Happy Birthday to the following students  celebrating a Birthday this week 

Ellie T, Naomi A, Elsie F, Lachlan P, Sophie P, Jackson C, Lola B, Matthew M, Lucas M

There are lots of fun activities planned for SMOOSH Vacation care this Spring break and there is still time to enrol.

Haven't attended a SMOOSH Vacation Care before? That's okay, we are always welcoming new students to our service. 

Sacrament of Confirmation 

Congratulations to the 77 candidates who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation this week in our parish. Please continue to keep these candidates in your prayers.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Sacrament of Reconciliation for eligible Year 3 students (and students in Years 4, 5 and 6 who have not yet celebrated the Sacrament), will be celebrated on:

- 8 November in St Michael’s Church
- 9 November in St Monica’s Church
- 10 November in St Monica’s Church

Registration

Registrations open on Monday 19 September and will close by Friday 14 October.
Registrations must be made via Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Qkr! App (NOT the school app).
No further registrations will be accepted after the closing date.

Commitment Masses

Commitment Masses will be held on the weekends of 15 and 16 October and  22 and 23 October.
Candidates and parents must attend one of the weekend Masses at either St Monica’s Church (6pm Saturday or 10am Sunday) or St Michael’s Church (8am or 5.30pm Sunday) to make their commitment for the Sacrament.
There will be no additional commitment Masses beyond these dates.

Purchasing a Stole

Purchasing a stole is optional and is not compulsory – you can borrow one on the night.
If you do wish to purchase a stole, please make a payment of $20 through the Qkr! App at the time of registration.
The purchased stoles will be delivered to the schools for students to take home.

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

Overdue Library Notices Emails

The borrowing time for books is a fortnight and there are some students who have had their library books for several weeks. I will be sending out overdue notices as a reminder of titles that families need to return so they can get new books for the holidays.  I am emailing the notices to parents today. This is to give families the opportunity to read the stories over the weekend or spend time finding books.

St Monica’s Street Library 

It has been great to see that the community has been enjoying borrowing books from our Street Library.  I have been able to top up the library with books that have been donated but this supply is running low.  It is now time to embrace the philosophy of the Street Library and return or pass on to others books you have borrowed and place  a couple of books that you think others would enjoy in the library.  I will continue to monitor the library.  If you are donating books and there isn’t room I am happy for you to leave them at the school library and I will add them when there is space.  Happy Reading! 

Maths Olympiad Opportunity

The International Maths Olympiad Challenge presents the Online Simulated Maths Olympiad (OSMO). The OSMO presents a unique opportunity for certain selected schools to test the calibre of their students against other schools around the world, all in just one round of the Olympiad.

This Simulated Olympiad is entirely free for special Schools (popularly called Selected Schools) nominated for the Simulated Olympiad. The OSMO will be conducted online on 19-20 November 2022. (The student can take the online test any time during this 48 hour window). More information can be found on this link- https://www.international-maths-olympiad.com/selected-schools/

If your child is in Years 1-6 and would be interested in participating, please contact Ryan Matchett- ryan.matchett@cg.catholic.edu.au and I will register your child and send you further information and instructions.

Girls Oz Tag

Well done to our Year 3/4 and 5/6 girls teams who competed at the Oz Tag gala day a few weeks ago. Our 3/4 girls team made it to the semi finals and lost in a close game to Good Shepherd. Our 5/6 girls placed 5^th after their pool games and narrowly missed out on the semi finals by 2 tries. Special thanks to our coaches and Mr Fletcher for attending to supervise. 

ACT Athletics

Last Thursday we had 6 students represent St Monica's and the Belconnen region at the ACT Track and Field Carnival at Woden Park. Congratulations on the following results:

Nick P- 2^nd 11 years boys 100m and 200m

Nikolas H- 9^th 9 years boys 100m

Pat H- 14^th 8-10 years boys long jump

Gabe J- 20^th 12 years boys long jump

Charlie D- 4^th 11 years boys long jump

Jack G- 10^th 11 years boys 100m.

Firstly, thank you so much to all my dedicated volunteers. It has been a busy few weeks and I am so grateful for your assistance. It has been lovely to have so many familiar faces, but also we welcomed some new people into the canteen fold and it has been fantastic.

We are looking forward to a busy day with the Walkathon tomorrow. We will have special treats available for order via Qkr! or for cash sales. We have really enjoyed seeing the beautiful faces of the children of St Monica's back at the canteen window.

The ever-popular Juice Bombs are once again available as holiday six packs. If you would like a pack for your family please place your order via Qkr! on Canteen Marketplace by Tuesday 20September at 3pm.  I will send them home with the children on Wednesday 21 September.

Parent survey: Intergenerational attitudes of Mathematics

Project Title: Intergenerational attitudes of Mathematics

Thank you to those who may have responded to my survey. The survey is anonymous, as such I am not aware of who has responded, or not. So, I apologise if this is a repeat email for you.

Many families know me as a Year 6 teacher. While I am currently on Maternity Leave, I am also finishing up my Masters of Education with a specialisation in Mathematics at the Australian Catholic University. My last unit involves undertaking a Capstone research project. Although teaching Mathematics is my passion, I also have a strong interest in exploring how parents influence their child’s beliefs and attitudes towards the subject and why girls typically underperform their male counterparts in the subject.
I would be very grateful if you could complete this survey which should require about 20 minutes of your time. The results of the study will be reported in a way which ensures that the responses from an individual will be anonymous and de-identified. Participation is voluntary. There are no pre-determined “right” or “wrong” answers. All responses are strictly kept confidential.
Click on the link below for additional information and to access the survey:
https://forms.gle/2ez4PFw2QsWcFRyP6

Please complete survey by Friday 23 September 2022.

Thank you - Nicole Jenner

Healthy Eating for a Healthy Mind

Healthy eating is a well-known component of physical health but is not always considered in relation to mental health and wellbeing. We know that physical and mental health are linked, but research tells us that the food we consume also has a significant impact on our mood and mental wellbeing. Healthy eating, therefore, is an important habit that we should be practising, and teaching to young people in order to see them thrive.

Foods for a good mood

Most of us have heard the saying “we are what we eat”, and it is widely known that a poor diet can leave you feeling sluggish and unwell. More recently, research has shown that healthy diets can actually improve mental health and may reduce symptoms associated with mental health disorders. For more information on such studies, follow this link https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/2016/07/diet-and-mental-health/.

A healthy diet consists of a wide variety of nutritious foods including vegetables, legumes, fruits, meat and fish (or high protein/iron alternatives for vegetarians/vegans), plenty of water, and dairy (or alternatives for vegetarians/vegans). Foods to eat in moderation include highly processed foods and foods high in sugar and fat. The following link provides recommendations for foods to eat for optimal health and wellbeing https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating.

For teens and children in particular, foods to avoid in high amounts are caffeinated drinks (coffee, energy drinks, pre-workouts), refined sugar lollies and soft drinks, and high-fat junk food such as fast food. When eaten in excess these items can cause irritable and anxious moods, mood swings, and mood crashes.

The importance of balance

Healthy eating can be a challenge with the array of high processed foods available, and many can feel the pressure to make healthy choices every day and may even punish themselves for the occasional treat. The key to a healthy diet is balance. It is unrealistic to expect yourself and young people to always eat healthily; life happens and it’s okay to have a treat occasionally. If your every day diet is consistently healthy and varied, treats should be an enjoyable part of life as well. Enforcing strict eating habits onto young people may cause body image issues and/or disordered eating behaviours, so it’s just as important to encourage balance and acceptance as it is to teach them about healthy eating.

Ways to improve eating habits

Here are some tips to improve eating habits in your household:

• Eating a healthy breakfast is a great way to kick off the day – some ideas could be a bowl of porridge with honey or fruit, avocado on toast (full of lots of good fat), or eggs (great for protein). Making these healthy choices early in your day has been shown to set you up to consume other healthy foods as the day progresses.
• Skipping meals is NOT the answer - our bodies need food for us to function properly. Going to school or work on an empty stomach, or not eating regularly throughout the day, can decrease energy and increase bad moods.
• Mix it up – adding variety to meals each week is not only healthy but can make healthy eating interesting and fun (even for the fussy young ones!).
• Make a plan and prep – it can be really tough with busy household schedules to cook healthy meals, so it’s a good idea to pick a day to plan healthy meals for the week, shop for them and prep them. That way, during the week after a long day the work is done for you, and you have a healthy option ready to go.

 Ryoko Koyasu - St Monica’s School Counsellor

Resources

For more information and healthy eating ideas, follow these links:

https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/2021/04/looking-through-the-lens-at-how-food-can-improve-our-mood/

https://au.reachout.com/articles/how-to-make-healthy-food-choices

https://heas.health.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/pick-mix-lunchbox-poster.pdf

Coerver Coaching ACT Holiday Camps September 2022 – Registrations Now Available

Coerver Coaching Holiday Camps offer a fun filled soccer experience for boys and girls aged 3 - 16+ years. Each day will include Ball Mastery, 1v1 attack and defence, receiving and passing, small sided Coerver games and mini Coerver Cup tournaments.

Players who attend a Coerver® Coaching ACT Holiday Camp receive;

- 12 hours of programmed Coerver ® Coaching sessions delivered by Coerver® accredited coaches

- Coerver® Coaching training Shirt

- adidas training football

- Coerver® Coaching Home Study Program

- Coerver® Coaching Home Study Program Online Support

- Coerver ® Coaching certificate of attendance

 Dates: Monday, 26 September - Thursday, 29 September 2022

Times: 9:00am - 12:00pm each day

Venues: Northside - University of Canberra, Bruce.

Southside - Trinity Christian School, Wanniassa.

For more information, or to register, visit: www.coerveract.com.au/holiday-camps