Hearts News – Thursday 5 December 2024 (Week 8 Term 4)

On Friday, our Hearts families came together to celebrate and farewell the Class of 2024 at the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony.

To our Sacred Heart College community

What an incredible year!

2024 has seen wonderful success from our students in all aspects of College life and we congratulate each and every young person for their achievements, personal growth and contributions to our community.

After the dynamic and student-led Year 9 Rite Journey Homecoming Celebration last Thursday, we celebrated the Class of 2024 at our Year 12 Graduation on Friday. Both of these ‘Rites of Passage’ are significant events in the lives of our students, however, what was heartwarming at each of these special occasions was the loving presence of family members and friends. 

Thank you to all of the parents, friends and carers in our Hearts community who support our students to be at their best. Along with families, we extend tremendous gratitude to the teachers and support staff who have worked alongside our students throughout the year, challenging them, supporting them and helping them develop into the best version of themselves.

As we enter the holiday season, we express our deep gratitude to all those who have contributed to our Hearts community throughout the year and we wish you a safe, holy and happy Christmas season.  

Danielle Greig
Acting Deputy Principal

Farewell to the Class of 2024: Year 12 Graduation

Last Friday, our Sacred Heart College community came together to celebrate the Class of 2024 and reflect on the year that was. It was a time for our Year 12 students to celebrate all of their achievements with family and friends. Our College Principal, Daniel Lynch, presented each student with their Graduation Certitifcate and a gift from the College. Families were also treated to heartwarming videos highlighting the milestones and activities our students have experienced this year including Sports Day, Year 12 Retreat, the formal and the conclusion of Year 12 classes earlier this term. After the formal proceedings, our community joined together to celebrate over some nibbles and drinks. 

We thank the Heads of House, Assistant Heads of House, Year 10/11 Student Leaders, and all of the staff behind the scenes that worked to make the Year 12 Graduation such a spectacular event. We wish our Year 12s every success in their next chapters! Once a Heart, always a Heart. 

2024 Year 12 Graduation photos

The 2024 Year 12 Graduation photos will be available on Monday 9 December and can be viewed, purchased or downloaded from the Festival Photography website.

Enter the Access Code: SHC2024 (case sensitive)

Prints and High Res Digital downloads are also available to purchase. For the next 2 weeks Festival Photography are running a special promotion – purchase any 5 High Res digital downloads from the website for only $50 or 10 for just $80. Simply add the Package in your shopping cart.

The Rite Journey Homecoming Ceremony

Last Thursday evening the Year 9 students and their families gathered to celebrate the culmination of the Rite Journey program. In a wonderful student-led event, families of our Year 9 cohort were treated to a highlights reel of the students’ experiences across the year.

We witnessed juggling, stave throwing and heard from our roving microphone, in a courageous display of learning. Students shared their experiences of the Rite Journey program, providing  insights into the weekly lessons, the challenges, outreach component and the Rite Journey camp. 

It was a night full of gratitude and a wonderful opportunity for the students, parents and the Rite Journey mentor teachers to reflect on the significant growth that has occurred across this school year.

Announcing our 2025 Year 9 Champagnat Student Leadership team

At the Champagnat End of Year Assembly last week, the Year 9 Student Leadership team for 2025 were announced. Eighteen Year 9 leaders will oversee a range of portfolio and House leadership positions, and will work collaboratively to serve the Champagnat community in their final year at Champagnat Campus before transitioning to Marcellin Campus in 2026.

We congratulate the following students:

Champagnat End of Year Awards Assembly (Years 7-9)

On Friday 29 November, Champagnat farewelled its Year 9 students as they begin their transition to Marcellin Campus. We also inducted our 2025 Year 9 Student Leaders (listed above). The event, attended by the College Leadership Team, our Marist Brothers, former Head of Campus Mr Alex Dighton, as well as parents and siblings, saw the presentation of significant annual awards for service, community and excellence. 

The College’s annual awards recognise the significant contribution individual students make to supporting the culture, life and success of Champagnat Campus. We congratulate the following students:

2025 Orientation Days

On Friday 22 November, we warmly welcomed the newest members of our Hearts community across both campuses, for our annual Orientation Day and Transition Days. These students are set to begin at Sacred Heart in 2025.

At Champagnat Campus, Year 6 students arrived to participate in a range of activities that enabled them to meet their peers, build connections and experience their new school environment. There were a range of activities in rotation through on the day, led by staff and the current Year 7 and 8 student leaders. Students were given the opportunity to participate in team building games and relays, create a foaming chemical reaction in the science laboratories and contribute to a combined Year 7 artwork. They also learnt about their House, created a House keyring, toured the campus and had the opportunity to participate in a ‘Peer Q&A’ about starting high school. At lunchtime, students were treated to an ice cream and a performance by one of our SHC bands, showcasing some of our amazing talents. They were also introduced to a student from their 2025 homeroom and spent recess with them before attending a House assembly. The day finished with the opportunity to make icing in the Food Technology kitchen and decorate some cupcakes in SHC colours to take home.

At Marcellin Campus, we welcomed our new Year 9 students, and new Year 10-12 students, including our new Boarding families. Students were assigned to their House groups, and took part in game-based activities to build their House spirit. They then attended an assembly to get an insight into life in the senior years at Marcellin Campus.

The Sacred Heart Boarding Community welcomed 55 new boarders and their families to Orientation Day, an important part of their transition into our Hearts Community. It was wonderful to have so many of our current boarders volunteer to help make our new community members feel welcomed. There was a great atmosphere in the boarding house throughout the morning. This was especially the case at our shared morning tea with new families, boarding staff and current boarding representatives.

This week incoming Year 10 students commencing in 2025 began their first week at Marcellin Campus with an exciting mix of activities designed to ease their transition and set the tone for a successful year. They participated in off-site excursions to engaging learning environments, fostering teamwork and practical exploration beyond the classroom. Additionally, students commenced their SACE journey with completion of a task for Stage 1 subject, Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF), diving into activities that encouraged self-reflection and goal setting. This dynamic start helped build connections, confidence, and a clear vision for their journey ahead, and we are thrilled to see the energy and potential this group brings to the beginning of 2025.

We look forward to officially welcoming our new students in 2025!

Social Media and Child Safeguarding

At Sacred Heart College, Child Safeguarding is of the utmost importance and this includes teaching students about a variety of risks via the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum and our Pastoral Care structures. We understand that mobile devices are an important communication medium and have significant benefits for use in the broader community; however, research has found that “Mobile digital device use in schools has the potential to disrupt student wellbeing and affect the education of the whole child” (Griffiths & Williams, 2018). In addition to mobile phone use in schools, we know that device use, and specifically social media, can bring significant risk to students in and out of the education environment.  

Please see the following letter from the Hon. Peter Malinauskas MP, Premier of South Australia and the Hon. Blair Boyer MP, Minister for Education about the social media legislation that passed in Federal Parliament this week. We ask that you use this as a prompt to discuss the impact of social media with your child and we thank you for your support in ensuring young people do not access social media until they are 16 years of age.

Year 12 student wins Arch D Podcast Award

The College was pleased to host the Arch D Podcasting Awards ceremony for 2024. Out of 24 Catholic Schools across South Australia, a HUGE congratulations to Year 12 students, Anneliese Pittman for winning the ‘Most Creative Podcast’ award (Senior category) for the episode titled ‘After Graduation’, which you can listen to here.

Graduating Year 12 students Anneliese and Abigail (Abi) Hunt have been regular contributors to the Arch D podcast across their time at the College, producing high quality episodes covering a range of topics, including their 2023 Immersion experience and growing up as an adolescent in current times. We wish Annelise and Abi all the best with their future endeavours. 

Adelaide 36ers visit Champagnat

Last Thursday, our basketball students had the exciting opportunity to attend a presentation and meet-and-greet with Adelaide 36ers players Jason Cadee, Ben Griscti, and Jarell Martin. During the session, the players shared inspiring stories about their basketball journeys, offering valuable insights into the dedication and perseverance required to succeed in the sport. Our captains, Archer and Lucy, then led an engaging and entertaining Q&A session, uncovering fun facts like the players’ favourite travel companions, their most memorable team victories, and their advice on chasing dreams and achieving success. The event concluded with a special signing session, where every student received a gifted singlet and even had their basketball shoes signed by the players.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the chance to connect with the athletes on a personal level. We are deeply grateful for our school’s partnership with the Adelaide 36ers and look forward to the continued opportunities this collaboration will bring in the year ahead.

2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge

“The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~ A quote by Dr Suess. And it’s 100% accurate.

This year, 24 students from Years 7 to 12 participated in the Premier’s Reading Challenge and celebrated their achievements with a morning tea. We congratulate these students for taking part in the Challenge.

Research tells us that students who read independently have greater reading comprehension, verbal fluency, and general knowledge than their non-reading peers. Reading is a gateway to learning anything about everything. When you watch television or a movie, the information is given to you on the screen – there’s nothing you need to imagine. A book in its pure form usues imagination and does wonders for developing creativity and imagination. In the words of former US President, Barack Obama, “Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you.” Books are like windows. By looking through them, you can see different views on humanity, current events, history, culture, and more.

These students can delve into the world in which they live to become informed global citizens with the knowledge to become activists for change in their future as they go out into the world with courageous hearts.

Music News

SHC Drumline performs at Glenelg Christmas Pageant 

On Sunday 24 November the Sacred Heart College Drumline once again participated in the Glenelg Christmas Pageant. The crowds lined the streets to see all the floats and groups walking along Jetty Road with festive cheer. This was a great opportunity for our students to showcase their amazing musical talents and to prouldy represent Sacred Heart College. The highlight of the day was seeing Year 7 student, Enzo Cornejo participating in the pageant playing the bass drum. It was a great time of joy and excitement, we already can’t wait to participate in next year’s pageant.

Primary School Band Tour

On Wednesday of Week 7, our Drumline, Concert Band (The Saba Project), Choir (Vocal Harmony), SuperBand, and Year 9 Bands took part in the much-loved annual Primary School Band Tour. We performed at McAuley Community school and St Bernadette’s Primary School, reconnecting with familiar faces and sharing the joy of music. For many of our students, it was a special opportunity to return to their former schools and inspire the Year 6 students, many of whom will join Sacred Heart in 2025.

The Concert Band energised audiences with their lively renditions of ‘Funky Town’ and ’Oompa Loompa’, while the Choir and SuperBand teamed up to deliver a breathtaking performance of ‘Skyfall’. The Year 9 Bands kept the energy high with their performances of ‘Take Me Out’ and ‘Shut Up and Dance’. It was a wonderful day of music-making and community connection, leaving everyone excited for the musical opportunities ahead at Sacred Heart.

Sports News

As Term 4 comes to a close, it is time to reflect on another fantastic year of sport at the College. From the courts to the fields, our students have shown sportsmanship and enthusiasm across an extensive range of sports, with many students trying a new sport for the first time. 

A special mention goes to our Year 12 students who have played their final matches for the College; your contribution to teams over the years has been invaluable, and we thank you for your commitment and passion to the Hearts community. We wish you every success in your future endeavours and hope you carry fond memories of your time playing sport with Sacred Heart. For any Year 12’s who might be interested in returning to the College in a coaching or umpiring capacity, please do not hesitate to reach out to your relevant Sports Coordinator!

We also extend our gratitude to all the volunteers, coaches, umpires and parents/caregivers who have been a part of the College’s sporting programs throughout the year. Without your support and dedication towards our students, our programs would not be possible.

We look forward to another exciting and successful year ahead for sport in 2025.

50th Annual Marist Cricket Carnival

The 50th Annual Marist Cricket Carnival, hosted this year by St Joseph’s Hunters Hill, Sydney, is well and truly underway with our Sacred Heart boys doing extremely well, making it through to the semi final against Marist College Canberra today after wins against Marcellin College Bulleen and Marist College Ashgrove. Unfortunately our boys lost by 7 wickets (Marist College Canberra 3-223 & Sacred Heart College 7-219).

It was also an honour to have Sacred Heart College’s only Australian Cricket representative and Hall of Honour inductee, old scholar David Sincock (SHOC ’60), join the boys on their journey at the 50th Cricket Carnival. He was presented with his baggy blue, #241, on Day 1 of the competition. 

Results and full information can be found here.

CEA Knockout Sports (Champagnat and Marcellin)

Results from the last fortnight of Knockout Sports are as follows:

• Year 7/8 Boys Knockout Cricket Finals – placed 3rd overall in Division 1
• Year 7/8 Knockout Table Tennis – placed 6th overall in Division 2

Student Sporting Achievements

Congratulations to the following students on their outstanding sporting achievements, listed below.