Welcome to the 2022 school year! It has been a pleasure to welcome back all students but especially to welcome new students across year groups, including our new Year 7 cohort and those joining us in Year 11. Our new Year 7 cohort is 83 students and we have 71 students in Year 11.

We also welcome new staff. Mrs Mary Wright joins us as Assistant Principal - Mission and Ministry, Mrs Helen Close joins us to teach English and HSIE, Mr Joe Kershaw will be teaching PDHPE and Maths and Mrs Mandy Hughes will be working as a learning support assistant. We are fortunate to have such experienced and quality staff joining our Hennessy community.

Each year we focus on one area of the Hennessy Vision Statement - ‘Live Spiritually, Learn Dynamically, Act Justly …inspiring futures of hope.’ This year our focus is on living spiritually. We want to encourage everyone in our community to develop Gospel Spirituality which means to treat everyone as Jesus did in the Gospel, our challenge is to make Hennessy a welcoming and inclusive community -

We invite everyone into the story of Jesus

and strive to make his message of compassion, justice and peace

a living reality within our community.

(ERA touchstone)

Over the next few weeks students will spend time in RE classes unpacking the notion of what it means to ‘live spiritually’ as inspired by the gospel and how our school practises inclusivity, forgiveness and compassion.

We seem to receive lots of bad news via the media so it is uplifting to have a positive story to share. The Class of 2021 performed exceptionally in the HSC; so many stories of high results, better than expected results and growth! One highlight was Amy Knapman being named as a NSW All Rounder for receiving the highest bands in all her subjects. Amy also earned an ATAR of 98.45 and was placed 6th in the state in Studies of Religion 1 - well done Amy!

Other impressive performances were from Ethan Smith (97.30), Rylee O’Brien (94.15), Ellie Croker (93.60), Rory O’Brien (93.25) and Charlotte Hudson (91.90). A total of 12 student results (including three accelerated students from Year 11) were placed in the Distinguished Achievers List for being awarded a Band 6 or E4 result which is equivalent to an HSC score of 90 or more and 2 students were awarded a notional Band 6 for Mathematics Extension 2. 

The Hennessy HSC results reflect hardworking and resilient students and excellent teaching from a caring and committed staff. The results are evidence of my mantra that ‘country kids can do anything’. 

You will have received correspondence concerning updated COVID guidelines. Today we distributed RAT kits to students again, if you have not received a kit please contact the Front Office or ask your son/daughter to collect a kit. Students and staff should have kits for two weeks and are encouraged to do tests twice a week. More kits will then be issued so testing can occur for at least one month. Please email or phone the front office and NSW Health if your child tests positive. If your child is showing COVID symptoms please keep them home. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries. Our current positive covid cases are very low - fingers crossed.

COVID restrictions will affect many school events, especially in the first half of the term. We are permitted to hold our swimming carnival but will not have parents as spectators so we are able to separate students into year cohorts. The COVID restrictions are frustrating but their purpose is to make our community as safe as possible.

If you do not already do so, please follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook to see what is happening at our wonderful college. My email address is kathy.holding@cg.catholic.edu.au, please contact me if you have any queries or concerns.

Stay safe

Kathy Holding