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- Principal's Message
- Happy Birthday
- RE News - Meaghan Younger
- Parish Sacramental News for 2023
- Library News - Veronica Melville
- Sport News - Ryan Matchett
- Music Incursion - Alissa Pearson
- Disco News
- Year 1 Teddy Baptism
- Year 1 Community Worker Visit
- Team Kids
- Walkathon - 2023
- Playgroup - Term 3
- Singing Lessons at St Monica's
Dear St Monica’s families and friends,
The Feast of St Monica
This Sunday, 27 August, is the feast day of our patron Saint, Monica. On this day, we honour a woman who was patient, persistent and prayed through years of tears and against all odds for her pagan husband and wayward son. That son, who became Saint Augustine, later wrote gratefully of his mother, “She said little, preached not at all, loved deeply, prayed without ceasing.”
Next Monday, a number of exciting activities have been planned at school for the children, in celebration of her life. Thank you to Meaghan Younger (REC) for her work in preparing the Mass, Maggie Lloyd, Sharon Friend and the K and Year 2 teachers for organising the walk-a-thon and Wendy Regan and the crew from TeamKids for the preparation of the treats and fruit platters when we return. We appreciate your work in organising these wonderful opportunities to celebrate St Monica’s amazing life in an appropriate manner. There is one other surprise for the children in the afternoon, but we are keeping that super-secret!!
Prayer to St Monica
Dear St Monica,
We now ask you to pray with us for all those sons and daughters that have wandered away from God, and to add your prayers to those of all mothers who are worried over their children.
Pray also for us that, following your example, we may,
in the company of our children, one day enjoy the eternal vision of our Father in Heaven.
Amen.
Book Week celebrations - A huge thank you to Veronica Melville for all her enthusiasm, efforts and organisation of our Book Week celebrations once again this year. Last Friday, our shadow judging students from Year 4 attended the Book of the Year announcement at the National Library, on Tuesday we welcomed author Maura Pierlot, who brought along her book “What will you make today?” Today we had our Book Week parade and it was great to see the students (and staff) dressed up as their favourite book character. So many costumes were imaginative and creative, and we acknowledge the time and effort from parents that goes into putting a costume together. Tomorrow author Sami Bayly will be in to share with us information about weird and wonderful animals and in week 9 we welcome another author Nat Amoore. What a wonderful way to celebrate all things books and literature!!
Father’s Day celebrations – Friday 1 September - Next Friday, all fathers and significant males in our lives are invited to grab a coffee and a donut on us. We will then have the annual Fathers' Furthest Footy kick off at 8.50am.
There is also an opportunity to purchase a Father’s Day gift from the Father’s Day stall. We sincerely thank Sarah Clark (mother of Ella in Year 2) for all her organisation to celebrate the important males in our lives. If you are able to assist with the stall, please let Sarah know.
Staffing news – I am pleased to announce that Melinda Brown has been appointed Acting Coordinator whilst Liz Foster is on Maternity Leave. Congratulations Mel!
Prayers please – Please keep in your prayers the Solari family and the Carr family who have had loved ones pass away recently. “Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and may perpetual light shine upon their souls. May they rest in peace. Amen”
Warmest wishes,
Religious Curriculum of St Monica’s
Students will soon be investigating the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Can you recall them? Which gifts have you seen flourish in your life? What gift would you like to further develop? Some great discussion opportunities for all families in the coming weeks.
Religious Life of St Monica’s
Year 5 prayer time
Year 5 are very excited to be preparing to lead the whole school in prayer this Friday morning. Our focus will be on how we help those in need as we are inspired by having just celebrated St Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day on Tuesday. St Mary MacKillop most famously said, “Never see a need without doing something about it,” and Year 5 have taken this as their focus for how we are supporting St Vincent de Paul and the Night Patrol Van with our donations of Winter Woolies. Families are all invited to join us in St Monica’s Church from 9.10am on Friday morning.
Confirmation
A reminder that registrations have closed for Confirmation this year. If you have not registered please feel free to do so next year. We keep the 34 candidates from St Monica’s in our prayers as they prepare for this important sacrament.
Year 6 Retreat Day – Letters
A special reminder that every student in Year 6 needs to have a letter of affirmation written for them and sent into the school by the end of Week 5 (next week). This special letter is written by either a parent or Confirmation Sponsor (for those students who are being Confirmed). Ms Younger has only received a few letters to date. ☹
Winter Woolies
St Monica’s families are invited to send in donations for our Winter Woolies campaign. We are looking for good quality jumpers, jackets, beanies, gloves, socks and blankets to donate to the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Items may be used but in good condition, with the exception of socks – only new socks please for hygiene reasons. Donations can be sent in tomorrow for our final appeal day as all donations are being collected by the Night Patrol Van tomorrow afternoon. For the donations students are invited to wear free clothes, particularly snuggly warm winter woollies! Donation baskets are in the Office foyer as well as student classrooms. Thank you in anticipation of your generosity.
Feast of the Assumption
Families and the school community are invited to attend the parish Mass at St Monica’s on Tuesday 15 August at 9.30am. This is to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption – one of only two days of Holy Obligation remaining in the Australian Catholic Church calendar.
Whole School Prayer – there will be no whole school prayer on Friday in Week 5 as we are attending Mass on Tuesday morning. Our next whole school prayer time will be Friday 1September, in Week 7, with Kindergarten leading us in prying for our Confirmation candidates.
Sacrament of Confirmation
Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on:
Tuesday 5 September 2023 at 6.00pm in St Michael’s Church, Kaleen;
Wednesday 6 September 2023 at 6.00pm in St Monica’s Church, Evatt; and
Thursday 7 September 2023at 6.00pm in St Monica’s Church, Evatt.
Home Booklets
Parents should now be working through the home booklet with their child in preparation for the Sacrament. The booklets will need to be completed ready for retreat day and the child/parent formation night on 31 August 2023.
Home booklets will then to be handed back to the school for collection so that they can be signed with the parish stamp and then be available with certificates at the liturgy celebration.
Saint Name and Sponsor Name
If you have not yet provided this information in the registration form, please email the Sacramental Program Coordinator (NOT the class teacher) as a matter of urgency at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au
‘Trybooking’ for the Sacrament of Confirmation
Fr Mick would like to cap the bookings to a maximum of 20 candidates for each liturgy celebration.
Please note: When you make your booking, please only book 1 place in the name of the candidate celebrating the Sacrament – all families will be allocated a pew in the church (if you have additional guests they will be able to overflow across the aisle).
If you have more than 1 child celebrating the Sacrament, please only book 1 place and put both names of the candidates in the name spot.
The ‘trybooking’ will be open from 8am on Monday 14 August 2023 and will close on Friday 18 August 2023. The links will be available on the Parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth
Stoles for Confirmation
Purchased stoles have now been delivered to the schools. If you purchased a stole and have not yet received it please send me an email - sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au
Alternatively, if you did not order a stole and would still like to purchase one please email Sue at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au
Note: It is not compulsory to order a stole, you can borrow one on the night.
Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated in Term 1, 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
Upcoming Author Visits and Book Preorders
In the coming weeks we are extremely lucky to have 3 fantastic authors visiting our school. On Tuesday 22 August local author Maura Pierlot will be visiting from 3.15pm -4.15pm to share her new picture book and do activities around the book. Parents can come with their children to this event. Team Kids will have an educator attend with their interested students. The book has a sustainability theme and is suitable for all students.
On Friday 25 August we have Sami Bayly visiting. She is the author of "The Illustrated Encyclopedia" series on animals. She will be running 2 workshops, one with Kindergarten and Year 1 and one with Year 6. On Monday 4 September we have Nat Amoore visiting for the day and she will workshop with classes from Year 2- Year 5.
On Thursday 24 August we will be dressed up as book characters. The theme of the CBCA Book Week this year is “Read, Grow, Inspire”. It would be great to see students link their character/ costume to the theme. Students may think about a character that has inspired them. This is also a wonderful opportunity for students to be creative and make a costume, a time to think about what could be recycled, upcycled or repurpose to the costume.
On Mondays we welcome Pen and her dog Frankie from the Story Dogs Program to St Monica’s. They visit the library each Monday morning and read with 4 students from Year 2. The Story dog Program is run across Australia, and they help 2,865 children each week. The program makes reading fun, while helping them read through the joy of reading with a friend. The students loved meeting Frankie, a Labradoodle who loves pats and cuddles. The students thought it was a fun way to engage with their reading and a highlight was feeding Frankie her Frankie treats and shaking her hand. The Book Parade will be our fundraiser event to ensure this wonderful program can continue. All students who dress up are invited to bring a gold coin to donate to the Story Dog Program.
It has been a busy few weeks for sport at St Monica's!
- Congratulations to Jett S - (6Blue) who was a part of the ACT U12's Hockey side that won gold last week in Hobart at National Primary School Hockey Championships. We are so proud of you Jett!
- This week Charlie D (6Blue) and Cooper D (6 Blue) are in Lavington participating in the National U12 ACT Championships in AFL. We look forward to hearing about their week when they return to school.
- Last week our ¾ boys basketball team participated in the Northside Gala Day. The boys came away with 1 win and 2 losses. The boys had a great day and showed excellent school spirit.
Upcoming Opportunities
- Please see information sent out on Compass regarding representative opprtunities for ACT U12's softball.
- Any students in Years ¾ who are interested in participating in the Todd Woodbridge Tennis Gala day later this term (14 September) please email Mr Matchett. There is no cost to participate and beginners are welcome but must have some understanding of how to play and rules. Parents will be responsible for transporting their child. Once expressions of interest have been received we will notify parents if we are going ahead and send out permission forms on Compass.
We end the week with a Japanese music performance given by Toshi and Anne who specialise in playing the taiko and Japanese flute.
We are so excited to be holding the upcoming St Monica’s school disco. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to come together, enjoy music, dance, and create lasting memories.
To ensure a safe and respectful environment, we kindly request your cooperation in adhering to the following guidelines:
- No Phones at the School Disco: We kindly ask that students do not bring their phones to the school disco. This measure is taken to encourage face-to-face interactions, enhance the overall experience, and prevent distractions during the event.
- Respect Privacy- No Photos on Social Media: We understand the desire to capture special moments, but we emphasise the importance of respecting the privacy and safety of all children. We request that you refrain from taking photos of any children during the school disco and avoid posting any pictures on social media platforms. This ensures that everyone's privacy is protected and prevents any unintended consequences.
- Encouraging Social Interaction: The school disco is a fantastic opportunity for your children to engage in face-to-face interactions with their peers. Dancing and socialising in a real-world setting can help build confidence, communication skills, and lasting friendships.
By adhering to these guidelines, we aim to create a positive and enjoyable atmosphere for all attendees. We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us maintain a safe and respectful environment. Please discuss with your children the St Monica’s behaviour expectations.
Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to a fantastic school disco!
On Tuesday Year 1 had a visit from Mr Currie who works for ACT Fire and Rescue. He spoke to the children about his role in the community and how he keeps everyone safe. The children enjoyed hearing his rescue stories and also how they can keep themselves safe. Mrs Russell was lucky enough to try on his fire fighter suit.
Thank you Mr Currie for helping our students understand about different roles in the community. If any other parents would be interested in talking about their occupation with our Year 1 students please let us know.
Our ideas will take a leap when we dive deep into Science Week! TeamKids are celebrating World Science Week during 14 August - 18 August. Get ready to be blown away by a range of EPIC activities. Dust off those lab coats and join us for a week full of COOL adventures.
Book NOW: www.teamkids.com.au/venues
I am an established tertiary trained and long time singer, singing teacher, performer and theatre maker! I would like to offer singing lessons as an option for our students here at St Monica's. I am also a parent at the school.
Voice Lessons for Years 4-6
Half hour sessions where we learn to sing, breathe, read and sing music at sight, and cover the basics of music theory and learn to perform! We will start to work on technique and developing vocal tone - $40.00 per lesson.
Vocal Basics for Years 1-3
For our younger students I would like to offer small group classes (2-4 students) at a reduced rate of fees - $23.00 per lesson.
In these classes we will learn to breathe, sing together, learn some basic sight reading and scales, work towards a group performance and most of all have fun!
To make a booking or for any more information please email me - alpprideaux@gmail.com
Many thanks - Alira Prideaux