Filter Content
- Principals Report Week 1 Term 1
- Protective Behaviours Program - Term 1 2021
- Message from ACT Health - Death Cap Mushrooms
- Religious Education News
- Library News
- 2021 Term Dates
- Dates for Your Diary
- Clothing Pool Open during School Hours
- Rosary Community Council 2021
- Rosary OSHClub
- Extracurricular Activities at Rosary
- Artkids
- Girl Guides
- Positive Partnerships
- Parentline ACT Free Telephone and Face-to-Face/Zoom Counselling Services - continue to include?
- Hand Washing Poster
- Coughing and Sneezing Etiquette Poster
- SZapp Download Instructions
Principals Report Week 1 Term 1
Dear Parents and Friends,
Welcome to the new school year! We are all hoping and praying that 2021 brings many blessings following the many challenges of the preceding year. It has been so wonderful to have all the children together again at morning assemblies this week! It was lovely to see a number of parents there on the first day too after not being able to gather for much of last year. We have very much missed this opportunity to bond as a school community. I extend a very warm welcome to all new families and staff members who have joined the Rosary community and an equally warm welcome to returning families. It was an exciting beginning for the Kindergarten children who settled impressively into class and quickly made friends on the playground. Due to restrictions on numbers indoors, we couldn’t host the ‘tea and tissues’ event for our new parents this year to support them on this ‘big’ day. However, everyone seemed to manage very well with this emotional event!
The first day was, once again, a calm, harmonious and productive start to the term with a ‘happy hum’ buzzing across the school. The students all seemed to be pleased to be back amongst friends and busy with activities in their classes. I wish all our students every success and much happiness at Rosary and hope all our families will enjoy being a part of the Rosary community this year.
In the week prior to the children’s return, the staff worked hard to complete a number of professional learning days. One day was dedicated to spiritual formation. We were blessed to have Fr Mannes facilitate the day and present on Dominican spirituality, Dominic the saint and the Rosary, Our Lady and the Marian dimension of the Church. In addition, time was dedicated to First Aid Training and Child Safety as well as an administration meeting to prepare for the year ahead. One day was a dedicated professional learning day across the whole system of Catholic schools in our Archdiocese. We joined together to learn about a system wide initiative called Catalyst that will be rolled out over the next 3 years. Catalyst is a framework for united understanding of and practice in teaching ‘what matters most’ and ‘what works best’ based on soundly researched evidence. I take this opportunity to thank everyone on staff for their hard work over the break, including administration and cleaning tasks, and for ensuring that the children had a happy and fulfilling start to the new term.
Opening School Mass
We will welcome in the new school year with a whole school Mass which is scheduled for Friday 5th February (tomorrow) at 10.00am in Rosary Church. We are pleased to be able to welcome all family members who may wish to join us at this Mass. However, it will be necessary to sign in using the Check-in CBR app, sanitise and physically distance from other adults in the church.
Parent Information Night and Welcome BBQ
The Parent Information Night will not take place this year due to the requirement to limit numbers inside the building. However, an information pack will be sent home with each child that will replace the presentation by the teachers.
The Welcome BBQ can go ahead as it is in an outdoor space and we can accommodate numbers in line with spatial restrictions. It will take place next week on Tuesday 9th February on the junior playground. Attending adults will need to sign in using the Check in CBR app, use hand sanitiser and remember to physically distance from all other adults. Staff of the school and OSHClub will also be in attendance.
The BBQ will commence at 6pm and food service will take place between 6 and 7pm. There is no cost for food but drinks will need to be purchased at $1 per soft drink. Please note that this is a ‘family affair’ and is a non-alcoholic event. Please also be aware that parents are responsible for the supervision of their children at this event. If your family will be attending the Welcome BBQ, we ask that you RSVP to the front office email that will arrive in your inbox to ensure we cater appropriately.
The welcome BBQ is hosted by Year 6 parents each year. If you are a parent of a Year 6 student and you are available to assist with organising or helping at this event, please contact the front office as soon as possible. Helpers will need to be setting up and cooking in the hours prior to the 6pm start time.
Reminders & Important Information
- Starting time is 9.00am sharp. Students arriving after this time will need to be signed in at the Front Office by an accompanying adult.
- Supervision commences at 8.30am and no student should be at school before then. Students arriving before 8.30am are not supervised.
- Parents are requested NOT TO SEND ANY NUT PRODUCTS TO SCHOOL such as Peanut Butter, Nutella, nut based or topped muesli bars, etc. Please understand bringing these items to school may be life threatening to some other students.
- Students who have asthma medication at school are required to keep it in the classroom, in their school bag or on their person.
- Correct School Uniform is to be worn at all times.
- If a student’s hair is longer than shoulder length, it must be tied back in an appropriate school-coloured band.
- No jewellery is to be worn to school - only plain studs and watches are acceptable.
- Please ensure that all school items are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
- Students who are collected by their parents during the day for appointments must be signed out/in at the Front Office before and after the appointment.
- Parents assisting at the school must have a WWVP card on their person and are also asked to sign in/out at the Front Office.
- Please ensure that the school always has up to date parent and emergency contact details for your child.
- Please ensure that any notes/envelopes sent to the front office are clearly labelled.
WWVP (Working With Vulnerable People)
Any adult who volunteers to help in the school or with coaching, driving children to excursions, canteen, etc. must have a registered Working With Vulnerable People card and be able to show it upon request. Please be aware that the card number now needs to be recorded at the front office on every occasion that a parent signs in to volunteer in the school.
The Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (WWVP) took effect in the ACT on 8 November 2012 and it is now essential that all volunteers at schools be registered in accordance with the WWVP. Registration for volunteers is free and you will find the registration application on the Office of Regulatory Services website at:
www.ors.act.gov.au/community/working_with_vulnerable_people
When registering for the WWVP you will need to complete the application form then take your accepted forms of ID, together with the application, to an ACT Shopfront or the Office of Regulatory Services to complete the registration. Your photograph will be taken when you register and this will be on your WWVP Volunteers Card which you will receive upon completion of your registration.
Please note that the application form asks for details of your Employer or Organisation. As a volunteer at Rosary Primary School, you simply need to fill out the name of the school, the address (Fleming St Watson ACT 2602) and the school phone number (6248 0010) and leave the other fields blank.
Security
To assist us in keeping everyone safe, we ask that parents and any other visitors to the school enter the building through the front office and sign in. External doors will be locked during the day. In the event of an emergency, it is imperative that we know exactly who is in the building.
Mobile Phones
I understand that it is sometimes necessary for a child to carry a mobile phone for use before or after school. Should this be the case for your child, he/she must keep it in their school bag during the day. The school takes no responsibility for mobile phones. Please be aware that students will only be permitted to use mobile phones (and other digital devices), both in the morning and afternoon, when they are off school grounds. Communication from parents to students and vice versa must go through the front office during school hours.
Collector’s Cards
This is a gentle reminder to parents that we do not allow students to bring collector’s cards to school. The reason for this is that they create issues on the playground. Children will often intend to ‘lend’ a card but the borrower considers it a ‘swap’ which is for ‘keeps’! Also, cards can be lost or damaged which causes some distress. Please ensure that your children keep their card collections at home.
Lost Property
Please label everything and ask your child to check lost property as soon as a particular item is not brought home.
Dogs at school
If you are walking to school and taking your dog out for some healthy exercise at the same time, please leave the animal tied up outside the school grounds. Some children have a terrible fear of dogs and others have allergies that are exacerbated by pet hair. If your child wishes to bring in a pet for ‘news’, please see the teacher first to find out whether this is appropriate for the particular group of students in that class. Thank you.
Where to find information
There are a number of ways in which the school communicates with parents. If you are seeking information about a particular event or want to know what’s coming up, please check the following sources:
- the SZapp application that is a free download for your mobile phone
- your email account if you have notified the school of your email address
- your child’s bag for hard copies of notes and the newsletter should you not have access to email
- the school website for the calendar and digital copies of notes sent home and the newsletter
- the Rosary School hard copy calendar
- Dates For Your Diary (showing a fortnight at a time) included in the school newsletter.
The SZapp is an immediate form of communication that alerts parents to upcoming events and any changes to plans. It also has a number of other handy features such as the notice of absence and correction to contact information. Please download it as soon as you can to keep in touch with what is happening for your child at our school and to keep in contact with us.
The School Handbook also provides comprehensive information regarding all aspects of school life and is a handy reference for parents. The 2021 version can be accessed on the school website.
School Fees
The school relies on the commitment that parents make, when enrolling their children, to pay fees to support it. School fees for this term are due at the end of week 5. Prompt payment of fees is appreciated. If you are experiencing difficulty paying fees, please contact me so that appropriate support structures can be put in place. All matters are handled in strict confidence.
School Counsellor
I take this opportunity to welcome Kate Dean from Catholic Care who has been assigned as our new School Counsellor. Kate will be working at Rosary every Tuesday and alternate Mondays starting on 8th February. Should you wish to speak with Kate on these days, please make contact via the front office.
A message from Athlete’s Foot
The Athlete’s Foot Canberra, Woden and Tuggeranong would like to extend a massive thank you to all families who shopped with us over the December/January period. Furthermore, we would like to remind you about our involvement in the School Rewards Program, that is, for every pair of school shoes one of the students purchases from the store, the school receives $5 in return! This program runs all year round, so be sure to always let the store know your school name when shopping with them so they can link you to your school membership to continue being a part of this generous program!
(Parents, please be aware that the school does not market through the students and that this notice is for the information of parents only. There is also no obligation to purchase from this company.)
Baby Congratulations
Sincere congratulations are extended to the Khan family on the birth of baby number 4. Little Hammad was born during the holiday break on 24th January. His big brothers, Imad and Bilal and his big sister, Iqra, are bursting at the seams with pride and delight. We welcome Hammad to the world and wish the family good health and happiness.
Staffing
Sharon Stiffle : Kinder Nagoya
Kath Watson : Kinder Paris
Diandra Blom : Year 1 Hague
Ann-Maree Hinds : Year 1 Vienna
Rachel McKerrow : Year 2 Barcelona
Liz Higgins & Beth Toole : Year 2 Osaka
(Beth Toole & Donna Gordon Term 1)
Ammie Dellosa & Julie Godfrey : Year 3/4 Bangkok
Tim O’Brien : Year 3/4 Cairo
Emma Hillsdon : Year 3/4 Casablanca
Nicole Rich : Year 5 Panama
Nicole Nolan : Year 5 Washington
Elizabeth Fryar & Beth Campton : Year 6 Athens
Mara Pangallo : Year 6 London
Sandy Vincent : Library
John O’Brien : Music
Jo Chilver : Indonesian
Principal : Vicky van der Sanden
Assistant Principal : John O’Brien
Religious Education Co-ordinator : Liz Higgins
Co-ordinator : Julie Godfrey
Classroom Support Teacher : Janet Hanratty (Liz Higgins Term 1) Classroom Support Assistants : Kathy Brokenshire
Rebecca van der Sanden
Rachel Webb
Learning Technologies : John O’Brien
Front Office : Silvia Correia & Rebecca van der Sanden
Janitor : Peter Ederle
School Counsellor : Kate Dean
OSHClub Director : Patience Alaebo
Canteen/Alpha Catering : Melissa Thornton
I thank the Lord for yet another very happy and settled start to the school year and ask God’s favour in richly blessing our school community in 2021.
Protective Behaviours Program - Term 1 2021
Dear Parents,
Children always have the right to be and feel safe. Talking to children from an early age about safety, their bodies, and how they can protect themselves, is an important part of keeping them safe. Parents and carers can be highly effective instructors in protective behaviours for children. At Rosary this term, all students will be participating in a Protective Behaviours program.
What is Protective Behaviours?
Protective Behaviours is a life skills and personal safety program. The aim is to strengthen the resilience of children as they grow and develop. It focuses on giving children essential life skills to protect themselves from abusive situations and on teaching children to avoid a wide range of potentially unsafe situations.
Why is it important to teach Protective Behaviours?
1. Protective Behaviours empowers children and young people with the right to feel safe and provides life skills to predict, assess and act in situations that are both safe and unsafe.
2. Developing life skills and having the opportunity to rehearse and apply these skills enhances safety and minimises risk.
3. Perpetrators are less likely to choose victims who show knowledge of personal safety skills.
4. Vulnerable children in particular, learn essential skills that can help them respond to potentially harmful situations in a way that increases their personal safety.
The 9 topic areas of the Protective Behaviours Program :
Topic 1 Feelings and Feeling safe/Feeling unsafe
Topic 2 Early warning signs
Topic 3 Safety continuum and problem solving
Topic 4 Safe surprises and unsafe secrets
Topic 5 Networks
Topic 6 Persistence
Topic 7 Body awareness and Body ownership
Topic 8 Personal space
Topic 9 Assertiveness
Below are some resources that we encourage you to read.
Resources
https://danielmorcombe.com.au/keeping-kids-safe-resources/keeping-kids-safe-lesson-plans/
https://www.maggiedent.com/blog/top-tips-resources-teach-children-body-safety-protective-behaviours/
Kind regards,
Julie Godfrey
Coordinator
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
7 February 2021 - Year B
“Jesus healed many who were suffering from diseases.”
Click on the link below to go the readings and activities for this Sunday.
Liz Higgins
Religious Education Coordinator
A very special welcome to any new families to our Rosary community!! We wish you a long association with our school. You will only need to talk with our current families to know what a special place our school is! Just a few house-keeping things to remember. All students are expected to bring a library bag to and from school to protect our valuable and expensive books. Even a short stint in a school bag with a cold drink bottle with condensation can render a book destroyed. Any bag is fine; although we do have a limited number of Rosary Library bags for sale in the library for $5 if you would like to purchase one.
Library days for this term are as follows:
Tuesday - 2 Osaka, 2 Barcelona, 1 Vienna, 1 Hague, 3/4 Casablanca
Wednesday - 3/4 Cairo, 3/4 Bangkok, 5 Washington, 5 Panama
Thursday - 6 London, 6 Athens, Kinder Paris, Kinder Nagoya
Feel free to contact us at any time to support your child/ren in their reading selections!!
Reading is important because, if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.
Tomie De Paola
Kind regards,
Sandy Vincent and Jodie Dawson
Chess Club
Chess will resume next Tuesday the 9th of February and will run until week 10. Registration is open to any students from Years 1-6 who would like to attend. The cost is $100 per term and the session runs from 3.10-4.30pm. If you are interested in registering your child/children please contact Sandy Vincent through the school office.
AERO Club
We are very fortunate to have our janitor, Mr Ederle continuing to share his passion for model aero planes in the library at Rosary.
Following on from three years of our own successful Aero Club, we will be initiating another group of enthusiastic students in the next three weeks. The six students will learn how to use the flight simulator software installed on the library computers. Some trained students from last year will support the new recruits ! Thank you Peter, for giving up your time and sharing your knowledge. This club is a very popular lunchtime activity, one we try to do at least twice a year.
The school year is divided into four terms. Term dates for the year 2021 are as follows:
Term 1 (9 weeks) Monday 1 February - Thursday 1 April
Term 2 (10 weeks) Tuesday 20 April - Friday 25 June (Monday 19 April is a system wide Pupil Free Day)
Term 3 (10 weeks) Tuesday 13 July - Friday 17 September (Monday 12 July is a system wide Pupil Free Day)
Term 4 (11 weeks) Monday 5 October – Friday 17 December
We have been able to reinstate most of our events for the 2021 calendar year. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, some events may need to change or be conducted differently. If there are changes, we will advise you as soon as practicable.
- Opening School Mass - Friday 5th February 10:00am (parents welcome)
- Welcome BBQ - Tuesday 9th February 6:00pm (please RSVP to the front office)
- Ash Wednesday Mass - Wednesday 17th February 10:00am (parent attendance TBC)
- Gelato Day - Tuesday 23rd February
Note: Newletters will be distributed on Wednesdays from Week 2
Clothing Pool Open during School Hours
The Rosary Clothing Pool is open to families to purchase second hand uniform items for $5 per piece. Please note that currently only one family is allowed in the room at any one time and hand sanitisation is required upon entry and exit. A key is available from the front office to access the room during school hours for your convenience.
All new uniform items can be purchased from Personally Yours. They are located at 218 Gladstone St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 and can be contacted on 6280 4166.
The Rosary Community Council Representatives for 2021 are:
Council Chair : | Jackie Brady |
Deputy Chair : | Libby Reardon |
Treasurer : | May Kain |
Secretary : | Lucy Steen |
Parent Representative : | Kate Roggeveen |
Parent Representative : | Raphaela Higginbotham |
Parent Representative : | Rachael Moore |
Staff Representative : | Rachel McKerrow |
Ex Officio : | Parish Priest |
Executive Officer : | Principal/Assistant Principal |
Should you wish to contact the council please email: rosarycouncil@gmail.com
Extracurricular Activities at Rosary
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 - 4.25pm
- Mandarin Lessons - Tuesday 3.10pm - 4.25pm
- Chess Club - Tuesday 3.30pm - 4.30pm
- Dancecore - Wednesday 1.10pm - 1.50pm
- Tae Kwon-Do - Monday 6.30pm - 8.30pm
- Artkids - Thursday 3.15pm - 5.15pm (please contact artkids directly for more information - classes are not currently running due to insufficient student numbers)
- Italian Lessons - Friday 3.10pm - 4.25pm
- Musicorp (various instruments) / Piano Lessons - during class time
Please contact the school if you require further information.
NOTICEBOARD