Dear Parents and Carers

We have come to the end of the 2024 school year.  Thank you for your partnership this year as we worked together to educate and support your child. 

I wish all of our Year 6 graduating students all the best as they venture into their high school years in 2025.  Their graduation evening was a wonderful celebration on Tuesday evening.  Thank you to the parents who have their last child graduating Year 6 this year, your support over many years is greatly appreciated.   

I would also like to wish other students and families leaving Rosary at the end of this year all the very best for the future.   

As mentioned in earlier newsletters, I would also like to thank our leaving staff for their time at Rosary and wish them all the best for the future.  Good luck to:

• Mrs Emma Hillsdon
• Mrs Mara Pangallo
• Miss Nuri La 
• Miss Clare Henman

I would also like to thank departing Classroom Support Assistants Mrs Ursula Pangallo and Miss Ellora Vaughan who have worked with our students and teachers in Term 4.  

You are also reminded that Mr Rob Read will be our Classroom Support Teacher in Term 1 2025 while Ms Meg Millband is on Long Service Leave.   

This week 3 of our new classroom teachers joining us in 2025 met their new students during our meet-the-teacher session. Thes teachers were Mrs Shannon Blakey (Year 6), Mrs Naomi Scott (Year 5) and Miss Emily Holgate (Year 1).  All of these teachers are experienced and will bring new ideas and talents to our community. 

2024 Final Assembly - 2.30pm Friday 13 December

At this final school assembly on Friday we will have a leadership handover ceremony from our outgoing Year 6 students to our Year 5 students. We will also farewell all students leaving and our leaving staff.

2024 Christmas Nativity Story Evening

This Thursday evening, 12 December, we will celebrate Christmas through the students performing the Story of the Nativity. The evening will be in the school QUAD area, please arrive by 5.45pm for a 6.00pm start. It is a seated event with parents, carers and family members selecting their own seats on arrival. The weather is expected to be very warm so please consider being sunsmart and bring along water to drink. 

Thank you to Mrs Emma Hillsdon, Mrs Meg Millband and all the staff for organising the special script and performance this year.  It will be lovely to hear this story through the voices and performances of the children.

Remember these key dates

• Rosary School Office closes on Tuesday 17 December 2024.
• Rosary School Office opens Thursday 30 January 2025.
• Staff return for professional learning week on Thursday 30 January 2025. 
• All students return to school on Tuesday 4 February 2025, including our new Kindergarten students who start at 9.30am.
• Our 2025 ‘Meet the Staff Evening’ is scheduled for Tuesday 11 February (Week 2)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I would like to wish everyone a very Peaceful, Holy Christmas and Happy New Year.  I hope that you have the opportunity to spend time with your family and friends, as well as a break from the normal busy routines of everyday life.

May we all take time to offer our prayers and thoughts to members of our community who are facing challenges and difficult times in their lives, as well as those less fortunate than us. 

As we gather and share Christmas with loved ones, may we pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Love brought Jesus to the earth, and love brings us to this Christmas table. As we share this holiday feast, may we also share with one another a joyful heart and a warm smile. May our Christmas dinner be filled with kindness. And may the memories of Christmas warm our hearts for years to come. 

Amen.

And through the birth of our saviour, may we be renewed in our lives and remember…

When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with the flocks, then the work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, to heal those broken in spirit, to feed the hungry, to release the oppressed, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among all peoples, to make a little music with the heart. And to radiate the Light of Christ, every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say. Then the work of Christmas begins.

—Howard Thurman

May your Christmas be blessed with the light of Christ. 

Take care and travel safely.

God Bless

Greg Walker 

Principal    

• Christmas Nativity / Carols Evening - Thursday 12th December
• Final Assembly - Friday 13th December - School Hall 2.20pm - Please note change fof date
• Last day of Term for all Students - Monday 16th December 
• Pupil Free Day - Tuesday 17th December 
• OSHClub Care Availble for Pupil Free Day - Tuesday 17th December - Please book directly with the service

Wishing all our of lovely Rosary families a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday break.

Thank you for your support of our library this year.

Happy Reading!

Mrs Dawson 

Francis was congratulated by the Associate Professor Dr Lal, ACT Scientist of the year 2023 and ACT Climate Change Council.  He also answered questions from Ros Malouf, Executive Branch Manager of the Climate Change and Energy Program. Francis was asked: (1) What's his top tips for saving nemo, (2) What get him the idea to do a collage (for his poster)?  He was very brave to respond over the microphone in front of such a large audience.

Well done Francis! Rosary is very proud of your achievements.

Rosary would like to thank Mel and Michael Hill from Mel Hill Photography for their generous donation of a photobooth for the Year 6 Graduation ceremeony.  Not only did they donate the booth but their time in running the booth which added to the enjoyment of the night for our students.

Thank you so much!

Whole Day Absences

If your child is absent from school for a whole day or longer, please submit details of the absence via the Parent Portal. This should be completed within 7 days of the absence.  There is no need to adjust times for whole day absences.

If your child will only be absent for a partial day, the absence will be recorded as your child is signed in or out via the kiosk at the front office. You do not need to add an early pick up or late drop off via the Parent Portal.

Unexplained absences for your child will be displayed on your homepage when you log in to Parent Portal.

If an unexplained absence appears that you believe to be incorrect, please send an email to the front office for investigation.

Access to the clothing pool will now be as follows:

Monday - Friday - Before and after school only

Thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers who maintain the space for our community.

Please note: All donations of preloved uniforms (in good wearable condition) are welcome at the front office.

There are many extracurricular activities available onsite for our Rosary Students.  Please note all of these activities attract a fee and are delivered by external providers.  Please see the timetable below for details:

• French Lessons - Monday 3.10pm - 4.20pm (continuing) / Wednesday 8.00am - 9.00am (beginner)
• Action Tae Kwon-Do - Monday 6.30pm Children class / 7:30pm Adult class
• Chess Club - Tuesday 3.10pm - 4.30pm (Weeks 1-9)
• Zanshin Martial Arts - Tuesday 6.30pm Junior class / 7:30pm Senior class
• Artkids - Thursday 3.15pm - 5.00pm
• Italian Lessons - Friday 8:00am - 9:00am (beginner) 
• Musicorp (various instruments) / Piano Lessons - Friday 8:20am and during class time throughout the day
• Block Crafters - Tuesday and Wednesday Week 2 - Coding and Robotics After School Programme for interested students aged 8-12 years 
• Dance Club - PLAY - The Dance Agency - Tuesdays at Lunchtime from Weeks 2-9 - Kinder to Year 4

Please contact the school if you require further information.

Canteen Menu

The School Counsellor is at Rosary all day Mondays and Tuesdays during each school term.

How to make an appointment

If your child was seen by the School Counsellor last year and you would like them to receive support in 2023, we require you to complete a new counselling registration form. Please either contact your child’s class teacher or Greg Walker- the Principal for further information.

Similarly, new referrals and requests can be made by contacting your child’s class teacher or Greg Walker- the Principal for further information.

Parent consent for counselling continues to be required for all primary school students and will be sought and provided via email. Where parents are separated, we require the written consent of both parents. Once the referral has been received by myself- School Counsellor- I will make contact with parents on my next day at Rosary to further discuss the referral.

More about School counselling/how to access school counselling at Rosary Primary School

As part of the pastoral care program for students at Rosary, students have access to a Student and Family Counselling service provided by MaryMeadCatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn (MCCG). MCCG are contracted by the CEO to provide a counselling service to students and their families on site. There is no fee to access this service. The service offers short term counselling support (roughly up to six sessions per referral issue) to children and their families – the counsellor can also provide referrals for more complex issues requiring intensive or long term therapy/support.

The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social and educational well-being of the students. Counsellors welcome contact with students having difficulty with some part of their life, the problem does not have to be a big one. It is better to seek help sooner rather than later. Some typical

concerns that counsellors work with include: anger, anxiety, behavioural problems, low mood, family changes/separation, grief and loss, learning and educational challenges, parenting challenges, peer and other social relationships, school avoidance, stress and study skills. As well as individual sessions with students, counsellors can run groups, consult with parents and teachers and make referrals to other services and supports.

Student and Family Counsellors subscribe to a set of professional ethics that include duty of care and respect for the individual rights to privacy and confidentiality. The counsellors’ obligation is to ensure the safety, well-being and confidentiality of the student they are working with. All counsellors are mandated to report any disclosure or sign of abuse (including self-harm) or neglect to Child Protection Services. Outside of our mandated requirements, all counselling sessions are confidential and the details will not be discussed with other parties unless written consent is given by the client.

Sarah Foley- is onsite at Rosary Mondays and Tuesdays during term.