As we begin Term 3, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all our parents and carers for the important role you continue to play in supporting your children’s learning and wellbeing. A smooth and positive start to the term is made possible through your efforts in preparing your children, encouraging strong routines, and staying connected with our school community.

Celebrating St Benedict’s Feast Day – A Time for Gratitude and Reflection

As we celebrate the Feast Day of St Benedict, we take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey of our school community. St Benedict’s Catholic School, Shaw, proudly stands as part of the Good Shepherd Parish and the wider Townsville Catholic Education community, a place where faith, learning and connection are at the heart of all we do.

Although we are a relatively new school, opening our doors in 2018 with just 150 students, we have quickly grown into a vibrant and thriving community of over 620 students. This growth reflects the strength of our shared vision and the trust placed in us by families who believe in our mission and values.

The Feast of St Benedict offers us a time to honour our patron saint and the values he represents, faith, service, hospitality and perseverance. It is also a time to express deep gratitude for the many people who have contributed to the life of our school: dedicated staff, supportive parents, enthusiastic students, and the wider parish and community who continue to walk alongside us.

As we mark this special occasion, we are reminded of how far we’ve come in just a few short years, and we look ahead with hope, guided by the wisdom and example of St Benedict.

Happy St Benedict’s Feast Day to all in our school and parish family. May this day inspire us to continue building a strong and faithful community together.

Thank You – Athletics Carnival

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our School Athletics Carnival held on the final day of Term 2. A big thank you to Mrs Huston and Ms Rowe for their coordination and organisation of this event. Thank you to our Parents and Friends volunteers for their work in providing the BBQ on the day. Thank you to parents who volunteered to run field and track events with staff members.

 It was a wonderful celebration of participation, teamwork, and school spirit at St Benedict’s Catholic School.

These events are not just about competition, they are an important opportunity for children to experience the joy of being active, connecting with peers, and developing healthy habits. Research tells us that many young people, particularly girls, begin to withdraw from sport and physical education due to negative experiences in their early years, often during primary school. For some, it stems from feeling left out, judged, or not 'good enough' in an overly competitive environment.

That’s why it’s essential that we create inclusive and supportive opportunities where every child, regardless of ability, feels encouraged to participate. School sport should be for everyone, not just the naturally gifted. When we keep the focus on fun, teamwork, and personal achievement, we help build confidence and foster a lifelong love of physical activity.

Bill Nettle Carnival/Cup

Congratulations to our selected Year 5 and Year 6 students who competed at the Bill Nettle NRL Carnival on the last Friday of Term 2. This newly formed team had trained hard over a number of weeks and competed against more established school sides. Despite this new challenge, they won 3 out of 4 of their matches, which is quite an amazing achievement. A big thank you to our volunteer coach, James Tamou for his commitment and support of our students and to our staff members, Elisha Husdson and Jack Hall for their organisation and support. Thank you to parent volunteer David Porter for this assistance on the day. 

God in All of Life

Patrick Dempsey

pdempsey2@stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au

Happy Feast Day everyone!  I know that Mr Dempsey covered a bit around Feast Day in his newsletter, but I thought I would also make mention of this important day in our schools calendar.  

As a school, we are fortunate to be named after St Benedict, who was an Italian monk who lived in the 5th Century AD (that’s a long time ago!).  He is remembered for creating “The Rule of St Benedict”, which contained rules for monks of how to live in community in Monasteries.  Whilst not a monastery, there is much we can (and have) taken from these rules in our school community.  The most obvious place to start is with the Benedictine Monastic motto - Pax, Ora et Labora.  This is Latin for Peace, Prayer and Hard Work.  Fr Joseph spoke of this at our who school mass this morning, that this is really a call to action.  We are called to be people of Peace and act in a peace filled manner every day.  We are also called to be prayerful and to work hard - or always put in our best effort.  It’s amazing that these rules, created over a millennium ago, are still relevant to our community day.  And so today we celebrate St Benedict, who leads us to a relationship with God and Jesus and is central to our schools Catholic Identity.

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 a which buddy classes will have ‘Open Classrooms’ following Friday assemblies. 

Pax,

Nick

Book Week 2025 – Celebrating 80 Years of Stories

One of the most anticipated events on the school calendar — Book Week — is set for Week 6 of Term 3!

Book Week is a special annual event that celebrates books and the work of Australian children’s authors and illustrators. Organised by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA), this year marks 80 years of Book Week celebrations. Schools and libraries across the country will join in with book-themed activities, story times, and of course, the much-loved dress-up parades.

At St Benedict’s Catholic School, we will celebrate with a Book Character Dress-Up Parade on Friday 22 August from 8:45–9:30am. Students are invited to dress as a favourite book character — costumes can be as simple or creative as you like, and we encourage families to use items they already have at home. Please remember, dressing up is completely optional. 

• Students are able to come to school dressed in their costumes but please ensure closed in shoes and sun safe clothes are either worn or packed in their bags. 
• Parents and carers are invited to come to school from 8:45-9:30am to watch the book week parade! 

We look forward to celebrating the joy of reading with our community during this special week!

NAPLAN Student Reports – Coming Home Next Week

Next week, our Year 3 and Year 5 students will bring home their individual NAPLAN Student Reports. The Admin Office will notify families by email on the day reports are sent home.

These reports provide a snapshot of your child’s literacy and numeracy skills at the time of the NAPLAN tests. They show how your child’s results compare to the national average and highlight areas of strength and areas for future focus. We encourage you to read through the report with your child and celebrate their efforts.

Please keep these reports in a safe place, as high schools and external professionals may request a copy for various purposes.

For further information about understanding the Student Report, you can access the official parent and carer guide here:
Understanding Your Child’s NAPLAN Individual Student Report – Parent/Carer Guide (PDF)

Coming up - Our Annual EcoFest! 

Our Year 6 students are looking forward to hosting this year’s Eco Fest — a celebration of sustainability and environmental action. As part of their learning in Business and Economics, the Year 6 students have been busy planning, preparing, and promoting this special event.

Thursday 24 July
Prep – Year 2: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Year 3 – Year 6: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Hall and Surrounds

Every year level will be showcasing the amazing work they have been doing in their eProjects, with displays highlighting how they are making a difference for our environment. For more info on our eProjects, visit: https://www.stbenedicts.catholic.edu.au/.../environmental/. 

We warmly invite families and friends to come along and celebrate the creativity, learning, and environmental action of our students and community.

The Challenge Games 2025

Next week, a group of students from St Benedict’s will proudly represent our school at the Challenge Games, a two-day inclusive athletics carnival held annually in Townsville.

The Challenge Games bring together students from across North Queensland to participate in a variety of modified sporting events designed to celebrate participation, effort, and personal achievement. The Games provide an opportunity for students of all abilities to engage in friendly competition, build confidence, and enjoy being part of a supportive and encouraging community event.

We wish our students all the best as they take part in this special event and thank the staff and families supporting their involvement.

Yours in Learning, 

Aleesha Rockemer 

Assistant Principal Pedagogy and Learning (APPL) 

P&F News

Welcome Back! Athletics Carnival Thanks & Disco News

We hope all our families had a restful and enjoyable break!

Before we dive into the new term, we’d like to take a moment to thank everyone involved in making our Athletics Carnival such a great day to wrap up Term 2. A big thank you to our wonderful helpers who assisted at the sausage sizzle, whether you assisted with the preparations, cooked, served, cleaned, or packed up, your support was truly appreciated. Thank you also to everyone who placed a pre-order or purchased on the day, and to the staff who made the event possible. It was a great day of community spirit and school pride!

Looking ahead: The St Benny’s School Disco is coming up this term, on Thursday 4th September (Pupil free day to follow). Planning is already under way! If you’re interested in helping out with the planning, leadup tasks, setup, decorations, or just being part of the fun, we’d love for you to come along to the next school P&F meeting. Our next meeting is Tuesday 22nd July at 6.30pm in the School Board Room (Admin). We’d love to have you on board!

Townsville Softball is excited to launch our upcoming Home Run Heroes Program – a fun and inclusive introduction to softball and T-Ball for children of all abilities. The program is designed to build confidence, teamwork, and fundamental skills in a supportive and engaging environment.