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Dear St Monica’s families and friends,
It is hard to believe that we are in the final term of the 2023 school year! Our 
footstep of Growth is timely this term as this is when we see your child’s learning,friendships and personal resilience of come to fruition. I am so proud of all the students at St Monica’s, who have returned to school ready to learn. As I walk through the corridors and in and out of classrooms, I marvel at the engaged, attentive and focused students’ I see each day.
Important Dates: I am sure your calendars, like mine, are quickly being filled with end of year events. All-important school events for this term have been listed on the Compass calendar and communicated to you via your child’s, ‘Year Level – Parent Overview’ Listed below are some key dates, pertinent to all families in Term 4.
- Friday 13 October: SILLY SOCK DAY for Catholic Mission Month
- Monday 23 October, 6pm: ‘Think U Know Cybersafety’ Parent Session
- Tuesday 24 October, 6:30pm: Open Forum School Council Meeting
- Friday 27 October, 9:15am: Grandparents and Special Friends Morning
- 13 – 17 November: Book Cow Book Fair
- Friday 17 November, 6:30pm: Trivia Night
- Saturday 25 November: Family Portraits Fundraiser (more info to come)
- Thursday 7 December 6:00pm: Community Carols Evening
- Friday 8 December: Year 6 Graduation ceremony
- Friday 8 December 3:30pm: Semester 2 Reports sent out on Compass
- Wednesday 13 December: 2024 Teacher meet and greet.
- Thursday 14 December: LAST DAY OF TERM 4
- Friday 15 December: Pupil Free Day for all students - TeamKids Program available
Leaving St Monica’s? If your child won’t be returning to St Monica’s next year, except for Year 6 students, please email me. Soon, we will begin the process of developing class structures for 2024!
Religious Education at St Monica’s
RE in Year 5 - This term will be exploring how Mary holds an important role in the Catholic Church’s story. By the end of the term students in year 5 will:
- understand that all writing has context
- understand that Mary holds a special place in our Church story
- understand how meditative prayer is practiced
What a wonderful opportunity for your family to share your Marian practices or perhaps to start a new one? Here is a link to some simple ideas you and your family may wish to explore. This month, October, is the month of the Rosary and an ideal time to start a practice of regularly praying the rosary.
Religious Life of St Monica’s
Wednesday Parish Mass - This term each year level is once again invited to attend Mass in our parish on Wednesdays (9:30am). Families are warmly invited to join us in these liturgical celebrations. The current plan is:
Week 1 Year 6
Week 2 Year 3
Week 3 Year 2
Week 4 Year 1
Week 5 Year 5
Week 6 Kindergarten
Week 7 Year 4
Yesterday Year 6 attended Mass with the parish and thoroughly enjoyed the sacred time reflecting on the year so far and what still needs to be done and enjoyed in the coming months before they leave the Monica’s community. Mass had a particular focus on peace with the events in Israel. Some comments from students:
Sarah: I noticed that it was really caring and peaceful at Mass. There was a lot of green for the Church season.
Izzy: I noticed that there were blue and white cloths on Jesus for Israel. It was really calm and peaceful.
Whole School Prayer
Our first Whole School Prayer time will be tomorrow, Friday 13th October 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 (Friday 20/10) will be led by Year One as they explore our focus value for Term Four – Growth.
Mission Month - Traditionally October is Mission Month in the Catholic Church. During this month we have two aims. Firstly we aim to educate students on the serious social issue of poverty in our world and secondly we will hold a fundraising event to raise money for Catholic Mission as a way of reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need. Our “Socktober” day will be tomorrow, Friday 13th October. Children are encouraged to wear silly socks as creatively as possible as a visual acknowledgement that they understand the serious issue of poverty. We are asking for donations on the day for Catholic Mission. Please give generously that we may help those in real need.
From Catholic Mission: In the smallest corners of the globe, you will find the missionary spirit is still kept alive – kept by the missionaries who have built lasting relationships and trust with their people. Missionaries like Sr Carolina. Aligning with the Salesian Sisters mission, Sr Carolina set out to be of service to her people – becoming a nurse at the local health clinic – The Maria Auxiliadora Clinic.
In a community rife with health concerns, as a result of fragile infrastructure and limited access to care, the Clinic aimed to address the gaps and empower the community to have autonomy over their health and well-being. Learn more about the missionary work of Sr Carolina and the experiences of families like Petrolina and Vitoria’s in Venilale, Timor-Leste in this video.
In his World Mission Day message for 2023, Pope Francis reminds us through Luke 24:13-35, “hearts on fire, feet on the move”, that the missionary journey of all disciples is that upon encountering Jesus, our hearts burn within, our eyes are opened and ultimately, our feet are set out on the way – and Sr Carolina’s dedication to her community testifies to this.
Your partnership today can support Sr Carolina on her mission to bring good health to her community in Timor-Leste. Will you Journey with Sr Carolina this World Mission Month?
Global Schools Partners - Click here to access the spring newsletter
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
