Throughout this week, St Benedict’s Catholic School, Shaw has joined with schools across Queensland to celebrate Catholic Education Week, a time to reflect on and rejoice in the unique gift of Catholic education within our communities.

This year’s theme, “Communities of Faith, Hope and Love”, reminds us that our schools are more than places of learning. They are faith-filled communities where Gospel values guide our relationships, our learning, and our service to others.

Catholic Education Week is an opportunity to give thanks for the many people who make our mission possible, our students, parents, carers, staff, parish community, and the Townsville Catholic Education Office. Together, we nurture the spiritual, academic, social, and emotional growth of each child, encouraging them to become the best version of themselves.

At St Benedict’s, we strive to follow the example of our patron, St Benedict, who taught that life is about balancing prayer, work, learning, and community. During Catholic Education Week, we will take time to celebrate our Benedictine values through liturgy, community and activities that highlight the joy of learning in a Christ-centred environment.

We are blessed to be part of the wider Townsville Catholic Education, where over 13,000 students across our diocese grow in knowledge and faith. This week reminds us of our shared mission: to bring the light of Christ into the lives of those we teach and to build communities that inspire hope and love.

I encourage all families to take a moment during Catholic Education Week to reflect on the blessings that a Catholic education offers your children and to pray for our continued mission in forming young people who will make a positive difference in the world.

100 days of Prep

Today, our Prep students celebrated a very special milestone, 100 days of learning, laughter, and growing together at St Benedict’s Catholic School, Shaw.

The day was filled with excitement as our youngest learners marked the occasion with fun activities designed around the theme of 100. Students came to school dressed as if they were 100 years old, complete with walking sticks, glasses, grey hair, and creative costumes that brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

Throughout the day, Prep classes enjoyed a range of engaging activities:

The 100th day is more than just a fun event, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the incredible progress our students have made in their first months of school. From learning their letters and numbers to building friendships and growing in faith, our Preps have achieved so much already.

We are so proud of each and every one of them, and we look forward to the many exciting learning adventures that lie ahead in the rest of the school year.

Congratulations, Prep! Here’s to the next 100 days! 

A Warm Welcome to Our 2026 Prep Students

This week marked a special milestone for our St Benedict’s community as we welcomed our 2026 Prep students and their families for their very first Stay and Play session.

The Stay and Play experience is a wonderful way for our newest students to begin their journey into school life. It gives them the opportunity to explore the Prep classrooms, meet their teachers, and start building friendships with the other children who will share this exciting adventure with them next year. It is also a time for parents to connect with our staff, ask questions, and feel confident about their child’s transition to school.

We know that starting school is a big step, not only for children but for families too. At St Benedict’s, we are committed to making this transition as smooth and positive as possible. Stay and Play is just the beginning of a series of opportunities we have planned to ensure that every child feels welcome, settled, and ready for the first day of Prep in 2026.

We thank our dedicated Prep team for preparing such a warm, engaging experience, and we extend a heartfelt welcome to all of our new families. We are excited to walk alongside you as your child begins their learning journey at St Benedict’s Catholic School.

Townsville Catholic Education Surveys

Townsville Catholic Education Office (TCE) collaborates closely with all schools and colleges across the Diocese to consistently improve the Catholic school experience for students, staff, and families. A vital part of this effort is listening to the voices of our school communities.

Over the coming days, TCE will send out a survey to all staff and families, while Yr 5-12 students will complete the surveys during class. These surveys are a vital tool that helps us understand what’s working well and where we can improve. The feedback collected will directly shape future planning, guide school improvement efforts, and foster environments where both students and staff can flourish.

Staff and families will receive the surveys via email on Monday, 4 August, and we kindly ask that you complete them by Monday, 18 August. If you have children attending more than one Catholic school, or if you work across multiple schools, you will get a separate survey for each.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts and help us build stronger, more responsive school communities.

God in All of Life

Patrick Dempsey

pdempsey2@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au

We’ve reached the end of Week 3, in what has been another busy week at St Benedict’s!

On Tuesday, Mr Dempsey, a group of Year 5 students and I, attended the Diocesan Launch of Catholic Education Week at the Sacred Heart Cathedral.  We were joined by a number of schools in the Townsville Diocese, and spent time reflecting on the wonderful work that Catholic schools do in educating students, with the love of Jesus at the heart of all that we do.  

Today’s assembly was led by the Year 2 Lorikeets on the theme of ‘Catholic Education Week’.  The assembly was based around the theme of ‘Communities of Faith, Hope and Love’.  They particularly referenced the significance of Hope, in this, the churches Jubilee year of Hope, and introduced us to the symbol of a Scallop Shell, which highlighted the connection that we are on a journey towards hope, with the shell being a traditional symbol of pilgrims around the world.

Last week the 4 Cicadas presented assembly on the Feast Day of Sts Joachim and Anne (Jesus’ grandparents).  They spoke of how they were people of great faith who taught Mary (Jesus’ mother) compassion, generosity and love for others, which in turn she taught Jesus about.  They prayed that we might value the wisdom of knowledge of our elders, especially our grandparents, that we learn from them how to love and serve others.  I know that I am grateful for all I have learned from my grandparents, and also to my parents, who teach my own children about love and generosity through their actions everyday!

REPEAT Weekly Assemblies DATE CLAIMER

Our assemblies this term will remain on a Friday at 8:45am in the Hall.   Please see the timetable below, as well as which buddy classes will have ‘Open Classrooms’ following Friday assemblies. 

Pax,

Nick

Media Consent Updates 

At the time of enrolment, parents are asked to consent to the use of their child’s name and image in various forms of media to promote the school/College and Catholic Education. If you DO NOT wish to consent to your child's photograph/video appearing as stated in the below, and you wish to withdraw this authorisation and consent, you must notify the school by email, enquiries@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au. 
 
If we do not hear from you to make any changes, your original consent provided will remain in effect.
 
PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO/MEDIA CONSENT
Photos, video footage and work samples of students are used regularly by the school/College for the purpose of acknowledging the efforts of the student/College, or for promotion, marketing or advertising the College or Catholic Education.
 
I consent to the student being photographed or filmed for school/College, Catholic Education or Townsville Catholic Diocese related communication or for education purposes. 
I understand this may include media (e.g. television, radio, publications), school/College publications (e.g. newsletters, year books), online media (e.g. websites) and social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram). 
 
I understand it is my responsibility to notify the school/College if I do not wish to consent to the student’s photograph/video appearing in any or all of the above, or if I wish to withdraw this authorisation and consent. Please note the student’s name and voice may be included with the photograph/video.
 
I understand the copyright of such images will be retained by the school/College, Townsville Catholic Education, the Diocese of Townsville or their contractors, and there will be no remuneration or compensation for the images.

CNA has partnered with Cyber Safety Project to deliver a specialised webinar exclusively for Catholic school parents. This session explores practical strategies for extending classroom digital citizenship into the home, creating a unified approach to safer technology use across school and family environments.
 
Join Trent Ray, co-founder of the Cyber Safety Project, for essential expert insights on deepfakes, AI companions and online truth.  
 
In today’s connected world, parents play a powerful role in shaping safe and healthy digital habits. This practical session is designed especially for busy parents who want to: 
 
 - Cut through the overwhelm: Clear, up-to-date info without the tech jargon  
 
 - Know what tech your child’s using: AI chatbots and tools explained simply  
 
 - Start the chat with confidence: Easy ways to talk about deepfakes and fake news 
 
 - Guide safe, ethical use: Practical tips to support smart choices online.  
 
Who should attend: Parents/Guardians and people caring for Primary and Secondary aged children.  
 
Proudly supported by Catholic Network Australia
 
Parents can register through the link below. 

Register for the Parent Webinar

Some of our students are appearing in Libretto Studios Production of the Wizard of Oz.  Please see the poster below if you would like to attend.