News & Events

Other important staffing changes include the appointment of Caroline Price whom will work three days a week as Religious Education Coordinator, under the direction of our APRIM Lisa McCormick.
This will free up Lisa to lead our Inclusive Education Program, being responsible for our students who require adjustments to maximise their learning. Lisa will also be leading a Gifted and Talented Program in our school. In turn this will free up Olimpia Calleja to focus more on her role as Literacy Leader across the school.

These are very exciting developments for our school in 2020. The Arts will undergo further expansion following the introduction of Specialist Drama Teaching on top of Specialist Dance Teaching. In 2020 our Music will again be expanded, where Kimberly Slattery will return one day a week to teach R-3 music.
This builds on the whole class lessons with the Ukulele, that was introduced this year and will continue in 2020 for Years 4-6.

Yesterday your child’s School Report was sent home.

This report is the result of much hard work and learning that your child has completed during Semester Two. When looking at the report remember 'C' is for celebration, meaning a child is learning at the appropriate level.

Here are a few tips in regards to School Reports from Laura Mayne, co-author of Meet the Teacher: How to Help Your Child Navigate Elementary School.

• DO stay positive. Find something to praise initially, even if it’s only to comment on the slight improvement in your child’s English mark or how well she gets along with her classmates. “If the marks aren’t stellar, but your child has worked hard and tried her very best, she deserves recognition for what she’s achieved,” says Mayne.
• DON’T compare. Avoid the temptation to talk about his sister’s, cousin’s or friend’s exemplary reports. “It’s very easy to get caught up in the grade craze,” says Jennifer Sabatini, a professor of early childhood education at Seneca College in Toronto and mom of 12-year-old twins.
  You need to focus on having reasonable expectations for each of your children, not on everyone else.”
• DO listen to the key player.
  A lot of parents fail to realize that children are insightful about their own strengths and weaknesses, says Mayne.
  Ask your child what she thinks about her report card, what she’s most proud of, or disappointed in, and why she thinks she received the marks she did. Remember to keep calm, cool and collected — this is a conversation, not an interrogation.
• DON’T lose sight of the big picture.
  A report card is just a snapshot of the work your child produced during a specific period of time, says Mayne. A lower mark doesn’t always mean she’s slacking off or slipping in a subject.
  Your child may bring home an A in math one term, and a B the next if the course content has changed and she finds algebra more challenging than geometry (as was my daughter’s case). Look carefully at the teacher’s comments as well, since they can give you a better idea of how your child is performing overall, adds Sabatini. “As parents, we should focus on the area of the report card that indicates learning skills, such as initiative, problem solving and conflict resolution, because they are the long-term indicators of future success.”

With the reports you will find information on how to book an interview, just before the start of the 2020 year.
These “Book-a-Chat” meetings are a great opportunity to share information about your child with next year’s teacher. On Friday children will visit their new class and 2020 teacher.

Part of this visit will be completing an activity that will come home informing parents of their child’s 2020 teacher.

Each year teachers spend a great deal of time looking at class placements for the following year.
This process takes many things into account.

First and foremost, we take into consideration the learning needs of all students.
We aim to ensure classes are ‘balanced’, by also taking into consideration a balance of gender, progress and levels of children’s learning, children with specific needs (social/emotional, learning, physical and behavioural), relationships and family considerations. It is important to remember that being a part of Rosary School learning community gives children an opportunity to meet and learn with many different people.
We always encourage children’s resilience in expanding friendships and developing skills to work and learn with many different people (children and adults).

This is an essential skill for life-long learning and resilience.
Your child’s best support may be someone they have not yet met!

The last formal event for the year will be the End of Year Mass on Monday December 9th, 9:30am at the church.  We look forward to seeing you at this Mass if you are able to come along.

Just a reminder that the school year concludes on Wednesday December 11th at 3pm.

Casual clothes in a Christmas theme can be worn on the last day (no donation required).

Next year we begin on Tuesday January 28th 2020.

Merry Christmas!
Damian Weeks