Sacred Heart Exchange

It was with great excitement that the exchange program between Sacred Heart College in the Perth suburb of Sorrento, and Sacred Heart Girls’ College Oakleigh was reinstated following the COVID-19 pandemic.

College captains and Deputy College captains, along with Carmel Feeney (Deputy Principal – Students) and Julie Swanson (Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching) ventured to Western Australia to join our sister school in their Feast of the Sacred Heart celebrations on Friday, 16 June. It was a busy day beginning with Mass, followed by a number of stalls and activities including a staff versus student soccer match and a concert showcasing the talents of the Sacred Heart College community. Saturday was filled with sightseeing, a special highlight being a tour of the former Highgate convent, the site of the first RNDM school and community in Australia. It was wonderful to be joined by our very own Sr Madeleine Barlow and Sr Shelley Barlow, especially for the tour of Highgate.

The following week, we welcomed six students and staff members, Sandra Manning (Deputy Principal – Community) and Rachel Allsop (Assistant Deputy Principal – Year 10) to Melbourne as they joined us for our own Sacred Heart Day. This year we were also delighted to host the Principal of Sacred Heart Girls’ College Hamilton in New Zealand, Catherine Gunn, and two student leaders. Over the weekend, our visitors attended a game of footy, were shown the sights of Melbourne, attended Mass and shared a meal. The exchange concluded with heartfelt farewells on Sunday, 25 June.

We look forward to many more opportunities to build and grow connections with other schools founded by the RNDM sisters around the world.