SACRED HEART
Newport
What We Believe
Sacred Heart Primary School Newport
At Sacred Heart, we believe that young people who are happy, confident, resilient and able to establish meaningful relationships, and navigate the complexities of these relationships, are better placed to form positive habits that will increase their capacity to deal with challenges or changes in their future.
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​The child is central to everything we do at Sacred Heart and we are fully committed to the welfare and growth of the whole child. The caring and nurturing oversight of our educators and families ensures that children learn and grow, with the strong support of the community.
Student wellbeing has a very high priority at Sacred Heart and our school has an excellent reputation in the wider community for the quality of its safety, care and focus on each and every child.
Ways of Being Together
Our Ways of Being Together communicate the very clear expectations we have of everyone in our learning community, how we treat one another and respond when things go wrong.
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They also reflect our beliefs about children, how they learn and what we know about what works. It values relationships and connections as critical in a learning environment for both adults and children.
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Our Sacred Heart Ways of Being Together:
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We act with kindness
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We respect ourselves and others
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We are safe
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We are active learners.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
At Sacred Heart, we understand the importance of not only academic excellence but also the holistic development of our students. We implement a comprehensive Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum designed to support our students' social and emotional growth.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
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Research has shown that students who participate in a SEL curriculum demonstrate:
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Improved academic performance.
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Increased positive social behaviors
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Decreased emotional distress and behavioral challenges
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Key Components of Our SEL curriculum include:
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Self-Awareness:
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Understanding one's emotions, strengths, and limitations.
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Activities include self-reflection exercises and discussions about feelings.
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Self-Management:
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Learning to regulate emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.
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Techniques include mindfulness practices and goal-setting exercises.
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Social Awareness:
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Developing empathy and understanding for others.
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Activities involve role-playing, group discussions, and community projects.
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Relationship Skills:
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Building and maintaining healthy relationships.
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Focus areas include communication skills, teamwork, and conflict resolution.
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Responsible Decision-Making:
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Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior.
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Scenarios and problem-solving exercises help students practice decision-making.
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Morning Gathering
‘Getting Ready to Learn’ Morning Gatherings
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Every day, our students and their teacher gather as a class group to get ready for the day. It is a school-wide strategy and the children have come to know that it is their time to connect with one another, build relationships and engage their mind, ready to learn.
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The children and their teacher sit in a circle and follow a repetitive routine to build trust and predictability. The routine, drawn from the Berry Street Education Model research, consists of the following:
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Greeting
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Prayer
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Acknowledgement of Country
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Positive Primer
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Organisational Matters for the day
The learning spaces are designed to ensure children have the space to gather as a class, acknowledge how they are feeling & know that they are important, valued and loved.
Buddy Program
Buddy partnerships allow children to experience a connection with other children from different year levels. Buddy partnerships support students in experiencing a welcome from the very beginning, particularly during times of transition. This fosters a sense of whole-school community and creates friendships that enable both older and younger ‘Buddy’ to bond more closely with their school. This increases the likelihood of more positive school behaviour for all students.
Student Voice & Agency
At Sacred Heart, student agency and leadership have a central role in improving student outcomes and supporting student safety and wellbeing. Students have many opportunities to participate and collaborate about matters that are important to them.
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MacKillop Leaders
Mary MacKillop is a significant figure in the story of Sacred Heart Primary School. Just like Mary MacKillop, Sacred Heart students are encouraged to take action and ‘never see a need without doing something about it’. Just like Mary MacKillop, students are encouraged to be courageous and make a difference in their world. Students in Year 2 to Year 6 elect one student from their class each year to represent them as MacKillop Leaders.
Year 6 Student Voice & Agency Teams
Students in Year 6 select one area of passion and interest from those listed below during their final year of primary school. Through the portfolio areas, students learn to work with others, collaborate, investigate, explore and take action in a meaningful way.
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Sustainability
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Indigenous Perspectives
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Social Justice
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Student Wellbeing
Other opportunities for student voice, agency and leadership include School Captains, Vice Captains & Sports House Captains
