Translate

Newsletter 30 April 2025

From the Acting Principal

Welcome back to Term 2! I trust that each of you had a happy and restful holiday.

As we begin the new term in the light and love of Easter, it is with a sense of gratitude and joy. Easter is a time of reflection, renewal, and rejoicing in the gift of hope that it brings to our hearts. In the midst of life's challenges and uncertainties, Easter reminds us of the enduring power of faith. This reminder is extremely timely, as we too in our St Monica’s community, will be experiencing a short time of change. This term, as Mr Barrett generously shares his gifts with another school community, we can have faith that our embedded school values, surrounded by the love and care of our staff and families, will ensure a successful term for all.

Last term, as part of our work for Project Compassion, our students engaged in various activities that reflected the spirit of Easter including a variety of community service projects. However, we truly show that we are an Easter people in our small, everyday moments and interactions. This is why we spend so much time working with our students on our school charism and our getting along skills.

As a Good Samaritan school, we are challenged by the parable to look after all those we encounter. We also have an expectation that everyone in our community – students, staff and parents, demonstrate the learning disposition of getting along by showing respect, kindness and welcome to all, contributing positively to school culture, listening to others with interest and empathy, and acting justly and fairly in all we do. It is through these actions, that we truly show the joy and life-giving spirit of Easter.

This term we have certainly started on the ground running, having already celebrated our Easter and ANZAC Day liturgies, led by the Yr 6 students. Last Friday, it was wonderful to see so many students participating proudly in the Oakey ANZAC Day March and services, as well as the students who attended marches and services in our neighbouring towns and communities. Well done to all!

Coming up next week we have our special Mother’s Day liturgy led by the Prep H class and our Mother’s Day Breakfast. Don’t forget to send your forms back to the office by Friday of this week. A reminder also to send in a photo of the students and their mums for our annual video tribute to the special mums in the St Monica’s School community.

Other key events coming up this term include our ‘Be a Preppie’ mornings, class Masses and assemblies, Winter PJ Day and of course the Interhouse Athletics Carnival on Friday the 20^th of June.

Looking forward to a wonderful term ahead!

From the Classrooms

Prep

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing, safe and happy Easter break. The students were excited to find that the Easter bunny had paid a special visit to St Monica’s over the break. Everyone has settled back into routine and are keen to build on their current knowledge and skills. A special welcome to Boston who has joined Prep H.

During the upcoming weeks, students are consolidating their understanding of the letters SATPIN and are moving towards adding new sounds including MDO into their practice. Mrs Wishy-Washy has been our text focus for this week, and students are excited to be reading along with the story. Next week we will focus on the book - Jigarees.

Students are working on developing their understanding of numbers with rational and robust counting and representing numbers to 20.

Prep H are excited to be presenting the Mother’s Day Liturgy during Assembly of week 3. All Prep students will be working on a surprise for Mum over the next couple of weeks. We hope that all mothers are made to feel blessed for their special day.

We are looking forward to an exciting Term ahead!

Year 1

Welcome back to the Year One classroom! We've had a very busy couple of weeks.

In English we have been learning about writing a recount. Last week, the students wrote their first recounts through sharing their holiday experiences. In Maths we have been learning about sorting data by identifying attributes that objects share. We have also been very busy learning our lines and dance for our assembly this Friday. Hope to see many of you there.

Year 2

The Year 2’s are jumping straight back into learning this term!

In writing this week, we have been focusing on our sentence structure and learning all about compound sentences. It is so great to see some of us wanting to extend ourselves and using conjunctions in our writing already!

In Maths, we have been learning about repeated halving and doubling. We have already engaged in so many hands-on learning activities that our halving and doubling knowledge is growing fast!

In HaSS, we are learning all about places that people go and where people are from. A family history questionnaire was sent home to all Year 2 students last term. If you could please return these ASAP to help assist our HaSS and English units. If you need a new one, let me know!

I was so impressed last week with how many Year 2 students showed up to the ANZAC day march! It was so nice marching together as a school and commemorating the ANZACs.

Until next time,

Lauren Grant

Year 3

Welcome back for Term 2.

The Year 3 students have settled back in well and have been demonstrating fantastic learning behaviours.

This week in particular they have been enjoying learning about World Heritage Sites as part of Hass and exploring various ones from Australia and around the world. On Monday, a Year 3 Term 2 curriculum information letter was sent home. Please ensure you read through this thoroughly and take note of the various events taking place this term. It is going to be another busy but exciting term ahead!

Year 4

During Term Two, the Year Four students are exploring narratives and writing their opinion on a narrative of their choice. The students have impressed me with the progression of their writing, and experimentation with different sentence types, during Term One and I am keen to see them continue this improvement.

Spelling homework will be sent home Friday of each week. This term, I have included a weekly brain teaser for families to try and work out together. Don’t forget to encourage your child to use their spelling words in sentences reflecting the meaning of the word.

I am looking forward to a great Term 2 with you and your child.

God Bless

Year 5M

I hope everyone had a wonderful break! It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces at the ANZAC Day march—what a great way to honor such an important occasion.

This term has been full of exciting learning experiences! In writing, we’ve been exploring procedural texts, honing our skills in giving clear and structured instructions. In Math, we’ve been investigating factors and multiples, uncovering fascinating patterns in numbers. We also took time to reflect on historically significant days, including ANZAC Day, discussing its importance and how it shapes our understanding of history and remembrance.

Beyond academics, we’ve been focusing on personal growth, identifying our strengths, and learning how to recognize and regulate unwanted emotions. In Science, we’ve dived into the world of matter, making discoveries about the materials that make up our surroundings!

Reminder: This Thursday, we will be holding a parent meeting in the Year 6 classroom at 3:15 PM to discuss the Year 5 and 6 camps for this year. We hope to see you there!

Looking forward to a fantastic term ahead!

Year 5R

Welcome to Term 2, 5R!

Welcome back to another exciting term at our wonderful school! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break, and are ready to dive into the fantastic learning adventures we have planned for Term 2.

In our Literacy studies, we will be focusing on using and writing procedures. Get ready to become experts at giving clear instructions and following them to achieve great results! We will also be discovering historical recounts, where we will explore fascinating stories from the past and learn how to recount them in our own words.

Our Mathematics lessons will continue to build on our understanding of key concepts. We will be working together to solve problems, think critically, and develop our mathematical skills. Collaboration will be key as we help each other learn and grow.

In Science, we will be exploring the intriguing topic - 'What is Matter'. Through hands-on experiments and investigations, we will discover the properties of different materials and how they interact with each other. It's going to be a term full of curiosity and discovery!

We will also be delving into the history of our great nation by discovering significant events that have made Australia 'The Lucky Country'. From the Gold Rush to the ANZAC spirit, we will learn about the moments that have shaped our country and made it the wonderful place it is today.

Throughout all our subjects, we will be having fun, working together, and expanding our curiosity. Let's make this term a memorable one filled with learning, laughter, and growth.

Looking forward to a fantastic Term 2 with you all!

Year 6

Welcome back to Term 2!

I hope that you had a wonderful and restful Easter break. We have started the term with a bang, with the Year 6 class presenting both the Holy Week Part 2 liturgy and the Anzac Day liturgy last week.

The students only had a very short turnaround to practice the scripts and the dance. Mrs Trost and I were very proud of the way the students took on these responsibilities. A huge thank you to the wonderful students who marched on Anzac Day.

Five of our Year 6 students represented the school at the Diocesan Requiem Mass for Pope Francis at St Patrick's Cathedral on Monday.

We have received an invitation to participate in the Hampton Arts Festival and the students will be entering a painted canvas that we will be working on in class over the next couple of weeks.

On Friday, at the assembly, the Year 6 students will be receiving their new Ministry badges. Please join us if you are able. Don't forget to send in a photo for the Mother's Day assembly. The students love seeing themselves with their mums or other special women on the big screen!

Finally, in class this week we have been focusing on our Getting Along learning disposition, specifically showing respect, kindness and welcome to all, contributing positively to school culture, listening to others with interest and empathy, and acting justly and fairly in all we do. As school leaders, it is very important that the students are demonstrating these dispositions consistently. Please have a chat with your child at home about how they demonstrate these at school.

From Music

It has been wonderful to see some new recruits for Choir this term as we prepare for the Dalby Eisteddfod in June.

More details will be sent to parents closer to the time so parents can be part of the audience.

Choir is currently Wednesday AND Thursday lunchtimes for the next six weeks to prepare for the Eisteddfodd.

Ukulele Club will recommence in term 3.

Library

We have been so busy in library lessons! Students in years 3-6 continue to develop their skills in research, using Accessit to find physical resources and Encyclopedia Britannica for other information. EB is a subscription, so students have to log in to accessit to use it. The link to Accessit is here. Students may find they need to log in at home. They do this by using their school username (OAKxxxxxxx), then @twb.catholic.edu.au, then they will use their school password. Please bookmark the page so it is easier to find. This is also how students access ClickView. They reach it by clicking on the link on the home dashboard of Accessit. Students have been shown where this is located. It would be great if these were made use of at home as they are fabulous resources.

Students in the lower years are developing their knowledge of nonfiction texts, and how to use the library collections. We are learning about contents pages, indexes, glossaries, titles, subheadings, fact boxes and other parts of the text that will help students understand how nonfiction texts work.

Sports News

Be Well at St Monica's

From the P&F

Tuckshop Helpers
We are currently seeking extra tuckshop helpers for any Friday from 2nd May - 13 June, particularly the 9th and the 30th May. The shift normally goes from 8:30am - 2pm, however, if you can spare even a few hours for a split shift please let us know. There is plenty of guidance if you haven’t done it before.

We encourage all Mums, Dads, Grandparents, family and friends to volunteer as it is a great opportunity to meet other parents and make new friendships. The smile on the students’ faces is also a wonderful reward.
If you can help out, please get in contact with the school office as soon as possible.

Mother’s Day
Forms have been sent home with your student to order some beautiful flowers for someone special this Mother’s Day. Please remember to return your order form by Wednesday 7th March.

Look what the P&F have achieved!

This year, the P&F have generously bought for the school, 30 new desks and 2 classroom surround sound speakers. Being able to purchase items like this for our school benefits all our students. We have also provided busses for all the Term 1 and 2 excursions and sporting events. Thank you to everyone who has worked at our school P&F BBQs and events, and bought tickets to P&F trivia nights, ordered from the pie drive, worked at the tuckshop etc to raise this money. By working together, we can ensure that our students have every opportunity.

We are always looking for new members, so please come along to our next P&F Meeting or let the front office know if you are keen to assist or get involved. Many hands make light work.

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.