Dear St Monica’s families and friends,

The Feast of St Monica - Next Tuesday, 27 August, is the feast day of our patron Saint, Monica. On this day, we honour a woman who was patient, persistent and prayed through years of tears and against all odds for her pagan husband and wayward son. That son, who became Saint Augustine, later wrote gratefully of his mother, “She said little, preached not at all, loved deeply, prayed without ceasing.”

A number of exciting activities have been planned at school for the children next Tuesday, in celebration of her life. Thank you to Melanie Stratford (REC) for her work in preparing the Liturgy, Maggie Lloyd, Sharon Friend and Kirralea Thompson for organising the walk-a-thon and TeamKids for the preparation of the treats and fruit platters when we return. There is one other surprise for the children in the afternoon, but we are keeping that super-secret!!

Book Week celebrations - Thank you to Veronica Melville for all her enthusiasm, efforts and organisation of our Book Week celebrations this year. Last Friday, Ms Melville and our shadow judging students from Year 4 attended the Book of the Year announcement at the National Library. This morning, we had our Book Week parade and it was great to see the students (and staff) dressed up as their favourite book characters. So many imaginative and creative costumes were showcased and we acknowledge the time and effort from parents that goes into putting a costume together. What a wonderful way to celebrate all things books and literature.

Tell Them From Me Survey - The survey portal closes tomorrow, Friday 23 August. Please use the link, that was sent out to all families via Compass. We value you feedback and would appreciate as many families as possible to fill in the survey.

Father’s Day celebrations, Friday 30 August - Next Friday, all fathers and significant males in our lives are invited to grab a coffee and a donut on us. We will then have a Furthest Father Footy kick off at 8.50am. There is an opportunity to purchase a Father’s Day gift from the Father’s Day stall.

Staffing news – It is with mixed emotions I announce the retirement of Mr Michael McFadden. Michael has been an educator for just over 40 years, with 37 of these in service as a Classroom Teacher, Teaching and Learning Officer and in Leadership roles with Catholic Education Canberra / Goulburn. In Michael’s words, “that’s a lot of good morning boys and girls”. We will have the appropriate farewells for Michael in Term 4 but wished to share this news with you now.

I wish to sincerely thank Mrs Melinda Brown for her service as Acting Primary Coordinator across 2023 and 2024, for Mrs Foster and Mr Matchett whilst they were on Parental Leave. Melinda has done an incredible job in leading extension groups and the Catalyst initiatives across the school. Melinda will continue to serve on the school’s leadership team for the remainder of this year.

Next week, we welcome back Mr Ryan Matchett and Mrs Mira Lustica from their Long Service Leave. We say Bon Voyage to Mrs Helen Houghton and wish her well on her travels overseas for the remainder of this term. The following arrangements have been made to cover the following classes in light of the arrivals and departures of staff!

Whilst Mrs Hougton is away, Mrs Liz Foster will cover 3M on Wednesdays and 1W on Thursdays. Mrs Russell will cover 1M on Fridays.

Mr Ryan Matchett returns as Primary Coordinator, Lead Teacher for Technology and will be the Classroom Teacher in 4B on Thursdays and Fridays.

Mr Michael McFadden will be assisting Mrs Pearson with the Musical Production and working alongside Mr Matchett in covering technology classes for Years 2, 3, 5 and 6 for the remainder of this year.

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.

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.

ALSO – Please get in touch if you haven’t specified a Saint’s name or a sponsor by emailing sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au

Commitment Masses

Please get in touch if you have missed out on attending a commitment mass by emailing sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au

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

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! 

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.