Principal's message
St Monica's is a child-safe school.
We promote the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all students.
Colour Run Fundraiser Update
The countdown is on for our Colour Run next week, and excitement is in the air! So far, we’ve raised an incredible $7,990 towards our $8,000 goal — a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported the event so far. Every dollar brings us closer to our target, so keep those donations rolling in!
And now for the big news… the votes are in, and Mr. Knight will be getting slimed next week! 😄I don’t want to call out any shenanigans, but with around 290 students in the school and over 1,000 votes cast for me, something tells me the voting might have been enthusiastic! Votes for Ethan were strong — only about few votes behind me — and for the record, I clearly didn’t count the votes!
It’s shaping up to be a colourful, laughter-filled day celebrating school spirit and community generosity. Let’s see if we can hit that $8,000 mark!
Social Media Age Restrictions & Your Family
From December 10, 2025, many social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australians under the age of 16 create or keep an account. The changes aim to protect under-16s from pressures and risks they can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts.
These come from design features in the platforms that:
encourage them to spend too much time on screens – for example, by prompting them with streams of notifications and alerts, and pressuring them to view disappearing content
increase the likelihood of exposure to negative, upsetting or manipulative content served up in their feeds by algorithms.
The age restrictions are a delay, not a ban. You won’t have to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to social media accounts, instead you can say ‘not yet’, knowing other under-16s are also being prevented from creating or keeping accounts so your child won’t be missing out.
Quick Facts
The age restrictions are likely to apply to Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube, as well as other platforms. See the latest list.
Under-16s will still be able to see publicly available social media content that doesn’t require logging into an account.
Most standalone gaming and messaging apps, as well as many services that support health and education, will not be affected by the new law.
There are no penalties for under-16s who access an account on an age-restricted social media platform, or for their parents or carers. This is about making the platforms take greater responsibility for the safety of children – they face fines of up to $49.5 million dollars if they don’t take reasonable steps to implement the changes.
Main Resource:
Social media age restrictions hub | eSafety Commissioner
Engagement of Volunteers - NEW
There are some great ways for parents to be involved at our school. We thank you for taking the time to Volunteer and for your continued support. Volunteers are integral to the school experience for our students, and they provide an important link to the community.
Some of the ways our school use Volunteers include:
School Tuckshop
Coaching school sports teams
Helping during excursions or incursions
Support at our school sports days
At St Monica's Primary, Kangaroo Flat the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. To uphold our commitment to child safety, ALL Volunteers are required to review and acknowledge our Child Safe Code of Conduct, Staff & Students Professional Boundaries Policy and Photography & Video Policy and Procedures. Additionally, Volunteers must complete a Volunteer Registration form and successfully complete the CESL School Volunteer Induction before commencing their role as a Volunteer.
We deeply value the contributions of our Volunteers and appreciate your support in maintaining a culture of care and protection. Together, we can continue to provide a safe and nurturing space for every child to thrive.
For more information regarding volunteering click on the link below to complete the Volunteer Registration form.
All Volunteers will be asked to:
Complete a Volunteer Registration form (including personal details, Working with Children Check (WWCC) and 2 personal referees), please inform your referees they will be contacted by the school in relation to your volunteering.
Once you have completed the Volunteer Registration form and are approved to Volunteer at the school, you will be sent an email with a link to access the required training: (Please note – Completing this induction replaces the previous onsite induction interview)
CESL School Volunteer Induction; and
Read and acknowledge the Child Safe Code of Conduct, Staff & Students Professional Boundaries Policy and Photography & Video Policy and Procedures.
All Volunteers will be required to update details at the start of each year and inform the school of any changes to your circumstances or updates to your WWCC. All Volunteers will need to complete the CESL School Volunteer Induction and read and acknowledge all relevant safeguarding policies at the start of each school year even if an existing Volunteer.
All information received regarding volunteering and providing referee details will be maintained in line with CESL Privacy Policy.
Uniforms
We are pleased to announce that a Soft Shell Jacket has been added as an optional item to the school uniform. Students may continue wearing either the old light blue polos or the new uniform until 2027, when all students will be required to transition to the new uniform. All new items are available from Hip Pocket Golden Square.
After extensive investigation, there is currently no summer dress option for 2026. We have been unable to source a design that is both practical and reasonably priced. We will continue to review options and keep families informed if this changes.
Sacramental Program
Congratulations to our Sacramental candidates who will be receiving their sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation tonight at St Joseph's Church. Thanks to Mr. Chalkley, staff and the families in supporting them in their faith journey.