Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

We are halfway through Term Two, the days are getting shorter and the darkness is lasting long. Winter is coming!! Isn’t it funny how during the long hot days in summer we wish for it to be cooler, then the cooler season arrives and we can’t wait for it to be warm again! As we enter the colder months, it is inevitable more staff and students will be afflicted with coughs, colds and other ailments. If your child is unwell, please keep them at home where they will be snug and warm and have a better chance at recovering quickly. There is nothing worse than being at school in a classroom with 20+ children when you are not feeling 100%.

Resilience – This term our focus footstep is that of resilience. When I take new
families around the school I talk them through ‘The St Monica’s Way’ and how the footsteps don’t just exist for our students but all members of our school community. The Footstep of Resilience is the epitome of St Monica herself. Being resilient is about facing challenges head on, instead of falling into despair or using unhealthy coping strategies. One of the key characteristics of a resilient person, is having a sense of control. Accepting responsibility for one’s own decisions and having ownership of making mistakes, rather than looking for an outside source to blame for failures and problems. Resilient people are able to calmly and rationally look at a problem and envision a successful solution. I look forward to presenting the Star Awards at next week’s assembly for students who are demonstrating resilience for themselves, towards others, with their learning, when things don’t go as planned!

Walk Safely to School Day and Active Travel Evaluation - Thank you to our staff who met and accompanied students, who gathered at the Evatt shops, to walk to school Last Friday. It was a great opportunity to show students how easy it is to walk to school and possibly meet companions that they can walk with in the future.

Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) is undertaking an evaluation of the school active travel programs, including the Ride or Walk to School, Active Streets for Schools and School Crossing Supervisor programs. As part of the evaluation, TCCS is requesting school communities to complete a short online survey about their travel habits to and from school. The survey can be accessed through this link

Good luck and farewell to the O'Brien family - Jacob (3Maroon) and Lucas (K Blue). We wish them all the best for their new adventures!

Peace and blessings to all families,