Volume 17 2024

Road Safety Concern – Student Drop Off

The College has received several calls of concern around students being dropped off on Queens Road before the lights, as well as on the corner of Queens and Harris Roads near the post-box. These are both very busy roads in the mornings and afternoons and parents are asked not to stop in these areas to drop off and collect your children. Please make use of quieter roads and safer locations around the College. Not only is the safety of our students our priority, but consideration must be shown at all times to other drivers and pedestrians using the roads around Rosebank. The recent incident in Melbourne which resulted in the death of a young student by a driver during school pick up, is a stark and sobering reminder to us all, to ensure that the utmost care is taken when driving in school zones, especially before school and at the end of the day.

Class of 2024

This is the last week of HSC examinations before our graduates complete their sign-out process. We are eagerly looking forward to celebrating with them at the Formal on 12 November and will conclude the year with a final catch-up at the Class of 2024 HSC Brunch on 18 December. By all reports, the exams have gone well, and I look forward to coming together with this terrific group of young men and women to hear more about their post-school plans at the end of the year.

Year 9 Parent Social

We look forward to catching up with the parents of our Year 9 students at the upcoming Parent Social evening on Friday, 22 November at 6:30pm at Club Five Dock. This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and members of Rosebank staff in an informal setting and to come together as part of a shared journey as your children prepare to transition to senior school.

Invitations have been sent out so be sure to RSVP by Thursday, 7 November.

Online Calendar – Events and Assessments

With a tremendous amount of planning currently underway for the remaining weeks of term and the commencement of the 2025 school year, we remind parents that a live version of the College calendar is available to view via the Parent Portal through the ‘Events & Assessment Calendar’ icon. Term dates, events, excursions and on-site activities are all available to be viewed in this online location. Parents are also able to view the assessment calendar by year group, accessed by clicking the arrow in the top right corner and ticking the required field in the drop-down menu. We will soon begin populating this calendar for 2025.

Please note that the Term 4 Parent Engagement Gathering (PEG) – ‘Twilight Tour & Tastings’ has been postponed and will be rescheduled for Term 1, 2025. Until then, for those who may be dusting off their fascinators and primping their pocket squares in preparation for tomorrow, may ‘the race that stops the nation’ be in your favour.

Photo: Paul Hardwick with Mikaela Ledda, Adam Frost and Lily Germain during FoCS Week.

Club Sport Wrap

Girls Futsal

Rosebank College is currently hosting a Girls Invitational Futsal Competition for Years 7 and 8 students. Five other schools, Kambala, St Scholastica's, Monte Sant' Angelo, PLC Sydney and Meriden, have accepted an invitation to compete in this new event created for Rosebank Club Sport, with games played on Friday afternoons at 4.30pm and 5:15pm on the Rosebank College Green.

This girls futsal program offers students a chance to develop skills within a safe and positive environment whilst enjoying sports competitions with their friends. We believe this competition will grow to include more schools and age groups over the coming years, putting Rosebank College at the forefront of positive sports programs and, therefore, creating more opportunities for our students.

Parents and other students are welcome to come along and watch!

Rosebank Mixed Baseball

Our baseball teams are now into round six of the competition, and all four teams have shown great skill and resilience to compete solidly, with our under-16 White and Under-19 teams both undefeated so far.

The arrival of two US College baseball players here as pitching coaches has had a significant impact on our players, and we look forward to even more success generated from this. The most pleasing thing to Rosebank College is the high standards set by our staff and the wonderful culture they have created. The baseball students are indeed a great reflection of Rosebank, with exemplary behaviour and attitude.

Santa Sabina Invitational Girls Volleyball and Basketball

This program has been a success for Rosebank College over the years, with seven teams proudly competing in Volleyball from Year 7 to Year 11. The girls are a credit to Rosebank and consistently turn up and give their all for each other. The friendships made will last a lifetime!

Our senior girls' basketball team is undefeated after two games against top teams. This team is not only highly skilled, but they are all good friends, continuing the Rosebank philosophy of enjoying positive sports in a fun and competitive environment.

Mixed Hockey

Another successful Rosebank Club Sport program is our mixed hockey, played on Friday evenings at the Cintra Hockey Complex. This program has some of Rosebank College's longest-serving coaches, which is a testament to its success. The students are committed to ensuring that Rosebank students are respectful, professional, and competitive while upholding the College's high standards of behaviour. Stay tuned for results in future newsletters.

Mr Jason Amos | PACE Administrator and Club Sport Coordinator

Rosebank Shines at the State Solar Car Competition

On Friday, 18 October and Saturday, 19 October, Rosebank College’s five solar car teams competed at the state competition held at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Despite cloudy skies and intermittent rain, each team demonstrated impressive engineering skills, adjusting their cars to perform effectively in low-light conditions. 

Notably, the car built by Year 10 students Joonyoung Kim and Timothy O'Connell earned 2nd place in the main division—the College’s best result to date! The teams are now preparing for the national competition on Saturday, 7 December and Sunday, 8 December, at UNSW, where they will compete against top schools from across Australia and international teams from Taiwan.

Mr Dimitrios Stivaktas | STEM Project Lead

This past holiday, ten Italian language students, including me, had the opportunity to experience school in another country to improve our Italian skills and to further learn first-hand  about the culture of Italy. 

We went to a school called the Liceo Scientifico Blaise Pascal in Pomezia, a seaside suburb of Rome. While not all of us were in the same class, we still managed to catch up during breaks in the halls. School in Italy felt quite different, however, many aspects were still similar and all of the Blaise Pascal students were friendly and willing to help which made the experience easy and enjoyable. I can imagine that a highlight for most of us would have been the trip to the cinema after school, where we watched the new Joker movie in Italian. We all learnt so much about Italy, its culture and language. We learnt new words, some rude and some not, and we discovered what it's like to be an Italian high school student. I think it would be fair enough to say that leaving Pomezia was sad for us all, even though we had another week of travel and fun in Italy.

Year 10 Work Experience and Hospitality Work Placement

During Discovery Week, from October 21 to 25, Year 10 students participated in work experience or Hospitality placements, giving them valuable insights into their chosen fields. Over 170 businesses supported work experience placements, with an additional 21 for Hospitality, offering students meaningful, hands-on experience in real-world settings.

Feedback from both students and employers confirms the immense value of on-the-job learning, with positive takeaways for everyone involved. We are immensely proud of our Year 10 students, whose enthusiasm and commitment were clearly reflected in the overwhelmingly positive responses from their employers.

Here are some of the remarks from employers:

• “I have hosted many students for work experience over the last 25 years, and I have to say that Arabella was one of the best. The amount of enthusiasm and initiative she showed was amazing.”
• “It has been great to have Josh and Alex on board! They were a great asset to Rosebank College.”
• “Taylor adapted exceptionally well to the fast-paced environment of our busy office, showing a strong desire to learn and contribute. Her proactive approach and positive attitude have made her a pleasure to engage with.”
• “Patrick was excellent. I offered him a job if/when he ever wants one.”
• “Kaitlyn was an exceptional student, impressing us with her communication, engagement, and commitment to the work experience program at the Foxtel Group.”

This program has provided our students with an invaluable start to exploring their career paths, and we thank all participating businesses for making this experience possible.

School Travel Passes

Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel.

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.

In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Terms of Use

Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use.

This includes travel within the approved times between 6:30am and 7:00pm from Monday to Friday on school days only. Students must use their Child/Youth Opal card for any travel outside these times.

All students are required to comply with the Student code of conduct. The code of conduct aims to ensure the safety and well-being of school children and other passengers. It is important that parents ensure their child is aware of this, as failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in a suspension from travel.