Principal's News

Good morning Families,

On Saturday, the builders finalised the cleanup of their worksite and removed the barriers around the undercover area. It reminded me of removing the clothes horse from the lounge room at the end of winter; seeing the true size of the space again without all the clutter is  fantastic! 

Students should reassemble under the library this morning to wait for the duty teacher. And of course, it will provide the additional quiet play space and waiting area for families at the end of the day. 

There are still some works to be completed from Hampden Rd, turf to be laid over the holidays, changes to the gate, additional safety measures on the stairs leading to the current Year 5/6 classrooms and some minor cosmetic repairs.  These works have been a long time coming and while it's disappointing and disheartening that we have not secured government funding despite multiple attempts, it is an immense relief to know that our staff can focus fully on learning and teaching rather than concerns about classroom leaks and flooding.

Class Structure 2027

Every year, we carefully plan our class structures by balancing student numbers in each class with student learning needs, available staff and classroom space, and the responsible use of resources. 

From 2027, planning guidelines from MACS stipulate that schools should work towards an average class size of 25 students.  Applying this guideline at Holy Rosary is quite challenging given our varying enrolment numbers across year levels. 

With this information in mind, our class structures for 2027 have changed. Applying the 25 students per class formula is quite challenging given our inconsistent enrolments in each year level. Therefore, in consultation with staff we have adopted the following model for 2027:

To support the compilation of class lists and as part of our review of our processes last year,  we have made a deliberate change in determining student placements. Moving away from student sociograms, we are capitalising directly on our teachers' professional insight and deep knowledge of each child.

Our staff members are best placed to curate balanced classes, draw on their understanding of student friendships, and identify the learning environments where children thrive. We also recognise that peer dynamics and friendships evolve rapidly in primary school. In past years, strictly adhering to sociogram requests added an extra layer of difficulty that often compromised optimal learning environments and made constructing balanced classes unnecessarily complex.

We ask for your trust in our teacher's professional judgement. Broadening students' peer groups helps them develop resilience, adaptability, and the confidence to build meaningful connections with a diverse range of peers. These skills set them up for long-term success both socially and academically.

A comprehensive outline of the class placement process is outlined in the Administration section of the newsletter.

Child Safety

When your child is absent from school, it is important to notify us as soon as possible. You can report an absence in three ways:

1. Call the school on 9376 9455 and leave a message.
2. Email the front office or your child’s classroom teacher.
3. Log the absence via the nForma Parent app.

If an absence is not recorded by 10:30 AM, we will send you an SMS. We ask that you respond promptly to this message so we can ensure your child is safe.

Student Free Days 

Please be reminded that Student Free Days are coming up. Friday 30 Oct and Monday 2 Nov are Student Free Days and Tuesday 3 Nov is a Public Holiday for Melbourne Cup. Unfortunately, MACSeye is not available on these days.

Newsletter

Given the information I shared last week about our endeavours to ensure student safety in the sharing of images I have investigated how we can secure our newsletter so that our images are more secure. We have some feedback on this that we are now working to implement.

Please note, there will be no newsletter on Monday 2 November due to the short week both this week and next week.

World Teachers’ Day

World Teachers’ Day is celebrated in Australia on Friday 30 October. You are invited to Shine a light on Australia’s teachers who inspire, support, and empower our children and young people every single day.  From lightbulb moments to helping someone find their way, teachers make a difference in ways big and small. This World Teachers’ Day, we’re putting that impact in the spotlight. We’d love you to share with your child’s teacher/s, a moment when they have made a difference and help Shine a light on the amazing work they do.  

Swimming Schedule Prep and Year 3/4

The swimming program for Prep and Years 3/4 will run at Kensington Pool from today,  Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th, and Wednesday 28th October, continuing after Melbourne Cup Day on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th November. Individual classes will participate in  back-to-back sessions between 9:15 AM and 11:45 AM. Clearly label all clothing and items. To help sessions run smoothly, please practise drying and dressing independently with your child at home, aiming for under 10 minutes.

Enjoy the long weekend,

Christine