Dear Parents and Carers

 Sacrament of Confirmation Friday Evening

Good luck to our Year 6 candidates receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on Friday evening at 5.30pm in our parish. Our Archbishop Christopher Prowse will confirm the students in this special Eucharistic celebration with our community. Thank you to the parents, Fr Renoir and the teachers who have prepared the students for this sacrament. 

 We pray for all of the students being confirmed.     

 Holy Spirit, strengthen our candidates with your gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgement, Courage, Knowledge, Reverence, and Wonder and Awe in God’s Presence.  May they be filled with the joy of your presence and serve as a disciple of Christ.  Grant that they grow through your unconditional love and the fruits of your Spirit be an example to others. Help them to trust in you so they can count on your guidance today and every day. Show them the way to help one another, become better disciples of Jesus Christ, sharing your love with our world and with each person they meet. 

Come, Holy Spirit, Come! Amen.

 RUOK? Day Focus

 “RUOK?” is an abbreviation of "Are you okay?" The focus is on encouraging people to have meaningful conversations with others who may be struggling by asking the simple question "Are you OK?". “RUOK” Day was founded in 2009. Students did some activities in class today and were encouraged to check in with their friends and also our staff.

 There was a splash of yellow around the school to celebrate and promote this day's important messaging. Given the rain over the past 24 hours, the students were fortunate to be able to go to the new playground in Watson for a play.  It was our first formal school event there but I'm sure there will be many more opportunities in the future.    

 Rosary Community Council Update

On Wednesday 3 September the Rosary Community Council held an open meeting for new parents and carers to attend.  It was really nice to welcome two new parents to the meeting and they had an opportunity to meet our group and also see how we operate and what is on our agenda. 

 We look forward to sharing more information about the Community Council and its structure and plans for 2026.

 CS#1 Collaboration

 I wanted to share with you that the Community Council and I are committed to liaising with our Community Services #1 leadership team to get updates on their ‘out-of-school -hours’ service and provide them with your feedback on how to improve their program, communication and service. 

 We will provide another parent/carer survey mid-term 4 to give you an opportunity to share your ideas and feedback on the second half of the 2025 year.     

 Term 3 Learning Journey Coming Up

On Monday 22 September (Week 10), between 8.30am and 9.30am, we have our Term 3 Learning Journey at Rosary School. For those parents and carers new to our school, you are invited into your child's classroom and the school in general to view some of their Term 3 work and other examples of their activities they have been working on recently.   Some students take their parents to other classrooms such as their specialist rooms for subjects like Library,  Music, STEM and Indonesian. There has been a very good turn out for learning Journey’s in the past.  

 You are very welcome to come along, all you need is for 15 or 20 minutes in the morning to drop by.  Your partnership in educating and supporting your child is valued by the Rosary  staff.

 Year 5 in ACT Wakakirri Finals Night

Good luck to our Year 5 students for their upcoming performance in the ACT Finals Night at the Canberra Theatre next Thursday night,18 September.  This will be an amazing experience being able to perform again with all of the top schools.

 Transition from Winter Uniform to Summer Uniform

After some wet and cool weather it looks like the daytime temperatures are warming up from next week. Therefore, if students wish, they are permitted to wear their summer uniform to school from Monday 15 September (Week 9). I encourage them to have a jumper available for those times when the temperature is still a bit cool. The wearing of the summer uniform officially begins in Term 4 and is also worn for Term 1, 2026. 

 Please remind your child that they must wear the broad-brimmed blue school hat each day. 

Thank you.

 Issues around ‘Roasting’ Practice in Society and Flow on Effect in Schools 

 This week the teachers and I have been speaking to Rosary students around the negative impact of a practice called ‘roasting’. It does happen at our school and it upsets the students when it occurs. I just wanted to bring it to your attention.

 ‘Roasting’ is not new but has found its way into homes through comedy shows, TV shows, radio programs and in online gaming activities. It is the practice of using put down language and comments and criticising people as a form of humour or entertainment.  This practice is often done in front of peers and has a negative effect on children and their social setting. Sometimes these ‘roasting’ games or sessions come with rules, one often being that you cannot tell a teacher or ‘dob’ on a person for what they say.

 Unfortunately, there are no winners in these games when this practice occurs in schools or with children. Children cannot differentiate between this type of intended humour and bullying.  Developmentally children are not ready  to handle the type of comments potentially made by another person. Comments are often about their appearance, their sports skills, their academic level or their friends.

 At Rosary we are attempting to STOP this practice - which is difficult as it goes against the culture of what is happening in society more broadly. When spoken to by staff about what they have said that has upset someone, students often say - “I was only joking!” 

 You can support your child and the school by talking with them about this negative activity.  At Rosary, we certainly do not want to accept or normalise this behaviour and way of speaking.  

 If you are interested in learning more, I have attached some information and links about the practice of ‘roasting’ and its impact on children. 

https://www.bitdefender.com/en-au/blog/hotforsecurity/roast-battles-explained-why-theyre-popular-among-kids-and-what-parents-can-do

https://medium.com/netsanity-posts/roasting-is-it-glorified-bullying-33a07e992aaa

Wishing you well for the week ahead.  Go RAIDERS!   

God Bless.

Greg Walker

Principal 

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

Sacrament of Confirmation

 A Prayer for Confirmation Candidates
Heavenly Father,
We pray for those preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Send forth your Holy Spirit to strengthen them.
Fill them with the seven gifts of the Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding,

Right Judgment, Courage, Knowledge, Reverence, and Wonder and Awe.
Help them to grow in their faith, hope, and love for you.
May they know and trust in your presence within them,

finding guidance and joy in your love.
Grant them the grace to become true witnesses to the Gospel,

sharing Jesus' love with the world and with all they meet.
Amen.

CANDIDATES

Eve A

Reece B

Grace B

Sofia B

Henry C

Millie Conlin

Robin F

Alyssa G

Isla K

Ella L

Julia L

Esther McC

Louis M

Renaldo N

Davina O'D

Max P (last weekend)

Henry P

Felix R

Hannah S

Indie W

Luce Pilgrimage

Next Friday, 19 September, our Year 5 & 6 students will participate in the Canberra Inner North Catholic Community (CINCC) Luce Pilgrimage. The initiative provides an opportunity for students to engage with this Jubilee Year, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, declared by the late Pope Francis. Greg Walker, Shannon Evans and Roger Paul will share their experience of pilgrimage, hope and putting faith into action.

 

Year 6 Mass

Next Friday, 19 September, Year 6 will participate in Mass at Holy Rosary Church, 10am. All welcome!

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Year C | Sunday 14 September | red

 

“The Son of Man must be lifted up.”

Please click on the link below to access the readings and reflections for this Sunday

September 14- Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Liz Higgins

Religious Education Coordinator

• Sacrament of Confirmation - Friday 12th September
• Uniform Free Day - Colour Run Challenge Reward - Friday 12th September
• ACT 12 & U Track and Field Championship - Tuesday 16th September - AIS
• Year 6 Mass - Friday 19th September - Holy Rosary Church 10.00am
• Learning Journeys - Monday 22d September  - Classrooms
• Colour Run - Thursday 25th September
• Term 3 Ends for Students - Thursday 25th September
• Pupil Free Day - Staff Only - Friday 26th September

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 - Wednesday 8.00am - 9.00am (beginner) from week 2
• Italian Lessons - Friday 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 3.10pm - 5.00pm
• Musicorp (various instruments) / Piano Lessons - Friday 8:20am and during class time throughout the day
• Block Crafters - Tuesday and Wednesday from Week 2 - 3.15pm - 5.00pm Coding and Robotics After School Programme for interested students aged 8-12 years 
• Dance Club - PLAY - The Dance Agency - Wednesdays at Lunchtime from Weeks 2-9 - Kinder to Year 4

Please contact the school if you require further information.

Congratulations to the Year 5/6 Rosary Rosellas netball team. The girls have had an excellent year playing together and after a tough season have made it to the preliminary finals this weekend. Well done girls!!

If you would like to attend and show your support for the Rosellas, the girls are playing this Saturday 13 September, 10:30am on Court 7 at Lyneham Netball Courts.

We wish you all the best Rosellas, good luck! 

Just a few reminders about the car parking and drop off / pick up arrangements:

• The speed limit is 5 km/hr in the car park and all road rules apply.
  
  
•  Pedestrians always have the right of way. 

• Park only in the designated parking spaces, facing forwards towards the university. 

• The white markings relate to traffic flow and parking (coloured markings relate to the children’s playing spaces.) 

• The area closest to the Peace Gates is reserved for Set Down Only in the mornings. Parents can stop in the marked bays long enough for children to alight from the vehicle on the quadrangle side and then enter the school through the Peace Gates. 

• For pedestrian safety there is no parking or stopping against kerb near Peace Gates after school. 

• Please note that no reversing is allowed from the bays marked on the courts. 

• Please follow the white arrows and drive in and drive out again in a forward direction only. This is to reduce the risk to children who cannot be seen by reversing vehicles. 

• Due to the spacing of the bays, parallel parking is only available in the area adjacent to the shade shelter on the oval. This area should be used by larger vehicles and trucks wherever possible. 

• Parallel parking is not available adjacent to the university grounds as this space is needed for vehicles to exit the parking area in a forward direction. 

• Parking on the courts is not permitted between 9:15am and 2:45pm as they are used for play at recess and lunch and by classes for sport throughout the day. 

• There is ‘Long Stay’ parking available in front of the hall for parents who spend time at the school after 9:00am. (This is the only area in which reversing to exit is permitted.) This ensures that the courts area is free for classes to use for sports lessons. 

• After school, some parents may need to see teachers or the front office staff. If this is the case, please leave your cars outside in the bus bay or behind the hall on Higginbotham Street as the gates are locked at 3:30pm. 

• All students travelling home by car are to wait in the quad until collected by a parent/carer. 

• Parents waiting for their children after school are asked to move well into the quad to assist access. 

• When children arrive at school, they are to enter via the Peace Gates in the quadrangle. Children are not to enter through the front office foyer. Likewise, children are not to leave through the front office at the end of the day unless catching a route bus. 

• No child is to meet a parent/carer anywhere other than the quadrangle area at the end of school. 

• The children must be supervised in the car park – they are not permitted to go to a parked vehicle without a parent/carer with them.