Staffing 2021

At the end of this year, we will farewell Adriana DiBella our Music teacher, Mrs Lauren Horsnell one of our Foundation teachers, Julene Verkooijen- Year 3 School Officer and Jess Lemmon- Year 4 School Officer. We are very grateful for the contributions of these staff members over their time here at St Benedict’s and wish them well with their future endeavours.

Next year we welcome new teachers, David Roberts (Music), Elly Caspanello, Renee Macala, Chantel Redgen and Jamie Eggins to our team. We also welcome a new school officer, Samantha Cincotta to our team. We look forward to welcoming back Caitlin Smith, Rhylie Matthiesen (Term 2) and Tayla Bolton from maternity leave too.

Our class allocations for 2021 will be as follows

Prep Bilbies- Kirsty Aitkins and Renee Macala

Prep Platypus- Sally Woolcock

Prep Koalas- Shannon O’Dwyer

Prep Wombats- Elly Caspanello

Year 1 Echidnas- Lizzy Christie

Year 1 Possums- Anita Beauchamp

Year 1 Wallabies- Kandis Orr and Gaby Torrens

Year 2 Curlews- Pierina Massatto

Year 2 Kingfishers- Laura King

Year 2 Lorikeets- Chantel Redgen

Year 3 Brolgas- Jess Smitt

Year 3 Emus- Jamie Eggins and Rhylie Matthiesen (from T2)

Year 3 Kookaburras- Cienna Jewell

Year 4/5/6 Jellyfish- Caitlin Smith

Year 4/5/6 Dolphins- Samantha Garbutt

Year 4/5/6 Stingrays- Rebecca Curley

Year 4/5/6 Turtles- Meghan Durnford

Music- Mr David Roberts

Spanish- Mrs Gaby Torrens

PE- Mrs Stevie-Lee Rowe

Technology- Mrs Sara Pemberton

Pastoral Care Coordinator- Mrs Ros Baumann

Final round up

As this is our final newsletter for the year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our school community for your ongoing support throughout this very challenging year. Communication is always key and always an area for improvement on all of our parts but the compassion and support you have provided each other and our staff has allowed us all to be quite positive in our interactions which only continues to build the type of school community we aspire to be. 

I am very grateful to the wonderful staff we have at St Benedict’s and am so proud of their care, passion and professionalism. They are our greatest resource when it comes to making a difference in the lives of our students. 

I am also incredibly proud of our students who have handled the challenges of this year as well as they could. They have continued to learn and to grow as people and they have found joy in the friendships they have made and the relationships they have built across our school.

I am thoroughly looking forward to the events of our last week of school with our Rite of Passage for our departing Year 6 students on Monday. Most of this group of Year 6 students have been in the senior group since they started as Year 4 students in the 4/5/6 class of 2018. We have seen so many of them discover the kind of learners they are and understand how their actions affect others; which prepares them to be active, responsible citizens who are compassionate and community minded. 

Our Step Up day on Tuesday will be another highlight as we welcome all new students for 2021 to St Benedict’s and all students will find out which class group they are in, which teacher they have and which classroom they are in.

Wednesday night is my favourite night of the year where we actually get to come together as a whole school community to celebrate the season of Advent with O’Holy Night. Please remember to bring along your own picnic style dinner, blanket and/ or chairs too as we’ll be on the low oval. 

On Thursday our Year 5 / 6 seniors have their very own retreat day to celebrate the end of the primary school journey for the Year 6’s and on Friday we finish 12.00pm.

For those families that are moving on, we wish you well in your new communities. 

Best wishes to everyone over the school break. May you find some time for rest, relaxation and time with family and friends. Most of all though, I wish you all a happy, safe and holy Christmas and a fabulous New Year. See you in 2021 :)

Cheers

Penny Collins

Principal

Welcome to the end of Week 8 and my final newsletter article for the year. 

Today we had the Year 2 Curlews lead us in assembly, presenting their assembly on waiting for the coming of Jesus (Christmas Day).  They did such a wonderful job remembering their lines and looked so wonderful in their costumes when presenting the nativity story.  It really brought the message of the birth of Jesus, the meaning of Christmas, alive for our students to see.  

On Christmas, a reminder that each class has a hamper in their classes for donations to the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal.  There is a flyer attached which gives ideas for what each class can bring in below.  It is a very small way that we can give back to those less fortunate in our community.  

I have provided a table below which outlines many of the exciting events which are taking place at school next week.

This is our final newsletter for the year and I’d like to take this opportunity to firstly congratulate everyone for nearly making it to the end.  This has certainly been a year like no other, and it’s been no mean feat to make it this far.  Our St Benedict’s community is truly one to be proud of, and one I look forward to seeing continue to grow as we move into 2021.  I sincerely wish everyone a very happy and holy Christmas, and a safe and restful holiday break.

Pax

Nick

Year 4 Dragonflies have been learning about the true meaning of Christmas by watching the nativity story and creating their own pictures of baby Jesus in the stable the night he was born. 

Semester Two Report Cards

At St Benedict’s, student achievement is recognised and celebrated in many ways throughout the school year; at informal meetings, parent/teacher interviews, through class work, and through written reports. 

Semester Two Student Reports will be available via the Compass Portal Monday afternoon next week. Written report cards are one source of feedback about student progress and achievement, attitude, behaviour, and effort. These reports reflect your child’s current progress on their journey towards the Achievement Standard in the Australian Curriculum. You may remember that Semester One reports were adapted due to COVID and learning at home. Semester Two reports have returned to normal as you would expect to see them with all relevant information.

The Federal Government mandates that all Year 1 to 10 report cards must give an overall grade on a five point scale. Prep and Year 1 are reported using the following grades: ‘Applying (AP), Making Connections (MC), Working With (WW), Exploring (EX), or Becoming Aware (BA). Year 2 to 10 are reported using the grades A, B, C, D or E. The second page of the report card will have further information and explain what each grade means.

Please note that a ‘WW’ shows the child can work with the relevant year level curriculum, and a ‘C’ shows that a student’s work typically demonstrates a sound level of knowledge and understanding of concepts, facts and procedures, and application of processes. Essentially, A ‘WW’ or ‘C’ shows that they have achieved the relevant year level curriculum that is being assessed. An ‘EX’ or ‘BA’ and a ‘D’ or ‘E’ indicates students are demonstrating some or limited understanding of the required knowledge for the relevant year level curriculum that is being assessed. A ‘MC’ or ‘AP’ and a ‘B’ or ‘A’ shows they are working at a higher and deeper level with the relevant year level curriculum that is being assessed. 

Along with a grade, students will be reported on their ‘Personal Effort’ for each Learning Area. You will be told if your child ‘applies commitment to learning’ rarely, sometimes, usually or consistently. This demonstrates the amount of effort your child has put into each Learning Area and if they have tried their absolute best. As parents and teachers, we need to know that if a student is working to the best of their ability with a ‘Usually’ or a ‘Consistently’ then we should be proud of them regardless of the Achievement grade on their report card. If they have received a ‘Rarely’ or ‘Sometimes’ then they need to put more effort into their work, participation levels, and/or behaviour within that specific Learning Area. 

All of us understand our own children’s strengths and weaknesses, the things that make them unique, their special interests and their attitudes. Please remember that the Semester Report Card is one form of feedback about your child’s achievement and progress at school. 

As always, if you have any further questions or concerns about Semester Report cards please see your classroom teacher.

Compass - Parent Portal

We have provided some instructions on how you can access your child's Semester Two Report using the Compass Parent Portal. Reports will be available on Monday 1st December. If you require any assistance please contact the school office.      

How to Access Your Child’s Semester Report