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With next week being the end of our second term of the year, it is a time to reflect and celebrate the progress of our students and school community. The staff and I are privileged to see the enormous growth of the children in our care.
Semester Report Cards will be available to parents/carers this coming Thursday 20th June (please note the change of date).
Student reporting involves a professional judgement made by teachers on a body of evidence about a student’s progress and achievement against the standards of the curriculum of each learning area. These indicate standards of typical development aligned with particular year levels. Reporting provides parents with a progress point along this framework as well as a statement of achievement that indicates whether progress is at the expected level, above or below it.
The student progress reports are written for parents and carers. I encourage all parents to discuss the report with their child, and praise them for their efforts.
A huge well done to all of our children across our classes. The teachers are very proud of what the students have achieved.
I would also like to extend that thank you to all parents for supporting your children.
We have provided some instructions on how you can access your child's Semester One Report using the Compass Parent Portal. If you require any assistance please contact the school office.
Junior and Senior Sport Carnivals
Yesterday our Prep to Year 2 students had a very enjoyable time participating in our Junior Sports Carnival. Next Thursday 20th June we will be conducting our Year 3 to Year 6 carnival. A reminder information regarding our carnival was sent out to all parents last Tuesday.
The carnivals are designed and planned for the purpose of allowing all children to participate, compete and have an enjoyable sporting experience.
Celebrating the moments at St Benedict’s
The staff have started to identify and name the great moments that occur with our students at St Benedict’s. Our staff are committed to providing a wonderful learning environment for our students. I can report, that after being here for two terms, the quality of care and education provided to our children is excellent. There maybe an opportunity in the future for our parents and carers to join our staff in ‘Celebrating the moments’ in different ways beside what we are already doing, e.g. School Assemblies, Open Classrooms, Special School Days.
Readers Cup
Congratulations to our students who represented St Benedict’s at the Readers Cup event this week. Readers Cup is a Queensland based academic event which harnesses the reading skills of students within a competitive environment. This year, St Benedict’s entered two amazing teams of Year 5 and 6 students into Readers Cup. Mrs Bowater and Mr Fleming have been working with them as they read and studied five novels during Term Two. On Tuesday evening the teams competed against 30 teams from schools across Townsville. While they did not win the competition, their hard work, commitment, and enthusiasm are to be commended and everyone at St Benedict’s should be incredibly proud of them! Congratulations to the Bibliomaniacs and the Benny’s Bookworms!
Thank you to our staff for supporting our Readers Cup Team including Jacki Whalley, Jennifer Bowater and our Year 6 classroom teachers and staff.
Lockdown procedure practice – Monday 17 th June
A manadatory whole school lock down practice will take place next Monday 17 th June at 9:30am. The children will be supported and guided by teachers and staff during this drill. The school office will be closed between 9:30 and 10:00am while this drill is taking place.
Farewell to staff members
At the end of this term we say goodbye to two valued staff members:
- Jacki Whalley who has been an integral part of our school since the formation year. Jacki has worked tirelessly in our school library to create a wonderful learning environment for our student.
- Kym Bathe who has been our grounds person since 2023. Kym along with our current grounds person Mark Pearce, has created beautiful school environment including our ovals, play spaces, gardens etc.
Last week of Term 2
School will finish for Term 2, next Friday 21st June at the regular time of 3:00pm. The first day of Term 3 will be Monday 8th July.
I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday break. On behalf of the staff, we thank all parents and carers for their continued support of our St Benedict’s School Community.
Welcome to the end of Week 9! Today, the 2 Lorikeets presented their assembly on the theme of World Environment Day’. They reminded us that we all have a responsibility to care for our Common Home. They also presented a wonderful reminder of Persistence and the power of Yet. It was wonderful to also welcome in parents and carers from Prep Platypus, 1 Bandicoots, and 4 Butterflies. Our open classrooms continue to be a hit.
St Benedict’s Feast Day
A reminder that on Friday 12th July we will celebrate the Feast of St Benedict, our patron saint. The day will include a liturgy in the morning, some activities with our buddy classes in the middle of the day and will conclude with our Benny’s Got Talent from 2pm. Parents and carers are invited to join us for Liturgy and Benny’s Got Talent.
Year 5 Camp
This week our Year 5 students had a great time exploring our local Gold Rush Heritage at Charters Towers and spent time at Virginia Park Station. As always, camp is a wonderful opportunity to engage with learning in different ways and gain knowledge and skills outside of the classroom, including learning about our own strengths and resilience to be away from home. Thanks to all who made this possible, including our staff Mrs Renee Macala, Miss Elisha Hudson, Miss Chloe Bassett, Miss Olivia and Miss Makayla along with Mrs Mathiesen and Mr Christie.(me)
Orderly Learning Environment - Morning / Afternoon Routines
As part of our Annual School Improvement Plan, we have been focusing on an orderly learning environment. This is not only in our classrooms but around the school when we gather in the Hall, during playtime and walk on our pathways as we move about the school. Everyone at St Benedict’s has a role to play in ensuring an orderly learning environment, including our students.
Before school each day, there are 4 members of the Leadership Team on supervision duty from 8am. The areas you will find us include the Drop-off zone, Hall, Library and Run Club. Some students are also at Before School Care. Students are able to arrive at school from 8am and are asked NOT to attend the classroom blocks, but are asked to leave their school bags in the Hall. Students then have the option of remaining in the Hall to sit and talk with friends, attend the Library for reading activities before school, or attend Run Club to move their bodies and use up some excess energy. Library and Run Club are offered until approximately 8:20am, at which time the staff member on duty will direct students to return to the Hall.
Students are asked to return to the Hall and sit in their Year level lines and collect their belongings. A bell will ring at 8:25am, at which time the staff member on duty will signal to gain the student’s attention (raising their hand) and students are to finish their conversations and turn their attention to the staff member. Once the students are quiet and settled, one year level at a time is released from the Hall in a calm and orderly manner. This process mirrors what has always been in place at St Benedict’s, with the only change being that teachers no longer escort their class from the Hall to the classroom, rather they greet their students at the classroom and support the morning preparation routine.
In the afternoons for pick up duty, students walk from their classrooms to the Hall. Using coloured field markers, students are to sit in year level lines facing the pick-up line. This aides the staff on duty and parents/carers alike to more easily locate students based on their year level and contributes to a more orderly environment.
This week the whole school has engaged in practising the morning routine and clear direction and instruction has also been provided at afternoon pick up. We thank all parents and carers for their ongoing support of an orderly learning environment for all students.
Tuckshop - Limited Menu
As we head into the last week of term, sadly Mrs Pringle has injured herself. Mrs Piccolo is running the tuckshop on her own for the last week of term. There will be a slightly limited menu on offer to support the reduced staffing. If you are interested in assisting with the tuckshop, please feel free to reach out!
eSports Competition
Yesterday our school hosted the first Annual eSports competition between St Benedict’s Catholic School, St Clare’s Catholic School and St Anthony’s Catholic College. A number of Year 4 students were selected to compete in this digital competition where students needed to use the Minecraft Education application to build a shelter to survive the harsh conditions of the jungle. We were very proud of our students who welcomed guests to our school and demonstrated tremendous teamwork and sportsmanship. Congratulations to two of our teams who tied for third place and who were commended on their teamwork.
Semester One Report Cards
Report Cards will be available this coming Thursday 20th June in the afternoon from the ‘Compass Parent Portal.’ See instructions below and if you require any assistance please contact the front office. Furthermore, did you know there was more information in the last newsletter about Report Cards? Please feel free to go to our school website and access the past newsletter to review the information again.
You can access your child’s report card by going to the Compass App. If you require assistance please contact the office.
Changes to Year 2 Report Cards
As stated in the last newsletter, a reminder that Townsville Catholic Education schools have made a change to year 2 reports from this year onwards. Previously, year 2 was graded using the A-E scale, the same as years 3-6. Starting this semester, year 2 will now be graded using the EX-AP scale, with Prep and Year 1. This is to align with ‘Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’ Reporting Guidelines.
Parent Workshop
If you would like more information about ‘Reading Your Child’s Report Card’ please grab a coffee and come along to the Workshop this coming Tuesday 18th June at 8:30am in the Library. Do not worry if you haven’t RSVP’d… just come along!
Holiday Time!
With the school holidays now upon us, it's the perfect time for parents to have fun with their children. From visiting Billabong Sanctuary, going to the Strand, or simply having a movie marathon night, there are endless possibilities to keep boredom at bay. Why not get out and explore your local area by taking a nature walk, visiting a nearby museum or library, or heading to a nearby café for a yummy snack? Getting creative in the kitchen is also a great way to spend some quality time with your kids. With a little planning and imagination, the holidays can be an exciting and memorable experience for everyone. Time spent together helps build communication skills, literacy, numeracy, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking - these are important skills not just for learning, but for life. Check out the Townsville School Holiday Guide for more ideas!
Homework Project Trial in Years 5 and 6
Thank you very much to the parents and carers who completed the survey about the Homework Projects in years 5 and 6. If you haven’t had a chance to have your say yet, please take the time to tell us your thoughts! This will be the last time it appears in the newsletter. Thank you again for your support, time, and feedback.
Please click on the link:
PARENTAL FEEDBACK ON YEAR 5 AND 6 HOMEWORK PROJECT
OR scan the QR Code:
If you have a child at St Benedict’s in Years Prep - Year 4, we also value your feedback. If you wish, please complete the following survey: Prep - Year 4 Homework Survey.
