Term 4 Week 9 2024

We made it! What a wonderful end to another successful year at St Monica’s. We came together to celebrate our students’ gifts and talents at our End of Year concert. Thank you for coming and sharing the Christmas spirit with us. Weren’t the children, and staff, just amazing?

I would also like to thank the P and F for co-ordinating our Christmas Raffle which will be used to support the Vinnies’ Christmas Appeal and the students of St Monica’s. Congratulations to all the winners this year. A special thank you to all the families and businesses who supported the raffle with donations of prizes. If you get the chance, please take the time to support these wonderful businesses.

On Tuesday we celebrated the completion of our Year 6 students primary schooling. A beautiful mass, led by Fr John and Deacon Andrew was held in the afternoon and that night we enjoyed a magnificent Graduation Dinner at the Sicilia Club with the students and their families. Thank you to parents who were on the organising committee. The Winter Wonderland theme was just beautiful and thank you to the Sicilia Club for hosting us again. The food was delicious and the service and help you gave to us was most appreciated.

At our End of Year Concert, we farewelled several staff who are leaving us to begin a new journey at another school. I would like to acknowledge and thank each of them for their contribution and service to St Monica’s. Each of them has had an impact on our school and we wish them every success and blessing in their future experiences. We farewelled: Julie Jurkovic, Giselle De Klerk, Anthony Maio, Rachel Milosevic, Nikki Grosser and Katie Downie.

Vanessa Blacker and Deb Lauder are taking leave in 2025, and we look forward to them returning to St Monica’s in 2026.

Our class structures and teachers for 2025 are:

Rec C – Kylie Clothier

Rec J – Robyn Jolly

1/2M – Linda Mazzone

1/2B- Michelle Barber

1/2G – Erin Gentile

3/4V – Rosalia Vivian

3/4P – Leonie Pitt

4/5M – Emily Monaghan

6 M – Jim Mihelios and Sarah Morris

Reports and class allocation were released to families on Tuesday afternoon. Our St Monica’s teachers are dedicated professionals who work as a strong, cohesive team. They plan together and have clear communication systems in place to ensure smooth transitions and consistency for the students. The transition visits to new classrooms and to meet their new teacher were held on Wednesday morning and were a positive experience.

Please remember that Book Collection Day will be held on Friday 24 January, 8.00 am - 5.00pm. Families are asked to come to the school hall and to collect their child’s books and to pay the Composite Fee. Students in Years 5 and 6 will also be able to collect their iPads on this day. Year 4s will receive their iPads after attending one of the two Information sessions being held on 29 January (9.00am or 5.00pm).

We are trialling not having the Meet Teacher Day this year on the Book Collection Day but instead we will be holding Open Classrooms on Wednesday 5 Febraury, 5.30pm - 7.00pm so parents can come and meet their child’s teacher and meet the other parents of the class. More information will be shared early next year.

I would like to wish each family a most blessed Christmas and a wonderful start to 2025. I look forward to seeing you all again in the new year.

Emily Sayer

Dear Families,

As the year draws to a close, we pause to reflect on the many blessings, challenges, and opportunities that have shaped our journey together as a school community. This is a time of year when we are called to be still, to prepare, and to wait with hope and joy for the coming of Jesus. It is Advent, a season in the Church’s Liturgical Year dedicated to anticipation and readiness for the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Advent invites us into a sacred space of waiting. This waiting is not passive but active, filled with hope and expectation. As we light the candles of the Advent wreath each week, we are reminded of the gifts Jesus brings to the world: hope, peace, joy, and love. The flickering flames serve as a symbol of our call to prepare our hearts and homes for the arrival of Emmanuel — “God is with us.”

In our classrooms and liturgical celebrations, we have explored what it means to wait for Jesus. We have prayed, sung, and reflected together:

What does it mean to prepare our hearts for Jesus?
How can we share the hope and joy of Advent with others?
In what ways can we be Christ’s hands and feet in our community during this holy season?

This season also challenges us to consider our role in the ongoing story of God’s love. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are reminded of the transformative power of his message. How might we carry the light of Christ into the world beyond Advent and Christmas? How can we, as a community of faith, continue to live out the mission of Christ in the new year?

Let us pray:

A Prayer for Advent

Loving God, as we wait for the birth of Your Son, help us to be still and listen to Your voice. Prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus and inspire us to share His light with those around us. May we bring hope to the weary, peace to the troubled, joy to the sorrowful, and love to all.
Amen.

As we prepare to conclude this school year, may we take with us the lessons of Advent: the importance of waiting, the joy of hope, and the call to be a light for others. Thank you for your partnership, support, and faith throughout the year. May your family’s Christmas season be filled with the love and peace of Christ.

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every one of you for making my time here at St Monica’s so special. I have been very lucky to spend a year with such beautiful staff, students and families who have made me feel so welcomed and blest. My days have been filled with lots of ‘Hello Miss Downie’ and smiling faces that have made each day a joyful one. Despite only being with the St Monica’s community for a year, you have had such a big impact on my life, and I have learnt so much from you all, especially the students.

I wish you a blessed Christmas and a joyful new year,

Katie Downie

Assistant Principal: Religious Identity and Mission

As part of our Christmas celebrations, we hold a children’s nativity play at 6pm prior to our 6.30pm Family Mass on Christmas Eve.  We would like to invite your child/ren to be a part of this.  I have also attached a copy of our Christmas Mass times for your information.

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.