Term 1 Week 7

State Election 19 March

This coming Saturday we head to the polls to determine the leadership of our state for the next four years. I draw your attention to our Facebook Page and the link below for information from Catholic Education of South Australia’s  regarding what each party has promoted as their commitment to Catholic Education in South Australia for the coming 4 years and potentially beyond. I invite you to read this before casting your vote. https://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/news/state-election

St Monica’s Parish School is a Polling Booth this Saturday, opening from 8.00am. Our wonderful Parents and Friends have organised a cake stall to be held in the front courtyard as a fundraiser for the school. If you can donate any yummy treats (ingredients included and wrapped), feel free to drop them off to the stall from 8.30am. Great chance to buy next week’s recess!

Pupil Free Day

Last Friday, teaching staff ‘gathered’ online to undertake a day of professional learning. The first part of our day focussed on the whole system learning framework, Clarity. We spent time exploring the fourteen parameters of Clarity and beginning our journey examining what matters most in learning, teaching and leading.

The second session of the day focussed on exploring in depth the data that we have of our students’ learning through a variety of diagnostic tools. Research shows us that the use of evidence of learning and data to inform the next steps in learning and assessment will create change and improve results. I look forward to be able to share this with you in more detail over the coming months.

Our last session together focussed on Character Strengths. Earlier this year, staff undertook a character strengths survey through Values in Action (VIA) and it identified each person’s character strengths. There are 24 strengths in total and the top 5 are the strengths that you bring to life in your daily life. It was a very interesting and powerful exercise.

This time staff were asked to focus and name the strengths that they saw in another staff member. We each asked to write a letter to another person to express our thoughts about what strengths we saw them bring to life in their work and relationships. The goal for this activity was to affirm another person and bring a recognition of what each of us contributes to our community and when we combined and utilise our individual strengths we grow and become stronger together.

Overall, it was a very productive day and I thank the staff for their commitment to learning and engaging with the tasks so enthusiastically.

Sports Day – Friday 1 April, St Alban’s Reserve, Chester Ave, Clearview.

How exciting that we are able to hold this special day in our school’s calendar and we can have families join us for the fun.

More detailed information will be shared with you early next week so please keep an eye out for it on SeeSaw and in your emails.

Parents and Friends upcoming events –

Family Gathering – Sunday 10 April from 1pm at Bennett Memorial Reserve, 181 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens. Bring your own food, drinks and chairs.

Hot Cross Buns – delicious Kyton Bakery hot cross buns and lamingtons available through our school’s Qkr app. I can highly recommend them to you.

Today the whole school can together to celebrate the Feast Day of St Joseph. 

We were reminded of the significant role Joseph played in Jesus’ life as well as the influence he had on Mary Mackillop and the Sisters of Saint Joseph who through his intercession, opened many Catholic schools across Australia including our own St Monica’s. The students were invited to use St Joseph as a guide and model. His faith and trust in God’s plan are a great example for us, may we too trust in God’s plan and lean on God through this difficult and uncertain time.

May St Joseph teach us to listen to the voice of God in our lives

and to always welcome His love into our hearts. Amen

If your child is currently enroled in the 2021/22 Sacremental Program, enrolment masses for Confirmation and Eucharist are this weekend. Both of these masses will also offer Children's Litrugy. You only need to attend ONE mass. St Monica's 6pm Saturday OR St Martin's 9.30am Sunday. Please bring your enrollment form to the mass.

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Family Gathering – Sunday 10 April from 1pm at Bennett Memorial Reserve, 181 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens. Bring your own food, drinks and chairs.

Hot Cross Buns – delicious Kyton Bakery hot cross buns and lamingtons available through our school’s Qkr app. I can highly recommend them to you.

Information and enrolment forms went home this week for 2022 Children's University. Please contanct the office if your child wishes to be involved but did not bring home a form (years 3-6). Please send money to school with the enrollment form or via the QKR app.

As we journey through the seocnd week of Lent, our students engaged with the Project Compassion of Biru who lives in a rural village in India’s east. He lost mobility in one of his legs, after contracting polio as a child. Biru worked as a shepherd, looking after other people’s cattle, to support his wife and four daughters. Keeping up with the cattle was a challenge. Biru taught himself how to repair bicycles by watching other people, but he never dreamed of using those skills to start his own business. With your generous support, Biru was able to access an entrepreneurship and livelihoods training program, run by Caritas Australia’s partner, Caritas India. He gained the support and skills he needed to start his own bicycle repair business. Now, Biru earns enough money to support his family.

Watch a short film about Biru’s story here.

Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

This week we weclomed five new friends to St Monica's. Currently they are very hungry catterpillars who are eating the milkweed we planted. We look forward to watching them grow! If you have any milkweek could you please let us know as we are in dire need of this to feed our VERY hungry catterpillars.

What is the Premier’s Reading Challenge?

The Challenge is a literacy engagement strategy that requires students to read 12 age-appropriate books in a year, those who complete the challenge receive an annual award.

Students are required to read 12 books from the start of the school year until the end of week 7, term 3 and record the titles and authors of the books they read on their Student Reading Record. A teacher, teacher librarian, public librarian, or parent/carer must sign each entry on the Student Reading Record to indicate that the student has read (or shared in the reading of) a book at an appropriate literacy level and that the book title and author are accurate.

Reception to year 6 students will need to read 8 books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist at an appropriate literacy level. They may read 4 books of their own choice at a similar standard to titles featured on the booklist.

Students may choose to read books in other languages. This is a great option for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. 

For each year of participation the awards are -

·       First year – Certificate

·       Second year – Bronze medal

·       Third year – Silver medal

·       Fourth year – Gold medal

·       Fifth year – Champion medal

·       Sixth year – Legend medal

·       Seventh year – Hall of Fame medal

Reading records will be distributed next week and completed forms can be brought to the Library at any time. Further information can be obtained from the PRC website: premiersreading challenge.sa.edu.au or contacting the Library Staff.  

Good luck with the challenge.

‘Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything’ —Tomie dePaola