Holiday….. Celebrate!! As I write the final newsletter for Term 1, I have Madonna’s song “Holiday” in my head. The holidays always seem to come at just the right time, and they are indeed a cause for celebration.

What an incredible Term 1 we have had at St Monica’s Primary School! Let’s recap all the exciting things that have happened over the past 11 weeks! We returned to school on Wednesday 31 January. 387 students walked through the doors to begin the school year with their new classmates and teachers. I was so impressed how quickly the students settled into their routines and the focus on learning began from Day 1. Particularly our 44 Kindergarten students who have blown us away with their readiness to learn.

We welcomed all families into the school in Week 2 for the Parent Information Evening which also served as an opportunity for families to catch up over some light refreshments and drinks. Also in Week 2 we officially celebrated the start of the 2024 school year with our Opening Mass and Year 6 Leadership commissioning ceremony. I am very pleased to report that our Year 6 leadership cohort are taking their roles very seriously and they have served our community in a variety of ways with pride and enthusiasm.

We held our annual swimming carnival at Stromlo Leisure Centre and I was thrilled to have reports from the staff of SLC that the students from St Monica’s were the most polite, settled and well-behaved students they had hosted all year.

We continue to have visitors from other Education sectors and schools to St Monica’s. This term we welcomed guests from Brisbane Catholic Education, MutliLit, our CogLearn Coach Toni Hatten-Roberts and MLA Michael Pettersson. I thank our dedicated teachers for welcoming these guests into their classrooms and for showcasing the high-quality teaching and learning that is taking place.

The Get to Know You and Personalised Plan Meetings in Weeks 4 - 6, served as an opportunity for teachers and staff to get to know you and the needs of your child/ren more fully. When we have open communication and partnerships between home and school our students are more likely to thrive in their learning. Thank you for trusting your children into our care each and every day.

We have entered teams into a variety of Gala days, Netball, Rugby League and Futsal. Students represented our school at the LitQuiz competition and Primary Girls Chess Championships. We participated in Clean Up Australia Day and our Year 3 and 5 students embraced the NAPLAN suite of assessments.

Harmony Day and the School Fete served as opportunities to celebrate our Cultural Diversity. National Ride 2 School day saw the bike racks at school the fullest they have ever been in years! Our Year 5 students went to camp at Borambola and a number of students (mainly from Year 4) celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Holy Week and Easter Liturgies were delivered respectfully. They acknowledged, ever so reverently, the most important week in the church calendar.

Last but not least, the annual St Monica’s Fete! What a superb turn out we had on the day, the rain was in no way going to stop this magnificent event from going ahead. Huge shout out to the dedicated members of the Fete Committee…. Laura, Kirralea, Kim, Marica, Michelle, Steph, Karyn, Sam, Cris, Chrissie, Ellie and Angalea. You girls are absolute superstars. Those Tuesday night meetings, the tough calls and decisions, sponsorship collections, advertising and marketing strategies worked. All 12 of you should be very proud of a very successful, albeit wet, event!

Staffing news: 

• We wish Ms Carmel Rheinberger all the best for her well-earned Long Service Leave that she is taking in Term 2. Covering 3W next term will be Mrs Liz Foster (Mon - Wed) and Mrs Kim Todd (Th-Fri) Mrs Foster is returning from Maternity Leave and Mrs Todd has been working at St Monica's in a casual capacity this term.
• Mr Ryan Matchett is taking some very special and extended leave from May - August. Ryan and his wife Laura will welcome their second child in June and we wish them both, and big brother Elijah, all the best as a new family of 4.
• Mrs Melinda Brown has been successfully appointed as Acting Primary Coordinator in Ryan's absence. Melinda is currently Acting Coordinator for Liz Foster. 

TERM 2 DATES - Students return to school on Tuesday 30 April in Winter School uniform. Please try on the uniforms over the next few weeks, to ensure they are ready for day one next term. Winter Uniforms can be ordered from the Uniform Shop via Qkr! It will be open tomorrow morning from 8.45am and on Thursday 18 April from 10am - 12pm.

I wish everyone a happy and safe autumn holiday break. For those who are travelling, return to us safely. For those of us who are staying here enjoy Canberra at it’s prettiest, where colours of the leaves are extraordinary and we still have nice sunny days to enjoy.

Warmest wishes,