Dear Parents and Carers,
On Monday, we gathered as a school community to commemorate Anzac Day and remember and acknowledge the men and women who fought to preserve our right to have peace and freedom in Australia. Thank you to our Faith In Action Team (FIAT) who led us in prayer respectfully and reverently.
It was lovely to be able to welcome parents to join us once again, while also streaming the service to those families who were not able to attend in person. This term, we are working on providing lots of opportunities for parents and families to be with us on site (following COVID-safe guidelines, of course), including Mothers’ Day and Parent Workshops. Keep an eye on Skoolbag for the invitations!
Our next Parent Involvement Committee meeting will be on Monday 10th May at 6pm via zoom. All parents are welcome! We will be discussing our next Fun Food Day, Fundraising and Parent Workshops. If there is something else you would like on the agenda, please email the school to let me know.
Lisa Crampton
Principal
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life.
Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
Students in Year 3 and Year 5 at St Monica's will be participating in NAPLAN Online between 11 and 21 May 2021 (Weeks 4 and 5).
Excessive preparation for NAPLAN Online is not recommended. Students can use the public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and tools available in the NAPLAN Online tests.
If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact your child’s teacher.
In early 2021, our school, along with thousands of others across the country will begin preparations for the fifth Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).
The AEDC gives us a national picture of the development, health and wellbeing of children in their first year of full-time school. Since 2009, the census results have helped communities, schools and governments plan services and develop better policies to target support for children and families.
Children don’t miss any class time, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information for the census. The AEDC gives us data at a school and community level - it isn’t an assessment of individual children.
Some teachers have also noticed that completing the assessments made them more aware of the needs of individual children and the class as a whole and that the census results are useful in planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing class programs.
Participation in the AEDC is voluntary. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.
To find out more about the census and how communities are using the data to help children and families visit the AEDC website: www.aedc.gov.au.
If you have any questions, you can contact Mrs Crampton on the school email address: stmonicasnparra@parra.catholic.edu.au
St Monica's Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday 7 May (Week 3) at Holroyd Sports Ground. All students are to come to school and will travel by bus to the sports ground.
Permission notes have been sent home with every student and must be returned by tomorrow (Friday 30 April) so that the carnival can be organised.
If parents wish to attend the carnival, they will spectate from a designated area aligned with COVID restrictions. Students must sit with their colour house.
Students may wear a t-shirt of the Colour House they are in. NO images or words are to be displayed on the shirt.
Parent volunteers are welcome to assist on the day. Please ensure that you have completed the Building Child Safe Communities requirements prior to assisting on the day. This can be accessed by visiting the following link , scroll down to "Start Training Now".
Thank you in advance for your support.
Our Staff Development Day for Term 2 will be held on Friday 4 June 2021 (Week 7).
Students do not attend school on this day.
The Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta has now mailed out the 2nd School fee instalment statements.
Fees are due and payable on Wednesday 26 May 2021 (Week 6).
Unless you have a previous arrangement with the school, please ensure fees are paid by the due date.
Families who are experiencing financial difficulty are requested to contact the school office immediately so that a confidential appointment can be arranged with Mrs Crampton or Mrs Rebello.
Thank you,
Mrs Lata Rebello
School Finance Officer
A reminder that Mothers' Day Gifts are now on sale via the Qkr! app.
To order Gifts:
1. Open the Qkr! app on your phone, select "Mothers' Day" and select the gift/s you would like to purchase. Follow the prompts to pay online. There are limited numbers of items available - it's first in, best dressed!
2. Order by 3:00pm on Tuesday 4th May 2021
3. Orders will be packed on Wednesday 5th May and sent home with your child on Thursday 6th May 2021.
Thank you very much to Mrs Victoria Elias and her team of helpers for organising the gifts this year so that we can say thank you to all of the special women in our lives!
We wish to advise parents that Student Banking will be ceasing at the end of May. The last day for banking will be Wednesday 26 May (Week 6).
Whilst this is a wonderful program that allows students to learn valuable lessons about saving, very few students utilise the service at St Monica's.
We thank those students who have used the Student Banking program and trust that they will continue to save their money.
First round offers have now been issued to Kindergarten 2022 applicants.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, completed Enrolment Applications, together with all supporting documentation, may be emailed to the school email address stmonicasnparra@parra.catholic.edu.au
Please note that the original Enrolment Application, together with original supporting documentation, will need to be submitted at a later date.
Congratulations to the following students who have recently received Merit Awards
| Kindergarten | Angelique H, Norman N, Joshua W |
| Year 1 | Sofia A, Liam S |
| Year 2 | Caleb C, Aryana E, Bai He (Bella) Z, Caesar M, Mia R, Margarita S |
| Stage 2 | Amelia C, Ziyang L, Soraya M, Olivia S, Liam F, Madalena S, Isabella Y |
| Stage 3 | Elijah C, William S, Charlize C, Calista S |
Happy Birthday to the following students and Staff who will celebrate birthdays in May!
| Maan P | Lydia S | Manton L | Dominic P | Zachary D |
| Anaira B | Charlize A | Monica S | Oceann G | Bai Rui (Barry) Z |
| Alexander E | Amelia C | Abigail C | Theresa W | Bernard M |
| Calista S | Norman N | Markus N | Charlize C | Amelia W |
Staff: Mr Dennis, Mrs Moussa and Fr Ephraim
A big thank you to Mr Siemsen who has kindly donated some technical equipment for our school to use.
One way to be happier is to increase the quality of our friendships. Whether you are a social person or a loner, friendships are important.
Please see the attached article (by Andrew Fuller) for ways to build friendships and how to mend friendships.
Mrs Madeline Patrick
School Counsellor
Would you like information about the supports available to your child?
Carers NSW is inviting you to a free 'Meet and Greet' Workshop for parents and guardians of children with disability or developmental delay aged up to 12 years old.
You are invited to a free information session on how to implement your child's NDIS Plan.
Designed for parents and guardians of children 0-12 with disability or developmental delay who are looking for support with starting or using their child's existing NDIS plan more effectively.
Please see the flyers below for more information.
Parents are reminded to provide a written note, addressed to Mrs Lisa Crampton, Principal requesting permission for your child to bring a mobile phone to school (if required).
Permission is only granted to those students who travel home on a bus or who walk home.
To assist the staff in distributing the phones to the correct students, we ask that your child's mobile phone is clearly labelled with their name and homeroom.
| LIBRARY TIMES | ||
| Monday | Year 1 | Morning & Recess |
| Wednesday | Stage 2 | Morning & Recess |
| Thursday | ES1 | Morning & Lunch |
| Friday | Stage 3 Year 2 | Morning Lunch |
Morning Borrowing from 8.30am - 8.50am
Students who want to borrow will go upstairs with Mrs Davino at 8.30am.
Please encourage your children to come & visit the library (located at the back of Stage 3) during their class’s borrowing time.
We have a great range of books to borrow and a “class bee” is given when books are borrowed and then another when it’s returned!
Our library monitors & Mrs Davino are in the library during these borrowing times to help any students. The St Monica’s message bag or a material/cloth bag can be used to protect borrowed books.
Mrs Rita Davino
Teachers' Assistant / Library Assistant
During the school holidays our very own Miss Barakat had the privelege of meeting NRL Superstar James Tedesco at the launch of his new book - 'Hat-Trick Teddy'.
Miss Barakat was able to get two copies of his book autographed for our school library for our lucky students to borrow.
Each term we will be looking for the student in each class/stage who borrows & reads the most books from the library.
CONGRATULATIONS to these students who have been crowned our 2021 Term 1 'Bookworm of the Term':
Their faces are now proudly displayed on our Bookworm Farm in the Library!
Mrs Rita Davino
Teachers' Assistant / Library Assistant
“We are SAFE, RESPECTFUL LEARNERS”
CLASS JARS
Students are continuing to work hard in class to earn "bees" from teachers acknowledging when they are safe, respectful learners.
Students encourage each other to contribute to the class jar so they can enjoy a reward as soon as it is filled.
Bees are given out frequently so students can contribute to and enjoy a whole class reward often.
Bees can also be earned in the library when borrowing & returning books and even when students visit the office and display respectful behaviour.
Class rewards that were earned this week:
PLAYGROUND CASES
Safe, respectful playground behaviour is also acknowledged with a white “bee” given out by teachers.
Students place these bees into the class boxes in the playground.
There is great competitive fun to see who the next winner will be and what fun activity they will get to enjoy.
CONGRATULATIONS to ES1 & Year 1 - this week's winners of the Playground reward:
* ES1 will be celebrating by having a 'Movie Afternoon' on Friday 30th April while enjoying some popcorn and juice!
* Year 1 will celebrate their win by having a 'Crazy Hair Day' on Friday 30th April.
Mrs Rita Davino on behalf of the PBS4L Committee
Please keep Mrs Lata Rebello and her family in your prayers. Sadly, her father passed away in India during the holidays.
Please also keep Mrs Louise Bright and her family in your prayers due to the passing of her close relatives during the holidays.
We pray that God's love comforts Mrs Rebello and Mrs Bright and their families at this difficult time.
Healthy eating is yummy!!
Monica Mango has another great new recipe to share with you to try at home. She’d love to see some of the recipes tried and packed for school. Remember, if you can show the yumminess in your ‘munchbox’ at school, we’ll take a photo and put it on the school Facebook page. (At the end of the term each person who has a photo taken will go in the draw to win a special little surprise). Happy cooking!!
Did you know that 56% of primary school students don’t eat the recommended daily amount of vegetables? Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps children and teenagers grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases – such as heart disease, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer and being overweight or obese. This could be a helpful website for other recipes and tips https://www.superhealthykids.com/
This week’s recipe is quick, filling and nutritious, plus its low in salt and can be packed full of family favourite vegetables!
Easy Pot Noodles
140g fine Chinese style dried egg noodles or use straight wok noodles
250ml chicken stock (salt reduced)
3 teaspoons soy sauce
50g frozen peas
70g drained canned or frozen corn
100g cooked chicken, shredded
1 teaspoon cornflour
Method
1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. Put the stock, soy sauce, peas, corn and chicken in a pan over a medium heat.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2minutes.
5. In a small cup, mix the cornflour with 2 teaspoons of cold water and add to the contents of the pan then cook, stirring, for a further minute until the liquid thickens slightly.
6. Add the noodles and reheat briefly, stirring.
Notes: You could add in vegetables that are a favourite in your house.
If sending in a thermos for school the next day, after cooking, remove the noodles from the liquid and just pack the noodles and vegetables, so the noodles don’t go soggy.
Recipe credit: annabelkarmel.com
We are requesting that parents PLEASE ensure that every child has their water bottle EVERY DAY.
Many students are still attending the school office requesting cups of water each day.
As the bubblers are not in use, it is most important that students bring at least one bottle of water each day so that they are not dehydrated.
NO glass bottles please.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Parents are advised that the school is no longer able to accept cash. All payments to the school will now be accepted via the Qkr! app.
Introducing Qkr! (pronounced 'quicker') by Mastercard, the secure and easy way to order and pay for school items from your phone at a time and place that suits you.
Please follow the instructions carefully when downloading the Qkr! app.
Parents are requested to download the Qkr! app in readiness for future Fundraising and other School Events. Cash will no longer be accepted as payment.
Skoolbag is the school’s primary avenue for immediate communication with parents.
Skoolbag is a communication app which all parents are strongly advised to install on their smartphones, ipads etc.
A note will be sent home next term, requesting you to advise whether you have downloaded the Skoolbag app.
We thank you in advance for your assistance.
NSW Health and CEDP have issued us with further guidelines and restrictions to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff and Community.
A standard email will be sent to all families who have children absent from school.
If your child is absent from school, one of the following must be done BEFORE they may return to school:
If they displayed flu-like symptoms during their absence or were sent home with flu-like symptoms:
● Return a negative COVID-19 test and be symptom free. Provide us with a copy of the NSW Health or COVID-19 Testing Centre correspondence (e.g. SMS screenshot or email).
If they were suffering from a medical condition without flu-like symptoms:
● Provide us with a Medical Certificate or Letter from a Medical Practitioner, clearly detailing medical condition and clearance to return to school.
If they were absent due to a non-medical reason:
● Provide us with a detailed description of the absence.
If they were absent due to ongoing medical symptoms:
Thank you for your support and understanding as we continue to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community.
We remind students that there is NO SHARING OF FOOD at St Monica's.
Parents are requested to please send only healthy food options for your children to eat at recess and lunch.
Chocolates, lollies and lollipops are treats for home and should not be sent to school.
Thank you for your support.
Parents are reminded that morning supervision commences at 8:20am.
Students ARE NOT supervised before this time.
If you need your child/ren supervised before this time, please contact COSHC. (Details below)
Phone: 0429 990 179
Email: COSHCStMonicasParra@parra.catholic.edu.au
Morning 6:45am to 8:45am Afternoon 3:00pm to 6:30pm
To keep informed of upcoming events, parents may subscribe to the School Google calendar. The Google calendar will be the primary source of information about school dates in the future.
Go to our School Website and scroll to the bottom of the calendar.
Click “subscribe" near Parent Calendar.
Please ensure that every item of your child's clothing, lunch boxes, drink bottles and mobile phones (if applicable) have a CLEARLY MARKED NAMED LABEL.
It is easy to return items that are clearly marked with a child’s name.
We thank you in advance for your support.
Dear Parents/Carers
All Contractors / Volunteers who visit St Monica's School must have a BCSC number before they will be allowed to enter the school grounds.
CEDP has launched a new Building Child Safe Communities form and online training module that all volunteers/contractors are required to complete.
Oz Fashions supply all our student uniform requirements.
115-127 Parramatta Road, Granville (Corner of Parramatta Road and Good Street)
Phone: 9897 3121 Fax: 9897 3222
Email: mail@ozfashions.com.au
Website: www.ozfashions.com.au
Opening Hours
Monday—Friday 9:00am-5:30pm
Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm
Sunday CLOSED
