We farewelled our Year 12 cohort of 2021 in October. With a Colour Run, days of dress ups and the signing of each other's Year 12 t-shirts, the students certainly made sure they would remember their final days at SHC, as we will indeed remember them! Their farewell culminated in their graduation, held on St Stephen's lawns at SHC.
We wish them all the best for what awaits them beyond the college gates, and hope they know they are always welcome back at SHC.
Please see below a photo gallery, featuring images from the Class of 2021's last days at SHC.
On the 4th of November, the Sacred Heart College community participated in Unity Day, a day of recognition and raising awareness for the issues that Indigenous Australians continue to face in today’s society.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest surviving culture in the world, having lived on for 75 000 years. We respect their tenacity in the challenges that they continue to face, but as people of the future, we must fight for the past of our country. We have to be active participants in the Reconciliation process. We have the chance to stand for what is right, and to create a future for all people of Australia. We, the catholic secondary schools of Djilang, walk with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters in recognition of the past, and in the spirit of hope and healing. We are the future, we understand the past, and we walk as one.
Students and teachers were given the opportunity to pledge their commitment to unity, and enjoyed live music performances from talented Sacred Heart students. Funds were raised towards the Opening the Doors Foundation, an organisation supporting educational opportunities for Aboriginal children.
For more information on this organisation, or to donate, visit their website: Opening the Doors
Geelong Catholic Colleges Unity Day Video
Changes to Bus Conveyance Allowance from 2022
ALL students will need to purchase a bus ticket in 2022 if wanting to travel from suburban Geelong, Bellarine or Surf Coast (public bus travel)
If you live in suburban Geelong, Bellarine or Surf Coast:
To view this information in more detail and to access the Conveyance Allowance bus travel form, please visit the College website under: Enrolment > Buses > Applying for Conveyance Allowance, or click here to be taken directly to the page: SHC Bus Information
Please see below important dates for the end of the 2021 school year and the beginning of the 2022 school year:
We wish all of those in the SHC community a wonderful, safe and relaxing holiday break. Thank you for all your hard work in yet another challenging year. See you in 2022!
Booklists are now available online via Campion website. All orders are to be completed online using the code: JXFR
Please submit your order/s by Wednesday 15 December 2021.
Orders will be delivered by Australia Post and sent by Tuesday 25 January 2022.
In her role as Shrine Young Ambassador, Eleanor Naylor 10CLMN was involved with commemoration proceedings at the Shrine in Melbourne for this year's Remembrance Day. As part of her duties for the day, she was also fortunate enough to meet and talk with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Premier Dan Andrews. As Eleanor reflects:
On Thursday I had the privilege of representing the school as part of my role as Shrine Young Ambassador for Remembrance Day. To have had the opportunity to commemorate this very important event in person, to place a wreath on behalf of the youth of our state, and to witness the natural ray of sunlight entering the sanctuary to shine on the Stone of Remembrance and illuminate the word LOVE on the phrase "Greater love hath no man" (from John 15:13) were highlights. The unbelievable chance to meet the Prime Minister, Mr Scott Morrison, Deputy PM, Mr Barnaby Joyce and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and to discuss with them the role we undertake was an experience I will never forget.
On the 21st of October 2021, Year 7 had the privilege to be a part of their first ‘Faith Day’ here at SHC. We started out in the morning by playing a few games outside and also visiting the Grotto. Throughout the day we enjoyed many activities such as sewing together hearts, crosses and other religious symbols as well as a trip to the chapel to admire the stained-glass windows and we even tried to make a few ourselves. We concluded the day with a liturgy and a slideshow of some of the amazing memories we’ve had so far this year. (mainly images from our camp at Mill Valley Ranch at the start of the year)
Personally, I think Faith Day was a huge success. We were able to connect with our faith and we learnt more about the importance of Mary and the life she lived both before and after the birth of her son Jesus.
Lily Walters 7CT
The theme for the Seeds of Justice conference was ‘Opening the Doors of Mercy – people seeking asylum and refugees in Australia. We were fortunate enough to hear from speakers Sally Morgan from the Hope CoOperative, Angela Scarafilo from Young Mercy Links, and Asma Mohammad Rahim who has experienced being a refugee herself.
It was a great experience and it gave us the opportunity to understand how refugees and asylum seekers are within the local community, whilst giving us an insight into the challenges, discrimination and hardships that refugees and asylum seekers face on a daily basis- just to have the basic rights and freedoms that every human deserves.
During the conference, we were asked to come up with some school initiatives, and we came up with some short term and long term projects:
Short term:
Long term:
Jasmin Powell 11SIJPO is one of our very talented musicians, whose prolific song writing and performing talent has already captured the attention of the music industry. During her time at SHC, Jasmin has often played for our concerts and events, while also building a well-earned following throughout venues around Geelong and the Surfcoast.
Jasmin’s passion for music was
awakened at an early age, beginning with guitar at age 7 and then discovering
her vocal ability two years later. With an eclectic range of influences
encompassing everything from the Beatles to Rodriguez and everything in
between, Jasmin continues to produce heartfelt and authentic songs derived from
personal experiences.
In July of this year, Jasmin released her new composition, DIVOC on Triple J Unearthed. This song evolved from ideas developed in her music class, culminating in a wonderfully creative finished work. Like many songs of the current time, the song captures the experience of being a young person in the Covid 19 era.
Jasmin is no stranger to the music industry, releasing her first song on Triple J in 2019. This led to her featured appearance on ABC’s Behind the News for Australian Music Month in October 2019, where she interviewed the legendary Paul Kelly. During this interview the two musicians chatted about song writing and their musical influences, and this episode can still be viewed on the Behind the News website.
Jasmin’s musical journey is a story of creativity, hard work and resilience in a time which is proving difficult for all performing artists, and we wish her continued success.
If you would like to listen to Jasmin’s new song please follow this link: Triple J Unearthed - Jasmin Powell
For the latest Principal's Update to Families, please click here.
We All Rotate
We All Rotate is a foundation that is set on helping people in Nepal. In May/April in 2015 Steve Beatty (Founder) was in Nepal when dangerous earthquakes started to occur. So, he decided to start the We All Rotate Foundation. At Sacred Heart, Year 7s raised money for Living Mercy to help sponsor 5 girls in Nepal so they can be lucky enough to attend school. Each class sponsored 1 girl. Year 7s managed to raise around $2700 dollars! We raised this money by doing an act of kindness. Each student was expected to bring at least $10 to class. Some people would sell lemonade, or mow someone’s lawn for money. I, for example, managed to raise $220 by baking and decorating cakes and then selling them over the school holidays for $20 per cake, after my mum sent out a post on Facebook for me:
Hi beautiful community, I’m posting this on behalf of my Yr 7 daughter. We would love to get community support for her cause. This is part of her Living Mercy activity through school where she is raising money for girls in Nepal.
Hello everyone! Throughout the school holidays, I will be taking orders for Vanilla Sponge Cakes with Buttercream frosting, that I’ll bake and decorate. These cakes will be sold for $20. All money will go towards sponsoring a girl in Nepal to attend school. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help me raise money for this cause. Please message my mum privately to place your order. All ingredients will be listed. The cakes will contain dairy, gluten and eggs. GF options are possible, please just let me know. Thank you, Mia
I stopped by at customer's houses and would give them the cake that they ordered. The process of baking the cakes was challenging and did take me some time. During the school holidays in lockdown, I baked 11 cakes for Living Mercy. The experience was difficult, yet a good chance to take part in Living Mercy, and raising money for a girl in Nepal so she can attend school, as well as raising awareness for this cause.
Mia Spurigan 7DBO
Year 9 Core Science classes have finished the semester with a Physics unit where the terminal velocity of parachutes was investigated. After researching air resistance and the effect of deploying parachutes, students developed a hypothesis based around surface area, shape or hanging mass of a parachute.
Constructions have been tested (safely!). Their analysis of precision within the results as well as an explanation of results with respect to physical phenomena is progressing nicely!
Our VCAL students have been very busy lately! Here is a snapshot of some of the activities they have undertaken.
Team Challenge Anglesea:
I really enjoyed the team building activities that we did in Anglesea, I found that even if you weren’t in a group with your friends, everybody was able to get along and have a laugh with each other and I think that it actually did help us get closer together as a class. My favourite activity was the first activity we did with the bell and the pipe, we didn’t do it very well but I just found it so funny.
Isla Riches 11CLAFE
Personal Challenge – Surfing Torquay:
Even though it has been another year of covid, we still got to get out on excursions. One that stood out to me was the surfing excursion that was last Tuesday. I thought the surfing excursion was a really fun experience and I was able to push myself to get into the cold water and have a go. Oh boy I did not expect the water to be this cold but I wanted to just keep going and give it a go. Wow, the waves were so much fun. I wasn’t really sure on how to get going and catch a wave so I got one of the teachers who were in the water to help me catch my first wave. After three or four times of them helping, I tried to do it myself. I was struggling when I lay down on the board to balance myself but I still pushed myself time and time again, even those times when I couldn’t even lay on the board. I was really happy with myself cause after many times of trying I did succeed to stand up for at least a second.
Jess Garvey 11LORMC
Werribee Open Range Zoo:
In the VCAL group we were able to experience an excursion to the Werribee Zoo, as part of our Work Related Skills – Careers tasks we got to meet one of the zookeepers who works with the animals and she explained to us how she was able to get the job of a zookeeper, she spoke about her challenges and struggles of becoming a zookeeper and being able to work with animals full time, even after all the hard times she spoke about how amazing it was to achieve her goal of her dream job of a zookeeper. She gave us an idea of where to start if we did want to work in the animal department as a future job. We were also able to experience a safari bus trip around the back of the zoo, we were able to see animals up close from all around the world including giraffes, rhinos, zebras etc. overall I had a really enjoyable time and it was a great experience to see animals you many never see again up close and in real life.
Lucy McBain 11CLABA
Community Project Fundraising:
Despite COVID lockdowns and restrictions we were still able to complete aspects of our VCAL Community Projects. Fundraiser biscuits baked through my traineeship that I decorated to support Down Syndrome – Victoria were sold in honour of my late friend, Georgia Brown. Although I was only able to make a certain amount of biscuits due to lockdowns restricting supplies, I am pleased to be able to donate to a worthy cause.
Kiarra Sunderland 12PAAEH
Our Headspace Community Project Silent Auction was finally able to go ahead and we appreciate everyone’s support and patience with the changes to the project that started as a ‘sit-down’ formal fundraiser dinner and eventuated as an online silent auction. Thank you very much for bidding on our auction items and for our wonderful donations to support Headspace – Geelong. We have managed to raise over $1200 through this project which wonderful.
Lucy Wood 12SIAWB & Alicia Hawkins 12PAAAH
CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT 2022
Throughout Term 2 and Term 3, Sacred Heart participated in the ‘Corangamite Climate Change Project’, an environmental initiative which challenged our school community to be more environmentally friendly. Both primary and secondary schools in the Corangamite electorate were invited to participate in this challenge and each came up with their own initiative in two of the three categories; energy, transport and food.
Sacred Heart College won the Secondary School division, with their dedication to composting and reducing our energy consumption. Last week, Libby Coker MP, visited the school to present our team with our prize of $1000, which will be used to plan a new environmental program next year and a lemon tree.
A big congratulations to all of those students who were involved in the organisation of the initiative.
In 2021 Olivia Schubert 10SIJAG has been studying year 10 Indonesian with the Victorian School of Languages via Distance Education.
Olivia has shown commitment and has worked hard at her Indonesian studies and is the 2021 recipient of the Best Effort Award for Year 10 Indonesian. Congratulations Olivia!
Thank you to all those who contributed to the overwhelming success of the 2021 Spring Sleep Out. On behalf of the organising committee I would like to extend our gratitude for your support of this year’s covid style sleep out. Around 300 students signed up to sleep out over the September holidays. In addition, some family members and pets joined in too!
Remote learning has impacted greatly on our ability to come together and serve others, however, the number of people needing assistance across Geelong is unprecedented. The recognition of the suffering of others led a group of Year 11 students to work with Mrs Humphrey and Ms Negro to make this service opportunity a reality.
This project was based on principles of Catholic Social Teaching and our Mercy Values, employing an advocacy approach to inspire students to become agents of positive change in the world around us. This Mercy Justice Initiative raised awareness for the local homelessness crisis and the growing number of people experiencing social isolation during covid restrictions.
Lazarus Community Centre, Geelong will receive a cash donation of $2100, plus vouchers and personal hygiene items generously donated by participants and their supporters.
Through the establishment of a real world partnership with Lazarus we are able to understand the complexities of the needs of our marginalised neighbours and identify our individual capacity to assist others. Their Mission is “to provide a safe and welcoming place for people to meet and be supported as valued members of our community.” Click here https://lazarushouse.com.au/ to learn more about Lazarus and follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lazaruscommunitycentre.
By partnering with Lazarus we are able to improve the life and wellbeing of those accessing support not only through the supply of material goods but the knowledge that they are not alone, they are not invisible, they are not forgotten. Sincere gratitude to all involved on behalf of the organisers, and Lazarus Community Centre volunteers and clients.
A big thank you and congratulations to Indigo Irving 11CLBWI, Lainey Karlich 11LODG, Madeline Grace 11SIJPO and Grace Williamson 11SIDJ for their passion, time and organisation in coordinating this Mercy Justice Initiative for the whole school community.
“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” Proverbs 14:31
Indigo Irving 11CLBWI
Our very talented students and staff have worked on an online music concert over the last few months. Click on the video below to see all their hard work and talent on display.
This year in 2021 we celebrate 175 years of Mercy education in Australia, with Sacred Heart College being the third Mercy school established in Australia.
Please click on the image below to read the Mercy Commemorative book, which shows the important impact that Mercy education has had on Australian society since 1846.
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