Dear Parents and Carers

Remembrance Day School Ceremony - Monday 11 November

You are warmly invited to attend our Remembrance Day ceremony at school next Monday the 11 November at 10.30am. 

We particularly invite any current serving military  Personnel to a ceremony.  Please contact the front office if you are able to attend as we would like to acknowledge your presence (with your permission). 

The liturgy will be held outdoors in the school Remembrance Garden located near the school netball courts and Higginbotham Street gates.  This is an important and solemn day to focus on peace in our world.  We also give thanks to those current and past service men and women who have, and still do, bravely work for peace and harmony in Australia and beyonnd.

Semester Two Student Reports Coming Soon - Available Wednesday 4 December (Week 8)  

This term parents and carers will have access to their child's Semester Two Report on Wednesday 4 December.  The semester report will have academic grades for each key learning area and some key subject strand areas.  This semester teachers will also write a general comment on the report which will highlight aspects of the students achievement and application to their studies during Semester Two. This report is not a summary of the whole year.

2025 Kindergarten Orientation - 9.15am Thursday 14 November (Next week) 

Next week will be the first of our two Kinder Orientation sessions for our students who will form our cohort for 2025.  I'd like to take this opportunity in advance to welcome these students and their families.  We know this is a special time in their lives and for their transition to ‘big’ school and we look forward to getting to know them better.  

Uniform and Appearance Expectations

This week I spoke to the students about the Rosary School expectations for correctly wearing their school uniforms and their personal appearance.  This was a general reminder as most students meet these expectations each day.

Uniforms

At Rosary we believe that a school uniform gives a sense of belonging and pride in the school, whilst ensuring equality amongst students. Wearing it properly shows respect for the school and therefore respect and support for each other and what the school is trying to achieve - inspiring students to excel and fulfil their potential. 

The high expectations at Rosary are in place so students are a full part of our school community and they are not singled out for looking different by wearing unapproved clothing or accessories. Our goal is for each student to wear their uniform neatly and with pride.   The school would like students to be known for their values, talents, endeavours, the example they set and for their efforts at school. This is why uniformity is important. 

Accessories and Appearance

• Rosary School has a very limited range of accessories students are permitted to wear.  Students may wear plain studs or sleepers in their ears but  not  coloured or decorative earrings.  
• Students may wear an analog or digital watch,  preferably not a smartwatch with any phone, internet access or photography capabilities. The implications of what smart devices allow students to do is a concern.  Some devices have the ability to turn these functions off at school.  The school does not allow phone access or photography while at school. This watch issue is on the agenda to be discussed at a community council level shortly. 
• No necklaces, bands or bracelets should be worn, with the exception of a medical alert band, which should be approved by the school.
• Student’s hair should be of their natural colour and tone.  Hair of shoulder length or more must be tied back so it sits off their face and neck.  
• Hair may be tied back with ribbons or ties that are the school colours i.e. navy, royal blue, white, black, maroon.  
• Students are not permitted to wear makeup or wear fake nails.  Coloured nail polish is not permitted.  

Hopefully the reminder students have been given this week will make your job of preparing students for school in the morning much easier.  Thank you for your support.

I wish everyone a wonderful week ahead.  God Bless.

Greg Walker

Principal  

• Remembrance Day Ceremony - Monday 11th November 10.30am
• Kinder Orientation Session - Thursday 14th November - 9.15am - 11.00am 
• Year 1 and 2 Liturgy - Friday 15th November - Holy Rosary Church 10.00am
• Whole School Swimming Program - Monday 18th, Tuesday 19th, Thursday 21st, Friday 22nd November - Gungahlin Leisure Centre
• Gelato Day - Wednesday 20th November
• Kinder Orientation Session - Thursday 28th November - 9.15am - 11.00am
• 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 

Next Monday is Remembrance Day. It is a day where all Australians are asked to be silent for one minute at 11am on the 11th day of November each year. At this time, we remember those who have died, suffered or worked tirelessly for Australia's cause in all wars, armed conflicts and in peace-keeping roles around the world. To acknowledge the significance of this day, we will be holding a short Remembrance Day ceremony in our Remembrance Garden, near the courts. The ceremony will begin at 10.45am sharp. Everyone is cordially invited to attend.

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.

Canteen Menu

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.