Dear Parents and Carers,

We had a great turnout for our Welcome BBQ on Tuesday evening. A big thank you to everyone who joined us to visit classrooms and chat with staff about the upcoming school year. It was also a wonderful chance for families to catch up with each other.

I’d like to give special thanks to our Year 6 parents and carers who took the lead with the BBQ, as well as to Paul Mogan, our maintenance officer, who handled the setup and takedown of the BBQs and tables.

The next opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher will be during Week 5 of this term, on Monday 3 March and Tuesday 4 March. These parent-teacher meetings will allow you to book a time to discuss how your child has settled into their new class.

As always, if you need to discuss any matters with our staff, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment at any time throughout the year. Open communication is essential for each child’s success.

Our Opening School Mass is 10:00am next Monday. If you are able to attend, you are most welcome!

I wish you all the best for the week ahead.

John O'Brien 
Acting Principal

This past Sunday, I was privileged to represent Rosary School at St Christopher’s Cathedral to celebrate the contributions of the different Religious Orders to the Archdiocese over the past century and more.

Of course, Rosary owes much to Religious Orders, especially the Dominican Order, who were critical in its establishment and pastoral care for many years. Now, we are also lucky to be able to work with another order, the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, to continue the growth of the School and Parish.

At the Mass, the Archbishop spoke on the theme of hope, drawing on the Jubilee theme and also the words of the English hymn ‘My Song is Love Unknown’. Suggesting that where the hymn calls us to show ‘love to the loveless’, we should also try this year to show “hope to the hopeless so, that hopeful they may be”.

Hope is a wonderful gift that God gives us, and as Catholics, we can share it with those around us in lots of ways. We can offer support, both here at Rosary and also in our community.  The Pope calls us to especially remember those ‘on the peripheries’. When we reach out to those who might be left out by others, we remind ourselves and them of God’s unending love for all of us, regardless of our situation in life.

I hope that you will be able to join us next Monday for our opening school Mass!

God bless us all,

Christopher Evans

Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)

Important Dates coming up:

Opening Mass - Monday, Week 3 (17th Feb)

Year 6 Mass - Friday Week 3 (21st Feb)

Reconciliation Formation Evening (27th Feb,  at 18:15)

Ash Wednesday Mass Wednesday Week 5 (5th March)

• Opening School Mass - Monday 17th Feruary - 10.00am Holy Rosary Church - All Welcome
• Kinder Rest / Assessment Day - Wednesday 19th February 
• Year 6 Mass - Friday 21st February - 10.00am Holy Rosary Church
• Kinder Rest Day / Assessment Day - Wednesday 26th February
• Reconciliation Formation Evening - Thursday 27th February - 6.15pm Holy Rosary Church

Welcome BBQ

Well done to our year six families who ran our Welcome BBQ evening on Tuesday. 

The rain held off and there was a wonderful buzz in the air while the school was open for families to pop in, meet the teachers and see our learning spaces. 

The community gathered in the quad with big and little siblings of Rosary students coming along too, some even helping with the sausage sizzle! Thank you all for your enthusiasm.

There were many compliments about the deliciousness of the sausages - which were kindly supplied by Ainslie IGA. 

Stay tuned for our next community event!

School Grounds Update

What beautiful green grass we have on our oval! After last year's irrigation and re-seeding efforts, the lush green grass as returned. The children have been enjoying the generally softer surface for sports and playtime.

Our newly planted trees are also thriving and already providing some shade on our recent very hot days. 

Over the holidays something unusual was noticed on the trees out by the front entrance of the school on Fleming Street- they have been attacked by rabbits! We've now installed guards around the trees to protect them from any further damage. Hopefully the trees will recover with no more visits from the "wascaly wabbits".

Hello lovely Rosary Primary School families! My name is Sarah Foley and I have been part of the MaryMeadCatholiccare Student and Family Counselling team since 2006.

I am a registered Psychologist with a passion for working with children, young people and their families. I have previously worked in marketing, community based aged care, crisis counselling and the homelessness sector.

In my school counselling work -I provide short term client centred support to children and their families drawing from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Strengths based, Mindfulness and Trauma Informed approaches in a developmental context. For more complex issues I also provide referrals and information/parent consultation. I am at Rosary all day Mondays and Tuesdays during each school term.

How to make an appointment.

If you have concerns about your child’s wellbeing and would like to access School Counselling, please talk to your child’s Class Teacher or the Principal (John O’Brien for term 1) for further information about the online registration process.

Parent consent for counselling continues to be required for all primary school students and will be sought and provided via email as part of the online registration process. 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.

I look forward to working with you and the school throughout 2025!

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

Email; Sarah.foley@mccg.org.au (Please be aware I may not reply to emails until my scheduled days at this school).

Supporting Kids at the start of the new school year

Dear Parents,

With the return to a new school year, schedules are starting to get very busy again and it’s a lot on us as parents, and it’s even more on our kids. Take this article as permission look after yourselves! Monitor how your kids are going and if you are observing post-school melt downs happening more than just occasionally, it is time to respond by simplifying the after school routine.

Here’s some tips to help make late afternoons more peaceful when your child is adjusting to the new school year

Expect kids to fall apart – Your child might hold it all together and be on their best behaviour at school and then the minute they get home they go off the rails. This is NORMAL behaviour. At school your child works so hard  to follow all the rules and have so many social interactions, it’s tiring and they need to let it out at some point.

Plan for downtime – School days are draining and your child needs to balance the demands of a new school year with some relaxation and rest. When you notice a pattern of after-school meltdowns, clear their afternoon/evening schedule for the week where possible. Postpone the playdates, skip the supermarket visit after school, and go straight home and let your child unwind.

Have a healthy snack ready – Your child might not eat enough at school. Drinking and eating are social in nature, and children just tend to snack until they are comfortable. Be prepared for their end of school day HANGRY side to come out and be ready with a nutrient dense snack.

Don’t take it personally – You’re probably so excited to see your child/ren at the end of the day to give them a hug and find all about what they got up to at school. Then you pick them up and they are tired and limited in what they want to share, making you feel disappointed or rejected. It’s not about you, give them space, time, rest and food.

Sensory play – Draw a bath with lots of bubbles and their favourite bath toys. Or put on some calm music and let them relax with a puzzle, play dough or kinetic sand play. They will love it and it will help them unwind.

A popular book for those in junior primary school at the moment is by Author Jane Godwin and illustrator Anna Walker. They have created a delightful picture book all about families’ busy lives. It’s called ‘Today We Have No Plans’ – ‘a busy week, a slower day brings time to dream and time to play’. Also available for loan at Libraries ACT.

Ongoing concerns about back to school anxiety; If your child is showing signs of difficulties with adjustment beyond the first few weeks of school term, such as ;

– physical symptoms like stomach aches, headaches or nausea

– trouble sleeping

– changes in appetite;

– changes in behaviour;

-expressing not wanting to go to school

They may be experiencing anxiety.

If you have concerns about your child experiencing back to school anxiety-

remember to make some quiet time together and ask open-ended questions – for example, ‘How are you feeling about starting/going/being back to school?’ This gives your child a chance to share their thoughts, feelings and anything that’s worrying them.

 Listen closely and acknowledge your child’s feelings. For example, ‘I can see why you would be worried about starting in a new class. I know that lots of kids feel anxious about making new friends.’

Remember, school is a major part of your child’s life, so try to see things from their point of view and don’t dismiss their worries, even if they seem small or silly to you. You don’t need to have all the answers or be able to fix things. Instead, the most important thing is that your child believes they can overcome their feelings of anxiety and knows that you’re there to help them through it.

For more information on how to support your child through back to school anxiety and where to go for professional support talk to your child’s class teacher as the first point of contact or see the following article on the Emerging Minds website;

https://d2p3kdr0nr4o3z.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/2024/01/29163457/8-tips-to-help-your-child-manage-back-to-school-anxiety.pdf

With thanks to MCCG School Counselling resources and Emerging Minds website.

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 - Wednesday 8.00am - 9.00am (beginner) from week 2
• Italian Lessons - Friday 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 1-10)
• Zanshin Martial Arts - Tuesday 6.30pm Junior class / 7:30pm Senior class
• Artkids - Thursday 3.10pm - 5.00pm
• Musicorp (various instruments) / Piano Lessons - Friday 8:20am and during class time throughout the day
• Block Crafters - Tuesday and Wednesday from Week 2 - 3.15pm - 5.00pm Coding and Robotics After School Programme for interested students aged 8-12 years 
• Dance Club - PLAY - The Dance Agency - Wednesdays at Lunchtime from Weeks 2-9 - Kinder to Year 4

Please contact the school if you require further information.

Rosary Netball Club is now calling all children interested in playing in the 2025 winter Net Set Go Saturday morning netball competition. 

We are aiming to fill 4 teams across grades 1 to 6. As places may be limited depending on how children nominate, please send an email to rosarynetball@gmail.com advising of your child’s interest as soon as possible and no later than Friday 21 February. 

Games start the first week back in Term 2, and will run till September (with a break over the July school holidays). 

Each team will need a coach and a manager and we ask parents to consider taking on this role for their child’s team. If you are keen to be involved. please let us know. 

Finally, the Rosary Netball Club is run solely by volunteers and we are in desperate need of more help. Without parent volunteers, the club cannot operate. If you are at all interested in finding out more about what we do and how you can help, please email us at rosarynetball@gmail.com

Thank you! See you on the court!

Congratulations to Poppy M who represented ACT in the U9 Cougars Oztag and the Junior State Championships over the weekend in Penrith. Her team placed 5th out of a very talented pool of young girls from around NSW! 

2025 Term 1 - SCHOOL PROGRAM ROSARY PRIMARY SCHOOL • Play