Today we celebrated our first school assembly. Our assembly was hosted by our Year 6 Senior Leaders from the Year 6 Crocodiles. These students did a wonderful job in presenting and leading our school community in prayer, reflection and song. Thank you to Mrs Redgen and Mr Christie for their organisation. Thank you to the parents, carers and family members who attended and stayed for the open classrooms.

Townsville Catholic Education Leadership Team

At our assembly we also welcomed the members of the Townsville Catholic Education Leadership Team. The team included our Townville Catholic Education Executive Director, Ms Jacqui Frances, along with Ms Louise Vella-Cox, Mr John Nuttall and Mr Peter Stower.

https://www.tsv.catholic.edu.au/about/strategic-leadership-team/

Jacqui presented St Benedict’s with a certificate of validation from the 2022 school renewal process. The TCEO Leadership Team also had strategic conversations with myself, School Leadership Team, staff and parents around the focus of our ongoing school improvement processes. These school improvement directions will be discussed and communicated to parents throughout this school year.

St Benedict’s is fortunate and proud to be part of Townsville Catholic Education. Our school system supports our school community to provide the best learning environment for our students.

To find out more about Townsville Catholic Education, please visit their website:

https://www.tsv.catholic.edu.au/

School Board/Parents and Friends/Good Shepherd Pastoral Council

Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to attend my first Parents and Friends, School Board and Pastoral Council Meetings. These meetings are an important forum to support the improvement and growth of our school community.

The function of our parent groups are:

St Benedict’s Parents and Friends Association

Parents and Friends Associations (P&Fs) have been part of the Catholic school scene in Queensland for many decades, and all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Townsville have an active parent community. 

Every parent/carer with a child at St Benedict’s is automatically a member of our St Benedict’s  P&F association.

Through our P & F, St Benedict’s parents/carers can learn about what is going on in their school and on the education scene more broadly. They can support their school, its Principal and staff by planning and running social events and supporting opportunities for parents/carers to engage in their child’s learning.

Each school's parent group is the official representative body for parents/carers in communicating, as a body, with the principal, with Townsville Catholic Education Office, with all levels of government. This official status is recognised by the Bishop and by organisations into the broader community. Parent groups have carried out many school improvements over the years.

St Benedict’s School Board

Catholic School Boards, such as the St Benedict’s School Board, are advisory groups.  They act in a manner which is at home with the Catholic belief that the Holy Spirit lives in the Christian community and that all members have wisdom to contribute.  There is a strong spiritual dimension to a Catholic School Board's work. 

The existence of a Board can help create a sense of continuity in a school's life despite changes of principal and staff and the normal comings and goings of families in the school community.

In the reflective, respectful atmosphere of the monthly Board meeting, the principal can seek the Boards advice on matters of school policy and on "big picture" matters affecting the school's present life and its future.

The children of St Benedict’s

Parents and carers I want you to know that over my first five weeks as Principal, it has been my great pleasure and experience to get to know your wonderful children. The staff and I are in a privileged position to be able to teach, guide and be involved in the education and well being of the students in our care.