Council Meeting Report

The School Advisory Council met for its fifth meeting of the year on Wednesday July 31. Key topics of discussion included school reports, the playground update.

July 31 Meeting

Eight of the nine Council members were in attendance. After opening with an acknowledgement of country and the prayer, the minutes of the previous meeting were ratified and the outstanding actions discussed. Discussion of items proceeded as follows.

Committee updates

● Chair Laura Cochrane shared that the roles of Chair and Secretary of the Social and Fundraising Committee (S&FGC), which have been vacant since early May, have not been filled. Feedback from interested parents was that the time commitment of these roles is too onerous. In a lengthy discussion, the Council discussed the broader purpose, needs and options for fundraising and social events at the school, and next steps. All members agreed that the S&FGC can’t exist without governance leadership and is therefore dissolved. To help determine a sustainable approach to fundraising and social activities that suit the time constraints of parents, the Council will consider alternate models. A survey seeking parent views will be shared in next week’s newsletter

● On behalf of Fernanda Murphy, Chair of the Playground Update Committee, Laura shared a draft project plan to manage the update to the Adventure playground. Council members suggested changes that will be incorporated into the final version of the plan

Parish Priest update

● Father Thung Vu shared the upcoming confirmation dates at Holy Rosary and St Brendan’s.

● He sought ideas on how the school community could be involved in Holy Rosary Day Mass on October 13. The Council suggested a performance by the school choir or readings by student leaders.

● Father also shared that Bishop Martin Ash will be visiting the Parish from August 25-27.

School updates

● Deputy Principal Maria Sedunary explained that school reports will be updated to incorporate changes suggested by Council members. Namely, there will be more commentary on student learning in literacy and maths. Teachers are also considering incorporating information on students' effort and behaviour.

● Principal Chris Shaw updated the Council on various school activities

○ There are more than 40 nominations for the Mercy Spirit Award. Pleasingly, students are nominating their peers from across the school who demonstrate the Mercy spirit, not just their friends.

○ The next Love in Action event is a lunchtime disco, which is being organised by the student leaders. To attend, students will need to donate a non-perishable food item that will be collected for the Vinnies Winter Appeal.

○ Upcoming activities include Year 5/6 camp, Year 6 Confirmation and the Art Show.

○ Sickness levels are increasing and parents are urged to keep sick children at home.

○ The Explicit Teaching pilot (as outlined in the Principal’s Update in the July 22 newsletter) is progressing well. The aim of the pilot is to seek the feedback of teachers and students, which has been gathered in some classrooms via a ‘stop, start and continue’ activity. By piloting the Explicit Teaching model for MACS, Holy Rosary will assist in adapting the program for its eventual roll out across all schools in the archdiocese.

Communication & Marketing

● Christ Shaw shared readership statistics for the new, digital newsletter. More than 80% of newsletters sent are opened, most users read it on mobile devices and the Important Dates article is the most well read. The Council agreed to review statistics again in six months time and consider any evident improvements. She also noted that MACS has gone out to tender for the communication and admin system that will be rolled out across the archdiocese

● Secretary Chris Church presented an analysis of childhood demographics in Kensington and historically how this correlates with Holy Rosary enrolment numbers. Council members discussed how this insight should inform marketing efforts

● Council members noted they are investigating advertising opportunities are local train stations

● The Council agreed the working date for its annual information night was set as 14 November

The next meeting is on Wednesday 23 October.

Context on the Council

The Council meets up to eight times a year for the purpose of supporting the Principal in the overall governance of the school. Its remit, set by the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS), is to “give consideration to, and advice on, important school matters.” Our full vision and mission are outlined on the school website here. In 2024-2025, we have prioritised the following actions

1. Support the spending of fundraising dollars on an update to the playground

2. Help lift parent knowledge and understanding of academic achievements and progress

3. Assist improving parent communication tools

4. Assist marketing the school to attract students

5. Help set the future direction of the Holy Rosary Fundraising model

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