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Prayer
God of all,
Welcome into your calm and peaceful kingdom
Those who have departed out of this present life
To be with you.
Grant them rest
And a place with the spirits of the just;
And give them the life that knows no age,
The reward that passes not away,
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
St Ignatius of Loyola
I welcome everyone in the Sacred Heart College community back to school and a nine-week third term. It has been a challenging few weeks with significant bereavements affecting a number of staff, students and families:
- We remember Sr Nancy Freddi rsm, past principal of Sacred Heart College Kyneton who passed away on July 11th. Sr Nancy led the school from 1987 – 1992 and was a distinguished educational leader enjoying principalships at Mercy schools in Mildura, Lilydale and on the Gold Coast.
- We also hold in our hearts and prayers the family of Nicole Strang, mother of Henry (9C) and auntie to Mila (11C) and Oscar (9B) Pereira. After a long illness, Nicole passed away last Friday.
A Busy Term
Although schools are often busy places, coming weeks are especially full at Sacred Heart College. Given this, I encourage parents and families to pay careful attention to communications regarding special events and changes to school programs that will be sent via the College’s Parent Access Module.
The current shortages of teachers across Victoria and nationwide have resulted in particular challenges for the College when trying to support additional activities such as excursions and external sporting events. This is especially the case if planned activities coincide with staff absences due to staff illness or leave.
Staff Professional Learning Day – Friday 8 August
A reminder to all families that next Friday 8 August is a staff professional learning day with no classes for students. The day will focus on teaching and learning with the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in education under examination.
SHC Prospective Staff Open Day
A reminder to anyone in the community that the school is holding an Open Day for prospective teachers interested in a possible career at Sacred Heart College. The presentations and tour will be facilitated by members of the College Leadership Team and provide insights into the opportunities available in joining our outstanding group of educators.
I encourage any members of the Sacred Heart College community who are teachers or may have friends in the teaching profession to consider registering for the event. It is being held on Saturday 9 August 2025 from 11.00am – 12.30pm. Use the link provided to book your place: https://bit.ly/ExploreCareersAtSHC
Student and Staff Activities
The start of term has included a number of significant activities:
Congratulations to the eight Year 11 students as well and Ms Boorman and Mr Morton who travelled during the second week of the holidays and the first week of term to the town of Jarlmadangah Burru in the Kimberley. The visit was a resounding success and further enriched the College’s longstanding relationship with this fabulous indigenous community.
Thanks to the students who braved a bitterly cold July day in Kyneton to plant 1000+ trees on the banks of the Campaspe River. The program was supported by Macedon Ranges Shire Council and local water authorities as well as the College’s Sustainability Coordinator, Ms April Cincotta.
Well done to the College Show Band who yesterday completed a mini-tour of local primary schools for a series of performances.
Bereavements: Your prayers are asked for the following families who are mourning the passing of a loved one recently. The Smith family on the passing of Patricia Duncan, grandmother of Hazel Year 12 and the Wilson family on the passing of Kathleen MacPherson, great grandmother of Bede Year 7. Our thoughts are with you all at this sad time.
Yours in Mercy,
Dr Darren Egberts
Semester 1 Learning Achievement Awards
Next Thursday we will hold a special assembly to announce our Semester 1 Learning Achievement Awards. At this event, students will be recognised for their efforts in the following categories of learning behaviours:
Substantial growth in learning
Determination and perseverance
Independence of learning
Creative and innovative thinking
Classroom leadership and initiative
Students in each Year Level who have received 3 or more of these awards will be recognised with a Learning Leadership Award. These students are to be congratulated for their outstanding efforts in a range of classrooms, and for the excellent role modelling that they offer to their peers.
Subject Selection and Individual programs
In most Year Levels, the process for subject selection for 2026 has either begun, or will be beginning soon. Looking ahead to the following school year is a time of excitement, and the opportunity for choice and decision making is an important part of adolescent life. We encourage all families to be in conversation at home about the available options for subject selection in the Year Levels you are connected with. In a small number of cases, there will be scope for individual programs to be arranged based on academic merit and other personal circumstances. Please be in touch via your Home Group teachers as a first point of contact if you anticipate that a conversation about an individual program would be helpful for your family.
Semester 1 Reports and NAPLAN
Semster 1 Reports were released last week, and are available to view on PAM. In the past week, schools throughout Australia have received the Individual Student Reports for this year’s NAPLAN tests. These reports offer a snapshot of each student’s progression over time, and are an important part of the wider story of their ongoing development and learning. At Scared Heart this year, these reports have been distributed electronically via SIMON/PAM, which is a change from past years where hard copies of the reports were posted out. If you have questions about the accessibility of the Individual Student Report for your child, please be in touch with your Year Level Leader for an initial conversation.
Semester 2 Timetable
Please note that following some staffing changes, there have been some updates to the daily timetable leading into Semester 2. All students are asked to check their own timetable on SIMON for changes, and to seek clarification if any issues or concerns arise.
Road crossings and buses
As Term 3 begins, we ask that all families hold reminder-conversations at home about the importance of safe road crossings before and after school.
Students should only cross High Street at the designated pedestrian crossing point, under the direction of the crossing guards. Crossing at other points is dangerous. Students who travel to and from Sacred Heart College via the bus should move directly to school from the bus stop at the beginning of the day, and should move directly to the bus stop at the end of the day. Students should not be making detours into the Kyneton townships to visit takeaway food venues. Doing so involves unsupervised road crossings, and is a cause of lateness to school and/or delays to the departure of all afternoon buses.
Child Safe
In Week One of Term 3, from Monday 22 July to Thursday 25 July, Sacred Heart College marked Child Safe Week – a time dedicated to strengthening our whole school community’s understanding of the Child Safe Standards. Throughout the week, both staff and students participated in age-appropriate presentations that refreshed and deepened their knowledge of their rights, responsibilities, and the collective commitment we all share to ensuring our college remains a safe and inclusive place for every young person. These sessions served as a reminder of the vital role each of us plays in upholding a culture of care and vigilance.
Parents and carers are warmly invited to review and update their own understanding of the Child Safe Standards by accessing the Parent Presentation via the link provided in this newsletter.
College Production Brings Shakespeare to the Summer of Love
Our 2025 College Production of As You Like It is set to be a colourful celebration of music, love, rebellion, and identity – all through the lens of Shakespeare’s timeless comedy, reimagined in the late 1960s/early 1970s. This vibrant new interpretation invites audiences into the Forest of Arden during the height of the counterculture era, where freedom, peace, and self-discovery take centre stage.
The production has been developed in exciting collaboration with Kellie Tori, an acclaimed director, producer and teaching artist with a wealth of experience across stage and screen. Kellie has trained in Australia and internationally in acting, directing, voice and movement, and her passion for theatre that transforms and inspires has helped shape this unique vision of As You Like It. Her creative leadership has been instrumental in supporting our students to develop both confidence and craft.
Rehearsals have been running every Monday and Thursday evening since Term 1, with students from across all year levels lending their talent, commitment and energy to the show. The production also features live music from the era performed by our talented music students, adding a vibrant soundtrack to this bold retelling. The set, costumes and props have been designed and built in close collaboration with our Year 11 Theatre Studies class, who have brought their creativity and flair to every detail, working closely with SHC Art Technician (and talented theatre designer) Peter Ashman.
A sincere thank you must go to all the staff who have generously shared their time, talent and expertise to bring this production to life: Ben Gallagher, Freya Egberts, Sam Bentley, Cecile Slootjes, Nicholas Melaisis, Rowena Rokesky-Alder, Darren Egberts and Jenifer Baldwin. We would also like to extend our appreciation to Easy Store, Kyneton for their support in creating our Production Hoodies – a much-loved tradition for our cast and crew.
We can’t wait to welcome you to the show and share in this joyful celebration of performance, community, and the enduring power of storytelling. Stay tuned for performance dates and ticket information!
As part of our Parent Engagement Partnership, the College is offering a free online event focusing on Navigating the Digital Playground.
This event will be hosted by Cyber Safety Project, Australia’s premier online safety education provider.
When & Where: Tuesday 5 August 2025, 7:00 - 8:00pm, Live Online
How to Book: bit.ly/sacredheartcollege
All members of the local community are welcome to attend this free event.
Last week, eight Year 11 students had the incredible opportunity to spend five days at Nyikina Mangala Community School in the Kimberley. It’s a remote community, and yet from the moment we arrived, we were welcomed like family.
We ran lessons in literacy, numeracy, sport, art, drama and dance—but we probably learned just as much as we taught. The connection we formed with the students was real and powerful. Whether we were reading books, playing footy, or painting together, there was always laughter and respect. It felt like we were part of something bigger—something important.
By the last day, there were tears everywhere, and not just from the kids. Saying goodbye was genuinely hard. We built friendships that will stay with us forever, and the spirit of reconciliation was something we could feel in every conversation, smile and story shared.
There will be more information from the students in the coming weeks.
On Friday 25th July, a dedicated group of students from the Sacred Heart College Green Team rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty in support of Schools National Tree Day. In collaboration with the Campaspe River and Land Management Group, students took part in a special planting event along the banks of the Campaspe River at the end of Jennings Street.
With a strong sense of environmental responsibility and teamwork, the students planted a variety of grasses, sedges, and the critically endangered Anchor Plant (Discaria pubescens), helping to restore native habitat and protect biodiversity in our local river ecosystem. These plants play an important role in stabilising the riverbank, improving water quality, and providing habitat for local wildlife.
The event was not only an opportunity for hands-on conservation, but also a valuable learning experience. Students gained insights into the importance of riparian restoration, the threats facing native species, and how community action can make a meaningful difference.
A big thank you goes to the Campaspe River Landcare Network for their guidance, expertise, and support on the day, and to our committed Green Team students who continue to lead by example in caring for our environment.
On Wednesday 23 July, our Year 12 French students participated in the 131st edition of the Berthe Mouchette Competition. This year celebrates the universal theme of L’Amour. They had the choice of 2 poems to recite, Au bord de l'eau (By the Water's Edge) by René-François Sully Prudhomme or Aimer à perdre la raison (To Love to the Point of Madness) by Louis Aragon, which was followed by a 5-6 min general conversation. It was great practice for their VCE oral exam coming in October. Bon travail!
Sacred Heart College's Junior School Library Sessions
At Sacred Heart College, we believe that fostering a love of reading in our junior students is key to their success, both academically and personally.
Each fortnight during an English class, students in Years 7 and 8 will spend at least half a lesson in the Catherine McAuley Library. These classes are a chance to step away from the regular classroom routine and immerse themselves in our wonderful (and ever-growing) collection. As your friendly teacher-librarians, we're on hand to make sure every student finds something that truly sparks their interest.
What Happens in a Reading Session?
We greet classes at the start of the period and meet them in the reading area of the library. One of the library team will chat for a few minutes about any new acquisitions or books that we think might be of interest to students in the class. Students then have 5-10 minutes to be sitting down and reading independently. During this time, we work with individuals to help them find a book of interest. They'll often share their recommendations with their peers too, which we love to see. If they're after something we don't have, we order it then and there; we love getting their suggestions! After some independent reading time, we facilitate borrowing and returns.
Why is Library Time and Reading So Important?
Time in the library provides students the opportunity to find books to sink into. There are nearly endless benefits of regular reading for pleasure, but we've collected a few below:
- Improves language and communication skills. Reading skills grow significantly between the ages of 12 and 14 (Ricketts et al., 2020, p.381). Especially important for well-being, reading has been shown to enhance emotional vocabulary, which is linked to emotional competence, emotion regulation, and social skills (Dylman et al., 2020, p.681).
- Social cognitive development. Reading narratives helps adolescents simulate social experiences, improving their understanding of mental states, emotions, and interpersonal relationships (Lenhart et al., 2022, p.21-22). It also helps shy students learn "how to conduct themselves in the world" (Fodale & Bates, 2011, p.104).
- Safe explorations of social scenarios. Literature allows adolescents to experience complex social situations (e.g., misunderstandings, conflicts) in a risk-free environment, aiding emotional regulation and social learning (Lenhart et al., 2022, p.4). We think this is especially important as teenagers are growing up into an increasingly complex world (and also engage in risk-taking).
- Academic benefits. Students who engaged in pleasure reading scored higher in all measured subjects compared to non-readers (Whitten et al., 2019, p.48).
We are incredibly proud of our junior school reading program at Sacred Heart College. It's a testament to our commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals who succeed academically and also develop a deep appreciation for the power of stories.
On Wednesday 30 July, we participated in our last round of senior DAV debating competition.
We had a very close debate with the undefeated Damascus College on the topic that 'the Australian Government should prioritise tourism as Australia's main export'. Well done to Sierra Benedict, Eamon Bowe and Stella Egberts on a fantastic debate.
Term 3 is subject selection time at SHC, and many students will be already thinking about which subjects they would like to study next year. Whilst all students in Years 7 and 8 are required to learn either French or Japanese, this becomes a choice for students from Year 9 onwards. Ms Twilley has been visiting Languages classes to talk to students about their language learning experiences, and to answer questions they might have about continuing French or Japanese.
There are many compelling reasons to continue learning a language into the senior years of school. You might be interested in this article from the Conversation, which was part of a series aimed at helping students decide on their subjects for VCE.
Students who continue their study of a language can expect to:
Improve employment opportunities
Develop literacy skills that are transferable to other subject areas
Enhance their understanding of the English language
Gain access to opportunities for travel
Foster intercultural skills
Improve memory retention and attention span.
There are also significant academic benefits to studying a language at VCE level:
VCE Languages students are eligible for the prestigious VCE Baccalaureate. When students study a combination of any English subject (with a minimum study score of 30), Maths Methods/Specialist Maths, and any language they are automatically eligible for the VCE Baccalaureate which is highly regarded by tertiary institutions.
Study scores for VCE Unit 3/4 Languages subjects are scaled up. This is partly due to a Victorian government policy to encourage the study of languages. The extent of the scaling depends on the competitiveness of each year’s cohort and the raw study score of individual students. See the VTAC website for more information on scaling.
If you have any questions about studying a language at SHC, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s language teacher or myself at ktwilley@mazenod.catholic.edu.au.
Year 10, 11, 12 Japanese
During week 1 of term, we were very fortunate that NGV put on an online exhibition of the 'Kimono' for the community. The students from Years 10, 11 and 12 Japanese came together to learn about the meaning of the designs and the changes over hundreds of years. We also learned about the men's kimono and that the design is on the inside and not on the outside of the garment, so that when they take their jacket off at someone’s house or an event, their personality is shown through the images.
Year 8 Japanese
This week, Year 8 Japanese students will be participating in a Kendo workshop. This aligns well with our studies in martial arts and the concept of hobbies. Look at some of the photos below of the students in action.
Year 7 Japanese
We continue to expand our skills in Japanese. Two very talented students from Year 7, Bryndis and Addison, also entered the JLTAV (Japanese Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria) poster competition. We would like to congratulate them on their entries, which can be seen here.
Towards the end of Semester One, the Year 7s and 8s produced their own hamburger creations, which is a requirement of their design brief assessment task. During the design brief process, students investigated typical ingredients that are common in hamburgers, researched hamburger recipes and wrote a shopping list of the ingredients they needed to create their burgers. Students really enjoyed the experience and hopefully they will make them again at home for their families to enjoy.
Year 8 Boys AFL
On Wednesday 30 July the Year 8 boys headed down to Reservoir to compete in the second round of school footy. The boys started their day with a win against Northcote 26-20. The boys then followed that up with a loss against Diamond Valley Sports Academy. They finished with a strong win against Ilim College 44-13. Stand outs were Jake Curcio, Lenny Maher, Wilfred MacDonald, Jesse bond and Flynn Leatch. Congratulations to all the boys for their performance on the day.
Coaches Jai and Danny
Show Band Primary Schools Tour
On Thursday 31 July the SHC Show Band visited three local Primary Schools to give a performance to the Primary School students:
St Marys Lancefield
St Brigid's Gisborne
Our Lady of the Rosary - Kyneton
Each performance featured a wide variety of music styles chosen for primary students to enjoy. All three schools made the SHC music students most welcome, and the students really enjoyed the interactive nature of each performance. Students were chosen to join in with the percussion group to play and dance along with the well-known song The Macarena.
Many thanks to Sarah Gill (saxophone) who directed and performed with the Show Band. Also, Sue Morris (trombone) and Mark Roberts (guitar) who performed and led each section. The singer's performances were thoroughly enjoyed by the students who did not want them to stop.
We look forward to this becoming an annual event in the future.
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At the beginning of Term 3, our staff came together for our annual Faith Formation Day — a valuable time in the life of our school to step away from the everyday and reconnect with the heart of who we are, what we do, and why we do it.
This year’s theme, 'Pilgrims of Hope,' invited us to reflect on our own journeys: the things we carry or choose to set down, the people who accompany us or are accompanied by us, and the sacred moments that can appear when we pause and pay attention.
One of the central symbols of the day was a handmade replica of the Door of Mercy, crafted by one of our staff especially for the occasion. It was inspired by the original red doorway at Baggot Street in Dublin — the first House of Mercy established by Catherine McAuley. That door became a threshold of compassion: where the poor and vulnerable came seeking help, and where the Sisters stepped out each day to serve the community. In that same spirit, our Mercy Door reminded us of our invitation to open our hearts and carry Mercy into our daily relationships and work.
Several other meaningful symbols helped shape the day. A Mercy Cross reminded us of Christ’s love at the centre of our mission. Interestingly, there is no corpus on the Mercy Cross which differentiates it from other cruciform. Catherine, who designed the cross, believed that each Sister of Mercy, places herself on the cross, sharing in the suffering of Christ and those to whom the Sisters ministered. We had a teacup and saucer, echoing Catherine’s request that the Sisters have “a good cup of tea” after her death, reflecting our core value of hospitality — the simple and sacred act of making space for one another. A soft shawl recalled the story of Catherine carrying home an orphaned baby wrapped in her own during a cholera outbreak. Sr Mary Sullivan RSM reflects: “To share one’s shawl is to reach out, side by side, and embrace the shoulders and life and needs of another.” Finally, a pair of well-worn boots reminded us of the Sisters of Mercy’s legacy as the “walking nuns” — women who went out daily to meet people where they were, bringing education, compassion, and presence to the streets. Each of these symbols connected us to our rich Mercy heritage and the sacredness of the everyday.
Throughout the day, we were guided by the stories of faith-filled pilgrims such as St Paul, whose dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus reminds us that the spiritual journey is rarely straightforward. At times, like Paul, we feel uncertain, weary, or resistant — yet we are met by grace and invited to see again with new eyes. We also drew inspiration from Ursula Frayne, one of the founding Sisters of Mercy in Australia, who journeyed from Ireland to Western Australia in the 1840s. She faced unfamiliar terrain and deep challenge with courage, compassion, and steadfast hope in God.
In our final session, we embraced the tradition of letter writing and crafted messages in the spirit of Paul and Ursula. These weren’t just reflections, but personal responses to the day’s pilgrimage: naming the hopes, values, and commitments we felt called to carry forward.
To close the day, we gathered in the sacred space of our College Chapel where for more than a century, students, staff, and Sisters of Mercy have gathered in faith and prayer. From there, we passed together through the Mercy Door, symbolically sent forth to live what we had received.
