Welcome to the start of Term 2!  It was great to welcome all of our students back on Tuesday - it looks as though everyone is well refreshed and ready for what is sure to be another busy Term 2!  We welcome Mrs Collins back to her Principal Role next week - I know that she is itching to get back and can’t wait to see everyone on Tuesday.  Thanks to everyone who has assisted me over the past couple of weeks in what has been my first stint in the Principal chair.

Next Tuesday at 12:00pm we will be hosting special guests at our school including Bishop Tim, Aaron Harper MP, Townsville Catholic Education Representatives and those involved in the build for our Stage 3 building project, to officially Open and Bless the new spaces (Administration Block, Orange Block and the St Scholastica Library).  I would like to also extend an invitation to all parents and members of our St Benedict’s community to attend this special event.

I look forward to seeing many of you on Monday morning as we join in pay our respect to our Armed Services at the Thuringowa ANZAC Day March.

Lest We Forget

Nick

A big thank you to Ms Leza who organised our ANZAC Day Liturgy this morning.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but I heard it was a beautiful ceremony.  It is a very special day in our nations calendar, and a wonderful opportunity for all of us to pause and pray for peace, especially considering some of the issues taking place currently around the globe. 

Sacramental Program

Today I joined with some St Benedict’s students, as well as other students from our parish for the Sacramental Retreat Day.  The idea of this day was to prepare the students for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, which they will be participating in next Tuesday and Wednesday night.  Please join with me in praying for these students as they finish this part of their sacramental journey of initiation into the Church - we wish them all the best!

Pax,

Nick

Anzac Day

Thanks to all the guests who attended the ANZAC Liturgy today led by some of our Defence Students.  It was wonderful to see so many faces present to reflect on the peace and freedoms which so many fought for long ago.  Our students all did a great job.  Many thanks to Mr Roberts for the musical accompaniment and our special guests Pte Cunningham and Pte Berg from the 1st Military Police Battalion.  We invite families to join us on Monday for the March in Thuringowa.  Drop off for students will be in the Weir carpark from 8.15am.  Please note the road will be closed by Queensland Police from 8.40am on Monday.  Students are to wear their formal uniform and hats.

Big Feelings

“I hate you!”  Have you noticed that your child has had more and more big feelings?  These can be a sign of growing understanding about their own emotions and reactions to situations.  Oftentimes, children can appear to be ‘taking it out’ on those at home.  This is usually due to them feeling safest and most comfortable at home and allows them the safe place they need to practice their skills.  This can mean we as adults need to have the skills to help them learn and grow.  The Big Life Journal offers some great resources to assist in this area.  Here is a sample that might help some out.

P&F News

A reminder that the term 2 meeting will be on Tuesday 26th April at 7pm.  The parent page has the event with the link so those who can’t make it in person can view online.  We look forward to welcoming many people in person on Tuesday evening.

Welcome back to Term 2! I am hearing from many teachers that the students have come back to school eager and ready to learn. 

A reminder that NAPLAN will be in week 4 of this Term for our year 3 and 5 students. Here is a repeat of information from an earlier Newsletter: 

NAPLAN Testing

NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit in May each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students do.

As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics. NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgment about student progress.

Year 3 and Year 5 students complete NAPLAN Online, with the exception of the year 3 writing test which is completed on paper. Coming up to the tests, students will be engaged in learning about the types of questions that will be on the NAPLAN test and how to navigate the site. Students will also participate in a practice test this coming Thursday 30th March in order to become familiar with the platform. If you would like to, you and your child can access the Public Demonstration Site  to familiarise yourselves with the type of questions and related functionalities available in the NAPLAN Online assessment.

This website (https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support/) provides further information and resources about NAPLAN for parents and carers.

Parents or carers may withdraw their child from the tests to address issues such as religious beliefs or philosophical objections to testing. It is recommended that withdrawal be considered in consultation with your child's teacher. If you would like to withdraw your child from NAPLAN please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible and you will need to sign a form along with the Principal (Penny or Nick) by Friday 6th May. 

The NAPLAN schedule for St Benedict’s Catholc School is below. Wherever possible, we will organise for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed tests at another time during the test window. Classes will resume as normal (no more catch ups) after Friday 13th May. 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding NAPLAN please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. As stated, we appreciate that NAPLAN is a point in time assessment, and we know your children for all their strengths and achievements outside of standardised testing. 

Yours in Learning,

Aleesha