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Key Dates for Parent Engagement:
Week 4:
- 25th October: World Teachers Day
- 25th October: Day for Daniel (Wear a red shirt)
Week 5:
- 29th - 31st October: Prep Vision Screening
Week 7:
- 11th - 14th November: Swimming Lessons (Years P-2) (Bring togs)
- 15th November: P-2 Wet Play Day (P-2 Parents Invited) (Bring togs)
- 15th November: Mixed Touch Gala Day
Week 8:
- 18th - 22nd November: Swimming Lessons (Years 3-6) (Bring togs)
- 25th November: Interhouse 3-6 Swimming Carnival (3-6 Parents Invited) (Bring togs)
Week 9:
- 27th November: O’Holy Night - Christmas Carols in the evening time (Parents Invited)
- 29th November: End of Year Mass (recognising year 6 cohort) (Parents Invited)
Week 10:
- 2nd December: Report Cards Released on Compass
- 2nd December: School Advent Liturgy (Parents Invited)
- 2nd December: Year 6 Rite of Passage (Year 6 Parents Invited)
- 3rd December: Step Up Day (students spend the morning with their class and teacher where possible for 2025)
- 3rd December: Prep 2025 Parent Information Night
- 6th December: School finishes at 12pm
Thank you to all parents and carers for their support of the change of morning routine, which started this week. Classroom teachers have provided positive feedback to this change, including a smoother transition and start to each school day.
School is open from 8:00am
As we continue to prioritise the safety and well-being of our students, we want to remind everyone that supervision of students on school grounds begins at 8:00 AM each day.
To ensure a safe environment for all children, we kindly ask that students do not arrive at school before this time. Early arrivals may not have adequate supervision, which can pose safety risks.
Thank you to all parents and carers for your cooperation and understanding as we work together to keep our school community safe.
Guidance Counsellor Appreciation Day
Last week, Townsville Catholic Education Schools took time to recognize the invaluable contributions of guidance counsellors on Guidance Counsellor Appreciation Day. This special day serves as a reminder of the critical role these professionals play in shaping the lives of students, providing support, and fostering an environment conducive to growth and learning.
We are so fortunate to have Barbara Salisbury as our Guidance Counsellor. Thank you Miss Barb and also a big thank you to Miss Honey, our school therapy dog.
World Teacher Day - Friday 25th October
Next Friday 25th October, St. Benedict's Catholic School will proudly celebrate World Teachers' Day, a special occasion dedicated to honouring the incredible contributions of our teachers and St Benedict’s and across all school settings.
At St. Benedict's, we are committed to fostering an environment where our educators can thrive, ensuring they have the resources and encouragement needed to continue shaping the future.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the teachers at St. Benedict's Catholic School. Your dedication, passion, and commitment to excellence do not go unnoticed. Let us continue to support and uplift our educators, not just on World Teachers' Day, but every day of the year.
God In All of Life
Patrick
Welcome to the end of Week 3! Last week's assembly saw the Prep Wombats present assembly on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. They did a wonderful job and led the whole school in saying 1 decade of the Rosary. The rosary is a traditional form of prayer that involves repeating specific prayers while reflecting on important events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. It helps children develop a deeper connection to their faith and encourages mindfulness and meditation. Many classes have been learning about the Rosary throughout October, some having created their own set of beads to support their participation and understanding of this prayer.
Today, our Prep Platypus presented their assembly on Catholic Mission. Our students today have been invited to wear ‘Crazy Socks’ and bring in a gold coin donation to go towards Catholic Mission Australia. Socktober engages Australian students to make a difference by raising awareness and critical funds for mission programs supporting children from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds in many countries around the world. Initiatives such as this encourages our students to embrace their role in making a positive impact. Some students have also been learning about the work of Catholic Mission in RE classes, with this year's focus being on their work in Mongolia. If you wanted to know more about the work of Catholic Mission Australia, you can visit the website below:
https://www.socktober.org.au/about
O Holy Night
Planning is underway for our ‘O Holy Night’ Christmas Carols event, scheduled to take place on Wednesday November 27. It’s always a wonderful night to celebrate getting into the Christmas spirit under the stars as a community. If there is any way you, your business of your family may be able to assist in this event (eg hiring/transportation of lighting towers), please contact me directly via email at nchristie2@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au
Pax,
Nick
Changes to Morning Routine
A big thankyou to everyone for your support and engagement with the changes made to the morning routine. It has been heartwarming to see many children waving goodbye to their parents and heading off to classroom blocks to get started for the day. Feedback has included that there is a calmness around the school in the morning, students are enjoying the independence and the start of the learning day is smoother, calmer and more efficient for all. A quick reminder, now that the process has been in place for a week, we ask that parents do not attend the classroom blocks of a morning. If you have a reason/need to do so on a consistent basis, please make an appointment with a member of the Leadership team to discuss a plan.
Book Fair
This year's Book Fair has been a huge success. It has been wonderful to see so many families check it out and make some purchases of books and goodies for engaging in learning at home. A big thank you to Mrs Bowater for her hard work and dedication to the set up, ordering and general running of the event. We certainly could not have done it without her.
P&F Meeting
Last week we held our Term 4 P&F Meeting. Thanks to those who were able to attend online or in person. The P&F discussed the events planned for next year and how we can encourage more participation from our families in the St Benny’s community. The P&F is run by the community for the community. To help make this run more smoothly, the P&F are requesting you to consider the “Just 1 Thing” that you can do to support your community. There are 450 families within the school. If each family could donate just 1 hour of their time to supporting a small aspect of the great events planned, the power of the community can really shine. Please take some time to review the minutes of the meeting, check out the proposed calendar and consider how you could offer some support to your school community. Remember, if there are no volunteers, the events simply don’t happen.
Class Considerations
This is the final call for any parents who have genuine concerns about the placement needs of their student for 2025 to send an email through for our school Leadership team to consider. No further requests will be taken after Wednesday 23rd October. Please note, we do not accept requests for teachers. Rather this is a time to raise concerns regarding peer connections and/or confidential matters for your child that may impact on their placement within a class in 2025. Please send your emails to myself at rbaumann@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au or Mr Dempsey at pdempsey2@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au
Our Recent Book Fair: A Chapter of Success!
We're thrilled to share the success of our recent book fair! Thanks to your overwhelming support, our school community buzzed with excitement, and we were able to put countless new books into the hands of our young readers. Watching the students' eyes light up as they discovered new adventures and worlds to explore was truly magical.
Reading is one of the most powerful tools we can offer our children. It not only enhances literacy skills but also sparks imagination and curiosity. A home filled with books is a nurturing environment that encourages lifelong learning. We encourage you to create cosy reading moments at home and explore stories together. Remember, every page turned is a step towards a brighter future.
Thank you for your continued support in making reading a treasured part of our students' lives. Together, let's keep the love of books alive!
If you weren't able to attend the Book Fair or purchase a book for your child, that's perfectly okay! Countless magical adventures are waiting in our school library and at the local council library.
Have you visited the library at Riverway? Consider spending a delightful morning there—immerse yourself in captivating stories, enjoy some drawing activities, borrow some books to take home, and even cap off the day with a refreshing swim!
Yours in Learning,
Aleesha Rockemer
Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning (APPL)
