St Benedict's Primary School - Narrabundah eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Dear St Benedict’s community,

Last week we had a wonderful start to the 2025 school year. We had 165 students start on Tuesday, including many new Kindergarten students and 17 new students across Years 1-6. A very special welcome to all our new families—we are thrilled to have you as part of our school community. The children have had a very happy and calm start to the year, and it’s great to see them looking so smart in their school uniforms. We look forward to a wonderful year of learning, growth, and fun together.

Our Kindergarten students had a very settled start to their ‘big school journey’. They are already getting used to our routines, structures and have started making friends within Kindergarten and beyond. Thank you to the Kindergarten families for making the time to bring your child along for their ‘Kinder Assessment’. The information we receive in this time greatly assists us to help your child with their learning the best way we can, right from the beginning. Today is the final ‘Kindergarten rest day’ and so we look forward to having them with us for the full week, from next week.

Throughout last week teachers taught our beginning of year orientation program. This program aims to teach/review the values that underpin our school culture as well as the routines and behaviours that ensure St Benedict’s is a place that children feel safe, happy and can learn.

On Friday we joined the parish to celebrate mass; acknowledging the opening of our new school year. All the children prayed and sang together with great enthusiasm. It was lovely to have some families and friends join us for our mass. Please remember that you are always welcome to join us for our whole school masses and liturgies!

New Staff Welcome

This year we welcome three new staff members to our team! We are excited to have Mrs Louisa Mitchell join us as our new Religious Education Coordinator and Year 1/2 Blue teacher, Ms Megan Livingstone as Year 5/6 Gold teacher and Mr Luis Esteban Ruiz Marin as our Music teacher. All three are very experienced and bring with them extensive expertise. They are all excited to be with us and have settled in very quickly, getting to know our students and community. This evening’s Welcome Evening/Meet the Teacher would be a wonderful opportunity to come along and say hello!

Whilst Mrs Currey was with us last year, she now joins us in a permanent role as our new Librarian. Mrs Leanne Lowe also joins us again this year, working in a Literacy Support role.

Safer Internet Day

Yesterday was Safer Internet Day and over the week classes are discussing what this means and strategies to help keep them safe online. It is a timely reminder for all, as students and families share and sign the ITC User Agreement for devices at our school. The internet has provided us with the opportunity to make like easier as well as build connections between family and friends. With responsible use there is great reward in using the internet.

With that opportunity comes risk to our own personal privacy, safety and wellbeing. As a school we're particularly focused on risks to students who have the opportunity to play in digital spaces.

As a parent it can be daunting to know where to begin with helping young children to navigate these spaces. The e-safety commissioner is an outstanding resource provided by the Australian Government to help adults, children and families use digital spaces safely and responsibly.

I encourage all of our families visit the e-safety commissioner website. A few resources I have found very useful include:

Family Tech Agreement - Explore and use the family tech agreements to set rules that suit the age and needs of children and young people, about how devices, like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles are used at home.
Parental Controls - Find out some of the ways you can set up controls that help ease your mind about what and when your children can access the internet and various digital platforms. This provides practical advice.
e-safety guide - Find out how to protect your personal information and report harmful content on common social media, games, apps and sites that children access.

For general parent information, including how to have conversations with your child about safe use of the internet and their devices, simply visit the e-safety parents page.

Welcome Evening/Meet the Teacher

Just a reminder that this afternoon is our Open Evening/Meet the Teacher from 4:00 – 6:00pm. This is a great opportunity to come along and meet your child/ren’s teacher, see their classroom, pick up some start of year information and a special Maths pack for your child. It is also a time to enjoy a sausage sizzle and mix and meet with other families in our community.

St Benedict's Representatives

Today Mya and Eli, 2 of our Year 6 leaders, accompanied me to the St Clare's College Opening School Mass. They were wonderful representatives of our school!

We're here to work with you in supporting your child as they learn and grow. Please feel free to reach out when you need some assistance.

Yours in partnership,

Alana Quirk

Louisa Mitchell Luis Ruiz Marin Megan Livingstone

Welcome Back

School Pick Up

Please note that school concludes at 3:10pm. Teachers are on duty, however, they do need to attend meetings etc that takes place after children leave for the day. If your child/ren is picked up by car, we would like to remind families that it is essential that your child is collected by 3:30pm from the back car park area. Those child/ren going to bus, walkers or bikes will be escorted by teachers to the appropriate area.

There is nothing more important in our school, than the safety of all. For this reason, it is essential children are not called to run through the car park to waiting cars. Parents/carers must get out of the car and come to the gate (or inside the grounds) to collect children. Please help us keep everyone safe by adhering to this rule.

ICT Agreements and Photos/Social Media Notes

Just a reminder that both ICT Agreement and Photos/Social Media permission notes are due to be returned. These notes are extremely important – Please note that students not able to use any IT until notes have been returned.

School Calendar

We are in the process of moving to a Compass calendar for all school events. This process will be finalised shortly and then information will be sent out to parents about how to access this calendar on the Compass portal.

From the Assistant Principal

Health and Wellbeing at Primary School

Beginning the new school year is an exciting and sometimes daunting time for students and families. You can help support your child's health and wellbeing as they start the new year. Here are some tips to help navigate the first few weeks of school, from Kindergarten up to Year 6 and beyond.

Face your child's feeling

Whether your child is starting primary school for the first time or is progressing through school, they may experience difficulty settling into school routines. Your child may be feeling:

excited or happy about starting school
nervous or anxious due to new routines
frustrated or annoyed about all the changes.

Talk with your child

Check in with your child before, and particularly after, school.

What was the best part of your day?
What did you learn?
Who did you help today?

Communicate with comfort and connection. Be relaxed in your facial expression and body. Get down to your child's level and offer gentle touch or affection. For example: "I know Kindy is different from preschool/Year 2 is different to Year 3. We have to go to school. Let's sit together and figure out how to make this easier."

Validate and relate to your child's feelings. Consider how they're experiencing the situation from their point of view.

Discuss and set limits. Wishes and feelings are acceptable, but some behaviours are not. It is important to remain calm, clear and assertive.

For example: "I hear you want to play more. It is important that you get a good night's sleep before school. It is bedtime". "I can see you are frustrated but it is not okay to yell or hit".

Notice and address any physical, behavioural or emotional changes. Some reactions to stress include tiredness, struggling to fall asleep, boredom, feeling irritable or acting out, being withdrawn or avoiding school and homework, complaints of an upset stomach or headache, excessively asking questions, or seeking reassurance. Always share any concerns with your child's teacher.

Create routines at home

Make sure your child is getting a good night's sleep and at least 30 minutes of daily exercise.
Cook nutritious meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner and make sure your child is eating regularly.
Encourage your child to stay hydrated, even in the colder months.
Read to your child as part of your daily routine.

All students can get very tired at night because they are doing so many new and exciting things. For this reason, it helps to keep before and after school routines - like bath time, meals and reading - as regular as possible. It's also important to leave time for your child to play and get a good night's sleep each night.

Spotlight on Religious Education

Welcome to our 2025 Jubilee year in our Catholic faith. My name is Louisa Mitchell, and I am very excited to be joining the Saint Benedict's community in the role of REC and 1/2 classroom teacher. This year our community will be focusing on the theme of hope as we 'Journey through the Gospels as Pilgrims of Hope.' Last Monday, staff travelled out to Warrambui Retreat Centre to participate in a faith formation day centred on the theme of hope. We explored the understating of hope as a Catholic Chirstian virtue and how our faith, steadfast, carries us on our journey to walk with and closer God.

This year teachers and students will set aside prayer time in their classrooms to explore each of the Gospel writers and how they portray Jesus, connected to the theme of hope. This term we are exploring Saint Mark and how he portrayed Jesus as a servant leader. Students will listen as teachers break open scripture, they will learn as they reflect on the teachings, and they will lead as they use their newfound understandings to go out into the world and make a difference as people of action and hope.

Opening School Mass

On Friday last week we came together as a community to celebrate our opening school mass. Thank you to our 5/6 leaders who assisted during mass. It was a joyful celebration centred on hope for the year ahead. All our new staff, students and their families received a blessing from Father Chris. Our Year 6 student leader badges were blessed in preparation for our Year Six students to receive them in the coming weeks.

Reconciliation

Our Parish faith formation and enrolment evening for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation is next Thursday 20th February from 6:30pm in The Greg Collins Wing of St Benedict's. We will participate in prayer, formation and have time to formally enrol your child into the sacrament. Please have the Qkr! App downloaded. It is our Parish practice that Catholic children in Year 3 prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, if your child in in Years 4-6 and you would like them to make the Sacraments of Baptism or First Reconciliation, please let me know. Please use the linked form to RSVP to the Faith Formation and Enrolment Evening for the purposes of preparing resources.

Altar Server Training

A permission note has gone home to all students in Years 4-6 for Altar Server training. Only those students who would like to become a Saint Benedict Parish Altar Server need to fill it out and return it via Compass or the Front Office by Thursday 20th February. Altar Servers assist the Priest in preparing for Mass with jobs such as laying the sacred vessels, linen and objects, and during the Mass, ringing the bells and handing the priest what he needs. Father Chris and Mrs. Haines will be running the Altar Server training on Thursday 27th February from 9:30-10:30am at the Church.

Catholic Clip Art Altar Server - Altered Perception

Dates to Remember

Benny's News

Counsellor's Corner

My name is Mari, and I have been part of the Marymead CatholicCare Student and Family Counselling team since 2022. I have worked at local schools in Canberra and some of our regional schools as a student and family counsellor.

Before that, I worked at various schools in Canberra for 4 years providing students with positive learning experiences. I enjoy working in educational settings.

I am very excited about starting at St Benedict's Primary School and being part of the community.

I am at your school on Fridays. If you have questions relating to the counselling service at your school, please feel free to contact me.

If you would like to refer your child, please use the link below.

I look forward to working with you and your school.

CatholicCare