Dear Parents and Carers

2025 Staffing Update

Whilst the staffing cohort at Rosary has been very consistent for a number of years, there are some staff seeking changes in their career for 2025.

Staff Leaving

Congratulations to Mrs Mara Pangallo who has been successful in a secondary teaching position at St Francis Xavier College Florey.  I would like to thank Mara for her teaching service (Year 6 in recent years) and involvement at Rosary School as a teacher and parent over many years. I wish Mara good luck in this next chapter of her teaching career.  

Congratulations to Mrs Emma Hillsdon who has been successful in a secondary teaching profession at Merici College Braddon. I would like to thank Emma for her years of teaching service at Rosary (recently Year 4) and also for her specific work in the Year 3-6 literacy role in 2023-2034 and her executive role this term.  I wish Emma good luck for this position and the change to teaching in the secondary school field. 

I would like to wish Miss Nuri La all the best for the future. Nuri is leaving Rosary School to undertake a few things important to her, including some travel.  I would like to thank Nuri for her 2 years of teaching at Rosary as a graduate teacher. She has been very committed and professional in her early teaching years.  

I hope these teachers enjoy their new roles or ventures and the moves bring them new opportunities.  

Classroom Support Teacher Role Change Term 1 2025

Our permanent Classroom Support Teacher, Mrs Meg Millband, is taking well-earned long service leave for Term 1, 2025. I wish Meg all the best for this period of leave and hope that she gets a chance to do some special things. 

I am pleased to announce that Mr Rob Read has been appointed to undertake the Classroom Support Teacher role at Rosary in Term 1 2025. I wish Rob all the best in this new role and supporting students, staff and parents in their learning and wellbeing. Rob will have a good handover period with Mrs Millband and be able to continue the support programs and plans in place as well as assist new students settle into Rosary.  

Staff Joining Rosary in 2025

I would like to introduce two new teachers joining Rosary staff in 2025:

Welcome to Emily Holgate who is joining Rosary from St Jude’s Primary School Holder.  Emily has been working at St Jude’s for 9 years and is looking forward to teaching in a new school and community. Emily brings experience and new ideas to our school.

Welcome to Shannon Blakey who is joining Rosary from St Michael’s Kaleen.  Shannon has taught at St Michael’s for 11 years and is also looking forward to working in a new school and community.  Shannon brings experience and new ideas to our school. 

Interviews are being held shortly to complete our staff roster for 2025.  Once this is complete teachers will then learn which year level they will be teaching in 2025.

Meet the 2025 Teachers

Students will have a short session with their new teachers in Week 9 where they will do an activity together and familiarise themselves with each other.

OSHClub Care Services

Parents and Carers are reminded that OSHClub will be operating and open for students to attend their service here at Rosary on Tuesday 17 December (our pupil free day).  Bookings can be made directly through the service. They will not be open from Wednesday 18 December to Friday 20 December.    

Thank you to OSHClub and their staff, both past and present,  

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead.

God Bless

Greg Walker

Principal

• Year 6 Farewell Assembly - Friday 29th November - School Hall 2.20pm 
• Year 5 Assembly - Friday 6th December - School Hall 2.20pm - Please note change of date 
• Semester 2 Reports Available - Wednesday 4th December
• Year 5 Assembly - Friday 6th December - School Hall 2.20pm
• End of Year Mass - Tuesday 10th December - Holy Rosary Church 10.00am
• Year 6 Graduation Dinner - Tuesday 10th November - Ainslie Football Club
• Dance Club End of Year Performance - Wednesday 11th December - Quad Morning Assembly 9.00am
• Christmas Nativity / Carols Evening - Thursday 12th December
• Final Assembly - Monday 16th December - School Hall 2.30pm
• 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

As the school year draws to a close, it’s time for our annual library stocktake. We kindly request all families return any books with the school barcode on the front cover as soon as possible. This ensures an accurate count of our collection and allows us to ensure that we have all necessary resources for next year.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

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.

Canteen Menu

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.