Newsletter 3rd September 2025
From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
I begin by offering my congratulations to all of our students who took part in this year’s St Monica’s Got Talent event. From our finalists to all students who auditioned, you should all be proud of your efforts. At St Monica’s, we focus on shaping our students around our Learning Dispositions and they were on display throughout the event. The staff and audience were extremely impressed with the high levels of Confidence, Resilience and Persistence on display. Thanks again to Mrs Hughes for providing this opportunity for our students. It is definitely a high point in our day of celebrations for St Moncia’s Feast Day. Thank you also to Mrs McGregor for her work in co-ordinating another wonderful day of celebrations – including our Whole School Mass and activities for our St Monica’s Feast Day.
As mentioned in communication this week, as part of my professional religious leadership goals, I will be heading off with other members of Toowoomba Catholic Schools to complete a pilgrimage through Italy and the Vatican to learn about the Great Saints of Italy and to participate in the Jubilee of Hope celebrations. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to visit and participate in Mass and prayer at some of the Holy Basilicas within the Catholic Church including Mass at St Peter’s Basilica and a possible group audience with Pope Leo.
Mrs McGregor will be resuming the Acting Principal role while I’m on leave.
I look forward to seeing everyone back ready to work in our final term of the year. These final 9 weeks will go fast, particularly when we have events such as Year 5 & 6 Camp, swimming lessons and our end of year events but there will also be plenty of opportunities for our students to build on their learning from this term and to finish off the year on a high. I wish you all a restful break when the time rolls around in 10 short days.
From the APMI
Oakey Sing Fest
Today, all choir students attended the Oakey Cultural Centre from 9:30am – 2:30pm to participate in a series of workshops led by Julee-Ann Bell (The Voice) and Melissa Buchholz (Acclaimed pianist). They also learned a series of songs that they will perform on stage tonight at the Cultural Centre at 6:00pm, which parents and the community are warmly invited to attend. Tickets can be purchased using the following link - http://www.trybooking.com/DCZFZ
Pupil Free Day this Friday for CTJ Day
A friendly reminder that this Friday the 5th of September is a pupil free day for the annual Consistency of Teacher Judgement (CTJ) Day. On this day each year, teachers from different schools meet with other teachers on the same year level to compare units of work and assessments to ensure that standards of achievment are consistent across schools.
National Child Protection Week
Next week is National Child Protection Week, which aims to engage, educate and empower all Australians to understand the complexity of child abuse and neglect and work together to prevent it.
This year, National Child Protection Week will continue to champion the overarching message: Every child in every community needs a fair go. Last year, having conversations was at the heart of the campaign. Communities and individuals across Australia were encouraged to start a new conversation, one that forged a better future for young people everywhere. To build on last year’s focus, the theme for 2025 will be: Every conversation matters: Shifting Conversation to Action.
This year’s theme highlights that while open discussions are crucial, words alone are not enough: we must turn dialogue into meaningful action. While conversations can raise awareness, challenge harmful norms, and spark new ideas, real change happens when we take steps to create safer environments for children that prevent them from harm. This year, National Child Protection Week focuses on moving beyond conversations to concrete actions that prevent harm, focusing on strengthening support systems, and empowering communities to actively protect children. By shifting from conversation to action, we can ensure that every child not only feels heard, but also experiences real safety, care, and protection.
As part of National Child Protection Week, students will begin the Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) lessons which are part of the Australian Health and Physical Education (HPE) Curriculum and Religious Education Curriculum. These lessons will be continued into Term 4 and conclude on Day for Daniel 2025 at the end of Week 4. On Day for Daniel, the students will participate in the award-winning Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson (ABCSL). This year’s focus of the lessons in on Contextual Prevention which can be translated to Safe Spaces, creating safer environments for children in online and offline spaces.
More information about the content of the RRE lessons can be found in a letter that has be sent to each parent via the parent portal today.
R U OK? Day
Next Friday the 12th of September we will be marking R U OK? Day. R U OK is a charity and registered public health promotion that aims to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with those in their world and lend support when they are struggling through difficult times. To mark this important campaign, we will be having a special presentation on assembly led by Year 4.
Semester Two Parent Teacher Interviews
Our Semester Two parent teacher interviews will take place in Term 4, Week 2. The digital sign-up form has been sent out today via the parent portal. This is an opportunity to meet with the teachers 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.
Week 8
Wednesday Sep 3 Oakey Sing Fest. Activities during the day & evening presentation at the Oakey Cultural Centre at 6pm
Thursday Sep 4 Year 6 excursion to New Acland Mine
Thursday Sep 4 Year 4 excursion to St Helena Island and Year 4 Sleepover
Friday Sep 5 Consistency of Teacher Judgement Day (pupil free day - no school) Year 4 students to be picked up from school between 7am and 7:30am.
Week 9 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
Thurs Sep 11 Year 2 Excursion – Significant Places in Oakey (Historical Museum, Australian Army Flying Museum, Train, Station, RSL, War Memorial and the Bernborough Statue)
Friday Sep 12 R U OK Day. Special Assembly
Friday Sep 12 Moanna Jnr Musical at Millmerran Cultural Centre for students in Years 1-4.
Tuesday Sep 16 Year 4 Touch Football Gala Day
Week 10
Thursday Sep 18 End of Term Thanksgiving Mass
Friday Sep 19 Last Day of Term 3
From the Classrooms
Prep
We’ve had a wonderfully busy time in Prep. Book Week was so much fun where we dressed up as our favourite character from a book. We saw Spiro the Spider and a Dalmatian as well as many other wonderful costumes. For St Monica’s Day we loved participating in the old-fashioned games and thought the special cup cakes were delicious.
Year 1
We've had a very busy couple of weeks in the Year One classroom preparing for our special Father's Day assembly! The students did such a fantastic job learning their lines and dance moves. I am so proud of their performance! Amongst all the practice, we have also managed to get some learning done. In Maths, we finished off our length measurement unit with an investigation to find the shortest route from our classroom to the oval playground. It was fantastic to see the students apply their learning to an unfamiliar situation. Everyone had loads of fun completing this task. I also look forward to sharing with you the wonderful information reports that the students are working on in English over the coming weeks. We are all learning so much about Australia's amazing creatures!
Thank you to the P & F for your generous donation to purchase new desks for the Year 1 Classroom.
Year 2
What an amazing fortnight we have had in Year 2! So many exciting events have happened and there are still so many to come!
In English, we have chosen what we think is the “Greatest Toy Ever!” to describe and persuade. We will then make posters with our toys. Everyone is so excited for this!
In Maths, we have been working so hard on our addition and subtraction strategies. We have had multiple opportunities in the last week through assessment to show our amazing and growing knowledge.
This week we have been so busy working on our Father’s Day presents. We can’t wait to give them to our dads!
Last week was St Monica’s Feast Day! We loved the whole day and had so much fun. A special congratulations to Evie and Poppy who made it through to the St Monica’s Got Talent Grand finals!
Just a reminder that next week we have our Year 2 Significant places in Oakey excursion and Moana the musical excursion!
Year 3
In HaSS the Year 3 students have been exploring Australia and its neighbouring countries. As part of this learning, we have visited (virtually) a selection of countries and explored the landscapes and capital cities and located them on a map. Students then chose different neighbouring countries to research and explore themselves. Over the next 2 weeks, students will choose one of these countries to create a travel brochure for, linking with their English learning.
Year 4
These photos are the student's exploring multiplication and division. They needed to find the fact families and match the division sums to the multiplication sums.
These photos are the Year 4's experimenting with elasticity and determining which ball will bounce the highest when dropped from the same height
Year 5M
It’s been a joyful and jam-packed few weeks in 5M, with students working hard and having the best time diving into exciting new learning adventures. In class, we’ve been exploring the fascinating world of animal adaptations, discovering how creatures survive and thrive in their environments. We’ve also journeyed through history with our unit on Australian explorers, uncovering the stories of those who helped shape our nation. Beyond academics, we’ve been reflecting deeply on the importance of building a strong, positive self-identity and understanding how our actions can impact the wellbeing of others. These lessons have sparked thoughtful conversations and helped us grow as a caring classroom community. Last week, we celebrated the special occasion of St Monica’s Feast Day with a day full of faith, fun, and friendship. The morning began with a beautiful Mass, followed by engaging classroom activities that helped us learn more about St Monica’s life and legacy. After a delicious sausage sizzle, the fun continued with a rotation of old-time games including ring toss, two-legged races, and the ever-popular tug of war. The day wrapped up with a spectacular showcase of talent at “St Monica’s Got Talent”, where students shone brightly and cheered each other on.
Year 5R
It’s been a buzzing fortnight in 5R, with curiosity and creativity on full display! Our budding scientists were inspired by the Science Expo on Renewable Energy at Oakey State High, sparking lively discussions and eco-friendly ideas. In maths, students have been architects of imagination in our Maths in Motion project—designing the classroom of the future using clever halving and doubling strategies to solve real-world multiplication challenges. The energy, engagement, and fabulous learning happening in 5R is something to celebrate!
Year 6
Yesterday, the Year 6 class participated in a Headspace mental health workshop to talk about the transition to high school next year. They talked about their fears and what they were excited about. The students also worked on their team-building skills. Hopefully, the students are feeling a bit more confident about the transition and understand that they will all be in the same boat next year!
From Music and L.O.T.E
Thank you to all students who competed in our annual talent show! The grand finals of St Monica’s Got Talent (a.k.a SMGT) were held last Friday afternoon. There was a wide variety of talent including magic tricks, dancing, poetry, singing and a puppet show. The judges were impressed with how polished the performances were as well as the confidence & audience appeal of the competitors. Congratulations to 1st: Kian Williamson 2nd: Lacey Martin Highly Commended: Tom Finch; Aria & Piper; Charlee O’Connor & Ashara Brown; Holly, Savannah, Frankie & Arabella
Sports News
Darling Downs Track & Field
Well done to our St Monica’s athletes who competed in the Darling Downs Track & Field Championships this week. We are so proud of their excellent results! Congratulations to Emily - 2nd place in the 10 Years High Jump Ashara - 3rd place in the 9 Years Long Jump and finalist in the sprints, Lacey - 6th place in the 10 Years Hugh Jump and Savannah - finalist in the 9 Years 200m.
12 Years Rugby League Darling Downs Region Primary Schools Challenge
Well done to our Year 5 and 6 students who competed in the 12 Years Rugby League Challenge at St Mary’s College. They showed a high level of skill, finishing the day with two wins out of three games, before the rest of the day’s games were called off due to the bad weather conditions. Thanks again to Shane Williamson and Dale Groves for their assistance in coaching the team.
Year 4 Touch Gala Day
On Tuesday 16 September, the Year 4 students will be participating in a Touch Gala Day at Kearneys Spring, Toowoomba. This is an opportunity for all students, regardless of their skill level, to participate in some friendly competition and learn new skills. Students will travel by bus and will need to be at school by 8.15 am. The Gala Day will conclude at approximately 1pm and students will return to school for the rest of the day. Students will need to wear their school sports uniform and hat and bring along their morning tea, lunch, and water bottle.
Please note: football boots are not to be worn – just joggers.
From the Library
Our upper school classes are now working on learning how to reference information used to complete set tasks. This is crucial to academic integrity and a skill that continues to develop throughout their education. Our lower school classes are working toward greater independence while using the library, learning about collections, and alphabetical order. Our Prep classes are learning to access the junior fiction collection independently.
A plea to return our library books each week. I have spoken with students today as we currently have over 120 titles that were due back before 31 July. Your help and support with this is very much appreciated.
Wellbeing
Be Well @ St Monica’s
As children continue to grow and develop, it is important to think about how, as parents, we can our help children build independence. Encouraging independence in our children is crucial for their overall wellbeing and success in life. Here are some tips on how you can help build your child’s independence:
1. Encourage problem-solving skills: Allow your child to make decisions and solve problems on their own. Instead of providing all the answers, guide them through the process of finding solutions. This will help them develop critical thinking skills and become more self-reliant.
2. Foster responsibility: Give your child age-appropriate tasks and responsibilities at home. This could be anything from setting the table to doing their own laundry. By assigning chores, you are teaching them the importance of taking care of themselves and their surroundings.
3. Teach time management: Help your child learn how to manage their time effectively. Create a daily schedule or routine for them to follow and encourage them to prioritise tasks. By learning how to manage their time, they will become more organised and independent.
4. Encourage decision-making: Allow your child to make decisions for themselves, even if it means they may make mistakes. This will help them develop confidence in their abilities and learn from their experiences.
5. Support their interests: Encourage your child to pursue their interests and passions. Whether it’s a sport, hobby, or academic pursuit, supporting their interests will help them develop a sense of autonomy and independence.
6. Provide guidance and support: While it is important to encourage independence, it is also crucial to provide guidance and support when needed. Be there for your child to offer advice, encouragement, and reassurance as they navigate through challenges.
By helping your child build independence, you are empowering them to become confident, self-sufficient individuals. Remember, it is a gradual process, so be patient and supportive along the way. Together, we can help our children reach their full potential.
From the P&F
Last month, over 100 people gathered in our school hall for what was a highly competitive trivia night. It is great to know our esteemed teachers table were crowned the most knowledgeable on the night.
Congratulations to those who made a fantastic effort in decorating and dressing up as teams from ‘around the world’. The Italian table was the best decorated and the Australians were deemed the best dressed!
The P&F would like to thank all of the parents and community members who volunteered to help on the night. This was our largest fund raiser for the year and will assist St Monica’s to ensure all students have access to great resources and environments. The P&F have applied for grant funding for playground upgrades and will continue to assist with travel costs for upcoming excursions.
The P & F will be running a Father’s Day stall this week with gifts lovingly created by the Oakey men’s Shed. We are also planning to bring another, Dads and Father-figures community engagement event to the school next term. Keep an ear out for more info and help support these important role models to our kids! Think food, hand on activities and blokes being present for our kids (or maybe kids getting a win over the old fellas).
We are also in need of more members to chip in for our end of year BBQ and would love to see a few new faces at our next meeting on Tuesday 14th October. Mark it on your calendars and give a little back to our awesome school community.
Uniforms
School uniforms are now available at School Locker online theschoollocker.com.au
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, Wednesday & 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 - Tuesday 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, Wednesday & 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 - Tuesday & 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.
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