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- Principals Report Week 10 Term 3
- Religious Education News
- Dates for Your Diary
- Veritas Awards
- Active Wear Day
- Netball Carnival Volunteers Needed
- Netball Carnival Request - Slices
- Catholic Schools Netball Carnival - Sponsorship
- Netball Carnival Volunteer Form
- Library News
- Indonesian Language and Culture Program
- Chess Club
- Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival
- Magpie Swooping Season
- Catholic Care Speech Pathology Services
- Positive Partnerships
- Questacon Holiday Program
- SZapp Download Instructions
Principals Report Week 10 Term 3
Dear Parents and Friends,
SAVE THE DATE – Saturday 19 OCTOBER ROSARY HOSTS
THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS NETBALL CARNIVAL!
ONLY 6 school days to go!!!
This is a once in a 20-year opportunity to raise vital funds for our school.
Think of it as a FETE only DOUBLE THE SIZE!
We will need all hands on deck on the day (and some the day before and post carnival) so please volunteer.
It promises to be a great day of family fun so let’s make the most of this final opportunity for our school.
To make contact regarding the Carnival, please use the email address: CSNC2019@cg.catholic.edu.au
Confirmation
Congratulations to all the children who received the Sacrament of Confirmation last Friday evening. The Mass was a beautiful and moving celebration of the children’s personal commitment to leading a faith-filled life. The Sacrament was conferred by Father Tony Percy who spoke very knowledgeably to the students about their chosen saints and who expressed to me what a ‘joyfilled group’ he found them to be. I especially thank Mrs Higgins, our Religious Education Coordinator, and the Year 6 teachers, Miss Garrett-Rumba and Mr Tim O’Brien, the catechists from the School Of Religion and Father Kieran for preparing the children in the lead up to the Sacrament and ensuring that everything went smoothly on the night. Thanks also to our parent body and the parishioners for keeping the children in your prayers over these past weeks.
Learning Journeys
Thank you to the many parents and other family members who came along to the Learning Journeys on Tuesday evening this week. Unfortunately, I was unable to be present but from all accounts it was a very well attended evening during which the students could proudly show off their achievements and lead visitors on a tour of their learning spaces. I also thank the teachers for the effort they put into helping the students prepare for the evening so that they could confidently guide the Learning Journeys and also for their presence and engagement with the process and with families.
Satisfaction Survey Results
Thank you to everyone who completed the recent Satisfaction Survey that was sent out via email through the Catholic Education Office. I am very pleased to report that, overall, we have faired extremely well in terms of satisfaction rates provided by staff, students and parents.
Students indicated that they feel safe at the school and would recommend it to others. They also feel that their teachers care about them and encourage them to do their best both academically and as a member of the community in caring for others. Students also indicated that they appreciate using technologies and feel their achievements are recognised. They believe that teachers are supportive of their learning in helping them to achieve their learning goals. Students also indicated that they view homework as not particularly helpful to their learning.
Parent responses indicate that they believe the school to be a safe and supportive environment for their children and they would recommend it to others. They find the school to be well-maintained and well-resourced. They feel welcome and believe they have opportunities to be involved. Parents also indicated that staff are approachable, take an interest in their children and make learning engaging and believe that their children’s achievements are celebrated. They also value the partnership between the school and the Parish and the strong Catholic religious identity of the school. Parents indicated a desire to have greater visibility of school wide targets for improvement.
Staff indicated that they get a lot of satisfaction from working at Rosary, have the resources they need to work effectively and, likewise, would recommend the school to others. Staff feel that they have the opportunity to have input into decisions affecting their work and that there is open communication with the leadership team who know them well as people and support their wellbeing. Staff feel that the school provides them with opportunities to enhance teaching and learning through the use of technology and access to professional learning opportunities. Staff value the parent/teacher partnership and the way that student achievements are celebrated. They appreciate the strong religious identity of the school and the partnership with the Parish.
The above is a snapshot of the results and most of the feedback was very positive from each sector of our community. There are some constructive criticisms which will be analysed further and which will inform our annual improvement plan. Just by way of explanation, it is interesting to note that in the case of some of the parent feedback, for every parent who wanted to see more of something in the school, there was a parent who wanted to see less of it e.g. the use of technology and the use of textbooks. Some parents wanted to see additional teachers placed on supervision duty. We do ensure that the areas for supervision are appropriately covered to maintain our duty of care. Some parents also wanted teachers to communicate via apps during the day with regard to their child’s experiences at school. Most of these parents appeared to have had experience with child care centres where the ratios of staff to students is very high and the environment is far less structured than in the primary school setting. In the more formal setting of the primary school, it is not possible for teachers to take time away from teaching and learning activities to report to parents in this way. It is understood that the school will never be able to please all of the people all of the time but we do our best to make sure that we have a balanced approach that meets high standards overall. Thank you to all who took part in the surveys – we really do appreciate your feedback.
Thank you to everyone in the community for the great support shown to the school in a variety of ways over the past term. I wish you a safe and happy holiday break and look forward to welcoming you back for the final term of the school year.
Thought for the Week:
“To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.”
Pope Francis
Confirmation
A special thank you to our wonderful volunteers, Mrs Frawley and Mr Huckstepp, for your barbequing skills on the retreat day last week and to Mr Ederley for your assistance in setting up. Your help was very much appreciated!
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Thank you to all the wonderful families who attended the Commitment Mass for the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Sunday. Your youthful presence was noticed and appreciated by the parishioners. Thank you to the parish for putting on a delicious sausage sizzle afterwards!
The $25 Resource fee is now due for payment. Please forward this to the Front Office.
Please keep the Year 2 students in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday 4 November @ 5:30pm.
Year 3 Grade Mass – cancelled
Unfortunately, the Year 3 Mass needed to be cancelled today, as Fr Kieran was unwell. My apologies for any inconvenience this caused.
Year 5 Grade Mass
Year 5 will be participating in Mass at ACU Chapel on Thursday 17 October @ 10am. All welcome!
The Rosary
October is the month in the Church’s Liturgical calendar dedicated to the Rosary. Next term we will be praying one decade of the Rosary at school each day during this time. If you would like to view an easy to watch clip about the Rosary please go to:
https://www.catholic.org/prayers/rosary.php
Catholic Mission
October is also the month dedicated to supporting the work of Catholic Mission.
Year 6 will be attending a special Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral along with other students from our Archdiocese to acknowledge and pray for the work of Catholic Mission throughout the world.
We will also be having a special “Day of Many Colours” to fundraise for the work of Catholic Mission. More information to follow next term.
Peace and best wishes
Liz Higgins
Religious Education coordinator
- Kinder Health Check - Thursday 26th / Friday 27th September
- Active Wear Day - Friday 27th September
- Term 3 Ends - Friday 27th September 3.10pm
- Term 4 Begins - Monday 14th October 9.00am
- Year 5 Grade Mass - Thursday 17th October - ACU Chapel 10.00am
- Catholic Schools Netball Carnival - Saturday 19th October
- Boorowa Netball/Touch Carnival - Friday 25th October
Congratulations to the following students who received a VERITAS award in Week 9:
Rose Roberts
Edward Petersen
Erin Kwak
Ari Tagliapietra
Elizabeth Goldsworthy
Andy Rakic
Katerina Beaver
Tina Tran
Charles Peake
Active Wear Day
Friday 27th September – Last Day of Term 3
Donation Day for Catholic Schools Netball Carnival
Dear Parents,
In preparation for the Catholic Schools Netball Carnival, we are celebrating the last day of the term by wearing ‘Active Wear’. In exchange for being out of uniform, we are asking students / families to donate a packet of Zooper Doopers or a packet of fruit boxes (poppers). These will be sold at the carnival to raise funds for our school. Students need to hand these to their classroom teacher on Friday morning.
Thank you for your support.
Julie Godfrey
Coordinator
Netball Carnival Volunteers Needed
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS NETBALL CARNIVAL UPDATE
Saturday 19 October
Calwell Playing Fields
WE NEED YOU!
Thank you to everyone who has already offered to volunteer on the day. Please consider where you can help.
- Do you have a chest freezer at home where you can store zooper doopers? Please pick up as many as you can freeze tomorrow (Friday September 27)
- We need three shade shelters for our food stalls. We can transport them to and from the event.
- Do you have any netball connections? We require 6 netball post pads. Again, we can transport them to and from the event.
- Raffle donations are needed urgently. Gift cards, vouchers, wine, chocolate, etc. Please leave at the front office.
- VOULNTEERS are still needed for the day. We need people to help with stalls, set-up and pack-up on the day. One hour of your time will make a difference.
If you can help in any of the above ways please email Julie Godfrey at
CSNC2019@cg.catholic.edu.au
Netball Carnival Request - Slices
WE NEED SLICES BY END OF WEEK 1, TERM 4
Dust off your cookbooks and pull on your aprons.
We need you to share your favourite slices with us for sale at the Catholic Schools Netball Carnival being held on Saturday 19th October. Rosary will be holding a slice stall (cupcakes are being supplied by an independent vendor. So please no cupcakes) on the day and all money raised will come back to the school. Slices would be preferred, however items such as chocolate crackles, honey joys or biscuits will also be welcome. If you don’t have a favourite recipe to make, just google “best slice recipes” . . . there is a lot of inspiration on the internet. As there will be no refrigeration on the day please select your recipes accordingly (ie: no cream, cream cheese or custard).
We will be sending packaging and specifications home with each child on Monday of week 1, term 4 so for now if you can start thinking about what it is you would like to make as a contribution.
Netball Carnival Volunteer Form
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Friday 18th and Saturday 19th October
We'd really love your help this year so we can make the netball carnival a great success. All we are asking for is just 2 hours of your time so you are still able to watch your kids play. There’s a job for everyone! Thank you in advance for all your help! These days could not run smoothly without you!
Offer to Assist – Catholic Schools Netball Carnival 2019
I am able to assist at the Catholic Schools Netball Carnival.
Parent/Guardian name: _____________________________________________
Child’s name and class: _____________________________________________
Contact email:_____________________________________________________
Contact phone number:_____________________________________________________
Job preference: ____________________________________________________
Please circle availability:
Friday (Rosary) |
9am –11am |
11am – 1pm |
1pm –3pm |
3pm-5pm |
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Friday (Calwell) |
10am –12pm |
12pm –2pm |
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Saturday (Calwell) |
6am- 8am |
8am-10am |
10am-1pm |
12pm-2pm |
2pm-4pm |
4pm-6pm |
Saturday (Rosary) |
4:30pm-6:30pm |
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As we come to the end of yet another busy term, I would especially like to thank all the Rosary Families who have so generously afforded their time to support our beautiful Library! The photo below shows how many books we could take as commission from the sales of the Bookfair this term- over $2000 worth of new books- thank you all so much for your financial support!!!! The cataloging is horrendous but so exciting for the children to borrow new titles!!!
Many parents cover books, students donate books (Thank you Clementine and Auggie Walsh and Alexandria Arndt for your recent donations) and contribute to the school through Bookclub. Mrs Urszula Bogdanoski has been doing a stellar job of co-ordinating Bookclub for the past three years. Many hours of work collating and disseminating the orders later, we would very much like to publically thank her for doing this job so efficiently. Her heir apparent is Ms Sandy Bigna, who very kindly said yes when I asked her one day. Thank you Sandy, and I know as a Librarian yourself, you will do a fabulous job getting those 'much-longed-for' orders into our students' hands.
We are very chuffed that as a school (K-6) we have again completed the Chief Minister's Reading Challenge. This has been a huge task as every child had to read 30 books! More news to come about that early next term!!
Wishing you all a very Happy Holidays and hoping you get a chance to enjoy some down-time with a (hopefully) good book to read!
Sandy and Jodie
Indonesian Language and Culture Program
I write to inform you of the current situation with regard to the Indonesian Language and Culture Program.
Mrs Chilver, who is the regular teacher of the Indonesian Program, fell ill during Term Two. At the time, we did not know that Mrs Chilver would require extensive leave. Therefore, we employed relief teachers to cover the Indonesian classes. For the most part, we were able to secure the same couple of relief teachers who are well known to the students as they attend the school regularly in this capacity.
Once it became clear that Mrs Chilver would require further leave, we tried very hard to secure a Language Teacher to cover the Indonesian classes. However, whilst relief teachers generally are in very short supply, Language Teachers are in even shorter supply and so this was not possible.
As a result, the relief teachers taught a Drama program to all classes. This meant that the students were purposefully engaged with learning whilst the regular class teachers received the release from face-to-face teaching time which is a necessary requirement of their industrial agreement.
However, relief teachers, cannot be asked to assess students for the purposes of reporting to parents whilst working on a casual basis. Therefore, there will not be any grades awarded on the Semester Two Student Report for the subject of Drama unless it has been taught by the class teachers as part of the Semester Two programming cycle.
We are very pleased to have welcomed Mrs Chilver back to work last week and wish her every blessing as she continues her recovery to full good health. The Indonesian Language and Culture Program has resumed and is in full swing.
Thank you for your understanding and for your continuing support of the school and your children.
Yours sincerely,
Vicky van der Sanden
Principal
Rosary Chess Club: Term3
Rosary Chess Club runs for nine weeks each term on Tuesday afternoons from 3.10 to 4.30pm. Current members range from those in kindergarten to year six. Our chess club runs near capacity but has room for two more children in term 4. Generally we run an inter term chess competition consisting of two games per session plus a short coaching session between games. Variations on this happen in the 1st and 9th week when we play a simultaneous game or transfer.
This term we gave out medals rather than the normal trophies. The inaugural medal winners were Callum Millea (First boy 12 or under), Alex Millea (First girl 12 or under), Henry Ngyuen (First boy 10 or under), Bridget Pham and Nhien Vu (Joint First Girls 10 or under), Andrew Pham (First Boy 8 or under) and Erin Kwak (First Girl 8 or under). Congratulations to all our winners and the participation of all our players.
The coaches look forward to coaching in Term 4. We would like to thank Mrs Vincent and Mrs Dawson for all their hard work getting the revamped chess club up and running this semester. We would also like to note that we have made a financial donation to the RPS Library in gratitude for being able to tutor your students here in your school.
Jenny Mason
Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival
REMINDER - Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival
Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival on Friday 25 October 2019.
We still need the following volunteers:
Year 6 touch teams: 2 referees, and 2 managers
Year 3 netball team: 1 coach and 1 umpire
Year 4 netball team: 1. referee and 1 manager.
The school shade shelter needs to be transported to Boorowa on the day.
Please let Tim O’Brien know if you can assist.
Timothy.Obrien@cg.catholic.edu.au
Swooping Magpie
Please take care while walking and riding to and from school. We have had a report of a swooping magpie in the region of the Antill St crossing and bus stop. It is protecting the area from Antill St across the ACU lawned area to the top of the staff car park.
The ACT government have provided the following safety tips:
Magpies can swoop during the spring while they build nests, lay and protect eggs and raise their young.
Not all magpies will swoop but some will as a natural instinct to protect their territory (area around their nest) and their young.
Follow these simple tips to help avoid being swooped this Spring:
- Walk through the magpies' territory quickly, but don't run
- Protect your head with an umbrella, hat or helmet and your eyes with glasses
- Look towards the magpie
- Attach flags or streamers on a pole to your backpack or bike
Warning signs will be placed in troublesome areas.
To report troublesome areas contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
NOTICEBOARD