Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

Happy Birthday to the following students  celebrating a Birthday this week

Alec F, Tobie S, Eden T, Joel M, Lachlan D, Adelina S

This week Kirra Thompson who is a valued member of the St Monica’s staff and School community shares her image of Jesus and who He is for her.

 ‘This image that I have chosen of Jesus represents to me the openness that Jesus shows to everyone.

Jesus is always willing to listen and support, be a guidance and reassurance to all. Jesus comes with open arms.’

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

Winter is just around the corner and our nights are getting colder. Each year, we proudly support the Vinnies Winter Appeal, collecting new donations of warm winter clothes and blankets.

Why do we support this appeal?

The 2016 Census data showed that 116, 000 people are homeless in Australia. Across the area of Canberra/ Goulburn there are 40 000 people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness due to poverty.

What can we do?

The Vinnies Winter appeal aims to help people at risk of/or experiencing homelessness by providing emergency relief, outreach and support. Our participation in the appeal will help ensure that families get the financial and emotional support they need to keep themselves and their children safe.

We are hoping to collect the following new items over the next 5 weeks:

• Gloves
• Socks
• Jackets
• Beanies
• Blankets
• Sleeping Bags

All your kind donations go directly to people in need in our community or are sold at our local Vinnies Centres to raise funds for other forms of assistance like respite programs and crisis accommodation.

Thank you for your support!

Parish Sacramental Program 2022

Sacrament of First Eucharist - will be celebrated on the weekend of 18 and 19 June 2022 (Corpus Christi Sunday) across the four Parish Sunday Masses.

Home Booklets – families should now be nearing the end of working through the home booklet with their child in preparation for their ‘retreat day’ on 2 June 2022.

Parent/Child Formation Evening – Thursday 2 June 2022 at 6pm at St Michael’s Church, Kaleen. Families will also require the completed home booklets for discussion at the child/parent formation evening.

Home booklets should then be returned to the school (with the last page ‘Parents’ Discernment of Readiness’ completed) following the evening and no later than Wednesday 8 June. The booklets will be signed and stamped with the ‘parish stamp’ and returned to the candidates at their First Eucharist celebration.

Confirmation will be celebrated in Term 3, 2022 – Registrations will open on 27 June 2022.

Reconciliation will be celebrated in Term 4, 2022 – Registrations will open on 19 September 2022.

For further Information regarding the Sacramental Program – please contact the Sacramental Program Coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au or check the parish website for updates at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth

Athletics Carnival

What a wonderful day we all had on Monday! We could not have asked for a nicer May autumn day, the sun was shining and it was wonderful to be all together again as a community. From all reports, all students had a fantastic day and it was awesome to see so much sportsmanship and skill. House points and final results will be finalised in the coming weeks. Special thanks to:

• The Year 3-6 teachers led by Mrs Foster who prepared the day
• All of our wonderful parent and community volunteers who came along to ensure the smooth running of the carnival
• All of our community for coming along and supporting the children
• The Year 6 Sport Leaders for their leadership of house groups and encouraging their peers to do their best

As a school community, we would also like to specifically thank Merici College for providing such a wonderful venue to complete our carnival and allowing their students to help set up and support staff and students throughout the day. 

We will communicate down the track when ribbons will be handed out at an awards assembly and who has progressed to the Belconnen Regional Carnival, which will be held in August. 

Please contact either Liz Foster or myself if you have any questions or require further information. 

Year 1 Excursion to Calthorpe’s House and Mugga Mugga Cottage

On Wednesday 18 May Year 1 travelled by bus to visit Calthorpe’s House and Mugga Mugga Cottage. This excursion was part of our history unit where we have been exploring how some aspects of daily life have changed over time, while others have remained the same. We had the opportunity to explore these museums, play old fashioned games, ask questions and see how families lived in the past. It was a wonderful day of learning and excitement for all the children. 

The Matt Giteau Cup

On Tuesday a team of 10 students from Years 5 and 6 gathered at Southwell Park in Lyneham for the Rugby Union Gala Day.

There were teams from across the northside competing in a round robin competition. Each game was played on half a field with modified rules to suit the skill levels of primary school kids. Lasting 15 minutes, with no breaks, the games were fast and furious.

The St Monica’s team started a little tentatively and were beaten by Mother Theresa in the first game. However, their coach Jonno McPhillips, quickly ironed out the problems and for the rest of the comp, St Monica’s were unbeatable. They all played exceptionally well. The forwards tackled anyone running near them and the backs showed great positional awareness with their passing and backing up.

At the end of the day, St Monicas came in second place and will represent the northside at Rugby Union HQ on 10 June. The winner of this competition will be able to claim the Matt Giteau Cup.

The St Monica’s community can be proud of the boys’ performances and their sporting behaviour. We should all give a big shout-out to Jonno and the other parents who provided support.

 It truly was a wonderful day.

All schools in Australia are required to participate annually in the National Consistent Collection  of Data for Students with Disability (NCCD). This allows our Catholic sector to continue to  provide and prioritise innovative and high-quality teaching and learning to support all students  on their learning journey.

The collection of this data is designed to count the number of students who receive additional adjustments or “help” at school because of a disability. This national  data collection helps federal and state governments plan for the needs of students with disability. It is  also the way that schools seek and receive funding to support the learning needs of their students. 

Please read the attachment below for further information about the NCCD.

Loyal customers, the canteen is CLOSED tomorrow Friday 27 May 2022.  Anyone who has an order or an outstanding order from last week, your orders will be filled on Friday 3Jun 2022. Thank you for your understanding.

Thanks so much to our wonderful volunteers from last week, so fabulous to have your assistance and your smiling faces in our space -  Deanna Robertson, Tracy D'Ambrosio, Rach Pentes, Katherine O'Sullivan, Angalea Turnbull and Jane Rabbets.

Lastly, look out for an upcoming special lunch - it is in the planning for the next few weeks... watch this space and Qkr!