Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

I don’t know about you, but I have loved jumping on the couch of an evening and tuning into the coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Any of the athletes from any country, competing in the games, could’ve attended St Monica’s as they all seem to use our Footsteps approach! It is admirable to watch the Respect they show for their fellow competitors, Resilience when they didn’t make a final, missed out on a medal by 0.01 of a second or pushed themselves to the absolute limits to gain a personal best or smash a World Record, Engagement with their team mates and immersing themselves into an atmosphere of being in a different country, Growth understanding what they need to do next time to be more successful or learning something new.

Tomorrow we will be celebrating the Olympics by hosting a Green & Gold day. Please send your children in Green and Gold in support of Australian Olympic team.  

Mid-Year Enrolments – We are now accepting enrolments for Semester 2 in all year levels. Do you know of someone who is considering a transfer across to St Monica’s but they are worried they have left it too late to enrol or about how their child will transition to a new school? Please encourage them to make an appointment with me and reassure them that the St Monica’s community is comprised of families and teachers who genuinely care for one another and it is a place where you will instantly feel like you belong.

School Musical – Somewhere between here there and everywhere: Auditions are complete, scripts, songs and dance moves are being learned and there is a production vibe going on around the school. It has been a while since we have put on a wider school performance and this year it will involve all students from our 3 – 6 classes. Save the following dates for our evening performances, which will be held on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 September. There will also be a matinee performance on Wednesday 11 September.

In Term 4, we will have our K – 2 classes perform a Christmas Story, which involves the narrative of Advent, the Nativity and the joy of Christmas.

Baby News

Congratulations to the Lam Shang Leen family (Stacey - 5 Maroon, Esther and Elijah ex students) on the arrival of their baby brother Sasha.

Tell them from Me Survey  - next week I will be inviting parents, teachers and students to provide feedback on their experiences of St Monica’s Primary School through the annual online “Tell Them From Me” Survey.  The survey is anonymous, and whilst this presents an opportunity for a safe space to air grievances, I would hope that any complaints or criticisms would also be brought to my attention directly.

Peace and blessings,

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

Sacrament of Confirmation

Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on 

Tuesday 17 September at 6.00pm in St Michael’s Church, Kaleen;

Wednesday 18 September at 6.00pm in St Monica’s Church, Evatt; and

Thursday 19 September at 6.00pm in St Monica’s Church, Evatt.

Registrations are now closed.

Please get in touch if you have not specified a Saint's name or a sponsor - sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au 

Commitment Masses – Sacrament of Confirmation

Students and parents must attend one of the weekend Masses at either St Monica’s Church (5.00pm Saturday or 10.00am Sunday) or St Michael’s Church (8.00am or 5.30pm Sunday) on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 August to make their commitment for the Sacrament.

There will be no additional commitment masses beyond this date.

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

Book Week is fast approaching. The Book Character Parade will be on Thursday 22 August at 9.00am in the courtyard and parents are welcome to attend. This is a chance to get creative and recycle or repurpose clothing to make the costumes. The teachers are organised and ready to celebrate one of our wonderful picture books. 

Author visits 

This Term St Monica's will be having 2 authors visit. Sue Whiting will be visiting on Monday 12 August and working with Years 4 -6 and on Friday 30 August Aura Parker will be visiting and working with K -3. The Book Cow has copies of their books and you can order them online. The books will be signed by the author and delivered to the school in time for the author's visit. Students make special connections with books when they meet the author and purchasing the book is a great way to celebrate and remember the connection. 

Scholastic Book Club 

Thank you to those parents who have ordered books from the Book Club.  Orders for Issue 5 will close on Monday 12 August.  

We are so excited to be holding the upcoming St Monica’s school disco.  It will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to come together, enjoy music, dance, and create lasting memories.    

Volunteer opportunities for "2024 St Monica's Disco - Friday 16 August" are now open.

Please click on the following web link (or copy it into your web browser if clicking doesn't work) to go to the signup sheet:

volunteersignup.org/4WAA9

To sign up, just follow the instructions on the page. It only takes a few seconds to do.

Thank you for volunteering!

Angalea Turnbull
tob-ang@hotmail.com

Additional Information

Time:

Infants-6.00pm -7:15pm

Seniors-7.30pm -8.45pm

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

Parents not volunteering will be asked to drop their children off at the glass sliding doors at the side doors of the hall and pick up will be at the back of the hall (door facing the carpark). Please be assured there will be adequate supervision and you will be notified if your child needs to be picked up early.

Value Ticket Information

Value tickets can be purchased on Qkr! Standard entry is $4.00. Cost of  Value Ticket is $6.00. children will have the opportunity to purchase extra glow sticks on the night.

Food

A canteen will be available on the night (no dinner is provided). However the value ticket comes with a juice box/water and a packet of chips. Available for purchase will also be icecreams, lollies (zappos or a lolly bag), chips and drinks.

Mobile Phones and Behaviour Expectations

To ensure a safe and respectful environment we kindly request your cooperation in adhering to the following guidelines: 

No Phones at the School Disco: Students are not bring their phones to the school disco. This measure is taken to encourage face-to-face interactions, enhance the overall experience, and prevent distractions during the event. 

Encouraging Social Interaction: The school disco is a fantastic opportunity for your children to engage in face-to-face interactions with their peers. Dancing and socialising in a real-world setting can help build confidence, communication skills, and lasting friendships.

Parents please drop your child off and be punctual for pick up. We ask that only volunteers remain in the hall throughout the disco times. Restricting access to school grounds helps maintain a secure environment for students and staff and ensures that only authorised personnel are present. 

By adhering to these guidelines we aim to create a positive and enjoyable atmosphere for all attendees. We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us maintain a safe and respectful environment. Please discuss with your children the St Monica’s behaviour expectations. 

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to a fantastic school disco!