Week 2 Term 3 2024

Welcome back to school and the beginning of Term 3! I cannot believe we are now past the half-way mark of the 2024 school year – how time flies! Despite the chilly start, the children returned with big smiles and great excitement to see their teachers and friends. 

For the duration of Term 3, I will be Acting Principal as Susan Hennessy is on long service leave. Please do not hesitate to contact me if the need arises throughout the term.

At the conclusion of Term 2, I took some study leave to focus on my final unit within the ‘Master of Professional Studies in Theology’. This time allowed me to dedicate my time to undertake a substantial part of the literature review required for my theological research paper. While I missed the daily interactions with the whole school community, especially the children, this period of study reminded me of the value and challenge of learning new information and concepts—something our students experience daily.

In my studies, I have reflected on the discipline of theology and how it relates to education, recognising that both are journeys of discovery and understanding. Just as our students explore the various academic subjects, we are all called to continually deepen our knowledge and faith. This pursuit of knowledge is a reflection of our school's commitment in nurturing thriving people, capable learners, leaders for the world God desires.

My time away also offered me a deeper appreciation for the role of the educator in guiding young hearts and minds. They assist in supporting students to acknowledge that we are all lifelong learners, seeking wisdom and truth in every aspect of life, and that, as a community, we support one another in this pursuit.

I am grateful for this opportunity to continue growing alongside our students and staff, united in our mission to cultivate a love of learning and a deepening faith.

New Enrolments
This term we welcomed thirty-five new Reception students, three students in other year levels and three new staff members to our Rosary School community.
Millie Lane is the teacher of one of our new Reception classes (RML).
Together, Erica Brigden and Franca Notarangelo teach the other new Reception class (RBN).
We also welcomed Tobias in RAR, Zander in 2NT and Ryan in 4GO.

When asking our new Reception students what they enjoyed the most about starting school at Rosary School some of them responded –
Lewis – “I love drawing”
Imogen – “I like playing in the (toy) kitchen”
James – “Playing with my friends”
August – “I love playing with my friends and I love going to school”
Amalia – “I like playing with my friends”
Thomas – “I like playing with the (toy) dinosaurs”
Christina – “Making a new friend, Amalia”

We are very blessed to have them all as members of the Rosary community.

School Redevelopment
I would like to express my continued gratitude for the support and flexibility of families as we continue to navigate the redevelopment of our school grounds. I understand the landscaping progress has been slower than expected and we are continuing to meet regularly with the builders from Badge to ensure the best possible outcomes. Hopefully we will see some pleasing progress very soon!
 
School Photos
Finally, a reminder of school photos on Tuesday, 6th August. Please return your child’s envelope on, or before, the day. Family photo forms are available from the front office for collection. These will have a unique SHOOTKEY code for when you login online to make payment. Use that Shootkey FIRST, then add each of your children who would have received their own separate photo order form with their own unique Shootkey code to add to the online order.
Family photos will be taken in the Rosary Jubilee Centre, from 8:15am.

Caroline Price

Acting Principal
 

Many families in our community will have received an invitation via email to complete your Community Portal Account Registration. Once registered you will have easy access to:

• Financial Statements
• Review Financial Transactions
• Make Online Payments
• View your child/ren’s Medical Details
• View your child/ren’s Demographic Information
• View your child/ren’s emergency contacts

Commencing from Term 3, invoices/statements will no longer be sent in the post. Future charges such as camp costs and other extracurricular charges will be invoiced electronically through the portal.

In 2025 we will explore the enhanced functionality of the Portal to provide school news, calendar and other communications.

Thank you to those who have registered and I encourage those who have not, to do so ASAP.

If you are having issues receiving/accessing the Community Portal, please direct your queries to our Business Manager via the following email address: accounts@rosary.catholic.edu.au

Thanks,
Caroline

Sacramental Programme
We have twenty-eight students from Year 4 & Year 5 who will complete their initiation into the Catholic Church over the next few weeks through receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation and First Holy Communion.
On Wednesday evening, over fifty families gathered from Rosary School, Blackfriars School, St Dominic's College as well as from Parish community at Rosary Jubilee Centre for the first of two preparation evenings in advance of our young people receiving their sacraments.
We ask that you think and pray for these young people as they continue their sacramental journey in the church over the weekend of August 17/18.
Our candidates for the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion are: 

Luca, Ashley, Giuliana, Alessandro, Elliott, Chester, Sophie, Isla, Joseph, Isabelle, Christian, Leia, Thomas,  Aria, Alexia, Ari, Rosie, Sam, Sean (Year5),  Alexander, Harry, Zoe, Alissia, Ariella, Milana.

St Dominic's Day is on August 8 2024

The Feast Day of St Dominic is August 3. 

As a community, we will celebrate our Dominican heritage and St Dominic with a Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Church on Thursday August 8 at 9:30am. Our commitment to the spiritual vision of St Dominic and Dominican Spirituality is present in all aspects of our day-to-day life at Rosary School. We always strive to integrate our mission into all of our structures, all of our policies, all of our curriculum and across all elements of life at our school. We must always strive as individuals, and as a community, to ensure that following the example of St Dominic is evident in our relationships and in how we treat each other on a daily basis.  
All family members are welcome to join us for this special community celebration. If you are able to walk to church with your child's class on the day, please contact their class teacher and make the arrangements. All support is greatly appreciated. 

Once we return to class after the mass, we will have a sausage sizzle as part of our celebrations on the day. We would still ask you to pack a school lunch for your child on this day. 

Vinnies Winter Appeal- A Thank You from Vinnies
 
The local Vinnies team would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the Rosary School community for their outstanding efforts supporting the Winter Appeal. They have enough food, for hampers, to get them through the remaining Winter months. 
Many, many thanks from the local Vinnies Conference.  

In 4CB we have been thinking as DESIGNERS. We have started to use the “Solution Fluency” or “6 Ds” of Define, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver and Debrief in a design project. We are also using Makey-Makey devices that connect to our MacBooks. Makey-Makey is a peripheral digital device, which means it is either input or output for a computer, like a mouse or a screen. Makey-Makey is an input device, like a keyboard. We have also been learning about this technical vocabulary in Digital Technologies! 

It has been interesting to learn about what materials are conductors such as metal, lead pencil, water and play-doh that we can use with our Makey-Makeys. We have also been learning about how we need an earth or ground connection for a Makey-Makey. It has been challenging to make sure all of the wires are connected properly between the Makey-Makey and our MacBooks, as well as untangling messy cords! It has also been challenging to make sure that when we draw buttons with lead pencil that the graphite is thick enough on the paper carry electrical charge.

We are looking forward to finding new ways to use the Makey-Makeys and work through the “Solution Fluency” to deliver interesting design projects!

Written and edited by 4CB

IT'S SHOWDOWN TIME

After the success of last year’s special treat Friday, the P&F are again offering Showdown Donuts from Vilis on Friday 16 August 2024.

Donuts are available to order on QKR for $4.00each with the option of selecting a PORT or CROWS donut.They will then be delivered by the P&F and Year 6 leaders on Friday 16th at lunch time.

!!Orders close Monday 12 August. Unfortunately, late orders are not available as the P&F need to submit final orders to Vili’s by the 13th.

Please note hot chocolates will not be available to order on this day.