Have you noticed your children sometimes come home from school tired and grumpy?  Alternatively, they may come home displaying excess energy that has built up through the day? It is important to be mindful of transition times for children so that they can find their own ways of re-energising when they come home from school or some other busy activity.

Some children need “time out” from paying attention to others and their environment. They may use this time in different ways; some will spend time alone, perhaps in a fantasy world, while some will drop the guard they have employed through the day, feeling safe in their home by themselves.

Physical activity can help children to disperse excess energy that may have built up from frustrations during the day. Unstructured play like playing with the dog or kicking a ball around will help them unwind, drop their defensive states and engage with their imagination.

A number of children may need to be nourished by loved ones, with hugs and outward signs of emotional connectedness. Then they let their guard down. Some children like to chat about their day with someone older as this helps them to “debrief” and “recharge their batteries”. Be mindful of your child’s energy levels and look for ways to expand or calm their current energy state if needed.  There are many breathing exercises that help restore a calm response in our bodies.                 Source: Maggie Dent (2009) in “Saving our Children from our Chaotic World”

Parent Workshops - Over the past two days a number of St Monica’s parents attended a workshop run by our CatholicCare Counsellor Ryoko, the workshop focused on how we as parents can assist our children to regulate their emotional intelligence. I thank Ryoko for her expertise and preparation for these workshops, we will be offering more as the year progresses.

Mothers’ Day – A very Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers and very special women in our lives. I hope you are treated like queens and princesses! The Mothers’ Day Stall will be open for those special purchases from 11.45am on Friday. Items range from $2 - $10 and there is plenty for everyone.

School Council News - It is with mixed feelings I announce John Alston-Campbell’s resignation from the St Monica’s School Council. John has served on the council for the past 6 years and his advocacy for clarity around the Catholic Schools’ Funding Model has been a key part of his role. On behalf of the council, thank you John for your generous commitment and service to our school community.

Working Bee - this Saturday from 8.30am – 1.00pm. We are hoping to spruce the school up in readiness for our Open Days and tours! Families have been very generous already with donations and offerings of access to wholesale priced plants, delivery of soft-fall and sand for the play equipment, trucks and trailers for green waste and the installation of a tap & watering system to re-ignite the vegetable garden. If you cannot attend this weekend, please don’t worry.  I fully understand that families have existing commitments on the weekend. Some families have even offered to come down for an hour or two after school to do some planting, digging and weeding! Morning Tea, Cold Drinks and a BBQ lunch will be provided.

Catholic Schools Week - this week is Catholic Schools Week. It coincides and therefore a good opportunity to support the current enrolment campaign by highlighting the distinct and charismatic features of our school. We have much to be proud of, our Catholicity at St Monica’s is strong. As a school we are looking deeper into what the St Monica’s Way means for the various stakeholders in our community. What do the footsteps of Respect, Resilience, Engagement and Growth mean for our students, the teachers, support staff, leadership team, parents and Parish.

Enrolments to Catholic Schools are now open! Our school will have its Open Day on Thursday May 12, for visits and school tours. A tour morning will also be offered on Tuesday 17 May. We are currently putting together information packs for prospective families and I am seeking assistance from current families to do some letterbox drops and some advertising around the community eg local cafes, childcare centres & workplaces etc. Each family will be bringing home 3 flyers for distribution into the wider community. If you know of someone who is interested in coming finding out more about our amazing school please invite them to our Open Days and encourage them to like and follow us on our Social Media pages too.

WELCOME - to the St Monica’s School Community

• Mr Brendan Drake – Chaplain / School-Welfare Officer
• Ms Sophie Mills – Classroom Support Assistant.
• Mrs Maria Nangle – Classroom Support Assistant.

CONGRATULATIONS….

Miss Kayla Larkins, classroom teacher in 2L, conferred her Bachelor of Education from ACU in the holidays! We are so incredibly proud of you and your achievements Kayla!