Max Year 11. Our thoughts are with you at this sad time.
Yours in Mercy,
Dr Darren Egberts
Principal
2026 Semester One SOSH Award Recipients
This week our College community gathered to celebrate one of the most significant days on the calendar for our school, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
As a Catholic community, celebrating Mass together is central to who we are. It is in the Eucharist that we come together to give thanks, to listen to God's Word, to pray for one another, and to be nourished by Christ so that we might go out and live the Gospel in our daily lives.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart invites us to reflect on the heart of Jesus, a heart that loves without limit, shows mercy without condition, and reaches out with compassion to every person.
During the homily, students were challenged to consider the future that lies ahead of them. While none of us knows exactly what that future will hold, we can each make a conscious decision about the kind of person we choose to become. Students were invited to select one of our Mercy values and commit to living that value each day. Grounded in the love of Christ, these values become a way of living that shapes our relationships, our decisions and our contribution to the world.
We extend our sincere thanks to Fr Declan and Fr John for leading our celebration. We also warmly welcomed Fr Zaher to Sacred Heart for the first time. Fr Zaher spoke of how welcomed he had felt by our community, a wonderful affirmation of our Mercy value of Hospitality in action.
It was also a privilege to welcome Sisters Madeleine and Carol, whose presence provided a tangible connection to our rich Mercy heritage and the generations of Sisters of Mercy who have shaped our College. We were equally pleased to welcome staff representatives from St Brigid's Primary School, Gisborne, one of our valued feeder schools.
Finally, we congratulate and thank the many students who contributed to the celebration. We are incredibly proud of them.
The word Mass comes from the Latin missa, meaning "to be sent." We do not simply leave Mass. We are sent into the world to live what we have celebrated. May the love of the Sacred Heart continue to inspire each of us to be people of Mercy, bringing Christ's love to all those we encounter.
School Holidays and Semester 2 Timetable
We hope that all students enjoy some time to rest and restore over the holiday period. When we return in Term 3, VCE Unit 2 and VCE Unit 4 will have begun in earnest for students in our Senior School. Meanwhile, our Year 10 students will have new classes and new class groupings for their core subjects, as well as new courses for some of their electives. Stepping into new classroom settings will also be the case for students in Years 7-9, as they move into new rotations of Technology and Arts courses in Years 7-8, and new electives in Year 9. These changes will bring with them some adjustments to the college timetable. Wherever possible, we aim to minimise significant changes to class schedules and staffing arrangements. We ask that you please review the Semester 2 timetable as a family when it is available, and be in touch with us if any questions arise.
Subject Selection
While it is only midway through the year, it is already the time when we begin planning for 2027. Beginning with our current Year 11s, we are starting to have conversations about subject selections for 2027. These conversations and the decision making that they lead to are significant moments in the lives of our students, as they step further into young adulthood and take growing ownership over the direction of their schooling. At all Year Levels, the subject selection process comes with plenty of information to read through and discuss. We encourage all families to make time to look over the various subject selection materials provided, and to be proactive in asking questions and seeking clarification. As a new initiative in 2026, we invite all families to join us at the Senior School Subject & Pathways Expo taking place in Quambi on Wednesday 22 July, 4pm - 7pm.
Year 11/12 Course Manual for 2027/2028
Semester 1 Reports
Semester 1 Reports will be made available via PAM in the first week of Term 3. Much of the information that these reports will include is already available via live reporting of Assessment Tasks on SIMON and PAM. Reports and other feedback provide a snapshot of a given moment in time, and offer material for conversation about the ongoing story of learning and growth.
Year 7 RE - Curriculum Trial
This semester in RE, Year 7s have engaged in a curriculum trial, developed for schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne. In Term 1, students studied the unit ‘Belonging to a Catholic School’ and learnt about the College’s Catholic identity and Mercy charism that is at the heart of our community.
In Term 2, students studied the unit ‘In the Beginning’, learning about the stories found in Genesis and what they convey about the sacred and symbolic nature of God, God’s relationship with people, and what key messages are carried on for us today.
This marks four complete units of work trialled at Sacred Heart, with students continuing to study two further units in Semester 2 that were successfully trialled last year.
Thank you to the Year 7 RE staff: Mrs Freya Egberts, Ms Andrea Knight, Ms Susannah Jones, Ms Maryann Kennedy, and Mr Saul Travers-Hucker. For their creativity in creating resources, their commitment in delivering new content, and their care for the learning of each of their students. The RE curriculum is richer for their contributions.
Thank you also to our Year 7 students who engaged in their learning and produced meaningful and creative work to showcase their understanding and skills.
Year 9 RE - Women of the World
This term in Year 9 RE, we studied the topic of ‘Women of the world.’
We learned about influential women in the Bible and in our modern day, with a focus on Mary, mother of Jesus, and how she is depicted in various artworks. We learnt about the symbolism of colours and objects that reflected her role in scripture and in Catholic Church teaching. We also learnt about the character traits, such as faith and courage, which allowed Mary to say ‘yes’ to God’s plan for her. For our Assessment Task we chose a Marian artwork and analysed the symbols and deeper meaning of the work. We also chose an influential woman in our own life to write a short speech which was presented in our classes. To conclude this topic, we made a mini Rosary to apply our knowledge of prayer in a physical form. Oscar and Alex 9E
Over several weeks, students developed and refined their own clock designs before constructing a fully functioning clock. As part of the project, they also built an electronic circuit board to power a series of LED lights. The designs were fabulous again this year, some of which included: a record turntable, a football, dominos, corrugated iron and a surf board. The pyrography was really well done by the students to create their design.
The lights were programmed to switch on automatically when the light in the room decreased, demonstrating students’ understanding of both design processes and electronic systems.
Year 11 Wellbeing Incursion – Boys Reflection written by Jai Nevin
On Thursday 18 June, our Year 11 male students had the opportunity to hear from Daniel Principe. Daniel is a passionate youth advocate and educator. He champions boys across Australia to challenge culture and aspire to live courageous, respectful and empathetic lives.
He spoke about the challenges and opportunities that come with growing up as a young man. He discussed important topics including personal responsibility, decision-making, relationships, and risk awareness.
Daniel's engaging and relatable presentation captured the attention of the students, who were highly involved throughout the session. The boys thoroughly enjoyed hearing from him and gained valuable insights that will support them as they continue to develop into confident and responsible young men. We thank Daniel for sharing his time, experiences, and wisdom with our students.
Year 11 Wellbeing Incursion – Girls Reflection written by Sierra Benedict
Last Thursday, the Year 11 girls experienced a thorough and insightful afternoon prefaced on our wellbeing, building a further understanding of what it is to be a "girl" in modern-day society.
Our workshop was ran by an organisation called SEED. We were offered rewarding and important insight into stereotypes, positive body image, social skills and respectful relationships. The workshop was presented by Catherine. There were frequent questions, pictures to lead us with ideas and group activities.
The day built further perspectives on, and reinforced ideas around, feminism, healthy relationships and the common bias that has slowly seeped into modern society around the treatment of women. We had a group activity where we were asked to write down our understanding of both red and green flags in a partner. This honestly allowed us to recognise flaws that we may have not already picked up on, and good things we may take for granted.
Our last activity was a smaller group activity where we were able to write kind and thoughtful messages about one another on a piece of paper and, by the end, you received a heartfelt message from each and everyone in your group. The feeling of being heard and recognised by those around you was such a rewarding feeling which I understand was mutual throughout the cohort. These wellbeing days are so important for the cohort and ultimately build on foundations we are still growing to understand.
Celebrating Our Year 8s - Catching Students Doing the Right Thing
On Wednesday 18 June, we set aside time to do something we don't do often enough: stop and celebrate the students who quietly, consistently do the right thing.
So much of school life can become focused on correcting and redirecting the moments that go wrong. But many of our Year 8 students turn up each day and simply get on with being wonderful members of our community. They show up ready to learn, they look out for one another, they treat staff and peers with respect, and they make good choices without ever expecting to be noticed for it. These are exactly the students who deserve to be noticed.
To say thank you, we gathered these wonderful students together for an afternoon of treats including a chocolate fountain with marshmallows, biscuits, pretzels and fruit and a chance to relax, laugh and enjoy each other's company.
Recognising good behaviour isn't just a reward; it's a message. It tells our students that doing the right thing matters, that it's seen, and that it's valued. When we celebrate the standard rather than only managing the exceptions, we encourage every student to keep striving for it.
To our Year 8s, thank you for being the kind of people who make Sacred Heart a great place to be. We're proud of you, and we're grateful for you.
A big thank you to 8As homeroom teacher, Lauren White, who helped organise the gathering.
FRIDAY- Fight MND AWARENESS DAY
On Friday 26 June (last day of Term 2) students and staff were invited to wear their Big Freeze/Fight MND beanies or a blue ribbon to raise awareness and show your support to those who fight this disease.
Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a neurological disease that affects the nerves controlling movement, causing muscle weakness and paralysis. At this point in time, it has no cure.
Neale Daniher was a prominent campaigner against MND (Motor Neuron Disease) with his Big Freeze movement. Neale, a former AFL player and coach, was diagnosed with MND in 2013 and he co-founded FightMND in 2014. Neale helped raise up to $157 million to help search for a cure to the disease and in 2025 he was awarded Australian of the Year.
Sadly on the 25th May this year, Neale passed away. His legacy will live on through the Fight MND/Big Freeze campaigns held around Australia. Today gave the Sacred Heart College community a chance to stand behind Neale's efforts and create awareness and support for those living with this disease and to those supporting their MND journey.
Ms Egberts, Mercy Justice Leader
Wellbeing Captains- Sophie, Elissa, Anna, Molly and Matilda
NMR Cross Country
NMR Cross Country was held on Wednesday 17 June at Bundoora Park. Twenty eight students made it through the next round and found it quite a challenging day due to the heavy terrain from the recent rain. Even though we didn’t come away with individual awards it was terrific to see the senior boys win the 17-20 Senior Division Team Event. No doubt all students will want to come back again next year and look to improve on this year’s results.
Senior Girls Basketball
The Senior Girls Basketball Team, played in Broadmeadows this week. We worked hard, showed great teamwork, and represented our school with pride.
We won one game and lost the other, but we learned a lot from both experiences. Everyone tried their best and supported each other throughout the competition. We would like to say a big thank you to our teacher, Mr Cornelissen for coaching, encouraging us, and supporting the team.
We appreciate all the time and effort you, and Mrs V put into helping us all have a great basketball experience - Wynta Callander
Senior Boys Basketball
On Monday 22 June, senior basketball commenced. The boys, coached by Amy Vandenham, consisted of Yr 11: Archer Cook, Yr 12: Finn Collins, Rohan Singh, Benjamin Rankin, Jordan Baldwin, Ruben Hewitt, Samuel Haslett, and Patrick Cooper.
The first and second games were against Craigeburn Secondary College, and Edgar Creek. Although they provided a challenge, our team’s chemistry was building while we were warming up, helping us overcome the challenge, leading to victory.
The third and fourth games were the finals. We went against Elevate, who like the others, proved to be difficult, but we still managed to pull off the win. The final was our hardest challenge, going against Hume, who had incredible players and strategy, pushing our final game score to 36-25 our way. They could not break our team efforts, with an excellent performance from all players and Ms Vandenham’s superb coaching. The Senior Boys Basketball Team will move on to the next round. Patrick Cooper
Senior Boys AFL
The Senior Boys Football Team had a day out on Tuesday 3 June for the second round of school footy. The boys had high spirits and were a very skillful and determined team. Sacred Heart won all three of their pool games against Gladstone Park, Brunswick and Montmorency by quite convincing margins. The Boys have an upcoming game next term with the team that won the other pool on Tuesday 4 August. The winner will progress to State Finals. The lads were hard at the football all day, selfless with their ball movement and played as a team exceptionally well and should be extremely proud of their efforts. Shout out to Lachlan Hall for Coaching and all the staff that have made this possible.
On Tuesday 23 June, the Year 10 and 11 Japanese students visited the Japanese consulate in Melbourne to attend a seminar on travel in Japan.
We heard all about key tourist attractions in different prefectures, and explored some models of the UNESCO world-heritage listed castles and temples found across Japan.
The seminar also included a discussion on why Japanese language learning can be beneficial to our students in the future, and provided some information on the exchanges and working holiday programs available. After the seminar, we all went to Udon Ya San, to enjoy an authentic Japanese cafe lunch.
Excitement is building as we prepare to welcome 19 students and 2 staff from our Japanese sister school, Ibaraki Nishi High School (Osaka), on 28 July.
As a follow up on the handwritten letters to the Japanese students, our host students met their exchange student for the first time via a live video call, introducing themselves in Japanese while the visiting students spoke in English.
There was a real buzz as connections began to form, and we look forward to welcoming our guests to our school community in Term 3.
We are thrilled to share the link to the recording of the recent "Ask Me Anything" online session with Dr Justin Coulson held on June 16.
The online sessions have been provided to celebrate the launch of his highly anticipated new book, BOYS. In this session Dr Coulson answers your most pressing questions about how to deeply connect with your son, manage the ongoing tension around screens, and guide him toward becoming a good, resilient man.
One of the many joys of working as a teacher-librarian is the responsibility of curating a collection of books and resources for a diverse student body. We use a range of sources and processes to select books to add to our collection. These include student recommendations, award winning titles, Children’s Book Council of Australia recommendations, curriculum requirements and many more. We select books that are current, interesting and reflect the lived experiences and diversity of our student body and the world at large.
One of the challenges we sometimes encounter when selecting resources is the broad range of students’ ages, and, therefore, maturity levels. This is why we have developed a Senior Fiction collection, which is available for students in Years 10-12 to borrow. Books in this collection may have themes more appropriate for an older audience, such as complex emotional relationships, graphic depictions of violence or explicit language. At times, students in Years 7-9 may wish to borrow from this collection. In this instance we will send a permission slip home and ask you to read and sign it and return to the library.
The library’s main collection contains a variety of books aimed at students up to age 15. While we do our best to steer our younger readers toward the most suitable titles, our collection is extensive, and it isn't always possible for us to be across every single age recommendation or monitor every choice. We encourage parents to engage with their children about the books they bring home; we’re also available to have a chat about any questions or concerns you may have.
If you wish to request a form, or suggest a book for our library collection, please email library@sacredheart.catholic.edu.au and one of our librarians will be in touch.
Senior and Junior Debating Update
Our debating program continues with students completing competition and in-house debating across both senior and junior levels. Senior debaters have now competed in four rounds of debates organised by the Debaters Association of Victoria and our Year 7’s have been preparing and participating in friendly in-house debates.
Our D Grade team comprising of Olivia Howes, Angus Jewell and Bridget Laird argued the affirmative stance on the topic that we should pursue life on Mars, whilst our B Grade team comprising of Sierra Benedict, Will Sacco and Lucy Cisnerios argued the affirmative stance on the topic that governments should ban sporting events that will not drug test athletes.
Our Year 7 debaters held an in-house debate on the topic that the cosmetics and fashion industries do more harm than good. Rose Bloomfield, Edith Cummins and Kiaya Lockhart represented the affirmative team whilst Rosalyn Hamilton, Sophie Vernon and Annie Turner represented the negative team.
During second Semester, our Year 7 and 8 debaters will get the opportunity to participate in debating training provided by the Debaters Association of Victoria and compete in online debates with other schools. More details will be posted on our Debating Google classroom.
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Prayer
Lord,
You invite all who are burdened to come to you.
Allow Your healing Hand to heal me.
Touch my soul with Your compassion for others;
touch my heart with Your courage and infinite Love for all;
touch my mind with Your Wisdom,
and may my mouth always proclaim Your praise.
Teach me to reach out to You in all my needs,
and help me to lead others to You by my example.
Most loving Heart of Jesus,
bring me health in body and spirit
that I may serve You with all my strength.
Touch gently this life which you have created,
now and forever.
Amen.
This week’s prayer speaks to personal news that I wish to share with the Sacred Heart College community.
I have recently received news that I have been diagnosed with an early-stage cancer. I am currently asymptomatic. I will have treatment early next term with very good prospects of making a full recovery. The treatment will require me to be away from school for 6-8 weeks and I expect that to be during the second half of third term and into the September holidays. After treatment and recovery, all advice indicates that I will be free to return unhindered to school.
Personally, I would like to thank my family for their unconditional love and support, and also that of the leadership team.
My message for anyone of a certain age in the SHC community is to make sure that you avail yourself of the various medical tests that we are privileged to have in Australia. They can be irritating and time-consuming but they can also be life-saving.
Feast of the Sacred Heart
On Thursday of this week, the College community gathered with our College Chaplains and special guests, Sr Madeline and Sr Carol to celebrate the school’s feast day. The opportunity to celebrate Eucharist as the term comes to a close is a privileged one as is the opportunity to recognise a small number of students and staff through presentation of Spirit of Sacred Heart awards.
End of Term Arrangements
Second term for all students concludes tomorrow with arrangements for coming weeks detailed below:
- Friday 26 June All students conclude at 2.30pm for mid-year holidays
- Monday 13 July Student Free Day (RE PL Day) - Please note the office will be closed on 13 July.
- Tuesday 14 July All students commence term 3
Staff Farewells
With first semester coming to a close, Sacred Heart College is farewelling two teaching staff members:
- Natalie Port (Mathematics) – Natalie is returning to full time study
- Zarya Volya (English/French) – Zarya has accepted an ongoing teaching position at the Alice Miller School.
Bereavements: Your prayers are asked for the McNally family on the passing of Helena Muster, grandmother of Finnian Year 8 and Max Year 11. Our thoughts are with you at this sad time.
Yours in Mercy,
Dr Darren Egberts
Principal
2026 Semester One SOSH Award Recipients
This week our College community gathered to celebrate one of the most significant days on the calendar for our school, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
As a Catholic community, celebrating Mass together is central to who we are. It is in the Eucharist that we come together to give thanks, to listen to God's Word, to pray for one another, and to be nourished by Christ so that we might go out and live the Gospel in our daily lives.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart invites us to reflect on the heart of Jesus, a heart that loves without limit, shows mercy without condition, and reaches out with compassion to every person.
During the homily, students were challenged to consider the future that lies ahead of them. While none of us knows exactly what that future will hold, we can each make a conscious decision about the kind of person we choose to become. Students were invited to select one of our Mercy values and commit to living that value each day. Grounded in the love of Christ, these values become a way of living that shapes our relationships, our decisions and our contribution to the world.
We extend our sincere thanks to Fr Declan and Fr John for leading our celebration. We also warmly welcomed Fr Zaher to Sacred Heart for the first time. Fr Zaher spoke of how welcomed he had felt by our community, a wonderful affirmation of our Mercy value of Hospitality in action.
It was also a privilege to welcome Sisters Madeleine and Carol, whose presence provided a tangible connection to our rich Mercy heritage and the generations of Sisters of Mercy who have shaped our College. We were equally pleased to welcome staff representatives from St Brigid's Primary School, Gisborne, one of our valued feeder schools.
Finally, we congratulate and thank the many students who contributed to the celebration. We are incredibly proud of them.
The word Mass comes from the Latin missa, meaning "to be sent." We do not simply leave Mass. We are sent into the world to live what we have celebrated. May the love of the Sacred Heart continue to inspire each of us to be people of Mercy, bringing Christ's love to all those we encounter.
School Holidays and Semester 2 Timetable
We hope that all students enjoy some time to rest and restore over the holiday period. When we return in Term 3, VCE Unit 2 and VCE Unit 4 will have begun in earnest for students in our Senior School. Meanwhile, our Year 10 students will have new classes and new class groupings for their core subjects, as well as new courses for some of their electives. Stepping into new classroom settings will also be the case for students in Years 7-9, as they move into new rotations of Technology and Arts courses in Years 7-8, and new electives in Year 9. These changes will bring with them some adjustments to the college timetable. Wherever possible, we aim to minimise significant changes to class schedules and staffing arrangements. We ask that you please review the Semester 2 timetable as a family when it is available, and be in touch with us if any questions arise.
Subject Selection
While it is only midway through the year, it is already the time when we begin planning for 2027. Beginning with our current Year 11s, we are starting to have conversations about subject selections for 2027. These conversations and the decision making that they lead to are significant moments in the lives of our students, as they step further into young adulthood and take growing ownership over the direction of their schooling. At all Year Levels, the subject selection process comes with plenty of information to read through and discuss. We encourage all families to make time to look over the various subject selection materials provided, and to be proactive in asking questions and seeking clarification. As a new initiative in 2026, we invite all families to join us at the Senior School Subject & Pathways Expo taking place in Quambi on Wednesday 22 July, 4pm - 7pm.
Year 11/12 Course Manual for 2027/2028
Semester 1 Reports
Semester 1 Reports will be made available via PAM in the first week of Term 3. Much of the information that these reports will include is already available via live reporting of Assessment Tasks on SIMON and PAM. Reports and other feedback provide a snapshot of a given moment in time, and offer material for conversation about the ongoing story of learning and growth.
Year 7 RE - Curriculum Trial
This semester in RE, Year 7s have engaged in a curriculum trial, developed for schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne. In Term 1, students studied the unit ‘Belonging to a Catholic School’ and learnt about the College’s Catholic identity and Mercy charism that is at the heart of our community.
In Term 2, students studied the unit ‘In the Beginning’, learning about the stories found in Genesis and what they convey about the sacred and symbolic nature of God, God’s relationship with people, and what key messages are carried on for us today.
This marks four complete units of work trialled at Sacred Heart, with students continuing to study two further units in Semester 2 that were successfully trialled last year.
Thank you to the Year 7 RE staff: Mrs Freya Egberts, Ms Andrea Knight, Ms Susannah Jones, Ms Maryann Kennedy, and Mr Saul Travers-Hucker. For their creativity in creating resources, their commitment in delivering new content, and their care for the learning of each of their students. The RE curriculum is richer for their contributions.
Thank you also to our Year 7 students who engaged in their learning and produced meaningful and creative work to showcase their understanding and skills.
Year 9 RE - Women of the World
This term in Year 9 RE, we studied the topic of ‘Women of the world.’
We learned about influential women in the Bible and in our modern day, with a focus on Mary, mother of Jesus, and how she is depicted in various artworks. We learnt about the symbolism of colours and objects that reflected her role in scripture and in Catholic Church teaching. We also learnt about the character traits, such as faith and courage, which allowed Mary to say ‘yes’ to God’s plan for her. For our Assessment Task we chose a Marian artwork and analysed the symbols and deeper meaning of the work. We also chose an influential woman in our own life to write a short speech which was presented in our classes. To conclude this topic, we made a mini Rosary to apply our knowledge of prayer in a physical form. Oscar and Alex 9E
Over several weeks, students developed and refined their own clock designs before constructing a fully functioning clock. As part of the project, they also built an electronic circuit board to power a series of LED lights. The designs were fabulous again this year, some of which included: a record turntable, a football, dominos, corrugated iron and a surf board. The pyrography was really well done by the students to create their design.
The lights were programmed to switch on automatically when the light in the room decreased, demonstrating students’ understanding of both design processes and electronic systems.
Year 11 Wellbeing Incursion – Boys Reflection written by Jai Nevin
On Thursday 18 June, our Year 11 male students had the opportunity to hear from Daniel Principe. Daniel is a passionate youth advocate and educator. He champions boys across Australia to challenge culture and aspire to live courageous, respectful and empathetic lives.
He spoke about the challenges and opportunities that come with growing up as a young man. He discussed important topics including personal responsibility, decision-making, relationships, and risk awareness.
Daniel's engaging and relatable presentation captured the attention of the students, who were highly involved throughout the session. The boys thoroughly enjoyed hearing from him and gained valuable insights that will support them as they continue to develop into confident and responsible young men. We thank Daniel for sharing his time, experiences, and wisdom with our students.
Year 11 Wellbeing Incursion – Girls Reflection written by Sierra Benedict
Last Thursday, the Year 11 girls experienced a thorough and insightful afternoon prefaced on our wellbeing, building a further understanding of what it is to be a "girl" in modern-day society.
Our workshop was ran by an organisation called SEED. We were offered rewarding and important insight into stereotypes, positive body image, social skills and respectful relationships. The workshop was presented by Catherine. There were frequent questions, pictures to lead us with ideas and group activities.
The day built further perspectives on, and reinforced ideas around, feminism, healthy relationships and the common bias that has slowly seeped into modern society around the treatment of women. We had a group activity where we were asked to write down our understanding of both red and green flags in a partner. This honestly allowed us to recognise flaws that we may have not already picked up on, and good things we may take for granted.
Our last activity was a smaller group activity where we were able to write kind and thoughtful messages about one another on a piece of paper and, by the end, you received a heartfelt message from each and everyone in your group. The feeling of being heard and recognised by those around you was such a rewarding feeling which I understand was mutual throughout the cohort. These wellbeing days are so important for the cohort and ultimately build on foundations we are still growing to understand.
Celebrating Our Year 8s - Catching Students Doing the Right Thing
On Wednesday 18 June, we set aside time to do something we don't do often enough: stop and celebrate the students who quietly, consistently do the right thing.
So much of school life can become focused on correcting and redirecting the moments that go wrong. But many of our Year 8 students turn up each day and simply get on with being wonderful members of our community. They show up ready to learn, they look out for one another, they treat staff and peers with respect, and they make good choices without ever expecting to be noticed for it. These are exactly the students who deserve to be noticed.
To say thank you, we gathered these wonderful students together for an afternoon of treats including a chocolate fountain with marshmallows, biscuits, pretzels and fruit and a chance to relax, laugh and enjoy each other's company.
Recognising good behaviour isn't just a reward; it's a message. It tells our students that doing the right thing matters, that it's seen, and that it's valued. When we celebrate the standard rather than only managing the exceptions, we encourage every student to keep striving for it.
To our Year 8s, thank you for being the kind of people who make Sacred Heart a great place to be. We're proud of you, and we're grateful for you.
A big thank you to 8As homeroom teacher, Lauren White, who helped organise the gathering.
FRIDAY- Fight MND AWARENESS DAY
On Friday 26 June (last day of Term 2) students and staff were invited to wear their Big Freeze/Fight MND beanies or a blue ribbon to raise awareness and show your support to those who fight this disease.
Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a neurological disease that affects the nerves controlling movement, causing muscle weakness and paralysis. At this point in time, it has no cure.
Neale Daniher was a prominent campaigner against MND (Motor Neuron Disease) with his Big Freeze movement. Neale, a former AFL player and coach, was diagnosed with MND in 2013 and he co-founded FightMND in 2014. Neale helped raise up to $157 million to help search for a cure to the disease and in 2025 he was awarded Australian of the Year.
Sadly on the 25th May this year, Neale passed away. His legacy will live on through the Fight MND/Big Freeze campaigns held around Australia. Today gave the Sacred Heart College community a chance to stand behind Neale's efforts and create awareness and support for those living with this disease and to those supporting their MND journey.
Ms Egberts, Mercy Justice Leader
Wellbeing Captains- Sophie, Elissa, Anna, Molly and Matilda
NMR Cross Country
NMR Cross Country was held on Wednesday 17 June at Bundoora Park. Twenty eight students made it through the next round and found it quite a challenging day due to the heavy terrain from the recent rain. Even though we didn’t come away with individual awards it was terrific to see the senior boys win the 17-20 Senior Division Team Event. No doubt all students will want to come back again next year and look to improve on this year’s results.
Senior Girls Basketball
The Senior Girls Basketball Team, played in Broadmeadows this week. We worked hard, showed great teamwork, and represented our school with pride.
We won one game and lost the other, but we learned a lot from both experiences. Everyone tried their best and supported each other throughout the competition. We would like to say a big thank you to our teacher, Mr Cornelissen for coaching, encouraging us, and supporting the team.
We appreciate all the time and effort you, and Mrs V put into helping us all have a great basketball experience - Wynta Callander
Senior Boys Basketball
On Monday 22 June, senior basketball commenced. The boys, coached by Amy Vandenham, consisted of Yr 11: Archer Cook, Yr 12: Finn Collins, Rohan Singh, Benjamin Rankin, Jordan Baldwin, Ruben Hewitt, Samuel Haslett, and Patrick Cooper.
The first and second games were against Craigeburn Secondary College, and Edgar Creek. Although they provided a challenge, our team’s chemistry was building while we were warming up, helping us overcome the challenge, leading to victory.
The third and fourth games were the finals. We went against Elevate, who like the others, proved to be difficult, but we still managed to pull off the win. The final was our hardest challenge, going against Hume, who had incredible players and strategy, pushing our final game score to 36-25 our way. They could not break our team efforts, with an excellent performance from all players and Ms Vandenham’s superb coaching. The Senior Boys Basketball Team will move on to the next round. Patrick Cooper
Senior Boys AFL
The Senior Boys Football Team had a day out on Tuesday 3 June for the second round of school footy. The boys had high spirits and were a very skillful and determined team. Sacred Heart won all three of their pool games against Gladstone Park, Brunswick and Montmorency by quite convincing margins. The Boys have an upcoming game next term with the team that won the other pool on Tuesday 4 August. The winner will progress to State Finals. The lads were hard at the football all day, selfless with their ball movement and played as a team exceptionally well and should be extremely proud of their efforts. Shout out to Lachlan Hall for Coaching and all the staff that have made this possible.
On Tuesday 23 June, the Year 10 and 11 Japanese students visited the Japanese consulate in Melbourne to attend a seminar on travel in Japan.
We heard all about key tourist attractions in different prefectures, and explored some models of the UNESCO world-heritage listed castles and temples found across Japan.
The seminar also included a discussion on why Japanese language learning can be beneficial to our students in the future, and provided some information on the exchanges and working holiday programs available. After the seminar, we all went to Udon Ya San, to enjoy an authentic Japanese cafe lunch.
Excitement is building as we prepare to welcome 19 students and 2 staff from our Japanese sister school, Ibaraki Nishi High School (Osaka), on 28 July.
As a follow up on the handwritten letters to the Japanese students, our host students met their exchange student for the first time via a live video call, introducing themselves in Japanese while the visiting students spoke in English.
There was a real buzz as connections began to form, and we look forward to welcoming our guests to our school community in Term 3.
We are thrilled to share the link to the recording of the recent "Ask Me Anything" online session with Dr Justin Coulson held on June 16.
The online sessions have been provided to celebrate the launch of his highly anticipated new book, BOYS. In this session Dr Coulson answers your most pressing questions about how to deeply connect with your son, manage the ongoing tension around screens, and guide him toward becoming a good, resilient man.
One of the many joys of working as a teacher-librarian is the responsibility of curating a collection of books and resources for a diverse student body. We use a range of sources and processes to select books to add to our collection. These include student recommendations, award winning titles, Children’s Book Council of Australia recommendations, curriculum requirements and many more. We select books that are current, interesting and reflect the lived experiences and diversity of our student body and the world at large.
One of the challenges we sometimes encounter when selecting resources is the broad range of students’ ages, and, therefore, maturity levels. This is why we have developed a Senior Fiction collection, which is available for students in Years 10-12 to borrow. Books in this collection may have themes more appropriate for an older audience, such as complex emotional relationships, graphic depictions of violence or explicit language. At times, students in Years 7-9 may wish to borrow from this collection. In this instance we will send a permission slip home and ask you to read and sign it and return to the library.
The library’s main collection contains a variety of books aimed at students up to age 15. While we do our best to steer our younger readers toward the most suitable titles, our collection is extensive, and it isn't always possible for us to be across every single age recommendation or monitor every choice. We encourage parents to engage with their children about the books they bring home; we’re also available to have a chat about any questions or concerns you may have.
If you wish to request a form, or suggest a book for our library collection, please email library@sacredheart.catholic.edu.au and one of our librarians will be in touch.
Senior and Junior Debating Update
Our debating program continues with students completing competition and in-house debating across both senior and junior levels. Senior debaters have now competed in four rounds of debates organised by the Debaters Association of Victoria and our Year 7’s have been preparing and participating in friendly in-house debates.
Our D Grade team comprising of Olivia Howes, Angus Jewell and Bridget Laird argued the affirmative stance on the topic that we should pursue life on Mars, whilst our B Grade team comprising of Sierra Benedict, Will Sacco and Lucy Cisnerios argued the affirmative stance on the topic that governments should ban sporting events that will not drug test athletes.
Our Year 7 debaters held an in-house debate on the topic that the cosmetics and fashion industries do more harm than good. Rose Bloomfield, Edith Cummins and Kiaya Lockhart represented the affirmative team whilst Rosalyn Hamilton, Sophie Vernon and Annie Turner represented the negative team.
During second Semester, our Year 7 and 8 debaters will get the opportunity to participate in debating training provided by the Debaters Association of Victoria and compete in online debates with other schools. More details will be posted on our Debating Google classroom.
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Click HereSupporting Year 12 students beyond preferences: Join VTAC’s Playbook for Success Beyond Year 12 webinar series
