Week 7, Term 1 2025

News from the Principal

Dear Rosary Community

As you are aware, I have resigned from my position as Principal at Rosary School. This was not an easy decision and whilst the letter from Dr Neil McGoran used the word resigned, I am retiring from full-time work. Whilst there is lots to do before I finish, I am looking forward to having more time to smell the roses and spend with my growing family.

This year we have begun working with Real Schools. The staff have participated in professional learning, begun using their Restorative Approach 2.0 when working with children and are using stored responses to redirect children and positive priming before children engage in an activity. We have a parent session booked in on 3rd June – you might like to put a note in your diary to keep that night free.

Schools are complex environments. Families have different expectations and experiences and children come to us from many cultures and backgrounds.

We understand that entrusting your child’s education to a school requires confidence in the institution and its staff. I take immense pride in the professionalism, dedication, and expertise of our teaching staff. Our educators are not just instructors; they are mentors, guides, and lifelong learners committed to shaping the future of every student who walks through our doors.

At Rosary School we are committed to transparency, communication, and partnership with parents. We encourage an open dialogue and invite parents to be active participants in their child’s educational journey. However, it is equally important for parents to trust the expertise and professionalism of our teachers.

Education is most effective when there is mutual respect between educators and families. Trusting our teachers allows them the freedom to implement strategies that best serve the needs of each student. When teachers feel supported, they are empowered to create dynamic, engaging, and innovative learning environments.

A successful educational experience is built on a foundation of collaboration between parents, teachers, and students. Parents play a crucial role in their child's education, and their voices are valued. However, it is important to approach conversations, both in person and online, with teachers in a way that acknowledges their expertise and dedication. Respectful communication strengthens our partnership and supports a collaborative atmosphere where students can thrive.

Primary school is a crucial time for children to develop social skills, friendships, and conflict resolution abilities. While we strive to foster a positive and inclusive environment, occasional conflicts and hurt between children may occur. In such situations, it is essential for parents to trust the school’s processes in managing these incidents fairly, responsibly, and with the well-being of all students in mind.

Our priority is to create a school environment where children feel safe, respected, and supported. Staff members are trained in conflict resolution, positive behaviour reinforcement, and supervision strategies to minimise incidents of peer-related harm. Through structured play, social-emotional learning programs, and clear expectations, we help students develop the skills needed to interact respectfully and resolve conflicts appropriately.

When a child is hurt by another child, whether intentionally or accidentally, our school addresses the situation:

Staff assess the injury and provide first aid if needed.
Teachers or leadership speak with the students involved to gather an accurate account of what happened.
Whenever possible, we use restorative practices to help children understand the impact of their actions, encourage empathy, and guide them toward making amends.
Depending on the severity of the situation, parents of the involved children will be informed promptly to ensure transparency and collaboration.
If ongoing support is required, we work with families to implement additional supports to ensure that their child is able to build respectful relationships.

We recognise that it can be distressing for parents to learn that their child has been hurt by a peer. However, trusting the school’s established processes allows us to manage these situations effectively while fostering a positive learning environment.

Open communication between the school and parents is key. We encourage parents to reach out with any concerns while also supporting the school’s approach in guiding children through social challenges. Working together, we can help students learn valuable life skills such as empathy, resilience, and problem-solving.

Adam Voight from Real Schools recently shared with us the important skills children learn through conflict at schools. He reflected that they become:

Competent: They’ve learned, through real life, the skills of handling the uncomfortable argy-bargy that other humans will manifest around us.
Compassionate: They’ve developed an ability to know and care that their conduct affects others.

As we continue to cultivate a culture of excellence, we ask for your trust and partnership in this shared mission. Together, we can create a nurturing and empowering educational experience for all students.

Have a great weekend.

Susan

News from the APRIM

The Religious Education program at Rosary School is grounded in the contemporary Living, Learning, Leading Framework for Catholic Education. As a Catholic school, we work in close partnership with parents to ensure that our students grow and develop into “thriving people, capable learners, leaders in a world God desires”. Each day that the children attend Rosary School, we nurture the development of the knowledge, skills, and capabilities needed to flourish in a rapidly changing and complex world.

The Resilience Project is also in full swing as teachers have started unpacking the program which teaches children to sustain themselves through maintaining a positive attitude. The program focuses on three main areas: gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness. All three of these strengths is underpinned by Catholic identity as we learn to appreciate what God has gifted us in our lives. Building empathy in children follows the example of Jesus who was the embodiment of empathy in the way that he responded to others to create a better world. Mindfulness: Jesus was always in the present, always reflective in his interactions with others. In fact, Jesus always encouraged – and still does – to contemplate being more Christ-cantered.

Our Sacramental Program is also in full swing, having already held the session for Reconciliation . It is wonderful to see so many parents responding to the invitation for their children to receive the Blessed Sacraments. This brings parents and their children into a closer communion with God and builds their resilience as they enter a fuller spiritual life. Responding to the call on behalf of their children, can seem daunting, but this is also a call to deepen one’s own faith as they embark on this journey with the children. Parents are their child’s first educators because they play a critical role in their child’s faith development, alongside of the school and the parish. Then there are the Ceremonies themselves, and although they are beautiful, it is vitally important that we teach our children that receiving the Sacraments are much more than a ‘ceremony’. Receiving the Sacraments is life-long because it is God’s way of reaching down into the lives of our children as they grow in body, in mind, in spirit, and in the wisdom of Christ. It is all about encountering the fullness of life through Jesus.

I look forward to meeting the families of those enrolled in the Sacraments this year.

John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life and live it to the full.”