Term 3 Week 9

We are nearly at the end of another busy term, but haven’t we had fun, lots of celebrations and learnt so much?

We are calling on all community members to help support seven students from Year 5 and 6 to travel to Sydney in late October. This may seem like quite an extreme excursion but these students, who will be supported by Sarah Morris, will be competing in the International Finals for Tournament of the Minds in Sydney.

This opportunity has come about from these students performing at, and winning, the state competition in the STEM category for Tournament of the Minds. This is no small feat, and it is a result of them being collaborative, critical thinkers and being creative as they developed a performance based on the theme of Not so Fantastic Plastic. They created a short play to problem solve the issue of plastic pollution in a country. Their performance was impressive, and they were winners in this category. Congratulations to each student and to Sarah Morris who has overseen their preparation over many afternoons, lunch times and weekends. We are very proud of these students and wish them every success as they compete in Sydney next term. To help cover the cost, as a school we will have several fundraising events. I hope that you will support these initiatives. Next Thursday 26 September we invite students to wear their footy colours to school with a gold coin donation which will go to supporting our TOM team.

Today is my last day at St Monica’s for a few weeks. I depart on Monday for a Study Tour in Scotland (Glasgow) and Singapore. I will be travelling with other principals from around Australia and we will be learning both countries’ system initiatives in education that improves learning outcomes for students, develops teacher capacity and nurtures the wellbeing of educators. Whilst I will miss the student, families and staff, I know that I will be learning so much to bring back to our community. I look forward to sharing my experiences when I return. Susanne Harding (Deputy at St Martin’s School) will be the Acting Principal in my absence. Susanne has worked at St Monica’s a number of years ago, so she is very excited to return to this wonderful community. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Susanne if you need help in any way.

I hope that during the holidays, you and your family have a chance to catch your breath and relax together. I will see you again soon.

God’s blessings,

Emily Sayer

Prayer - Peace

This week for prayer we have been focusing on the theme of peace. In the current world we live in, peace is very important, not just for the world and working together, but also for ourselves in the busy lives we lead. Each student was called to reflect on how they can bring peace into their own hearts and the world around us.

As they focused on finding peace in their own hearts, students read the scripture Colossians 3:15 which says, ‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.’

Students were also asked to reflect on the following questions:

How can we find moments of peace during the school day?

What helps you feel calm and peaceful when you are feeling worried?

Students prayed together the following prayer:

Dear God,

Help us find peace in our hearts today.

May we let go of worries and trust in You.

Fill us with Your calm and help us bring peace together.

Amen

KESAB

Last Tuesday, Lee from KESAB, came and ran a Recycle Relays incursion for our Reception – Year 2 classes. Lee spent time talking to the students about the different types of rubbish there are and taught the students the correct bin that each piece of rubbish should go in. They then played a game where, in teams, they had to pick a piece of rubbish, choose the correct bin and run put it in there! It was a great activity, and the students learnt some very valuable information to help them be stewards of our common home.

That night, Lee returned to our school, to run a Conscious Cooking Session. This session demonstrated to our families some simple, cheap and family friendly nude food recipes suitable for lunchboxes. It was an opportunity to learn how to use commonly wasted foods to create delicious lunches and reduce single use packaging. This was an amazing session, and we all learnt so much! The students who came were able to gain hands on experience and help Lee in all the making of the various dishes. They made a hummus dip, avocado dip, rice crackers, apple pie balls and breakfast banana balls!

Upcoming Dates – St Monica’s Parish School

Sunday                      22 September         9:30am          St Martin’s Church – Mass

                                                                                       followed by Sacramental Program

2024/2025 Information Session

Saturday                   19 October              6:00pm           Enrolment Mass 2024/2025

Sacraments Program       

Sunday                      20 October              9:30pm          Enrolment Mass for 2024/2025

                                                                                       Sacraments Program                   

Monday                    21 October              3:15 – 4:15     Reconciliation School Session

                                                                                      St Martin’s Catholic Primary School     

Tuesday                    22 October              3:15 – 4:15    Reconciliation School Session

                                                                                      St Monica’s Parish School

Wednesday             23 October              3:45 – 4:45     Reconciliation School Session (Parish)

                                                                                     St Martin’s Catholic Primary School

Please consider visiting your local Libraries and joining in the many wonderful activities they run over the holidays.

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

These Challenges have now closed. Medals and Certificates will be sent to the school at the end of November and presented to the students.

Overdue Library Books and Readers

The students who have overdue books will receive an overdue notice to take home next week.  Over the holidays could you please look in school bags, bedrooms, and other places they may be and return any books found at the beginning of Term 4.  If you cannot locate the books, could you please let the Library Staff or Class Teachers know so we can mark our records accordingly.  If we do not receive notification that the books cannot be found an account for the overdue books may be issued.

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.