Welcome to the 2023 school year. It was great to see children and their parents back on the school grounds this morning ready for another exciting year. The new school year brings some anxiousness and lots of excitement and it was refreshing to hear all the holiday stories and watch everyone gather with old and new friends. There is always something very special about this day and, as a Principal and someone who has had many ‘first days back’, I always feel a great privilege to be part of the excitement of families sending their children off for the new school year. 

I would like to extend a warm welcome to our 44 new Foundation students. We hope they will quickly feel part of our school community. I would also like to welcome new students; Jasmine (Gr 1), Bea (Gr 1), Jewel (Gr 2), Zac (Gr 2), Matteo (Gr 2), Manuel (Gr 5) & Keighlan (Gr 6) and our many new families. We look forward to getting to know you all better and welcoming you into this special learning community. 

Over the past few weeks, the staff have been in school busily preparing for the new school year. I thank them for their efforts and dedication and wish them a fruitful and rewarding school year. The absence of temporary fencing and site sheds certainly augurs well for a wonderful new year!

We welcome new staff; Mr Daniel Walker (Gr 6), Miss Jessica Moloney (Foundation), Mr Conor Van Der Stay (Gr 1) and Miss Bronte Deary (Gr 4) who will all join our teaching staff. We also have Miss Chloe Severn who will be co-teaching AUSLAN with the classroom teachers, Grace Lockhart (LSO Gr 2) and Abe Sladden who will complete a traineeship with our school this year and will work in support roles.

The Marong Cup will be held on Saturday 18^th February, it is a great opportunity for the parents and students of the school to engage in a fun social event. There are a lot of fun attractions and rides for the students to participate in and it would be great to see as many families as possible, support Holy Rosary as one of the organising schools for the cup.  We will have opportunities for volunteers please stay tuned for more information.

Our daily timetable will be a little different to cater for the introduction of a new agreement for teachers and schools. School will open at 8.30am and classes begin at 9.00am. Our first break will occur at 11.00am -11.30am and the children will eat lunch between 11.30am -11.45am. All other breaks remain the same with dismissal at 3.15am. 

We have our Term 1 learning conversations scheduled in the next week and bookings will be made online via your PAM account. It is always a great opportunity to meet parents, discuss the goals for the term and ensure we have the best possible start to the year. I urge all families to meet whether it is in person or via an online catch up to support the partnership between home and school.

I hope as the year unfolds it provides many special memories, successes and growth for children, families, staff and the Holy Rosary community.

Paul Wilkinson

Principal