Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

Swimming Carnival - It was an incredible day on Monday, out at Stromlo Leisure Centre, for the 2024 Swimming Carnival. It is no easy feat organising 300 students into events, marshal them, support and cheer them on. Big shout out to Mr Meagher, who organised and coordinated this year’s event any many thanks to all parent volunteers, teaching and support staff and the crew from TeamKids who helped make the carnival run like clockwork!

Parent / Teacher Get to Know You Meetings - I trust you found the Get To Know You Meetings a valuable opportunity to talk to your child’s classroom teacher about your child. These meetings bolster the partnership our families have with the school and, lay the groundwork for positive parent – teacher relationships. We thank you for openly sharing your child’s strengths, interests and areas in which they experience challenge.  The Australian Parenting Website – raisingchildren.net.au has some valuable tools and resources to assist families, of school age children. https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/working-with-schools-teachers/problem-solving-for-parents-teachers

 

Whole School Prayer - Tomorrow, we hold our first Whole School Prayer celebration for 2024. The focus is ‘when I show respect for myself, I will flourish’. Pope Francis wants us to live out this message from Christus Vivit #257…

Discovering one’s vocation, “has to do with finding our true selves in the light of God and letting our lives flourish and bear fruit.”

God’s call to each person is individual, made-to-measure just for him or her, the Pope said, so discovering that call can be done only with calm, silence, prayer and the wise help of someone who truly knows how to listen and ask the right questions.

A vocation, he said, is a gift that “will help you live to the full and become someone who benefits others, someone who leaves a mark in life; it will surely be a gift that will bring you more joy and excitement than anything else in this world. Not because that gift will be rare or extraordinary, but because it will perfectly fit you. It will be a perfect fit for your entire life.”

School Fees - Thank you for your patience as we await school fee invoicing for 2024. Catholic Education have implemented a new system and there has been some administration delays, which means Term 1 school fees have not been issued yet. It is anticipated you will receive your fee statement soon. If you wish to discuss methods of payment, your BPay code or family and sibling discounts please contact Kirralea Thompson (Finance Manager) and she will be able to assist you. If you hold concerns that school fees in 2024 may cause hardship for you and your family, I encourage you to contact me directly for a confidential discussion, on the assistance available to support you.

Dates for your diaries:

• Tuesday 27 February - Netball & Rugby League Gala days
• Thursday 29 February - Catholic School Parents Australia Reserach Visit
• Tuesday 19 March: School Photo Day
• Friday 29 March – Monday 1 April: Easter Long Weekend
• Saturday 6April:  St Monica’s School Fete
• Wednesday 10 April: School Athletics Carnival

Peace and blessings to all families,

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) has invited parents, and staff, from our school to be involved in a research project. CSPA wants to hear the voices of parents and school staff about 'How to build and maintain effective School-Parent Communication'. We are 1 of only 46 schools across Australia, who have been invited to participate.
 
If you would like to take part in this important research, please take some time to read the attached information. There are different ways that you can be involved including; surveys, 1:1 interview, phone interview or as a focus group of 3 - 4 parents.

The information captured in the research project remains strictly confidential and is not reported back to the school. However, for the purposes of organising the on-site interviews, we do need to know if you have provided your consent to participate in the project. Please phone or email Stephanie Flynn - stephanie.flynn@cg.catholic.edu.au to let her know of your voluntary participation and advise how you will be participating ie 1:1 interview, phone interview, as a focus group.

The Research Team will be on-site on Thursday 29 February. They have advised they are able to conduct early morning interviews and evening interviews for working parents. We encourage as many parents as possible to participate, as this will provide valuable information about school - home communication.

2024 Parish Sacramental Program – for students who are baptised and in Years 4-6 in 2024.

Sacraments to be celebrated in 2024

Sacrament of Reconciliation – will be celebrated during Term 1 on:

Tuesday 2 April in St Michael’s Church, Kaleen;

Wednesday 3 April in St Monica’s Church, Evatt; and

Thursday 4 April in St Monica’s Church, Evatt.

Registrations are now open. Registration for the Sacrament must be made via the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Qkr! App (NOT the school app).
If you are registering more than 1 child you will need to fully complete and pay for each separate registration.

No late registrations will be accepted after the closing date.

Sacrament of First Communion - will be celebrated across the four Sunday Parish Masses on the weekend of 15 and 16 June.

Sacrament of Confirmation – will be celebrated on 17, 18, and 19 September.

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

Update from the Fete Committee

Volunteering

Calling all parents! Join us in making this year’s school fete unforgettable! Volunteering isn’t just about lending a hand; it’s a chance to build connections, create lasting memories, and be an integral part of our wonderful school community. Your support makes a difference. Sign up and let’s make the upcoming fete a success together.  Click the link here to sign up or get in touch with the fete team if you have any questions.

Garden stall

We are looking to make our garden stall bloom with life! If you have any extra plants you’d like to contribute, we’d love to accept your donations.

White Elephant

Mark in your diaries! You can drop off your pre-loved goods to be sold at the White Elephant stall on the following days between 2-4pm:

• 17 March
• 23 March
• 24 March
• 1 April

Volunteer opportunities for drop off days are now open.

Raffle

Keep an eye out for raffle tickets. These will go home with the eldest child next week.

Want to contact us?

Please get in touch – we’d love to hear your ideas and happy to answer any questions. You can reach us via stmfete@gmail.com.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page and the newsletter for regular Fete Committee updates.

The Importance of Sleep

It’s a well-known fact that sleep is incredibly important for everyone. Sleep is the body’s chance to rest and reset for the next day. For young people, sleep is especially important because their bodies are going through their formative years and need recovery in order to change and develop. Despite sleep being so important for young people, good sleep patterns are often resisted due to a variety of reasons such as screens and social media, worrying/racing minds, and other distractions.  So how can parents and carers support their children to have better sleep patterns?

Maintain Routine

It can be difficult to go to sleep at the same time every night, however maintaining some routine is important so that the brain knows when to relax and prepare for rest. It can be a good idea to have a limit to how late your child can stay up for, and they can choose to go to bed before or on that time. A pre-bed routine is also helpful for a good sleep, and can include brushing teeth, reading a chapter of a book or listening to a relaxing podcast. Every person is different, but young people should be aiming for at least 8 hours of sleep per night. A good sleep routine also includes waking up at a reasonable time each morning. Remind your child that while it may be difficult at first, their body clock will adjust, and it will get easier.

Avoid Stimuli

Avoiding screens is extremely important and we should not be looking at phone, television or computer screens for at least one hour before bed. This is because screens stimulate us, not relax us. Screentime reduces the quality of our sleep and does not allow us to wind-down properly.

Other common stimuli can include sugar, caffeine, and energy drinks. These should be limited and not consumed during the afternoon or night.

Create a Good Environment

Young people will sleep easier if they are in a comfortable, tidy environment. It is also a good idea to encourage your children not to do homework on their bed. Their bed is supposed to be a place of rest and relaxation, and it can be harder to switch off if they have spent all afternoon working on it.  

Check-in Before Bed

Sometimes young people can struggle to sleep due to stress. There are many worries that can keep young people up at night – from social issues such as friendships and bullying, to school issues such as assignment stress. It can be helpful to check-in before bed and offer comfort or advice if they need it.

If you are worried about your child’s sleep, check in with their GP to discuss this further. For more information, read this with your child: https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/get-enough-sleep/.