Week 6 Term 2 2025

Dear Rosary Community

Recently I was at both the Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) Leaders Forum and the Catholic School Primary School Principal Association conference - my very last! 

At the Leader’s Forum, Rev Dr James McEvoy spoke to us about ‘The Gift and Mystery of Children’s Lives”.

A couple of Rev Dr James’ key theological understandings …

“Every child is unique and of unsurpassable value.This is what the Bible teaches in its accounts of the creation: that God’s love is the origin and the ongoing source of all things, including every child’s life.”

“Children’s lives are graced. So that when adults attend to children – whether watching them at play, listening to their stories, sharing a meal, conversing with them, seeing them care for one another, experiencing their affection, or joining in their flights of imagination – God is at work and can be experienced in a new way. Adults encounter the gift and mystery of existence in their relationships with children.”

He also spoke about the brokenness in our world and the impacts that has on children and their sense of self. A powerful reminder to us all that our children observe our behaviours and the way in which we are in the world impacts them.

The SACPPA Conference focussed on Principal Wellbeing. As a collective we are strengthened and renewed by the collective presence of our Principal colleagues. Aligned with CESA’s Principal Wellbeing Framework “Leading with Wellness” the SACPPA Conference Committee organised presentations from a neuroscientist, Dr Mattt Iasiello; Martin Heppell, The Resilience Project; Professor Moira Junge, Sleep Foundation; Sophie Thomson, Gardening Australia; Andrea Ball, Green Gourmet; and Anthony Hawke, physiotherapist. Principal wellbeing is an important focus for Australian education in all systems and states. The CESA Principal Wellbeing Framework is available for your information :Leading_with_Wellness_2.pdf

Goal setting in the area of diet, sleep, movement and mindfulness was a wonderful reminder for me as I move to the next stage of my life!

Regards
Susan

Vanessa Roberts and Brenton Campbell co-ordinate an excellent after-school sports program.  Currently we have 123 children playing soccer (13 teams), 2 netball teams and 7 basketball teams.  I have been making an effort to get to a game for each team, I have a Monday and Tuesday night sports still in my diary before the end of this Term. 

For the very first time Rosary School entered an all girls Rosary soccer team. Their first game was umpired by our very first Rosary graduate referee. Congratulations to all our teams and to Ilijana on your new role as a soccer referee.

SAPSASA

Congratulations to Christian, Piper, Willow and Max. All four students were selected to represent the North Adelaide region at the SAPSASA State Cross Country Championships!  The State Championships were held today Thursday 5th June at Oakbank.

Congratulations to Ivy and Jessica. Both girls were selected to represent North Adelaide at the SAPSASA Netball State Championships. The carnival will be held in Week 9.

A boy and girls team have been selected to represent Rosary School at the SACPSSA Basketball Carnival on 13th June. Congratulations to Aleksa, Henry, Ashton, Luka, Niko, Lachlan, Jason, Chester, Indiana, Camilla, Piper, Ivy, Jessica, Isla, Diana, and Ashlyn.

DA VINCI DECATHLON

We congratulate all the students who participated in the 2025 Da Vinci Decathlon! Our team proudly represented Rosary School, competing against some of the top schools and colleges from across South Australia.

Throughout the event, students took on a wide range of challenging tasks across ten disciplines: Art and Poetry, Science, Cartography, English, Drama, Ideation, Mathematics, Engineering, Legacy, and Code Breaking.

In preparation for the decathlon, the team committed themselves to rigorous study, sharpening their skills across all areas. The 2025 competition presented particularly challenging material, and our students should be commended for their dedication and perseverance.

We are proud to share that our team placed 1st in Mathematics and 6th in Engineering—a remarkable achievement!

Working collaboratively, each student contributed their unique strengths, demonstrating resilience, organisation, and persistence throughout the competition. They represented Rosary School with pride and integrity.  Our  Year 6 2025 Da Vinci Decathlon team included: Jackson, Lachlan, Chi, Alethea, Jessica, Keira, Ryan and Elijah. 

Well done team!

The Vinnie’s Winter Appeal @ Rosary School.

With the changing of the seasons comes a new need, especially for the poor.

“Whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him? My little children, let’s not love in Word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 3:17-18

The sudden blast of cold weather last week, especially, makes us mindful of those who REALLY struggle to keep warm and find adequate food.

The Year 6 Faith and Social Justice Leaders will be running the Vinnie’s Winter Appeal and will launch it through a presentation at this week’s whole school assembly.

Placed in each classroom will be a basket for donations and in the front office. Here is a list of food items needed:

Cans of food: baked beans, tinned vegetables, soup, tuna, tomato pasta sauces, pasta,long life milk, lollies.

“Whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him? My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 3:17-18

Student Representative Council

In week 5, during the School Assembly, we announced the representatives for the Student Representative Council. This group of representatives are acting as leaders until Week 7, Term 3, when the next round of selected nominees will begin their service. The areas of leadership are based around the following aspects of Rosary School, being one person from Year 6 to represent each:

Environment and Ecology: Joshua M.
Digi-Tech: Jessica E.
PE: Willow P.
Community & Well-being: Luka S.
Choir/Performing Arts: Emily L.
Learning/Library: Isabelle M.
Faith and Social justice: Eva C.

In addition, there is one student from each class (Reception – Year 5), nominated to bring ideas and proposals from their class.

Encouraging leadership in our children is vital in developing essential skills such as confidence, problem-solving, working collaboratively with others as well as developing student agency. Most importantly, our leaders are encouraged to develop a sense of advocacy for others, not only their fellow students, but also for the poor and marginalized in society. The Catholic Social Teachings which are implemented into the Crossways Curriculum for RE: Dignity of the Human Person, Concern for the Poor, Solidarity, Stewardship of Creation, Family and Community Participation, Worker’s Rights, Equal Rights and Responsibilities for ALL, underpin all the work that they do.

Jesus was the most authentic of leaders. What he demonstrated to us is that being a leader is being a servant. He was empathetic and compassionate towards those around him, exemplifying a deep commitment to social justice.

The Parish Mass Timings

Adoration and Confession: Confessions will be available before 12 pm Mass, Monday- Saturday and Saturday Vigil Mass.

Mandy Curtis

APRIM
"When we choose to pray, we choose to grow"

Our School’s Partnership with Real Schools

This year our school commenced a partnership with Real Schools, an organisation dedicated to helping schools continue their journey to build strong, positive, and restorative cultures where every student can thrive.

What is the Real Schools Partnership All About?

Real Schools works closely with staff, students, and families to support and build upon the great things already happening in our school. When speaking with our leadership team, they acknowledged the strong sense of community and care that already exists here. This partnership will further elevate that strength while helping us grow even more intentionally in how we work and learn together.

At the heart of this partnership is the RP2.0 framework – a restorative approach developed by Real Schools’ CEO and Founder, Adam Voigt. This framework focuses on building strong relationships and using them as the foundation for success – socially, emotionally, and academically.

Restorative practices are about more than just behaviour – they’re about guiding students to understand the impact of their actions, take responsibility, repair relationships, and grow as kind, respectful, and thoughtful citizens. This aligns beautifully with our Catholic values of forgiveness, compassion, and reconciliation.

This week, we were delighted to welcome Jemma, our expert facilitator from Real Schools, who spent the day fully immersed in our school community.

During the school day, Jemma worked alongside some of our teachers in the classroom, modelling effective practices and teaching strategies aligned with the Real Schools approach. A particular focus for the day was Restorative Circles—a powerful tool used to build connection, enhance communication, and support positive behaviour in our students. These strategies were further explored and reinforced during a dedicated staff meeting at the end of the day.

Some reflections from children were as follows:
Year 3:
“I liked circle time, it made learning fun.” (Amalia)
“I liked drawing about what we feel when we are angry and how to calm down.” (Adele)
“I liked naming who our anger heroes are.” (Amelie)

Year 5:
“I enjoyed the different way to learn new things (in a circle).” (Isla H)
“I liked the check-in circle where we got to say how we were feeling.” (Mune)

To conclude the day, Jemma hosted a parent information evening, sharing insights and strategies that are being used at school, and offering practical ways for parents and carers to support this work at home. We are deeply appreciative of the engagement and enthusiasm from those who attended.

We recognise that building new habits takes time, and we are very grateful to have Jemma working alongside us to support this important cultural shift.

This is an exciting journey with Real Schools, one that strengthens what we already do so well as a Catholic school and brings new opportunities to deepen relationships, enhance learning, and foster a community built on respect, responsibility, and restoration.

To learn more, we encourage you to visit :http://www.realschools.com.au.

Caroline Price
Deputy Principal

                                            Year 6 Leadership in Action 2025

Our Year 6 students have embraced their leadership roles with dedication, creativity and compassion throughout the school year so far. As the senior leaders of our school, they have been actively living out the qualities of respect, being a role model, responsibility, teamwork and service in all that they do.
In Term 1, our Year 6 students began their leadership journey with a special Formation Day, where they explored what it means to be a leader who serves, listens and inspires. Through engaging activities and reflections, they learned how leadership is not just about wearing a badge, but about using their gifts to make a positive difference in the Rosary community.
We were proud to present our leaders with their Leadership Badges and Jumpers, which they now wear with pride as a symbol of their commitment. Their leadership roles are varied and vital to the life of our school.

The Faith and Social Justice leaders have helped support our liturgies and social outreach initiatives.
The Physical Education Leaders has been instrumental in setting up sports equipment and leading games and events.
The Community and Wellbeing leaders have supported younger students in the yard, setting up for Assembly and have worked alongside the P & F Committee.
The Digital Technology leaders have been helping classes to prepare for assemblies.
The Learning Leaders have promoted a love of learning through classroom support and resource organisation.
The Performing Arts leaders have prepared for school performances and Choir preparation for the Catholic Schools Music Festival.
Lastly, our Environmental leaders have continued to promote sustainability by managing recycling and developing a garden near the Gym.

As we look ahead to the rest of the year, our leaders are excited to grow further in their roles and continue making a meaningful impact. They are already brainstorming new ideas, planning initiatives, and looking forward to leading events such as assemblies, community fundraisers and school celebrations.
We are incredibly proud of our Year 6 leaders and the way they are shaping our school with their positivity, energy and kindness. Their leadership truly makes a difference every day!
 
What does being a leader mean to me?
Alethea- Being a leader at Rosary means being a role model and respecting everyone, even the younger students. It’s a privilege. You need to prove yourself worthy of the jacket.
Keira-Being a leader at Rosary means to inspire others and be the best version of yourself.
Lachlan- Being a leader at Rosary means being your best self as the other students will look up to you and to always be present for others in the community.
Jess- Being a leader at Rosary means that we are role models for the other students and pushes us to be good person who lives out the Dominican values.
Jackson- Being a leader at Rosary means setting a good example for the younger kids, being humble and not abusing your position and using ‘power’ in a bad way.
 
Bernadette Basile and Catherine Morrisson
Year 6 Classroom Teachers