Dear Parents and Friends,
It has been a shorter term than usual (9 weeks instead of 10) but I cannot believe that we are already at the end of it! I take this opportunity to thank the staff for their professionalism and their dedication to the students and I thank all our parents for the many ways in which assistance and support have been provided to the school. I thank the students for the wonderful ways in which they have engaged with their learning and embraced school life.
In the lead up to Easter, tomorrow we will participate in liturgies commemorating the events of Holy Week. I thank all the teachers involved in the preparations for their efforts in making these meaningful for the children. I hope that parents will take the opportunity to attend the Easter Ceremonies with the children over the coming weekend so that they can make the connection between what they have participated in at school and the events of Holy Week as they are commemorated in the Church. Easter is the high point on the liturgical calendar in our Catholic Tradition.
“The resurrection was intended to be given to all the living, to be carried out in the world, to all the dark places where people need the reassuring presence of the risen Christ embodied in a caring, loving, compassionate person. Easter is a beautiful day to ground ourselves in the message and power of the resurrection and recommit ourselves to the endless task of renewing God’s creation and a broken, fragile humanity. The living one is not in our churches but in the hearts of all believers.” (From: Mindful Meditations for Every Day of Lent and Easter. Savage and McSweeny.)
Pupil Free Day
Please see the Letter from the Director of Catholic Education, available further in this newsletter, regarding the Pupil Free Day scheduled for 19 April.
OSHClub is not licensed to open for vacation periods (including whole days such as this) at Rosary and so cannot take enrolments for out of school hours care on that day located here. The closest OSHClub service that families can access is St Thomas Aquinas as it is running an extended Holiday Program for 19 April. Parents would need to contact OSHClub to book ahead of time.
Cyber Safety
With the holidays upon us, it is timely to think about cyber safety for your children. Parents need to be aware that ‘Facebook’ and other social networking sites recommend that users be over the age of 13 years, placing users in the secondary age group or older. Do you know if your child is on ‘Facebook’ (or part of some other internet group) or has been invited to be a member of someone else’s social media site? It is recommended that your child is in an open area of the household when using digital applications. There is the potential for online sites to promote bullying and create child protection issues if used inappropriately and without adult supervision. I strongly recommend you speak with your child if they are in Year 4 or above to find out what they are ‘up to’ in the digital world. Students should never give their name, address, age, photo or personal details to anyone online and should not accept invitations to join online sites without your knowledge. Please speak with your child about respectful behaviours at all times whether they are interacting in the real or the digital world. More information can be accessed at www.staysmartonline.gov.au
Start of Term Two
Term Two begins on Tuesday 20th April. Monday 19th is a system wide Pupil Free Day which means that staff will be at school engaging in professional learning but the students will not be in attendance.
When students return to school, it is time for them to be wearing the winter uniform. However, there is a period of two week’s grace when either the summer or winter uniform can be worn to accommodate fluctuating weather conditions at this time of the year. Please see the tables below which detail uniform requirements:
Girls’ Winter Uniform:
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Tunic/Slacks
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Standard Catholic Tunic; or Navy slacks
(no jeans or cords)
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Blouse
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Sky blue with Peter Pan collar
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Jumper
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V-neck maroon sweatshirt with school crest
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Vest
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Maroon polar fleece with school crest (optional)
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Tie
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Rosary black and white stripe tie
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Tights
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Navy
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Socks
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Navy above ankle length socks (plain – no logos or other markings)
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Shoes
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Black school shoes (not boots)
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Boys’ Winter Uniform:
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Trousers
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Navy long (no jeans or cords)
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Shirt
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Sky blue long sleeved
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Jumper
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Maroon school jumper/sweat shirt
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Vest
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Maroon polar fleece with school crest (optional)
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Tie
|
Rosary black and white stripe tie
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Socks
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Black above ankle length socks (plain – no logos or other markings)
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Shoes
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Black school shoes (not boots)
|
Disco Thanks
All the children had a wonderful time at the Disco last Friday evening and were beautifully behaved. They loved the food, the dancing, the lights and glowsticks, the music and the company of one another. Thank you so much to the many volunteer parents who were there to supervise, serve in the canteen and set up and pack up. Special thanks to Justine Tansley and David Chapple for all the hard work that went into ensuring the success of the Disco.
Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations
From my perspective, the Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations went very well. Thank you to the many parents who took this opportunity to discuss their child’s progress and set goals for future learning. If you missed the chance and would still like to see your child’s teacher, please make an appointment through the front office for a meeting next term.
Lost Clothing
Please check (or ask your child to check) the lost property boxes in the area next to the door that leads from the quad into the foyer for any missing items of clothing, lunchboxes and drink bottles before the end of term.
School Counsellor
Our current School Counsellor, Kate Dean, is leaving to take up a new role. Yesterday was her last day at the school and she spent time handing over to our new Counsellor, Jessica O'Rourke. I take this opportunity to thank Kate for her wonderful work with the students and families this term and to welcome Jessica to the school. I also thank Catholic Care for providing this valuable service to our school. If you wish to make contact with the Counsellor, please leave a message at the front office and Jessica will return your call. Jessica will be working at Rosary every Monday for full days and on Tuesdays from 9am to 1pm. Parents can also access counselling services by filling in a referral form available on Catholic Care’s website or by following this link: https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form
REPEAT NOTICE:
Catholic Schools Enrolment Period For All Catholic Schools
The Catholic Schools Enrolment Period is from Monday 3 May – Friday 21 May (Weeks 3 – 5 inclusive, Term 2) for students commencing in 2022. If you know of anyone outside of our school community who has a child at a Pre-school or Early Learning Centre, please notify them of the opportunity to enrol at Rosary Primary School during the above period.
I wish everyone a truly happy and holy Easter and an enjoyable, restful break with loved ones. Stay safe and well. I also hope the Easter Bunny will bring lots of chocolate smiles to little faces!