Welcome from the High School Principal

When you look back on your life
and count the blessings,
these will not be reckoned in terms of
money accumulated or rank achieved.
Instead, what will prove to be most important
are the deeds you have done for others.
Stuart and Linda Macfarlane8

As I look back over the year that has passed by so rapidly, I once again find myself in awe of what we as a school have achieved. We are enormously proud of our matric results and the teachers who contributed to this success. Throughout the year, our young sports women gave of their best and achieved wonderful results. Our talented actresses bedazzled us with their performances, and the confidence with which our public speakers entertain their audiences is truly impressive.

And yet, no matter how well we perform in the various areas of school life, I sincerely believe that the most important lesson we can teach our girls is that it is ‘the deeds they do for others’ that are the most important. Much of the selfless giving, by Holy Rosary girls, is done ‘behind the scenes’, often without tangible reward. The countless hours of service given to the school by the choir, the musicians, the altar servers, the hospitality girls, the public relations girls, the technical and backstage crews, the library monitors, the journalists and the first aiders make an enormous difference to our school. Then, of course, there are our ‘greenies’, who are passionate about the environment. They understand that unless we all play our part our planet will not be able to support future generations. We have already collected 6 tonnes of e-waste for recycling! And then there are the hours and hours of community service which our girls do: Little Eden, St Anne’s, the SPCA, various crêches, hospitals and clinics all benefit from the hard work and dedication of our good Samaritans. We are particularly proud of our Phumelela Outreach programme for children from Dikatole, a desperately poor community south of Germiston. We, who are fortunate enough to attend a privileged school, cannot begin to understand what a difference this programme is making to young people who hope that they will be able to break the cycle of poverty in which their families live. Many of our girls are already helping on Saturday mornings with preparing food and tutoring and I hope that many more will get actively involved in this programme, which at this stage is funded entirely by our Debutantes.

Thank you to our parents for entrusting us with the responsibility for your daughters’ education. Your constant support, interest and affirmation are greatly appreciated. We are constantly aware that the task of educating these young women is a joint effort between the home and the school. We could not do our part effectively without your involvement.

My sincere thanks to the teachers and coaches who encourage and guide the girls to broaden their horizons and achieve the balance that makes their school experience so rich. Without them none of our achievements would be possible. The love and care they give our girls is truly exceptional in a world in which so few seem to be prepared to ‘go the extra mile’. We, at Holy Rosary, are truly blessed to have such committed and enthusiastic educators.

A big ‘thank you’ also goes to our dedicated administrative and service staff. Without their hard work the school simply would not function. I extend my thanks to our Board Chairman, Julia Morgan, and all the members of the Board of Governors and the Parents’ Association: the hours of time which they unselfishly devote to the school are truly appreciated. To Sister Mairin and all the Holy Rosary Sisters, thank you for your on-going support and prayers.

I wish you all a peaceful Christmas season and may 2012 bring you God’s richest blessings.

Jacinta Lucas
High School Principal