Sacred Heart College: A rich learning community

While there is always plenty happening in the daily life of our College, the past fortnight has seen a number of key events take place. In this edition of the newsletter you will find articles about our recent Junior School Showcase, Mercy Day celebrations and annual Art Exhibition. Hearty congratulations are offered to all involved in each of these events, and warm thanks are due to the many students and staff who worked to ensure they were each a success. Amidst these moments of celebration, many of our Year 12 students have now begun their final exams. It has been impressive to see many Year 12s choosing to conduct their exam preparation and study on-site at the college, and we hope all Year 12s are proud of giving their best in the exam room.

College Tuition Fees 2027

Sacred Heart College will write to all families in the coming weeks confirming school fees for the 2027 school year. Along with this letter, we will share details of a new arrangement for fee payments that will be available for families, in order to achieve greater flexibility for payment options.

Arrangements for Cup Weekend

Aside from students and staff involved in VCAA exams next Monday and Wednesday, the College will be closed until next Thursday 5 November 2026. We hope that all families enjoy some gentle time in the coming days, and a well earned rest in the middle of a busy term.

Bereavements:  Your prayers are asked for the following families who are mourning the passing of a loved one recently.  The Pelham family with the passing of Martin Loof, grandfather of Joel, Year 11, and the Hurren family on the passing of Antonio Arena, grandfather of Ciena, Year 8.  Our thoughts are with you at this sad time.

Strengthening Relationships Through Restorative Practices

We are delighted to be working with Real Schools to provide professional learning for all staff in restorative practices. This partnership supports our commitment to classrooms where students feel connected, engaged and accountable, and where relationships are at the heart of learning.

As part of this work, we recently welcomed Kirsty Lush from Real Schools to the College as an expert facilitator. Kirsty's career spans almost twenty years across teaching, coaching, school leadership and university tutoring, including seven years as a principal. She brings extensive experience in transforming school culture and embedding restorative practices within school communities.

Kirsty's approach was to lead by example. She spent the day teaching in classrooms with our students and showed restorative strategies in action while colleagues observed. After each lesson, she talked the strategies through with the observing teachers, explaining the choices she made, how students responded and how the approaches could fit our own classrooms. It was a valuable chance for staff to see restorative teaching in a real lesson with our own students, rather than in theory.

In the afternoon, Kirsty led all staff through a reflective staff meeting. Together we considered what we had seen during the day, how restorative practices can strengthen relationships and accountability, and the next steps for embedding these approaches across the College. [Optional: add one specific takeaway or strategy staff will focus on.]

We thank Kirsty for her generosity, expertise and the warmth with which she worked with our students and staff. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Real Schools as we build a shared, consistent approach to student wellbeing, positive relationships and accountability across the College.

Jarlmadangah Burru Immersion 2027 – Applications Now Open for Current Year 10 Students

Since 2009, Sacred Heart College has shared a special relationship with the Jarlmadangah Burru community in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Each year, eight students have the opportunity to walk gently and justly alongside the community, learning about Country, culture and the deep wisdom of First Peoples. The 2027 immersion will take place from 25 June to 4 July 2027.

This year’s participants described the immersion as a life-changing experience. Students who began the journey knowing one another mainly as peers from the same year level returned with deep friendships.

They reflected on the importance of learning about First Nations culture through relationships and on the differences between daily life in Jarlmadangah and their own lives in the Macedon Ranges. Some of their most significant learning was also uncomfortable: recognising their own privilege and reconsidering what matters. Concerns that once seemed important now felt less significant. Their reflections spoke of an experience that continues to shape how they understand themselves, others and the world.

During the immersion, students plan and lead classroom activities for the local primary school, take turns cooking for the group, and share in community life. The experience forms part of our College’s enduring commitment to Mercy Justice and the work of reconciliation.

Applications are now open for current Year 10 students and close at 11:00 am on Monday 16 November 2026.

While the College continues to work to keep costs down, families should anticipate an increase, with the cost currently estimated at $3,750.
Families are encouraged to discuss and reflect together on this opportunity and support their child’s application if they wish to apply. Further information will be provided to students shortlisted for the 2027 journey and their families.

Farewell to the Class of 2026

As our Year 12 students complete their examinations and prepare for the next chapter of their lives, we take the opportunity to reflect on their Graduation Mass and final day at Sacred Heart College.

Our Graduation Mass was a wonderful celebration of the journey our students have shared, the friendships formed and the people who have accompanied them along the way. The Mass began with a beautiful candle ritual, with six candles brought forward in procession by Year 12 students, representing our Mercy values of Compassion, Respect, Service, Courage, Hospitality and Justice. Our student leaders shared the reflections they had prepared about how these values have shaped their lives and experiences at the College.

The Gospel reminded our graduates that they are called to be “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). In his homily, Fr Declan drew on St Paul's invitation to “clothe yourselves with love” (Col 3:14). As our graduates will soon take off their College blazers for the final time, they are invited to continue clothing themselves in love, carrying the Mercy values that have shaped them out into the world.

The following morning, our Year 12 students gathered for their final Homeroom in our Chapel, which celebrates its centenary this year. They were reminded that they are now part of the Chapel's 100-year history and that, like Catherine McAuley's 'walking nuns', they are called to carry mercy beyond the familiar walls of our College.

In a fitting conclusion to their journey, our graduates passed through the red Doors of Mercy for the final time, greeted by a guard of honour formed by our Year 7 students, who had themselves been welcomed through those same doors at the beginning of the year.

To the Class of 2026, we offer our prayers and very best wishes for your examinations and all the opportunities that lie ahead. As Catherine McAuley encouraged, “resolve to be good today, but better tomorrow.”

Go well, go with courage, and go as young people of Mercy. May you continue to walk the path that Catherine trod, carrying love, hope and mercy into the world.

On Friday 23 October, Sacred Heart College came together to celebrate Mercy Day, marking the return of a College tradition we hope will continue to grow.

Celebrated by Mercy communities around the world on 24 September, Mercy Day commemorates Catherine McAuley’s opening of the first House of Mercy in Dublin in 1827. Almost 200 years later, her example continues to challenge us to put our Christian faith and Mercy values into action.

We were delighted to welcome Catherine Glenister, Board Member of Mercy Works and Manager of the Mercy Mission, Action and Spirituality Hub, who shared with us the important work of Mercy Works and its mission of ‘Walking Together. Changing Lives.’ Catherine spoke about how long-term partnerships and community-led projects support people to build skills, confidence and brighter futures.

From the relative comfort of our College here in Kyneton, it can sometimes be easy to feel disconnected from the poverty and injustices experienced by others. Yet our Mercy heritage challenges us never to turn a blind eye, but to open our hearts with compassion and respect. That same challenge applies to how we treat one another each day. Being our best as a Mercy community means showing respect, listening to others, extending hospitality to those around us and recognising that our words and actions matter.

Following our assembly, students and staff enjoyed an afternoon of food, fun and fundraising. Activities included House tug-of-war, sprint races, the three-point basketball challenge and Footy in a Bin, with plenty of friendly competition, teamwork and House spirit throughout the afternoon.

The day also marked an important leadership transition, as our incoming 2027 Senior Student Cabinet stepped into their roles following the departure of our Year 12 students. Alongside our 2026 Junior Cabinet and Sports Captains, they helped set up, organise and run the day’s activities. Their enthusiasm, initiative and pride in our College were a wonderful reflection of the remarkable young leaders they are becoming.

While we are still counting the proceeds, we are optimistic that we will be able to make a meaningful financial contribution to Mercy Works. Once we have the final numbers, we will share these with our community.

Our thanks to Catherine for joining us, to our student leaders and staff who organised and ran the day’s activities, and to our students, families and wider College community for their generosity in purchasing tickets, participating in activities and supporting our fundraising efforts.

Looking ahead to the 200th anniversary of Catherine’s first House of Mercy in 2027, we hope to build on this good beginning, making Mercy Day a lasting celebration of community, generosity and service, and a reminder that mercy is something we are called to put into action every day.

Saul Travers-Hucker & Haley Galloway

There was a real sense of excitement around the College last week as families gathered for our Junior School Showcase. 

Blessed with beautiful weather, a strong attendance and a wonderful atmosphere, the campus was buzzing as visitors explored the outstanding work of our Year 7, 8 and 9 students. From the Year 7 Gallery of Learning and Year 8 projects focused on making a difference, to the impressive Year 9 Expo displays showcasing creativity, innovation and skill, the evening was a celebration of all that our students can achieve.Thank you to everyone who joined us. We couldn't be prouder of our students and all they have accomplished.

Year 7 Gallery of Learning

2026 VCE Art Exhibition Report

This week wrapped up our 2026 Exhibition, ‘Art in the Light’, which features student works from VCE Art: Creative Practice, Visual Communication and Design and Media. We were so lucky this year to be able to use the Old Kyneton Primary School and it was incredible to view the artworks of our students in such an amazing venue.

There was a wonderful range of work on display, with dynamic paintings, drawing, mixed media, sculpture, photography, projections, design folios and media films.

The $150 Exhibition awards were awarded to Saffron Thek for VCE Art: Creative Practice and Charlotte Crabtree for Visual Communication.

The $500 Acquisition award was awarded to Melia Hayes, for her print ‘Porcelain’, which has been professionally framed & will become part of the school catalogue.

Our guest speaker at the official opening on Friday evening was SHC Staff member Ms Liz Sullivan. Liz is a recognised and celebrated artist and was shortlisted for the Archibald Prize in 2023, for her portrait of Germaine Greer. Liz as continued her art practice throughout her teaching career. This year marks Liz’ final year of teaching and we wish her all the best!

We are very grateful for the expertise of Mrs Anne Berend (Year 11 & 12 Art: Creative Practice), Ms Lilly Dusting and Ms Kirsten Gibson (Year 12 & 11 Visual Communication and Design) and Mrs. Carla Matthews (Year 12 Media) for their amazing efforts. We are also enormously grateful for the talent and expertise of our talented Art Technician, Mr Peter Ashman, without whom this exhibition would not have been able to take place.

Thanks also to the other members of the Art Faculty, Ms. Genevieve Archibald and Mr. Josh McGuffie, for their support.

Josh organised the music on Friday, featuring the gorgeous vocals of Tessa Smith, accompanied by Ms. Sophie Allen on piano and harmonies.

Josh also accompanied Inga Foerster on cello on Sunday afternoon, creating melodies to fight back the torrential rain outside.

It takes many hours, in and out of class time, to get our students to the exhibition stage. We are very grateful for the input of these amazing teachers and for their efforts inspiring their students to produce the work you see here!

Art Exhibition Program -  Art in the Light 2026

Year 8 Basketball

On Monday 26 October, the Year 8 girls basketball team went to regionals at Mill Park. Overall, we were so impressed with how the girls played and encouraged each other. It was so enjoyable to be involved. Firstly, the team played Sirius College and came away with a win of 20 points. Next, we played Melbourne Girls College which was a very competitive game, and the girls tried so hard but sadly came away with a loss. Lastly, the team played a very close game against Montmorency and only lost by 2 points in the last second. It was very exciting to watch and I would like to do some shout outs to the girls on their games.

Amalie: Amazing skills and mature control of the game.
Libby: Tall arms defending and attacking.
Gabby: Perfect dribbling and directing at plays.
Jaeda: Kept a cool head with great passes and assists.
Lexie: Fabulous boxing out of shooter on free throws.
Ella: Always chased a loose ball and fought hard.
Liv: Super supportive of all team matters all day.
Abbi: Strong defence pressure.
Leah: Great Shooting and voice on court.

We finished the day with cake for Gabby’s birthday, thank you to Ms White for supplying it. Extra shout out to the awesome coaches, Maisie and Ralema. The girls should be so proud of their efforts. A big shout out to Ms White and Mr Hughes for accompanying us and being our scorer each game.   Maisie and Ralema, Coaches

Recently we held our first onsite SHCK Junior Japanese Speech Contest. Students from Year 7 and 8 were invited to nominate themselves to enter the competition. They were required to recite their self-introduction off by heart that they had been learning in class. We had a total of 11 participants, with their peers as members of the audience. We were fortunate also to have our Acting Principal and Head of Junior School be a part of this event. Although they were not able to understand much, they were very impressed by the level of the students Japanese in such a short time.

We would like to thank Mr Carroll and Mr Weir for attending and presenting the certificates and prizes to the students.

Thank you to the generosity of the Japan Foundation Contest Prize Grant the College received we were able to award 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place with manga, Pokémon and friend’s key chains and Doraemon gel click pens.

The competition was judged by our team of Japanese teachers and assistant teacher whom all found it extremely challenging to award places considering the high level.

We would like to thank our Japanese teachers and assistant teacher for taking on the difficult task of judging and the making event such a success. We look forward to holding similar events in the future for both Japanese and French.

Please see the list of winners below.

Year 7

1st Place - Bethany Carter

2nd Place -Edith Cummins

3rd Place - Laurel Bloomfield

Year 8

1st Place - Bryndis Halvarsson

2nd Place - Will O'Day

3rd Place - Jonah Sacco and Grace Batkovic

It has also been very busy in the Year 7 French classrooms as they had the opportunity to experience using the language taught in class in a real-life scenario. Students ordered their crepe and preferred topping before sitting down and enjoying the crepes with their classmates.

Spooky Reads!

The mid-term break is the perfect time to snuggle up with a spooky read! We have over 250 books in our horror and paranormal collections and even more books of these genres available in our digital collection.

Horror books are characterised by the way their authors use suspense, dread and confrontation with unknown sources to unsettle, disturb and frighten their readers! They are usually not a comfortable and cosy read!

Here’s a list of our top ten most circulated horror and paranormal books this year in order of popularity.

What is thunderstorm asthma?

During grass pollen season people may notice an increase in asthma and hay fever. Grass pollen season also brings the chance of thunderstorm asthma.

Thunderstorm asthma is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high grass pollen counts and a certain type of thunderstorm. For people who have asthma or hay fever this can cause severe asthma symptoms, making it difficult to breath. When a large number of people develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time, this is known as epidemic thunderstorm asthma. These epidemic thunderstorm asthma events don't happen every year but when they do, they can happen during grass pollen season, which is normally from October through December.

The College will be aware of forecast thunderstorms in the pollen season particularly on days with a HIGH or EXTREME pollen count. Students will be advised to remain indoors with doors and windows closed until the storm front has passed. On days of HIGH or EXTREME pollen counts asthma and hay fever suffers will be advised to remain indoors during recess and lunch.

Who is at risk?

Thunderstorm asthma can affect those with asthma or hay fever - especially people who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever. That’s why it’s important for people with asthma or hay fever to know about thunderstorm asthma and what they can do to help protect themselves during grass pollen season. Even if you don't think you have asthma or hay fever, don't ignore symptoms like wheezing or shortness of breath - check with your GP.

How can I protect myself if I have asthma or hay fever?

Here are some things you can do to prepare for pollen season:

• If you've ever had asthma – talk to your GP about what you can do to help protect yourself from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season. Remember taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
• If you experience wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or continuing coughing then you may have asthma. It’s important you talk to your GP and get it checked out.
• If you have hay fever – see your pharmacist or GP for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer – which is available from a pharmacy without a prescription.
• If you have hay fever, and especially if you experience wheezing and coughing with your hay fever, it is important to make sure you don’t also have asthma. Speak to your GP today about whether or not you might have asthma.

And finally, where possible avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October through December – especially in the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it onto recirculate.

If you develop asthma symptoms, follow your asthma action plan, or if you don’t have one yet, follow the four steps of asthma first aid.

Download the Vic Emergency app and set up a 'watch zone' for your location to receive advice and warnings about potential epidemic thunderstorm asthma events during the grass pollen season.