Week 4 Term 2 2022

This week the Premier announced that the Emergency Management Committee has determined that the general requirement for adults to wear masks in education settings would cease from next week.

While masks remain recommended by the Chief Public Health Officer, from 30 May, staff, parents and adult visitors are no longer required to wear masks when attending the school. Those who continue to choose to wear masks will be supported to do so.

Face masks will be required to be worn in education settings where COVID-19 transmission reaches certain thresholds, based on SA Health advice. In these instances, face masks will be required to be worn indoors by all staff and visitors in the school for a 14-day period. If we reach an outbreak threshold at our school, you will be advised of the dates that face masks will be required.

Thank you for continuing to support our school as we follow the SA Health advice and in particular for your cooperation in keeping students home from school if they display even mild symptoms.

Last Saturday morning I ventured to St Clair to watch our children play soccer. This year we have 12 school soccer teams with over 117 children involved – more than 25% of our student body. It was a beautiful sunny day and a joy to watch children run around with their school mates. On the day I spoke about the way the game changes for the children each year – the skill, teamwork, engagement and concentration that develops was evident, particularly from Reception to Year 1. After school sport is a parent initiative and co-ordinated by the School Sports Committee. For a number of years the responsibility for the co-ordination of school soccer has undertaken by Vanessa Roberts. We are certainly very lucky to have Vanessa as a parent volunteer at Rosary School – thank you Vanessa. We appreciate your tireless effort to ensure that all children have the opportunity to participate. A big thank you also to all our coaches, team managers, game officials and COVID marshals for your generosity and commitment. I continue to reflect on how privileged I am to be part of the Rosary School community.

There are lots of exciting things that have been happening in our school community over the past couple of weeks.  The Year 4 camp, Parent Information Session on the Science of Reading, NAPLAN, Year 5/6 Leadership, Year 6 Arch D Radio and school liturgies. I thank the teachers for their work and commitment to the children and families at Rosary School.

Another exciting event this week has been the arrival of Mr Stephen Campion our new Assistant Principal, Religious Identity and Mission. Stephen has held many leadership positions in Catholic Education in Queensland and we look forward to drawing on Stephen’s experience to ensure we continue to deliver excellent teaching and learning in the area of Religious Education and that our community experience the Catholic faith in contemporary and authentic ways. If you have the opportunity before or after school, it would be great to introduce yourself to Stephen and welcome him to our community.

The resurfacing of the Jubilee Court is continuing. Unfortunately, like many building projects, the anticipated time of completion has been extended.  We should have the asphalt laid on 23rd June and then the top surface completed ready for Term 3. The children and staff have been very patient,. We are all looking forward to seeing children playing on the court again soon.

National Reconciliation Week takes place annually between May 27 and June 3. The theme for 2022 is, “Be Brave. Make Change.” It is a challenge to all Australians—to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can make change for the benefit of all Australians.

This year we are being asked to make change beginning with brave actions in our daily lives – where we live, work, play and socialise.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

National Sorry Day is today 26 May and today we remember and reflect on the treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their family as part of the Stolen Generation policies. 

The landmark report on ‘The Stolen Generations’ – the Bringing them Home Report was tabled on this day in 1998. 

National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all people to reflect on how the policies of government can lead to such horrible injustices and how we can remedy this now and create policies today, so it never happens again. As a community, we commit to forging positive and healing relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are encouraged as Catholic Christians to take action and to practice reconciliation each week and to take real action in their lives to make reconciliation real. 

As a new member of the Rosary School community, it was so beautiful on my second day to enjoy our Year 2 students so expertly guided by Ms Fiske, Ms Withey and Ms Riemsdyk leading us in prayer at their liturgy for National Reconciliation Week. Our community also thanks Fr Ben Hensley for joining us at our Year 2 liturgy this morning.

Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (the department) would like to advise all parents and guardians that it collects certain information about your child’s school, its staff, and student body. 

For more information, click on the link :

2022_Census_Privacy_Notice.pdf

In Week 3, the Year 4’s went on camp to Aldinga. The focus of the camp was learning about Aboriginal culture, beliefs and their deep connection to the land. All the students were very excited to be going on their first camp and were eager to start the activities once they arrived. The activities the students participated in were:

• Traditional Aboriginal games
• Cooking fish wrapped in clay
• Eating the fish, with some students even eating the fish eye.
• Traditional and hip-hop dancing
• Bushwalk through the National Park to learn about how the Aboriginal people used the plants and the land
• Designing and painting boomerangs.

We were also able to have some playtime, in which we enjoyed jumping on the bouncing pillow, kicking the football, playing volleyball and playing on the playground. At night, we did a quiz and some ‘minute to win it’ games.

Overall, we all had an amazing time at our first camp, participating in activities which we don’t normally experience in the classroom.

Some things students learnt about the Aboriginal people, culture and beliefs were:

• They told stories using pictures instead of talking or writing and made maps using the pictures too
• How hard it was to put the fish in the cooking clay and make the cooking clay into a pancake
• The clear sap was edible and that is how they pulled their teeth out
• You can eat the leaves from the shea oak tree and it tastes like lemon and lime
• On the bushwalk, we saw how much they cared about their plants and animals and took care of them.

School soccer has started, with registrations being extremely high for 2022, comprising of 12 teams and over 115 children!  As you can see the children are loving it! ⚽️❤️

A special visitor watched the games this weekend...... Mrs Hennessy! 🙏
Thank you to all our parents, coaches, team managers and COVID marshalls.

Don’t forget adult scarves and beanies are available to buy via the QKR! app.
Thanks to our parent driven sports committee for organising all of our community sports.