Another fantastic week at St Benedict’s with Book Week celebrations this week. Our Librarian, Mrs Whalley has truly set a very high standard for future years with the activities she provided. Our students have been fully engaged in the joy of reading with library lessons and lunchtime activities including a game show called ‘Student Squabble’, rhyming and colouring or drawing activities based on the shortlisted books for Book Week, an author visit from Matt Zurbo and of course our Book Week Parade yesterday. As always it was especially wonderful to see so many parents come along to join in and to assist with preparing the students with amazing costumes. Everyone looked fabulously creative. This week has certainly reminded us all of the magic in books, the characters we grow to love and to despise, the adventures and journeys we undertake and the absolute joy of the written word. Please continue to embrace this love for books and for reading as it continues to enrich us all throughout our lives. Thank you so much to all who have contributed to such a special week at St Benny’s, especially Mrs Whalley and our Book Week Parade MC - Pirate Captain Christie.

Over the next couple of weeks our teachers will be released from class to prepare their planning for next term. This is a really important time for the teachers to reflect on how students are progressing in their learning journey and to create innovative and engaging ways to support and challenge their students further. While not having our regular teachers can feel disruptive, it is important for our students to be resilient and to know the expectations for their behaviour and participation remain the same. Please also check your emails for the link to make a time for Parent Teacher interviews that are coming up in Week 9.

Our P & F are currently organising our very first School Disco for Thursday 6 September from 6.00pm - 7.30pm. We are having a country theme with all profits from the night going to support our farmers through Drought Angels so please come along and enjoy a boot scootin boogie, some pizza and a couple of games. This is not a drop off event and while teachers will be there, parents are responsible for supervising their children. We’ll have an area set up where you can all socialise and get to know each other a bit more.It should be another great opportunity to build our school community.

Next week we invite students to participate in Run Club which will be offered every morning before school from 8.00am - 8.15am. Students will be supervised doing laps in an effort to give them more opportunity to develop their personal fitness and speed. Run Club is not racing, it is based on setting personal goals to achieve ie. 2 laps this week to 3 next week etc., feeling fitter and stronger etc. Teachers supervising will mark the number of laps completed on each students hand and classroom teachers will record on a school spreadsheet so we can acknowledge students at different milestones- 50 laps, 100 laps etc. Students can still choose to play in the Hall if they don’t wish to join Run Club but there is no play on the oval in the morning- only Run Club. Students can also choose how many days per week they wish to participate. If your child would like to participate, please have them meet the teacher at the pathway to the oval at 8.00am on any morning.

I hope you all have a fabulous week.

Cheers

Penny

Thanks to the Year 2 Curlews for presenting assembly this week on the theme of Migrant and Refugee Week.  It was a great chance to realise firstly how lucky we are in the environment we live in. It's also a great chance to reflect on our Benedictine charism. One of the important rules of St Benedict is to show hospitality and be welcoming to all, regardless of the situation. How can we as people be welcoming to others in our lives and support those in need? I will leave you this week with a quote from this document:

“All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say, 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Mt 25:35)” RB Ch 53

Have a great week, and God bless,

Nick

Maddison in 4/5/6 Turtles was a Grand Champions at her Cheer Comp on the weekend. Her team will be off to Hawaii to compete next year. Well done Maddison!

In Appreciation of their valued contribution, please help to support those who supported us in our recent sausage sizzle at the athletics carnival.

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES

• Bunnings North Shore- VERY generously donated a 6 burner BBQ to use at this, and future events
• Woolworths The Avenues-donated/discounted the bread
• Sunvale Meats-donated/discounted sausages
• Combined Metal Fabrication-donated the fabricated sausage sizzle holders
• Pacific International (Neville Family)- loaned us an esky, gazebo’s and tables

Thank you again to those that helped make this day possible and for all your contribution. And thank you to our St Benedict’s Family and Friends who helped on the day.