We thank you Lord, for this term.

For our challenges, our successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt.

Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends.

Give us strength and courage to do what is right:

to be witnesses of our faith. Help us to be a practical Christian these holidays,

to appreciate what others do for us,

to give time and effort to help others.

To be peacemakers in our family.

Keep us safe in our activities;

give us good rest and good fun.

Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term.

We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents and a community that cares for us.

May we always be conscious of you in our lives.

We ask for your richest blessings over our families during this time. Surround us with your loving care,

keep us safe and return us, renewed and refreshed.

It certainly is one of the busiest years we have had in relation to the building works and the changing landscape in the environment and amenities at Holy Rosary Catholic School

Stage 2: The four fire damaged classrooms have been completely refurbished and are looking amazing. On Wednesday 23rd September we had removalists in to assist in moving our Grade 2 and 3 students out of the demountables and into their 4 new rooms. Our aim is for the Grade 2 and 3 students to commence in their new rooms on Thursday 24th September.

Stage 2A: It is aimed that the second bank of toilets will be completed and in use for the commencement of Term 4 as will the surrounding area around the entrance to the new Canteen, Student Hub and Library. Unfortunately due to the building works that will continue for Learning Support and mapali we have made the decision that the Canteen will not be able to commence operation until Term 1 2021.

Stage 2B: This stage will commence in the coming days and will see the extension from the new Student Hub and Library for our Learning Support rooms, sensory space mapali and additional offices for Allied Health professionals with a new entrance linking these areas together.

Stage 3: This stage is the redevelopment of the Early Years Centre to become the Early Learning Centre. Holy Rosary Catholic School is one of a limited number of schools that will be involved in a pilot project of operating an early learning centre, which will see the inclusion of three years olds into our school community through the LUDO program being offered by Catholic Care. 

As with any new and exciting project and building it will require some changes for our Prep and Kindergarten students in 2020 and Prep for part of 2021. During the last week of Term 3 we will be relocating our Prep students to the demountables on the oval, these buildings have been used for our Grade 2 and 3 students. Our 2021 Prep students will remain in the demountables for part of the year as their new purpose built learning spaces and additional play spaces are built.

Our 2020 Kindergarten students will relocate to the other end of the EYC where Prep was in order to commence the refurbishment of the centre in preparation for 2021. In 2021 the Early Years Learning centre will be set up for spaces for LUDO, Kindergarten and  our Set up for Success Program.

Stage 3A: The construction of purpose built learning spaces and additional play spaces for Prep students

We are very grateful for the unwavering support we have received from our parent community and Catholic Education Tasmania in relation to the many building works that were significantly complicated by the fire in January. As always our resilient students have embraced the many changes to our school and spaces and our staff have been tireless in the way they have continued to put the students first in all they do.

We look forward to being able to welcome parents to our new spaces as soon as we are able to manage this in conjunction with our COVID-19 safe plan that we are required to operate under.

As part of Grade 6s unit on Democracy and Government, they participated in two ‘sittings’ of parliament. The morning saw Shadow Minister for Education Mr Josh Willie visit for a Q + A and parliamentary role play on a ‘No Homework' bill. In the afternoon Federal MP Andrew Wilkie visited for a Q + A and a parliamentary role play on 'Lowering the Voting Age'. The students dressed up in business attire for the occasion and were amazing throughout the experience. Well done to all and thank you to Mr Willie and Mr Wilkie for their time.

Aurelio

On Wednesday Josh Wille and Andrew Willkie visited grade 6. We had a whole set up which was amazing. We had the speaker the clerks the whips and all the shadow ministers and ministers. We also had the prime minister. First Josh Willie came in the morning and he explained what he did for the local government. He also happened to be a school teacher for grade 6. Then after we showed him the role play which had a a lot of good arguments in it when we were debating. The bill was 'No Homework' and in the end the bill was agreed to. After that we said our goodbyes and then had recess. After recess we met in the hall with Andrew Willkie. He explained what he did and then we did the role play again. There was more debating in the afternoon than in the morning but the outcome was the same. The bill 'Lowering the Voting Age to 16' was agreed to. We said our goodbyes again and that was it.

Congratulations Ava, Leila, Imogen, Julia, Lucas, Ben, Hunter and Mitchell who were selected to compete in the Franklin v Clarke regional tournament. . 

As indicated in an earlier notification this week, our Grade 3 to 6 Learn to Swim program due to commence in the first two weeks of Term 4 has been cancelled by the Aquatic Centre as renovations to the pool area are not yet complete.

After negotiations with the Aquatic Centre, they are able to offer a one-week block for Grade 3 to 5 from Monday 2nd November to Friday 6th November. On the 6th November, we will also have students representing Holy Rosary Catholic School at the Catholic Interschool Athletic Carnival. For those students selected to represent the school on Friday 6th November, the Learn to Swim Program will only be a four-day program, for all other students, it will be a five-day program. 

Unfortunately this year our Grade 6 students will not be involved with the Learn to Swim program. However, they will have their week of fun to look forward to later in December. As with many events this year, these things are totally out of our control.

Our Prep to Grade 2 Learn to Swim Program will go ahead as planned from Monday 30th November to Friday 11th December.

In Term 4 it is compulsory for all students to wear their hat while outside for play and activities. Students without hats will be asked to sit in an undercover area of the school.

We are also asking all parents to provide sunscreen for their child. The school cannot provide sunscreen due to the risk of allergies for children and also as part of our COVID-19 safety plan. 

Students will be asked prior to Morning Tea and Lunch to apply sunscreen. In addition,  as part of our risk assessments for any excursions in Term 1 and 4, staff will set an alarm to go off each hour for the application of sunscreen while students are out of the school.

We are requesting that all parents

• Ensure their child has their own individual suncreen in their bag
• Teach their child how to correctly apply the sunscreen
• Work with us to educate the children especially in the upper grades of the need to take some responsibility for sun safety.

We want to assure families of the importance of their child's enrolment at Holy Rosary Catholic School, and we want to ease any financial pressure families may be put under due to economic factors. As communicated previously, if any family is experiencing financial hardship please do not hesitate to email me (bernie.brooks@catholic.tas.edu.au). We want to take this opportunity to be clear that no child will be denied a Catholic Education based on financial reasons. Your child's enrolment is important to us and we want to support all families the best we can in these challenging circumstances. Please do not hesitate to email me.

If parents know that they will not be continuing enrolment of their child/children at Holy Rosary  in 2021 please let the Office know as soon as possible. The realities around budgets in schools rely heavily on maintaining the right numbers of students. It helps our school out immensely with maintaining staffing, allocating resources and balancing classes, to know whether any students will be moving schools. It also assists in allowing families on waiting lists an opportunity for a space.

In meeting our health response and COVID-19 Safe Plan at school, we are able to internally assemble as a whole school community in the Hall with staff and students. However, once parents are invited, the ratio allowed in the Hall changes significantly, as do the restrictions of recording parent details, social distancing and general health restrictions.  

We will continue to post photos and footage on Facebook to share more broadly with parents and families but unfortunately parents will still be unable to attend school assemblies in the Hall at this point in time. We thank all families for their support and understanding with this. 

At regular intervals and also daily on our flashing sign we ask parents to refrain from parking in front of the shops. We do understand the challenges of parking and it is a challenge in the majority of schools across Hobart. However please remember when you park in front of the shops you are parking in front of businesses who rely on customers being able to access parking.

https://www.entertainment.com.au/orderbooks/24025u8

Make sure to buy one for the school holidays.  There are so many great offers and discounts to redeem.

Mission Australia - Chigwell House

Circle of Security is an eight week parenting program that will be starting on Tuesday 13^th October until Tuesday 1^st December.

Circle of Security supports parents to;

• Understand their child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
• Support their child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
• Enhance the development of their child's self esteem
• Honor the innate wisdom and desire for their child to be secure

Sing & Grow will start on Monday 19^th October – 7^th December 12:30pm-1:30pm. The Sing & Grow program focuses on strengthening family relationships, building capacity in parents to support their children’s development in the early years of life, and encouraging the use of music within communities. Services encourage children and parents together to explore percussion instruments, drums, ribbons, balls and parachutes in a developmentally stimulating, fun and musical environment.

Just a reminder our local catchment areas for the Child & Family Centre Chigwell are Collinsvale, Austins Ferry, Berridale, Claremont and Chigwell. Also we have the ability to support families with transport to essential services if needed e.g. Doctors, Child Health appointments and ECIS….

Kylie Murphy

Community Inclusion Worker

Child and Family Centre Chigwell

'Safe, welcoming and caring place for children to grow'

7011.  4 Bethune Street, Chigwell, TAS, 7011.
7012. 03 6275 5333
7013. kylie.murphy@education.tas.gov.au
7014. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Child-and-Family-Centre-Chigwell/359169170770566?ref=hl