St Benedict's Catholic School Shaw eNewsletter

Working Bee

We are looking forward to welcoming many of our families on Sunday to engage in our working bee. Please ensure you have completed the online induction form. See further details from Mr Christie.

NAPLAN

Well done to our Year 3 and Year 5 students on completing their NAPLAN this week. This set of tests is just a point in time assessment that enables the teachers to gain an understanding of student progress at the beginning of the year. Results will be back later in the year and teachers will have time to analyse and plan based on the data.

Early Years Feedback

Next week our Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 teachers will engage in some data analysis with the Early Years Feedback sessions planned. The data gathered helps to inform areas of strength for students along with identifying key areas that need more focussed attention. The teachers will have our TCE Speech pathologist and our Learning and Teaching Advisor supporting them in this work.

Parent Code of Conduct

Further highlighting the rights and responsibilities within the Parent Code of Conduct (link here) there are a number of Rights and Responsibilities that we are held to account for. This week I am highlighting those for parents/guardians/carer/volunteers.

Parent/guardian/caregiver/volunteer rights:
* To be treated with respect and courtesy by staff, students and other parents
* To be listened to, and clearly communicated with by the school, in regard to your child’s education and development
* To have confidentiality over sensitive issues respected by staff
* To be treated in a caring and polite manner
* To have a timely response to concerns raised
* To be treated with professionalism by all staff members.

Parent/guardian/caregiver/volunteer
responsibilities:
* Value and champion your school and its reputation. Be mindful of the hurt and damage social media may cause to staff members and other parents
* Respect the reputation of teachers and be mindful of communications especially social media. e.g. tone of emails
* Under no circumstances approach another child whilst in the care of the school to address, discuss or chastise them because of actions towards your own child
* Respect the rights of staff members and other individuals
* Follow the correct procedures to resolve a conflict or make a complaint

* Respect teachers’ preparation time before school and make an appointment for long discussions at a mutually convenient time. If you wish to speak to a teacher, please do not expect a meeting before school unless pre-arranged

* To protect our children, do not discuss any grievances or perceived failings in front them regarding the school
* On excursions, helping in class or on camps, follow the instructions and directions of the teacher. A parent may remind students of the rules but at no time issue consequences and refer them to the teacher if the behaviour continues
* As valued members of the school community, attend and participate appropriately in school liturgies or special events including sporting carnivals, interschool sport, academic and cultural events

Building Works

We are excited to see that there has been some progress outside of the Orange Block this week. Whilst the rain holds off our contractors are doing their best to get stuck in. Thanks to all for your patience and understanding whilst these works continue.

Road Works Construction

You will have noticed that Mendi Group have begun some initial site clearing on the block opposite St Benedict’s. These are the initial works to assist with the construction stages. These road works will be ongoing for the remainder of the year. We appreciate your ongoing patience whilst these works are undertaken and appreciate they are not without impact. Please keep an eye on the School Newsletter for continued updates.

CONSTRUCTION STAGES

To maintain traffic on both Dalrymple Road and maintain access to St Benedict’s School without the need for full road closures the new Intersection will be constructed in 7 stages. An explanation of each stage follows.

Construction - Stage 1

Stage 1 comprises works to clear and prepare, along with construction of a temporary road via the Greater Ascot intersection to the school access at the southern end of Bishop Putney Avenue.

Welcome to the end of Week 8! There was no assembly today due to NAPLAN and excursions. Next week will be our last assembly for the term, with Year 5 Jellyfish presenting.

We currently remain in the season of Lent as we journey towards Easter. Starting next week, each of our classes will participate in the Journey of Holy Week which will be set up in our Bush Tucker Trail. During this time there will be symbols and actions set around the trail to give students a greater understanding of the journey of Holy Week, leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus. These events include, Palm Sunday, the Washing of the Feet, the Last Supper, Jesus’ betrayal, Jesus carrying the cross and ultimately the death of Jesus. It is certainly a more solemn time in the Church calendar. When we return after Easter, we enter a time of joy as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Fun Run

Friday 31st March will see all of our students participating in our annual school Fun Run. All of our students are catered for throughout the event; from our most competitive runners, who are encouraged to go through the course as fast as they can, to those competitors or would rather take it a bit easy, with fun and enjoyable obstacles set up for them along the course. We would like to welcome those parents who are able to attend to come and watch the races. There will be areas allocated for our spectators to allow for the smooth running of the event. Please note, we have had to make some changes, with the 11 Year old and 12 Year old races now set to take place on Thursday 30th March at 2:00pm. Again, parents are welcome to attend and watch these races. This change has been made to allow for students to be able to represent our school at the Northern Region Rugby League and Netball Cups, which will be taking place on those days.

Project Compassion

Each week, Project Compassion has a video to show how they are supporting people and communities around the world. Please see the link below to see one of the many projects around the world and to see where your donations might be spent. This week's story takes us to Vietnam and is about a man named Thu.

If you’re interested, you may want to learn more at the following link:

https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/thu-story/

A reminder that each classroom has a donation box, where any funds, even small contributions, can be placed to do something for someone else.

Pax,

Nick

Parishwk8.pdf

NAPLAN

We are pleased to announce that our year 3 and 5 students have successfully completed the NAPLAN tests! Please note, if your child was absent during these days, we will hold catch up tests on Monday and Tuesday. Our teachers and staff have worked hard to ensure our students were well-prepared and ready to do their best. We thank our students for their efforts and look forward to receiving the results. We would also like to thank all of the parents for their support. Your encouragement and enthusiasm for your children's education is invaluable. A very big reminder that NAPLAN is just a snapshot of academic performance and doesn't reflect the full picture of a child's skills, talents and potential. Kids are creative, curious and capable of so much more than what can be tested on a standardised test. We are so proud of all our students!

Parent/Teacher Interviews

A reminder that parent/teacher interviews are this coming Monday and Tuesday. The booking system is now closed. If you missed your chance,

please contact your child’s teacher to arrange an alternative time. Interviews will be held in the Hall and are timed to ensure everyone stays on track. Please arrive on time to ensure they run smoothly. We hope that you are able to make the most of this opportunity and to use it to discuss your child's progress in class and any other relevant questions you may have. The three-way partnership between teachers, parents and students is essential for a successful educational experience.

Planning Days

Every term, teachers and their year level colleagues come together for a planning day during their release time from their classes, allowing our students to attend their specialist subjects (PE, Music, etc.). Planning Days are a precious opportunity for cohort teachers to come together, reflect, debrief, evaluate, and plan for the upcoming term, ensuring we can best meet our students' needs.

Yours in Learning,

Aleesha Rockemer

Learning and Teaching Adviser and Acting Assistant Principal - Administration

A SPECIAL REPORT: Celebrating Harmony Week

Harmony Week is a celebration held annually in March across Australia. It’s aimed at promoting diversity, respect and inclusiveness. This event is an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children about different cultures, traditions and customs. The goal is to encourage everyone to appreciate and celebrate differences and promote a sense of community and belonging for everyone.

During Harmony Week, there are a number of events and activities held to bring people from different cultures together. These activities include multicultural food festivals, cultural performances, art exhibitions and workshops. Participating in these events helps children to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse communities that make up Australia.

As a parent, you can engage your children in discussions about multiculturalism and encouraging them to ask questions. Promoting a more harmonious and inclusive society, can help children grow up with a greater appreciation for the richness and diversity of Australia's cultural landscape.

This Special Report hopes to instill positive values and create an opportunity to start a conversation with your child about understanding diversity and multiculturalism.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://stbenedicts.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-harmony-week-au

Each class will complete various activities across the week and we look forward to sharing these with you!

Yours in Support

Rhylie Mathiesen

Pastoral Care Coordinator

Prep_Bilbies_Update.pdf

LAST DAYS TO ORDER

Please see images and prices below of the new badges that are available for ANZAC DAY. The school will be ordering these new badges and would like to seek an expression of interest for those families wanting to purchase them from the school.

Please email Leza Triffitt ltriffitt@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au indicating which badges and how many you would like to purchase. The order will placed on 22/03/2023 so that no one misses out as they do sell out fast.

ANZAC_Day_badges.pdf