Achieve - all that you can

Jesus said therefore

‘What is the Kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like the mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches’.    

Luke 13: 18-20

St Monica - A Model of Perseverance

Family - Responsibility, Perseverance & Inclusion

Dear Parents

Staffing Arrangements

Ryan Matchett

Term 3 Susan Carswell to take LSL

School Driveway and Disabled Car Parks

In the interest of school safety and consideration for others, vehicles should not enter our school driveway from Montagu Place. While the gates are closed of an afternoon, they are often opened in the morning for access by our waste management contractors. Parents and carers should not be parking near the school hoppers or dropping children off in that area.  A reminder to everyone that our disabled car parks, at the front of the school, are for those families displaying a disability parking permit. We have a number of families who need such access when dropping off or picking up children.

Uniform Code

Despite efforts to promote our uniform code, there are families who show little regard for our school expectation and presentation. This is disappointing when so many parents send their child to school beautifully presented. Please ensure the children are wearing neat items identified in our uniform code. Torn and old hats should be replaced. Hair should be neatly presented and tied back. Please, no coloured hair or zigzag lines and children should wear the correct coloured socks and shoes with their sports and winter uniform.

Recently the Year 5 & 6 children presented a petition outlining their request to wear shorts or long pants during Term 2 & 3, the terms for our winter uniform. The petition was presented at the recent Community Council meeting. Following consideration of the students presented arguments Council has agreed to grant the Year 5 & 6 children their request, for boys and girls to wear the correct blue trousers or shorts, for the remainder of the year. The change will be evaluated at the end of the year.  

Official Enrolment Period Ends Friday 31 May

Do not miss out on a place at St Monica's. Siblings must be enrolled by next Friday for consideration in the first round of placement offers. 

Reconciliation Week

Next week we will be acknowledging Reconciliation Week at St Monica's. At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.

God bless

Carmel Maguire 

Grandparents’ Day- Save the Date!

A warm welcome is extended to all our Grandparents and Special Friends to visit our school on Friday June 7, from 9:00am-11:30am.

The Timetable will be as follows:

9:15am- 9:45am: Welcome and Liturgy in St Monica’s School Hall.

9:45am-10:15am: Morning Tea for guests in St Monica’s School Hall.

10:15am- 11:00am: Class Visits

Guaranteed to provide hours of hugs, smiles and cuddles for all!

Invitations will be sent home tomorrow with the children. We look forward to seeing all those who can attend! 

Sacrament of Eucharist

Please continue to pray for all the students preparing to make their first Holy Communion.

A reminder that the students do need to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation once more before they make their First Holy Communion. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at St Monica’s each Saturday from 4:30pm-5:30pm and at St Michael’s each Sunday from 4:30pm -5:15pm.

Remaining dates:

Next week the children in Years 3 to 6 will take part in an interactive session provided by the team from Life Education. The Life Ed van will be arriving at some time over the weekend. 

Year 3 & 4 Focus Topic - MIND YOUR MEDICINE

Using a friendly game show format Mind Your Medicine develops students’ understanding of medicines and their safe use, positive communication, strategies for managing conflict, stress and bullying, and explores how feelings influence the choices that we make.

• factors that influence someone’s sense of self-worth
• techniques for effective communication
• identifying the impact of different factors on health and wellbeing
• strategies for managing stressful situations
• medicines as drugs & the consequences of their misuse

 Year 5 & 6 Focus Topic - Relate, Respect, Connect

A unique, contemporary module that explores building positive, safe and respectful relationships. Presented via a series of fictitious vlogs that resonate with young people moving through upper primary school and beyond this module focuses on:

• understanding how to respect ourselves and others
• identifying characteristics of positive relationships
• strategies to help maintain positive online and offline relationships
• strategies to respond to unsafe or disrespectful situations online and offline
• the importance of relationships to our own and others wellbeing

Our Home Learning Review Survey is currently live. At this stage, we have had 38 responses but we would love to have many more.

Have your say in the future of Home Learning at St Monica's by taking 5 minutes to complete the survey below.

HOME LEARNING REVIEW - PARENT SURVEY

Term 2 School Fees have been invoiced and full payment of school fees is due by Friday 7 June. 

If you have a Direct Debit arrangement in place no additional payment is required. However, please ensure you have sufficient funds in your account for the debits to take place successfully. In the event one of your debits is refused, you are required to make a separate payment to cover the missed payment.

As always, please contact the School Finance Officer should you need to discuss your school fees account.

Belconnen Cross Country

A reminder that permission notes are due back by the end of this week. A note with reminders will be sent out next week. 

School Basketball

Expression of interest notes for the Catholic Schools Basketball tournament are due back by tomorrow Friday 24 May.

ACT Trials (Girls Netball and Basketball)

Notes for ACT trials for 11-13 years girls Netball and Basketball were handed out this week and are up on the School App. 

Touch Football (3/4 Students) Expressions of interest for Year 3 and 4 students interested in attending a touch football gala day are due back by Friday 31 May.

Refer to competitions occuring soon

Chess_Uder_8s.pdf

Chess_2019_ACT_Primary_Allegro.pdf

Happy Birthday to the following students -

Lachlan J, Alec F, Rohan G, Claire H, Joel M, Dita S, Lachlan D, James Mc, Adelina S

Canteen Roster  - Term 2, Week 5

Monday - Public Holiday

Tuesday - Evelyn David-Hoole

Wednesday - Vacancy

Thursday - June Manning

Friday - Samantha Cox, Tracy D'Ambrosio, Wendy Regan, Katrina Ciampa

Samantha Manning - Canteen Manager - 62584687

 If you have any ideas or concerns please email them through to our Secretary Fiona Steinberg at Council.StMonicas@cg.catholic.edu.au

The month’s free travel period comes to an end on Sunday 26 May 2019. With paid services starting next week on Monday, May 27, students are being reminded to top up their MyWay cards or purchase tickets to avoid fines of up to $181 for travelling without a ticket. During the month’s free travel period, whilst drivers have encouraged all students to tap on and off, it has been brought to our attention that there are some students who are not. Tapping on and off is required by all customers travelling on light rail and buses, and also provides Transport Canberra with accurate data to plan and review services in the future.

Transport Canberra 

Petition addressed to the Assembly requesting them to call on the ACT Government to reconsider the recent changes, in terms of dedicated school services, has been signed by many parents and staff and forwarded on.

If you would like to contact Transport Canberra directly, they always welcome feedback on public transport services. You can provide feedback via the Transport Canberra website, under www.transport.act.gov.au/contact-us/feedback. This feedback will be considered as part of the development of future changes to services and timetables.

Woolworths Earn & Learn is back for 2019.  Please collect your Earn & Learn Stickers and send them into the Front Office. There are many exciting prizes available this year for our school to earn ranging from musical instruments to maths equipment, and from sporting gear to science kits.  This year there is also a Bin located at Woolworths Belconnen Store for St Monica's School.

Rhee Taekwon-Do - Martial Arts Lessons

Rhee Tae Kwon-Do is an effective affordable martial art for all ages. 

You improve personal confidence, fitness, discipline, self-control, co-ordination and respect.

Classes held at St Monica’s Primary School, Moynihan Street, Evatt on  Monday and Wednesday nights

Monday - 6:30 – 7:30pm, Wednesday - 6:30 – 7:30pm

For more information contact Lee on 0412 406 359 visit: http://rheeact.com.au/classes/evatt