A sunny morning, a bit of light rain and some warm humid weather greeted us this year for the Athletics Carnival at SHC on Friday 18 March. The day started beautifully with the Opening Ceremony Performance by our Student House Leaders. Our four house themes this year were: Padua – Time Travel, Loyola - 2000’s, Siena - On the Big Screen, Clairvaux - Family.

Congratulations to all those who participated and earned a participation point for their house. It was great to see so many students giving it their best in the different track and field events, the Fountain Lakes Fitness Festival participation area and out enjoying the day.

Big thank you to the SHC staff, maintenance, administration officers, and IT staff who make this such a wonderful day!

The Fashions on the Field and House Cheers were well supported by all house members.

RESULTS:

House Fashions on the Field

House Cheers

Congratulations to the Captains who organised the Cheers at the Carnival. What an amazing effort!

Fountain Lakes Fitness Festival

Participation Points

60m – Clairvaux 87, Loyola 63, Siena 61, Padua 98

College Classic - Top 10 quickest 100 times

New Records

YEAR 12

YEAR 9

YEAR 8

YEAR 7

Year Level Champions

OVERALL HOUSE POINTS TOTALS

Bianca Cheever, Director of Sport

Please see below a selection of images from the day. To view all images, please click on 'Imagebank' under the 'Media' tab on the student portal.

The 2022 Maguire Celebration will be held onsite at the College on the Main Oval on Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 5.30pm.

To ensure a 7.00pm finish, we ask that students and families are seated by 5.00pm please. Further details will be available in the upcoming editions of the Principal's Update, eg after-school student supervision (if required), entry gate for each House, COVID-19 check in information etc.

It is an expectation that all students attend this celebration and families are encouraged to join the College community for this special event.

A reminder to families that all guests at the Maguire Celebration (excluding students) must be double vaccinated. Families are asked to have their vaccination certificates ready for checking at the entry gates.

The College's Annual Winter Concert will be held on Tuesday 31 May 2022 at 6.30pm in McAuley Hall. Students, families and the wider SHC community are warmly invited to come along and enjoy what should be a very entertaining evening. 

The event will showcase our talented musicians performing as part of the College's many ensembles: Yingalay Choir, Orchestra, Prelude Ensemble, String Ensemble, Broadway Chorus, Guitar Ensemble as well as student soloists. Bookings are not required.

Please see flyer below for more information.

This year our SHC swimmers representative team competed in the All Schools Swimming Relays, held on Monday 7 March at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Students and staff headed up on a bus together straight after school. All students came prepared to race and were very supportive of one another cheering and clapping throughout the events.

Sacred Heart College were very competitive in all relay events and the students should be very proud of their efforts. Well done!

I would like to say thank you to all students who came along on the night and a special thanks to Miss Abbey Turner for organising the team before the competition and Miss Macy McKoy from attending the night.

Team:

Beth Andrews, Mateah Thompson, Brianna Giles, Claudia Draper, Georgia McCardel, Jade Walters, Sophia Poh, Chanel Simsic, Macy Lee, Amelia Shell, Stella Draper, Sabrina Poh, Chloe Reyntjes, Imogen Hall, Milla Browning, Milli Harris, Madison Rafter, Elleischa Sizer, Bella Leahy, Lily Franklin, Natalia Muises-Khoury, Lola Thomas, Charli Hill, Remi Butcher, Georgia Caracella, Ella Rutjens, Chloe Leen, Jamie Flanagan, Eva Leggett, Sian Hughes, Lily Wheeldon, Annika Baranski, Chloe Walsh, Zoe Honey, Zoe Parker, Sarah Miller.

Bianca Cheever, Director of Sport

The Cutest Pet Competition is an annual event for all of our Year 7s. Voting is online and open to the whole school, with the most popular pets placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 

This year the winners were 1st - Jim, owner Maeva Smith LOKAJ, 2nd - Disco, owner Grace Dawson LORMC and 3rd - Billie, owner Neve Nielsen PATGL. 

The competition is run by Mrs Carlin through the library. Prizes are awarded to both the pet and their owner - we hope Jim enjoys his chicken drumsticks!

Chani Hawksworth, Information Specialist

Term 1 will finish on Friday 8 April. Please note the earlier finishing time of 2.30pm on this day.

Important information for CDC travellers: 

For students catching CDC buses, please check with your bus driver regarding times for afternoon services leaving from SHC on this day. The College has been advised that all CDC buses will be running to a normal timetable and will not be picking up at school at 2.30pm, it will be later as per usual bus times.

College Reception will be open the first week of the holidays, Monday 11 April - Thursday 14 April, (closed Friday 15 April for Good Friday).

Students and staff will resume for term 2 on Tuesday 26 April (Monday 25 April is a Public Holiday due to ANZAC Day).

We wish all our staff and students a safe and relaxing break. Happy Easter to all!

On Wednesday 16 March the Library held its inaugural ‘Books I Love’ book talk in the quiet room of the Learning Centre. Every Wednesday for the rest of term 1 (and fortnightly in terms 2, 3 and 4) a staff member and student will discuss a book they love with other readers. 

For our first event, we were fortunate to have Mrs Rose Schaffner enthusiastically promote The Drover’s Wife by Leah Purcell. Yr 10 student, Tiahnee McGrath, then passionately discussed Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. 

The students and staff who attended the event declared it a success and are looking forward to each week’s Books I Love book talk.

My special place

The wind whistles and blows my hair onto my face. Girls scream and run for cover from the freezing cold. I slowly drag my legs toward the Learning Centre, the frost making my teeth chatter. As the doors slide open, my heart smiles at the comfort and warmth the building provides. I glance at students whispering to each other on the first floor. I shuffle up the stairs, my heeled shoes make a ‘clack' on the wooden stairs. The number of girls becomes fewer and fewer until there are only about a dozen girls at the top of the staircase. At the sight of the bookshelves, my heart skips a beat.

I rub my hands together to remove the chill and enthusiastically scuttle to the abundance of books. My fingers dance gently over the unique covers. Delicate, worn, new, colourful, it has it all. I look up at the different categories and am elated to see that this enchanting place has my favourite genre: fantasy. Books that I have previously read catch my eye. Memories of reading in my room, the car, the emotion that they had brought, bubble to the surface. One book, in particular, diverts my attention. ‘Whisper’.

The plain cover contrasts with the rest of the colourful books. I start to read the blurb and by the end, my curiosity has reached its maximum. I flip the first page open and, even whilst I’m finding a seat, start reading. I feel the pain in my chest grow when the main character’s sad and the joy in my heart increases when she’s content. After the first few delightful chapters, the bell rings and I immediately ask the librarian if I can borrow the book. “Of course!” she says. Finally, I go to class - ecstatic.

Books make me feel like I can be wherever I want, whenever I want. I can be in the world of fantasy and my real world at the same time. Reading has a special place in my heart. It has helped my learning and speech immensely. It has even inspired me to write stories of my own! If that’s how I feel about just a couple of books, imagine being surrounded by thousands of them. That is why the Learning Centre is definitely my ‘Special Place.

On 7 March 22 students participated in the SCSA Tennis at Geelong Lawn Tennis Club, competing against a range of different schools including Clonard, Ave Maria, Avila, OLSH and Catholic Ladies College. The students played in 6-8 sets and had some fantastic rallies throughout the day. Amazing sportsmanship and support were displayed by the students. Junior, Intermediate and Senior teams all fought hard throughout the day against some tough competition.

Congratulations to the following students:

Juniors

Sienna Clatworthy

Isabella Saunders

Eden Dakovic

Jasmine Williams

Grace Dawson

Sienna Thompson

Alexia Ficca

Intermediate

Yvette Harman

Annie Henderson

Matilda Jablonski

Matilda Iles

Mia Aitken

Monique Fox

Hannah Burke

Zoe Morrison

Seniors

Lucy Bruenjes

Annie Cayzer

Ava Wharton

Olivia Campbell

Ella Richardson

Georgia-Rose Aitken

For the latest Principal's Update to Families, please click here.

On Thursday 24 March, 51 students took part in the SCSA Division 1 Swimming and Diving competition held at MSAC. The students plus five staff headed up to the event in the afternoon. All the students were excited and ready to go when we arrived. It was a fantastic night for the SHC team as they all competed as best as they could and as a team, cheering each other on from the stands.

Sacred Heart had a very successful night with the overall results showing great individual and team spirit. The SHC Swimming team finished first in the Junior and Senior divisions and 3^rd in the intermediates. This resulted in SHC winning the overall trophy as well.

The SHC Divers also had a successful night which resulted in 2^nd overall.

A big congratulations to all students who participated on the night, it was great to see team spirit and determination from all.

A huge thank you to Miss Abbey Turner for organising the swim team, Mrs. Marcelle Korth and George Niewman for organising, supporting and supervising the diving team. To the Year 12 students who have contributed to the swimming team over the last 6 years, thank you. Thank you to Miss Amy Whitfield and Kate Swift for their assistance on the night Overall it was a fantastic night.

Bianca Cheever, Sport Coordinator

2022 Maguire Celebration: College Captains' Address

(Zara)

Thank you all for joining us tonight for the 2022 Maguire Celebration. It’s taken a couple of tries to get here, but we are so grateful that tonight we are here gathering as a whole school community, together, for the first time this year. We hope to make 2022 a year of healing, connection, love and respect.

Over the past couple of years, we are no strangers to the challenges life can throw at us. Grace, Stella and I want to take this year as an opportunity to grow with all of you as we return into a ‘Covid Normal’ state. To make 2022 our year, we need to celebrate with one another, love one another and support one another.

(Stella)

So it is with great pleasure that we announce our 2022 Sacred Heart College theme, “Embrace, Encourage, Empower.”

For us, the 3 Es represent growth and strength as a community to be the best versions of ourselves. It is reflective of the Catherine McAuley quote, “Our charity is to be cordial. Now cordial signifies something that renews, invigorates and warms. Such should be the effect of our love for each other”. And the Scripture passage Proverbs 3:18: "They are a tree of life to those who embrace them, and those who hold on to them are happy.” This year, we invite you to ‘do the 3 E’s’.

(Grace)

We challenge you to embrace change and the hurdles life has in store for you. We encourage you to reach out if you need a little extra love and support and to believe in yourself. We want to empower you to make a difference and stand up for what you believe in. This is your year to start writing the next chapter of growth, strength and love.

Be the friend with the big heart; who appreciates everyone for who they are... the one who gives without expecting anything in return... and the one who is understanding, and who listens to others.

Hold out your arms, embrace each other.

Cheer on your peers, encourage each other.

Lend a hand, empower each other.

We are so excited for 2022 and we look forward to seeing how each and every one of you embraces, encourages and empowers. Thank you.

2022 Maguire Celebration – Principal’s Address

Good evening and how wonderful it is to be able to come together to celebrate as a College Community (even if we’re not a GMHBA stadium).

As much as COVID -19 has taught us many new lessons it robbed us of what is at the heart of humanity – the ability to gather, to spend time together and to build relationships. We have reclaimed this tonight, and I extend an invitation to you, alumni and your extended family to again come together as the Sacred Heart College community, in a belated celebration of our 160^th Anniversary where the focus will be on faith, family, food, and fun on Sunday 15 May, commencing with Mass at 10.30am on this oval followed by carnival wild rides, food vans, a market, music and more. Information will be provided, over the next few weeks, via my Principal’s Update to Families this Friday.

Congratulations to our College Captains Stella, Zara and Grace. The 3 ‘Es’ Embrace, Encourage, Empower capture what is needed now in what I hope is a post COVID time. Well done!

I also extend my congratulations

• To our 2022 student leaders and staff presenters
• To all our award and scholarship recipients and to the students who shared their talents through the performances we enjoyed tonight.

Please join with me as I thank the Maguire Celebration Planning Team: Directors: Margaret Wills and Stacey Carmichael, Laura Dillon, Catherine Middlemiss, Julie Tucker, Alan Riggs, Megan Den Dryver, Elizabeth Coutts, and Nam Huynh.

I appreciate that you are keen to get home to watch yet another celebration – that of the life of sporting hero and larrikin Shane Warne - so I will keep my remarks brief.

At home, on my coffee table sits a book titled - ‘Because She Can’. It captures responses from 30 diverse and amazing women who have contributed to Melbourne and the world to one question, - ‘If you could do anything, what would it be? The stories of these women take you on an emotional journey ranging from delight to heartbreak, yet always inspiring. Each woman is connected by a common thread, believing in a cause with a deep-rooted passion that leads them to create positive change. Each of the women turn uncertainty into courage.

I have no doubt that had these interviews taken place in Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy and Mother Xavier Maguire’s time their stories would have been included because both women took their passion to empower women and with courage, agility and adaptability they created what we have today.

Girls, you are the next generation of this Mercy Story and in years to come I want to have your stories sitting in a book on my coffee table in my home.

In line with our 2022 College theme, the 3 Es - Embrace, Encourage, Empower, I ask you - ‘If you could do anything, what would it be?’

Now, take a quick look around you. – Whatever your goal, this is the community that will support you in your quest to turn uncertainty into courage and become because that becoming begins here and now within the safety of home and school. Thank you.

Please see below a selection of images from the evening. To view more images, students can do so by clicking on Imagebank (under 'Media') on the Student Portal.