St Monica’s Primary School - Evatt eNewsletter

Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

We are halfway through Term Two, the days are getting shorter and the darkness is lasting long. Winter is coming!! Isn’t it funny how during the long hot days in summer we wish for it to be cooler, then the cooler season arrives and we can’t wait for it to be warm again! As we enter the colder months, it is inevitable more staff and students will be afflicted with coughs, colds and other ailments. If your child is unwell, please keep them at home where they will be snug and warm and have a better chance at recovering quickly. There is nothing worse than being at school in a classroom with 20+ children when you are not feeling 100%.

Resilience – This term our focus footstep is that of resilience. When I take new
families around the school I talk them through ‘The St Monica’s Way’ and how the footsteps don’t just exist for our students but all members of our school community. The Footstep of Resilience is the epitome of St Monica herself. Being resilient is about facing challenges head on, instead of falling into despair or using unhealthy coping strategies. One of the key characteristics of a resilient person, is having a sense of control. Accepting responsibility for one’s own decisions and having ownership of making mistakes, rather than looking for an outside source to blame for failures and problems. Resilient people are able to calmly and rationally look at a problem and envision a successful solution. I look forward to presenting the Star Awards at next week’s assembly for students who are demonstrating resilience for themselves, towards others, with their learning, when things don’t go as planned!

Walk Safely to School Day and Active Travel Evaluation - Thank you to our staff who met and accompanied students, who gathered at the Evatt shops, to walk to school Last Friday. It was a great opportunity to show students how easy it is to walk to school and possibly meet companions that they can walk with in the future.

Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) is undertaking an evaluation of the school active travel programs, including the Ride or Walk to School, Active Streets for Schools and School Crossing Supervisor programs. As part of the evaluation, TCCS is requesting school communities to complete a short online survey about their travel habits to and from school. The survey can be accessed through this link

Good luck and farewell to the O'Brien family - Jacob (3Maroon) and Lucas (K Blue). We wish them all the best for their new adventures!

Peace and blessings to all families,

Happy Birthday to the following students celebrating a Birthday this week -

Lachlan J, Alec F, Emily P, Tobie S, Eden T, Lachlan D, Adelina S, Angus J

RE Curriculum

Focus on Year Two

Students in Year 2 are learning about the importance of relationships with each other, ourselves, God and Creation. They have already experienced the ancient practice of Christian Meditation as a way of connecting with our inner self and building our relationship in prayer with God. Year Two are revisiting the first Creation Story in Genesis and are exploring what it means to be stewards of creation. Looking after Creation means not only looking after the environment but also the most precious of God’s creations, people. Pope Francis highlighted the importance of this focus in his encyclical, Laudato Si, where he called all of us to be more conscious of the destruction caused to cultural groups when environmental damage occurs. Looking after our planet is so much more than just recycling, it is about growing our awareness of the dangers of becoming a ‘throw away society’ and all that entails in our care for humanity as well as the planet. Year Two will be exploring these very big concepts at their own level but could make for some fabulous dinner conversations at home!

Religious Life of St Monica’s

Whole School Prayer Time

Mary/Mothers

Thank you Kindergarten and Mrs Godschalx, Mrs Rosenfeld and Mrs Lloyd for your beautiful leadership of prayer for mothers and special women last Friday. It was a lovely prayer time reminding us that Mary is the Mother of all of us.

Pentecost

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday when we celebrate the Apostles being gifted with the Holy Spirit and the beginning of our Church as we know it. 1 White will lead the whole school in prayer focusing on this special even at the beginning of assembly next Friday, 2June.

Reconciliation Week

Reconciliation Week is celebrated during Week 6 this term and we begin with the very special celebration of a public holiday! ? During Reconciliation Week we focus on the important contributions made by our Indigenous Peoples to the nation we are today. These contributions include their ancient culture’s special relationship with country as well as those made by key historical figures, often overlooked until recently, and current Indigenous leaders and quiet achievers doing amazing things.

Sacrament of First Eucharist

This will be celebrated across the four Sunday Parish Masses:

5.00pm - 17 June at St Monica’s Church – Evatt;

8.00am - 18 June at St Michael’s Church – Kaleen;

10.00am – 18 June at St Monica’s Church – Evatt; and

5.30pm – 18 June at St Michael’s Church – Kaleen.

Registrations are now closed and no late registrations can be accepted.

Retreat Day will be held on Thursday 8 June 2023.

Parent/Child Formation Evening - Thursday 8 June 2023 at 6pm via MS Teams (address to be provided in the Bulletin on 1 June 2023. Families will also require the completed home booklets for discussion at the child/parent formation evening.

Home booklets should then be returned to school (with the last page 'Parents' Discernment of Readiness' completed) following the evening and no later than Wednesday 14 June. The booklets will be signed and stamped with the 'parish stamp' and returned to the candidates at their First Eucharist celebration.

Stoles for First Eucharist

Purchased stoles have now been delivered to the schools. If you purchased a stole and you have not yet received it please send me an email at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au

Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on 5, 6 and 7 September 2023.

Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated in Term 1 in 2024.

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

This year through our St Monica's Stars we will emphasise the ways we live out

Respect, Resilience, Engagement and Growth

through a focus on

Myself - Academic

Others - Social

Our Surroundings - Community

so we come to know Jesus.

Class	Student	Focus
K Blue	Matilda R	Others
K Blue	Kaihran T	Others
K Maroon	Angeth A	Myself
K Maroon	Hunter H	Myself
1 Blue	Harper S	Myself
1 Blue	Scarlett T	Myself
1 Maroon	Flynn P	Myself
1 Maroon	Meika P	Myself
1 White	Dylan A	Myself
1 White	Charlotte C	Myself
2 Blue	Audrey B	Others
2 Blue	Ayla W	Myself
2 Maroon	Tewa Y	Myself
2 Maroon	Noah Z	Myself
3 Blue	Isabella A	Others
3 Blue	Alex H	Myself
3 Maroon	Billy K	Myself
3 Maroon	Alessandro S	Myself
3 White	Bonnie c	Myself
3 White	Ivy P	Myself
4 Blue	Lucas C	Myself
4 Blue	Milla F	Myself
4 White	Jack R	Myself
4 White	Imogen S	Myself
5 Blue	Nikolas H	Myself
5 Blue	Maddie P	Others
5 White	Ivan P	Myself
5 White	Natalia S	Myself
6 Blue	Laura R	Myself
6 Blue	Sian s	Myself
6 Maroon	Eva A	Myself
6 Maroon	Aidan H	Myself
6 White	Jemima B	Myself
6 White	Ella K	Myself

Star Awards for Week 6 will be given out at Assembly on Friday 2 June at 9.10am in the School Hall

Kids Lit Quiz

Yesterday 10 students represented St Monica’s Primary School at the Canberra Heat of KIds LIt Quiz at Merici College. The students worked in teams to answer questions on books ranging from myths, picture books, nursey rhymes, comics and classics. The students competed against other students in Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 and can be very proud of their efforts with Team 1 having the highest score in one of the 10 rounds and each being able to select a book. Our Year 5 students returned to school keen to start reading ready for 2024.