This week we have enjoyed  a whole week of sunshine and opportunities for outdoor play. While the sunshine has brought plenty of heat and humidity, we are grateful that it helps in drying up those areas of Townsville that have been left devastated by flood and mud. It has been wonderful to hear of the generous nature of our community assisting those in need, whether it be by physically getting in with clean up efforts or by donating your time and goods in other ways. It will be a long road ahead for many people in Townsville and they will need all the support they can get.

Thank you to all the parents who turned out for our first P&F Meeting for the year, it was wonderful to have so many of our new parents joining us.We already have such an enthusiastic group of parents who have assisted each other in implementing some wonderful opportunities for us to build our school community so it was great to see new parents adding to this as well. Our key priorities for the P&F this year will be to continue building our sense of community through a number of parent and family activities and also to build learning partnerships between our school and home but also with the wider community as well. The P&F have already booked their first community event, which will be a school disco on Thursday March 28 from 6.00pm - 7.00pm. Our Annual General meeting for the P&F will be our next meeting in March on Tuesday 12 at 7.00pm. All Executive positions will be up for nomination (President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary).

Our Learning and Teaching Advisor, Aleesha Rockemer met with Lou Costanzo from JCU this week to establish a partnership for a Scientist in Schools Project. Lou is one of our parents and she is the Co-Chairperson for our School Board. She is very passionate about engaging students in Science especially through hands on experiences. With our eProjects having such a base in environmental learning, this partnership will be a very positive way to enhance the learning experiences for our students. We thoroughly look forward to her support.

Over the next couple of weeks we will have some disruption to classes with teachers being released for various training they need to do for students with special needs as well as some one-on-one assessments with students in Prep and Year 1. Our Townsville Catholic Education team have developed an assessment in consultation with Speech Pathologists, Guidance Counsellors and Numeracy and Literacy Coaches that provides valuable information for parents and teachers about how individual children are progressing in their learning. It is done at the beginning of the year and at the end of each year. The standardised nature of this assessment provides comparative data we can use to review our school programs as well.

On Monday we will have our very first Assembly for the year with the week after being our Beginning of Year Liturgy. We will be very pleased to have Fr Dave joining us then too.

Looking forward to a fabulous week ahead.

Cheers

Penny

It’s been great to return to a bit of normality this week and everyone seems to be settling in wonderfully.

Starting this week, I’ve started to visit classrooms and join in with them during their daily contemplative practice.  Part of our Benedictine charism is that we are a contemplative place and the practice of Christian meditation is one that our whole school participates in on a daily basis.  In our society, time is often filled with business, noise and things to do. The teaching of Christian meditation seeks to help our students and provide them with a spiritual practice that creates a positive impact on their wellbeing.  Stillness and silence is the key to meditation, and allows students the chance to simply ‘be’. I would encourage all families to speak to their children about meditation. You may have even noticed last year that our school prayer card also had on it ‘How to Meditate’, you may even want to give it a try yourself!  I look forward to hopefully visiting all classrooms and meditating with them!

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

We have several students enrolled in this years Sacramental program being run through the Good Shepherd Parish.  The sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation and the Eucharist are all parts of the ‘initiation’ process of the Catholic Church.  Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist lay the foundations of every Christian life. We are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life.  I’d like to wish these students and their families all the best on their Sacramental Journey.  

DATE CLAIMER

Our first assembly will be on Monday Week 4 (18/02) at 8:45am in ‘The Hall’, led by 5/6 Turtles.  All members of our community are welcome to attend.

Our Beginning Year Liturgy will take place on Monday Week 5 (25/02) at 9:00am in ‘The Hall’, led by Fr Dave Lancini, our Parish Priest.  Again, we’d like to extend a welcome to all of our St Benedict’s community for this event.

Have a great week and God bless,

Nick

Welcome to St Benedict’s Catholic School

From your

Defence Support Mentor (DSM) - Leza Triffitt

Due to the increasing number of Defence children at St Benedict’s School, we have put in place this year a Defence Support Mentor (DSM) program.

The DSM program is designed to provide assistance to ADF children and families in supporting students while a loved one is absent due to attachment overseas, exercise or courses, also coordinate Welcome/Farewell activities and offer a time when ADF children can gather together at lunchtimes.  

You can contact me either by phone through the office or email ltriffitt@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au.

Please find attached some information regarding the 2019 Welcome Expo and mailing list registration form.

This poster provides information on the recommended minimum exclusion periods for infectious conditions and will assist schools to meet the requirements of the Public Health Act 2005

The following article may help your children make sense of natural disasters, and Townsville's recent flooding.