Yellow team meeting

Today we have had our new School Services Team from Townsville Catholic Education visit to learn about our school, our staff and our students. The members of our School Services Team are Laurence Hosking, Education Consultant, Sharon Bell, Religious Education Advisor, Katherine Nelsen, Curriculum Advisor and Krista O’Connor, Indigenous Education Advisor. We look forward to working together to meet our goals and to support our community

Principal Meetings

Next week I will be away from school for the beginning of the week to participate in our diocesan Principals’ meetings. This is a valuable time for our principals from across the diocese to come together for information sharing and professional learning. It is also a wonderful opportunity to showcase what is happening across our schools. Both Nick Christie and Ros Baumann are available should you have any concerns.

P&F Meeting

Please note that our next P&F Meeting including the AGM will be held on Tuesday 9 March at 7.00pm in the staffroom (back of Administration Block). It is always lovely to have the input of parents at these meetings and everybody is welcome. I will be discussing some of the details of School Renewal at this next meeting and clarifying the Verification stage we will go through this year. We will also finalise plans for our upcoming Burgers by the Billabong afternoon and our Mum’s Wine and cheese night.

Open Day 12 March 9.30am - 10.30am

Next Friday we are hosting our Open Day tours where our senior students will conduct tours of the school for families interested in enrolling their child at our school. While the tours are generally aimed at prospective Prep parents for 2022, any parent is welcome to come along. 

Building Project Update

All the tenders are in for the upcoming building project that will see the construction of a new library including two additional classrooms across the middle of our school, a new classroom block (Orange) with two additional classrooms and an extension to our administration space. We should expect an announcement next week regarding the successful contractor who will complete the project. We expect the project to get underway next term and are hoping for completion mid Term 4.

We also have a solar project that is underway with a battery storage space going in between the OSHC building and our Butterfly Garden near Red Block. New solar panels will go on classroom block roofs during the Easter holidays

We have a number of classes heading off on excursions over the next few weeks. We are looking forward to the learning experiences our students will enjoy from these opportunities.

Have a fabulous weekend. See you all next week.

Cheers

Penny Collins

Thank you to Year 3 Brolgas who presented assembly this week about the Second Sunday of Lent, focussing on the message of listening to Jesus’ words so that we can live lives of justice and compassion and being ready to walk in another's shoes.  This message goes along beautifully with our ‘Way of Peace’ under Empathetic, where we focus on thinking about how someone else might be feeling and ‘walking in their shoes’.

Sacramental Program

Congratulations to our students who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week on Wednesday and Thursday night at the Ryan Community Centre.  Both evenings were reverent celebrations, focussing on how students can be forgiven, but also how they can be people of forgiveness and let their light shine through how they treat others.  These students are continuing lessons on the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist which they will be receiving early in Term 2.

Project Compassion

Each week, Project Compassion has a video to show how they are supporting people and communities around the world.  Please see the link below to see one of the many projects around the world and to see where your donations might be spent.  This week's story takes us to the Solomon Islands and is about a woman named Margaret.  A reminder that each class has a Project Compassion box to receive donations, as well as boxes being available for collection in our office for your students to take home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmXVXl74Qm8&feature=emb_logo

ECSI Project - REPEAT

A reminder that the ECSI Project survey is live and we are seeking feedback from families about the Catholic Identity of our school.  Please see the note attached in the newsletter for information about how to access.  Your assistance is greatly appreciated and will help St Benedict’s to further develop its Catholic Identity.

Pax

Nick 

Have you heard your student(s) talking about the Zone that they are in?  At St Benedict’s we use Zones of Regulation as a whole school approach.  This helps students to learn to recognise their emotions, reactions and behaviours whilst it provides us with a common language to engage in discussion.  

The key to the success of this program is the use of appropriate tools to help students begin to regulate their emotions and responses.  To support this learning, we have sensory regulation tools available in classrooms for students to access.  By assisting students with a language to acknowledge how they feel, then a conversation can follow about how they feel and what can be done about it.  

It's important to always acknowledge that each zone is valid.  Anger is a real emotion that we all feel at times.  This emotion can have benefits including preparing us for our fight or flight response when in danger.  It is also important to teach students what is an appropriate behavioural response when in each of these zones - this forms part of our ongoing education throughout the year with students.  

You can support this learning at home too, by using the common language.  Here is a little video (link) that is a great explanation of Regulation and what each zone might look or feel like and the impact this can have on learning.

Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray.  Is anyone among you cheerful?  Let him sing praise.  James 5 : 13

Yours in support

Ros

We will be holding parent/teacher interviews on Monday 22nd March from 3:30pm - 8:00pm, and Tuesday 23rd March from 3:30pm - 6:30pm in the Hall. You will be able to book a 15-minute time slot to attend an interview using the ‘Compass Parent Portal’ from next Friday the 5th March, around 2pm. In the meantime, please ensure you are able to access the Parent Portal and contact the office for any assistance. We look forward to discussing your child’ progress. 

Scholastic Book Club  catalogues will be distributed to all students this week.   All purchases through Scholastic Book Club accrue reward points which helps the school stock up on resources for the classroom and library.  More books means more choice, which means your child gets to read and borrow the books they want to read. And that right book can ignite a passion for reading which can inspire a lifelong commitment to learning.

Ordering and payment for Book Club orders are to be completed online through LOOP, the online ordering and payment platform for parents.

Please note our school may come up as GARBUTT - this is our delivery address which we cannot alter at this stage. 

 All orders for this issue will close by closing of school on Monday 15th March.

PLEASE NOTE ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED VIA LOOP.  WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH OR CHEQUES FOR BOOK CLUB PAYMENTS.

  If you have any queries please contact the school office or the school library.