Dear Parents

Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021, More than a word. Reconciliation takes action, urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

2021 marks twenty years of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of Australia’s formal reconciliation process.

As part of Reconciliation Week, the children have been discussing and engaging in several class activities, 

On Tuesday we welcomed back Gabbi (6J) and Millie (4R) to St Monica's. The girls are feeling like they never left. We also welcome Beatrice (3LG) whose family have joined our community, moving from Rosary Primary School.

Year 6 Expression of Learning 

On Thursday 24 June the Year 6 will be displaying their learning through dance and drama. Please keep the evening free for this special presentation.  

School Photos

School Photos have been sent home with children today. Family photos will be sent home tomorrow.

General School Behaviour

While aware that we are in the second half of the term and the children are becoming tired, I have also noted a decline in their general appearance, manners, attitude and tolerance towards one another. Please have a conversation about the importance of our footstep of respect with your child/ren and what it should look like at school. 

Absentees

Please make sure all absences are accounted for with a note via Compass, an email to the office or a written note. The class roll is an official electronic document and must reflect why a child is not at school. Parents can check via the Compass Parent Portal, however, reminder letters will be generated on Friday and sent home on Monday.

Medical Plans

Please register with the Compass Parent Portal if you have not already done so. Please ensure your email address is correct for registration to go through. If you are having difficulties with registering please contact the Front Office. Reports will be distributed via Compass so please register. 

The teachers have been working hard over the last few weeks moderating your child's work in preparation for school reports. As indicated in previous newsletters CE has elected not to include comments in the new report for Semester One. Reports will be sent to families in Week 10 with the opportunity for a parent interview to occur in the first two weeks of Term 3. 

Please keep the Year 4 children, who are making their first Communion next week, in your prayers. This is a very special time for them and their families.

Continue to stay COVID safe and may God's blessing be with everyone.

Principal  

Over the next two weeks, we will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.

We invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey that has been sent out via the Compass Parent Portal. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Monica’s Primary.  Any problems receiving the Compass notification please let me know so I can assist. 

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You will able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using a special URL.

The students in Years 4 to 6 are also taking part in completing a student survey. 

Sacramental Program 2021 – First Eucharist for Year 4 students in 2021

The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated in term 2 of 2021 on the following dates:

• Tuesday 8 June at 6.00pm in St Michael’s Church
• Wednesday 9 June at 6.00pm in St Monica’s Church
• Thursday 10 June at 5.30pm in St Monica’s Church
• Thursday 10 June at 7.00pm in St Monica’s Church

Please keep the candidates for First Eucharist in your prayers.

Home Booklets for the Sacrament

The completed home booklets must be returned to the school no later than Thursday 3 June 2021 with the ‘Parents’ Discernment of Readiness’ (the last page of the booklet) completed and signed, ready for Fr Loi to also sign. The booklets will be returned to the candidates on the night of the Sacrament along with their certificates. .

Future upcoming Sacraments during 2021

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated during Term 3 on 7, 8 and 9 September.
Parent information session is scheduled for 22 July.
Registrations for the Sacrament will open on 22 July and close on 9 August.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated in Term 4.

For further information please contact the Sacramental Program coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au or the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth

Maths Questions

Congratulations to Vsevelod in 5EM for answering last weeks maths problem correctly. Please see this weeks questions- please email your answers to ryan.matchett@cg.catholic.edu.au.

K-2

There are 13 sheep in a field as shown here:

1. How many sheep can say that there is at least one other sheep here of the same colour?
2. The farmer takes one sheep from the field at random. What is the probability it is
   a) Yellow   b) Blue   c) Green   d) Not red ?

3-6

Sean and Alexa collect sea shells. Sean began a holiday with 753 shells and Alexa began with 31 shells. Each day of the holiday Sean found 34 shells and Alexa found 72 shells on the beach. By the end of the holidays they had the same number of shells in total.

How long was the holiday?

Times Tables

One of the most common questions I get from parents is how can I help my child improve their knowledge of times tables. Learning times tables is so important as it relates to so many areas of the mathematics curriculum. Here are some simple tips below:

1. Make a times table chart. It should be a large square divided into 10 vertical sections (columns) and 10 horizontal sections (rows) to make 100 smaller squares. Number each column from 1 to 10 from left to right. Number each row from 1 to 10 from top to bottom. Next, fill in each square with the number you get when you multiply the number of the row with the number of the column. For instance, the square in row 2 and column 3 should be 6, because 2 times 3 is 6. 

2.  Practise Skip-counting. Skip-counting is probably the best math skill for memorising multiplication tables without simply repeating the numbers.

1. Recite your tables out loud forwards and backwards. Try and do them out of order as well.
2. Ask a family member or friend to quiz you. Aim to do as many answers as you can in 1 minute.
3. Practise for 10 minutes per night. This will help commit them to memory. 

Belconnen Cross Country

Congratulations to all of the students who competed at the Belconnen Cross Country Carnival at Stromlo last week. Mr Fletcher, Mr Hague and Mrs Austin spoke very highly of how well our students competed and behaved. Special congratulations to the following students who finished in the top 10 and will now have the opportunity to compete at the ACT Cross Country Carnival on Wednesday 16 June at Stromlo -

• Milla F- 7th 8 Years girls
• Ater A- 5th 9 Years boys
• Charlie D- 4th 10 Years boys
• Mitchell B- 7th 10 Years boys
• Aiden S- 5th 12 Years boys
• Finn D- 10th 12 Years boys

Congratulations also to the following students who placed in the top 20 of their event; Sophie C, Annabelle F, Madison R, Emma S, Nikolas H, Lachlan F, Patrick K, Billy S, Jack G and Bastijan P.

Athletics Carnival Ribbons

Over the coming weeks, we will be finalising results for discus and shot put in sports lessons as we did not complete these events at our school carnival. We will then be in a position to give out ribbons for each event at our Week 9 awards celebration on Friday 18 June at 2.30pm. Please note ribbons will only be handed out for the top 3 in each event, not each heat from the running races. 

Happy Birthday to the following students  celebrating a Birthday this week 

Grace B, Marissa den H, Gracie H, Ante P, Shaye S, Ana L, Sian S, Lucas C, Mitchell R, Joshua Mc, Grayson A

Thank you so much to last week's awesome volunteers - Katherine O'Sullivan, Neridda Leen, Rach Pentes, Jane Rabbets, Esme Rolleston and Angalea Turnbull.  It was a very busy week and I could not do this job without you all.

As always I love to have my volunteers in. Please feel free to sign up if you would like to join the crew. Please click on the following web link (or copy it into your web browser if clicking doesn't work) to go to the signup sheet:

volunteersignup.org/XF84H

To sign up just follow the instructions on the page. It only takes a few seconds to do.

Thank you for volunteering!

Not long until we transition to metal cutlery. If we can successfully use this type it would be fabulous as the cost of single use wooden and bamboo cutlery would mean a price increase to many of our items. Donations of excess cutlery from families would be gratefully received.

Thanks for supporting our school canteen.

Reminder all families: 

Catholic Education COVID-19 Website - Click to open web updates

If you have any ideas or concerns please email them through to our Secretary Noel Chan at council.stmonicas@cg.catholic.edu.au