St Benedict's Primary School - Narrabundah eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

Last week we were pleased to host a visit from our Catholic Education Director (interim), Ms Pam Betts. Ms Betts visited classrooms and chatted with staff and some students. Ms Betts was impressed with our beautiful school and community, noting how evident the genuine care and dedication of our team was.

School Building Works Update

A lot of work has been happening behind the scenes in preparation for our upcoming building project. Significant progress has been made in the design and planning phases as we move toward the start of construction.

Our timeline has recently been revised. Demolition is now scheduled to take place toward the end of the year, during a period when students are offsite. Construction is expected to commence at the beginning of 2026.

The exciting new development will include:

Four new classrooms
A dedicated wellbeing space
A specialised music room
A large administration area

We invite you to visit the front office to preview the design plans and see what’s in store for the future of our school.

Online Content and School Behaviour

The safety of our students is always our highest priority here at St Benedict's and so it is concerning that we are noticing some students engaging in inappropriate play at school, often mimicking content they have been exposed to on platforms such as YouTube and online games (such as Fortnite, Stealthmaster, Poppy Playtime and Squidgames) at home. Many games that students are watching or playing have an age rating of at least 12+ years due to their content and the language used.

We kindly ask all parents and guardians to be mindful of and closely supervise the online content your child is accessing outside of school. What they watch and play at home can have a direct impact on their behaviour in the classroom, playground and out of school.

Please help us ensure that all students are engaging in safe, respectful, and age-appropriate activities both at home and at school. Inappropriate behaviour or play influenced by unsuitable online content will not be accepted at school.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

The eSafety Commissioner is a valuable resource that can provide support to parents and families in navigating the online world. The platform provides many resources that you may find useful.

Following are some tips the eSafety Commissioner provides in regard to age-appropriate content.

How do I choose age-appropriate content?

Good-quality content can support your child’s learning, especially if it ties in with their interests or sparks their imagination.

The following sites can help you make informed decisions about your family’s entertainment choices.

Check age ratings and consumer advice for apps and games on devices your children use via the App Store or Google Play. Visit the Australian Classification Board’s online databaseExternal link when reviewing movies and games.
Raising Children Network External link has advice about choosing video games, online games and apps.
Children and Media AustraliaExternal link provides reviews of movies, apps and games, including gambling content advice, searchable by age and platform.
Commonsense Media (US) offers a database of apps, games and websites searchable by age.

Enrolment Time for 2026

May is enrolment month for St Benedict's. If you have a child in preschool, now is the time to enrol them for 2026. Also, if you know anyone considering joining our great school community, be sure to let them know! Applications should be submitted in the very near future.

It’s also an important time of year for our Year 6 students who will be moving on to high school in 2026. If you have a child in Year 6 and are planning to enrol them in one of our Catholic Systemic High Schools, applications must be submitted by the end of May. These schools receive many more applications than they can accommodate, so please ensure you meet the cut-off date to secure a place.

Winter Uniform

The transition period for summer to winter uniform concluded at the end of last week. All students are now expected to be in the full winter uniform. Students continue to wear the school hat until the end of May.

It is also a reminder that no jewellery, except small studs or sleepers (for earrings) or a religious cross, is to be worn. Make up and nail polish are also not to be worn. I trust that we will have your support in ensuring that your children are adhering to our school uniform policy.

School Events

What a fabulous day in week 2 we had celebrating our special mothers and mother figures. A huge thank you to Mrs Sally Veikkanen and Ms Cristal Tatterson from our School Community Council, for their organisation of the Mother's Day Stall. Thank you also to the many families that attended our Mother's Day breakfast or mass or both! We were very blessed to have your involvement in such a wonderful day of celebration.

Last Friday we held our Cross Country Carnival at Jerrabomberra Oval. Students enjoyed some sunshine and fun time together. Thank you to our team of staff that organised and supported the running of the day - Miss Danelle Chan Tie, Ms Megan Livingstone and Mrs Louisa Mitchell. Students that qualified for the South Weston Cross Country carnival will have received a permission note via Compass.

It was also wonderful to see so many families join us for the Walk to School Day. It was a celebration of community and a wonderful way to start the day!

This afternoon is the commencement of our Scholastic Book Fair! This is a fabulous event, that celebrates reading and provides an opportunity to families to both purchase a book or two and support our fundraising. A percentage of all book purchases goes to our library to purchase new books. Be sure to visit either this afternoon from 3:00 - 6:00pm or tomorrow morning (Thursday) from 8:00 - 9:30am. Thank you to Mrs Emma Currey for her organisation of this wonderful event.

Next Wednesday is our much anticipated Athletics Carnival, which is held at the Woden Track. All students require permission to attend this event. Permission is due by this Friday and can be accessed via Compass.

Yours in partnership,

Alana Quirk

Principal's Reminders

School Attendance

We kindly ask all families to support their children in arriving at school on time each day. Being on time is essential for student success—it helps children start the day in a settled manner, take part in morning routines, and not miss important instructions and key learning opportunities. Arriving late can make it harder for students to catch up and can disrupt their focus and confidence. By establishing a consistent morning routine at home and planning ahead, families can help ensure their children are ready to learn from the moment the school day begins. Together, we can create positive habits that support every child's learning and growth.

ICAS Testing Opportunity

ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies. Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.

ICAS tests are available for students in Years 2-6 who are interested and register. There is a fee for each test. The tests are conducted at school during August. Online registration is now open. Please see the attached information about ICAS.

Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July at 11:59pm.

ICAS Letter to parents

Did you know?

From the Assistant Principal

It can be heartbreaking when our children are having friendship difficulties. We would all like to rush in and defend them from every hurt and rejection. Instead, we can help them manage difficult feelings, cope with the complexities of relationships, and grow from these experiences.

Here are some helpful tips from Big Life Journal for guiding your child through common friendship challenges like bossiness, exclusion, and disagreements. In the process, your child will learn valuable lifelong skills that include empathy, assertiveness, and conflict resolution.

First, Teach What it Means to Be a Good Friend

Teach children values they should look for in others and strive to embody in their own relationships.

With good friends, they can be themselves. True friends will embrace them for who they really are, will be honest, and won’t pressure them to do anything that makes them uncomfortable. In healthy friendships, children support friendships with other peers and celebrate one another’s successes.
Good friends greet each other, take turns, say please and thank you, etc. Remember to model the behaviours and social skills you would like to see. It is also helpful to teach these skills in context. As your children play together (or, for an only child, as your child plays with a friend you’ve invited over), observe your child’s interactions. When needed, step in to remind your child of polite and respectful behaviour.
Good friends have empathy. Children need to understand that others may think and feel differently than they do, and that’s OK. Perspective-taking is a new skill for young children, and it’s one that you can help your child develop. Simple ways to practice empathy include pointing out the emotions of others (e.g., “See his face? He’s sad because he was hoping to have a turn with the blocks”), discussing the emotions of characters in stories, and talking about your own feelings.

The 5-Day Friendship Challenge in our digital Challenges Kit also nurtures positive friendships with fun activities that teach kindness, empathy, inclusivity, and the qualities of a good friendship.

Help Them Overcome These 3 Common Friendship Challenges

The following are challenges children regularly face as they navigate friendships with others and tips on how to help your child manage these difficult situations.

Bossiness

Bossiness is a frequent issue in childhood friendships, especially with younger children. This is partly because children are still learning to express their wants and needs.

If your child is being bossy…

Remind them to ask for what they want respectfully, rather than demanding it. Explain that although they can ask people for something, people have the right to say no. In the same way, she has the right to say no to others.
Give them the words to say instead. Simply saying, “Be nice” is not specific enough to be helpful to young children. For instance, if your child says, “I want the orange ball! You play with the red ball!” tell her, “Instead, say, ‘I would like to play with the orange ball. Will you play with the red ball?’” The more you can provide children with respectful phrasing in context, the more they’ll learn important social-emotional skills.
Provide your child with choices. Sometimes children who are bossy are simply trying to have some degree of control over their lives. For younger children, offer only two choices to keep it simple. For older children, you may offer 3-5 choices. For instance, you might ask your child whether she would like to wear her blue shirt or her pink shirt to school. Would she like pancakes or waffles? Even if the choices are small, giving your child more autonomy may reduce the urge to boss others around.
Recognize and encourage the improvement as your child begins using manners and making requests more politely (e.g., “You did it! You were kind and respectful.”).

If your child is being bossed around…

What if your child is the one being bossed around by others?

Role-play. Practice scenarios in which a child is behaving bossily, then have your child practice responding politely, but assertively.
Give them the words to say. For instance, you might practice saying, “I don’t want to play with the blocks right now. Maybe I will play with the blocks later.”

If the bossy child responds by insulting your child, have your child practice saying, “I don’t like it when you call me names. Please call me by name instead.” Assertiveness is a difficult skill even for adults, so children often need lots of practice.

2. Exclusion

Talk to your child about the importance of including others. Teach kindness and empathy. Encourage your child to talk to others who may not have many friends. Model kindness and acceptance of others in your daily life.

If your child is being excluded…

If your child is being excluded by others, your natural tendency is to rush in and protect them. You may want to say mean things about the other children, try to solve the problem for your child, or shield your child from the hurt and rejection she’s feeling. We all understand the natural human desire to be liked and accepted.

Still, we can’t save our children from these difficult experiences. Instead, we should teach them how to cope with and manage them. If the situation occurs again, your child will have the skills to handle it, whether you are there or not.

When your child talks to you about being excluded by others, listen. Don’t rush in with solutions or anger toward the other children, and do not overreact. Simply listen and help your child process the emotions she is feeling.
Instill confidence and the understanding that what others think about her does not define her or change who she is. In fact, what others think about her is shaped by their own life experiences, beliefs, and preferences. It has everything to do with them and nothing to do with her.
Use analogies. With my students, I sometimes use the example of watching a movie. If a group of people watches a movie together, any movie, some will love it, and some will hate it. Some will think it’s OK. Yet everyone watched the same movie.
Encourage your child to celebrate who she is, rather than fearing what others will think of her. The people who enjoy her genuine personality are the people she should call friends.
Ask her to list her positive qualities. Remind her of the things that make her unique and wonderful.
Make a friendship tree, listing all the friends she knows in all areas of life. Who are her friends at school, on her sports teams, in the neighbourhood, at church, etc.? This activity can remind your child of all the positive friendships she does have, rather than focusing on a few children who exclude her.
Cast a wide net. Involve your child in extracurricular activities and help her expand her social circle. If exclusion is happening in one place, like school, she’ll still have a positive support system on her soccer team or in her karate class.
Talk with your child about how to cope with situations that make her feel left out or hurt. Different children may cope in different ways, so discuss and experiment with different strategies. It may help your child to take deep breaths, to write or draw, to silently recite positive affirmations, or to remember that she will spend time with her soccer friends after school. For some children, “coping cards” that list helpful strategies are a useful portable tool.

Unfortunately, exclusion and rejection are part of life. Although you can’t eliminate them from your child’s life entirely, you can provide her with strategies to navigate these experiences.

3. Arguments

Friendships inevitably involve disagreements from time to time. It’s important to teach children how to handle these disagreements in a healthy manner. The following steps can help:

Model peaceful conflict resolution. Demonstrate taking deep breaths to remain calm, using “I feel” statements rather than attacking statements, listening to both sides of an issue, and then trying to solve the problem and/or come to a compromise.
Set clear rules against unhealthy behaviours like a door slamming, sarcasm, ridicule, name-calling, and physical harm.
When your child has disagreements, remind them of the peaceful conflict resolution strategies you use in your home. It’s okay to walk away and take a few deep breaths to collect yourself. When you’re ready, share your point of view using respectful language, such as, “I felt hurt when you laughed at me.”

Next, listen to the other person’s point of view without interrupting. Assume that the person is doing their best and did not do anything intentionally malicious. If necessary, make amends with a hug or a handshake and come up with a mutual resolution.

Explain to your child that in a friendship, they shouldn’t be trying to “win” arguments. Instead, they should work together to find a solution that satisfies both people. And although it’s okay to feel sad or mad, and it’s okay to disagree, it is not okay to be disrespectful or cruel to others, and it is not okay for others to be disrespectful or cruel to them.

Seeing your child struggle with friendships doesn’t get easier, but these tools will give you positive, productive responses that allow your child to move forward with new coping strategies and friendship skills.

Spotlight on Religious Education

Image result for vinnies winter appeal

As the chill of winter sets in, our school community, led by our Mini Vinnies Team, is coming together to support those in need through our annual Winter Woolies Appeal. This initiative encourages students and families to donate warm clothing items, such as jackets, jumpers, scarves, beanies, gloves, and new socks, to help keep others warm during the colder months.

Winter Woolies Dress-Up Day

We will have a Winter Woolies Day in Week 9 to raise funds and warm items for those in need. Keep your eye out for more information in the coming weeks as our Mini Vinnies team create advertisements with key information.

Donation Details

We kindly ask for donations of clean, gently used warm clothing and brand-new socks. Please ensure all items are in good condition. Donations can be dropped off to your child/ren classrooms from now until the end of Week 9 (Friday 27th June) when we will gather as a community to hand these over the St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol van.

Your generosity can make a significant difference in someone's life this winter. Let's come together to share the warmth!

We are delighted to announce that some of our students have commenced preparation for First Holy Communion. This sacred journey includes both school-based learning and at-home activities, allowing students to deepen their understanding of the Eucharist.

The celebration of First Holy Communion will take place on Sunday, 22 June.

We kindly ask our school community to keep these students and their families in your prayers during this special time, as they grow in faith and prepare to receive this important sacrament.

Dates to Remember

Benny's News

Out and About at Benny's

Mother's Day Breakfast

Cross Country

Bridging Now to Next

‘Bridging Now to Next’ is the theme for Sorry Day 26^th May, the eve of National Reconciliation Week. This theme is about using lessons from the past and present to connect and support an ongoing path forward.

Yesterday, Ms. Libby Goodsell, Teaching and Learning Support Officer Aboriginal Education CE, used the analogy of a bridge, when speaking to Yrs. 1/2 Gold and Blue, of how it connects two places but similarly how friendship is a ‘bridge’ which connects two people. Just as in a structural bridge, it takes time, effort and planning to build meaningful relationships and friendship. This Sorry Day/National Reconciliation Week, our students will look at actions and words they can use in ‘building a bridge’ toward reconciliation and walking together with our First Nations peoples. You are invited to join us at Mass on June 4^th 12:30pm, followed by morning tea.

Mrs. De Salis

Contact Teacher for Aboriginal Education