Peace Focus: Manners Matter – Cultivating Respect and Safety at St Benedict’s

At St Benedict’s Catholic School, Shaw, we are committed to fostering a respectful and safe learning environment where students embody the values of their families and our community. Our "Way of Peace"- an acronym standing for Persistent, Empathetic, Accountable, Care for Community, and Engaged - guides our daily interactions and underpins our educational philosophy. 

https://www.stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au/faith-mission/charism/

The Importance of Manners

Manners are more than just polite expressions,  they are reflections of our values and character. By teaching students to use kind words, listen attentively, and act thoughtfully, we help them develop into compassionate and responsible individuals. These behaviors not only enhance personal relationships but also contribute to a harmonious school environment.

Reflecting Family Values

The manners and respect students exhibit at school are often a mirror of the values instilled at home. When families and schools collaborate in promoting these principles, children receive consistent messages about the importance of respect and kindness. This partnership strengthens the community and supports the holistic development of each child.

Creating a Safe Learning Environment

A school where manners matter is a school where safety thrives. Respectful interactions reduce conflicts, build trust, and create a space where all students feel valued and secure. At St Benedict’s, we believe that by nurturing these qualities, we lay the foundation for academic success and personal growth.

A Call to Action

We encourage all members of the St Benedict’s community - students, parents, and staff - to continue modeling and reinforcing the importance of manners. Together, we can uphold the Benedictine values of peace and respect, ensuring that our school remains a place where every child can learn and grow with confidence.

Let us walk gently together, reflecting the peace and respect that define our community.

Fire Drill Practice Notification

As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety and emergency preparedness, St Benedict’s Catholic School will be conducting a fire drill practice on Monday 16th June at 10:15am.

Parents and carers are encouraged not to visit the school during this Fire Drill Practice.

These drills are an essential part of our safety procedures, ensuring that all students and staff are familiar with evacuation processes and can respond calmly and efficiently in the unlikely event of an emergency

Year 6 Solar System Designs

Today our Year 6 students invited their parents, family members and St Benedict’s students to view their incredible Solar Systems Designs. Congratulations to our Year 6 students (and their parents) for the work they have done on these outstanding projects.

God in All of Life

Patrick Dempsey

pdempsey2@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au

Welcome to the end of Week 8 - it’s certainly been a busy time, and it’s crazy to think that we’ve only got 2 weeks until the mid-year break!

Last week at the assembly, the Year 2 Magpies presented an assembly on the Ascension of Christ.  They spoke about how, before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told the apostles that we would send them a helper to give them courage and wisdom, hope and joy - the Holy Spirit.  They prayed that we can be spirit filled people who bring hope and joy to others.

Year 1 Bandicoots presented today on Pentecost, where Jesus’ promise was fulfilled by sending the apostles the Holy Spirit during Pentecost.  Today the Bandicoots prayed that our hearts be filled with the spirit so that we can light up the world by serving those around us.  

These two feasts mark an important time in the Churches calendar, as these celebrations form a central part of the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Today on assembly we spoke to the children that we are all spirit filled people, and we can all show this in how we treat one another every day.

Sacramental Program

A big congratulations to our St Benedict’s children who participated and have now completed the Sacramental Program.  They have been preparing throughout the year, and finished their sacraments of initiation by being Confirmed by Bishop Tim, then receiving their First Holy Communion last Sunday.  It was a wonderful celebration for these students, their families, as well as for the parish as a whole, as we celebrated these children’s full initiation into the church.  The students were reminded that it is then important, as it is with all gifts, to go out and show the world these gifts through their actions.

Athletics Carnival

Please read Mrs Huston’s newsletter article below with further details on our Upcoming Athletics carnival, particularly around “pre-events” for certain year levels.  Flyers for these events have also been attached below.  Please note that on the day, students are welcome to be signed out and taken home early, however, it is a requirement that they are signed out with a member of the administration team first.

Pax

Nick

Head Knock Procedures

With the cooler weather often comes an increase of games / activities that see the kids run around.  Inevitably, this can result in home collisions or head knocks.  Please take some time to review our procedure.  See the attached procedure below.

School Exclusion due to health reasons

A child may need to stay away from school if they are ‘infectious'. Staying away can stop the germs spreading to other children or people in the community. 

The amount of time a student will be excluded will vary, it depends on the nature of their illness, how it spreads, how long it takes to show signs of illness and how severe the illness is. 

The Time out: Keeping your child and other kids health poster provides information on the recommended minimum exclusion periods for infectious conditions 

Time Out Brochure (PDF, 722KB) information for parents about infectious diseases and exclusion periods in Queensland early childhood education centres and schools. 

Health / Well Being and Medical Information Updates

With the recent camps and excursions, we have noted a number of students have had updated health diagnoses such as Asthma, allergies, changes to medications and more serious health conditions highlighted that have not previously been advised to the school.

Over the coming weeks, the school will be undertaking an audit to ensure we are appropriately informed, trained and best placed to meet your student’s health requirements.  This audit will include a review of provided Medical Action Plans, letters of medically diagnosed conditions and medication requirements.  If your student(s) has had a medical diagnosis or a change to their medical status post their enrolment, we ask that you ensure you have advised the school.

As part of the audit process, you may be contacted to meet and discuss / review your student’s medical needs.  We thank you for your ongoing collaboration in ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of our community.

Compass - Parent Portal - Semester One Reports

Report Cards will be available the afternoon of Monday 23th June. You will receive an email when they are ready to be viewed. You can access your child’s Report Card from the ‘Compass Parent Portal’ (if you haven’t accessed Compass in a while, it might be worth logging in beforehand to ensure everything is up and running!). 

Please see instructions below to access your child’s Report Card and if you require any assistance please contact the front office. Please see last week’s newsletter for further information about Report Cards, including some changes that have been made to the Report Structure across Townsville Catholic Diocese schools. 

You can access your child’s report card by going to “The Compass App > Your child’s profile > Reports.”

Yours in Learning, 

Aleesha Rockemer 

Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning (APPL) 

School Umbrella for sale $25.  Perfect for the Athletics Carnival coming up.  Please see the office - Credit Card only

Does your child love to RUN, JUMP & THROW?
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the 2025 Coles Winter Little Athletics Carnival in sunny Townsville!  Nominations close THIS  Monday 16th June.

 Townsville Sports Precinct

 28–29 June 2025

Open to U7–U17 athletes – LAQ & non-LAQ members WELCOME!

Whether you're chasing PBs or just in it for fun – it’s going to be a weekend to remember!

Register now  https://laq.sport80.com/public/wizard/e/3/home

Need help registering?

 How to register as an LAQ Member - https://bit.ly/431jBoS

 How to register as a Non-LAQ Member - https://bit.ly/431jBoS

 Event Draft Order & More  https://laq.org.au/coles-winter-carnival/

Queensland Cricket is running two awesome Cricket Blast School Holiday Programs on July 3 and 9. Each 5-hour session at Endeavour Park in Annandale will include two groups: Rookies (5-7 years) and Challengers (8-11 years) to best cater for boys’ and girls’ abilities. As well as a whole lot of cricket fun, sessions also include a Sausage Sizzle Lunch + a Blast pack!

Register here: https://www.playhq.com/cricket-australia/register/4c789a

Contact antony.stewart@qldcricket.com.au or 0466 795 648 for more info.