Key Dates for Parent Engagement: 

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 

Assemblies and Open Classrooms:

Week                  Assembly              Open Classroom

As we head into the final month of the school year, I wanted to express my gratitude for your support in following our morning routine here at St Benedict's. Your cooperation plays a vital role in helping our students start their day on the right foot.

By ensuring that your children are ready and engaged in our morning activities, you contribute to a positive and productive atmosphere for everyone. We truly appreciate the effort you put in each day to make this possible.

Thank you to our teachers and staff for implementing our new school morning routine. 

Reminder about St Benedict’s being open from 8:00am

At a recent Townsville Catholic Education School Law Conference timely reminders were given to all Principals and Leadership Teams regarding the start of the school day and our legal duty of care for your children.

I’d like to remind everyone that students can only arrive at St. Benedict's from 8:00 AM. Our staff are on duty starting at this time, which is when student supervision begins.

It’s important for the safety and well-being of all our students that they arrive during this designated time. Arriving before 8:00 AM means there will be no supervision, and we want to ensure that every child is safe and supported.

Thank you for your cooperation in adhering to this policy. Together, we can create a secure environment for our students.

Student Excursions

Our teachers and staff spend a considerable amount of time planning and organising excursions for our students. These excursions have considerable benefits for our students which include: 

• Real-World Connections: Excursions provide students with the opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world contexts, making the material more relevant and engaging.
• Hands-On Learning: Students often engage in hands-on activities during excursions, which can reinforce concepts and help solidify their understanding through practical application.
• Enhanced Engagement: Being in a different environment can stimulate curiosity and enthusiasm, leading to increased motivation and interest in the subject matter.
• Cultural Exposure: Visits to museums, cultural sites, or community organisations can broaden students’ perspectives, promoting cultural awareness and appreciation.
• Memorable Learning Experiences: Unique outings can create lasting memories, helping to solidify knowledge and inspire future learning.
• Personal Growth: Stepping outside their comfort zones can foster independence and confidence in students as they navigate new experiences.
• Community Connection: Excursions often involve engaging with the local community, which can strengthen students' sense of belonging and responsibility.

Plus the fun of the bus trip! (especially for our early years students)

This week our Prep students visited our Sacred Heart Cathedral and Year 3 the Jezzine Barracks.

God In All of Life

Patrick

pdempsey2@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au

Welcome to the end of Week 5 - we’ve now made it half way through the term!  Last week's assembly saw theYear 2 Curlews present assembly on the theme of ‘World Teachers Day’.  They recognised how teachers help their students grow in mind, body and spirit, and prayed that they continue to find the strength and courage to continue to support the needs of their students.   

Today, our Year 3 Kookaburras presented assembly on the theme All Saints Day.  All Saints' Day is a special celebration in the Catholic Church on November 1st, where we honor all saints—people who lived holy lives and are now with God. It teaches children about the importance of being good and kind, and inspires them to follow the examples of these saints in their own lives.  The Kookaburras prayed that we might be inspired by the lives of many good men and women, past and present, whose actions were and are guided by the spirit.  

Swimming Carnival / Wet Play

As has been previously communicated, our Wet Play (Prep - 2) and Swimming Carnival (Year 3 - 6) are coming up at the end of the year.  Our Wet Play day will be on Friday November 15 and the Swimming Carnival on Monday November 25.  Parents and invited to attend these events.  Please keep an eye out on your emails at the start of next week with further information about these events.  Some flyers have been added to this week's newsletter.

End of Year Events

On end of year events, I would like to extend an invitation to our families to attend our ‘End of Year Mass’.  During this mass, we celebrate the year that was, and recognise the Year 6 students as a cohort and the contributions they have made to our school.  This event will be taking place on Friday November 29 and 9:00am in the Hall.

P&F News

As we come towards the end of the term, there are a few events that will be coming up.  We would like to ask the community to start to think about how they can offer their time to do just 1 thing for these end of year activities.  An hour of your time can go a long way.

Swimming Carnival:

• Collect pre-ordered sausages
• Collect pre-ordered bread
• Pack Poppers into cooler bags for transport to pool
• Transport Soft Drinks to pool for carnival
• Pack and transport utensils / condiments / napkins from school to pool
• Transport esky’s to pool for carnival
• Collect bags of ice and transport to pool for carnival
• Refill gas bottle and/or transport to the pool for carnival
• Transport marquee from school to pool for carnival
• Transport BBQ from school to pool for carnival (Trailer or Ute needed)
• Cook sausages at the carnival on the day

Please reach out if you feel that you can assist in any way. Every small offer of assistance makes these bigger events possible and they make a big difference to our community.

Please email rbaumann@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au and your offer of assistance can be passed on to the P&F organising committee.

Thank you!

PAX - PEACE - Progress, Achievement & Excellence in Learning

Did you know the Benedictine motto is quite simply the word ‘PAX’ - which in latin means peace? Along with our PEACE acronym of Persistence, Empathy, Accountability, Care for Community, and Engagement, we also use PAX as an acronym in relation to Progress, Achievement and Excellence in learning.

At St Benedict’s we celebrate every child for their unique abilities, strengths and talents. Each and every day teachers focus on their learners, and select the best teaching strategies, to help them PROGRESS in their learning, ACHIEVE their goals, and show EXCELLENCE. 

Our teachers regularly use data to ensure all of our students are able to progress in their learning. Have a look at one of our Prep student’s work below! This is Evie’s writing from the beginning of the year, to now. We are super proud of Evie, and all of our students, for their ‘Persistence’ ‘Engagement’ and ‘Progress’ in their learning! 

Evie - Prep - Term 2 Writing

Evie - Prep - Term 4 Writing

Yours in Learning, 

Aleesha Rockemer 

Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning (APPL)