Please be reminded that school does not open until 8.30 and families are asked to enter through the school gates in the morning unless you need to visit the office.

Holiday Reading Challenge Winners

Well done to all students who completed the challenge! Every participant was entered into a draw, and today at assembly, three lucky winners were awarded $50 Scholastic book vouchers!

Thank you to everyone who took part—your love for reading is truly inspiring! Keep exploring new stories and enjoying the magic of books. ✨📖

Book Club

Issue 1 orders are due back by Tuesday 18th February.

Head Lice

Head lice has been reported within our school community.

We ask for your cooperation in checking your child’s hair and in those instances where head lice or eggs are found, treating your child’s hair.

You can visit www.health.com.au for advice on finding, treating and preventing head lice or download the information sheet here.

Health regulations requires that where a child has head lice, that child should not return to school until the day after appropriate treatment has started. Please note, this refers only to those children who have live head lice and does not refer to head lice eggs.More information about exclusion requirements can be found in the school exclusion table here.

New CDFpay mobile app

Please download the new CDFpay app for online purchases

We have started using the new CDFpay mobile app for online ordering; canteen, uniform shop, events and fundraising.

Register for a new CDFpay account

Download the CDFpay mobile app on the Apple or Google store,
then click ‘Sign up now’.
Can't get the app? Register online here

Important:

Your current CDF pay log in will not work with the new app but you can sign up using the same email address. Please follow these steps to create your new CDFpay account.

Enter and confirm your email address, then click ‘Sign up’.
Check your email inbox and follow the prompts to complete your account registration (check junk/spam if lost).
Select ‘Add a student’ and Select

School Saving Bonus 2025

The following is information as provided by the Victorian Government as at 28/10/2024 and is subject to change. All details are on the education.vic.gov.au website – click below.

School Saving Bonus Policy - Victorian Government Information

Summary

The School Saving Bonus is a one-off $400 support for non-government school students who are enrolled in Prep to Year 12 in 2025 as at 18 October 2024 and who are receiving the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2024.
The School Saving Bonus is provided to help with the costs of uniforms, textbooks and school activities (including camps, excursions and incursions).
The School Saving Bonus will be provided to schools and families in late Term 4, 2024. Payment date has yet to be confirmed.

School Saving Bonus eligibility

Non-government school students receiving a payment from the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2024 are eligible for additional support through the School Saving Bonus. There is no application required for non-government school students to receive the bonus.

Non-government schools will receive funding based on the number of families eligible for the CSEF in November 2024, and are responsible for managing the distribution of funds to eligible students to assist with 2025 education costs.

Refer to Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund for further information on eligibility criteria and the application process for access to the CSEF.

Actions for parents and carers

Ensure your contact information is up to date with your school. Please email or see the office with any changes as soon as possible.

See letter below from Jacinta Allen - Premier of Victoria

SimonEverywhere

If you are not set up on SimonEverywhere app yet please see the office or email us to have your account activated or password reset.

This platform is going to be vital for school - home communication moving forward.

Those already using the app will receive a notification the next time you open the app (and every time after until you complete the task we need all parents to complete - regardless if you have answered these questions in the past).

It is called connect fields and is our method for seeking your permission on various matters including permission to photograph and publish, head lice checks, chaplaincy program etc.

You will be prompted with a Notification Alert Request Reminder to complete the connect fields. Click on the reminder to be directed to the Connect Field.

Select your response and make sure you click complete to save.

Parent Notified Absence

If your child is going to be away, please remember to do a parent notified absence on Simon Everywhere App/PAM (even if you have mentioned the upcoming absence to the classroom teacher).

We often send reminders via push notifications so if you would like to receive these please make sure your notifications are turned on for SimonEverywhere App.

Hats

We are a SunSmart School and hats are compulsory for outside play in Term 1.

Please make sure a clearly named hat comes to school and is kept at school or in your child's bag.

If you need to purchase a new hat please click the link below to order through CDF Pay or pop into the uniform shop on Thursday afternoons or Tuesday mornings.

Fresh Fruit Friday

Thank you to Mckern Steel Foundation for our weekly delivery of fresh fruit.

Canteen

Orders must be placed by 9am Thursday Morning on CDF pay or cash in lunch order bag and lunch order bags placed in class tub.

Please note: the office cannot accept late orders over the phone.

Cancelling a lunch order when absent

If your child is going to be absent on a Friday that you have placed a lunch order please make sure you cancel the order on the CDF Pay app as soon as possible or call the office. If you do not request to cancel we are unable to refund your order.

Please remember to supply a clearly named lunch order bag/container when you place a lunch order.

Available through the Uniform Shop for $12.

Uniform

We are currently not taking donations of second hand uniform.

Please distribute any unwanted uniform items amongst your friends or take to the local Vinnies store.

Summer uniform for Term 1.

Lost property can by found at the office. Please label uniform items clearly so they can be returned to their owner.

Please see information above regarding the new CDFpay app and follow the instructions to register so you can order uniform online.

School Phones

It has been noted that calls from the school number are often coming up as unknown and are therefore going unanswered.

Please add both of these to your contacts in some way as St Monica's numbers

(03) 5447 7832 and (03) 4433 2719.

If you have a missed call from the school, a message will most likely be left, it helps us be able to direct your return call to the right person if you listen to the message before phoning back.

Road Safety and Parking

For the safety of everyone in our community, please follow traffic rules and park only in designated bays. If there are no close parking spots available at pick up or drop off please do not risk safety.

Familiarise yourself with signage, especially in Station street near the school crossing. Do not pull in or park near the school crossing, in front of the school driveway double gates, this blocks vision of the crossing for other motorists and is very dangerous for our crossing supervisor and students using the crossing.

Please keep everyone's safety in mind. A short walk from a further carpark is a small inconvenience to save a life.

It's a good idea to let your children know that they should always come to the office if their parent/carer is not where they would normally meet for pick up on time and to not wait outside the school grounds.

We also need to remind our community that we have a number of students that require the use of the disabled car park, please do not park in the designated disabled carpark unless you have the appropriate sticker to do so.

From City of Greater Bendigo Council

Parking Services from the City of Greater Bendigo have contacted our school and requested that the following information be conveyed to our school community.

The illegal parking of vehicles adjacent to our school poses a safety concern to children, pedestrians and other road users. Parents are reminded that it is essential to comply with parking restrictions when dropping off and collecting children from school.

Motorists must not stop in no stopping areas, even briefly, with or without the motor running. They must not stop next to a continuous yellow edge line, on nature strips, too close to school crossings, park over driveways or double park. A number of schools have short term time restricted areas, such as 2 minute pick up drop off. These parking areas are in place to allow for ease of access close to schools and these restrictions must be adhered to. Drivers should also be aware that they cannot perform a U-turn over an unbroken or continuous dividing line.

With regard to children’s crossings, the law requires that a driver approaching a children’s crossing must drive at a speed at which the driver can, if necessary stop safely before the crossing. Please slow down and take extra care when driving in school zones.

City of Greater Bendigo Parking Officers and Bendigo Police do conduct random patrols throughout the school year at various locations to ensure that motorists are adhering to the Road Rules.

P&F News & Volunteering at St Monica's

P&F News
& Volunteering
at St Monica's