Term 3 Week 4

Another busy week and I cannot believe we are halfway through August. I know the warm weather and longer days will be with us soon and the time to enjoy being outdoors is very close. The students have been patient with having to stay inside at break times when we have wet weather. This is not easy when they have been focussed on their learning inside for a long period of time. Well done and thank you!

Last week we launched our SALA exhibit and it was an outstanding success. The feedback from families and special visitors who came to see the incredible art works created by the students was so positive and encouraging. The students and teachers had worked hard on creating their masterpieces over the last few weeks and a lot of effort was put into the presentation of an art piece by every single child at St Monica’s. Lucy Hood, Member for Adelaide, was excited to be able to return to our school and spend time with the students and their families. The whole school mural at the back of the school and the Stairway to Possibilities were very popular. One lovely moment that I would like to share with you was a comment that was made to me by a new family to our community. Ajay will start in Reception next year and his mum had brought him with her to have a tour of the exhibition. Uma spoke of the joy and warmth that she felt being with us and cannot wait for her son to start in such a wonderful community. This is a comment often made by families that I have taken on Principal’s Tours. The words inclusive, welcoming, warm and friendly are often used adjectives to describe St Monica’s. How lucky am I to be a member of this community.

Next week when we have Catholic Schools Open Week, we invite all families to come and visit us on Tuesday 23 August between 2.00pm -3.00pm. The SALA exhibit will still be open, and visitors and families are most welcome to visit our classroom spaces and engage with learning programs being undertaken. It will be wonderful to see many of you again.

Thank you to the families who have participated in the Living Learning Leading Framework survey. This non-identifiable and confidential data helps to inform policy development and future directions for our school. It gives us information about what improvements need to occur and how we are going as a school community. The survey has been extended for one more week for parents/guardians to participate and I strongly encourage you to have your say. The survey only takes 5 minutes at the most and it would be great to have more than the 17 families that participated last year.

www.NSIPartnership.com.au

Access code: SMPLLLP

The Year 5 and 6s leave for their school camp early on Monday morning. They, along with 5 staff members will be travelling to Kangaroo Island for 4 days and 3 nights. Having read the itinerary, I am a bit jealous that I am not able to go with them. Maybe next year? We wish them safe travels and look forward to hearing about all their adventures when they return. Keep an eye on our social pages for photos of them whilst over there.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our open school on Tuesday 23 August, 2.00pm-3.00pm.

God’s blessings,

Emily Sayer

Principal

Over the coming weeks students from our school will celebrate their First Holy Communion with children from St Martins and our Parish. Although it is their first time celebrating the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, we pray for them as they continue their spiriual journey nourished by Jesus though communion. We congratualte those students who have celebrated already and wish others well for the coming weeks.

"May the blessing of Christ be on you always"

Book Week 2022 – Dreaming with eyes open …. The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the winners of the 2022 Book of the Year Awards. The winning books in each category are:

Older readers

• Tiger Daughter (Rebecca Lim, A&U)

Older readers: Honour books

• Girls in Boys’ Cars (Felicity Castagna, Pan)
• How to Repaint a Life (Steven Herrick, UQP)

Younger readers

• A Glasshouse of Stars (Shirley Marr, Puffin)

Younger readers: Honour books

• Dragon Skin (Karen Foxlee, A&U)
• Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief (Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books)
•  

Early childhood

• Jetty Jumping (Andrea Rowe, illus by Hannah Sommerville, HGCP)

Early childhood: Honour books

• Amira’s Suitcase (Vikki Conley, illus by Nicky Johnston, New Frontier)
• Walk of the Whales (Nick Bland, HGCP)

Picture book of the year

• Iceberg (Claire Saxby, illus by Jess Racklyeft, A&U)

Picture book of the year: Honour Books

• Just One Bee (Margrete Lamond & Anthony Bertini, illus by Christopher Nielsen, Dirt Lane Press)
• Stellarphant (James Foley, Fremantle Press)

Eve Pownall Award

• Still Alive, Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System (Safdar Ahmed, Twelve Panels Press)

Eve Pownall Award: Honour books

• Heroes, Rebels and Innovators (Karen Wyld, illus by Jaelyn Biumaiwai, Lothian)
• The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Peculiar Pairs in Nature (Sami Bayly, Hachette)

CBCA Award for New Illustrator

• Michelle Pereira for The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name (Sandhya Parappukkaran, HGCP).

Premier’s Reading Challenge ends 9 September 2022

Premier’s Be Active Challenge concludes 30 September 2022

On the 11^th of August, the SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival was held.  44 students participated in a two kilometre race.

At around 9:00am, students boarded a bus and traveled to the oval where the carnival was being held. They were toured around the course and were shown what they were up against.

First it was the Year 6 C division to race. Two girls and four boys participated in this race. The girls were up first. The girls were Brooke Davidson and Anwesha Lamsal. The four boys were Samuel Pascual, Thanh Nguyen, Ryan McDonnell and Ilario Cavallaro.

Then it was time for Year 6 B division to race. Made up of one girl and two boys participated in this race. The one girl was Genna Harrison and the two boys were Levi Bihar and Xavier Centofanti.

Then the Year 6 A division raced. Made up of two boys, Yash Soni and Erik Cunningham, this was a tight race to the finish.

It was an exciting race going on grass, gravel and bridges. It was a challenge for all of us. Testing our skill and determination to get the job done.

Then it was the Year 3 A,B and C divisions. They all did so well since this was their first race. After it was the Year 4s A,B and C divisions.

Lastly the Year 5s A,B and C divisions went up against many other schools.

One outstanding result in St Monica’s was Xavier Turner from Year 5, he pushed himself to keep on going and he secured a 3rd position.

QUESTION:

What did you think of Cross Country?

3ML:

Lucy: ‘It was fun, competitive, but it was kind of boring in between races. I was kind of nervous before my race because it was my first time.’

Harrison: ‘It was tiring but fun. I was very nervous because it was my first time.’

  4V:

Cooper: ‘It was fun and exciting. It was a little bit boring between races. I was so nervous.’

Tayla: ‘It was fun. I liked It. This was my second time. I wasn’t nervous.’

4PE:

Angus: ‘It was very fun. I was nervous. I liked the spare time between races.’

Madeline: ‘It was good. I thought It was fun but waiting between races was a bit boring.’

5MM:

Xavier: ‘I felt confident because I was in the state cross country team and I was the only one from North Adelaide to make it. I was obviously nervous. It felt really good after winning because I’ve trained for 3 years of hard work. I didn’t really talk to anyone because I wanted to focus on the race.’

‘Nothing beats hard work’

—Xavier Turner 

Helen: ‘I was very impatient and nervous about what position I would come.’

6MM:

Erik: ‘The run itself was exhilarating. The race itself was wasn’t tiring but afterwards I was really sore. I was really happy with the position I came in although I think that if I had preserved my energy I may have gotten a better position. I am really happy that Xavier  T managed to get a medal he did really well.’

Levi: ‘The run was fun but I was also very tired and i got a stitch at the start of the race. After my race i was very tired.  After my race i was very bored there was nothing to do.’

All in all, this was a fantastic day and everyone enjoyed the day and everyone had fun.

A reminder that ICAS assessments for registered Year 4-6 will begin next week.

Assessments start at 9am and students need a charged device and pencil.

Times are as follows:

Tuesday 30th August - Maths

Sarah Morris

(Leader of Learning – Wellbeing and Inclusion)

St Monica’s acknowledge the Kaurna People as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We acknowledge the continued deep spiritual connection and relationship of Aboriginal peoples to this country and commit to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation.