Dear Parents and Carers, 

It has been great to be back this week with the Rosary School Community.  

Thank you to the Rosary Executive Team for their wonderful effort undertaking higher duties whilst I have been on Long Service Leave for my overseas pilgrimage. Thank you to Mr O’Brien for his role as Acting Principal and Mrs Liz Higgins for her role as Acting Assistant Principal.  Thank you also to Mr Chris Evans for his role as Acting Religious Education Coordinator and Mrs Julie Godfrey for her ongoing role as Primary Coordinator.   

It has been a blessing to be able to take part in the pilgrimage but also a great comfort to know that the school has been going well and has been in good hands. 

Thank you all.  

My Return from Pathways of St Paul Pilgrimage 

As you may be aware, recently I was privileged to take part in a ‘Footsteps of St Paul’ Pilgrimage through Greece and Turkey. I was with a group of travellers from Australia, USA and New Zealand. It was a very humbling and uplifting experience as our group stepped back in time to explore/imagine First Century Europe and Asia Minor to learn about the life of St Paul and his evangelising missions.   

 Whilst the places we visited are ancient and mostly in ruins, it was possible through prayer, reflection, education and physically walking through key areas of Greece and Turkey to feel and sense St Paul undertaking his preaching over 2,000 years ago. Saul's personal conversion to follow Christ and become known as Paul is well documented but it struck me how difficult it was for Paul to follow his new vocation and preach about God and try to expand the Christian Church into new places. It was good to learn about the geography, political systems, lifestyles, laws, practices, economics and philosophies of the people in these lands at that time. St Paul faced many challenges but the late Pope Francis called him “a man who was always moving, bustling about.”  He was persistent and never really rested. He had great zeal and determination and was able to have a significant impact on beginning the Christian Church in Western Europe. St Paul and his close followers were prolific writers and documented many letters to the communities in which they visited and preached the word of God. 

 I was able to visit significant religious sites in Athens, Corinth, the spectacular monasteries of Meteora, Thessaloniki, Philippi, Kavala, the Holy Island of Patmos, as well as Ephesus and Istanbul in Turkey. Whilst on some extra leave at the end of the pilgrimage, I also visited Gallipoli, which was an interesting and moving experience.   

 I hope to be able to share more about my wonderful pilgrimage with the community in coming weeks.    

 Congratulations to Students who Received the Sacrament of Eucharist 

Last weekend a number of Rosary students and children in the parish received their First Eucharist, also known as First Communion. This is a very personal sacrament in that the candidates receive Jesus for the first time in the form of the host - Body of Christ (and in some cases the wine - Blood of Christ). 

 I hope this was a very special and moving moment that the candidates will remember for a long time and bring them closer to the unconditional relationship and love Jesus has for each of them and us. 

 Thank you to the parents and family members for supporting and guiding our candidates in their ongoing faith journey. Thank you to Fr Renoir,  Mr Chris Evans, Mrs Karen Green, Mrs Anna Millar, Mrs Emily Meagher and Mrs Janet Hanratty for preparing and supporting the students.         

Upcoming Staff Changes From Term 3

 I would like to inform you of some upcoming staffing changes for Yr 4 Washington.

Our Classroom Support Teacher, Mrs Meg Millband, has extended her leave for the remainder of the 2025 school year. During her absence, Mr Rob Read will continue in the role of Acting Learning Support Teacher. I wish Mr Read good luck in continuing his role.

 Additionally, the current Yr 4 Washington teachers, Mrs Emily Meagher and Mrs Janet Hanratty, will finish teaching the class at the end of this term. I sincerely thank them both for the excellent work they have done with the students and the positive contributions they have made. I am pleased to welcome Mrs Carlie Connochie to our Rosary staff, who will begin teaching the class from the start of Term 3 and continue for the rest of the school year. Mrs  Connochie (mum of Elsie in Kinder Nagoya) is currently working at Daramalan College and I look forward to her taking up this position; she brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to this new role and our community.

For Term 3, Miss Nicole Rich will be taking long service leave, and during this period, Miss Emily Meagher and Mrs Janet Hanratty will be teaching Kinder Nagoya. I am grateful to them for stepping into this role and ensuring a smooth transition for the students. I wish Miss Rich all the best for a well earned break.

Rosary Students in ‘Kids in Space’ Challenge ACT Final

All Year 6 students at Rosary School participated in the Kids in Space Challenge in 2025.  This was our second year in the challenge having participated in 2024. 

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation’s Kids in Space, delivered by Makers Empire, is a sponsored space education program for each Australian state and territory that offers industry links and real-world learning opportunities. 

Andy Thomas Space Foundation’s Kids in Space is designed to encourage younger students to engage with the nation’s growing space ecosystem, introduce them to space technology and different jobs within the space industry and spark their interest in a space career. 

Our Year 6 students worked on their Kids in Space projects with Mrs Kath Watson in their STEM classes. After presenting their projects, 4 teams from Rosary made the ACT Schools Final. This was held at the Science Centre at Chisholm High School. 

The students did very well overall, presenting their unique projects and models with great knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm.  We will be congratulating these students who represented Rosary in the final at a morning assembly.  Well done to all of them.    

 Rostrum Speaking Quarter Final

Congratulations to Year 6 student Eve Andonovski on representing Rosary in the quarter finals of the ACT Rostrum Speaking competition. Eve spoke last night at Ainslie Primary School along with the other finalists and she acquitted herself very well. Her speech was excellent and entertaining. Well done Eve.  

 Chess Tournament at St Mary’s Young

This week 25 Rosary students travelled to St Mary’s School in Young NSW to take part in a regional chess competition. The students performed very well in their individual matches and represented Rosary extremely well. St Mary’s Young are one of the regular schools that travel to Canberra to participate in our local ACT competitions so it was great for our students and staff to support this event and travel to this new competition to gain experience in chess. Thank you to Mrs Dawson who organises our school chess club and also went to the day in Young.  Thank you also to Mr Evans who accompanied our school group to Young.      

Indigenous Science Workshops

Thank you to Miss Rachel McKerrow, our Aboriginal Contact Teacher, who organised the indigenous education incursion this week in the school. All students in Kindergarten to Year 6 participated in a session exploring aboriginal culture, art and life through fist hand artifacts, photos, stories and experiences of our guest presenter. 

 I wish everyone a good weekend and a wonderful week ahead.  Next week is Week 10 and I am sure everyone is looking forward to the winter school holiday break. 

 God Bless 

Greg Walker

Principal      

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

First Eucharist Congratulations

Last weekend, on the Feast Day of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, 39 students received Holy Communion for the first time. They were very well prepared by their parents, teachers Karen Green, Anna Millar, Emily Meagher and Janet Hanratty, and expertly supported and guided by Chris Evans and Fr Renoir.

Year 4 Mass

Today, Year 4 celebrated Mass on the feast day of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. They were congratulated on their reverence and participation in the Mass. Thank you to their teachers and to the parents who were able to attend.

 Thank you

A special thank you to Chris Evans for all your great work acting in the Role of Religious Education Coordinator throughout Semester 1. Your enthusiasm and knowledge was appreciated as you guided the students through the various Masses, Sacraments and Seasons of the Church Calendar.

Confirmation Formation Evening

If your child is in Year 6, is baptised Catholic, has received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, and wishes to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, please attend the Faith Formation Evening on Thursday 24 July @ 6:15pm, Holy Rosary Church.

The Feast Day of Sts Peter and Paul

Year C | Sunday 29th June | red

“You are Peter; to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven."

Please click on the link below to access the readings and reflections for this Sunday

https://www.childrensliturgyofthewordc.com/iw1f0uwug0.html

Peace and best wishes,

Liz Higgins

Religious Education Coordinator

• Parent Teacher Learning Conversations - Monday 30th June / Tuesday 1st July
• Year 6 Excursion - Parliamentary Triangle - Monday 30th June
• Year 4 Excursion - National Museum - Thursday 3rd July
• Year 1 Excursion - Australian Mint- Thursday 3rd July
• Term 2 Ends for Students - Thursday 3rd July
• Pupil Free Day - Friday 4th July - Staff Only
• Pupil Free Day - Monday 21st July - Staff Only
• Term 3 Commences for all Students - Tuesday 22nd July

Rosary Reads continues as a way for children from Years 2-6 to recommend books to fellow students. Anyone whose work is displayed goes into the draw to win a $20 book voucher from The Book Cow. The next draw will be on Thursday 3^rd July.

As part of their book review, students share an idea or some words they could borrow (‘magpie’) for their own writing. One of our Year 2s wrote, ‘Glimpse is a word that I found interesting. It means to catch sight of something, but not fully see it.”  Another likes the word triumphant. “It means to feel like a winner.” A Year 6 wrote of her book: “I didn’t realise how the war had so many impacts on little children’s lives.” Another Year 6 wrote, “The author ended each chapter with a cliffhanger which made the story more suspenseful.”

It's great to see so many students reading each other’s recommendations.

Happy reading!

Karen Green

English Lead

Reminder to families

Community Services #1 (Before and After School Care) has now been running at Rosary Primary School for 6months and we are asking for families to provide feedback on this service.

Please complete a short survey using the following link if you are using or have used this service during 2025.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/38ZJ2BX

Survey will close Monday 30th June.

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.

Our Rosary Community Council is currently seeking quotes from landscaping, building and steel fabricating businesses for a potential shading project on the Higginbotham St side of school. 

If your family has a business or contact and would like to provide a quote, please contact Matt at rosarycouncil@gmail.com by Thursday July 3rd for a detailed scope of work. 

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 1-9)
• 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 - Tuesdays at Lunchtime from Weeks 2-9 - Kinder to Year 4

Please contact the school if you require further information.

The Book Cow is pleased to extend our existing CECG family offer to include the newly listed F-2 Texts.

Families who like to get ahead with reading or have their own copy of a text at home, will receive 15% discount off the CECG texts (excl Poetry titles) by using the discount code - CECGF2025 at checkout.

This offer is exclusive to CECG families.

All orders will be delivered direct to their school.

Just a few reminders about the car parking and drop off / pick up arrangements:

• The speed limit is 5 km/hr in the car park and all road rules apply.
  
  
•  Pedestrians always have the right of way. 

• Park only in the designated parking spaces, facing forwards towards the university. 

• The white markings relate to traffic flow and parking (coloured markings relate to the children’s playing spaces.) 

• The area closest to the Peace Gates is reserved for Set Down Only in the mornings. Parents can stop in the marked bays long enough for children to alight from the vehicle on the quadrangle side and then enter the school through the Peace Gates. 

• For pedestrian safety there is no parking or stopping against kerb near Peace Gates after school. 

• Please note that no reversing is allowed from the bays marked on the courts. 

• Please follow the white arrows and drive in and drive out again in a forward direction only. This is to reduce the risk to children who cannot be seen by reversing vehicles. 

• Due to the spacing of the bays, parallel parking is only available in the area adjacent to the shade shelter on the oval. This area should be used by larger vehicles and trucks wherever possible. 

• Parallel parking is not available adjacent to the university grounds as this space is needed for vehicles to exit the parking area in a forward direction. 

• Parking on the courts is not permitted between 9:15am and 2:45pm as they are used for play at recess and lunch and by classes for sport throughout the day. 

• There is ‘Long Stay’ parking available in front of the hall for parents who spend time at the school after 9:00am. (This is the only area in which reversing to exit is permitted.) This ensures that the courts area is free for classes to use for sports lessons. 

• After school, some parents may need to see teachers or the front office staff. If this is the case, please leave your cars outside in the bus bay or behind the hall on Higginbotham Street as the gates are locked at 3:30pm. 

• All students travelling home by car are to wait in the quad until collected by a parent/carer. 

• Parents waiting for their children after school are asked to move well into the quad to assist access. 

• When children arrive at school, they are to enter via the Peace Gates in the quadrangle. Children are not to enter through the front office foyer. Likewise, children are not to leave through the front office at the end of the day unless catching a route bus. 

• No child is to meet a parent/carer anywhere other than the quadrangle area at the end of school. 

• The children must be supervised in the car park – they are not permitted to go to a parked vehicle without a parent/carer with them.

Classes run every Tuesday in the school hall after eating break. 

Use the link below to register.

2025 Term 2 - SCHOOL PROGRAM ROSARY PRIMARY SCHOOL • Play

Catholic Education Canberra-Goulburn has communicated to schools regarding reporting to parents/guardians. CE has advised schools that general comments will not be required on Semester 1, 2025 reports, but to prioritise Parent/Teacher Conferences for every family. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, their strengths, challenges and future areas of focus. A Semester Report will be sent home as in previous Semesters, providing A-E grading, work habits and attendance information.

CE has advised schools that Semester 2, 2025 reports will have a general comment for all children as in previous years. This general comment will provide a summative comment for the year, areas of achievement and areas to focus on for the following year. A-E grading, work habits and attendance information will remain as normal.

We would encourage all parents/guardians to engage regularly with their child/ren’s learning, connecting with their class teacher/s regularly to discuss learning progress.

Step into a world of pure imagination with this year’s College musical!

? Show Dates:

• Opening Night: Thursday, 31 July at 7:00 PM
• Evening Show: Friday, 1 August at 7:00 PM
• Matinee: Saturday, 2 August at 2:00 PM
• Closing Night: Saturday, 2 August at 7:00 PM

? St John Paul II College Theatre

?️ Bookings can be made at: https://www.trybooking.com/DAXAT

A colourful, family-friendly production perfect for all ages!