Welcome back to Term 2. I hope you and your family had an enjoyable time over the Easter Break.

It was wonderful to witness the children returning this week and being with their friends, teachers and staff.

To the start the new school term, I would like to inform and remind parents around school procedures. These procedures are put in place to ensure an orderly, safe learning environment for our students and staff.

Below is a link of some school operational reminders:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BoHxGvPan4

Mobile Phones and Devices

Unless there is a legitimate reason that has been discussed with the class teacher and approved by school leadership, students are not permitted mobile devices or accessories linked to a mobile device e.g.smart watches,  for use during the school day. 

Any personal devices brought to school are to be switched off and handed in to the administration office on arrival at school and collected at the end of the school day. They should remain switched off until the student has left the school grounds.

Should the school need to contact parents or carers during the day teachers or the school office will contact you.  Should parents or carers need to get a message to students then the office should be contacted to relay this message.

As always should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss.

Annual School Development Plan

St Benedict’s Catholic School strives to ensure that each student can experience the joy of learning and achieve success as a learner, guided by teachers who are inspired by Jesus Christ. This vision for Catholic schooling will build on our traditions and expertise and embrace new possibilities.

Through collaboration, co-responsibility, diversity and on-going renewal of mission and purpose, St Benedict’s implements a school development plan that is hope-filled and sustainable. Our 2024 Annual School Development Plan is a way that our school community can plan for and implement goals and strategies for our ongoing efforts towards school improvement.

Below is the link to a video from myself and our school leadership team describing our Annual School Development Plan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9utLlpQRQYE 

Email Communication with classroom teachers and Right to Disconnect

The use of emails between parents and teachers is an effective communication tool. This year legislation has been passed around employees and The Right to Disconnect.

At St Benedict’s staff are not required to read or respond to emails from parents and carers outside school hours. To support the use of email communication and the Right to Disconnect, St Benedict’s email guidelines and procedures will be formulated in the coming weeks and communicated to staff and parents.

2025 Prep Enrolment Process

The school leadership team will be conducting interviews for 2025 prep places in the coming days and weeks. This is an exciting time for our new families and these young children.

A reminder to all current St Benedict’s parents. If you have a child that you wish to enrol at St Benedict’s in 2025, please ensure that you have completed your enrolment application.

Interviews with current parents and carers and sibling children will be conducted in June and July this year. The school admin will be in contact to arrange suitable meeting times in the coming weeks.

School Disco

A huge thank you to our Parents and Friends volunteers for their organisation and work at our school disco. The children had a wonderful time. Thank you to all parents for supervising their children at this family event.

Fun Run

A great time was enjoyed by all our students as they participated and competed in the school fun run yesterday. Thank you to our Physical Education Teacher, Ms Rowe, for her organisation and coordination of this fun event.

Student Free Day – Friday 26th April

A reminder that next Friday 26th April is a student free day for all Townsville Catholic Education
Schools, including St Benedict’s. On this day staff will be attending mandatory professional learning
sessions.

Finally, on behalf of the staff, we are looking forward to another great term. Thank you to all parents
and carers for your continued support of your children and St Benedict’s.

Patrick Dempsey

Principal

pdempsey2@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au

Welcome to the start of Term 2.  It’s been great to see all the children return, and we’ve already been able to host some community events this week, with the P & F Disco on Wednesday evening and the Fun Run on Thursday morning.

This term we have our Year 4 - 6 classes attending school camps, which is sure to be an exciting experience for all of them!  Year 4 are attending camp at Gumburu, Paluma, in Week 3.  Year 6 are attending camp at Daradgee, Innisfail in Week 5; and Year 5 are attending camp at Virginia Park, Charter’s Towers in Week 9.

Sacramental Program

We wish all of our students receiving the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation on the weekend all the best!  Today (Friday 19/04) they have attended a retreat day at the Parish to finalise their preparations for these sacraments.  We congratulate them on taking the next step in their faith journey.  

ANZAC Day Liturgy

We’d like to invite ALL members of our St Benedict’s community to attend our ANZAC Day Liturgy on Wednesday, April 24 at 8:45am in the Hall.  Our students from our Defence Families have been working with Miss Leza to put together the commemoration.  

DATE CLAIMER

Our assemblies this term will remain on a Friday at 8:45am in the Hall.  I have attached a copy of the Assembly schedule, as well as the open classrooms that are coming up for Term 2

Pax,

Nick 

This Sunday, 21st April, the children in our Parish will be receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist, from Bishop Tim, at our 9.30 am Mass.  This Mass will be celebrated at the Emmaus Hall.  We will not be have our usual 9.30 am Sunday Mass at the Ryan Community Centre, but at Emmaus Hall.  All Parishioners are invited to join this celebration. 

We are seeking volunteers to assist with the serving of Morning Tea after the Mass.  If you are able to assist, please let us know. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. 

Thank you 

Kathy Serrurier       

Parish Secretary

Ministerial Region of the Good Shepherd

43 Morindo Drive,  Kirwan  Qld  4817.  PO Box 203, Thuringowa Central  Qld  4817

Ph: (07)4723 9844  

Email: goodshepkirwan@tsv.catholic.org.au

Staff Baby News

The Easter break has been a time of gifts in many forms.  We are excited to announce that Mrs Jamie Gurney has had her beautiful baby girl.  Her arrival was a little earlier than planned, but mum and baby are both doing well.

Also Ms Anna (from Year 1 Wallabies in 2023) has also had a beautiful little girl.  The family are overjoyed with their new little addition.  We extend our blessings and wishes to our staff and their families.

ANZAC Day

Next week we will have our Defence Led Liturgy on WEDNESDAY morning at 8:45am in the hall.  Parents and guests are welcomed and invited to attend.

We also invite all to join us at Thuringowa for the annual Anzac Day march.  We gather in the Weir carpark at 8.30am and the march commences at 9am followed by a short service, usually led by our parish priest and the local RSL Chapter president.  Many schools and Serving units march, along with our veterans in the old cars.  Serving and ex-serving parents are invited to march with the students.

Please see the attached letter for more details.

P&F - Meeting and Thanks

A huge thanks to parents who supported the planning and running of our great community events this week.  For these events to be the success they are, the behind the scenes work is important.  I bring to the spotlight some key parents including by not limited to - Tanya Martin, Kellie Stephenson, Carly Leon-Simmons, Jessica Mead and Renee Neville.  Thanks also to the Querro family for their assistance with cooking and serving the BBQ at the disco along with many other volunteers.

We will host our Term 2 P&F Meeting this coming Tuesday 23rd April at 7pm.  At this meeting we will be seeking feedback about the new split location format for the disco.  Please feel free to send through any feedback prior via email to: rbaumann@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au if you are unable to attend.  There will be a zoom link added to the school Facebook Page Event on Tuesday.

Our next event this term will be for Mother’s Day.  We will again be hosting a raffle.  If you or a business you know would like to make a donation, these will be greatly received.  Proceeds from our raffle are used to help a Benny’s mum in need.  If you would like to nominate a Mum who may need a helping hand - please send through via email to: rbaumann@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au.  Nominations are kept confidential.

Pupil Free Day - Teacher Professional Development 

We would like to remind everyone that next Friday, 26th April, is a pupil-free day. This key time allows our dedicated staff to engage in robust professional development activities. On this day, we will focus on enhancing Grammar and Punctuation teaching strategies, and maintaining an orderly environment within the classroom, both goals on our 2024 School Improvement Plan. We will also be continuing to navigate and explore the new Version of the Australian Curriculum as we are working through our transition from Version 8 to Version 9.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Grammar and Punctuation Edition

Answer these 5 questions and test your own G&P skills! (Answers Below)

1. Punctuation: Correctly punctuate this sentence: "James sister Sandy, is going to the store"
2. Is this a correctly structured complex sentence? "Although she loves chocolate, but she decided to give it up for her New Year's resolution."
3. Which is the correct spelling? A) Accomodate B) Accommodate
4. Do you know the difference between 'there', 'their' and ‘they’re’? Create a sentence correctly using all three words.
5. Correct the grammar in the following sentence: 'She don't like pineapple on her pizza.'

ANSWERS

1. Punctuation: Correctly punctuated the sentence should read: "James's sister, Sandy, is going to the store."
2. Sentence Structure: No, the sentence is not grammatically correct. The correct sentence should read: "I enjoy playing soccer on the weekends."
3. Spelling: The correct spelling is B) Accommodate.
4. An example of a sentence that uses 'there', 'their' and 'they're' correctly: "They're going to bring their dog over there to the park."
5. Grammar: The correct grammar in the sentence should read: 'She doesn't like pineapple on her pizza.'

Prep-Year 2 Parent Reading and Writing Workshop

Are you coming to the Prep - Year 2 Parent Reading and Writing workshop next Thursday 2nd May? Please RSVP on our Facebook Event or email arockemer1@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au. 

If you can’t make Thursday, you might like to watch the Digital Version of the Workshop -  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

The workshop received great feedback from parents last year and we are looking forward to working with many more parents this year! 

If you did attend the workshop in 2023 please note that it is the same workshop being presented. You are more than welcome to attend again if you would like to revisit any of the concepts. 

Save the Date - How to Read Your Child’s Report Card

RSVP on our Facebook Event or email arockemer1@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au

Yours in Learning, 

Aleesha Rockemer 

Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning (APPL) 

Expression of interest for SEASONS FOR GROWTH GROUP STARTING IN TERM 2 

Change and loss are issues that affect all of us at some stage in our lives. At St Benedict’s Catholic School, we recognise that when changes occur in families through death, separation, divorce or related circumstances, young people may benefit from learning how to manage these changes effectively. We are therefore offering a very successful education program called Seasons for Growth. 

This program is facilitated in small groups and is based on research that highlights the importance of social support and the need to practise new skills to cope effectively with change and loss. The program focuses on issues such as self-esteem, managing feelings, problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication and support networks.

Seasons for Growth group will be facilitated by Pastoral Care Coordinator Rhylie Mathiesen and Guidance Counsellor Barbara Salisbury and will begin in Term 2. If you require more information about the program or wish to indicate an interest in your child becoming involved please send an email to rmathiesen1@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au  If your child has participated previously and you would like to express your interest in them being a part of the program again, please reach out so we can discuss. 

Yours in Support 

Rhylie Mathiesen 

Pastoral Care Coordinator

ANZAC Day March 2024

On Thursday, April 25, St Benedict’s Catholic School will be participating in the Thuringowa Anzac Day March.  We would like to extend an invitation to ALL students to march with the school at this event.  Those wishing to participate are requested to consider the length of the march (930m) and the capacity of students to complete the distance with respect and solemnity.

The march is for students only, with teacher supervision being provided during the march.  Uniformed serving members who may wish to march with the school are invited to seek permissions from your units as required.  Ex serving members may like to join with us also.

Please note the following information:

Where:            All schools will gather in the Weir State School carpark.  There is a drop off area on Ross River Road in front of the school but this is strictly a drop off area and may not work for younger.  Parking will be limited so please try neighbouring streets, Riverway and Willows Shopping Centre. 

                        Parents are to collect students at the completion of the march, prior to the commencement of the official service at 9:30am from the Riverway Oval.  Students are of course welcome to stay during the service with parental supervision.

When:             Students are to have gathered at the meeting place by 8:30am for a 9:00am start  

Uniform:         Students must be in full academic school uniform (Prep in sports) including hats.  It is advised to have a water bottle on hand prior to and at the completion of the march.  The event organisers have also recommended that students attending eat a good breakfast prior to participating in the march.

We look forward to participating and showing our respect at this community event

If you are interested in helping out on a Friday morning please let us know