Principal's Report

Last week Jo Thurley, Shelley DeAraugo, and I joined all principals and leaders from across our diocese for important professional learning. During the sessions, we explored the new Behaviour Curriculum, set to be implemented in all diocesan schools from 2025. We also collaborated with the team from OCHRE as our diocese begins the exciting journey of integrating the OCHRE platform for English and Mathematics. We look forward to sharing our collective wisdom as we work alongside schools across the Diocese within the new Magnify education project.

With the catchphrase; Every Student - Every Teacher - Every School - Every Day! We are indeed looking forward to an exciting way forward in education across Sandhurst and importantly at Holy Rosary.

A big thank you to everyone involved in the swimming program for our Grade Prep to 2 and Grade 6 children! The weather was perfect for a swim, and it was wonderful to see such enthusiastic participation from the students. It was particularly pleasing to witness significant improvements in their skills in such a short time. Water safety and awareness are vital for everyone in Australia, especially as we approach summer. We encourage families to build on this foundation by considering further swimming lessons outside of school hours. Thank you again for your support in making this program a success!

We are proud to continue our partnership with the YMCA, which provides excellent care for children in our before and after school care programs. The after-school care program remains strongly supported, and we thank families for their ongoing involvement. However, numbers in the before-school care program are currently very low, and we need more families to utilize this service to ensure its continued viability. With the support of the childcare rebate, the cost remains affordable, and the quality of care provided by the YMCA team is second to none. We encourage families to consider taking advantage of this valuable service to help sustain it for the benefit of our school community.

A big thank you to the families who joined us at the Parents and Friends gathering at Huntly Pub on Tuesday! It was wonderful to connect and begin planning for the year ahead. While we encourage more families to get involved, this was a great first step in fostering positive relationships within our school community. Next year, we look forward to offering a range of opportunities to connect, fundraise, and strengthen our sense of community. Additionally, we will be reforming our School Advisory Council, an important aspect of the governance of our school. More details about this will be shared in the new year. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a vibrant and collaborative 2025!

Finally, we are aware that children may be moving to other schools within Bendigo and further away, please let me know should you be leaving for the new school year. It is important for not only from and administrative point, but as we are able to support any move in a positive and proactive manner

Paul Wilkinson

Principal