Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

Week 10, Term 3!! Only one more getup and it’s holiday time again. I hope all families get to enjoy some down time together. Perhaps you will go away camping, 

head to the coast, take a ride on the Ferris Wheel at Floriade, attend a Lego workshop or see a movie. Whatever it is you choose to do, enjoy the special time you get to spend as a family! Don’t forget to check bags over the weekend to ensure a banana or ham sandwich hasn’t been left at the bottom of a school bag or in a lunchbox!!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all in the community for your support througout a very busy Term 3! Thank you to our volunteers for all that you do to assist us at school: fundraising intitiatives, canteen, classroom support, library assistance, uniform shop, coaching sporting teams, walkathon, gardening, the list goes on!! We could not provide the excellent learning environment without your ongoing support – Thank you.  

Thank you also to the St Monica’s staff for their unwavering professionalism and commitment to providing a holistic education for your children in a safe and caring environment.  Thank you especially for your patience through what has been a terrible flu season, with a number of teachers and students away sick this term. I wish all of my staff a well-earned rest and hope they return to school in Term 4 feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and revitalised.  

 *** Students return for Term 4 on Monday 9 October ***

SUMMER UNIFORM - A reminder that students are to wear their Summer Uniform again in Term 4. Please check the wardrobe, as tomorrow is your last chance to visit the Clothing Pool before the holidays! We will have the usual transition period early in Term 4 to cater for any unpredictable weather. 

Farewell - This week we say farewell to the Singh family - Gurnoor (2 Blue). We wish them all the very best.

Peace and Blessings to all families,

Religious Education at St Monica’s

Year 4 have been extremely busy this term investigating the bible and considering the question, How is God revealed to me in Scripture? They have looked at the Old and New Testaments and explored many pieces of Scripture to deepen their understanding. When did you last open the bible? Year 4 encourage you to once again become more familiar with the Word of God and learn how God is revealed in mystery, in majesty and in the very ordinary, everyday experiences of people.

Religious Life of St Monica’s

Whole School Prayer

Our first Whole School Prayer time will be on Friday 13October at 9.10am in St Monica’s Church. Year 2 will be leading us in prayer focusing on Mission Month and the good work done by missionaries around the world. You are invited to join the whole school in prayer at this time.

Week Two Whole School Prayer Time will be led by Year 1 as they explore our focus value for Term Four – Growth.

2024 Parish Sacramental Program

For students who are baptised and in Years 4-6 in 2024.

Information Session

An information session for the 2024 Sacramental Program will be held early in Term 1, 2024 (date and venue to be advised).

Sacraments during 2024

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

Sacrament of First Communion - will be celebrated in Term 2, 2024.

Sacrament of Confirmation - will be celebrated in Term 3, 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

Pride Badge Awards for Week 10 will be given out at Assembly on Friday 22 September at 9.10am in the School Hall

Yesterday the Table Tennis Tournament took place at St Benedict's Primary School between St Benedict's and St Monica's students.  It was a wonderful fun day with great sportsmanship displayed from both schools. St Benedict's were the overall winners on the day. Congratulations to the following students - Blake R (3 Maroon) - Year 3/4 Boys Champion, Nuhamin B (3 Blue) - Year 3/4 Girls Champion and Charlie D (6 Blue) - Year 5/6 Boys Champion.  Special thanks to Mr Drake and Ms Younger for all your help in making the day such a success!

ACT Athletics

Congratulations to the following students who participated in the ACT Athletics Carnival last week at the AIS. All students achieved some fantastic results and PB's.

Arabella A- 12^th LJ, 14^th SP and 8^th Discus

Sonny- 14^th 70m

Karlin- 16^th 100m and 15^th 200m

Paddy- 10^th 100m and 200m, 13^th LJ

Nicholas P- 7^th 100m and 4^th 200m

Nikolas H- 12^th 200m and 8^th LJ

Charlie D- 13^th LJ

Ballet News 

Polly Doolan (3 Blue) is one of two local Canberra children who has been selected to dance in The Queensland Ballet’s upcoming performance of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream".

Polly will perform at the Canberra Theatre in 3 shows  - Wednesday 25 October,  Fri 27 October and the evening show on Saturday 28th October.

Congratulations Polly, what a wonderful achievement!!!

https://canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/a-midsummer-nights-dream-ballet/?fbclid=IwAR1pHIxG6T5_5AC44aPQ0Tpyo3gbx42o_uTcu3JQlcfGA_ZZh6d40V5k0tg

Avoiding Scams and Online Attacks

Here are some key takeaways to consider to keep your devices and personal information safe:

Always keep your operating system, browsers, and applications up-to-date. Software updates often contain fixes for vulnerabilities that scammers can exploit.  

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your online accounts. This provides an additional layer of security by requiring a second piece of information beyond just your password. 
   
• Never click on unsolicited links, especially from unknown senders in emails or text messages. If in doubt, type the website address directly into your browser. Use a reputable password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. This ensures you are not using the same password across multiple sites. 
   
• Avoid sharing personal information on social platforms, including when you are travelling and even the name of your pet! Regularly review your privacy settings to control who can see your posts. Additionally, consider limiting friend requests to people you know personally and lock your friends list down to "only me". 
   
• Talk to family members, especially children, about the risks of online scams and the importance of not sharing personal information or clicking on suspicious links. 
   
• Only connect to known, secure Wi-Fi networks. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive activities like banking. 
   
• Regularly back up your data, so you don't lose important information in case of any malware attack. 
   
• Use a good antivirus program and ensure it's updated regularly. Before entering any personal or financial information, ensure the website is legitimate. Look beyond just the padlock icon; check the site's URL for misspellings, and consider verifying its legitimacy by searching for reviews or news about it. 
   
• If your device is connected to work (even to collect your email) or contains sensitive information, do not let your child use it to play games, watch TikToks etc. 
   
• Use strong screen passcode locks and regularly change them. 
   
• Never use your work or school email address to sign up for social media apps, and if you are a business owner or employer, keep your mobile device usage policy up to date.

With purchases from the Uniform Shop that need to be returned or exchanged please ensure that tags are left on items.  Without tags items cannot be returned for refund or exchange.

The AFLW is back in the nation’s capital when the GIANTS take on Adelaide at Manuka Oval on Saturday 23 September at 11.05am. 
It’s Live & Local Round with local performances, food trucks as well as inflatables, face painting, Macca’s kick 2 kick and much more!

We would like to offer up to 10 complimentary tickets to the game per person. Tickets can be redeemed online here https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx?sh=WGWS0423 using the promo code WGIANTS2023

Come and support the GIANTS AFLW team and enjoy all the family entertainment at Manuka Oval.