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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.”
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,
Happy Birthday to the following students celebrating their birthday this week
Flourishing in the Footsteps
Celebrating St Monica
St Monica was born around 332 CE in Thagaste, now Tunisia. She grew up in a Christian family and married Patricius, a pagan with a difficult personality. Despite the challenges, Monica’s faith remained strong, and her prayers eventually led to her husband’s conversion to Christianity.
Monica is best known as the mother of St Augustine, a famous Christian thinker. Augustine’s early life was full of mistakes and searching for meaning, which worried Monica a lot. But she never stopped praying for him.
Monica’s dedication to her son’s faith journey took her from North Africa to Italy. She followed Augustine to Carthage and then to Milan, where he taught. Her constant prayers and faith played a big role in Augustine’s conversion. He was baptised by St Ambrose in 387 CE, fulfilling Monica’s long-held prayers.
St Monica is remembered for her faith, hope, and perseverance. She is the patron saint of married women, mothers, and those with difficult marriages or children. Her life shows the power of prayer and a mother’s love.
As we honour St Monica let us be inspired by her example. Her story teaches us that with faith and perseverance we can overcome tough challenges. May St Monica’s life continue to inspire and guide us in our own spiritual journeys.
Altar Servers Club
Did you know that your child can play an active role in our parish? Last Friday one of our past students spoke to all students in Years 4-6 to share an opportunity on how to play an active role in the mass. Your child is invited to become an altar server and assist Father Mick during the mass. Saint Monica’s has an Altar Servers Club held on a Friday afternoon after school in the parish meeting room each fortnight. See the information below about how to become involved.
Dear St Monica's Families, My name is Katie Brasnett, I am an acolyte and I run the altar servers club at St Monica's church. We meet every even Friday (Weeks 2,4,6,8,10) from 3:45 pm to 4:45 pm.
As Catholics, we are all called to come to church and receive our Lord in eucharist. Becoming an altar server is a chance for your child to grow stronger in their faith by participating in the tradition of the church. It is a good job for kids to have because it means they have something to do during mass. It also gets them more involved in the Parish community as they get to know the other altar servers, the Priest, the acolytes and other parishioners.
The altar servers club is for altar servers and potential altar servers to get together in a social way. We generally centre our meetings around either an activity or a discussion topic, but it's a relaxed environment where the main goal is to have fun, get to know each other and explore our faith. Your child doesn't need to be certain they want to become an altar server to join either. If they just want to find out a bit more about altar serving and the Church, then this is for them. There's no pressure. They can take their time, come to the club and start serving when they are ready.
If your child would like to join the club or you have any questions, please email me at katiebrasnett@yahoo.com or call/ text me at 0421441171.
I hope to see many new faces in the future.
God bless
From Katie
What is an alter server?
An altar server is someone who helps on the altar at mass.
What do you need to do to become an altar server?
The only requirement is that you have made your First Communion. If you haven't yet but are planning to, you can still join the club.
What will we do at club meetings?
The club is an opportunity for all the altar servers and potential altar servers in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish to get together for afternoon tea, to play some games, have some discussions, learn more about altar serving and make some new friends.
Will being part of the club mean I get trained as an altar server?
Yes, of course. But don't worry, we won't put you on the altar until you feel confident.
Sacrament of Confirmation
St Monica’s currently has children in Year 6 preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please continue to pray for our children preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Parents, please ensure that you have the important events in your diary. These are communicated each week in the Sacramental Information part of our newsletter.
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Ado April Pasquale Adeline Lucas Amelie Kobe Alexis Piero Charlie Marissa |
Cooper Charlie Eden Evie Charlotte Abigail Archie Noah Giorgio Maggie Ivan |
Lachlan Sophie Felix Cooper Zander Emanuel Adelina Cooper Lillian Chloe
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Flourishing in the Footsteps
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Term 3 Liturgical Life of St Monica’s Primary School |
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Masses |
Whole School Prayer |
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Week 5 |
Buddy Mass Wednesday 9.30am: 4M and 2M
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Whole School Prayer Focus: Flourishing Engagement God led by 4 White Friday 9.15am |
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Week 6 |
Whole School Mass: St Monica’s Feast Day Tuesday 9.15am: All classes |
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Week 7 |
Buddy Mass Wednesday 9.30am: 1W and 3W |
Whole School Prayer Focus: Flourishing Engagement Surroundings led by Kinder Friday 9.15am |
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Week 8 |
Buddy Mass Wednesday 9.30am: 1M and 5M
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Week 9 |
Buddy Mass Wednesday 9.30am: Kinder and Year 6, 4B and 2B |
Whole School Prayer Focus: Flourishing Engagement Others led by 4 Maroon Friday 9.15am |
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Week 10 |
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2024 Parish Sacramental Program – for students who are baptised and in Years 4-6 in 2024.
Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on:
Tuesday 17 September at 6pm in St Michael’s Church, Kaleen;
Wednesday 18 September at 6pm in St Monica’s Church, Evatt; and
Thursday 19 September at 6pm 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
Trybooking has now closed - contact the Sacramental Program Coordinator ASAP to be registered manually 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
Author Visits
| Class | Student | Focus |
| K Maroon | Otto H | Myself |
| K Maroon | Matteo O-C | Myself |
| K White | Thomas B | Myself |
| K White | Timothy S | Myself |
| 1 Maroon | Hunter H | Myself |
| 1 Maroon | Emmanuel S | Myself |
| 1 White | Sadie H | Myself |
| 1 White | Grace Mc-C | Myself |
| 2 Blue | Ava C | Myself |
| 2 Blue | Amity W | Myself |
| 2 Maroon | Jackson C | Myself |
| 2 Maroon | Sienna D | Myself |
| 2 White | Lara Mc | Myself |
| 2 White | Harper S | Myself |
| 3 Maroon | Ainslea S | Myself |
| 3 Maroon | Thomas S | Myself |
| 3 White | Ella C | Myself |
| 3 White | Liam R | Myself |
| 4 Blue | Henry C | Myself |
| 4 Blue | Liam W | Myself |
| 4 Maroon | Dieron B | Others |
| 4 Maroon | Tony R | Myself |
| 4 White | Billy K | Myself |
| 5 Maroon | Eliana D | Myself |
| 5 Maroon | Lachlan P | Myself |
| 5 White | Zara C | Myself |
| 5 White | Lucas W | Myself |
| 6 Blue | Eden L | Myself |
| 6 Blue | Archie N-H | Myself |
| 6 Maroon | Anakin C | Myself |
| 6 Maroon | Lochlan M | Myself |
| 6 White | Mia M | Myself |
| 6 White | Emanuel S | Myself |
This week we celebrated literacy through some Book Week activities. Some children explored the dress up box to be characters from their favourite books and we read the shortlisted books If I Were a Horse and Bear and Duck are Friends. Sensory play was all about horses and lots of language was explored together as we played. Next week will be all about a special person in our lives. Please come and celebrate them with us.
School Student Broadband Initiative - Free internet until December 2025
To find out more call: 1800 954 610 (10am – 6pm AEDT Monday to Friday) or visit https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet/
The Australian Government has announced that they are extending the School Student Broadband Initiative until 31 December 2025. The extension means that the SSBI nomination period will remain open until 31 December 2024 with free National Broadband Network (nbn) internet service for all new and existing families on the SSBI until 31 December 2025. For existing SSBI families who have already signed up, this means their SSBI service will automatically be extended until 31 December 2025 (no further eligibility checks will be required). For eligible families who connect before the end of this year, they will get up to two years of free nbn broadband.
How can the School Student Broadband Initiative help your child? - Children who can access online learning at home as part of their education are more likely to engage in classroom activities. Access to fast internet at home can also support children to build their digital skills, learn how to safely use the internet and participate in a world that is more dependent on digital technology.
Is my family eligible for the School Student Broadband Initiative?
To be eligible, families must:
Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school (up to year 12 including Prep in Qld/Vic/Tas, Kindergarten in ACT/NSW, Reception in SA, Transition in NT and Pre-Primary in WA).
Not have an active National Broadband Network (nbn®) Internet service at home. Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility.
Live in a premises that can access the National Broadband Network via a standard connection – this will be checked for you.
Not have had an active nbn connection during the previous 14 days.