Term 3 Week 3

What a wonderful week of celebrations we experienced this week at St Monica’s. The most significant was the feast day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop on Thursday 8 August. Whilst Mary MacKillop passed away 115 years ago, her legacy is still strong in so many Josephite communities today in Australia and New Zealand. We stand proudly on the shoulders of the sisters of St Joseph who worked tirelessly in communities to provide an education for all children. Today’s liturgy, which was beautifully led by the Liturgy Leaders, offered the students the chance to reflect on what they can do to bring Mary’s quote “never see a need without doing something about it” to life through their words and actions. I think if Mary was to visit the St Monica’s community today she would be very proud of the student, staff and families and how they strive to make a difference in the lives of others.

                                                 Dear Mary MacKillop,

We have gathered as a community today to celebrate your feast day and whilst you are no longer with us, I wanted to share with you the story of St Monica’s – a school that is founded proudly on the Josephite traditions.

I believe that you would be very proud of the community of St Monica’s in 2024 - the students, the staff and the families. The Latin motto In Omnibus Caritas which means In all things Love still sits at the centre of our work and daily lives. We strive to be people who use their head, heart and hands to make a difference to the lives of others.

We do this when we help others with donations to Vinnies, Caritas or there is a need that we can see. This happens in our classes and playgrounds when we stop and check in on someone who looks upset or lonely. We do this when we help someone in the classroom with their learning or if they have a problem. We do this when we welcome others to our school and offer friendship to those who are new. We show love for the environment when we put our rubbish in the bin rather than letting someone else pick up after us. We do this when we stop and marvel at the gift of God’s creation. The values of love, respect, courage and inclusion will guide us as a community.

Mary, you have set us an amazing example of how to be a person of head heart and hands. Your passion for education for all children was not popular with all people but you and Fr Julian Tenison Woods knew that an education would change the lives of the children in your care. When you saw families living on the margins without access to education, you set up a school to teach children yourself — regardless of their situation. You and the Sisters of St Joseph went wherever the need was greatest. And despite facing enormous challenges, you continued to walk with people every step of the way.

I think that you would be proud of all who have come to St Monica’s for their education and how they have strived to live out your saying, Never see a need without doing something about it. We will continue to be people who are heart centred people.

We will aim to be people who are

• Brave and Curious in their learning and thinking and always strives for excellence
• Grateful for an environment that nurtures their growth and well-being
• Welcomes and includes all people
• and is faith filled and hopeful.

God bless you St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us as we will keep you in our prayers.

This letter was the reflection shared with the students at the liturgy to celebrate the feast day of Mary MacKillop.

Thank you to those families who have undertaken the Living Learning Leading survey for 2024. I can see that we have had 30 responses to date, but I would really love to beat our 40 responses from last year. The survey is open until 23 August for families, and it will only take 5 minutes of your time. When you have finished, please take a screen shot and send this to Annette to put your name in the draw for a $100 Hoyts movie voucher. I thank you for your support in this important tool for feedback about our school.

I hope that you all have the 21 August 2024 in your calendars for St Monica’s SALA exhibition “Head Heart and Hands”. Each child will have a piece of art on display, and we will unveil our whole school mural. The back gates will be open at 3.00pm and the exhibition will be open until 5pm. I look forward to sharing an afternoon of culture with you all.

The last day of this term, Friday 27 September is our school’s Sports Day and we will be returning to St. Albans Reserve – Clearview. On this day we have our Reception students finishing their day at 12pm and the remainder of the students’ day concludes at 2.00pm. On this day OSHC before and after school will not be available as we will be utilising a number of our OSHC staff as support staff at the Sports Day. I hope that with this early notice, families can co-ordinate suitable collection arrangements for their child or children.

God’s Blessings,

Emily  Sayer

Mary MacKillop Feast Day

Yesterday we celebrated St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day with a liturgy led by our Liturgy Leaders Group and Mrs Sayer. Saint Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, stands as a beacon of faith and resilience through the Josephite tradition. Born in 1842, Mary co-founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart with a mission to educate and uplift the marginalised and impoverished. Rooted in the spirit of Saint Joseph, her work embodied a deep commitment to social justice and compassion, emphasising service to those most in need. Her legacy, celebrated in her canonisation in 2010, continues to inspire us to live out the Josephite tradition of faith, education, and love in action.

Dear God,

Thank you for the inspiring life of Saint Mary MacKillop. Help us to follow her example of kindness, courage, and faith. May we always seek to help those in need and show love to everyone around us.

Guide us in our studies and play, and help us to make good choices each day. We ask for your blessing on our families, friends, and teachers. Give us strength to face challenges with faith and determination, just as Mary did.

May we grow in love and service, and always remember that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference.

Amen.

Sacramental Program

Over the next couple of weekends our students will complete the sacraments of Initiation. The sacraments of initiation is a vital part of the Catholic faith, marking the beginning of a person's journey in the Church. For students, this sacrament usually involves Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. Through Baptism, they are welcomed into the Christian community. Confirmation strengthens their connection with the Holy Spirit and deepens their faith. Finally, First Eucharist allows them to participate fully in the celebration of the Mass, receiving the body and blood of Christ. Together, these sacraments help students grow in their relationship with God and become active members of their faith community.  

I ask that you keep these students in your thoughts and prayers over the next few weeks.

Upcoming Dates – St Monica’s Parish School

Saturday                   10 August                 6:00pm          First Eucharist Celebration

Sunday                      11 August                 9:30am          First Eucharist Celebration

Thursday                   15 August                 2:00pm          Assumption of Mary Liturgy

Saturday                   17 August                 6:00pm          First Eucharist Celebration

Sunday                      18 August                 9:30am          First Eucharist Celebration

Saturday                   24 August                 6:00pm          First Eucharist Celebration          

Friday                        30 August                 8:00am          Father’s Day Breakfast & Liturgy

Saturday                   31 August                 6:00pm          St Monica’s Church – Sacrament                                                                                                         Celebration Mass & Family Mass

Sunday                     1 September            9:30am          St Martin’s Church – Sacrament                                                                                                          Celebration Mass & Family Mass

On the Wednesday 7 August, 54 students from St Monica’s competed in Catholic Schools Cross Country Carnival.

When we first arrived, Mr M took us for a little tour around the course, then at 10:05am the Year 6 girls started their race. The races went in order girls then boys. There were 3 divisions A, B & C. We had a lot of students that finished in the top 50. There were approximately 150-200 people in a race usually there were 3 to 4 people per school in a race. Each race went for about 12 to 20 minutes and the course was uphill, downhill, over bridges and through gravel stones.

It was an amazing experience for everyone involved and we all had a great time.

By Artin, Jonny, Angus, Alonzo       

2024 Book Week

Only one week to go. This year’s theme Reading is Magic celebrates reading stories and their amazing power to transport minds, encouraging children to be curious about the wonders in our world.

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2024 / Premier’s Be Active Challenge 2024

The Premier’s Reading Challenge ends on the 6th September and the Premier’s Be Active Challenge on the 27th September. Completed forms can be returned to the Library at any time.

Scholastic Book Club Order No. 5

LOOP orders close on Tuesday (13th August). Thank you for your ongoing support of the Book Club.

“Learned how to walk with correct posture”

“This course was fun, and I made loads of friends who were my age. I had fun trying new things whilst doing things that were useful. Somethings take longer but Rachel and her crew made it fun.” Grace  11 yrs July 2024

“Really fun meeting everyone and making instant friends”

“Super fun and I learnt lots!” Dinae 14yrs July 2024

“Learned how to motivate yourself”

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.