We are delighted to welcome Christine back to school today after her time with family in New Zealand. With just seventeen school days remaining until the end of the year, it’s a busy but exciting time. We celebrate especially our Year 6s who are moving on to secondary school and the children leaving us to continue their schooling further afield. We wish you every bit of happiness and we thank you for all that you’ve done while you’ve been with us!

Unfortunately, illness has been widespread, with cases of stomach bugs, school sores, COVID, chicken pox and other ailments affecting both students and staff. As immune systems are running low and classrooms provide the perfect environment for germs to spread, our teachers have also been impacted.

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve faced our highest rate of staff absences, and ongoing teacher shortages meaning we have had to resort to splitting classes at times. We understand this isn’t ideal, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these challenges.

We look forward to seeing you at the varied end of year functions including Christmas concert, end of year Mass, the Year 5/6 Christmas Market, Year 6 Graduation and classroom celebrations of learning.

Thank you for your continued support during this time. Together, we’ll finish the year strong!

Prep Transition

We have successfully completed three Orientation sessions with our 2025 Prep children, and what a joyful experience it has been! These sessions have been an excellent opportunity for our future Preps to begin forming connections with their teachers, new friends, and the school environment. It’s wonderful to see their confidence growing as they explore their new surroundings and participate in activities designed to help them feel at home. A big thank you to our staff for their dedication in creating such a welcoming and engaging experience, and to our families for their support during this important milestone. We can’t wait to see these bright young faces return in 2025, ready to embrace their learning journey with enthusiasm!

Sushi: A SRC initiative

Sushi Day 27th November- this Wednesday! A delicious menu of fillings and treats is available. Use the QR code attached to the newsletter, register and follow the prompts to order. Orders will be accepted until 26th November. Please note that Fun Lunch Friday will not be offered on 29th November.

More Science awards.

A second batch of Science Talent Search awards were awarded at assembly last week. We congratulate the many children whose work was recognised in the varying categories from honourable mentions to minor bursar. Well done!

5/6 Christmas Market

We are excited to announce that on Friday, 6th December from 12.00 pm until stocks last, the Year 5/6 students will be hosting a Christmas Market!

Teachers will assign a time slot for each class to come and enjoy the market.

Our students have been working tirelessly as part of their Inquiry lessons to create hand-made Christmas items and activities. This project has involved budgeting, financing, and designing, giving students a valuable opportunity to develop important skills while embracing our school theme ‘Love in Action’.

Students aim to make a profit, and all proceeds will be donated to Kensington Neighbourhood House, supporting our local community. Each Holy Rosary student is welcome to bring $5.00 to spend at the market and join in the fun.

We look forward to seeing everyone there and thank you for supporting this wonderful initiative!

Love in Action: Erin’s Visit to Our Assembly

We were delighted to welcome Erin to our assembly this week, where she shared her work in the neonatal unit at Mercy Hospital. Erin cares for newborn babies, nursing them to full term and ensuring they are strong enough to go home with their families. She explained how the swaddles we collected will be transformed into cosy ‘nests’ for these precious little ones—some as small as a cucumber in length and weighing about the same as a 500g bag of rice. These ‘nests’ provide the babies with a comforting sense of security, mimicking the warmth and protection of their mothers’ wombs. Our children were captivated by Erin’s stories, and she expressed her gratitude for the generosity of our community. Knowing that these beautiful swaddles will bring joy and comfort to families during such a critical time truly embodies the spirit of love in action.

Prep Outdoor Education Program

The Preps enjoyed taking part in their outdoor education program last Thursday. They came to school in their pyjamas and had a yummy breakfast together. The students then took part in a dance incursion by Mini Groovers. Michelle taught the Preps a dance routine to the song ‘Can't stop this feeling’. The children were very excited to learn each move and showcase the finished product at the end. We definitely have some budding young dancers!

Road safety Concerns

Thank you to the families in our community who consistently model careful and safe road behaviour for their children. Your actions not only protect your own children but also contribute to the safety of all children in our community. However, Andrew has observed some unsafe practices during drop-off and pick-up times. While some actions, such as U-turns near the front of the church and school, may not be illegal, they are not safe. Additionally, double parking and allowing children to exit or enter vehicles from the roadside are both unsafe and illegal. We are deeply concerned that these behaviours could lead to a serious incident involving a child. Let’s work together to prevent such a tragedy by adhering to safe road practices at all times. Thank you for helping us keep our children and community safe!.

End of Year Reports

End of year reports will be sent to parents via nForma on Friday 13 December. Check your inbox in the afternoon. Your children have worked hard this semester and are proud to celebrate their growth.

Step Up Day

On Monday 16 December, the children will gather in their 2025 classes with their 2025 teachers. They’ll also bring home an introductory letter from their new teacher so look out for these in your children’s bags.

Help Us Plan for 2025

We are planning for 2025. It is critical that we employ the correct number of staff and ensure that these teachers are the highest quality candidates. To help us to achieve this goal, we ask you to support us in these two ways:

If you are leaving Holy Rosary in 2025, please let us know as soon as you know. Even if you think leaving is a possibility, please tell us to assist with our planning. Please let the office know.
Please promote Holy Rosary in the local community. Classes that have optimal numbers ensure the best learning opportunities across the board.

Share the Joy - Vinnie’s Christmas Hampers

Our beautiful Holy Rosary tradition of providing Christmas Hampers is continuing again this year. You are invited to join us in supporting our parish Vinnie’s group, by donating festive food to make Christmas hampers. The Kensington Vinnies volunteers will distribute the hampers to needy families in our neighbourhood. This act of kindness will provide families, not only with some delicious food for the Christmas season, but also with a sense that someone cares. Let’s shine our Holy Rosary light brightly to those in our local community!

Families, please use this opportunity to speak with your children about the spirit of giving. You could encourage them to be part of the process by giving up some of their money or treat foods, to purchase something special for our hampers. Alternatively, they could do extra jobs around the home to earn money to buy food.

Prep - Year 2

Year 3/4

Year 5/6

Christmas cake

Savoury biscuits

Chocolates

Longlife custard

Tinned ham (no SPAM)

Fruit Mince Pies

Packet of chips

Sweet Biscuits

Cranberry, mint or apple sauce

Sachets of gravy

Christmas pudding

Hand lotion

Christmas decoration

Confectionery stocking

Packet of lollies

Here’s what to do:

1. Purchase an item

2. Your child delivers it to their classroom (no need to wrap) by 9th December.

Maria

Prayer