Dear Parents and Carers,

Term 2 is flying by and our students have recently been busy with a number of special events, in addition to their class learning:

• dance lessons
• hockey coaching clinics
• South Weston Region Cross Country
• pyjama and movie fundraising day
• Year 3/4 excursion to Maraga AIATSIS
• Reconciliation Mass

Rug Up!

As we have been experiencing colder temperatures and some icy mornings, I would like to remind everyone about the need for students to dress appropriately. Please encourage your child to wear layers and note that jackets, beanies and scarves can be worn by students if they are navy in colour. With the colder weather, we are seeing more lost property. Please ensure that all your child’s belongings are clearly labelled and if they are misplaced, check the lost property tub outside the glass doors of the Front Office (coming in from the playground).

Students should now be wearing the Winter school uniform:

• Black leather school shoe
• Long pants or the tunic dress
• Sports uniforms to be worn on sports days (sports polo and school tracksuit or sports shorts)
• Sports shoes should be predominantly white in colour
• Hair ribbons – navy or maroon

Hats off!

As part of our commitment to the ACT Sunsmart policy, we remind everyone that students are not required to wear hats outdoors during June and July. This "Hats Off" period aligns with the guidelines provided by the Cancer Council ACT, reflecting the lower UV levels during winter.

Reconciliation Focus

We recently celebrated Reconciliation Week with a long weekend and reflection on Reconciliation Day and its significance in our country. Reconciliation Day is a time for all Australians to come together, acknowledge the past, and foster a future based on mutual respect and understanding between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

Today we continued our focus on the importance of reconciliation, through our whole school Reconciliation Mass. Thank you to Mrs Linda De Salis for her organisation and the teachers and students also involved in leading this beautiful mass.

At St Benedict’s Primary School, we are committed to embracing the values of reconciliation and integrating them into our daily lives and educational practices. The Catholic faith teaches us the importance of forgiveness, compassion, and the dignity of every person; principles which are at the core of the reconciliation process.

Semester Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews

Teachers are currently in the process of finalising assessments and completing student semester reports.

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held over Monday 24th to Wednesday 26^th June (Week 9), followed by Semester Reports being released on Compass on Friday 28^th June.

Parent-Teacher Interviews are an opportunity to:

• Work together on students learning and social wellbeing
• Reflect on student learning outcomes and goals
• Give parents the opportunity to ask questions and share information
• Promote ongoing communication and collaboration between the parents and teacher

We encourage all parents to take up this opportunity to work further with us to support your child/ren’s educational journey. Please watch out for soon to be released information about how to book an appointment for these Parent Teacher Interviews.

Community Council Update

In Week 3 we held our first Community Council meeting (as we progressed from the previous structure of a School Board and Parents and Friends Committee). The meeting was a success and it was wonderful to see many new faces.

We were very blessed with numerous members of our community putting up their hand to become involved, in various ways, in our newly formed Community Council. Some parents took on Executive roles whilst others have expressed an interest in being involved in Working Groups.

Working Groups are vital to a high functioning Council. They enable Council
to break the work of Council into smaller segments and have a small group
undertake a particular area of work. They also enable parents to participate in
the work of Council in a manner that best suits their interests and availability.

On Tuesday 24th June @6pm we will be holding our next Community Council meeting, with a focus on forming these Working Groups. We invite all parents interested in being involved in a working group to come along. These groups will meet, discuss areas of focus and planned events and establish their organistional process. 

Working Groups:

* Fundraising and Social

* Community Engagement and School Marketing

* School Master Plan

This is a great way to meet other parents and become more involved in our school in an area of your interest. We would love to see you there!

God bless.

Alana Quirk

Principal