Dear Families,

Welcome Back

We were delighted to have our Prep families join our school community last Wednesday and to see the positive, calm and confident way our newest students began their primary school journey. We thank Prep parents, our teachers and support staff for the thoughtful way they supported the children’s transition. They’re an awesome group of children!

Thank you families for bringing your children for the assessment appointments last week. These sessions are invaluable for teachers and the information they gather allows them to ‘hit the ground running’ with your children. Today we celebrate the arrival of our Year 1-6 students. The gate will be open from 8:30am and children will line up in the yard on the first bell at 8:50am.

We’re Walking Together in 2026

Our theme for this year, Walking Together, invites us to reflect on how we journey alongside one another as a learning community. Grounded in the Mercy tradition, walking together calls us to act with compassion and patience, to value each person and each role, to listen deeply and respectfully, to discern together in times of challenge and change, and to strengthen our partnership with our Parish. These principles guide the way we live, learn and work together each day.

Catherine McAuley, our Role Model

The story of the Mercy Sisters offers us a powerful example of what it means to walk together. Catherine McAuley, founder of the Mercy Sisters, began her work tending to the needs of the most poor and outcast on Dublin’s streets. She was renowned for her kind hospitality, respect and sense of justice. As Catherine realised the enormity of her work, she gathered other women who shared this deep desire to serve. Rather than remaining behind the convent walls, the Sisters walked the streets to bring comfort to the sick, the poor and the marginalised. Walking together gave the Sisters strength and courage. Leadership was shared, voices were valued, and decisions were shaped through listening and trust; hallmarks of the Mercy tradition that were embedded in our school when it commenced in 1916 and continues to guide us at Holy Rosary today.

As a school community, we are called to walk together in this spirit of Mercy, nurturing relationships, fostering a love of learning, and creating environments where every child feels known, valued and safe. Guided by our faith, we continue to support each child to grow academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.

Staff Communication

Each afternoon teachers accompany their class on to the yard at the end of the school day. They are happy to engage in a quick conversation or check -in with you at this time but should you wish to discuss your child and their progress in any detail please ask your teacher to schedule an appointment time. Teachers are expected to attend staff meetings and professional learning on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and are therefore unavailable on these afternoons.

Current Family Enrolments for 2027

We already have enrolment enquiries for Prep in 2027. If you have friends or family who wish to enrol their child in our wonderful school next year, please urge them to call the office to make an appointment for a school tour. Current families have a priority for enrolment but you must complete the paperwork! Please confirm your enrolment by submitting your documentation early. Phone the office for an enrolment pack or you can download the documents off our website. We can then confirm your enrolment.

Student Representative Council

At HR we recognise the importance of empowering students to take on active roles and to have a voice in shaping the direction of our school. The SRC is one way they can do this. This week students in Years 3-6 will receive forms for the Student Representative Council should they wish to nominate. Nominees will prepare a one minute speech outlining why they should be the SRC representative for their class. These speeches will be held at a time determined by the class teacher.

Safer Internet Day- 10 February

Safer Internet Day is an important opportunity to remind our community that being safe online is not about children avoiding technology, but about introducing it gradually and learning the skills needed to use it wisely and confidently.

At school, we explicitly teach cyber safety through the Inform and Empower program. This approach focuses on helping students understand how to manage their online safety effectively, make good choices, and recognise when something they see or experience online makes them feel uncomfortable. Just as importantly, children are taught who they can speak to and how to seek help when they need it.

This learning is closely connected to our work around personal safety networks, where students identify trusted adults they can turn to for support. We encourage children to include 2–3 trusted people from home and 2–3 from school, reinforcing the shared responsibility between families and staff in keeping children safe.

As part of our Safer Internet Day learning, students will engage in age-appropriate discussions about online safety and digital responsibility. They will also bring home a hard copy of the ICT User Agreement, which we ask families to read together and discuss before signing and returning to your child’s class teacher.

We are also pleased to share that an online parent session with Marty McGauran from Inform and Empower will be coming up on 19 March at 7:30pm, offering further guidance and practical strategies for supporting children online. More details will be shared shortly.

By working in partnership, we can help our children navigate the online world safely, confidently and responsibly.

See you on the yard!

Christine

Speech and Drama