As Term Three comes to a close on Friday 18 September with an early dismissal at 2.30pm, our students and staff are looking forward to a well-earned change of pace and time for rest, relaxation and renewal.
Last week, we celebrated the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy. Across the Mercy world, preparations are also underway. As mentioned in last week’s Principal’s Update, the official feast day falls during our Term Three break on Thursday 24 September 2026. Please take a moment to view the video message below prepared by our Sacred Heart students. This message will be sent to the Sisters of Mercy in Geelong and Melbourne next Thursday to honour their enduring commitment to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy – serving the poor, sick and uneducated through schools, hospitals, shelters and clinics. It also highlights how our students continue to carry this legacy forward.
While most of the school community prepares to take a break, our students completing VCE Units 3 and 4 will be hard at work preparing for their practice exams. These begin with English on Friday 18 September and continue into week two of the holiday break, running from Tuesday 29 September through to Friday 2 October 2026. All VCE Unit 3/4 Practice Exams will take place in McAuley Hall and the HP rooms. Individual timetables are available for each student on Compass.
We extend our best wishes to Narelle Dickson (Student Engagement Leader and VCE/VM Teacher) as she departs Sacred Heart to continue her work in VCE VM at MacKillop Education. We also say farewell to Skye Barton (Food Technology Assistant) at the end of Term Three. Additionally, we acknowledge staff members taking leave:
We are proud to announce our newly elected College Captains for 2027:
These outstanding students underwent a rigorous selection process and they bring courage, determination, action and innovation to their leadership roles. We look forward to the energy and vision they will bring to our College community.
Uniform standards and College expectations remain high priorities for Term Four. During the break, please take time to ensure your student’s uniform meets our guidelines. For some, this will mean lowering the hem of the summer dress. Please click the links below for more information.
Looking ahead, the next Principal’s Update will be emailed on Thursday 8 October 2026.
I wish all the students and staff a safe and happy holiday break and I look forward to welcoming you back on Monday 5 October for the start of Term Four.
For your reference, I have repeated the end-of-term arrangements and holiday information from last week below.
Bus Travel Last Day of Term
Term Three concludes on Friday 18 September 2026, with an early finish at 2.30pm.
Term Three Holiday Information
All students and staff return on Monday 5 October 2026.
Wellbeing and Safety During the Break
During the holiday break, if you have any concerns regarding the safety of a young person from the College, please contact 000. Additional support is available from the following external services:
Other Useful Services:
| This Week | |
|---|---|
| Week Ten | |
| Thursday 17 September | Learn to Row Session Two 4.00pm to 6.00pm Barwon River |
| Rowing Parent Information Session 6.00pm to 7.00pm Jeff Sykes Rowing Shed, Barwon River | |
| Spring Concert 6.00pm to 8.00pm McAuley Hall | Sacred Heart College | |
| Friday 18 September | SHC and SJC Year 8 Wellbeing Day |
| Last Day of Term (2.30pm finish) | |
| Saturday 19 September | Learn to Row Session Three 8.00am to 12.00pm Barwon River |
| College Holiday Hours | |
|---|---|
| Week One | |
| Monday 21 September to Thursday 24 September | 8.30am to 4.00pm |
| Closed Friday 25 September – Grand Final Public Holiday | |
| Closed Monday 28 September | |
| Week Two | |
| Tuesday 29 September to Friday 2 October | 8.30am to 4.00pm |
| Future Planning | |
|---|---|
| Term Four, Week One | |
| Monday 5 October | Term Four Commences |
| Monday 5 October to Friday 9 October | Geelong Design Week |
| Tuesday 6 October | Legacy Event (Years 7 and 12) |
| Wednesday 7 October | Year 12 Seminar Day Four |
| Friday 8 October | House Football - Clairvaux v Siena |
| OCTOBER | |
|---|---|
| Monday 5 October | Term Four Commences |
| Monday 5 October to Friday 9 October | Geelong Design Week |
| Tuesday 6 October | Legacy Event (Years 7 and 12) |
| Wednesday 7 October | Year 12 Seminar Day Four |
| Friday 8 October | House Football - Clairvaux v Siena |
| Tuesday 13 October | 2027 New Families Welcome Evening |
| Wednesday 14 October | Year 12 Final Classes and Mass |
| Thursday 15 October | Year 12 Celebration Day | Walkathon |
| Friday 16 October | Year 12 Alumni Breakfast and Final Day |
| Wednesday 21 October | Year 7 Faith Day |
| Monday 26 October | VCAA Exams Commence | SPCs Published |
| Friday 30 October | World Teachers' Day |
| NOVEMBER | |
|---|---|
| Sunday 1 November | All Saints' Day |
| Monday 2 November to Tuesday 3 November | Spring Break (College Closed) All Souls' Day |
| Tuesday 3 November | Melbourne Cup (College Closed) |
| Wednesday 4 November | Parent Communication Afternoon |
| Wednesday 11 November | Remembrance Service Assembly |
| Friday 13 November | MYP4 and Unit 2 Exam Study Day Circle of Mercy |
| Sunday 15 November | Sacred Heart Alumni Committee Annual General Meeting |
| Monday 16 November | MYP4 and Unit 2 Exams Commence |
| Wednesday 18 November | VCAA Exams Conclude SHC and SJC Orientation |
| Thursday 19 November | MYP4 and Unit 2 Exams Conclude |
| Friday 20 November | End of Year Whole School Mass Year 12 Graduation Ceremony and Dinner |
| Monday 23 November | Unit 1 and Unit 3/4 Orientation |
| Tuesday 24 November | Jumpstart Orientation Year 7 Music Concert |
| Tuesday 24 November to Wednesday 25 November | Student Leadership Camp |
| Wednesday 25 November | 2027 Year 12 Seminar Day One |
| Monday 30 November | The Joy Project |
| DECEMBER | |
|---|---|
| Thursday 3 December | Unit 1 and Unit 3/4 Orientation Concludes |
| Friday 4 December | Last Day of Term Four |
| Monday 7 December | Correction Day |
| Tuesday 8 December | 2027 New Students Orientation |
| Friday 11 December | SOAs Published |
| Tuesday 15 December | Staff Last Day (College Closed for Event) |
| Friday 18 December | College Closes for 2026 |
This week marks the conclusion of our Self-Aware September initiatives, brilliantly led by our Student Leadership Team. Throughout the month, our school community rallied together to champion complete wellbeing, actively nurturing physical health, mental resilience and meaningful social connection.
Our student leaders seamlessly integrated key national awareness campaigns, including Child Protection Week, Indigenous Literacy Day and Wear It Purple Day, to foster a campus culture centred on safety, equality and inclusion. In recognition of R U OK? Week, students focused on actively supporting one another by sharing written words of encouragement, spreading positive affirmations around campus and initiating vital conversations about mental health and empathetic listening.
Physical wellness was equally celebrated during Love Your Body Week, empowering students to appreciate everything their bodies can accomplish. The Atrium came alive with laughter and movement during high-energy Just Dance sessions, which were thoughtfully balanced by peaceful yoga, designed for stress relief and mindfulness. Students learned how to fuel themselves adequately through their hydration station, for peak daily performance.
We extend our gratitude to our Student Leadership Team for guiding us through such a memorable month. Though Self-Aware September has ended, these essential self-care practices will continue to strengthen our school culture.
| Event Details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Tonight – Thursday 17 September 2026 |
| Time | 6.00pm to 8.00pm |
| Location | McAuley Hall | Sacred Heart College Geelong |
| Bookings | BOOK HERE |
We warmly invite you to join us tonight for our annual Spring Concert, a vibrant celebration of musical excellence. Our accomplished student musicians will take the stage to perform an inspiring selection of Australian-themed pieces. Come experience an unforgettable evening of live music as we showcase the remarkable talent and dedication of our performers. Please secure your free tickets by clicking the booking link above.
Please refer to the Compass News Feed for all year level reminders.
Compass will continue to be our primary form of communication with families, where we will share information for events, booklists, photo days, student reports, updates etc.
Students wishing to discuss potential changes to programs of study should contact Amanda Moody, Timetable Coordinator. Contact can be made via email at mljsubjects@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au.
It is important to remind our College community of the high expectations we have of each other. The 'SHC Way' emphasises the importance of commitment to excellence and respect, including following school expectations.
Being a part of a community involves committing to the same norms and values. Please ensure you are aware of and commit to the following:
Students and visitors can enter and exit the College grounds via the Retreat Road pedestrian gates.
A reminder to families that the George Street gate is not to be used for student drop-off or pick-up. This entry is for staff and construction contractors only as it is not a designated pedestrian entrance. In the interests of safety, please use the Retreat Road pedestrian gates.
Alternatively, students may also enter via the Court Precinct on Aphrasia Street between 8.00am and 9.00am.
Notifying Absences via Compass
Families are asked to notify the College of absences via the Compass App. This can be completed by logging in through a web browser or via the app if on a device.
After selecting the reason for absence, you may wish to add further information about the absence.
While Compass will be the preferred method for notifying absences moving forward, families are still welcome to notify the College via SMS 0419 959 693 or via email info@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
Financial Assistance
I encourage our families who are experiencing financial hardship to please contact the College so that we may assist. Further details are available here.
College Policies
The following Mercy Education policies are available here: College Policies. They can also be accessed by clicking the links below:
Reception
For general inquiries, absences, or if you require assistance in being directed to a specific department, please contact Reception at:
Phone: (03) 5221 4211
Email: info@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
Mentor Group Teachers
For matters related to your student's education, the Mentor Group Teacher should be the first point of contact. Please refer to your child's timetable for their Mentor Group Teacher’s email address.
House Leaders
For any inquiries regarding your student's House, please contact the respective House Leader:
Finance
For all fee-related queries, please contact the Finance Department:
Email: areceivable@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
IT Help Desk
For IT-related assistance, please reach out to our Help Desk:
Email: helpdesk@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
College Admissions Officer:
For all inquiries regarding student admissions, please contact:
Email: admissions@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
To access 2026 Semester One Principal's Updates, please click here.
September in Ireland can be mild, as the days mellow into autumn. Inevitably there will be rain, but the sun still tinges the scene, the pungency of peat smoke intensifies and the land hunkers down for the darknesses.
Born in a September and given a name, Catherine Elizabeth gazes from one of the windows of Coolock, its panes and muntin wood recalling the Cross, the mystery that owns and guides her.
She surveys with affection the expansive fields, a fertile region of crops and limestone quarries - her home, her workplace, her circle for twenty years. The air here is clear and healthy, brisk from the Irish Sea.
Perhaps she idly imagines mellowing into her own autumn - as a spinster nudging fifty, she has lived well beyond the average lifespan of an Irish woman of her time, and already done her share of care and sheltering, faithful tending and wound watching.
Despite mild appearances, she is not average; what beckons her is neither autumn nor winter, and what calls her is not mild but bold, bolder than she can ever envisage - a spring for the ages, seeds long latent splitting open to push the friable darkness and greet the sun and the inevitable rain, to become an unlikely flourish of blossom and fruit in the midst of the fretfully fetid air of the city.
As she gazes from the window, in these busy interim years between Coolock and Baggot St, years of change and finish, loss and unexpected gains, where grace introduces hope to opportunity, she does not yet know that Septembers will soon change forever.
She will have the key to the door in Baggot St by September 1827, to deal with and heal the aftermath of an enslaved people, a deprived society: denied education, worship, property, language - deprived but rising in a liberation ripe for guidance.
She does not yet know that she and the house will begin life together of all days on day twenty-four of a September - Feast of the liberation of the enslaved, feast of the strongest and most tender of women.
Catherine Elizabeth will then let play on her tongue the word mercy, that has long been a tenant in her heart, and she will release her heart to inhabit the house so gracefully and gratefully named.
For now, these Septembers before, she is between. In right time she will cross the threshold of her new home, a home for others, a home with others, a home for nourishment of mind, spirit and body - school, shelter, soup kitchen, singing-sanctuary, sacred-solace, society of good works, circle of friends.
Born, like her, in September, a September yet to come, and given a name - The House - of Mercy.
Mary Wickham RSM
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