Well we have certainly hit the Week 9 slump with lots of tired children struggling to make it to the end of term. We have one week to go with our Athletics Carnival on Friday bringing the term to a close. 

This week, our leadership team was away from school to participate in a High Performing Leadership Team professional development along with three other schools in our diocese. We found the two days very affirming and an opportunity to acknowledge some of the good things we have in place in terms of leading our school to become the community we aspire to be as detailed in our school Mission and Vision Statements. We also found the two days an opportunity to challenge our thinking and to think even more strategically about our school. As part of this professional development, we have had to identify a specific area for improvement for our team and create a short term project around how to address it. Part of our project will be around developing a team charter that details our expectations of each other as a leadership team and that identifies what our community can expect from us. We look forward to sharing our journey with this project and highlighting how it will then lead to creating more high performing teams within our school.

Over the last couple of days, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get into some classrooms, talking to our students about their learning and generally observing some very positive practice.

Next week, we are hosting our very first leadership retreat where our Year 6 students will engage in some activities to understand what it is to be a role model and a school leader. While we don’t have official school captains, we do have an expectation that our senior students model appropriate behaviours and are responsible for a number of regular duties as well as show care and consideration for other members of the school community. We hope that our Year 6 students will grow from this experience in understanding the value and joy of leadership along with the sense of duty and responsibility.

See you all next week.

Cheers

Penny Collins

Welcome to the end of another week.  We started this morning with the 4/5/6 Dolphins  leading us on assembly celebrating World Refugee Day.  They looked at how we should all be grateful for the food, clothing, shelter and the safe communities we live and play in.  They prayed that we can follow the example of Jesus to be ready to accept and welcome those who have seeked a new life in Australia and that we can be people who act with justice and deep compassion to build a loving and caring community that draws everyone together.  

These messages remind me of the teaching from the rule of St Benedict, that, “All visitors who present themselves should be welcomed as Christ”. It’s a message we can all live in our daily lives through how we respond with, talk to and treat one another, regardless of a person's creed, colour or beliefs.      

Athletics Carnival

Next Friday is our annual Athletics Carnival.  Students are encouraged to wear their house colours to the event or sports uniform.  Please see below for an outline of the order of events for the day - please note that these are subject to change.  Parents are very welcome to bring a blanket or chairs, some snacks and join us on the hill.  We kindly request that those attending remain behind the roped off areas to ensure the smoothest possible running of the day.  

St Benedict’s Feast Day

Save the Date!  Our St Benedict’s Feast Day will be held on Friday July 30.  The day goes as follows:

9:00am - Whole School Mass - ALL Welcome

11:10am - Students in Buddy Classes participate in activities around our school charism

2:00pm - Benny’s Got Talent - ALL Welcome

Benny’s Got Talent is back again this year and will be live.  For those who don’t know, it’s a chance for students to showcase their talents in front of the whole school.  Auditions will be on in Week 1 next term.  If students would like the chance to participate, they will need to talk to their teacher to place them on the list for auditions.  It’s always a wonderful school celebration!  

Pax

Nick 

End of term tiredness - Resilience

As we get tired, it's natural that our resilience levels for unexpected behaviours is reduced.  As adults this is something that we can stop, think and adjust to.  For our children, this can often be something they need to be directly taught the skills to do.  By reflecting on the things we can control and the things we can’t change, can be a valuable place to start.  This can be an abstract concept, so the use of visuals can be great.  This visual from Big Life Journal can be a helpful and all-ages appropriate tool to facilitate some great discussion.

P&F - Athletics Carnival Sausage Sizzle

The P&F will again be holding a sausage sizzle as part of the athletics carnival.  Children will be able to purchase 1 sausage in bread.  Parents in attendance can also access the sausage sizzle.

Details are as per the attached flyer.

Over the last two weeks, Prep Platypus have been working hard on a Maths investigation about designing your own Hopscotch. We explored different designs of Hopscotches, including the shapes, numbers and materials used. Some of the materials we used in our plans were glow sticks, sticks, rocks, sand, chalk and different construction materials. Here are some of our design plans and final products.

Report Cards

At St Benedict’s, student achievement is recognised and celebrated in many ways throughout the school year; at informal meetings, parent/teacher interviews, through class work, and through written reports.

Semester One Student Reports will be available via the Compass Portal at the beginning of next week. We will also have parent/teacher interviews towards the end of next term. Interviews are a great opportunity to meet with teachers to have further discussion about your child’s progress. More information about interviews will come next term.

Written report cards are one source of feedback about student progress and achievement, attitude, behaviour, and effort. These reports reflect your child’s current progress on their journey towards the Achievement Standard in the Australian Curriculum.

The Federal Government mandates that all Year 1 to 10 report cards must give an overall grade on a five point scale. Prep and Year 1 are reported using the following grades: ‘Applying (AP), Making Connections (MC), Working With (WW), Exploring (EX), or Becoming Aware (BA). Year 2 to 10 are reported using the grades A, B, C, D or E. The second page of the report card will have further information and explain what each grade means. Please note, that a ‘WW’ shows the child can work with the relevant year level curriculum, and a ‘C’ shows that a student’s work typically demonstrates a sound level of knowledge and understanding of concepts, facts and procedures, and application of processes. Essentially, A ‘WW’ or ‘C’ shows that they have achieved the relevant year level curriculum that is being assessed. An ‘EX’ or ‘BA’ and a ‘D’ or ‘E’ indicates students are demonstrating some or limited understanding of the required knowledge for the relevant year level curriculum that is being assessed. A ‘MC’ or ‘AP’ and a ‘B’ or ‘A’ shows they are working at a higher and deeper level with the relevant year level curriculum that is being assessed.

Along with a grade, students will be reported on their ‘Personal Effort’ for each Learning Area. You will be told if your child ‘applies commitment to learning’ rarely, sometimes, usually or consistently. This demonstrates the amount of effort your child has put into each Learning Area and if they have tried their absolute best. As parents and teachers, we need to know that if a student is working to the best of their ability with a ‘Usually’ or a ‘Consistently’ then we should be proud of them regardless of the Achievement grade on their report card. If they have received a ‘Rarely’ or ‘Sometimes’ then they need to put more effort into their work, participation levels, and/or behaviour within that specific Learning Area.

All of us understand our own children’s strengths and weaknesses, the things that make them unique, their special interests and their attitudes. Please remember that the Semester Report Card is one form of feedback about your child’s achievement and progress at school.

As always, if you have any further questions or concerns about Semester Report cards please see your classroom teacher.

Compass - Parent Portal

 We have provided some instructions on how you can access your child's Semester One Report using the Compass Parent Portal. Reports will be available on the afternoon of Monday 21st June. If you require any assistance please contact the school office.      

How to Access Your Child’s Semester Report

Later this month will see Australia, New Zealand and Fiji Men’s and Women’s visit Townsville for the Oceania Sevens Tournament.

This will see the best players from all 3 country’s battle it out in their final preparation for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

This is a great opportunity to see the Current Olympic Gold Medallists in action.