Week 11 Term 1 2025

Dear Rosary School Community

It was lovely seeing children excited about sharing their learning with their families last week.  Student-led learning conversations empower students to take ownership of their learning by reflecting on their progress, setting goals, and articulating their strengths and areas for growth. These conversations foster student accountability, self-awareness, and communication skills while allowing parents and teachers to act as supportive guides. I thank our teachers who support the children to prepare for their learning conversation.

Congratulations to Thomas, Kingston and Ari who recently represented North Adelaide at the SAPSASA Swimming State Championships.

Thomas– 50m Backstroke, 50m Freestyle, 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay
Kingston– 50m Freestyle, 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay
Ari– 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay

This is an incredible achievement, as selection is highly competitive, with only the top swimmers from our entire region chosen.

Congratulations to Cooper was selected to represent the North Adelaide region at the 2025 SAPSASA Softball State Championships.

A huge congratulations to our Rosary School Swimming Team! Our students competed in the 2025 SACPSSA Swimming Carnival and were crowned champions of their division—for the fourth year in a row!

Their dedication and hard work leading up to the event paid off, as they left the venue adorned with ribbons. Along with numerous 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes, our team also earned these incredible accolades:

🏆 Year 4 Champion School

🏆 Year 5 Champion School
🏅 Kingston T. – Year 4 Age Champion
🏅 Thomas R. – Year 5 Age Champion
🏆 Overall Event Champions

Beyond their achievements in the pool, our students demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, supporting each other throughout the day. It was wonderful so many parents in attendance, cheering on their children. A special thank you to Tammy R. for her invaluable role as our swimming coach and for helping to strengthen our program this year.

Congratulations to Amy Ramsey and Lucy Dutton who have shared the wonderful news of becoming mothers. Both Amy and Lucy’s babies are due in September. Recruitment for replacement teachers will occur during Term 2.

Being on leave this week, I am disappointed that I am not here to attend the Holy Week liturgies each morning. These are a wonderful opportunity for children to present the Gospel stories and develop their understanding of the Catholic faith, as well as the importance of these events in the Christian tradition.

I wish you all a peaceful break from the school routine and a Happy Easter.

Kind regards

Susan

When I am on yard duty, I often love having one which brings me into the courtyard at the end of the day. To see and hear the children when they greet their parent as they burst out of their classrooms, is quite joyous to see and hear. The courtyard becomes a happy greeting place where family and school community connect. When I think about what a Catholic school like Rosary School offers children and their families, it is about achieving excellent academic outcomes, being in a supportive environment, discovering ways of serving others, faith formation and exploring prayer and how this deepens children’s spiritual life and relationship with God. Perhaps, most important of all is that Rosary School is a faith-centered community which works with the Church to deepen the roots of the parish-school relationship. Already this year, there have been quite a few events which strengthen this unified identity.

I attended the playgroup called Rose Buds@Rosary last Monday morning. I was immediately welcomed by Sera C, our Playgroup Coordinator, as well as the regulars. As I wandered around and introduced myself, I heard meany stories about the young children and their families.

As the children played, it became clear that the time spent between child and adult, whether it was between grandparent and grandchild, parent and child, or caregiver and child, it was very precious indeed.

As the children darted from activity to activity, it was hard to keep up to some of the grandparents, especially, and it was difficult to see who enjoyed the morning more! The children were interacting with each other, learning how to consider those around them as they shared and took turns whilst the adults were gaining the support of a network between parish and school.

The work and dedication which has been put into the playgroup has seen it thrive and give children a good start to their cognitive, social, and emotional development. It places them in a safe space which reaches out to a cross-section of people who draw from a Catholic-centered community.

Well done, Sera, and thank you to the Our Lady of the Rosary Parish team for making this possible.

A New Journey into the Sacramental Life of Our Children

A HUGE congratulations is extended to all of the candidates from Rosary School who, in support of their families, completed their Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday 2nd April. This year, we had 25 children who received the sacrament. Rosary School joins with St. Dominic’s Priory College, Blackfriars Priory School, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College work in partnership with the Rosary/St. Laurence’s Parish, inspired by Jesus. Once again, this is an event which binds the faith community with these school communities, bringing a life-giving relationship between the children and God.

The certificates were presented the proud candidates with their during the ROC/RGD assembly last Friday. Each child enthusiastically emerged from their place to be received and congratulated by their friends, teachers, and other members of the community. It was quite a moving experience, especially when you consider that they have reached one of the most important milestones in their journey towards growing up and being the kind of person who encounters the fullness of life through truly understanding what it means to be forgiven, and what it means to forgive. What they are to experience is so much more than a ‘ceremony’. In fact, it is a life-long commitment. It is God’s way of reaching down into their young lives as they grow in body, in mind, in spirit, and in wisdom.

There is an old African proverb which states “It takes a community to raise a child”. Thank you to Fr. Mannes, Fr. Ben, and Fr. Anthony for presiding over the Reconciliation ceremony, all parents and teachers for their support in the preparation of the children.

Congratulations to the following children and their families:

37 children from the school enrolled in the Confirmation and First Communion program to be celebrated later in the year.

Session 1 will be held on Wednesday 23rd July.

The Ceremony for Confirmation and First Communion will be on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th August.

Harmony Day

Harmony Day took place on Friday 21^st March. We began the day with Assembly, run by 4CB. It was truly a gift to see all of the children in their cultural dress, in orange, or in their favourite football or soccer tops/guernseys. 4CB also did a brilliant job in bringing the true meaning of Harmony Day to their audience: that we are created in God’s image and yet we are all unique and need to respect and learn about what makes us different. Promoting  community events such as these, grounds our children’s understanding of all that it authentic in Australia, and in their school. We are building together a thriving future generation of people who value, respect, and welcome others in the spirit of Christ, in a world God desires.

Reminder..........

Please bring in your Project Compassion box to school in Week 1 of Term 2.

Thank you for your generosity.

Have a great Easter, everyone!

When choose to pray, we choose to grow.

Mandy Curtis / APRIM

The Year 4 students have been incredibly busy this term and have completed a range of fun and engaging learning activities. We were fortunate to have an artist in residence, Laura Harramen work with us this term to design and paint our art master pieces for the 'Dream Big' exhibition. The theme for our artwork was, “I was…I am…I will be” – we are so proud of our finished artwork! The remaining Year 4 students are also designing their own bunting pieces, inspired by this year’s Dream Big theme, which will also be showcased at the Newmarch Gallery.

Digi Tech News
On Monday in Week 10, RAR and RGD were introduced to our Digital Hub classroom. This was a great opportunity for the newest members of our school to familiarise themselves with our tech space. Reception students then spent some time working in small groups to learn about how to use iPads safely, opening/closing iPads and logging on to the Sunshine Online app. It was a great session with the Reception students and they are well on their way to building skills to become confident and careful creators and users of ICT.’

Shannon Mawhinney

On Friday 14th of March, the Year 5 and Year 6 students in the Choir had the opportunity to meet and work with the Catholic Choir Festival director, Ms Denise Rothall. Ms Rothall worked with the choir to make improvements and teach them songs for the Catholic Schools Music Festival performance in Term 3. The songs the choir focused on were “In Flanders Fields,”

“I Must Clean My Room” and the extraordinary, “Elvis Medley” (specifically the song “Blue Suede Shoes”). While learning these songs we got to sing along with Ms Rothall on the piano and the festival choir soundtrack. Ms Rothall gave us the best advice to become more in tune or improve rhythm. An example is to drop your jaw and sing with our mouths open. We also took a photo of the 2025 Rosary School Choir in front of the arch of the new Dominican building. We are all learning every time we go to choir rehearsals each week on Fridays. We are all so excited to learn and sing more for the performance later in the year. 

Alethea and Monica

Year 6 Choir Leaders

The School Board met last night and made the decision to move to an active wear uniform.
Moving forward, students may continue wearing the existing formal uniform until the end of 2028.

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent North Adelaide at the upcoming SAPSASA AFL State Championships:

Alessandro C.
Chester F.
Emile D.
Henry F.
Jason H.

We look forward to celebrating their fantastic achievement at an upcoming assembly in Term 2.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you require any further information.

Regards,
Brenton Campbell