Newsletter 14th March 2024

From the Principal

Yesterday our Year 3 & 5 students commenced their first tests for NAPLAN, with both year levels completing the Writing component and the Year 5’s also completing the Reading.  It was wonderful to see our students rested, focused and in high spirits, with many of them drawing on our Learning Behaviours and just giving it a go, showing persistence, and trying their best. As we mentioned to the whole school, we have wonderful readers and writers here at St Monica’s and today’s tests were just another opportunity to showcase what they can do to a different audience.

Don’t forget that this weekend is the Oakey Show. I encourage everyone to go along and support this great community event and take the time to check out the many displays including the school work. Our students have done a fantastic job in preparing their individual art pieces, writing and mapping. Visitors to the school office would have also seen our entry for the Oakey Show Foyer and Window display competition. Well done to everyone involved in putting this display together. Photos are available on our Facebook page.

We have commenced our Prep enrolment interviews for 2025 for siblings and new families to our school. Our official enrolment drive has now commenced, and I encourage current and new families to get their applications in as soon as they can. Our first official Prep 2025 event is our Prep “Come and Try” morning on Saturday 23^rd March from 9:00am. This is an opportunity for children and parents to come along and experience what a morning in Prep is like at St Monica’s.

Parents can now book in for our Parent Teacher Interviews which are being held next week on Tuesday 19^th March and Thursday 21^st March. Interviews can be booked in via the Parent Portal App.  The Portal is our centralised information sharing app for parents. Newsletters, notifications and other useful information is stored and sent from this platform. Parents can set up an account using the access keys that has been sent to all families throughout the term. If you are having difficulties accessing or setting up your account, please come and speak with myself or the office staff.

CROSS COUNTRY

The St Monica’s Cross Country Carnival will take place on Friday 22 March at Gordon Park. All students will participate in an event on the day and need to wear their house shirts. 9-12 Year Old students have the option of participating in the Fun Run, rather than the longer, competitive event, and nominations must be completed via the link in the Parent Portal by Tuesday 19 March. If no notification is received, students will participate in the competitive event. Maps of the Cross Country course for each age can also be accessed on the Parent Portal. Please ensure your child has their hat and water bottle, and you may wish to apply insect repellent. Spectators are very welcome to attend. We aim to commence the first event at 9.15 am and the schedule will run as follows:

From the APRE

Parent Teacher Interviews

Beginning next week, all classroom teachers will be conducting parent-teacher interviews. This is an opportunity to meet and discuss your child’s progress and individual needs. However, a parent need not wait until these formal events to have an interview with a teacher. Please do not hesitate to make contact with your child’s teacher if you ever feel there is a need. It is in effective parent/teacher relationships that our students will thrive both academically and socially.

St Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March. On this day, millions of people wear green, celebrate with Irish parades, give good cheer, and consume many Irish foods. St Patrick is remembered for his courageous heart, simple ways and his love and care for people. He famously used the three leafed shamrock to teach people about the holy trinity – a leaf for God the Father, a leaf for God the son, and a leaf for God the Holy Spirit. St Patrick also hold a special place in Toowoomba Catholic Schools, with our Cathedral and three schools named in his honour. 

Project Compassion Fundraiser 3 – Water Scavenger Hunt

On Monday we began our third Project Compassion Fundraiser - the Water Scavenger Hunt – reminding us just how precious water is. Around the school, pictures of water drops are hidden, and the task is to find as many of them as possible. For 50c, students will be able to purchase a recording sheet where they will mark all the water drops that they can find.

This competition will run until next Thursday. The student who identifies all the raindrops will be announced on assembly next Friday as the winner and receive a prize. All money raised goes to Project Compassion, who supports needy and vulnerable people around the world.

Harmony Week 2024

Harmony Week, celebrated from March 18- March 24, is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it. Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. To mark this week, students will engage in a variety of Harmony Week activities and enjoy a shared fruit break of oranges on Monday the 18^th of March.

World Down Syndrome Day

Next Thursday, March 21, is World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD). It is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. On this day, students will learn more about Down Syndrome and celebrate what people with Down Syndrome bring to our community. 

In recognition of this day, students will participate in the

‘Lots of Socks’ Campaign. We ask that students wear their brightest, most colourful socks to school and bring along a gold coin donation.  All funds raised go towards local Down Syndrome associations to continue their work supporting and empowering people with Down Syndrome to have full access to social and economic inclusion.

End of Term Mass

on Thursday the 23th of March, students will attend Mass to give thanks for the wonderful term we have had together, and to recognise The commemoration of St Benedict, for who our founding Sisters, the Sisters of The Good Samaritan, base their values. All parents are welcome to attend. Students who have completed Sacramental program in previous years are also invited to stay after Mass for Reconciliation.

Holy Week School Prayer Celebration

As we are approach the end of Lent, we turn our hearts and minds to the most important week in the Church’s year, Holy Week. Holy Week commemorates Jesus’ last week on earth and the events leading up to His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Our Holy Week Prayer Celebration is on the last Tuesday of Term 1 – Tuesday the 26^th of March at 1:45pm in the hall. All families are welcome to attend.

From the Classrooms

Prep

Another fortnight done; I must say, time flies when we're having fun.  

The end of term is fast approaching, and the students have been very busy with their term 1 assessments. I am so impressed by their resilience and persistence, as testing is very unfamiliar. 

In English we have been working very hard on segmenting and blending the sounds we have learnt to make words.  It's great to see how many children have been practising this skill at home when doing their homework. This is an essential skill that will enable the children to become amazing readers.  

A reminder to all parents that homework, readers, and library books need to be returned each Thursday.  New homework will be issued on a Friday.  

We are looking forward to another amazing fortnight in Prep!

Year 1

This fortnight during Science and HASS, we have been learning about how the time of day, weather and seasons can change how the landscape looks.

We have also learned that the weather differs depending on where you are in Australia and that the weather can determine our daily activities. In English, we read many of Alison Lester's books and talked about the words she uses to describe her characters, the settings, and how the characters feel. This week, the students have begun creating their characters and planning their stories.

I look forward to being able to share these with you at Parent Teacher Interviews next week. Please select a time to discuss your child's learning and progress.

Year 2

Wow I can’t believe we are already in Week 8 of Term 1! We have been doing some amazing work in Year Two in the last two weeks.

In English, we have been learning all about characters and settings in preparation for writing our own narratives. We will be starting our narrative plans this week and we are so excited to write our own stories!

In Maths, we have been looking at different addition and subtraction strategies. We did our first problem solving project this week which was spending money for our shop. We were given $50, and a list of items and we had to write down what we could buy for exactly that amount. Some of us were given the challenge of writing a list of products worth $200.

In Religion, we have been looking into the three creation stories from the bible. In groups, we were able to make some beautiful posters to hang around our room to display information from each story.

 Just a reminder to please bring in any ‘Smeds and Smoos’ forms that have not been returned yet!

Year 3

Welcome to another exciting week at in Year 3, I cant believe we are already in Week 8! We have officially kicked off NAPLAN assessments for our Year 3 students, and they are doing a fantastic job! They will continue with these assessments throughout the week and conclude with the Mathematics assessment next Tuesday. I am so proud of their hard work and dedication. As a special recognition of the Year 3 students' excellent effort and participation in NAPLAN testing this week, there will be no homework sent home next week. It's a small reward for their dedication and commitment.

Next week, I am eagerly looking forward to meeting with all parents and caregivers during our parent-teacher interviews. It will be a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's progress and celebrate their achievements together.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Year 4A

We have just finished reading ‘The Twit’s’ by Roald Dahl. Now it’s the students turn to become authors and write their own chapter of the book. We have been investigating sentence structure, language features and the structure of a narrative leading up to this task. The students thoroughly enjoyed the story. I am looking forward to reading what they come up with for their extra chapter.

There is only a couple of more weeks left until Easter. We are continuing our Caritas challenge, up until the end of Term 1. Thank you to all those families that have supported this challenge and supporting those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

I look forward to meeting with you and discussing your child’s progress at our parent teacher interviews. Please book in if you haven’t yet done so.

Year 4M

Welcome to Week 8!

We are all finding our persistence and resilience as we come towards the end of the term. Thank you to all the parents who have booked in for parent-teacher interviews. There are still some spaces left if you want to book in. We have cross country next week. Notes were sent home via the parent portal to nominate your child for an event. If your child wants to run in the fun run and is not nominated for it, they will be put in the 2km race so please check with them as to what they want to do. The Year Four T-Ball Gala Day is also coming up in the last week of term, and further information will be sent out shortly. Just a reminder - please ensure that homework folders (not homework) are in school bags every day.

Have a fantastic week!

Year 5B

Today we commenced our NAPLAN assessments and it was great to see the positive and confident way in which the students engaged in these tasks. NAPLAN will continue this week and into next week. Whilst it should always be the case, it is probably timely to remind students of the need for a good night's sleep and a healthy diet to ensure optimum performance. 

The students were very excited to receive their new laptops this week, just in time to use them for NAPLAN. Parent/teacher interviews will take place next Tuesday afternoon. Given this is our first term together, it is a good opportunity to just touch base and have a chat about your child. The students have put the finishing touches to show entries this week, in preparation for the Oakey Show on Saturday. There are still a few events to look forward to in the next couple of weeks including the Cross Country on Friday 22/3, the Easter Play on Tuesday 26/3 and the end of term Mass on Wednesday 27/3.

All Year 5 and 6 students are asked to bring in a donation of chocolates/Easter goods for the Easter Raffle. If you are yet to do so, please send items in by Wednesday 28 March. All proceeds will go to the Year 5/6 Burleigh Camp and remember every dollar you sell in tickets comes directly off your child's individual camp costs. 

Year 5R

I hope this newsletter finds you well. As we navigate through the exciting academic year, here are some highlights from our 5R classroom.

Our Year 5 students have been working through NAPLAN testing. Also, in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, 5R students will be presenting during the upcoming assembly. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their creativity and knowledge about this event.

Throughout this term, we have been diligently working on various subject area assessments. These assessments provide valuable insights into each students academic achievements and areas for improvement. We appreciate your ongoing support in helping your children prepare for these assessments and encourage them to do their best.

As the cross-country season approaches, we've been engaging in training sessions including games, to prepare for the upcoming competition. Participation in sports not only promotes physical health but also teaches important life skills such as teamwork, resilience, and determination.

Just like training our bodies, we continue building upon the strategies for expanding vocabulary skills , I encourage all students to immerse themselves in books, articles, and other reading materials. Reading not only enhances vocabulary but also fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity.

As always, I appreciate your continued support and involvement in your child's education. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Year 6

With the end of term fast approaching, a reminder for all Year 5/6 families to please send in their donations for the Easter raffle prizes. 

All proceeds from the raffle will go towards reducing the cost of the Year 5/6 Camp. More ticket sheets can be collected from the office to sell up until the 27th of March.

From the Library

From Music & LOTE

During Music lessons, students have been preparing their class item for the Holy Week play.  Parents are warmly invited to this performance on Tuesday 26^th March at 2pm in the hall. 

On Tuesday 23^rd April, we are having an Indonesian Cultural Day where each class will participate in craft/cultural activities during their Indonesian lesson.    It would be wonderful to have some parents helpers to cook coconut rice that day.  If you are able to help, please email Kate.Hughes@twb.catholic.edu.au

Mini Monnie's Playgroup

Be Well at St Monica's

Learning for Success

In challenging times, help is just a phone call away!  Who can you call 24/7?

Lifeline 131114, Kids Help Line 1800 551800, Beyond Blue 1300 224636

Uniforms

School uniforms are now available at School Locker online theschoollocker.com.au  or Intersport in Ruthven St Toowoomba.

Research has shown that one of the real advantages of an education at a Catholic School is that a special and unique pride is developed. One significant way to foster such pride is the enforcement of strict uniform guidelines.  All children are expected to wear the school uniform as listed below:

School Uniform - Years 1 to 6

Girls – Formal - Monday, Tuesday & Thursday

• St Monica’s School Dress Uniform
• Dress: Pattern, Sutton no 346(B)
• Dress: Fabric, Check 8021
• Collar: Cesarella 1301, Zip: Birch 265 Bottle Green
• St Monica’s School green school bucket hat
• Short white socks – (no ankle socks)
• All black shoes – may be leather or jogger.

Girls – Sports - Wednesday and Friday

• St Monica’s School Sports Shirt Yr.1 to Yr.5
• St Monica’s School Leader Shirt Year 6
• St Monica’s School Navy Blue Skort
• St Monica’s School green school bucket hat
  
• Short white socks
• White sandshoes/joggers

Winter Variation

• As Above
• St Monica’s School Bottle Green Fleecy Pullover with embroidered crest
• Green fleecy track pants with sports uniform only.
• Navy Blue Tights (optional)
  

Boys – Formal - Monday, Tuesday & Thursday

• St Monica’s School Dress Shirt with tartan collar
• Shirt: Pattern, Simplicity 5581
• Fabric: Bottle Green Poplin 8021
• Shorts: Navy Blue Long Shorts (Ruggers)
• St Monica’s School green school bucket hat
  
• Short navy-blue socks – (no ankle socks)
• All black shoes – May be leather or jogger.

Boys – Sports - Wednesday & Friday

• St Monica’s School Sports Shirt Yr. 1 to Yr. 5
• St Monica’s School Leader Shirt Year 6
• St Monica’s School Navy Blue Shorts (Stubbies)
• St Monica’s School green school bucket hat
  
• Short white socks
• White sandshoes/joggers

Winter Variation

As Above

• St Monica’s school Bottle Green Fleecy pullover with embroidered crest
• Green fleecy track pants with sports uniform only.
• Long navy-blue pants - Ruggers – Formal uniform (optional)
  

It is expected that the correct and clean school uniform will be worn at all times.  A school uniform can help instil in the students a sense of pride and identity. It also signifies unity and equality.

Prep students wear the sports uniform 5 days per week – Monday to Friday

All Students

Hair:             Collar length hair or longer must be tied back with a green band or green ribbon. Natural hair colour is expected. Rat’s tails and tracks are not permitted.

Earrings:             Girls: Sleepers and plain studs are the only acceptable earrings.

                                Boys: No earrings.

Other:                   Clearly mark all clothing with your child’s name.

From the P&F

The P & F would like to thank the school community, volunteers and school staff for making the bush dance a wonderful event.  

If you would like to get involved in the P & F, please accept this as a warm invitation and welcome. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the P&F email or see Lyndell in the office. oakpandf@twb.catholic.edu.au

Clothing Pool

The clothing pool is currently located in the OSHC, if you require anything please contact the school office or see Lauren in OSHC room near the Prep Classroom.

Outside School Hours Care

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