Principal message

Welcome back to school!

Dear Families,

Welcome to the first edition of our fortnightly newsletter for 2025! A warm welcome to all the new students, families, and staff joining our community, as well as a heartfelt welcome back to our returning St Monica’s families.

A special mention to our 35 Foundation students and their families, who have begun their primary school journey. This is a significant and exciting milestone, and we look forward to supporting them as they settle into school life.

As we step into the new school year, we do so with enthusiasm, optimism, and a strong sense of community. Our staff have returned full of energy and passion, ready for the year ahead. We look forward to a fantastic 2025 filled with learning, growth, and shared experiences.

 Your ongoing support is truly appreciated!

Matt

Welcome to Our New Staff

We are delighted to welcome our newest teaching staff members: Tammy Goggin & Jessica Mangan. We look forward to working alongside them and having them as part of our school community.  We are also pleased to formally welcome Anthony Chalkley as our new Deputy Principal.  With his strong connection to St Monica’s Primary and the Bendigo community, Anthony is set to provide exceptional leadership for our school.

Parish Priest

We are pleased to welcome (back) Fr Jackson Saunders as our new Parish Priest, working alongside Very Rev. Dr Brian Boyle at the St Monica's Church and Sacred Heart Cathedral. 

May his time with us be filled with joy, faith, and fellowship as he begins this new chapter of his ministry.

At the same time, we extend our gratitude and best wishes to Fr DJ Suguitan as he moves to his new appointment in Wodonga. We wish him every blessing and success in his continued journey of faith. 

School Bells

This year we have installed a new PA system that controls the school bells.  With the new system we can also play music prior to the end of break bells to allow children to transition back into the classroom successfully.

School Events

We have our Opening School Mass occurring on Wednesday 26th February at St Joseph's Parish Church @ 9:30am.  All families are welcome to attend.

 ‘Magnify’ Sandhurst

Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd has introduced the Magnify Sandhurst initiative, which combines evidence-based teaching and learning strategies to cater to each student's individual needs, strengths, and goals. This program focuses on developing literacy and numeracy skills, creating supportive classroom environments, and integrating Catholic values into everyday learning. With the guiding principle of "Every Student, Every Teacher, Every School, Every Day," we are dedicated to ensuring all students can flourish.

Learning Conversations

We are excited to begin the year with learning conversations (Parent Teacher Interviews) for all students. This is a valuable opportunity to check in, set goals for the year, and build a strong partnership between home and school. Bookings are via PAM and will open on Monday.

There will be opportunities to book on the following days:

• Tuesday 25th Feb: 3:30 - 5:30pm
• Wednesday 26th Feb: 3:30 - 5:30pm
• Friday 28th Feb: 8:30 - 3:30pm