Year 5/6 Phillip Island Adventure Camp Update

Despite a very wet departure from Melbourne on Day 1, we found a break in the rain to enjoy lunch at San Remo, and on arriving at Phillip Island, the sun came out for a magnificent afternoon.

Over the three days, our students threw themselves into an array of exciting activities including canoeing, cooking, team games, and archery while enjoying hearty meals and comfortable accommodations.

Our students were fantastic representatives of our school and a joy to have on camp. I extend heartfelt thanks to the nine staff members who gave up their personal and family time to make this memorable experience possible for our kids. Thanks Tarquin, Rose, JP, Gemma, Samantha, Ant, Ellouise and Cat .

MACSeye Vacation Care Announcement

After much petitioning of MACSeye, since the implementation of the service, I am pleased (and relieved) to share that they have agreed to trial a Vacation Care program at Holy Rosary.

While our ongoing building works mean we cannot offer care during this term break, MACSeye will run a trial program three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) over the Christmas holidays, subject to the completion of the construction works.

We are looking forward to bringing Vacation Care back to our community after such a long break. Although not offering a service every day, we hope that our enrolments will convince MACSeye that a five day vacation service would be feasible. Further information will be provided later in the year

Building News

You will notice that the undercover area has now been fenced off. This area is out of bounds for all staff, students and visitors at all times and will remain this way until the end of the year.

Mercy Spirit Award

Holy Rosary School was founded by the Mercy Sisters, who lovingly cared for our community from 1916 until 2011. Proposed in 2013 by past student Alex Oswald, the Mercy Spirit Award is presented annually to honour and recognise the enduring legacy of the Mercy Sisters in our school and faith community.

Each year, the award is presented to two students who consistently live out the HR Way upholding our school expectations and display the Mercy values of integrity, resilience, respect, relationships, and kindness.

Each year we celebrate the students who embody these values and thank our school community for recognising and nominating peers who bring light to those around them and make Holy Rosary a better place!

Mercy Spirit Nominations Now Open

We are calling on staff and students to nominate a Holy Rosary student who shines with Mercy Spirit!

Each staff member and student is invited to nominate one student (other than themselves) from any year level.

What to include in your nomination:

Use the Nomination Form to explain how the student demonstrates:
School Expectations: Safety is our Right, Learning is our Responsibility, and Respect is our Way.
School Values: Relationships, Respect, Kindness, Integrity, and Resilience.

Key Information:

Closing Date: Friday, 4 September
How to Submit: The nomination form in this newsletter can be added to the box in the front office, or emailed to frontoffice@hrkensington.catholic.edu.au.
Selection Process: A staff team will review all nominations alongside relevant staff, and the Leadership Team will make the final decision.
Award Presentation: The Mercy Spirit Award will be presented at our Holy Rosary Day Mass in October.

Term Dates 2027

You will notice term dates for 2027 have been included in the calendar section of the newsletter.

Student Free Day

Our next Student Free Day is Friday 4 September.

Leaving HR?

Our plans are underway for the 2027 year! We kindly ask families to let us know if your child will not be returning to HR next year. Having this information helps us with class planning, staffing, and welcoming new families into our community. Please notify the school office as soon as possible.

Supporting Our Staff While Planning for the Future- a message from MACS

Currently, Catholic schools are working through planning and budgeting activities for 2027 to ensure they are well placed to support staff, students, and school communities in the coming year. As many families will already be aware via recent media coverage, this includes preparing for changes likely to flow from a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) for school staff.

We recognise the significant financial pressures many households are facing, and we are making a conscious effort to ensure these additional costs are not passed on to families through hefty fee increases.

We will continue to keep our parent community informed as this process progresses. As always, our primary focus remains on maintaining a strong, supportive school community and continuing to deliver a high-quality Catholic education for every student.

Enjoy the week ahead,

Christine

Religious Education