Feast Day
This Friday we will be celebrating St Benedict's Feast day which occurred in the holidays.  We will be live streaming Mass, participating in activities and having a special lunch.  Don't forget to put in your child's lunch order for Friday.

School Calendar
As you are aware we sent out a school calendar at the beginning of the school year to all families. Unfortunately many of our planned events have had to be cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19. We are currently finalising an updated calendar for Term 3 which we will send home shortly. Please understand that as restrictions change in the ACT so may some of the calendar dates and events.

August is Hats ON again!
August is fast approaching, and although still cold, it is the month we start to witness a rise in UV levels in Canberra that warrants sensible sun protection during at least some periods of the day.

The beginning of August is Hats ON Again for all of us!
In Canberra average daily UV levels reach 3 and above for part or most of every day between August and May. When UV levels reach 3 and above, the Cancer Council recommends sun protection to reduce the potential risk of skin damage which lays the ground work for skin cancer later in life, including deadly melanoma.

From August through to the end of May each year St Benedict’s students will need to wear their hat as a form of sun protection. It may also be worth considering the use of sunscreen over the remaining winter and spring months.

Sick Students
If your child is ill please keep them at home for their own benefit but also so as not to spread it to other students and staff. Please make sure that your emergency contacts are up-to-date so that we can contact you quickly if your child becomes ill or is injured at school. If your child needs medication at school, you are required to complete a “Request to Dispense Mediation” form which is available at the Front Office or on our website. A reminder that students are not to self-administer medication. Medication should not be kept in children’s bags but kept in the Front Office area and Front Office staff will administer. All information is then noted in a medication book. Teachers will not administer or supervise the taking of medication. Please ask your child to take medications to the Front Office upon arrival at school.

Student Absences
Parents, please note that even if you have made a phone call informing the school that your child is away (and for one day this is not necessary, longer absences we do appreciate a phone call), we still need a written note or email upon their return explaining the absence, otherwise your child will be marked as ABSENT WITHOUT REASON in the Class Roll. If a child arrives at school after 9.00am they need to be signed in at the front office. St Benedict’s Primary School is regularly audited by the Education Department re - Student Absences. If you know in advance that you will need to pick your child up early from school, please notify your child’s teacher ahead of time via a note or email.

Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival
Every year the local schools in Boorowa host a Touch and Netball Carnival for teams from Years 2 to 6. St Benedict’s has been attending this carnival for the last couple of years and parents and students who have attended the day are always enthusiastic to attend the day again.

An Expression of Interest form will be sent home shortly to students in Years 3 - 6 to assist us with planning for this event. Please return the Expression of Interest form as soon as possible. Please note that at this stage this event is going ahead, however may be cancelled in accordance with health advice.

Leaving St Benedict’s
If you anticipate that your child will leave St Benedict’s at the end of this year, could you please notify the Front Office where they a heading to. We need to begin planning for staffing and class configurations for 2021. Naturally Year 6 parents need not respond to this request.