School Advisory Council 

WHERE FUNDRAISING $$s GO

The efforts of our Social & Fundraising Committee are enjoyed by everyone at Holy Rosary. The joy and connections our students and families experience at events like Family Disco, Family Fun Day and Fun Lunch Fridays are an important part of how we connect and build our community.

The funds raised by the Committee at these events are vital to enhancing school life beyond the budgets set by our governing bodies. All dollars raised are spent in line with the School Advisory Council’s vision and purpose.

In the past seven years, since Christine started as Principal, money raised has been spent on the following tools and programs. Unfortunately, there was limited money raised, or spent during the COVID-affected years. 

In the past two years, all money raised has been ‘banked’ so that it can be directed towards updating the Adventure Playground area, which parents identified as a priority. This is a big, expensive project and the school is delighted to have $100,000 available to finally begin Stage One of the project.

For more information about the playground project, see the article ‘Playground Update – New Committee Formed’. More information about the Social & Fundraising Committee is in the article ‘Revamped Social & Fundraising Committee seeks new executive members’.

NEW PLAYGROUND COMMITTEE 

Thanks to the incredible fundraising efforts of the school community over the past two years, Holy Rosary is now in a position to move forward with the long-held wish to update the lower playground area, affectionately known as ‘the adventure’.

The first stage of the project is to set the scope and develop the project plan. It’s important that the timing of work is staged in a way that makes sense logistically and financially, balances the current and future needs of our students, ensures the highest safety standards are maintained and uses the money wisely.

The School Advisory Council has established a Playground Update Sub-Committee to assist the school in undertaking this project. The role of the Committee, as outlined in the Terms of Reference, is to Assist the principal, and/or delegated members of staff, to establish a project plan and associated costs, seeking input from stakeholders as relevant.

A huge thank you to Fernanda Captzan Murphy , who has generously taken on the role of Chair of the Playground Update Committee. She will be gathering the views of students and staff and forming a plan.

Fernanda is looking for people in the school community who have knowledge, expertise or connections in project planning, construction, landscaping, surveying or architecture to join the committee, or provide advice. The more the pro-bono expertise that is secured, the further the $100,000 raised by the school community will go.

Read the Playground Update Terms of Reference on the school website here .

NEEDED: NEW S&FG EXECUTIVES

There has been lots of change in the governance of the Social & Fundraising Group, resulting in an opening for a new Chair and Secretary.

Firstly, the Group formally became a Committee in the School Advisory Council (the Council) governance structure and has new Terms of Reference – you can read them on the website here.  For context, over the past couple of years, all schools within the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS) have had to transition their education boards/parent groups to the Council and Committees structure. 

The Committee’s role is to (a) set the strategy for social and fundraising activities, and (b) suggest how funds can be spent to support the purpose of the Council: to improve the tools, spaces and programs that create a passion for learning and nurture connected children and families.  

Any Holy Rosary parent/carer can join the Committee as an Executive (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) or general member. The Committee is supported by event volunteers that lead individual fundraising or social events. Specific duties of each Executive member are detailed in the Terms of Reference.

Secondly, The Group’s long-time Chair Erin Church, who also acted as Secretary, has stepped down, creating an opening for these two roles. Thank you Erin for your hard work during your time in the roles.

The future

The Chair and Secretary roles have been vacant for a number of weeks. The Council and School Leadership Team (LT) fully appreciate that these roles require people to volunteer their time and energy, which is likely already limited for families juggling different work/life pressures. 

The roles are required to be filled for the Committee to exist. So, if you have the desire, and the time, to be involved, then please get in touch with Christine, or email hrsac@hrkensington.catholic.edu.au.

The Council and LT are conscious that the current structure/operations of the Committee may be unsustainable due to parents being unable to commit their time. This is understandable. We are open to considering alternative fundraising models that will be easier for the school community to resource and commit to, while also continuing to raise much-needed funds.