Hearts News (Week 4 Term 3, Thursday 17 August 2023)

Feast of the Assumption Mass at Champagnat Campus.

To our Sacred Heart College community

At the start of the most recent school holidays, the College advertised five senior leadership positions in readiness for the 2024 school year.

I am thrilled to make the following announcements by way of successful candidates who will be joining (or remaining on) the Hearts Leadership Team into 2024:

Champagnat Campus

Director of Teaching and Learning – Meagan Kozlowski

Meagan is well known to our Hearts Family, having held a number of leadership positions at Champagnat Campus over several years. Meagan is currently the Acting Director of Teaching and Learning, and prior, has held the positions of Leader of Learning and Professional Practice, Head of House and Assistant Head of House (Montagne), Leader of Teaching and Learning (Year 9), and Performing Arts Coordinator. 

Director of Learning Enrichment – Sarah Martin

Sarah is also well known to our Hearts Family, having been a member of staff since 2018. Sarah is currently the Acting Learning Enrichment and Transition Coordinator, and previously held the positions of Acting Director of Teaching and Learning (Marcellin Campus), and Head of Learning Area – Science (Marcellin). Prior to these appointments, Sarah had other significant leadership experience at Mt Carmel College across both Pastoral Care and Curriculum. Sarah holds a Masters of Educational Leadership, completed in 2017.

Marcellin Campus

Head of Campus (Marcellin) – Danielle Grieg

Danielle is currently the Head of Marian Campus at Cardijn College, a position she has held since 2021. Prior, Danielle has held a number of senior leadership positions across that community including Acting Deputy Principal, Assistant Principal, Director of Students, Acting Director of Teaching and Learning, and Curriculum Leader of Arts, and of English. Danielle is due to complete her Masters of Educational Leadership this semester, and is a Nationally Certified Highly Accomplished Teacher. 

Director of Teaching and Learning – Alex Daw

Alex is well known to our community, having been a member of staff since 2020. This year, Alex has held the position of Acting Head of Learning Area – English and Languages, and prior, was the Year 11 Leader of Learning. Prior to joining the Hearts Family, Alex was Flexible Learning, VET and Careers Coordinator at Gleeson College, where he was a member of staff for 7 years, following one year working at Rostrevor College. 

Director of Learning Enrichment – Brett Pinder

Brett joins us from CBC, Adelaide, where he has been a member of staff since 2017. Brett is currently Head of House (Nagle House) with oversight of the learning and wellbeing of approximately 160 students from Years 7 to 12. Prior, Brett held the position of Head of Learning – English, EAL and Literacy, including oversight of approximately 200 EALD students, with responsibility to improve literacy outcomes of all learners. 

Please join me in congratulating Meagan and Sarah on their re-appointment at Champagnat Campus, Alex on his appointment at Marcellin Campus, and in welcoming Danielle and Brett to the Hearts Family from 2024.

Daniel Lynch
Principal

Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of Mary

This week each of our campuses celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. This occasion would have been particularly important to St Marcellin Champagnat because it recognises the special place Mary has within the Catholic Church as the Mother of Jesus. This is why St Marcellin said, “All to Jesus through Mary; all to Mary for Jesus,” because through Mary, we can live a life for which we have been ‘created and called’.

This morning, Champagnat Campus celebrated the Feast of the Assumption in the newly completed St Joseph Centre. At the conclusion of the Mass, students were visited by ‘Mary’ (Eden, Year 9 Mission Leader) and ‘Joseph’ (Callum, Year 9 Mission Leader) who ran a live Biblical quiz with the audience.

Yesterday Marcellin Campus celebrated the Feast of the Assumption Mass led by Fr Michael Brennan. We were also joined by Mrs Shana Bennett (Principal of Rostrevor College), Lachlan Tripodi (Rostrevor’s Head Prefect), and the captains of the Rostrevor Football, Basketball and Soccer teams.

This year marks the 100th year of the Intercollegiate Round and the opportunity to share both faith and tradition, in which the captains of both Colleges participated in the offertory, an important way to acknowledge the event motto of ‘respect outweighs rivalry’. 

Champagnat’s new gym welcomes its first lessons and sports

The excitement and delight among the students and staff at Champagnat Campus has been palpable over the past few weeks as the new St Joseph’s Centre, comprising a gym, classrooms and sports facilities, opened for learning and teaching for the first time.

Students and staff alike are enjoying the additional space the opening of the St Joseph’s Centre has brought, including four additional classrooms, a sports conditioning room, function centre, double gym, and a significant veranda space for students to enjoy. 

Last Saturday saw our Year 9A Girls Netball team play the first game of interschool sports in the new facility. Today we joined as a community and turned this wonderful new facility into a sacred space to celebrate Mass for the Feast of the Assumption.

We are excited for the many learning and community building activities that will occur in this magnificent facility, and we look forward to celebrating with an official opening of the facility in the not too distant future.

Get to know our Year 12 Leaders

Each week, two of our Year 12 Student Leaders will take part in a brief Q&A session so you can get to know them a little better. This week we meet 2023 Deputy Boarding Captain, Charlie Hillier and 2023 Arts Captain, Ava Musarra.

Walking a Mile for homelessness

Sacred Heart College marked National Homelessness Week (7-13 August) by its annual participation in the Hutt St Centre’s Walk a Mile in My Boots event. Students at each campus gathered to ‘walk a mile’ in solidarity with the 1,600 people that experience homelessness in metropolitan Adelaide every night. 

Congratulations to Callum (Year 9 Mission Leader from Montagne House) who has raised over $1,000 for this important cause. We also give thanks to all parents/caregivers, students, staff and members of the Hearts community who have helped to make a difference.

There is still time donate to Sacred Heart’s Walk a Mile fundraiser here and help us reach our target!

Sleeping rough for Vinnies

Last Thursday, more than 30 Sacred Heart students and staff participated in the annual Vinnies Winter Sleepout. The night included a range of activities, including a presentation from a guest speaker from St Vincent De Paul Society, a night-time outdoor reflection, a gratitude exercise and some competitive sporting games in the gym. The students cooked their own toasted sandwiches for dinner before spending the night sleeping on cardboard or small gym mats.

Overall, the students enjoyed the night and were able to build their own understanding and awareness of homelessness. As well as participating in the Sleepout, we were able to provide Vinnies with almost 50 cans of food via student donations. Thank you to all who took part in this important event.

In Week 1 of Term 3, 10 of our Marist Solidarity students and student leaders volunteered their Friday night to help facilitate McAuley Community School’s own winter sleepout, ‘Mini Vinnies’. To build our connections and relationships with McAuley, our students engaged in and led group discussions and activities based on the theme for the night, homelessness. Both the McAuley and Sacred Heart students greatly enjoyed and benefited from the night, and were able to build on their relationships together as two communities while uniting to support a good cause.

National Science Week celebrations

To celebrate Science Week 2023 (12-20 August) students across both campuses will be involved in a variety of activities to explore everything Science. The theme for 2023 is ‘Innovation: Powering Future Industries’ where students will gain a glimpse into humanity’s progress toward a stronger, more sustainable future, from developing new materials and technology to the rapid rise of AI. With this in mind students will be reflecting on responsible innovation, innovation in agriculture, space and all around us. 

Champagnat students celebrated by flexing their Science muscles in a daily homeroom quiz that relied on speed as well as accuracy to be victorious. They had an opportunity to ‘come and try’ activities and experiments at lunch with the liquid nitrogen instant ice cream being a hit! Our Champagnat staff’s sense of competition and Family Spirit were well and truly alive as they competed in a staff quiz, and had a shared recess this morning to celebrate Science Week and farewell our Director of Music, Robyn Brookes. 

In Year 10, Marcellin students have been wowed by the famous Mr Castrique’s Science Show, facilitated by our experiment-guru and long-serving Laboratory Technician, Andrew Castrique. This show, linking directly to curriculum, demonstrated the many innovations that paved the way for the control of chemical interactions in our world, including: Flour Fireballs (linking to fire safety measures), Spontaneous Combustion of Gun-Cotton (linking to explosive power in engineering), Precipitation of Lead Iodide (linking to the ‘ancient days’ where Roman Alchemists used to taste the chemicals they worked with!), and many more. Marcellin homerooms and staff also competed against each other in two intense quizzes, lifting our family spirits high!

Whilst Science Week occurs over a short few days, by convention, our innovations do not stop here. Across both Champagnat and Marcellin Campuses we are continually exploring the vast and excellent complexities of our exciting universe through all lenses of the venerable sciences.

For those looking for more, please visit the links below:

• Local events 
• Science Week DIY activities 

Have a great National Science Week!

STEM Day Out Expo (Science Alive!) 

Last Friday, our Year 9 STEM students attended Science Alive STEM Day Out, held at the Adelaide Showgrounds. The event featured a diverse range of over 80 exhibits, including interactive activities like the paper plane and pipeline challenges, AFL target shots and data tracking, hydrogen car mazes and VR simulations. These activities highlighted teamwork, problem-solving skills, and a healthy spirit of competition among our students.

A highlight for many were the robot challenges, where students programmed robots to shoot basketballs through hoops, with mixed success as the students quickly worked out it was a lot harder than it looked! They also had the chance to get up close with snakes, crocodiles and a goanna, and participate in flight simulations with the airforce.

The event provided a platform for students to interact with early career scientists and professionals from various industries and gain more of an understanding of the wide array of STEM career options available.

The students’ positive attitude and active involvement were evident throughout the day, and they should be commended for their representation of the College.

Indigenous students meet Masterchef

Students in the Aboriginal Program were treated to a visit from Malissa Fedele, a well-established Adelaide-based Nutritionist and contestant on the 2023 season of MasterChef Australia.

Malissa illustrated the complex relationship between what we consume and how it impacts our emotional well-being, captivating students with insights into the science behind food’s influence on our mood, whilst also tailoring her knowledge to address the student’s keen interest in Sports Nutrition. 

Her emphasis on the diverse genetic makeups that influence how individuals tolerate a Western diet enabled students to explore the disparities in how people metabolize and respond to certain foods. Drawing students into the conversation, she urged them to consider their own heritage and how it might shape their nutritional needs.  With practical demonstrations, she showcased how even simple adjustments to cooking methods and ingredient choices can yield profound impacts on the nutritional value and mood-enhancing potential of meals. 

Her visit has made room for a newfound awareness of the powerful connection between what we eat, how we feel, and the cultural tapestry that shapes our nutritional journey.

Aboriginal guest speakers inspire our students

Bringing Aboriginal guest speakers from diverse corners of Australia into our Sacred Heart College virtual classrooms for Careers Q&A sessions has been an enriching and enlightening new endeavor for the Aboriginal Program. This initiative holds significance as it not only exposes our students to a spectrum of professional paths, but also emphasises the importance of authentic representation. By inviting Aboriginal speakers, we ensure that our students witness firsthand the achievements and contributions of Aboriginal individuals across a wide array of fields. This exposure not only breaks down stereotypes and misconceptions, but also fosters a sense of inspiration and aspiration among our students. 

We began the series of sessions with Arrente/Yankunytjatjara woman, Dr Jessica Johannsen (ne Ah Chee), a doctor and mother living and working in Mpartwe (Alice Springs). We continue this week by speaking with Brevet Sergeant Jonathan Taylor, Officer in Charge of Yalata Station, about his experience working in remote communities in SA.

In the coming weeks we look forward to speaking with Courtney Summers, elite indigenous netballer and mentor, and founder of clothing label, SUMTIMESSAD, as well as Brad Keogh, tradesman at Prominent Hill Mine and Smith Family mentor. We are also honoured to be speaking with Arrernte lawyer, Ms Leanne Liddle, Director of the Aboriginal Justice Unit, Department of the Attorney-General and Justice. 

Seeing Aboriginal professionals thriving in various domains instils a powerful message of possibility and inclusivity, promoting the idea that every career avenue is open to our Aboriginal cohort.

Year 9 English incursion: Bell Shakespeare

Year 9 students at Champagnat Campus enjoyed an annual visit from Bell Shakespeare to support their studies of the playwright in Term 3.

This year, The Players wowed us with a performance of Such Sweet Sorrow by Joanna Erskine and Matt Edgerton, which both tells and unpacks Shakespeare’s most famous play, Romeo and Juliet. Were they just lovestruck teenagers acting irrationally, or was their love just too pure to survive a world corrupted by feuding and hatred? It was left to us to go hence to have more talk of these sad things.

As usual, audience participation was encouraged, and students were challenged to apply key learnings from the show to the monologue or soliloquy they will perform in class. 

Martin Chatterton visits Year 7s

Martin Chatterton has been writing, illustrating and performing for over 30 years. His books have been published in many languages and have been shortlisted for multiple awards in the US, UK and Australia.

Martin’s performances with the Year 7 students featured large scale interactive ‘live’ drawing, ‘mind reading’ and loads of audience participation. Wide ranging and funny, the sessions included targeted insights into the different kinds of writing, the intricacies of the publishing industry, poetry connections, the telling of tales, story beginnings and personalised dissections of what goes into a book.

There were many laughs from the students as Martin wove tales about his life and his broader writing skills as a crime fiction writer, screenwriter, academic and through his new YA book – Scorpion Falls.

Year 11 Road Safety

Across Week 3, the Year 11 cohort were fortunate to have members of the South Australian Police speak to them about driver safety. The presentation highlighted the driver conditions for students on their L or P plates, and highlighted the dangers of the ‘Fatal 5’ (drink and drug driving, speeding, distraction, dangerous drivers and seat belts).

They also listened to the story of Holly Scott, who is a road safety ambassador, speak about the car accident that left her with life altering injuries. 

We thank SAPOL and Holly for their presentations and for bringing this important session to our College.

Arts News

This week we congratulate and farewell our Director of Music, Robyn Brookes, on her new appointment as Program Director of Creative Therapies at the Hospital Research Foundation. Over the past four years, Mrs Brookes has produced both College Musicals, cabarets and performance evenings, overseen the Instrumental Program, attended countless drumline performances, been Choirmaster and regular accompanist, and has worked hard to promote the Arts in all aspects of College life. While we will miss Robyn’s extraordinary talents and enthusiasm for the Arts, we wish her continued success in her new career. 

Music teachers, Samara Churchett (Marcellin Campus), and Bec Page and Elian Hamilton (Champagnat Campus), will take on various components of the music program and events until a replacement is made. Jennie Muller will still continue as Music Administrator and will continue to help with instrumental lessons and enquiries. Please see contact details below. 

Music admin

Jennie Muller – jenniemuller@shc.sa.edu.au

Music Teachers

Samara Churchett – samarachurchett@shc.sa.edu.au

Bec Page – becpage@shc.sa.edu.au

Elian Hamilton – elianhamilton@shc.sa.edu.au

Drumline wows St Mary’s Memorial School

The Champagnat Drumline recently performed at St Mary’s Memorial School in Glenelg for their Feast Day celebrations. This was a great opportunity for the drumline to perform to an enthusiastic audience. Director of Music, Mrs Brookes, talked about the various drums and the sounds that they made, followed by a Q&A with the students.

Thank you to the Drumline students for their participation and showcasing their wonderful talents.

Combined Drumline wins silver at ABODA

Congratulations to our Combined Drumline for placing silver in the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association’s (ABODA) SA School Band and Orchestra competition.

Each year Westminster school hosts ABODA where this year, the Combined Drumline students from both campuses performed in the untuned category. They also had the opportunity to see other school drumlines perform.

The Concert Band will perform tomorrow in the Novice Band category. We wish them all the best!

Year 9 Dance experience Yuldea

On Thursday 10 August, Sacred Heart’s Year 9 Dance class joined many schools and colleges around South Australia at Her Majesty’s Theatre to experience first hand the power dance to make connections and tell stories.

Yuldea, choreographed by Artistic Director, Frances Rings, visualises Yooldil Kapi, a significant clay pan waterhole on the traditional lands of the Kokatha people, also known as ‘the famous soak’. It was widely regarded as the epicentre of trade, ceremony, lore and kinship, as well as being a source of sustenance and survival.

Our Year 9 Dance students were interested in the variety of costumes, emotions and ways dance can communicate meaning. They are now following up with writing a review of the performance, analysing dance and design elements. An obvious highlight was having the opportunity to eat lunch in the Asian Food Court at the Central Market!

The Arts dates and events

Champagnat Campus (Term 3)

Click here to view the full College calendar of events.

Sports News

This week sees the conclusion of the home and away Winter sport season for 2023. Across the board all teams have achieved great results, whether it be finishing on top of their respective premiership tables or, more importantly, demonstrating profound growth in teamwork and sportspersonship throughout the season. 

We wish all our teams competing in Grand Finals and Play offs this weekend all the best!

Next week our focus moves to the 100th Intercollegiate Round against Rostrevor College, to be hosted by Rostrevor College.

Go Hearts! 💙💙

Boys and Girls secure footy Grand Final glory!

As the country tuned in to watch the Matildas face off against England in the Women’s Soccer World Cup last night, the Sacred Heart community got behind our Boys First XVIII and Girls First XVIII Football teams to watch them win their respective grand finals!

The boys faced off against our traditional Intercol rival, Rostrevor, for the first time in many years in the Sports Association for Adelaide Schools (SAAS) Grand Final. SAAS were very fortunate to be asked by the SANFL to play the games on Adelaide Oval under lights, an opportunity many players will never get. Sacred Heart started off strong, holding Rostrevor to just 1 goal in the first 3 quarters. In front of a large crowd the boys ran out victorious 20.15 (132) to 6.2 (38). Congratulations to Harry Francis, who was voted MVP by the umpires. This concludes an undefeated season for our First XVIII Boys team.

In a stunning upset, our Senior Girls First XVIII Football team triumphed over the previously undefeated St Michael’s College in the Grand Final. The closely contested match showcased our girls’ determination and skill, as they played with intense focus and grit. A captain’s goal from Bella Drew got the team up and about as we hit the scoreboard early. Not long after, all Sacred Heart players on the field swarmed to celebrate after Peg Lightfoot hit the scoreboard with a goal of her own to add to the tally. The entire team displayed remarkable composure under pressure, delivering a close game to watch all the way until the final siren. The final result SHC (6.9.45) def SMC (5.3.33).

Congratulations to our Senior Boys and Girls First XVIII 2023 champions on a fantastic season and their Grand Final wins! 💙💙

Celtic FC partners with SHC

Sacred Heart is delighted to announce our partnership with european soccer powerhouse, Celtic Football Club. This partnership will see the Celtic Soccer Academy provide year-round support to the Sacred Heart College football department through the sharing of curriculums, monthly mentoring of their coaching staff and trips to Australia to deliver coaching camps and coach education clinics.

The highlight of the partnership is the opportunity for two players to visit Glasgow every year and train with Celtic’s Academy as part of the Academy Player Experience. 

The partnership gives our young women and men the chance to build upon their knowledge of the game, both academically and on the pitch. It also provides them with a pathway and opportunity to showcase their potential in Glasgow under the eyes of Celtic’s world class coaching staff. Our connection with Celtic is also a heritage based connection, as both were founded by the Marist Brothers only 10 years apart in 1887 and 1897 respectfully.

This week, it was a pleasure to welcome back Old Collegians and South Australian soccer royalty, Sergio Melta (SHOC ’75) and Joe Gauci (SHOC ’18) to help us launch the partnership. Once a Heart, always a Heart.

We are so excited to meet with the coaches from Celtic as they conduct their first training camp later in the year, and we are excited for what the future holds for our ever-growing football program.

Read more about our partnership with Celtic here.

Training with the Adelaide 36ers

Sacred Heart College has forged an affiliation with the Adelaide 36ers Basketball Club, marking a significant development in the institution’s sports and training endeavors.

Commencing late last term, this collaboration has entailed active involvement from Adelaide 36ers representatives, who have assumed a pivotal role in directing the majority of the boys’ weekly basketball training sessions. This partnership extends to encompass comprehensive support and constructive feedback, thereby enhancing the quality of school training.

Moreover, the program benefits from the expert guidance of Adelaide 36ers’ accomplished development coaches, Michael Lake and Tony Casella, as well as Strength and Conditioning Coach, Alf Connolly. Their involvement includes conducting specialised skill sessions for the students on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, thereby affording them a tailored opportunity to refine and elevate their basketball skills and knowledge.

This alliance with the Adelaide 36ers holds the promise of fostering heightened skills and contributing to the holistic development of our Sacred Heart basketballers. 

As the Girls Basketball season is about to commence, we look forward to the Adelaide 36ers working with those students starting from Week 6.

Pedal Prix success (Race 4)

Twenty-four students from across the College headed to The Bend Motorsport Park to participate in Race 4 of the Australian HPV Super Series on 5 August. 

206 trikes from SA, VIC and NSW commenced the 8-hour race with overcast conditions, but a dry track. Our teams settled into a regular rhythm with some new riders acclimatising quickly to the fast pace of the senior school and community teams. Nudging for a better position, rollovers were commonplace as the pressure was on to perform well as teams prepare for the 24-hour event being held in Murray Bridge next month.

Congratulations to all riders on achieving the following results:

• BraveHeart (Marcellin – S3) finished 23rd with 78 laps
  Fastest Lap Time – 4:05.928 with a speed of 49.771 km/hr.
• HeartBurn (Champagnat – S2) finished 22nd with 69 laps
  Fastest Lap Time – 4:37.367 with a speed of 44.129 km/hr.
• HeartBeat (Champagnat – S2) finished 34th with 62 laps
  Fastest Lap Time – 5:03.835 with a speed of 40.285 km/hr.
• HeartAttack (Champagnat – S2) finished 43rd with 56 laps
  Fastest Lap Time – 5:26.414 with a speed of 37.498 km/hr.

Marcellin Gold Round

This year’s Gold Round was organised by our Year 12 Sport Captains, Jack Oates and Georgia Mackereth, as part of their Kindness Projects. Gold Round was held across Weeks 2 and 3 of this term, which allowed our Hearts sports community to raise awareness and funds for children with cancer and their families. It was fantastic to see lots of Sacred Heart students making a donation to wear yellow socks and shoe laces to represent the cause. 

Adding to Gold Round was the eagerly anticipated Year 12 Netball and Soccer matches. At lunchtime last Wednesday, the Senior Girls Open A Netball team took on our Boys First XVIII Football team in a Netball match at Marist Hall. It was a fast paced game with plenty on the line, however it was our Senior Girls netballers that were able to take the win and show the boys why they were the 2023 Marist Netball Champions. Subsequently, the Open Boys’ soccer team engaged in a spirited encounter against the Boys’ Football team, further adding to the days festivities.

Thank you to all students and staff who participated in the Gold Round and made a donation for Childhood Cancer.

CEA Knockout Sports (Champagnat and Marcellin)

The last fortnight of Knockout Sports at Sacred Heart College has seen teams compete in various sports with varying results. Results from the last fortnight are as follows:

Year 7-9 Girls Knockout Football – SHC (7.11.53) def Wirreanda (0.0.0) / SHC (14.14.98) def Tatachilla (0.0.0)

Middle Boys Knockout Netball – SHC (40) def Oakbank Area School (6) / SHC (28) def St Francis De Sales College (24) / SHC (24) def Unity College (21)

Year 9/10 Boys Knockout Football – SHC (4.5.29) def by PAC (9.6.60)

Student Sporting Achievements

Sporting dates and events

Champagnat Campus (Term 3)

Marcellin Campus (Term 3)

Click here to view the full College calendar of events.