What a year this is turning out to be! I saw a meme on the weekend that suggested we all put our Christmas trees up and call it a year. As a global community we have faced so much this year and it is only June. Thankfully much of what is going on currently is asking us all to have a good hard look at ourselves and to gather a little perspective about others. I hope that as these issues evolve, we start to see more people actively listening to the concerns being raised and consider how we can be more compassionate to each other. The world could certainly do with a little kindness right now and it starts with each one of us.

St Vincent De Paul

This week we have been advised by Townsville Catholic Education that our regional branch of St Vincent De Paul has received some funding from both the State and federal Government to support people through the COVID 19 crisis. If you are experiencing difficulties or you know someone who is, please contact them as they are able to provide financial support with education, medical, rent and utility expenses. They can also assist with food vouchers, clothing, furniture and household items. Please call 1800VINNIES for assistance. 

Playground update

We have had a delay in opening the new playground due to a couple of safety issues we want to address. These will be rectified over the holidays along with the landscaping for the OSHC building, filling the gap with the front of the building and then we will finally be rid of all that construction fencing. 

We have been able to access the farm area of the new playground and start getting that working the way we want. Our chickens have been relocated to their new coop and are very happy with all their extra space. The Year 3’s and 4’s have started planting the tomatoes, peas and carrots they had potted earlier in the term. We have managed to locate and purchase a windmill with the help of our parent community and we have parent volunteers ready to assist with relocating that to our school grounds too. Hopefully, we will coordinate this by the end of the term. More work in this play area will happen over the holidays with the addition of some more outdoor learning spaces with a rustic looking shed and benches for students to work at preparing food for the chickens or their materials for gardening. We will also have some staff-painted tables created from recycled cable reels. So much is always happening at Benny’s for your children. 

Have a fabulous weekend. We look forward to what the next week brings.

Cheers

Penny Collins

Principal

APRE NEWS 

I can’t believe we are at the end of Week 8 already! As we are well aware, there have certainly been some challenges this term and I think all of our students will be eagerly looking forward to the break and have some well earned “down time”.  In the meantime, we must remember there ARE still 2 weeks of this term, so let’s all encourage our children to keep pushing and keeping a positive attitude to finish the term off strongly.

St Benedict’s Feast Day

Our St Benedict’s Feast Day is planned for Friday 17th July (Term 3 Week 1).  This normally begins with a whole school mass, which unfortunately we are unable to do this year, although all classes will participate in a prayer throughout the morning.  Another event which I know our students look forward to is ‘St Benny’s God Talent’.  I’m happy to announce that we are planning on making this happen, providing a live stream of the event for our parents and classes to view.  We are looking at having auditions in Week 10, so keep an eye out and start practicing those routines, we can’t wait to see what our students can present this year!

Opening and Blessing

The Opening and Blessing of our new buildings (Yellow and Teal Block), to be led by Bishop Tim was scheduled to happen this Term, however, due to restrictions, we have had to postpone this event.  Our first blessing was a beautiful morning, and we can’t wait to host the opening for Part 2 of our build to bless and thank all those involved in the construction of our beautiful school. 

Contemplative Corner 

Walking Meditation

• In walking meditation, we become aware of the movement of each step. It is a way of using a natural part of life to increase mindfulness. Once you learn the practice, you can do it almost anywhere. It helps us feel fully present on the earth.
• Find a place where you can walk back and forth, about ten to twenty steps in length. Keep the hands stationary, either behind the back, at the sides, or in front.
• You can do the walking meditation at different paces: brisk, normal, and very slow and meticulous. The idea is not to walk slowly; the idea is to move mindfully. As your mind begins to quiet, you will see how we notice more when we move slowly. More becomes clear, we get to feel the inter-relationship of mind and body.
• Think of it like this… you are starting off on a trek, and you just landed in Katmandu, You are going up to Mustang Valley….you are going to trek up one of these mountains, and there is the goal of reaching the top, there’s the desire to get there, and then there’s the realization that there is a whole process of getting there, and, along the way, more and more, there is the realization that the process is the goal. At first, you don’t have your walking body…you have been busy and confined, muscles aren’t loose, bones are a bit stiff….it takes a while for there to be a rhythm between mind and body, to get into that rhythm, to be carried by that rhythm, so that the experience becomes being carried by the mountain, and then the second winds come…and the body just feels in flow, it feels in harmony, it feels in sync with the mountain itself and the movements up and down.

Year 3 Kookaburras have recently focused on our Science unit where we are working with heat and forces. We have been conducting multiple experiments to investigate how we can create heat using friction and the effect that contact and non contact forces have on objects. 

Our classroom is a jungle filled with lots of chirping at the moment.  We watched Miracle break her way out of her egg.  First we saw her beak and after great anticipation we saw a very fragile and very weak little chick break out of her egg.  Miracle has 2 sisters Sunset and Darth Vader(ette).  Both of Miracle's sisters are black and Miracle is golden with ginger and brown wings. Last week we incubated 6 more fertile eggs for all the Year 2 students who were homeschooled during Covid.  How very eggciting this will be!!

What an amazing experience!!

Late Arrival

Just a reminder that if you arrive to school late can you bring your child, or they can come in themselves, to the office to get a late slip and for us to mark them as arriving.

Early Departure

Please also if you are collecting your child early, could you please come to the office so that we can sign your child out.  

Thank you from the Office Ladies.