Volume 5
6.4.2023
From the Acting Principal
đ˝ď¸ Principal's Message
From the Acting Assistant Principal
đˇ Harmony Day
From the Dean of Ministry
đˇ Holy Thursday Liturgy
PACE News
CAPA News
TAS News
World Down Syndrome Day in ConnectED
French Film Festival
Year 10 Pastoral Care Day
Meet the Counselling Team
Diverse Learning News
SRSC News
Aluminate YouTube Series
đ Community Links
Year 7 Vaccination Reminder
Year 7 vaccinations will be provided on 9 May 2023.
Please refer to the information sent via email on 20 February regarding information and the online consent process for vaccinations.
Seeking Open Day volunteers and donations
The P&F is seeking volunteers for the Open Day on 7 May where the P&F will run the BBQ and Food Hall to raise money towards the new learning and gathering space in place of the Fig Tree. The Food Hall can only run with the help of volunteers. If you haven't done so already please help us by registering to help for a few hours on the day by clicking here.
The P&F is also seeking small monetary donations to put towards drinks for the Open Day Food Hall, allowing us to order in bulk and arrange for easy delivery to the College. If you are in a position to assist with this, donations can be made to the Rosebank P&F Bank account. Please email us on pandf@rosebank.nsw.edu.au and we will forward you bank details.
Many thanks,
Cara Edwards
P&F Liaison
From the Acting Principal
Saturday, 25 March marks an important date in the environmental welfare calendar, as it is the last Saturday of the month dedicated to a global movement known as Earth Hour. This is a time for individuals and communities around the world to come together and raise awareness about environmental issues. Our passionate Environmental Leaders were eager to recognise this occasion with college-wide action. On Friday, 24 March, they requested that all non-essential electricity be turned off in offices, staff rooms, and classrooms during one period, where possible. Teachers were encouraged to design lesson plans to draw attention to this initiative.
âBy acknowledging this action, we spark conversation within our community on the impacts of climate change and inspire positive action to protect our natural world. We have the chance to shape a bright future for us all.â
Alexandra Politis
Year 12 (Dwyer)
We are excited to announce that the College is taking further steps towards sustainability by transitioning away from single-use plastic water bottles. To support this initiative, we have installed filtered water stations and bottle fillers around the campus for convenient access by students and staff.
Please promote the 'Bring Your Own Bottle' (BYOB) approach for activities, social gatherings, and on-site events. For most of us, using a refillable water bottle is already part of our daily routine, so this transition should be an easy one. Thank you for your cooperation in making our College more sustainable.
On 6 February 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern and central Turkey, as well as northern and western Syria, causing widespread damage and tens of thousands of fatalities. Over 17 million people were displaced or left homeless due to this catastrophic event.
The scale of this disaster is difficult for most of us to comprehend, but as a community, Rosebank played a small part in raising awareness, money, and education about this plight. Students took the lead in organizing a mufti day with a gold coin donation on Friday, 31 March, with all proceeds going directly to Caritas Australia, who have a direct fund for this cause and are distributing urgently needed humanitarian aid on the ground.
It is heartening to see student voice taking action and contributing to such an important cause. As a community, we continue to keep those affected by this horrendous ordeal in our thoughts and prayers, especially during this Easter break.
Thank you to everyone who supported this initiative and made a difference in the lives of those impacted by the earthquake.
I hope you all have a holy and blessed Easter and that the holiday period is one of renewal and relaxation.
God bless.
Year 7 students made origami bunnies
Mr Paul Hardwick
Acting Principal
đ˝ď¸ Principal's Message
Ms Iris Nastasi
Principal
From the Acting Assistant Principal
As we finish the term and head into our holy Easter celebrations and the end of Lent, it is hard not to reflect on the past 10 weeks and the many wonderful contributions of our students. Term 1 has certainly provided a vast array of opportunities where immense skill, talent and courage have been evident. The generosity of time and effort of both the students and staff has been exceptional.
In preparation for Term 2, we are very excited to offer parents several opportunities to engage in topical presentations around the development and growth of our teenagers. Teenage years have become more difficult to navigate as parents and educators and we are always looking for ways to support our young people. On Wednesday, 3 May at 6pm in the Rosebank SRSC, the Collegeâs Counselling Team is presenting a talk on âSchool Refusalâ. This is an area of concern that has been on the rise since the pandemic, with support services reporting increased mental health issues presenting in our youth. Our team will talk about the warning signs, impact, strategies around school refusal and how best to deal with it as a parent. Please click here to register your attendance by Friday, 28 April 2023.
Parents are also invited to the Term 2 P&F meeting on Wednesday, 17 May to listen to guest speaker Catherine Garrett-Jones, Executive Director at the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW / ACT, who will be talking with us about Parent/Carer Engagement. Research indicates that when parents work in partnership with schools, young people improve academic skills, increase motivation and achievement and have more regular school attendance. An invitation and RSVP link will be sent to parents closer to the date of this event.
To assist us in the technological journey of our teenagers, the College has sourced the wisdom of internationally published author, researcher, clinician and presenter Brad Marshall on Tuesday, 13 June. Brad is a principal psychologist at Northshore Kidspace and the clinical director of the Internet Addiction Clinic @ Kidspace. He specialises in treating young people experiencing excessive internet use and working with families to find a balance between healthy screen time and problematic overuse. Brad will deliver his presentation entitled âTech Diet for Parentsâ where he introduces 7 unplugged steps as a guide to manage screen and gaming addiction in children and teenagers. More details regarding registering for this event will be released next term.
A reminder that Term 2 begins for all students on Wednesday, 26 April. Students have the option to return in either their summer or winter uniform, for the first two weeks of term. All students should be in the winter uniform, including the College blazer, from Open Day on Sunday, 7 May 2023.
I wish you all a happy, holy and safe Easter break.
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Ms Belinda Clark
Acting Assistant Principal
đˇ Harmony Day
From the Dean of Ministry
Pictured: Students and staff leaving for Red Earth Immersion, Wednesday, 5 April
The reading from the Rule of St Benedict for Monday, 3 April comes from Chapter 52, âThe Oratory of the Monasteryâ. It is a short section and may take some by surprise since Benedictâs writing is quite prescriptive and is not much focussed on a theology of prayer or spirituality. Benedict says the Oratory is to be a place of prayer and prayer only. It is not to be used for any other purpose. When the formal prayer of the community, the Opus Dei, is complete, all are to leave in the âdeepest silenceâ to allow anyone who wishes to remain undisturbed in their private time with God. And that private time was to be spent in a quiet and non-demonstrative way. Benedict writes: âIf any wish to pray privately at other times, let them simply go in and pray, not with a loud voice but with tears and fervour of heart.â Private prayer is about communion with God, an encounter that comes from the heart of God to the heart of the individual. It is nourished by the common prayer of the community and Lectio Divina, by the sharing of the common life of the community, and by engagement in the mission and ministries of the community. Benedict, like many of the ancient writers, understood the heart to be the centre of reason and the place where decisions were made. It is in the heart to heart encounter with Christ that the disciple would listen most deeply and discern most intimately.
The place of the Oratory at Rosebank continues in the tradition set out be Benedict in the Rule. It is first and foremost a place of prayer and quiet in order to encourage listening. It is also the place where the common prayer of the community is celebrated every morning and where, during Holy Week the community will gather for prayer in one or other of the particular devotions that have enriched Catholic life over the centuries. The ancient practice of the Stations of the Cross, the beautiful act of reciting the Rosary with a focus on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Lordâs Passion, and the custom of reading one of the Passion narratives from the Gospel out loud.
In the chapel the crucifix is veiled, another ancient custom with various meanings. The interpretation that I find most appealing is the covering of the familiar images in order to focus the heart and mind more intently on the significance of these last days of Lent and to be more ready to enter into the Triduum â The Three Days â with a heightened sense of encounter with Jesus. When we return from the holiday period we will see the Paschal Candle standing in the centre of the Chapel â the great symbol of the resurrection. What was veiled and hidden before, will be seen unveiled in the new life of the Risen Christ.
Our prayer nourishes all other dimensions of the life of the school. Collectively the community raised over $3,100 for Caritas Australiaâs Emergency Appeal for the people of Turkiye and Syria in the wake of the devastating earthquake. Alongside this the community is still fundraising for Project Compassion. This week 24 students and two staff head off for an Easter they will not forget, in remote Indigenous homelands in Central Australia with Red Earth. And every week our student catechists go to Russel Lea Public School to spend time with the students there opening up the Good News with them.
We do this because we are a community, a group of people with a common purpose. The words of Australian Cistercian monk, Michael Casey give a helpful reminder of who and what we are and do at Rosebank. I think St Benedict might think this a good way to link the work of God in the Oratory with the work of God in the community at large:
If there is any lesson to be learned from our exposure to the New Testament it is the importance and dignity of every person and the consequent obligation of Christian communities and institution to be not only accepting of persons in all their uniqueness, but sincerely cherishing each as a particular manifestation of the glory of God. And if the glory of God is to be found in the fully alive human being, as Saint Irenaeus taught, then we are all obliged to make every effort to ensure that the members of our community reach the highest possible attainment of their potential.
(Michael Casey, Coenobium, page 73)
A blessed Holy Week, Triduum and Easter to all.
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đˇ Holy Thursday Liturgy
PACE News
Click here to view full Rep and Club Sport results (Term 1)
Club Volleyball
Rosebank College had a very successful finals day at Santa Sabina on Saturday, 25 March . With eight teams taking the courts throughout the day, Rosebank experienced a very successful end to a tough campaign. Three teams won medals and other teams were very unfortunate to miss places for medals, with several just being bumped into 4th place. We congratulate players and coaches for a wonderful Term 1 sport program.
Medal teams are as follows:
- RBC8 - Gold Medal
- RBC1 - Bronze Medal
- RBC5 - Bronze Medal
What a great result. All teams have performed so well, including the new girls who have not played before. Congratulations.
Club Baseball
Mr Jason Amos
PACE Administrator and Club Sports Coordinator 
SCS Conference Finals
Hard work. Team spirit. Never say die attitude. These are the phrases that sum up the Term 1 Representative Sport teams. It has been a great term of Rep Sport with success not just being displayed on the scoreboard, but also in terms of the friendships formed and commitment displayed. Our 18 Representative Sport teams have upheld the reputation of Rosebank as a force to be reckoned with on the sporting field with dominant performances throughout the term across basketball, touch football and water polo. Strong performances earnt the following teams a spot in the SCS Conference 2 Finals which took place on Thursday, 30 March, with the teams finishing in the following placings:
- Boys Junior Touch Football - 3rd
- Boys Intermediate Touch Football - 1st
- Girls Junior Touch Football - 1st
- Girls Intermediate Touch Football - 4th
- Boys Junior Basketball - 4th
- Girls Junior Basketball - 4th
- Girls Intermediate Basketball - 1st
- Boys Junior Water Polo - 3rd
- Boys Intermediate Water Polo - 1st
- Boys Senior Water Polo - 1st
- Girls Junior Water Polo - 3rd
- Girls Intermediate Water Polo - 4th
- Girls Senior Water Polo - 4th
SCS Sydney Championships
On Wednesday, 5 April, seven of our Term 1 Representative Sport teams competed at the Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Sport Sydney Championships in a bid to be crowned the best Catholic school in Sydney. The teams displayed excellent dedication and teamwork throughout the whole term and are to be commended on their commitment to success. Congratulations to the following teams and students:
- Boys Junior Water Polo: Fergus Beresford-Harvey, James Digby, Hal Durham, Ethan Fung, Matari Hess, William Locke, Daniel Noh, Louis OâConnor, Jude Steverson, Leon Sunteo
- Boys Intermediate Water Polo: Ethan Brennan, Aaron Coleman, Toby Hansen, Nikolai Iliev, Elliott Jones, Henry Lamond, Ned Leech, Matthew Simpson, Nate ToelleAtkinson
- Boys Senior Water Polo: Nick Andreacchio, Patrick Endicott, Keelan Fischer, Hugo Guastella, Luke Kaplanez, Jacob Keelty, Fergus Lamond, Liam Macri, Sebastian Salim, Cooper Smith, Jayden Wong
- Boys Intermediate Touch Football: Bill Antonopolous, Tom Cody, Thomas Dunphy, Rory Leaver, Adrian Liberatore, Hugo Macri, John Moussa, Andrew Vlachokiriakos, William Wendt, Marlowe Zeremes
- Girls Junior Water Polo: Charlotte Allan, Elizabeth Allan, Lily Germain, Kiana Kavanagh, Olivia Locke, Bonnie Meares, Willow Meares, Lily Mullen, Liv Rogerson, Piper ToelleAtkinson, Abby Watson, Isabel Wong
- Girls Junior Touch Football: Raquel Boswell, Madeline Bruscino, Isabelle Calleja, Claudia Elaro, Elyssa Georgoulas, Alyssa Giagodi, Kate Le Roux, Abby McEvoy, Greta Peterie, Maria Sylla, Mila White, Josie Willis
- Girls Intermediate Basketball: Erin Aguas, Arabella Bentick, Elizabeth Cruz, Lara De Francesco, Rebecca Donnelly, Dakota Hammond, Lorena Secivanovic, Mya Sharma, Mahira Sharma, Amelia Tarabay
Sydney Championships Winners
On Wednesday, 5 April, the seven Representative Sport teams that qualified competed in the Sydney Championships. This all day event saw our teams take on other Catholic schools from across Sydney. The Boys Intermediate Water Polo team made easy work of Holy Cross in their semi-final and carried this perfect form into the Grand Final to be crowned Sydney Champions. The other six Rosebank teams tried valiantly to get on the podium. The Girls Intermediate Basketball team were narrowly close to progressing through to the grand final with a standout performance from Rebecca Donnelly, and were able to easily secure 3rd place with a dominant last game. The Girls Junior Touch Football followed suit with a one point loss in their semi-final and then backed it up with a come from behind win in the bronze medal play off to knock off St Clareâs 7-6 in drop off. The Boys Intermediate Touch Football team have been phenomenal all season, going through undefeated, just falling at the last hurdle to Holy Cross. They displayed elite skills to match it with a dominant Holy Cross side and fought until the end against a team with a home crowd advantage. As reigning champions, the Boys Senior Water Polo went into the grand final as favourites. A dominant start by Marcellin left the team playing catch up and unfortunately fell short, finishing in a respectable 2nd place. The Girls Junior and Boys Junior Water Polo teams have shown that our future in Water Polo is bright with both teams finishing 4th in Sydney.
SCS Sydney Championships Swimming
Monday, 27 March saw 26 students represent Rosebank at the Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) Swimming Championships. This team was up against some tough competition and were still able to claim some sensational results.
A special congratulations to the following students who were named as Age Champions:
- Christian Alouan: Boys 16 Years Age Champion
- Adriano Sorrentino: Boys 12-15 Years Multi-Class Age Champion
- Adriano Sorrentino: Boys Multi-Class Swimmer of the Meet
Congratulations to the following students who were selected into the Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) team based on their results at this carnival to compete at the NSWCCC Championships on Friday, 31 March:
- Christian Alouan - Boys 16 years 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 50m Breaststroke, 4x50m Medley Relay
- Nicholas Fleming - Boys 15 years 50m Freestyle, 4x50m Medley Relay
- Charlotte Gan - Girls 4x50m Medley Relay
- Hugo Guastella - Boys 4x50m Medley Relay
- Ellouise Hall - Girls 13 years 50m Freestyle, 4x50m Medley Relay
- Liv Rogerson - Girls 4x50m Medley Relay
- Adriano Sorrentino - Boys 12-15 years Multi-Class 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle
- Isabel Wong - Girls 4x50m Medley Relay
- Jayden Wong - Boys 4x50m Medley Relay
NSWCCC Swimming Team
Christian Alouan (Year 10) and Adriano Sorrentino (Year 9) achieved outstanding results at the NSWCCC Swimming Championships and have now been selected in to the CCC team to compete at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships. Congratulations boys on this wonderful achievement!
Henry Kicking Goals
Congratulations to Henry Lamond (Year 9) who has been selected into the Northern NSW AFL team to compete at the NSWCCC AFL Championships in Wagga Wagga in May. This is a massive achievement given the caliber of students who trialed.
Claudia Running Rings Around the Opposition
Claudia Peterie (Year 11) recently competed at the State Little Athletics Championships and had a fantastic meet. In the 1500m she placed 7th in NSW running in a massive personal best time of 4:55. She also ran a brilliant 3km, finishing 5th in a time of 10:59. Congratulations Claudia on achieving your goals and your great performance!
Lily Dominates at State Championships
Lily Coffey (Year 8) recently competed in the NSW Rhythmic Gymnastics State Championships. Lily placed third in the State in the Junior International Division and will now represent NSW at the Australian Gymnastics Championships in May. Congratulations Lily on your wonderful achievements!
Ms Annalisa Di Bella
PACE Coordinator - Representative Activities
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CAPA News
Rosebank students making their mark!
Daniel Noh - Year 7
Last year Daniel entered Operation Art, which is an initiative of the Westmead Children's Hospital in association with the NSW Department of Education. This program includes exhibitions, workshops and opportunities for K-10 students across NSW. Daniel's submission for the 2022 competition was selected for the Touring 50 award and he received recognition at a formal ceremony on Wednesday, 22 March at the Art Gallery of NSW. Last year, his artwork was exhibited at Sydney Olympic Park Armory Gallery. As a Top 50 recipient, Daniel's artwork is now on display for the general public in the Art Gallery of NSW from 22 March to 3 April. A commendable achievement for Daniel. Well done!
Operation Art 2023 is now open to any student in Years 7-10 to apply. To register your interest, please speak with your Art teacher, or email Mrs Hill (ahill@rosebank.nsw.edu.au).
Chiara Sorbello - Year 10
At the last Assembly, the College was entertained by Year 10 vocalist Chiara Sorbello. In September last year, Chiara competed in the Hornsby singing competition, entering three sections where she placed - 1st in contemporary, 2nd in musical theatre and 1st in senior championships. The award for senior championships was a free 3-hour studio session to record a song of her choice. Chiara recorded 'Out of Love' by Alessia Cara. You can listen to the recording here.
Mrs Amanda Hill
CAPA Coordinator
Year 9 Elective Visual Arts students have been unleashing their inner creativity by appropriating famous artworks onto canvas shoes and bringing them to life with vibrant colors and patterns. Under the guidance of their art teachers, the students learned about the concept of appropriation and how artists throughout history have reimagined and transformed existing works to create something new and unique. The final shoes showcased the students' ability to reimagine and transform existing works, breathing new life into them with their own artistic vision. Overall, the unit allows the students to express their creativity in new and exciting ways and inspires them to continue exploring the world of the Visual Arts.
In our Year 9 Elective Visual Arts class we have been taking inspiration from our unit of work titled, âHow to steal like an artistâ as we appropriated well known works and adapted these onto the 3D format of canvas shoes. The elective has been highly enjoyable and allowed us to further develop our passion and understanding of the Visual Arts and artmaking. We have enjoyed working to make a wearable piece of art and experimenting with colour mixing and different painting styles. We look forward to wearing our shoes for all to see our creations.
Ruby Mangraviti and Georgia Karch
Year 9 
During Term 1 Year 8 Visual Arts students showcased their creativity and talent by creating stunning linoprints of animals. From majestic lions to delicate butterflies, the students explored a range of animals and experimented with various linocut techniques to produce their unique and striking prints. Under the guidance of their art teachers, the students learned about the linocut process, including designing, carving, and printing. They developed their ideas and worked meticulously to create intricate linocut blocks, which were then inked and printed onto a variety of paper types. The students demonstrated great enthusiasm and dedication throughout the unit, and the resulting linoprints were a testament to their hard work and creativity.
Ms Aimee Leal
Visual Arts, Photography and Digital Media Teacher
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TAS News
Year 12 Engineering Flying High
The Year 12 Engineering Studies class recently completed an Aeronautical Engineering project in which they had to produce a foam glider capable of flying more than 35m. To achieve this, they needed to change variables such as the surface area of the wing, shape, angle of attack, and drag. The winning plane went over 40m which was an excellent result. Overall, the students had a fantastic experience and enjoyed the opportunity to think and work like engineers.
Mr Dimitrios Stivaktas
Science, iSTEM and Engineering Studies Teacher 
Textiles Pride
Happy to have senior Textiles and Design running again, our class is proud to show off our first project. After weeks of planning and designing we created a sewing kit that we can continue to use for many years to come as we pursue our passion. It began with exploring fabrics and decorative techniques, including applique, twin needling, embroidery and beading to add the creative elements to our kit. This was followed by learning the construction skills to create the storage compartments and finish off edges. The project helped us to develop and improve our skills ready for more complex projects to come. Despite challenges along the way, we all completed something that we can be proud of.
Madeleine Newman and Chloe Bakhos
Year 11 
Year 7 students making their own healthy salads
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Mrs Melissa Gal
TAS Coordinator
World Down Syndrome Day in ConnectED
21 March is a busy day! Not only is it recognised nationally as Harmony Day, but it is also World Down Syndrome Day. I have a particular affinity with this cause since my own son Noah has Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome NSW encourages the wearing of crazy socks on the day to help raise awareness, and to celebrate the gift of diversity - afterall the beauty in humanity is our uniqueness. But who wants to spot their Business Studies teacher wearing her Doughnut Socks to class? This year, however, a beautiful Year 7 class (7L) helped me mark the day by changing into their CRAZY SOCKS just for our ConnectED class. I took the opportunity to talk to them about Down Syndrome and about my family's personal journey in celebrating the gift that is Noah. Thank you 7L for joining with me in marking the day!
On the 21 March, class 7L was lucky enough to have the opportunity to celebrate World Down Syndrome day during our last period. We all wore crazy socks in class and got to learn more about Down Syndrome from our teacher Mrs Latham whose own son has Down Syndrome. We were all very happy to participate in raising awareness by wearing crazy socks and talking more about Down Syndrome. 7L hopes to celebrate World Down Syndrome day next year and we hope you might celebrate with us.
Isabella Fogarty (Year 7)
Mrs Annalicia LathamÂ
Business Studies, Commerce, Geography and ConnectED TeacherÂ
French Film Festival
On 28 March, the Year 12 French Continuers class went to the French Film Festival in Palace Central Sydney Cinemas Chippendale to watch a French action-comedy called LâInnocent (The Innocent). The aim of the excursion was to listen to the French language in context and improve our understanding of French culture. It was a truly incredible and rewarding experience to get out of the classroom environment and interact with each other. We also had the opportunity to buy some snacks at the Candy bar like popcorn and choc tops!
The film was about Abel who struggles with accepting his motherâs new ex-con husband, Michel. Throughout the movie, Abel grows closer to Michel and makes sacrifices for him. Personally, I loved the movie as it appealed to our emotions and was very funny, and even came full circle at the end. It was interesting to see a French movie and how it differed from your typical Hollywood movie, as it lacked the typical happily-ever-after ending found in most Hollywood movies, and it felt more realistic. I would personally like to thank both Mrs Zuman and Mrs Arnold for putting a lot of effort into organising such an amazing excursion and treat for the class.
Merci beaucoup!
Jamie Truong
Year 12
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Year 10 Pastoral Care Day
On Friday, 17 March, Year 10 students experienced an EmpowerED day where they sat down to listen to real policemen talk about the outside world. The talks educated everyone about the use of drugs and the harm they can cause to your body. The talks also spoke about the long term effects on your life for the pettiest of crimes. One of the talks spoke about the laws around the types of assaults, while the other focused on drugs and alcohol laws. Overall these talks gave students knowledge around the law, drugs and alcohol and the effect they have on people lives before going out into the real world.
Jack Caryofyllis
Year 10
In the first half of the day, the girls talked with Brent about consent and the legal ramifications of sexual violence in order to educate ourselves about an individual's rights in different situations. He shared many insightful stories about his numerous years of experience as a police officer which shed light on society's common misconceptions and the prevalence of it in our age bracket.
Following this session, the girls talked with Trent concerning the use of drugs and alcohol. He shared personal experiences of his witness of drug use, demonstrating its harmful effect on communities and families. He explained how a personâs use of drugs has a spiralling effect on innocent bystanders and one's family.
Overall the day was very insightful and assisted us gaining a deeper understanding of mature issues seen in teenagerâs lives, specifically those our age. We valued this unique experience and will use the knowledge to be more aware in the future.
Sophia Ferrara and Dakota Hammond
Year 10
Mr Peter Mavritsakis
Assistant Dean of Pastoral Care (Senior School)
Meet the Counselling Team
The Rosebank College Counselling Team are a group of dedicated and passionate staff who provide a safe and non-judgmental space to support Rosebank College students who may be facing challenges in their lives. All members of the Counselling Team are registered psychologists with a wide range and variety of experiences in different settings. 
The Counselling Team provides a range of services to the Rosebank College community including:
- assessment and screening of mental health concerns
- supportive counselling and engagement around student difficulties
- skills building and strategies to manage problem areas and increase resilience for students
- consultation with staff and school management
- creating support & safety plans to assist students within the school environment
- running targeted group programs and education for students, staff and parents
Mrs Vanessa Sleeman
Head of Counselling, College Psychologist
Diverse Learning News
As we come to the end of the first term of 2023, the InspirED Program is increasing in momentum. This term the College Colloquy for senior students has engaged twice with the Centre for Ethics and heard from the authors of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, with much more to come.
Chess has seen a boost in popularity with the support of two professional chess coaches who tutor students during PACE time. They will continue next term, tutoring beginners and coaching the five teams competing in the Metropolitan Secondary Schools Tournament throughout Term 2. There are still a few spaces available for any students wishing to improve their chess game on a Thursday afternoon.
Term 2 will see several teams preparing for Term 3 InspirED activities during PACE. We have the potential to enter two teams in this yearâs Tournament of Minds (ToM), and this year we have a ToM assessor training our students. Welcome to the College Ms Adelie Badman, and thank you for taking on this engaging activity that challenges studentsâ creative and critical thinking skills.
This year we have four teams preparing for the Da Vinci Decathlon. This popular tournament looks set to return to a face-to-face format at Knox College for 2023.
Our own iSTEM and Engineering Teacher, Mr Dimitrios Stivaktis will spend Term 2, PACE time supporting our Year 7 and 8 students to build robots for competition in the Robo Cup Junior divison.
This is an exciting, new opportunity available through the InspirED Program.
Another new opportunity that has garnered significant interest across the College is the Write a Book in a Day opportunity. Students involved in this will participate in preparation during PACE time, ably facilitated by Ms Tanya Whiticker of the English Faculty. On Saturday June 17, the teams will have up to 12 hours at the College writing, illustrating, publishing, and submitting their books. This opportunity supports The Kidsâ Cancer Project charity and published books are donated to childrenâs wards and childrenâs hospitals across Australia. Participating teams must raise a minimum of $310 which helps fund The Kidsâ Cancer Project. The College will also be publishing the books and hosting a book launch for the students involved and their families some time in Term 3. Please look out for the opportunity to donate to support our students and research into childhood cancer.
Other opportunities available in Term 2 include the Bebras Challenge and the Global Academic Challenge. Spaces are still available for any students who are interested in participating. For more information, please contact Ms Cheryl McArthur at the email below.
This term has seen a team of Year 7s participating in the Community Problem Solving aspect of Future Problem Solving. This opportunity equips students with the skills and methodology useful for solving wicked problems. This is a skill that is in high demand as we face complex challenges such as climate change. Below is an article from Sophie Wan about her experiences thus far:
Future Problem Solving
Future Problem Solving (FPS) is a group that meets every Thursdays during PACE periods. It is a new program that began at Rosebank just this year. We collaborate as a team in a worldwide competition where we highlight problems and areas in need of improvement in our community such as waste and rubbish in schools, environmental issues around the area and fundraising for new equipment.
The problem we are working on as a team for 2023 is the amount of food waste and rubbish in the Rosebank community. Just recently a survey went out to all the students of Rosebank College asking them about what they have in their lunchboxes, how much plastic they use daily, how often they go to the canteen and if theyâd like to see more recycling bins in the school. We hope to achieve a reduction in the amount of waste and rubbish in and around the grounds of Rosebank such as the gum on the walls, floors and desks, and pieces of plastic littering the playground. There are 9 people participating in Future Problem Solving all from Year 7. I have enjoyed coming up with new ideas to help make Rosebank a cleaner, greener place and meeting like-minded students who want to help the community within Rosebank.
Sophie Wan (Year 7)
On Friday afternoon, March 31 an information session for the parents of high potential learners was held at the College. With the help from the IT Department, we were able to record this session.
For a link to view this presentation on Vimeo, any additional information about the information in this article or support for learners identified with high potential please contact me at the email address below.
Contact Email: cmcarthur@rosebank.nsw.edu.au
Ms Cheryl McArthur
Gifted Education and iThink Teacher, EnrichED Program Facilitator
SRSC News
Premier's Reading Challenge
This year's challenge is well under way and congratulations Rosebank, there are 99 students currently registered to complete the challenge and 15 students have already finished!
Just a reminder that you can read ten personal choice books this year as well as ten from the approved list. If you're in need of some inspiration over the holidays check out this link to our eBook collection where books from the approved list have already been collated for you, or take a look at the latest books added to the list in 2023.
Premier's Reading Challenge Booklists
Don't forget that by participating in the challenge you can also earn points for your House, not to mention the benefits you will receive from opening your minds to new worlds and experiences whilst reading. If you're interested in joining but don't know where to start, library staff are happy to assist you before and after school or during break times.
Wheelers eBooks 
Our eBook supplier Wheelers have created an instructional video that demonstrates some of the learning support features that allow for a more enjoyable and personalised experience of reading for students. These include:
- Text to Speech (TTS)
- Translation to 150+ languages
- Text to Speech for translated languages
- Sentence structure mark up (nouns, verbs, adjectives etc)
- Simple image depiction of words
Important note: These features are in beta and are available on ePlatform via a browser such as chrome or safari on laptops & desktops but are not currently available in their mobile apps. These features are in addition to many other literacy support features they offer including dyslexia friendly settings and audiobooks.
Overdue Class Novels
As we head into Term 2, SRSC staff would like to remind students to return their class novels that they no longer require. Please check your lockers, your bags and at home for these items as there are students who now need them for class. Students have already received notifications of books they need to return. It would be great to start next term off with all the resources ready to go so that no one misses out on essential learning. Thank you in advance.
CBCA Shortlist 2023 Announced 
The Children's Book Council have announced their shortlist for 2023. Many of these books are held by the SRSC and are available for you to borrow now! Click on this link to view the list.
Have a lovely holiday and Easter blessings to all.
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Mrs Leanne Plesa
SRSC Library Assistant
Aluminate YouTube Series
We are seeking alumni who left Rosebank in the last 10 years or so to participate in this exciting new program. The Rosebank Aluminate YouTube Series connects current Rosebank students with alumni at various stages of their career journey. Episodes feature alumni stories from a variety of fields and industries, showcasing success in its many forms. We talk about career development, career journeys, creating opportunity awareness, studies at Rosebank College and the best advice for our students. This series inspires students to see what is possible after their time at Rosebank College ends and encourage them to advance in their post-school education and career.
If you would like to participate or would like to nominate a Rosebank alumni, click the link: https://forms.gle/L48Pcawd3Cgcdvwo7
Mrs Tina Carbone
Community Engagement Liaison
đ Community Links
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