Filter Content
- Weekly Happenings
- Community Celebration and Farewells
- Principal's Message
- Christmas Cheer
- Staffing 2022
- RE News - Haley Stonham
- Parish Sacramental News for 2022
- School Fees Payments
- 2022 School Fee News
- Home Readers - Melinda Brown
- St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
- BYOD – Technology Requirements 2022 for Years 4
- SMOOSH Fees 2022
- SMOOSH Vacation Programs
- Happy Birthday
- Community Council Thanks - Evelyn David-Hoole
- COVID-19 Updates
- Holiday Happenings
Friday 10 December |
Year 6 End of Year Celebration |
Monday 13 December |
Christmas Cheer Free Clothes Day - Gold Coin Donation |
Tuesday 14 December |
Final Awards and Pride Badges - 12pm |
Thursday 16 December |
Year 6 Big Day In |
Friday 17 December |
Last Day of Term 4 |
Dear Parents
My days are slipping by way too quickly now with one week to go. Over the past weeks I have had the opportunity to reflect on many of the achievements and opportunities that I have experienced during my time at St Monica's. Our school magazine, to be distributed soon, will reflect only a snapshot of my beautiful journey.
It was wonderful to see all the new kindergartens for 2022 as they visited St Monica's for the first of two brief orientation sessions this week. The children were all very settled. We look forward to welcoming the groups back tomorrow, Thursday 9 December between 3.30pm - 4.30pm.
Continue to stay COVID safe and may God's blessing be with everyone.
Principal
We have almost finalised our staffing for 2022 and hope there will be no other major changes prior to the 2022 school year.
Principal | Lisa Harris |
Assistant Principal | Maggie Lloyd |
Religious Education Coordinator | Haley Stonham |
Primary Coordinators | Ryan Matchett, Elizabeth Foster |
Kinder |
1. Clare Battye 2. Yvette Rosenfeld + Viviana Dawe (Thursdays) 3 Haley Stonham + Helen Houghton (Thursdays and Fridays) |
Year 1 |
1 Melinda Brown + Jane Carr (Thursdays) 2. Emma Russell + Jane Carr (Fridays) |
Year 2 |
1. June Edwards 2 Ryan Matchett + Viviana Dawe (Wednesdays) 3. Kayla Larkins |
Year 3 |
1. Susan Carswell + Kirsty Godschalx (Thursdays) 2 Carmel Rheinberger |
Year 4 |
1. Mira Lustica + Kirsty Godschalx (Tuesdays) 2. Natalie Currie |
Year 5 |
1. Elizabeth Foster + Michael McFadden ( Thursdays & Fridays) 2. Brendan Hague + Michael McFadden (Wednesdays) 3. Katarina Markovic |
Year 6 |
1. Kathy Moir 2. Nicole Jenner |
Classroom Support Teacher | Jacinda Vaughan (Monday to Thursday) + Kirsty Godschalx (Wednesdays) + Melinda Brown (Thursdays) |
Specialist Areas | Veronica Melville (Library), Alissa Pearson (The Arts), Anne Hodgkin (Languages - Japanese) |
Support Assistants | Esme Byrnes, Unnati Shah, Sharon Friend, Erin O'Leary, Dani O'Brien, Josh Dalton |
Office | Stephanie Flynn (Office Manager) + Kirralea Thompson (Finance Officer) |
Chaplaincy | TBA |
Canteen | Wendy Regan |
Grounds | Nic Thomas |
SMOOSH | Kamaljit Kaur (Director) + Qin Bao (Educational Leader) + Hugo Dean (Educator) |
Third Week of Advent
This coming Sunday marks the third week of Advent. Year 2 lead us all during School prayer as we added the pink candle to our Advent wreath. This candle is called the Joy candle and is sometimes called the Shepherds candle. This candle reminds us of the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival. The pink colour is connected to something known as Gaudete Sunday.
We call the Third Sunday in Advent as Gaudete Sunday because the introit for the mass begins “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete” meaning “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say rejoice.” While much of the penitential nature of the season has been lost in favour of hopeful expectation, some of the readings still reflect this. The Third Sunday has traditionally been a respite from the penitential themes of Advent emphasising instead the joy of the coming of the Lord. Pink is the colour that is reflecting ‘Joy’.
Over the next week, how will you show joy in God’s love this Advent season?
Global School Partners - Founders Junior Academy, Kenya
St Monica’s Christmas Cheer Free Clothes Day
This year we partnered up with our new Global School, Founders Junior Academy in Kenya, Africa. The school has grown heaps and now has 190 students. There greatest needs are:
Water tank – the small one they have does not provide enough water for the students and the teachers.
New classroom – the increase in student numbers means that at least one new classroom is needed.
To support the needs of our partner school, Founders Junior Academy, we are going to have a ‘Christmas Cheer’ free clothes day this Monday, 13 December. We ask that children bring in a gold coin donation on the day. All of the money raised will go to Founders Junior Academy.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Thank you to all our wonderful families who have brought in donations for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. It is such a wonderful feeling to be reaching out to make Christmas a happy time for many families within our local Canberra area. The last day to bring in donations is this Friday, 10 December.
Parish Sacramental News for 2022
Sacramental Program 2022
If you will have a child in Year 3, 4 and 6 next year (2022) – this will be a Sacramental year.
If your child is in Year 5 and they have previously missed the Sacraments of Reconciliation and/or First Eucharist this will be a Sacramental year for them.
A Parish Sacramental Program Information evening will be held on Thursday 17 February 2022 at 6pm for Year 3-6 families.
The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated in Term 2, 2022 (in June).
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in Term 3, 2022 (in September).
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated in Term 4, 2022 (in November).
Further updates regarding the Sacraments will be provided in the 2022 school bulletins, the Church bulletin and on the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth
Further Information regarding the Sacramental Program – please contact the Sacramental Program Coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au or check the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth
Fees must be finalised before the end of next week unless you have a final direct debit payment due in the week prior to Christmas. Our school accounts work on a calendar year so it is important that all accounts are brought up to date, particularly now I am leaving. We currently have over $90 000 still owing.
Please find our school fee schedule for 2022. The schedule includes the CE tuition, circulated earlier in the term, and now our local school levies that support the running of the school and student resources. We have continued to keep our overall local budget increase to 3%, mindful of the year families have experienced over the last 12 months.
From next year the Curriculum Levy and Stationery Levy will be combined into one fee to assist with the internal management and budgeting structure that is to be introduced by Catholic Education.
In preparation for the 2022 school year, please find attached, Direct Debit, Direct Debit Amendment and Systemic School Forms for families wishing to set up or amend their Direct Debits or to notify us of a child/children at a systemic school.
Families wishing to set up or amend a Direct Debit please see the below table with calculations of payments based on your families circumstances for 2022.
No. of Children |
Weekly Payment |
Fortnightly Payment |
Monthly Payment |
1 |
$92 |
$179 |
$391 |
2 |
$130 |
$255 |
$555 |
3 |
$159 |
$310 |
$677 |
4 |
$170 |
$333 |
$727 |
*Please note this does not take into account Systemic School Families.
If you require further clarification please do not hesitate to contact the Finance Officer – Kirralea.Thompson@cg.catholic.edu.au
In preparation for 2022 families with a child/ren in a Systemic High School must return this form to received the 20% discount on tuition fees for sibling attending St Monica's.
HOME READERS
Please return all Home Readers to school by Friday 8December so that they can be cleaned and sorted.
Thank you.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Each year St Monica’s School supports our local needy families identified by our local St Vincent de Paul parish group. The local conference of the Society will assist with packing and distributing over 50 hampers to families in our parish just prior to Christmas. Over the years, the generosity of the St Monica’s School community has filled many hampers. our appeal is starting on Monday. St Monica’s School will collect items up until Friday 10 December. This year grades have been allocated a food group to collect to ensure we have a good balance of items. Please refer to the preferred items listed against your child's grade as identified in the attached document.
Year 6 - Meat and Fish
Year 5 - Vegetables, Gravy & sauce
Year 4 - Deserts (check use-by date is after 1 Jan 2022
Year 3 - Savory Treats
Year 2 - Sweet Treats - cakes, pies & biscuits ( use-by date after 1Jan 2022)
Year 1 - Sweet Treats - chocolate, lollies & drinks
Kinder - Vegetables, gravy & sauces
BYOD – Technology Requirements 2022 for Years 4
Attention Parents with Children in Years 4 - 6 in 2022 - Bring Your Own Device Program (BYOD)
With technology continuing to develop at such a fast rate, it is easy to feel a little overwhelmed and unsure about its possibilities. This information aims to help parents with the transition into the BYODD program at St Monica’s.
Following a review of the current technology use at St Monica’s and changes across education, a decision has been made to move to Chromebooks in Year 4 from 2022. Many of the local primary schools have moved to Chromebooks for their BYODD program, due to cost and ease of use. Moving to a Chromebook will prepare the children as they move into high school where laptops are the preferred option.
In 2022
· the Year 3 children will access a bank of Chromebooks available at St Monica’s. They do not need to purchase a device to bring to school. A set of iPads will also be available for specialised small groups activities including taking photos of work, Reading Eggs etc.
· the BYODD program for Year 4 will focus on the use of Chromebooks. Please note – as we are in a transition phase any child who already has an iPad will not be required to purchase a new device to start the year. We ask that you purchase a Chromebook when replacing the iPad. Chromebooks offer access to a built-in keyboard, are cheaper and provide cloud storage for work so a child can work at school and at home with ease.
· the Years 5 & 6 BYODD iPad program will continue. We are very conscious that many of the children in the current Year 4 group purchased new iPads so we are not asking families to purchase another new device. The children in Years 5 and 6 will have access to a bank of Chromebooks for publishing work when required.
Should the purchasing of a device place a burden on a family’s finances please speak to Carmel Maguire, as soon as possible. We do have a small bank of iPads that will be available for use by families experiencing difficulties in Years 4 to 6. Due to the limited supply of Chromebooks for use across each of the cohorts, they will not be part of our student loan program. Many children have access to a family computer at home if required.
Why BYOD?
With the development of the Australian National Technologies Curriculum, technology subjects have become a focus in education. Consistent with this research, industry surveys show that STEM literacy is increasingly becoming part of the core capabilities that Australian employers need. In order to carry out authentic learning tasks with technology, it is important students are equipped with the right tools. St Monica’s has a range of devices for students to access however CE has a policy that all IT hardware should be replaced every 3 years if a school wants access to technical support for school hardware. This creates a huge burden for a school budget if we want to achieve a 1:1 ratio of students to devices.
The current IT budget goes towards the purchase of school-owned devices which now includes three banks of Chromebooks, sets of iPads for use by Kinder to Year 2, specialised activities in Years 3 - 6, maintenance of classroom eboards and the ongoing purchase of other technologies including robots and STEM resources.
Technical considerations when selecting a Chromebook for use at St Monica’s for 2022?
- 11.6” Screen Size (available up to 15.6” but not required as this increases weight and space required for storage and transporting)
- 4Gb RAM (or greater)
- 32GB storage capacity (or greater)
- Built-in webcam and headphone/microphone jack
There is no preferred brand, and they all function in the same way:
- The Good Guys - Lenovo
- JB Hifi – Lenovo, HP, Asus
- Harvey Norman – Lenovo, HP, Asus
Parents can choose between a clamshell (opens and closes) or 2-in-1 (touch screen and 360-fold options).
As the device is used for school purposes, you do not need to purchase Office 365 or Google One add-ons that may be made available to them via a retailer.
The BYOD Chromebooks are not managed by the school. Parents are responsible for managing updates, breakages or technical errors.
Setting Up
The Chromebook will need to be set up with the student’s school email details for use at school. A personal or private Google account can be used for personal use at home. https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1047362?hl=en
Due to a change in CE policy, regarding passwords, students entering Year 4 will be issued a new password in late January before school returns. The new sign-in to Google and their Chromebook will be done as part of the start of the new school year upon return to class. Passwords for students entering Year 5 & 6 will remain the same, but please note the child has 5 attempts to enter the password before accounts are locked and need to be unlocked by someone at the school.
For your information only - Specifications of the Chromebooks purchased by St Monica’s
- Dell Chromebook 3100 Touch Dell Chromebook 3100 Touch
- Intel Celeron N4020
- Camera and Microphone
- WLAN Capable
- 4GB Non-ECC
- 32GB eMMC Storage
- 11.6" HD Touch Screen – this is optional
- Please purchase a protective cover
Benefits of the Chromebook
One of the benefits of Chromebooks is that they’re some of the easiest tech tools for both students and teachers to learn how to use. In fact, they take a lot of the intimidation out of computer learning.
A few of the many practical benefits of working (and learning) with Chromebooks.
- They can boot up and connect to the network in seconds, which means teachers and students don’t have to drum their fingers at the start of class.
- They offer plenty of cloud storage, which means even if students share a Chromebook (such as a from a Chromebook cart), they can sign in and still get a personal learning experience.
- They come with a long battery life that lasts throughout the school day, which means fewer interruptions in learning.
- They protect students from viruses and malware without requiring heavy maintenance, keeping learning safe and secure.
From basic keyboarding skills to advanced ethics in online research, Chromebooks continually allow students at almost any grade level the chance to experience and sharpen their knowledge of how technology works, and how it can be used for everything from a simple homework assignment to a semester-long group project.
Any questions please email carmel.maguire@cg.catholic.edu.au
Kinder regards
Carmel Maguire
Principal
On Wednesday evening the Community Council meet and approved the following fee increases or our before and after school care program from 31 January 2022. The increase reflects current fees changes in our other centres around Canberra and in the local area. The fee increase is to ensure our Center is cost-effective and meets all current budget needs following a difficult year due to COVID-19.
Before School Care
Casual $24.00 Permanent $20.00
After School Care
Casual $36 Permanent $32.00
Vacation Care $75 + Excursion costs
Please ensure you have submitted your 2022 enrolment form and your preferred days. Daily limits may need to be introduced due to the cost of employing extra staff as our centre must meet the correct daily staff to student ratios.
December Vacation Primary and Enrolment Form
January Vacation Program and Enrolment Form
Happy Birthday to the following students celebrating a Birthday this week
Eamon J, Ethan C, Harley T, Luca S, Ado A, Audrey B, Mia M, Lucas W
Community Council Thanks - Evelyn David-Hoole
The Community Council wanted to end the year with a BIG shout out and THANK YOU to our tireless volunteers!! We know that this year hasn’t been ideal for volunteering and many of us that usually get the opportunity to get involved haven’t been able to do so. Let's hope that next year sees the return to ‘normal’ with our lovely fete and plenty of opportunities to gather as a community.
We are privileged to have a team of dedicated volunteers that run our uniform shop, which not only provides the school community with the facility to purchase school uniforms locally but at a cheaper rate than the retail uniform shops. Additional to the shop opening times, uniforms can be ordered via Qkr with free home delivery via your child (that's free postage!!). We are thankful for this service and the profits which come back to our school.
We have a group of parents who have made themselves available on a regular basis to help out in classrooms – these parents are able to provide groups of kids individual attention and assist with reading, writing, art, etc. Parents have also helped with the limited number of school events we have had this year including the athletics carnival. We have also had volunteers help in the library, with some even taking home books to be covered, when they haven’t been able to be at school.
Despite our lack of fete we have managed to have some fundraising events this year including the family photos and Mother’s day stall, so thank you to those who made this possible. Thank you also to the team that came together to sell off the white elephant and bookstall donations that were provided for the proposed 2020 fete. We did manage to raise some funds and also find suitable homes for all the ‘treasures’.
We are also fortunate to have an expanding team of canteen volunteers to come in and assist our lovely canteen manager. Without these volunteers, the canteen would not be able to operate and feed all our hungry students (and relieve all those parents to get to the end of the week and find they don’t have any bread left). While canteen operations have been hampered this year (with the lockdown and increased safety requirements), this team led by Wendy have continued to deliver.
Of course, I’ve failed to mention all the activity that occurs in the school since there is so much that happens most of which is done quietly. But this is testament to the community we have that happily give of their time and talent to build a rich and supportive place for our children to learn. THANK YOU!!