Welcome back for Term 4.

I hope everyone had a chance for a break or at least a change of pace during the school holidays. It is lovely to see the weather getting warmer and days longer.

This week we look forward to the Year 2 school assembly at 2.20pm on Friday 18 October.    

Welcome to our New Staff:

It is wonderful to welcome a group of new Classroom Support Assistants to join our staff and learning support team this term.  They all bring suitable skills and experiences in working with children and study in the field of education.

Welcome to:

• Marie Pecotic
• Teegan O’Connor
• Ellora Vaughan 
• Ursula Pangallo

These staff join our current team and will work to assist students and staff across all year levels.  

Archdiocesan Assembly this Weekend

This weekend many people, in many roles, from many places in our community gather for an Archdiocesan Assembly.  

Being The Year of the Holy Spirit, this assembly gives us all a chance to listen to our God through our hearts and minds to explore new opportunities for evangelisation and synodality in the life and mission of our local Church going forward. 

This short article below outlines beautifully the way the Holy Spirit guides and enlightens our lives.

Getting to know the Holy Spirit

By Philippa Martyr 

The Holy Spirit is easily the most misunderstood Person in the Trinity. That’s partly because He is self-effacing and humble in His relationship with the world at large.

The Catechism tells us (s.687) that we don’t hear the Holy Spirit Himself speaking to us – He has no voice of His own, so to speak. Instead, He reveals the word of the Father to us, and unveils Jesus to us. 

Because He proceeds from the Father and the Son, He lives in perfect harmony with them. He would never reveal anything that was contrary to their will. 

Which is why He is also tremendously busy! There are eight places where you can easily find and know the Holy Spirit if you want to (and I’d encourage you to do this). 

The first and most obvious place is in the Scriptures, which He inspired. You will also find Him in the sacred tradition of the Church, throughout the writings of all the Church Fathers (and Mothers).

You will find Him every single time you take part in the sacraments, which is where the Holy Spirit works to put us in communion with Jesus Christ. 

You will find him in your prayer life. Every time you pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for you with the Father and the Son. We literally can’t pray without Him. How about that?

You will find him in the charisms and ministries that build up the Church. A ‘charism’ is any gift that God gives you to help build up the Church. 

Being ‘charismatic’ isn’t always about extraordinary signs and wonders. It can be a very ordinary case of you exercising a God-given gift in the service of the Church to the best of your ability. 

The Holy Spirit will show you how to use your gifts. You may not even notice Him helping you – but you might notice that your work thrives in unexpected ways. 

You will also find the Holy Spirit in the signs of apostolic and missionary life in the Church. Wherever there are people spreading the Gospel – at work, at home, or overseas – the Holy Spirit is there to guide them and help them. 

Finally, you will find the Holy Spirit at work in the witness given to us by the saints. All the saints in the Church have shown us the holiness of God through their lives lived in the company of the Holy Spirit. 

They’ve all done it in different ways, because saints are individual and come in all shapes and sizes. The Holy Spirit wants you to become a you-shaped saint, and you absolutely have the capacity to do it with His help. 

You can start by finding him in all these places and asking Him to help you. One of His names is ‘Paraclete’, which translates as ‘counsellor’, ‘helper’, and ‘really good lawyer’.

He is the best of all possible helpers (and lawyers). He can untangle knots, point out hidden paths, reveal secrets, and stir up your courage to become the saint God wants you to be. 

Rosary Colour Run a Huge Success

What an amazing event our first ever school colour run was!! With the school holidays it was a couple of weeks ago now, but what a great way to finish Term 3. 

Everyone seemed to have a great afternoon and enjoyed going around the obstacle course being ‘dusted’ in colour by our parent volunteers!  There was no way of avoiding becoming technicolour!   

I would like to offer a huge vote of thanks to our colour run organiser, Tesse Crozier, who really brought this event to reality with her creative thinking and amazing organisational skills. For a first time event it ran so smoothly and was a successful major fundraiser for our school. Thank you also to the many parent and carer volunteers who played a huge role in allowing the students to take part in the fun activities.   

Thank you to Mrs Mara Pangallo and Miss Nicole Rich for their assistance and guidance on the event too.  From a school staff perspective they assisted to ensure that the event was promoted well and that the students and staff were involved in the process. 

There will be more information soon on how the funds raised will be spent.  The focus is on purchasing some fun resources and new activities for the students to enjoy - things perhaps the school wouldn’t normally buy or have in stock. The students and members of the community lodged lots of ideas last term so we will shortlist the ideas and look to buy some things soon. 

We also promised to have a student be ‘Principal for a Day! Again this year.  This will be drawn out of the student names soon and we will let you know when this will occur.    

From all reports and feedback on the day, the students really wanted to do this event again in 2024.  I hope the powder paint came out of everyone’s clothes, shoes and hair!  A small price to pay for so much fun!  

Paralympian Athlete Visit to Rosary this Friday 18 October 

With the Paralympians recently returned from Paris, Rosary School is fortunate to have a paralympian ambassador visiting us this Friday 18 October and speaking about their experiences.  It is a 50 minute curriculum aligned presentation co-facilitated by a former and current Paralympians and a presenter. The Program is for our students in Years 3-6 and the outcomes include -
  

• Creating behavioral change by giving learners practical tools to make the world a more inclusive place. 
• Challenging learners’ perceptions and attitudes towards people with a disability by inviting Paralympians into schools.
• Educating students about the Paralympic Movement, the Games and Para-sports. 
• Breaking down stigma surrounding disability from an early age. 

Thank you Mrs Hillsdon for organising this event and for liaising with the Paralympians in Schools Program.  

Other Upcoming School Events and dates for Term 4

Year 2 Assembly - Friday 18 October 

Archdiocesan Synod - Friday 18 October - Sunday 20 October  

Sacrament of Reconciliation -  Saturday 26 October (3.00-4.00pm)

Year 3 Liturgy - Friday 25 October 10.00am

Community Council Open meeting - Wednesday 30 October 5.30pm

Year 3 and 4 Soccer Gala  Day - Wednesday 30 October (Harrison Fields)

Year 5 and 6 Soccer Gala  Day - Wednesday 6 November (Harrison Fields)

Year 5 Mass - Friday 1 November 10.00am

Kindergarten Liturgy - Friday 8 November 10.00am

Remembrance Day Ceremony - Monday 11 November 10.30am

Kindergarten Orientation Session #1 - Thursday 14 November (Week 5)

Kindergarten Orientation Session #2 - Thursday 28 November (week 7)

Year 2 Liturgy - Friday 15 November 10.00am

Year 5 Assembly - Friday 15 November 2.20pm

Rosary Swimming Program - 4 days - Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - Week 6

Gelato Treat Day - note: new date Wednesday 20 November (Year 1 parents)  

Semester Two Reports to parents/carers - Wednesday 4 December (Week 8)

End of Year Mass - 10.00am Tuesday 10 December

Year 6 Graduation - Evening Celebration Tuesday 10 December

Last day of school for students - Monday 16 December   

Special Note:  Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Dates:

Merici College Year 7 2025 Orientation Day - Friday 8 November 

Daramalan Year 7 2025 Orientation Day - Friday 6 December

John Paul II College - TBC

Wishing you all a great start to Term 4.

God Bless

Greg Walker

Principal  

• Year 2 Assembly - Friday 18 October - School Hall 2.20pm - All Welcome!
• Archdiocesan Synod - Friday 18 October - Sunday 20 October  
• Sacrament of Reconciliation -  Saturday 26 October (3.00-4.00pm)
• Year 3 Liturgy - Friday 25 October 10.00am - Holy Rosary Church 3.00pm
• Community Council Open meeting - Wednesday 30 October 5.30pm
• Year 3 and 4 Soccer Gala  Day - Wednesday 30 October (Harrison Fields)

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.

2024 Term 4 - SCHOOL PROGRAM ROSARY PRIMARY SCHOOL • Play

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.

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.

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