Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

It’s great to have all our St Monica’s families back for Term 2 and a huge welcome to the following new students and their families - Thomas (KW), Payton (3W), April (4W), Bo (4M) and Scarlett (5M) who have joined our community for the first time this week. We wish each of you, and your extended family, a long and happy association with St Monica’s.  

The pupil free day on Monday afforded St Monica’s staff an opportunity to engage in professional development with a focus on curriculum, assessment and reporting. There was also time for grade level teams to fine-tune their programming and planning for the term ahead. We welcome back on staff, Mrs Liz Foster after her period of parental leave and extend a warm welcome to Mrs Kim Todd and Mr Cameron Graeber who have joined our staff. Mrs Foster and Mrs Todd are teaching 3W whilst Ms Carmel Rheinberger is on Long Service Leave and Mr Graeber is teaching in 6M on Mondays when Mrs Brown is released for her leadership duties.

We continue to break open our 2024 school theme ‘Flourishing in the Footsteps’ with our focus this term on ‘Flourishing in the footstep of Resilience’ for myself, others, God and the environment. Being resilient is a necessary skill for working through life’s obstacles. When we are resilient, we are able to approach new situations, people or experiences with confidence and a positive mindset. We do this at St Monica’s in a safe and supportive environment and by celebrating progress not just success!

Catholic schools enrolment period – The Catholic schools enrolment period is now open and will close on Friday 31 May. St Monica’s is hosting an Open Day tours and an Informtion Evening on Tuesday 14 May and Open Day tours on Thursday 16 May. (See attached flyer)

We are currently putting together information packs for prospective families, and I am seeking assistance from current families to do some letterbox drops and some advertising around the community at local cafes, childcare centres and workplaces.

If you have availability during our Open Day times to speak with prospective families about our school from a parent perspectiive, please contact me. If you know of someone from the suburbs of Evatt, Melba, Spence or McKellar who is interested in coming and finding out more about our amazing school please invite them to our Open Days and encourage them to like and follow us on our Social Media pages too!

Enrolment Information

With the warmer days that we have been having, we will have a two-week change over period between summer and winter uniform.

Please ensure that your child’s name is on their jumper, hat, lunch box and drink bottle. Items such as these that are found around the school are put in the Lost Property boxes outside the SickBay.

Those with identifiable names are returned to their owners, however jumpers without names (including those that are not clearly identifiable) are taken to the Clothing Pool for re-sale (we send about 12 to 15 jumpers a fortnight and some of these are brand new!!). Unfortunately, the Clothing Pool cannot re-sell hats and any drink bottles and lunch containers that are not claimed within a week, will go to landfill. Due to the same “first or last name” possibly being used by more than one family, a first name Initial and the last name would be very helpful in identifying the correct student to return items.

Warmest wishes,

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

Sacrament of First Communion

This will be celebrated during the four Parish weekend Masses on 15 and 16 June 2024.

Registrations will close this Friday 3 May. 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.

Parent Formation – will be held on Thursday 9 May 2024 at 6.00pm in St Monica’s Church, Evatt.

Commitment Masses – Commitment Masses for the Sacrament of First Communion will be on the weekends of 11 and 12 May and 18 and 19 May 2024.

Sacrament of Confirmation – will be celebrated on 17, 18, and 19 September. Registrations will open on 24 June 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

Yuma! Next Wednesday 8 May, the St Monica’s Culture Club will be launching their first project for the year at morning assembly. Culture Club, which includes students who identify as Indigenous, wanted to learn more about the first language that was spoken where we live, the Ngunnawal language. Together, the students have researched greetings and words relevant to our school context and are excited to share that with the school. Join us next Wednesday morning to hear the students share what they have learned.

Also, next Friday 10 May, First Nations families are invited to an afternoon tea in the staffroom from 2.30pm. Lachie Eveston, Teaching and Learning Officer for Aboriginal Education, will be joining us to meet families and explain his role. Parents, carers and siblings are welcome. Please RSVP to Mrs Pearson at alissa.pearson@cg.catholic.edu.au

SAVE THE DATE

St Monica’s School Cross Country will be held next week on Thursday 9 May 2024 from 9.15am - 11.30am

If you would like to assist at the XC please email emma.russell@cg.catholic.edu.au

When bad news breaks, it can be hard to avoid being affected by it. Your child may be exposed to news about natural disasters, pandemics, terrorism, war, deaths, and other distressing events at school or in the home setting. Parents can help children learn about current affairs and deal with them in a healthy way if bad world news is getting them down.

Your child might react to bad world news by feeling anxious, worried, sad, depressed, scared, helpless, confused or angry.

How to help your child cope with bad world news

1. Understand and manage your own reaction to the news

Check in with how you are going, talk to your partner, or friend, and reach out to other parents and carers for support. It is likely that others in your community are struggling with the news as well. If talking to others amplifies how you are feeling, consider seeking out professional help. You or your partner may have access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and often family members can use the services as well.

Parentline offers free confidential telephone or face to face counselling to any parents: 02 6287 3833.

2. Open the conversation

If you notice that your child seems down or that something is off, check in with your child. Be non-judgmental and offer to listen whatever they have on their mind.

3. Acknowledge your child’s feelings

Your child will feel supported and understood when their feelings are validated. You may reassure that it is okay to feel the way they do, and that you care about them and see their concerns as valid.

4. Switch off together

Discuss with your child the ways to take a break from the news and the ways to look after themselves. You could offer that you take a break from the news as well, and suggest to do activities together. It can be helpful to teach your child that it is okay to tell others that they do not want to talk about the news.

Learn more about world news together

Explain the news in a way your child can understand. Try to share objective facts and news from trusted sources. When they encounter disturbing images or information, they often come up with their own theory which can be worse than the reality. If appropriate (age, maturity, wellbeing etc.), involve your child in discussions. They will take an interest in their community, and have an opportunity to think critically about current affairs and develop their own perspective. Learning about bad world news can be an opportunity for you to discuss with your child what a ‘better’ world might look like and how it could be achieved.

Help your child take action

Although there usually are things, big and small, your child can do, they can rarely stop things from happening. Helping them understand how much influence they can have over something is an important step in reducing their stress.

Taking positive steps to help people and the community around them can improve your child’s wellbeing. If your child wants to take action to help, discuss with them the ways that are realistic and that make sense to them.

• Share their view with their families or friends, discuss with them what they can do now
• Make a donation, if appropriate and able
• Write a letter to the government
• Sign a petition, if appropriate
• Explore future career options

If you have any concerns for your child’s emotional wellbeing, please feel free to get in touch with me.

Ryoko Koyasu - Student and Family Counsellor

MERICI COLLEGE ENROLLING NOW CAMPAIGN

A wonderful opportunity for prospective families to see the College in action, meet our students and attend the Principal’s Address, Year 7 and 11 Information Evenings and lots more.

We are enrolling now for 2025 and beyond!

Please visit www.merici.college for all dates and information for our Open Day, Be a Merici Girl Days and Talk and Tours. Register online now!

Open Day, Principal’s Address and Year 7 2025 Information Night: Wednesday 8 May, Be a Merici Girl Days: 3, 6, 13 May, Talk and Tours: 11 May