Newsletter 8th June 2023
Athletics Carnival Friday 9th June 2023
From the Principal
As the end of the term quickly approaches, so too does my time at St Monica’s. This Wednesday, June 7, will be my final day as Acting Principal. I would like to thank you for welcoming me to your school community these past 8 weeks. It has been wonderful to lead St Monica’s and be a part of the positive culture of the school, along with its strong culture around learning.
Mrs Rebecca McGregor will be deputizing until the end of term. Mrs Sarah Malone will support Mrs McGregor during weeks 9 and 10. The year 4/5 M class will be taught by a relief teacher during this time, fully supported by Mrs Malone. I would like to thank Mrs Malone for her willingness to support St Monica’s during these two weeks.
Mr Barrett will return to St Monica’s at the commencement of Term 3. I am sure students and families alike will be very happy to see him return.
Uniforms and Hair
A real advantage of an education at a Catholic School is the development of pride in a student when they wear their uniform. At St Monica’s we have a uniform policy that relates to all students. All students are expected to follow this policy.
Can I please ask that you check your child’s uniform and hair as we begin week 9. Tracks in hair are not permitted at St Monica’s and if your child has this currently, please have this fixed prior to next week.
Athletics Carnival
We look forward to a great day on Friday for the athletics carnival. Students have been practising sprints, high jump, long jump and shot put during their physical education lessons. It will be great to see everyone trying their hardest at the carnival. A reminder that students can wear their house shirt and bring thier own lunch on this day.
All the best for the final two weeks of Term 2.
Bridget Rillie
OFFICIAL
Parents/carers, Oakey Police have been receiving complaints in regards to poor road using habits of late. Complaints are mainly in regards to parking outside of the marked lines on the southern side of Lorrimer Street, speeding in the 40km/h zones, ignoring crossing supervisors directions, not using the supervised crossings and doing U-Turns in unsafe places. In regards to not using the crossings, I do understand that parents are walking their children across the road, you are providing safety for your children. However, we should be educating the children that crossings are the safest method for crossing the roads at any time. Therefore, take a bit of extra time and distance and walk with the children across the crossing so they understand what the crossings are there for.
In regards to speeding and other related traffic offences, big fines and loss of demerit points exist. These are offences where Police do not usually give warnings for so expect a ticket if you are doing this. Remember a lot of us are driving large vehicles and small kids can be hard to see.
To put things into perspective, if you commit a traffic offence and no-one sees you, nothing happens to you. If Police see you, you will probably get a ticket. If you run over a child, you will most likely find yourself in jail!
Please be safe and drive carefully and considerately. More importantly, please set a good example for your children.
Ken. CAHILL
Oakey Police Station
From the APRE
End of Term Celebration Mass
Next Thursday, June 15, all students will gather in the church for our end of term celebration Mass. We will also recognise the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. All are welcome to attend.
Spirit of Catholic Education Award, 2023
Last week the nominees for the prestigious QCEC Spirit of Catholic Education awards were announced. A big congratulations to our very own Mrs Rebecca Booth on her nomination. Bec is known throughout our community for tremendous efforts as a school officer, as well as her work in OHSC, Mini Monnie’s and Sacramental Program. Bec is extremely deserving of this recognition and I’m sure you will all join me in congratulating her on this fantastic achievement.
Family Mass and First Eucharist
This Sunday, June 11, is the Term 2 Family Mass and is also when the students in Sacramental program will be making their First Eucharist. All are warmly invited to attend.
St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal – Continuing call for donations
A big thank you to all who have already donated to the St Vincent de Paul Winter appeal. Any further donations of non-perishable food, warm blankets, gloves, beanies or socks (new) can be brought into classrooms or the front office until the last day of Term 2, when St Vinnie’s Education Officer, Julie Inskip, will attend assembly to accept our baskets.
2023 ICAS Competitions
At the start of Term, information was sent home with all studnets in Years 2 – 6 regarding this year’s ICAS competitions. ICAS is designed to target and celebrate students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Spelling. To participate, parents need to register their child using the ICAS Assessments parent payment system (PPS). Through this system, parents pay for the ICAS competitions, but the tests are held at school. Parents need to register their child and return the accompanying permission slip to school by the end of this week.
From the Classrooms
Prep
Welcome to week 8! What a busy few weeks it has been.
Last week the students participated in Reconciliation Week activities, these activities helped the students to develop a greater understanding and to celebrate Frist Nations Peoples. We also participated in Pyjama Day, to raise funds and resources for the St Vincent’s Winter Appeal, we combined this day with a class party to celebrate all the hard work the students have been putting into their assessments. They all deserve a big pat on the back!
This Friday the students will be participating in their first ever athletics carnival, the students are very excited to compete in running races as well as field events. The students are welcome to wear their house shirts for the carnival. It is important that every student has a hat and a water bottle as we will be on the oval for a large portion of the day.
The fortnight ahead will be busy but lots of fun!
Year 1
What an eventful week it has been in the Year One classroom! We've been busy finishing our Most Magnificent creations and documenting our procedures. The students were very excited to take their creations home. We've started making our 'History of Me' journals in our HASS lessons. Everyone is looking forward to showcasing their remarkable journals to the entire class next week. A reminder that home readers are due to be changed on Thursday and Library books are due back Friday. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Year 2
Year Two have been learning about multiplication during Maths lessons. Students used their knowledge of skip counting in twos, threes and fives to count arrays and collections of materials.
We have also just finished out poetry assessments for our current English unit. We will be illustrating our poems and making a class book to put on display in the room.
Over the course of the last weeks of term, students will be finishing their HaSS information reports and Science experiments exploring chemical changes.
Year 3
Students have been busy with consolidating their knowledge and understanding of concepts taught this term. We are participating in group activities during Mathematics to support our speed and accuracy when working on operations. Students are focusing on locating the main idea and identifying details when reading. During Science lessons we have been exploring heat energy, how it is produced, and different sources of heat. We even conducted an experiment about how heat energy moves from one object to another.
Year 4/5 AQ
Week 8 already- I can’t believe we are almost at the end of Semester 1! What a busy term we have had & time flies when you’re having fun.
Things have been very busy in Year 4/5 AQ. Last week was our week of dress ups! We celebrated State of Origin – Game 1, dressed in our maroon (or blue) colours. Then the children looked fabulous in their pj's for St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. It was wonderful to see how many students donated food, blankets and gold coins for those in need.
Last week we also had the privilege of having our school officer, Mrs Tyrie, speak to our class about National Reconciliation Week. She shared her insights and personal family experiences and shed light on the ongoing issues for Aboriginal people in society today.
On Friday we will have our Athletics Carnival, parents and friends are more than welcome to attend! We are all looking forward to a jam-packed, busy day, celebrating the success of our peers.
I wish you a blessed week further.
Year 4/5 B
It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks left of Term Two. We have had a busy couple of weeks with Pyjama Day, Reconciliation Week, State of Origin and the 800 metre events. Everyone is very excited about the Athletics Carnival that will take place this Friday. Spectators are very welcome! In recent weeks, we have been completing a number of assessments and I have been most impressed with the students' diligence and persistence.
Have a great week!
Year 4/5 M
Welcome to Week 8!
What a busy couple of weeks it has been. The Queenslanders were out in force in their maroon colours, with a couple of blues amongst them. Then the children looked fabulous in their pj's last Wednesday for St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. It was certainly the most comfortable day of the year! Don't forget to send in any donations for the Winter Appeal. We also celebrated National Reconciliation Week. We have been preparing for the Athletics Carnival on Friday, and it looks to be a beautiful day. It should be a great day of fun and participation. I wish all the students participating in the upcoming Dalby Eisteddfod and Arts Festival the best of luck.
Have a great week.
Year 6
The Year 6 students have been thoroughly enjoying reading our class novel 'Boy Overboard' as they learn about and develop character descriptions. In Science we have been exploring the topic of electricity and learning about the different components of electrical circuits. The students have been enjoying these hands on and collaborative learning opportunities.
From the Library
From Music and Lote
Best wishes to the 15 dedicated members of our school Choir who are competing in the Dalby Eisteddfod next week. You have worked hard this term with extra lunchtime rehearsals. No doubt you’ll represent St Monica’s with pride.
Best wishes also to those 25 students in year 4, 5 & 6 who were selected for the Verse Speaking Choir as part of the Inaugural Toowoomba Catholic Schools Arts Fest. It is fabulous to be a part of this endeavour. Mrs Hughes, Mrs Anderson & Mrs Owens will be supervising this excursion. A reminder that on Tuesday 20th June, the bus is not expected to arrive back at St Monica’s until 5:30pm.
Mini Monnie's Playgroup
Be Well at St Monica's
What is Wellbeing?
Wellbeing has been likened to a see-saw, with a balance point between an individual’s inner resource pool and the challenges faced. When individuals possess the psychological, social and physical resources they need to meet a particular challenge they maintain the balance. When there are more challenges than resources, the see-saw dips, along with their wellbeing.
The World Health Organisation believes wellbeing is when:
‘an individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.’
Positive psychologist Martin Seligman introduced the PERMA model - positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. He believes if these are all present, individuals will experience wellbeing and flourish.
Educational settings, such as ours can foster these positive factors because we influence not only students’ academic achievement but their capacity for social and emotional wellbeing. Helping students to develop resilience will help them to not only manage effectively in challenging times, but to learn from their experiences and thrive.
To find out more about Martin Seligman and the PERMA model go to https://positivepsychology.com/who-is-martin-seligman/
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
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 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 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)
- School track top with embroidered crest (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 hat (Slouch hat style)
- 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 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)
- School Track top with embroidered crest (optional)
The uniform including the special school hat is available locally at Oakey Craft and Saddlery. If you are buying parts of the uniform elsewhere, please check that you are buying the correct style, colour, and material. 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.
NB: The school fleecy pullover must be worn first. The spray jacket may only be worn over the top of the pullover.
From the P&F
P & F Meetings
Thank to everyone who came to the monthly P & F meeting last month, it was a wonderful turn out!
The P & F will trial a new time for monthly meeting during winter, the next meeting scheduled is this coming Monday 12/06/23 @ 3.15pm in the Library, as always a warm welcome is extended to all of our school community who wish to join.
Tuckshop
The P & F is happy to announce Kylie McCormack was voted in at the last meeting as our new Tuckshop Convenor- welcome Kylie! Kylie is a parent at St Monica’s and a busy mum, she is looking forward to the convenor role and welcomes any feedback suggestions or help for the tuckshop, please reach out to Kylie through the main office or on the following email address, oakpandf@twb.catholic.edu.au
The Chicken Wrap has been a great success since being added back onto our menu, please reach out if you have any other suggestions to our menu, oakpandf@twb.catholic.edu.au
The P & F would like to thank the following volunteers for their time in the tuckshop
- Week 9: Olesia Bach & Mel Geraghty
- Week 10: Marcie Green, Leah Chicken & Meg Bullock
2023 St Monica’s P&F Race Day
As mentioned in the last newsletter, it is with great excitement that we can announce further details to our school community about the 2023 St Monica’s P&F Race Day. The committee welcomes any sponsorship enquiries at this stage, Meg 0423690197 or email oakpandf@twb.catholic.edu.au
- Race Day Event Saturday 7th October 4-11pm, Clifford Park Race Course Twmba
- General ticket sales will open Term 3, dates TBA
- Tickets sales will be advertised to the St Monica’s Community first
- Limited tickets available
- More info to follow
Clothing Pool
Please send Tricia Brownsey a text on 0408 675 945 and she will be able to let you know if what you require is available. Tricia is also happ to package up orders and leave them in the school office.
Please only text Tricia, as she has work commitments.
Outside School Hours Care
