What's Happening at Holy Rosary

Week 8, Term 1 2023

Thank you to the parents who attended our school council meeting on Tuesday. It was a great opportunity to highlight the success we have had over the past year and the plans for the year ahead. A huge thank you to Heidi Kleinert who has been our chairperson for the past three years, which as everyone would attest, have been challenging times. Heidi has always had the school and our community at the forefront of her work and we thank her for her leadership. Congratulations and thanks also to Stephen Johnston who has taken on the role of chairperson as we work together to dream of a future for Holy Rosary and the children. Our next meeting will be held on May 9th and will be a joint meeting with the Parent Social Committee and the Council. We invite families to join us as we develop our calendar for this year.

The NAPLAN testing continues this week and I would like to congratulate all children for the positive manner in which they have approached the assessment tasks. The annual testing will conclude at the end of this week, with results hopefully returned in the middle of the school year.

This week is Harmony Week (20^th - 26^th March), celebrating Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Harmony Day which falls on the 21st of March coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
With around 45 per cent of Australians born overseas or with at least one parent who was, Harmony Week has always been a popular way for workplaces to showcase and acknowledge their cultural diversity. Celebrating Harmony Week can take any form you wish – big or small, simple or challenging. We are indeed proud of our own growing diversity and continue to welcome many new families to our school community.

In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus made a paste to heal the blind man. The healing became a true conversion for the man, but created some problems for Jesus with the Jewish leaders. Because this healing took place on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking Jewish law. The Pharisees tried to get confirmation of this action from the blind man's parents and from the blind man himself. In the end, the authorities were unable to charge Jesus with any wrongdoing and had to recognize that Jesus was gaining many disciples.
In order for parents to help their children follow the light of Christ, they too must open their eyes. As Jesus helped the blind man understand, it is not enough to see only with our eyes. We need also to see with our hearts and allow our every action to reflect this sight. Jesus healed the man of his blindness, but in the end the man recognized Jesus as the Messiah and worshiped him.

This week we also have our rescheduled Bush Dance with the Billy Tea Band providing a great day of work and fun. We look forward to families joining us in the afternoon for a dance and a great opportunity to get together and have some fun. Thanks to Mrs Teed for her organisation, it promises to be a great day.

As we move toward the end of Term 1, we also start thinking about our 2024 enrolments. If you have a child ready to start Foundation in 2024, please contact the office to have them put on our list. Enrolment paperwork will be sent home to existing families soon.
If you have family or friends who would like to join our Holy Rosary community next year, information packs are available from the school office with foundation enrolments officially opening for 2024 on Monday 24^th April.

Finally, tomorrow work will begin to replace the fence on the school side of the tennis courts. We anticipate that these works will take approximately 1 week to complete. Whilst this should not have any affect on our drive through or play space, please be mindful of possible changes in traffic conditions.

Bendigo Catholic Schools Promotional Video

Catholic Education Week is the perfect opportunity to celebrate all of the fantastic Catholic schools in Bendigo.

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