SHC Principal's Update
Tuesday 20 January 2026 |
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A good beginning is of great importance.
– Catherine McAuley This quote speaks of the value of starting strong and setting a positive foundation for what follows. |
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Welcome to the start of the 2026 school year. I hope the summer break has been a time for rest, relaxation and renewal. Preparation for all students' return on Thursday 29 January is well underway. The following information will assist you in transitioning from holiday mode back to school.
As in previous years, the Principal's Update will be emailed to you each Thursday afternoon. It will contain key information to help you and your student(s) stay up to date on everything happening at Sacred Heart. Please click the drop-down tabs below for information regarding the beginning of the school year. |
Returning to School 2026 Student Timetables
Students can access their 2026 Timetables on Compass from this Friday 23 January. Bus Passes
From 1 January 2026 students under 18 years of age are eligible for a Youth Myki card. A Youth Myki can be used on all public transport including public school buses. Families no longer need to have PTV forms completed by the College or apply for a conveyance allowance. For more information, please visit https://transport.vic.gov.au/tickets-and-myki/myki/myki-types/children. Please note, this is for Geelong Region bus travellers, and students travelling on Country buses still need to apply for travel via the usual process. College Reception staff are available to assist.
Retreat Road Entrance to the College
The Retreat Road gates have been repaired and can now be used by students and visitors to enter the College grounds. Thank you for your patience. |
College ExpectationsCollege Uniform
The College uniform is a mark of identity for Sacred Heart to the wider community and should be worn correctly and with pride. The following information refers to wearing the Sacred Heart uniform when travelling to and from the College and when representing the College. General Expectations Summer Uniform: When wearing the summer uniform, students may choose not to wear the blazer while travelling to and from College, provided they do not wear the College jumper.
Prior to the start of school, please make sure the length of the summer uniform is appropriate. Winter Uniform: The blazer must always be worn with the winter uniform outside of the College. Formal Occasions: The blazer is required for excursions and other formal occasions. Sports Uniform: Students are permitted to wear the correct sports uniform to and from the College only on days they have a double physical education class, or a dance/drama class (for Years 7 and 8 students only). Appearance and Jewellery |
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| | College Policies
Over the next few weeks, the Principal’s update will include an overview of selected College policies in order to assist students and families with their transition back to school.
In the meantime, please review the College Expectations by revisiting our College Policies located on our website. |
First Day Student Schedule - Thursday 29 January
Families of Year 7 and New Students are invited to stay for tea or coffee in Celies from 8.30am to 9.30am to celebrate their student's first day at Sacred Heart. Periods 1 and 2 (8.50am to 9.40am) Year 7 and New Students: Gather on the Talbot St Oval to meet House Leaders. House Leaders will escort Year 7 students to their respective Mentor Groups. Years 8 to 12: Students go directly to their Mentor Group classrooms.
Periods 2 and 3 (9.40am to 10.20am) – House Assemblies Recess (10.20am to 10.40am) Period 5 (10.40am to 11.10am) Period 6 and 7 (11.10am to 12.10pm) Period 8 (12.10pm to 12.40pm) - Mentor Group time
Year 7 and Year 8: Buddy activity as part of the Orientation program - Mentor Group rooms Year 9: Setting up for a good year - McAuley Hall Year 10: Expectations and Wednesday afternoon program briefing - Large Gathering Space Years 11 and 12: Expectations and VCE Administration Handbook - Sports and Wellness Centre Lunch (12.40pm to 1.20pm) Periods 11, 12 and 13 (1.20pm to 3.20pm) |
Year 7 and New Families | Mentor Teacher Meet and Greet and Information Session
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Families of Year 7 students and new families are encouraged to meet their child's Mentor Group Teacher/s on Tuesday 3 February from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.
The Meet and Greet will provide an opportunity for families to discuss their child's wellbeing and learning with their Mentor Group teacher, and will be pivotal in developing the long-term relationship and partnership between the College and home.
To ensure all families are able to meet with their Mentor Group teacher, all new families will receive a 10 minute appointment in the coming days via email. These allocated times will be between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.
At 4.30pm, an important information session for Year 7 families will commence in the Large Gathering Space, covering essential information relating to Year 7 Camp and digital devices at Sacred Heart. The cafe in the Atrium will be open for parents and carers as they wait for the 4.30pm session. We look forward to welcoming all new families on Tuesday 3 February. |
Update on SHC Facilities
| | Relocation of Mercy House Services to the Sports and Wellness Precinct
The Master Plan Stage 5 – Phase 1: The Sports and Wellness Precinct is now complete. This new building takes a multi-dimensional approach to wellness, comprising psychological, cognitive, social, physical and emotional wellbeing. Using a proactive approach, the centre will expose our young people to a variety of activities and spaces that promote physical and mental wellness. We aim to establish healthy habits at school that they will carry into their adult lives. The Sports and Wellness Precinct disrupts the current siloed approach to health services, which is more heavily weighted to intervention and crisis management and instead creates a network approach informed by current research.
The primary function and purpose of the facility is to provide a variety of spaces for physical activity and wellness for learning, as well as a multi-function space for large group gatherings accommodating up to 2,000 people.
Ground Level: Community and Physical Activity
Weights/Spin room
Movement Space
Welcoming/Reception space
Double Gym - which will also be used as a whole school gathering space
Change rooms
General-purpose learning areas
First Aid
Workshop room
Office Space for Health and PE Staff and Allied Health services, including College Counsellors, Social Workers and Psychologists.
First Level: Mindful Floor
Recharge room
Meditation room
Workshop room
Expressive Arts room
Movement Space
Five Pods to be used by staff and Allied Health Workers.
The exterior design includes car parking. The Master Plan Stage 5 – Phase 2 includes the demolition of Mercy House, the construction of a new Maintenance Facility and landscaping, including a sensory garden and a labyrinth, due to be completed by July 2026. |
General Information General Information
Please refer to the General Information tab below for more guidance. You can access the Chatbot located on the College website for immediate answers to questions and you can also click here to access our Welcome to SHC guide, which includes information regarding: |
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| This WeekWednesday 21 January
Laptop Collection – Year 7, 10 and New Students
Atrium (Aphrasia Street Entrance) | 9.00am to 4.00pm
Before collecting your laptop, please ensure your laptop insurance has been paid. If you cannot collect your laptop on this day, please contact the Help Desk via email to arrange an alternative. Friday 23 January
2026 Student Timetable Released | | Week Ahead
Week One Monday 26 January
Australia Day Public Holiday Tuesday 27 January
Teaching Staff Return Thursday 29 January
Students Return – Term One Commences | | Future PlanningWeek Two
Tuesday 3 February
Year 7 and New Families Meet and Greet Afternoon
Atrium | 3.30pm to 5.30pm Wednesday 4 February
School Photos Friday 6 February
School Photos Catch-Up Day |
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| 2026 Student Timetables | Students will have access to their 2026 Timetable on Compass as of Friday 23 January 2026. Please note for students who completed a Unit 1 or Unit 3/4 orientation program, timetables and teachers may look different in 2026 due to staff and student movement at the conclusion of 2025.
Please be aware that careful consideration has been taken when placing students in their classes, and as such, changes at this stage are limited. In exceptional circumstances where there is an educational need, submissions to change subject selections can be made up until Friday 6 February. Change requests must be submitted via Compass during this period. Due to high volumes, please understand that we cannot process change requests via phone or email. To submit a change request, please follow this process: Desktop: Log in to Compass Click on the Star menu icon Select - Request a Change of Subject Complete the request form and submit. Mobile Phone App: Log in to Compass on your mobile device Click on the More menu at the bottom of your screen Select School Favourites Select - Request a Change of Subject (please note you will be asked to log in again for security purposes) Complete the request form and submit. Your request will be sent to our College Timetabler for review, and you will receive an email with the outcome. Please note the following before submitting a change request:
We cannot facilitate change requests based solely on friendships or teacher preference. We are unable to support change requests when a class is at maximum capacity. We are unlikely to be able to move elective classes across MYP2 to MYP4 due to student numbers. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to a wonderful 2026 school year. | Community Events |
Special Event | | |
2026 Maguire Celebration | Date: Tuesday 17 February 2026
Time: 5.15pm for a 5.30pm start
Location: Main Oval – Sacred Heart College Geelong You are warmly invited to the 2026 Maguire Celebration, a special event that brings our community together to celebrate our students' achievements, officially launch the academic year and announce the 2026 College theme.
The Maguire Celebration will take place at Sacred Heart on our Main Oval. Students are encouraged to remain on-site for a House BBQ prior to the commencement of the celebration. We look forward to seeing you there. | Special Event | |
| Blessing and Opening of the Sports and Wellness Precinct |
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| Date: Wednesday 18 March 2026
Time: Blessing – 1.50pm to 3.20pm | Carnival – 3.20pm to 7.00pm
Location: Sacred Heart College Geelong In celebration of the completion of our new Sports and Wellness Precinct, our College community is invited to join us for the opening of our new building with a fun Sports and Wellness themed Carnival! This will be a great opportunity to explore the building and experience all it has to offer. More details are to follow - in the meantime, please mark this special day on your calendar. We can't wait to share this beautiful space with our community! | Year Level Reminders |
Year 7 Laptop Collection Date: Wednesday 21 January
Time: 9.00am to 4.00pm
Location: Atrium (Aphrasia Street Entrance)
Before collecting your laptop, please ensure your laptop insurance has been paid. If you cannot collect your laptop on this day, please contact the Help Desk via email to arrange an alternative. | | Year 7 and New Families Meet and Greet
Families of Year 7 students and new families are encouraged to meet their child's Mentor Group Teacher/s on Tuesday 3 February from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.
The Meet and Greet will provide an opportunity for families to discuss their child's wellbeing and learning with their Mentor Group teacher, and will be pivotal in developing the long-term relationship and partnership between the College and home.
To ensure all families are able to meet with their Mentor Group teacher, all new families will receive a 10 minute appointment in the coming days via email. These allocated times will be between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.
At 4.30pm, an important information session for Year 7 families will commence in the Large Gathering Space, which will cover essential information relating to Year 7 Camp and digital devices at SHC. The cafe in the Atrium will be open for parents and carers as they wait for the 4.30pm session. We look forward to welcoming all new families on Tuesday 3 February. |
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Year 10Laptop Collection Date: Wednesday 21 January
Time: 9.00am to 4.00pm
Location: Atrium (Aphrasia Street Entrance)
Before collecting your laptop, please ensure your laptop insurance has been paid. If you cannot collect your laptop on this day, please contact the Help Desk via email to arrange an alternative. |
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| Prayer |
At this new threshold
we stand open and fearless
in heart, mind and soul,
gazing intently,
focussed on all life,
myriad images and whispers
needing steadfast, Spirit-led responses. May serenity, confidence and empathy
be our strength and response,
reshaping the fear, anxiety, anger or shame
that is volatile. At each brink, each beckoning,
may we be the light of kindness, hope, respect, Mercy. May an inner awareness of self and others
seed compassion and a sense of belonging to self,
community to life itself.
We pause, in solitude,
‘with a kindness of mind that mirrors a spaciousness of heart’,
calling us to the fullness of life.
May we respond with courage and light. Amen |
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General Information |
Compass AppCompass will continue to be our primary form of communication with families, where we will share information for events, booklists, photo days, student reports, updates etc. |
| View our Compass Guide |
Timetables
Students can access their timetables via Compass. Students wishing to discuss potential changes to programs of study should contact Amanda Moody, Timetable Coordinator. Contact can be made via email at mljsubjects@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au. |
School Expectations
It is important to remind our College community of the high expectations we have of each other. The 'SHC Way' emphasises the importance of commitment to excellence and respect, including following school expectations. Being a part of a community involves committing to the same norms and values. Please ensure you are aware of and commit to the following:
For further information regarding College policies relating to student expectations please refer to: Student Expectations in our Welcome to SHC publication SHC publication or ask the SHC Chatbot located on the SHC Website. |
Student Drop-off
The Retreat Road gates have been repaired and can be used by students and visitors to enter the College grounds. A reminder to families that the George Street gate is not to be used for student drop off. This entry is for staff and construction contractors only as it is not a designated pedestrian entrance. In the interests of safety, please use the Retreat Road drop off. Alternatively, students may also enter via the Court Precinct on Aphrasia Street between 8.00am and 9.00am. |
Student AttendanceNotifying Absences via Compass
Families are asked to notify the College of absences via the Compass App. This can be completed by logging in through a web browser or via the app if on a device. After selecting the reason for absence, you may wish to add further information about the absence.
While Compass will be the preferred method for notifying absences moving forward, families are still welcome to notify the College via SMS 0419 959 693 or via email info@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au |
Reminders
Financial Assistance
I encourage our families who are experiencing financial hardship to please contact the College so that we may assist. Further details are available via the online FAQ for families. College Policies
The following Mercy Education policies are available on the College website.
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Key Contacts Reception
For general inquiries, absences, or if you require assistance in being directed to a specific department, please contact Reception at:
Phone: (03) 5221 4211
Email: info@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au Mentor Group Teachers
For matters related to your student's education, the Mentor Group Teacher should be the first point of contact. Please refer to your child's timetable for their Mentor Group Teacher’s email address. House Leaders
For any inquiries regarding your student's House, please contact the respective House Leader: Clairvaux - clairvauxhl@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au Loyola - loyolahl@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au Padua - paduahl@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au Siena - sienahl@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au Finance
For all fee-related queries, please contact the Finance Department:
Email: areceivable@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au IT Help Desk
For IT-related assistance, please reach out to our Help Desk:
Email: helpdesk@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au -
College Admissions Officer:
For all inquiries regarding student admissions, please contact:
Email: admissions@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
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