Dear Parents

Welcome back for the 2020 school year! I hope you have all managed to have some time with friends and families. This week the staff have been busy engaging in professional learning and preparing their classrooms. Lots of excitement as they look forward to welcoming their new class groups on Monday 3 February. Enjoy the last three days before it all starts again!

I know for many, the start of 2020 has been challenging. Whether directly or indirectly affected, the recent bushfires have had a tremendous impact on us all.  Please let me know if you or your family require any additional support. We have a strong, supportive community at St Monica's that looks out for each other. Added to this was the recent hail storm. Thankfully the school was not impacted and our solar panels were not damaged. 

On the first day of term, the children will assembly under the covered area in the courtyard. The Kinder children have a delayed start and commence at 9.30am.  Our Kinder classrooms have moved; they are now located next to the Kinder play area and this is where the children will assembly. A cuppa will be available in the staffroom, for parents wishing to catch up following the morning bell, until 10.00am. For convenience, please enter by the side gate into the staffroom courtyard following the assembly. Kinder parents please drop in before you leave.   

Uniform Shop

Our uniform shop will be open between 10.00 and 11.00 tomorrow, Friday 31 January for last minute back to school items. Where possible please preorder via Qkr. 

No School Canteen for Week 1 & 2

With the departure of Mrs Sam Manning, our canteen manager, at the end of 2019 we are still in the process of recruiting for a new manager. As a consequence, there will be no canteen for at least the first two weeks; this includes all online orders. I apologise for the inconvenience. Due to the cost of running the canteen, we are planning to trial open for only three days a week. 

Chaplaincy Grant Successful

We have been successful in obtaining a grant to employ a Student Welfare Officer under the government Chaplaincy Program. This will enable our program to continue and extend Mr Bob Fletcher's contract for 10 hours per week for 2020. Mr Fletcher supports the teachers in connecting and engaging with students to ensure all feel safe, learn and are supported. 

Staff Professional Learning

This week all staff have been involved in MAPA Training. With a focus on prevention, MAPA (Management of Actual or Potential Aggression) program teaches management and intervention techniques to help staff cope with escalating behaviours in a professional and safe manner. It is important that staff are continuing to be upskilled to manage any situation that may present itself. Completion of the course will occur during staff meetings this term. The staff have also engaged with planning and will spend time tomorrow reflecting on our school theme and the parable of the sower. This parable is our scriptural reference for the year.   

Classroom Teachers 2020

Kinder 

Clare Battye

Natalie Currie (3 days) + Helen Houghton (2 days - Thursday & Friday)

Year 1

June Edwards 

Yvette Rosenfeld

Year 2

Emma Russell (3 days) + Monika Richards (2 days - Monday & Tuesday)

Sarah Corkhill (3 days) + Kirsty Price (2 days - Monday & Tuesday)

Year 3

Mira Lustica (4 days) + Cerryanne Kelly (1 day - Tuesday)

Susan Carswell (4 days) + Luke Donnelly (1 day - Thursday)

Kirsty Godschalx (3 days) + Melinda Brown (2 days - Thursday & Friday)

Year 4

Ryan Matchett (3 days) + Bob Fletcher (2 days - Tuesday & Wednesday)

Carmel Rheinberger

Year 5

Amanda Winne

Christopher Evans

Haley Stonham (3 days) + Michael McFadden (2 days - Thursday & Friday)

Year 6

Kathy Moir

Brendan Hague

Elizabeth Foster (3 days) + Miriam Hilton (2 days - Thursday & Friday)

We continue to keep Fr Loi in our prayers with the loss of his Mother over the break. 

I look forward to welcoming everyone back.

Carmel Maguire

Principal  

Mrs Sarah Corkhill - I have been teaching for 16 years at Good Shepherd, Amaroo whilst raising my three young daughters. I enjoy building positive relationships in the classroom with my students and their families. I love watching the children in my care succeed and learn. I enjoy spending time in the garden, swimming and travelling with my family. 

Mrs Kirsty Price - I  have been teaching for a total of 15 years. My first 3 years were at Mount Carmel School in Yass and the last 12 years I have been at Good Shepherd in Amaroo. I am passionate about bringing out the best in each of my students and I love watching them become independent and resilient learners. I have two beautiful girls who are 2 and 4 years old and we love to go camping as a family. I am also an accredited calisthenics coach and have been a part of the Evatt Calisthenics Club for 30 years. I am looking forward to joining your wonderful school community for 2020! 

Mrs Haley Stonham - I can’t wait to come back to St Monica’s next year. You may remember me, I taught Year 6 in 2016 and 2017 before moving to Brisbane in 2018. It has been great living in Queensland. My family and I went on a 4WD and camping adventure to the tip of Australia in June/July this year! This is a photo of me and my daughter Emily at The Gabba. We were watching the Brisbane Heat, it was very hot! Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year, ready for a fantastic year, learning together at St Monica’s in 2020!

Kinder children attend full days except for Wednesdays for the first three weeks. The Wednesdays are designated as rest/assessment days for the Kinder children.  No care is provided by the school or our SMOOSH care program on the Wednesdays. Should this be a major issue please advise me as soon as possible.

 The key purpose for this early assessment is to enable the teachers to prepare learning tasks that best suit your child. In order to provide time for the teachers to carry out the individual assessment program the first three Wednesdays have been dedicated for this assessment.

iPads not required in Week 1 as the children need to sign their new agreement. 

With technology developing at such a fast rate, it is easy to feel a little overwhelmed and unsure about its possibilities. This information sheet aims to help parents with the transition into the BYODD program at St Monica’s.

In 2020, the BYODD program will continue being implemented in Years 4-6.

Should the purchasing of an iPad place a burden on a family’s finances please speak to Carmel Maguire, as soon as possible. We do have a small bank of iPads available for use by families experiencing difficulties in Years 4 to 6.

Year 3 students will have access to a bank of iPads to be shared throughout the week. As we did this year the students in Year 3 will have an option to bring their own device if they wish however this will not be required until early Term 1 following a parent information session. Students in the multi-age will be given the opportunity to access an iPad regularly to complement the class program, should they opt not to bring their own device. Parents will need to discuss this option once the class lists are published.

Why BYODD?

With the National School STEM Education Strategy (2015) and the development of the Australian National Technologies Curriculum, technology subjects have become a focus in education. Consistent with this research, industry surveys show that STEM literacy is increasingly becoming part of the core capabilities that Australian employers need. In order to carry out authentic learning tasks with technology, it is important students are equipped with the right tools. The school has iPads available to students however the CE has a policy that all IT hardware be replaced every 5 years if we want access to technical support for hardware. This creates a big cost to the school and still does not provide the ideal 1:1 ratio of students to devices. Our school IT budget is also going towards apps for school owned devices, new laptops, Wi-Fi and other technologies like robots and STEM resources. By implementing the BYODD program, students have the tools they need to engage in individualised learning and having access to school work at home. We will also be reporting on Technology outcomes from the Australian Curriculum in our school reports in 2020.

What apps will my child need for school?

The school does not provide apps for BYODD devices. Parents will need to download school required apps at home. This will mean the app is licenced to the child and not the school. The list below outlines the current apps that we use regularly at school. Please note this list will change as more apps are added throughout the year. Students are also permitted to use apps outside of this list if they assist with completing educational tasks. We try to use only free apps. At this point the teachers have only identified three apps that will need to be purchased.

I am pleased to advise the P&F Community Council have approved the fees schedule for 2020. The schedule of fees is attached for your reference. Every effort has been made to keep the overall fee increase to 3%.

The following fees were approved by the St Monica's Council effective from the commencement of Term 1 2020.

Before School 

Permanent  $18.00    Casual   $20.00

After School 

Permanent $30.00      Casual  $32.00

Vacation Care - $75.00

Hours of operation

7.30am – 8.45am (Before school care)
3.10pm – 6.00pm (After school care)
8.00am – 6.00pm (Vacation care)

Details of all school and regular services are available online for parents and students to begin planning their journeys.

School routes and services remain unchanged for 2020. Transport Canberra is here to support the safe passage of students to and from school using public transport and active travel options.

To assist in planning school bus travel, use our handy tips and checklist below.

Routes and timetables:

Check the details of services required for your child to and from school, also making sure your child is familiar with the times and stops. If your child is new to school or changing schools, please check available school services or regular bus timetables information.

Journey Planner:

The Transport Canberra Journey Planner includes school services, allowing you to plan out the most convenient mode of transport for your trip to school. Use Transport Canberra’s journey planner to plan your travel, and use NXTBUS to track your awaited service.

MyWay cards:

MyWay is the cheapest and easiest way to travel with Transport Canberra services. A student MyWay card can be purchased online, over the phone, or at a MyWay Recharge Agent. Adding travel credit is even easier with the options of B-Pay or Autoload direct debit, attracting an additional 5% discount on all fares. Students can also top up their MyWay card or purchase a single or daily ticket at Transport Canberra’s new ticket vending machines, available at selected bus stations and Light Rail stops.

When travelling on Transport Canberra services, it is important for students to carry their concession entitlement in addition to their MyWay card as Customer Service Officers regularly check concessions.

Fares:
A single trip school student MyWay fare is now $1.22 on school days and a single trip school student cash fare costs $2.50. All information about MyWay and cash fares are available online.

Public Transport Safety:
If your child is new to public transport or a regular user, don’t forget safety is a top priority. Make sure your child is familiar with the safety rules for inside and outside their chosen bus or light rail service. For further information on Transport Canberra travel safety, please visit the Etiquette and Safety and Staying Safe sections on our website.

Further information:

Pick-up and set down guidelines, tips for parents, tips for staff/volunteers, tips for students, safe driving, safety tips, safe school travel plans and travel congestion information can be found under the School Safety Tips on the Transport Canberra website.

Staying up to date:
To keep up to date with Transport Canberra news and important service information, sign up for our email alerts or follow us on our social media channels: Email Alerts  Facebook  Twitter

Further information can be found under the FAQ’s section on our website. For all other enquiries, please contact us on 13 17 10.

All parents volunteering at our school must have a current WWVP card.  When your card is due for renewal please ensure you have your updated card copied at the Front Office.