St Benedict's Catholic School Shaw eNewsletter

This week we have recognised National Child Protection Week with the theme- ‘Every child in every community deserves a fair go’. Our students have engaged with the theme in a variety of ways including participating in Australia's Biggest Child Safety Lesson from the Daniel Morcombe Foundation which was mostly about consent. Some year levels had a visit from our local police to talk about online and personal safety and we had further messages at assembly this morning about knowing who safe people are , both in our school and in our homes and families.

Please see this link if you would like more information regarding Child Protection Week. The following information is from this website and relates directly to what parents can do to ensure children are protected.

PARENTS PLAY THEIR PART TO PROTECT AND CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY BY SHOWING HOW TO HAVE RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS.

Being a parent can be challenging. Accept offers of help (especially the ones where cooked meals are involved!)
Link in with services that support you – New Parent Groups and Playgroups can be fantastic.
Parenting isn’t always easy. Share your experiences and skills with other parents – it can help you realise that you are not alone!
It’s ok to reach out and ask for support, from family, friends, services, health professionals and so on.
Discover what helps reduce your stress and assists you to best care for your children.Listen to your children and involve them in planning things as a family.
Play with your children. It can be as simple as a game of “peek-a-boo” or reading to them. Playing with children helps build a positive relationship and connection and most of all it is fun!
Take time out when you feel stressed or upset – look after yourself. Parenting can be positive – notice the good times too.
Make plans for enjoyable “family time” – this can help build close relationships.
Talk about safety with your children. Talk about what being unsafe might look and feel like at home, in their community, online or at school. Make plans about what to do if they feel unsafe.
Parenting courses can help you be the best you can be.
Celebrate your children, their achievements, values and interests and support them when times are tough. This will build a strong family that is loving and safe.
Get involved in your community. Joining groups such as for sporting activities will help you and your children to have fun and meet people.

I was incredibly proud this week to hear all about our Under 10 Football team’s effort at the Blackhawk Challenge. Our team had a great team effort with speed being their ultimate skill and resulting in two wins and two draws, narrowly missing a place in the Semi-final.

Next week is a big week with most students heading off to the Eisteddfod performing in the Poetry sections across the week. These students have been practicing very diligently and we all wish them well. We look for great attitude and effort and hope for a couple of wins in the process. Any student who can get on a stage and perform in these formal competitions is a winner in my eyes anyway. Thank you to all our teachers for your dedication and continued enthusiasm for preparing our students for these events.

Please also remember we have Ecofest on Thursday at 11.30am - 12.30pm. This event is always a great showcase of the wonderful learning our students have been doing within environmental education so please come along if you can.

Only one more week till school holidays :)

Cheers

Penny

Welcome to the end of Week 9! Our Prep Bilbies did a wonderful job on assembly today, presenting on the theme of ‘The Season of Creation’. Throughout their prayer they recognised all the gifts we find in God’s creation, and prayed that we may live together with creation with hearts full of love.

With the season of creation happening, we are hosting a number of events next week at the school, where we will be showcasing the amazing environmental initiatives we have in place in, placing our school value of Stewardship, where we are called to care for God’s creation, our common home, and the front of our minds.

On Tuesday we are hosting ‘EcoWarriors’, where a number of students from schools around the diocese will come to our school to engage in an environmental awareness and action day. These students will engage in a range of activities, including a tour of our school where we will showcase some of our wonderful eProjects around the school.

On Wednesday, we are hosting a ‘Catholic Earthcare Workshop’, for teachers from around our diocese. Here teachers will make the link between our Catholic faith and the work we do in sustainability education, and of course, we will again be showing off some of our environmental initiatives we have here at St Benedict’s.

Finally, on Thursday, we are hosting our community for our annual ‘EcoFest’, which our Year 6 students have been busily preparing. This will show off the environmental initiatives we have at each year level around the school, as well as what some of our local community groups are doing to care for creation.

This weekend, I will be taking our staff for a ‘Contemplative Spirituality Day’, where we are ‘Focussing on the wonder of Ordinary Things’. Our staff will engage in a range of contemplative activities around the Ross River to depthen their understanding of contemplative practices, both in their own lives, and to be transferred into the classroom, This is always a wonderful day, and a way in which our staff really engage with the Contemplative element of our Benedictine charism.

This week I would like to share with you a YouTube link which our staff will be engaging in on their day titled ,’A Good Day’ by Br Steindl-Rast. It reflects on the gift we see in creation from God each day - it is a lovely reflective video which encourages us to live in the “right now” and would recommend having a watch, perhaps to start your weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zl9puhwiyw

Pax,

Nick

Prep-Year 2 Parent Reading and Writing Workshop

We now have a digital version of the Parent Reading and Writing Workshop that Tegan (our speech pathologist) and I presented earlier this term. Grab a cuppa and enjoy watching by following this link - St Benedict’s Catholic School Prep-Year 2 Parent Reading & Writing Workshop

You will find out:

How children learn to read and write
How we teach literacy at St Benedict’s
Tips and Tricks for home

If you have any feedback, please follow the QR code at the end of the presentation!

Yours in learning,

Aleesha Rockemer

Learning and Teaching Adviser

R U OK? Day

Understanding the growing challenges related to mental health among young people is an important consideration. Anxiety, depression and self-harm –– are all causes for concern. Factors like academic pressure, social media, family dynamics, and societal expectations, are contributing to these issues. It's therefore crucial for parents and caregivers to take action early, remove the stigma around discussing mental health, and offer accessible support to address these issues and the wellbeing of their children.

R U OK? contributes to suicide prevention year round by urging people to invest time in personal relationships and empowering informal support networks to identify signs of distress. We urge all families to take part, emphasising the value of genuine human relationships and reminding everyone to ask the important question, “Are you OK?”

Engaging in R U OK? Day activities goes beyond the classroom; it's a commitment to our students' overall development. By talking openly about mental health, schools create safe spaces where students feel understood, valued, and supported. As parents and caregivers, you can contribute by fostering open conversations, normalising feelings and breaking down mental health stigmas. Participating in R U OK? Day promotes compassion and shows our dedication to the wellbeing of the entire school community, reaffirming that together, we can truly make a difference.

This Special Report provides guidance on how to talk to your child about mental health and engage in meaningful discussions. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report including a poll with three questions. https://stbenedicts.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-r-u-ok-day

Yours in Support

Rhylie Mathiesen

Pastoral Care Coordinator

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