Filter Content
Dear St Monica’s families and friends,
The special kind of love you get from a grandparent is a love you can't get anywhere else. It is an important kind of love – in fact, a very important kind of love. Parents have to worry about who children will become in the future; their role is to be providers and disciplinarians. Grandparents can just enjoy children for who they are in the moment. The love of a grandparent is often freer, more unconditional, and far less psychologically complex than a parent's love. The love of a parent and the love of a grandparent are different, and both are necessary. One study of school-aged children found that if they were in charge of family holidays, their first choice would be to go to... grandma/grandpa's house – "because it's fun."
Extract by Susan V. Bosak from How to Build the Grandma Connection
Grandparents fill an irreplaceable role in a child’s development: Pillars of wisdom and sources of support, they possess a unique understanding of a family’s history and traditions. They love their grandchildren with unconditional affection that matches that of a child’s own parents, and though some families are separated by distance or circumstance, being able to connect with a grandchild frequently fosters a relationship that can influence a child to define values, flourish in self-confidence and strengthen the bonds of family.
Grandparents Are Fun - While it is easy for new parents to feel pressured by the burdens of their responsibility, grandparents can offer a relaxed perspective and remind a family to remain light-hearted.
Grandparents Are Essential - As a member of the family, the love that grandparents feel for their grandchildren is especially strong, amplified by the love they bear for their own children.
Grandparents Are Wise - Because grandparents have weathered the ups and downs of life, they make excellent advice-givers and problem-solvers, storing a wealth of practical knowledge.
Grandparent's and Special Friends Day - We are looking forward to welcoming Grandparents and Special visitors to our school tomorrow. The classrooms will be open to Grandparents from 9.15am. Following classroom visits we will converge in the courtyard for a special performance from the School Choir and a special Morning Tea will be provided. Thank you to the families who have assisted us by providing a sweet plate to share. We're so excited to welcome these special visitors to our school.
School Staff Appreciation and World Teacher's Day - Tomorrow we celebrate the wonderful staff of St Monica's Primary School. Thank you to the parent community who have provided a special Morning Tea and Lunch for all staff in recognition of the dedication they give all our students each and every day.
School Fees – New fee statements were emailed out to families last week. On the new fee statement is your revised BSB and Account number for those who wish to pay via Direct Debit. Thank you for your patience as we work to successfully migrate into the new Finance system. If you are experiencing financial hardship and you need to discuss your fees, please contact Kirralea Thompson or book an appointment to come and see me.
Religious Education at St Monica’s
Year 1 are focusing on traditional prayers in the Catholic Church, including the Our Father and Hail Mary. These prayers hold core beliefs for Catholics and remain important prayers in the daily lives of Catholics around the world. It is a truly beautiful experience to be in a foreign country and be able to pray together a familiar prayer despite a language barrier. The rhythm and flow of these prayers remains the same across all languages. If you haven’t used these prayers in your daily prayer life lately October is the month of the Rosary and a perfect time to renew your familiarity with the Hail Mary. The Our Father is a perfect way to start your day.
Religious Life of St Monica’s
Wednesday Parish Mass
Yesterday 2 Blue attended Mass with the parish and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially as it was Father Mick’s birthday. 2 Blue were keen to share their reflections on being at Mass:
Eden - I enjoyed being blessed.
James – I like how it was absolutely silent. It felt good on my ears.
Leila – I liked genuflecting to the tabernacle.
Declan – It was nice to go back up to the church and relax.
Leo – it was Father Mick’s birthday and we sang him Happy Birthday.
Faustina – Kneeling down and making the sign of the cross was special.
Next week Year 1 are invited to join the parish at Mass on Wednesday morning at 9.30am. Families and friends are welcome to join them in celebrating Mass.
Whole School Prayer
Thank you to Year 1 for your beautiful prayer celebration last Friday. What a great way to reflect on our focus value for Term Four - Growth. It is wonderful to see the children growing in familiarity with the Church as our special place for prayer and how we are reverent in this space. We ask that families and visitors assist us in modelling appropriate prayerful quiet whilst within the church. Thank you for your support with this.
Week Four Whole School Prayer Time will be led by Mr Green and 3 White. The focus of that prayer will be the feasts of All Saints and All Souls days; very important days in our Catholic Church calendar. All families and friends are warmly invited to join the whole school in prayer on Friday 3 November at 9.10am in St Monica’s Church.
Week Five Whole School Prayer Time will be led by Year 4. This prayer time we will have a final focus on our year long theme, Walking Together – You’re Invited. All families and friends are warmly invited to join the whole school in prayer on Friday 10 November at 9.10am in St Monica’s Church.
Journey with Jesus
On Thursday 9 November Year 5 will be involved in a special time of prayer, reflection and fun activities exploring their relationship with Jesus. Journey with Jesus is led by our own Youth Minister, Mr Mass, the Year 6 Youth Ministry Team and a visiting Youth Ministry team.
Youth Ministry
The Youth Ministry team in Year 6 have enjoyed learning how to grow their relationship with Jesus this year. They have also been supporting others to do this through assisting with maintaining our prayer wall and leading Year 4 in a drama during their Eucharist retreat in Term 2. Thank you to Mr Mass for his leadership of this team. The Youth Ministry Team have been invited to attend the Illuminate event at St Vincent’s Primary School on Friday 24 November where they will gather with other Youth Ministry Teams from across the diocese. Permission notes will come to these students individually this week.
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 at 6pm on Thursday 8 February 2024 in St Michael’s Church, Kaleen.
If your child is baptised and will be in years 4-6 in 2024 please put this date in your diary.
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
| Class | Student | Focus |
| K Blue | Zoe J | Myself |
| K Blue | Chloe W | Myself |
| K Maroon | Thomas F | Myself |
| K Maroon | Emilio R | Myself |
| 1 Blue | Tilly G | Others |
| 1 Blue | Guneet T | Myself |
| 1 Maroon | Milenna P | Myself |
| 1 Maroon | Jack S | Myself |
| 1 White | Ben R | Myself |
| 1 White | Dulce G | Myself |
| 2 Blue | Faustina A | Myself |
| 2 Blue | Ashlee H | Myself |
| 2 Maroon | Alison C | Myself |
| 2 Maroon | Thomas S | Myself |
| 3 Blue | Alexandra S | Myself |
| 3 Blue | Liam W | Myself |
| 3 Maroon | Aria K | Myself |
| 3 Maroon | Sonny Mc | Myself |
| 3 White | Dominic G | Myself |
| 3 White | Agamveer M | Myself |
| 4 Blue | Alec F | Myself |
| 4 Blue | Isabella H | Myself |
| 4 White | Rory H | Myself |
| 5 Blue | Nikolas H | Myself |
| 5 Blue | Giorgio P | Myself |
| 5 White | Lucas B | Myself |
| 5 White | Eden L | Myself |
| 6 Blue | Emma O | Myself |
| 6 Blue | Sara R | Others |
| 6 Maroon | Adriano M | Myself |
| 6 Maroon | Billy S | Myself |
| 6 White | Jemima B | Myself |
| 6 White | Freya S | Myself |
End of year exams are approaching, maybe your young guy is prepping for Highschool, College or Uni. Any of these changes can be significant stressors … and we are here to help!
If your young guy is having a hard time, is anxious, uncertain or fearful of his future and could really use someone to talk to, get in touch! Our wait times are relatively low so we're ready to help when your young guy needs it. We provide a welcoming and supportive environment for young guys to share their concerns and worries and we provide tips and strategies to get them through those tough times that many of them are facing right now.
Menslink Counselling sessions are completely confidential and are available to any young guy aged 10-25. There are no fees or charges, and no limits to the number of sessions. You don't need a mental health plan and we are available during school terms and school holidays.
Do you think your young guy would really benefit from a counselling session? If so, have a chat with them and head to www.menslink.org.au, hit the 'Get Help' button, fill in the form and we'll get back to you, generally the same or next business day.
If you need more info on how to have that chat with them, just email info@menslink.org.au or call 6287 2226 and we will send you some information.
Menslink has provided free counselling to young guys throughout the Canberra region for 20+ years.
Australian Girls Choir Open Day
Look no further than the Australian Girls Choir (AGC) because we encourage, challenge and inspire girls as they learn to sing, dance and perform. School aged girls are invited to come along to our Open Day on Sunday 5 November to try our fun and inclusive classes and learn more about being part of the AGC! Please visit our website to register to attend our free Open Day: ausgirlschoir.com.au/joinagc
We are hearing that the ACTJRU is going to start a "Summer 7's" competition starting in Term 1 of 2024 as a particular way to grow numbers in the sport- especially targeting Girls teams. The Uni-Norths Owls are committed to rebuilding our Girls teams and this will be a great way to 'come and try' the game in a slightly modified sense. There are still plans to launch a U12's Girls Competition in 2024 so this is another great way to build up numbers for that also.
What we do know right now is the following:
- Term 1 starting Friday 2nd February 2024 and running for 8 weeks until Easter.
- Friday Nights at a common venue each week- most likely moving each week or a North Venue and a South venue if enough teams.
- Girls U12, U14, U16 (Possibly U18’s).
- Boys U12, U14, U16.
- Sevens so probably only need approximately 10 to get a team off the ground.
- Probably 1-2 games each Friday night.
- Costs are TBA.
- Sevens tackle laws.
In order for the Owls to assess what teams we will be able to enter we have setup a Google Form survey to gauge interest. If your child is interested please complete the form ASAP as we have to let ACTJRU know in the coming weeks.
OWLS SUMMER 7'S INTEREST FORM