Term 1 Week 5 2025

Student leadership and agency is a core intention in our school’s Strategic Plan. At Week 4’s assembly, all our student leaders were presented with their leadership badges and publicly congratulated by their peers, families and staff. We know that the wisdom and leadership they will bring to their roles will have a large impact on our school community. As principal, I am very much looking forward to collaborating with them. We congratulate the following student leaders:

Year 6 Senior Leaders

Student Voice – Patrick, Sophie & Shivansh

Liturgy Leaders -Matthew & Jack

Ecology Leaders -Elisia & Hargun

Library Leaders – Hitansh, Naksh & Owen

House Captains –

     MacKillop – Harrison & Mahlie

     Augustine – Flynn & Olivia

    Tenison Woods- Elsie & Lachlan

    Joseph- Lucy & Klara

Student Voice

1/2G – Gia-Rose & Klara

1/2BR - Addy & Airlie

1/2M – Mila & Eloise

3/4P – Celestine & Samyra

3/4V – Alisha & William

4/5 M – Olivia & Leo

6MR – Patrick, Shivansh & Sophie

School Board

Last week we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) for 2024 school year. We also used this meeting to formally thank board members who have completed their time of service on the board, Leah Thornhill and Sarah Gilmour. Nominations were called for board vacancies, and I am very pleased to share with you the names of those who will sit on the school board for 2025:

President – Deacon Andrew Kirkbride

Chairperson – Tim Bant

Vice Chairperson - Jessica Do

Principal– Emily Sayer

Finance Committee Chairperson – Vanya (John) Denisoff

Members:

Sarah Morris (staff)

Kevin Hickson

Trish Drawwater

John Caruana

Preethi Kumar

Ben Bithell

Maria Carpentieri

Thank you to each of these parents for their commitment to the St Monica’s community. If you have any questions or would like to raise something, please feel free to reach out to any of these board members.

Last week we held a parent’s workshop for Early Years on the topics of Wellbeing and Reading. Kylie Clothier and Robyn Jolly shared with the 28 parents who attended how families can help in the development of their child’s reading strategies and capabilities. The other sharing focussed on the wellbeing program that we use in our Early Years classrooms, Kimochis. This beautiful program helps the children to develop their emotional literacy and use their words to help name how they are feeling and how an adult can support them to work through an issue. Thank you to all those who were able to attend the session and to Robyn and Kylie for their time and passion in sharing their wisdom. Other parent workshops about different focus areas will be held throughout the year. If you have a suggestion for a topic for a possible parent session, please send me an email to let me know.

I hope many of you will be able to attend the Family Picnic on Sunday 2 March, 1.00-3.00pm at Burchell Reserve, Stepney. I know I am looking forward to meeting Bumbles.

God’s blessings,

Emily Sayer

Principal

A reminder next Friday, 7 March is a pupil free day.

OSHC is available but bookings are essential.

SOLE Respect

Each year our classes work through the expectations of being a respectful student at St Monica’s.  Using the acronym ‘SOLE’, we discuss the components of respect for our SELF, OTHERS, LEARNING and the ENVIRONMENT.  This guides us in knowing what respect looks like in and around the school.  Students across the school, from our littlest receptions to Year 6 have been able to articulate how we show respect:

We show respect for our SELF when we:

• try our best
• talk positively about ourselves
• look after our bodies and belongings

We show respect for OTHERS when we:

• speak kindly
• include others
• play fairly
• listen to others

We show respect for our LEARNING when we:

• use good manners
• listen to our teacher
• learn from mistakes
• have a go

We show respect for our ENVIRONMENT when we:

put our rubbish in the right bins
care for our plants and gardens
recycle, turn off lights and save water

Learning Goals

At the start of each Semester, each student spends time reflecting on their learning and personal growth to determines the goals they are working on at school.  For most students, they decide upon a Literacy and Maths goal, along with a personal goal.  It is very impressive that students from a young age are self-reflective and know their areas of strength and areas they would like to improve on.  ‘A goal with a plan in only a wish’ (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), therefore, it is our job as teachers and parents to support young people with their goals.  For example, if your child’s goal is to improve their reading, listening regularly to your child read will be a great support.  If your child’s goal is to not get upset when they lose a game, playing games like UNO will be a great way to practice these skills in a safe and supportive environment. 

Have a chat with your child and see what goals they have set for themselves this semester

Sarah Morris

Assistant Principal: Learning and Inclusion

As we move from Ordinary Time into Lent next week, it's a chance for us to think more deeply about our faith and how we can grow as individuals. Ordinary Time helps us learn and grow in our everyday lives, so that when Lent arrives, we're ready to reflect, make positive changes, and become better people. Let's use this special time to open our hearts, be kind, and strengthen our connection with our faith and each other.

Here are a few questions to consider as we embark on this Lenten journey together:

What areas of my life need renewal and transformation?
How can I extend compassion and understanding to those around me during this season?
In what ways can I grow closer to my faith and community through my actions and intentions?

Ash Wednesday Mass

You are all invited to celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass with our whole school community next Wednesday, 5th March at 11.30am, led by Fr Matthew Newman

Project Compassion

Next week money boxes will be sent home for families to collect donations in support of Project Compassion. Run by Caritas Australia during Lent, Project Compassion raises awareness and funds to support vulnerable communities worldwide. It focuses on education, health, sustainable livelihoods and disaster response. By participating as a Catholic community, we show compassion and work towards a fairer, more just world for everyone.

Every action, big or small, makes a difference!

Shrove Tuesday – 4th March

Please remember to send your children with a gold coin donation on Tuesday for their pancakes, in support of Project Compassion. Bringing along a reusable plate and fork will also help reduce waste. Thank you for your support

Young Readers Day this Sunday 2nd March 9.30am-4pm at the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden, Cnr King William Road and Victoria Drive, Adelaide in the Torrens Tent and North Stage. This event is FREE.

Premier’s be active Challenge – Student Recording Booklets will be sent home next week

The Premier’s be active Challenge is about encouraging students to be more active, more often. Participants are rewarded with medals if they complete the Challenge.

The Challenge requires students to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity on at least 5 days of the week for at least 4 weeks from the start of the schoolyear until the end of week 10, term 3.

Students must record their physical activity on the student recording booklet. A parent/carer or teacher must endorse the student physical activity record to indicate that the student has met the participation requirements.

To meet their daily requirements, students should undertake 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.  Examples include riding a bike, playing tag games. Dancing, playing sport, walking to or from school. Physical activity does not need to be in one block of 60 minutes – it can be shorter amounts of activity that add up to 60 minutes.

Our School has received a $100 physical activity pack for our registration in the Challenge.

Dates to remember -

• Simultaneous Storytime – Wednesday 21st May
• Book Week 16th-23rd August -This year’s theme is ‘Book an Adventure’.
• Premier’s Reading Challenge – runs until 7th September.
• Premier’s be-active Challenge – runs until 26th September.

Library News – Book Week 16th-23rd August – ‘Book an Adventure

Pat Patience

We encourage all our students to dress up in their favourite costume or in colourful clothes and they will be decorating masks at school for them to wear on the day.

We will begin the day with an assembly and a parade, then there will be a variety of activities and gelato. It is a wonderful festival celebrated throughout Italy and the world before Lent. Everyone wears costumes and masks, and each region of Italy has its own special way of celebrating, with parades, floats, pageants, balls, orange battles, food and fireworks.

The parent community has established a private group on Facebook that facilitates the trading of second-hand uniform items.

Please visit www.facebook.com/groups/stmonicasbuyswapsell and request to join the group if you are interested.

The page is ideal for selling items in good condition that your child has outgrown, or to sell items if your child is moving on. Simply post images and your contact details. Alternatively, you can join the group to take advantage of the pre-loved items that become available.

For those of you who are not on Facebook, please contact the P&F pandf.stmonicas@gmail.com and they will assist you with the sale of items.

Please note the sale of old-style uniform items is not allowed. St Monica's Parish School does not manage this page and takes no responsibility for any private sales.

We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the land upon which St Monica’s learn, work and play.

May we walk gently on this land acknowledging the Kaurna people's deep spiritual connection with their country.

We pay our respects to Kaurna elders past and present and commit to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation.