Dear Parents and Carers

Saint Mary MacKillop Feast Day

It is important to acknowledge the Feast Day of Saint Mary MacKillop, celebrated on 8 August. Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop is Australia’s first saint and throughout the universal Catholic church is now to be ‘honoured devoutly among all the saints’.

Mary died in Sydney on 8 August 1909, aged sixty-seven. Her life of exceptional holiness was formally recognised on 19 January 1995 when Pope John Paul II beatified her in Sydney. On 17 October 2010 she was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

Mary MacKillop’s Story

Painting by Sr M Brady OP

Mary was born in Victoria to Scottish immigrants. She was the eldest of eight children and spent her early years working to support her family. At the age of 24 she dedicated her life to God and took on the name “Mary of the Cross”.

Along with Fr Tenison Woods, Mary opened a school in a disused stable in Penola, South Australia. Her vision was to provide education for underprivileged children. Many other women came to join her there, and Mary and Julian founded Australia’s first religious order: the Sisters of St Joseph.

Mary and the Sisters were committed to serving the poor – to going to where the need was and living amongst those in need. This took Mary all over Australia to many rural areas.

Mary faced fierce opposition throughout her life, which at one point culminated in her being excommunicated. In the face of trial, Mary was a model of forgiveness, insisting no ill be spoken of those who wronged her, while also remaining resolute in her convictions.

Mary was remarkable as a strong female leader in 19th century Australia. Education in this country is what it is today thanks to her dedication and determination.

Patron Saint Feast Day - Blessed Sacrament Fathers 

Saint Peter Julian Eymard

As we were celebrating St Dominic’s Feast Day last Friday, I was talking with Fr Renoir and he let me know that 2 August is also the Feast Day of Saint Peter Julian Eymard, the Patron Saint for his order The Blessed Sacrament Fathers. Fr Renoir and his fellow priests lead the inner North Canberra Parishes. As our parish priest I thought it is important we familiarise ourselves with this saint and the order.

The Blessed Sacrament Congregation was founded by St Peter Julian Eymard (1811–1868) as a new religious community dedicated to the ‘blessed sacrament’ or eucharist.

Eymard (pronounced ‘Ay-mard’) was a French priest who had ministered in the diocese of Grenoble before joining the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) in 1839. By 1844 he was provincial in charge of Marist communities in France and overseas.

Throughout his life, Eymard had a strong attraction to the eucharist. As a priest, he opposed the backward thinking of his day which suggested that communion was a reward for the virtuous, not to be received often or by anyone ‘unworthy’. ‘You take communion to become holy, not because you already are,’ he preached.

After praying at the Basilica of Fourvière on 21 January 1851, Eymard moved to establish a Marist community dedicated to eucharistic adoration. His superiors disapproved, transferring him to the Marist College at La Seyne-sur-Mer. Eventually, Eymard resolved to leave the Society of Mary to begin his new religious congregation with the diocesan priest Raymond de Cuers.

On 13 May 1856, the Paris bishops consented to Eymard’s plans for a ‘Society of the Blessed Sacrament’. After many trials, Eymard and de Cuers established public exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in Paris on 6 January 1857 in a run-down building at 114 rue d’Enfer (which literally meant ‘street of hell’).

When Pope Pius XI granted a Decree of Approbation in 1863, the Congregation had twenty-eight members, among them the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917). Their mission was not confined to exposition and perpetual adoration. It included a ministry to priests, and to the poor and working classes, and particularly to the destitute children or ‘ragpickers’ who were living in the ghettoes of Paris.

Eymard also established an association of lay people called the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and he collaborated with Marguerite Guillot to found a eucharistic congregation for women now known as the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament. In declining health, Eymard lived to see his own Congregation begin its expansion outside France in the mid 1860s. His mystical life deepened during his final years, as he came to recognise what he called the ‘gift of self’ which involved an act of total self-surrender based on the model of Christ.

Peter Julian Eymard was canonised a saint on 9 December 1962 and is known today as the ‘apostle of the eucharist’. His feast day is celebrated each year on 2 August.

Happy Feast Day to Fr Renoir and fellow clergy. 

School Assemblies

Well done to the Year 3 students and teachers on a very entertaining assembly last Friday.  Their narrated story, singing, acting and sharing of their learning was terrific. This is  a large cohort of 3 classes but there was both a great synergy of all classes and also individual talent on display.   

We look forward to the Year 4 assembly this Friday 9 August. Good luck Year 4. 

Congratulations to Year 5 - into the Wakakirri Awards Night Evening

Well done to Year 5 on being selected to perform their Wakakirri story at the ACT Awards Night on Monday 26 August at the Canberra Theatre.  What a great reward for their hard work and creative story. Well done to everyone involved and I hope the students continue to shine on the big stage!  

Rosary Student Wins Gold Medal

Last weekend, Zac Anderson-Rule took out the gold medal at the ACT Race Walk Championships at Stromlo. Not put off by the fact he was the youngest athlete racing in the 10yr old category - 1km race (there is no category for 8 year olds), he went out strong not expecting to place. He had been training hard for weeks in the lead up, concentrating on his technique to ensure he wasn’t disqualified. He was inspired by the recent bronze medal effort of Jemima Montag at the Olympics. Race walking is a very hard sport to master and can often end in heartbreak in the last metres due to the very technical nature of the rules. 

 He now has his sights set on the National Racewalk Championships in Melbourne at the end of August where he will again be up against kids who are 2 years older than him. It will be stiff competition there, but will be a great experience for him, regardless of the outcome.

Congratulations Zac!  What a super star.

Rosary Athletics Carnival next week

We are looking forward to our school athletics carnival next Friday 16 August.  With the Olympics and Paralympics taking centre stage at the moment I'm sure our students will be keen to have a go at their events and do their best.  Thank you to our sports coordinator Mrs Elizabeth Fryar who is busily preparing for the day.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.

God Bless

Greg Walker

Principal

• Hats Back On - Monday 5th August
• St Mary of the Cross Feast Day - Thursday 8 August
• Year 4 Assembly - Friday 9th August - 2.20pm School Hall
• Author Visit - Sue Whiting - Tuesday 13th August 
• Year 4 Excursion - National Museum - Tuesday 13th August
• Think You Know Presentation Years 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - Tuesday 13th August 
• The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass - Thursday 15th August - 10.00am Holy Rosary Church 
• Rosary Athletics Carnival - Friday 16th August - Dickson Playing Fields
• Book Week - Reading is Magic - Monday 19th August - Friday 23rd August 
• Rosary Book Fair - Monday 19th August - Friday 23rd August
• Book Week Assembly and Dress Up Day - Friday 23rd August - 2.20pm - School Hall
• Father’s Day Stall - Friday 30 August (Year 4 parents organising).

Book Week is Coming! 

As in previous newsletters Book Week is in two weeks’ time! The Book Week parade is on Friday 23^rd August! This event can be as simple as dressing up as a 'normal' character from a fiction book or as detailed as having your child dressed in a costume character from a book. 

Book Fair Times 19^th-23^rd August (Week 5) 

Monday                      3.10-4.00pm

Tuesday-Friday           8.30am - 9am

                                 3.10- 4.00pm

There will be a large selection of books for your children to purchase with a percentage of sales being returned to the library in books and resources.

Author Visits

We are excited to announce that we are fortunate enough to have two amazing authors coming to Rosary. Sue Whiting will be visiting for Years. 3-6 on Tuesday 13th August and Amelia McInerney will be visiting Kindergarten- Year 2 on Wednesday 14^th August. Students will attend an author presentation where they will learn about the author’s experiences, writing process and their published books!

Please see the flyer below should you wish to pre-order one of Sue’s or Amelia’s books, it can be signed on the day for students to take home.

Jodie Dawson

Covid and Cold and Flu season are now upon us. To assist in preventing the spread of illness, we seek your co-operation keeping children at home if they are unwell and regularly reminding children about basic hygiene practices including:

Hand Hygiene: frequent washing of hands with soap and water. Using hand sanitizer where apporpriate.

Coughing/Sneezing Etiquette: covering of the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, disposing of the tissue in the bin and washing hands. Alternatively, coughing into the elbow.

We thank you for your cooperation with this important health and safety 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.

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 2-10 - Kinder to Year 4

Please contact the school if you require further information.

Canteen Menu