Newsletter 20th August 2025
From the Principal
As we approach the ¾ mark of the term and the ¾ mark of the year (Term 3, Week 7) it is quite noticeable that the effects of quality engagement in learning throughout the year is starting to show amongst the students. This fatigue can show in many ways, including children being overtired and more emotional than usual. Therefore, it is timely to remind your children about the importance of maintaining a good healthy routine, particularly in regard to plenty of rest and good nutrition. As the children fatigue, it can lead to them being less able to handle situations that wouldn’t have been a problem only a few weeks ago, in particular conflict within their friendship groups.
Conflict with peers is unavoidable and is all part of growing up. From the school’s perspective, most disagreements tend to occur at the back end of each school term. Minor, niggling things that others may say or do suddenly become major reasons for arguments and strained friendships. At times like these, teachers and parents play an important role in guiding children through these rough patches.
It is also important not to catastrophize issues into something they are not. An example of this is to avoid labelling minor school or playground incidents as bullying. Bullying should not be confused with random or one off verbal or physical conflict.
Bullying is the selective, uninvited, repetitive oppression of one person by another person or group. Bullying is a word that is wrapped in emotion. For many people, bullying is associated with bad childhood memories. Bullying can take on many forms and guises, such as physical and emotional abuse, intimidation, harassment and exclusion. Bullying is not the domain of just one gender. Girls can bully just as much as boys can, but tend to do it in less physical ways. Whilst boys use physical intimidation or verbal abuse to wield power, girls are more likely to use exclusion or sarcasm to assert themselves.
Sometimes, schools don’t find out that someone has been bullied until after a long period of time and this proves very difficult to resolve, as recollections of incidents can become unclear if they occurred some months beforehand. This is why it is important to identify and act on any possible signs of potential bullying at the earliest opportunity. For this to occur, teachers, parents and children need to communicate and co-operate as soon as any signs may appear.
At school, we regularly remind the students that if they do have any concerns or issues, to please come and talk to their teacher (first point of call) or a member of the leadership team, so we can deal with the matter accordingly. We also emphasise the importance of showing ongoing respect (through the use of appropriate language, and positive interactions) and care and compassion for others in our school. We also remind students that being tired, sick or upset, aren’t excuses for poor behaviour choices.
Last Friday, the school came together to reinforce this message and to promote awareness and conversation around The National Week of Action against Bullying and Violence. This day is an opportunity for students, teachers, parents and the whole community to take a stand together against bullying and violence. This annual day provides a focus for schools who want to say Bullying. No way! and to strengthen their everyday messages that bullying and violence at school are not okay at any time.
From the APMI
This Week is Book Week 2025!
This year’s theme is ‘Book an Adventure’. As part of this event, we will be holding the annual Book Week Costume Parade this Friday August 22 at approx 9:10am after assembly. We look forward to seeing all the students (and teachers) dressed as their favourite book characters.
St Monica’s Feast Day Celebration
On Friday the 29th of August, we will celebrate the feast day of our school patron, Saint Monica. Saint Monica is the patron saint of motherhood. Born in North Africa, Saint Monica was best known as a dedicated mother who really wanted her son to know and follow God. She prayed constantly for him, even when he made choices she didn't like. Saint Monica was a model of patience, prayer and persistence, never giving up on her family and trusting in God’s plan. Eventually her son Augustine converted to Christianity and went on to become the great philosopher, Saint Augustine.
St Monica’s Feast Day is a big day of celebration at our school. It begins with Mass at 9am which all parents are welcome to attend. Students then engage in a morning of classroom activities learning about St Monica and will enjoy cake together at morning tea. At 12:30pm, students will be treated to a BBQ picnic on the oval, followed by old fashioned games including egg and spoon races, sack races and 3-legged races. In the afternoon, all students will go to the hall at 1:30pm for the annual ‘St Monica’s Got Talent Competition’. Best of luck to all students who are competing this year.
Father’s Day Assembly
At 8:40am on Wednesday the 3rd of September, the Year 1 class will lead the school in a special assembly acknowledging the special fathers and father figures in our St Monica’s School community. All fathers and father figures are warmly invited to attend. A reminder to send in photos to the front office for the annual Father’s Day Tribute and order forms and money for the P&F Father’s Day Stall.
Oakey Sing Fest
On Wednesday the 3rd of September at 6pm, students from choirs across the region will be performing at the Oakey Cultural Centre, including our own St Monica’s Songbirds. All choirs will participate in a day of workshop beforehand with Julee-Ann Bell (The Voice) and Melissa Buchholz (Acclaimed pianist). All members of the community are warmly invited to attend the evening performance.
Upcoming Excursions
Excursions offer numerous benefits for children, enriching their learning and development in various ways. These outings provide hands-on experiences, foster social and emotional growth, and encourage a deeper connection with the world around them. Excursions can also boost confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging.
Next week, two classes will be attending excursions on Thursday the 4th of September. Year 6 will be touring New Acland Mine on a science excursion, learning about the earth and energy. Year 4 students will be exploring QLD’s colonial prison past at St Helena Island, followed by the annual Year 4 sleepover.
CTJ Day
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 achievement are consistent across schools. This year, staff from St Monica’s are meeting with teachers from St Thomas More’s School, Toowoomba and St Anthony’s School, Toowoomba. Bookings can be made at the St Monica's Out of Hours School Care (OHSC) if you require supervision for your child on this day.
I-CAS Competittions
This term we begin our I-CAS Competitons. Please find below the dates of each competition.
Week 6, Wednesday 20th August –ICAS Spelling
Week 6, Monday 21st August – ICAS Science (please note this change of date)
Week 7, Monday 25th August – ICAS Mathematics
Week 6 BOOK WEEK
Wednesday Aug 20 ICAS Spelling Competition
Thursday Aug 21 ICAS Science Competition
Thursday Aug 21 8am Fitness Club
Friday Aug 22 Book Week Parade after Assembly
Saturday Aug 23 Family Mass at 6pm
Week 7
Monday Aug 25 ICAS Maths Competition
Friday Aug 29 St Monica’s Feast Day (Mass at 9am, Free BBQ lunch on the oval, Old Fashioned Games and St Monica’s Got Talent Competition at 1:00pm
Week 8
Tuesday Sep 2 Wellbeing visit from Head Space – Year 6
Yr 6 Parent & Teacher Session from 3:20pm – 4:20pm in the library.
Wednesday Sep 3 Special Father’s Day Assembly in the hall at 8:40am.
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
Parent Teacher Interviews throughout this week
Tuesday Sep 9 Year 4 Touch Football Gala Day
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.
Week 10
Thursday Sep 18 End of Term Thanksgiving Mass
Friday Sep 19 Last Day of Term 3
From the Classrooms
Prep
The term is passing by quickly with so many fun activities and we have many more to come. Last week students enjoyed an engaging cultural experience thanks to Mrs. Hughs and her emersion of Indonesian culture. Orienteering has been the theme for PE, and students enjoyed many opportunities to participate in a very practical treasure hunt. The fun continued with a special author visit and under 8’s day. We are looking forward to more fun activities in the upcoming weeks.
Year 1
This fortnight in the Year One classroom, the students have been working as scientists to investigate the features of plants. They had so much fun taking photos and using their magnifying glasses to observe the plants in our school environment. Next, they will draw labelled diagrams of some of the plants to share the features they observed. In Maths we have been using manipulatives to develop our early grouping skills. After grouping their blocks, the students used skip counting to count their collections.
Year 2
What an amazing fortnight we have had in Year Two!
In English, we are continuing to learn about persuasive writing. We wrote about our favourite food and 2 or 3 reasons as to why we think it is the best food.
In Maths, we have started to learn about multiplication. We have learnt all about repeated addition and arrays. We even had a chance to make human arrays!
In Science, we are exploring forces. We did an investigation this week with car launches to check what would happen if a force is made stronger. This was so much fun!
A fortnight ago, the Year Two students presented an assembly of Saint Mary Mackillop, and they performed a play all about her life. They did an absolutely amazing job and should be very proud of themselves for they effort they put in.
Until next time.
Year 3
The Year 3 students have been busily practicing and preparing for their assembly item this Friday. In preparation for St Monica's Feast Day in Week 7, they are sharing on the topic of 'Who is St Monica?'. Year 3 will be presenting first thing before the Book Week parade on assembly. A reminder that if their costumes have accessories, they will need to be able to remove these for the assembly presentation.
Year 4
The Year 4's are busy exploring the reasons for the First Fleets arrival to Australia. They are discovering how the Industrial Revolution changed the way English people lived and worked. The students investigated why there was an increase in crime during this time, and as a result an increase in the number of people who were found guilty of crimes, some as young as 8 years old. They discovered that the American War of Independence meant that Europe could no longer send their criminals there, and as a result, had to find somewhere else to send them. They will be continuing to look at the route that First Fleet took, how long it took, and the reasons for the stops they made along the way.
The students have engaged with this activity positively, asking many questions to enhance their learning.
Year 5M
We've had a wonderfully busy and exciting couple of weeks here at Saint Monica’s School, with students diving into a variety of enriching activities both in and out of the classroom.
Preparations are in full swing for our upcoming talent show, and the buzz around the school is electric! Our athletes have been training hard for the Inner Downs Athletics Carnival, and the Under 12 boys are gearing up for their Rugby League matches. The dedication and team spirit on display have been truly inspiring. Last week, we had the incredible opportunity to immerse ourselves in Indonesian culture. Students explored various stations including traditional dress-up, shadow puppetry, music, crafts, and—of course—sampling delicious Indonesian snacks. It was a vibrant and educational experience that brought global learning to life.
This week, we’ve been celebrating Book Week with a focus on reading, sharing, and celebrating our favourite books and authors. The classrooms have been buzzing with book chats, and we’re all looking forward to the Book Parade on Friday—costumes and all!In class, students have been working on writing biographies of notable Australians. Here's an excerpt from one student's work:
"Before rugby had a handbook, it had David Campese and a goose step that made history. He didn't just break tackles; he broke rugby logic. Born on October 22nd, 1962, in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia, David Campese has been inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame and the Wallaby Hall of Fame, was named Player of the Tournament in 1991, led the Wallabies to victory that same year, and perfected the iconic goose step."
Year 5R
5R has been buzzing with exciting learning! From exploring Aussie animal adaptations to uncovering the tragic tale of Burke and Wills, students have shown incredible curiosity and persistence. Our biographies of significant Australians sparking deep reflection, while abstract organic sculptures in Visual Arts brought creativity to life. We’re proud of our Getting Along disposition—supporting one another through challenges and celebrating every success. Soooo busy and loving it!
Year 6
Year 6 have been enjoying working with their buddies to help them with their science unit ‘How Things Move’. Today we investigated how far 5 objects travel down a ramp and why they move differently. It is great opportunity for our school Leaders to share some of their own knowledge with their buddies.
From Music and L.O.T.E
Have you got your tickets to the inaugural Oakey Sing Fest yet? It is at the Oakey Cultural Centre on Wednesday 3rd September at 6pm. (See attached flyer for information). Our Choir is eagerly preparing for this, with a full day workshop during the day and a concert at 6pm that evening. Permission notes have been sent home. Please return these to school as soon as possible.
The highly anticipated St Monica's Got Talent (S.M.G.T) competition is happening again! Congratulations to those students who were successful enough to make it through to the grand finals on Friday 29th August. The judges will be looking for 3 criteria: confidence, audience appeal and how polished the performance is. The performances begin at 1:30pm, beginning with a short presentation from the Ukulele Club. Parents are most welcome to come along and see some of the talent we have in our school!
Students from Prep-year 6 enjoyed the tactile experiences on offer at our Indonesian Cultural Day last week. Students experienced shadow puppets, craft, a sensory table, traditional Indonesian music and Indonesian food. These experiences enhance what the students have been learning during L.O.T.E (Languages Other Than English) lessons. Many thanks to Mrs Gillam and Mrs McGregor for preparing and serving Mie Goreng (fried noodles). Sincere thanks also to Mrs Conneely for painting a wonderful Balinese dancer with the head cut out for the students to put their head through! This was a real novelty. We were also fortunate enough to borrow traditional Indonesian clothing from St Stephen's, Pittsworth.
Sports News
Inner Downs Athletics
Well done to our students who competed yesterday in the Inner Downs trials at O’Quinn St Oval Toowoomba. Some of the great results included:
Ashara – 1st Place - 9 Years 80m, 200m, Long Jump
Savannah – 2nd Place - 200m, Finalist - 80m
Emily – 1st Place - High Jump, 2nd Place - 100m
Lacey – 3rd Place – High Jump, Finalist – 200m
Blair – 3rd Place – Long Jump, Finalist – 100m and 200m
Toby – 3rd Place – 100m
Clancy – Finalist - 80m and 200m
Nullatai – Finalist – 100m
Congratulations to Ashara, Savannah, Emily, Lacey and Toby who have been selected in the Inner Downs team to compete in the Darling Downs trials at the beginning of September. We wish them all the very best for this next level of competition.
PE Lessons
On Monday, all of our students from Prep-Year 6 participated in their final orienteering lesson with Mrs Felicity Crosato from Orienteering Queensland. They have been very engaged in these lessons and have really enjoyed learning about, and participating in, the sport of orienteering. Mrs Crosato left us some flyers about upcoming local orienteering events, and these will be distributed to interested students. As orienteering is a Darling Downs Representative School Sport for students aged 10-18 years, there may be opportunities early next year for interested students to trial for selection.
12 Years Rugby League Darling Downs Region Primary Schools Challenge
Today a St Monica’s team has been competing in the 12 Years Rugby League Challenge at St Mary’s College, and we look forward to hearing about their results. Thanks must go to Shane Williamson and Dale Groves for their assistance in coaching the team and preparing them for today’s carnival.
Art
Year 1 and Year 4
Chess and Games
From the Library
Book Week will be here in Week 6 of this term! This year is the 80th Anniversary of the CBCA Book Week. The theme is Book an Adventure. The Dress Up Parade will be on Friday August 22nd , at the beginning of the school day as usual. Students are able to dress as their favourite book character and stay in costume all day. Grown ups are very welcome to attend the parade and there is always lots of photo opportunities. Students must wear closed in shoes during the school day but may wear costume footwear during the parade. This means they bring their runners to school for after the parade. Our Book Fair is being held in this week also. Please feel free to contact me via email at mandie.tindall@twb.catholic.edu.au or via the school if you have any questions.
Book Week 2025 The theme for this year’s CBCA Book Week is ‘Book An Adventure’. St. Monica’s will again be celebrating with a Book Fair to be held in the Parish Room from Monday the 18th of August through to Friday the 22nd. Times: Mon - Thursday – 8.05 - 8.30am & 3.05 - 3.35pm Friday Morning - 8.05 – 8.30am On the morning of Friday 22nd we will be holding our Annual Dress Up Parade, where students get to dress up as their favourite book character. We encourage all students to get involved and make costumes from bits and pieces they have at home. The winner from each class will receive a book voucher from the Book Fair. |
Wellbeing
Be Well @ St Monica’s
How can you help your child flourish?
Raising children can be one of the toughest, but most fulfilling jobs in the world. We all want our children to flourish because that means they will be: happy and joyful, curious and eager to learn without feeling stressed, connected with their peers, empathetic, creative, confident, good team players, resilient and positive, and have a healthy self-esteem. How can you help your child to flourish and perform to the best of their ability at school?
Sleep - Poor or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioural problems and cognitive problems that impact on the ability to learn in school, so the Department of Health recommends an uninterrupted 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night for those aged 5–13 years. Some sleep tips for school-aged children include: teach school-aged children about healthy sleep habits, continue to emphasise need for regular and consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine, make your child's bedroom conducive to sleep – dark, cool and quiet, keep TV and computers out of the bedroom and avoid caffeine.
Diet - It is important that we provide our children with a healthy diet, including school lunches, as poor nutrition has been associated with a number of physical and mental issues including: chronic health problems, tooth decay, obesity, poor sleep, lack of concentration, low energy levels and poor academic performance. School lunches need to be high in nutrients and should include items such as: fresh fruit, sandwiches or wraps, crunchy vegetables, lean meats, dairy - such as cheese or plain/natural yoghurt, home-made fruit muffins and water. Processed and pre-packaged snacks should be limited as they are high in sugar and salt and have very few nutrients.
Exercise - Being physically active is good for children and adolescent health and creates opportunities for making new friends and developing physical and social skills. There is a profound impact on mood, cognitive behaviour, energy levels and self-esteem. For optimal health benefits, children and young people (aged 5–17 years) should achieve the recommended balance of high levels of physical activity, low levels of sedentary behaviour and limited recreational screen time each day.
Develop Independence - By allowing your child to pack and carry their own bag to school, you are teaching them about responsibility, independence and self-regulation. They will learn to spend each day prioritising what they do and don’t need to bring with them.
Take care of their emotional health - Everyone speaks of happiness as the ultimate goal, but humans were designed to endure all emotions; happiness, sadness, guilt, anger. We have all these emotions within us, and more, and in a normal, healthy human, all are acceptable within reason. In order for your child to regulate these emotions, healthy discussion and an open channel of communication between parents and child are crucial.
Focus on their strengths - They are your children, but they are their own person and they are born with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. Let go of the weaknesses and focus on their strengths. Try to figure out what is it that your child is exceptionally good at and help them develop their skills.
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
From the P&F
The P & F would like to thank all our sponsors, helpers and everyone involved for making the Trivia night a great success.
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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