Dear Parents and Carers,

It is very easy when the children are at home to encourage them to develop their literacy skills. We can easily have them read their reader to us, read a recipe or set of instructions, or even write a shopping list or note. We sometimes forget that maths is a skill that needs practice and that there are lots of simple things you can do to help your child with their maths skills at home. Below are some examples that you may like to try with your child.

One of the secrets to being confident with maths is having a toolkit of different calculation strategies, and knowing when and how to use them. If your child is in Years 5-6, you can help build their maths toolkit by involving them in the maths problems you come across in daily life, using ideas such as these.

• Ask your child to calculate answers for you – e.g. ‘Could you work out how much edging we need to buy to go around the new garden bed? It’s going to be three metres long and 1.5 metres wide.’
• Ask your child to estimate answers and then check their estimates – e.g. ‘Petrol today costs $1.65 per litre and we needed 56 litres, so how much will that be, roughly?’
• Show how you choose different strategies by talking through maths problems as you work them out – e.g. ‘There are 10 kids coming to your party, plus us makes 14 people altogether, and this recipe makes 6 muffins. Double that is 12, which is not enough, so we’ll multiply all the quantities by 3 and end up with 3 x 6 equals 18 muffins – one left over for each of us!’
• Play the Four Card Century Challenge: draw four random cards (ignoring any picture cards), then arrange them in any order and use mathematical operations to create a calculation which equals as close to 100 as possible. For example, if you draw 2, 3, 8 and 8, you could make ’83 + 28′ [equals 111], or ‘288 ÷ 3’ [equals 96], or ‘(8 x 8) + 32’ [equals 96]. Increase the challenge by drawing more cards and/or raising the target number.

 If your child is in the younger years next time you go shopping with your child, encourage them to be your bargain shopper to save money. This will give them confidence as well as helping with their math skills.

• How much of a discount? Encourage your child to look out for products on sale. For instance, you might see a beach towel reduced from $12.99 to $6.99. Ask your child to work out how much money has been saved with this reduction.
• Older children can use their fractions skills to solve harder problems. For instance, ask them how much a $20 lampshade would be if it were discounted by 50%.
• Which brand is cheaper? Show your child a range of brands of the same product and ask them to work out which is the cheaper brand. Hint: check the shelf label for unit prices.
• Save in bulk - This exercise is good for an older child who is learning division. Ask your child if it is cheaper to buy in bulk. For instance, a single roll of paper towel is $4.00, but a package of three rolls is $10.00. Is it more economical to buy the paper towels in bulk?
• Have the children collect and count items as you put them in the bag or trolley.

Remember that mathematics is a skill we need for life and a subject that we need to show our students can be fun to learn.

God bless.

Rachel Smith
Principal

Grandparents and Grand Friends’ Day
Last Friday’s Grandparents and Grand Friends’ day was very successful. We had many visitors and many friendly and proud smiles throughout the school. Thank you to Kindergarten, Mrs Fran Tomadini and Fr Rem for the beautiful Mass. A particular thank you to Hannah Norgrove for her coordination of the class parent representatives and for organising food for morning tea and to the staff and parents who helped with setting up and packing up the Hall.

Bunnings BBQ
The P&F held a very successful BBQ at Bunnings Majura last Saturday. Thank you to Sonia Domitrak and Hannah Norgrove for their organization and coordination of the BBQ. Thank you also to all the parents and families that volunteered on the day. Your hard work was greatly appreciated.

Lunchtime Clubs
During the colder weather our students have some great opportunities to pursue personal interests and hobbies through the lunchtime clubs, generously organised and supervised during lunch by staff and/or student leaders.  This term they include:

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. We need to begin planning for staffing and class configurations for 2022. Thank you to those who have let us know already, this is very much appreciated. Naturally Year 6 parents need not respond to this request.

Sacrament of Confirmation

Grandparents and Grand Friend Day Mass

Thank you to Kindergarten who led our school community in celebrating our Grandparent and Grand friend Day Mass. It was a joyous occasion to spend time in prayer with our grandparents and grand friends! A special thank you to our school choir for their beautiful music and to the families that hosted the morning tea.

St Mary of the Cross Mackillop Prayer for Children

Dear God,
When Mary MacKillop was young, she saw that children in the bush had no-one to educate them.
She became a Sister and took other Sisters to teach the children.
May we appreciate the opportunities we have to learn many new things each day. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

School Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

On Monday 16th August 10am our school community will be attending Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary led by Year 1/2 Gold.  This special day celebrates the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary was “assumed” body and soul into heavenly glory when she died. All families are warmly welcome to join us for this special occasion.

Community Meals Program

The Community Meals freezer is one way we can assist families who are experiencing hardship. If you are able to cook a meal, please use disposable containers and label with ingredients and date. All meal donations can be brought to the Front Office. If your family requires temporary meal assistance, you can speak in confidence to any of our staff members.

Volunteers Needed

On the last day of Term 3 we will be hosting our school Global School Partnership Day. On this day we celebrate our friendship with our Global School partnership school Gesore Preparatory, in Kenya, by learning about their school, culture and traditions. We are seeking volunteers who are either of African descent or who have worked/lived in Africa. If you are not able to volunteer your time, please still get in contact, as we would still appreciate your input. Email natalie.zarb@cg.catholic.edu.au

We have often shared with you the eSafety Commissioner’s website, https://www.esafety.gov.au/ which is a useful resource to view when your child/children are using the internet.

This week, we include a useful guide (from this website) to assist in coming to an agreement with your child/children around some basic rules about online use. They address three key strategies:

1. Be engaged, open and honest
2. Set some rules
3. Use the available technology

ONLINE SAFETY BASICS
Help your children safely navigate their digital world and educate them to avoid harmful online experiences. Explore websites, games, apps and social media together and set some rules. 

Your support and guidance can give your children the confidence to make sound decisions online ― and ask for help when they need it. 

3 Key Strategies:

1.       Be engaged, open and supportive

• Get involved. Share online time with your children as part of family life. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
• Keep lines of communication open. Ask about their online experiences, who they are talking to and whether they are having any issues.
• Reassure your child they can always come to you, no matter what. Let them know you will not cut off internet access if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online ― this is a real concern that may stop your child from communicating with you openly.
• If you notice a change in behaviour or mood, talk to your child about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help ― from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

2.       Set some rules

• Set age-appropriate rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them.
• Ensure your child’s input — this will help them understand risks. As they get older you can review your rules together. 
• Consider creating a family tech agreement (sometimes called a family media plan or family online safety agreement). A family tech agreement is a set of rules about how devices, like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles are used in your home. It is written down and agreed to by all family members and kept in a place where everyone can see it, such as on the fridge.
• Your family tech agreement could cover the type of websites that can be visited, time spent online and acceptable online behaviour. 

• eSafety has created their own  version of a Family Tech Agreement, in collaboration with ABC KIDS, especially designed for families with children under 5. You can download this (https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-01/Our%20Family%20Tech%20Agreement%20-%20Template%20.pdf ) and fill it in with your family. Another example, from ThinkUKnow Australia, can also be a good starting point for families with older children.

• The consequences for breaking the rules should be clear. Negotiate these with your child when you create your agreement so they mean something to them.
• Consider making some ‘rules for parents’ too — and stick to them! Model behaviour that you would like to see.

 3.        Use available technology

• Get to know the devices you and your children use and set them up for privacy and online safety. Take advantage of parental controls to monitor and control screen time and access to content in ways appropriate to your child’s age and experience. See the eSafety Commissioner guide to taming the technology.
• Choose apps and games carefully, taking age ratings and consumer advice into account. Check the App Store or Google Play, and for games, the Australian Classification Board’s online database. NetAware (UK)has a comprehensive guide to popular social media apps and games. The Australian Council on Children and the Media and Common Sense Media (US) both offer information about apps, games and websites searchable by age.

Important dates to note for this term are:

13 Aug     Whole School Assembly, 2.30pm
15 Aug     Feast of the Assumption
16 Aug     Feast of the Assumption Mass, 10am
16 Aug     Science Week begins
20 Aug     Science Week Activities
24 Aug     Parents & Friends Meeting, 6.30pm
27 Aug     Whole School Assembly, 2.30pm
1 Sep       Indigenous Literacy Day
3 Sep       Fathers' Day Mass, 10am
5 Sep       Fathers' Day
9 Sep       Learning Showcase, 2pm to 4pm
9 Sep       Kinder Health Screeening
10 Sep     Whole School Assembly, 2.30pm
11 Sep     Sacrament of Confirmation, 3pm
14 Sep     School Board Meeting, 6pm
15 Sep     Yr5/6 School Camp
16 Sep     Yr5/6 School Camp
17 Sep     Yr5/6 School Camp
17 Sep     Ways of Being Award Ceremony, 2.30pm
17 Sep     Last day of Term 3

The following note/s have gone home this week and also via Compass Parent Portal.

South_Weston_Athletics_Carnival_2021.pdf
(Qualifing students)

PF_President_s_Introduction_letter.pdf

Talk to your kids about this topic.

Last week in Year 5/6, we had Mr Ellis come from the Catholic Education Office. He is the Child Protection Manager and he talked to us about eSafety and how to safe on Social Media. We discussed risk and harm and different levels of these. We also had a serious talk about cyberbullying and why it is important not to share your passwords.

Mr Ellis shared some stories that explained the difficulties and unsafe situations that some students have found themselves in and how they could have avoided these altogether or at least got help much earlier (which would have lessened the harm).

Mr Ellis also shared some Golden Rules we need to keep in mind when online. 

Rule 1: Make sure you can see and touch them if you talk online.       

Rule 2: DO NOT take any photos of yourself nude.

And he shared a special rule for the boys which is:

DON’T take photos of your lower private parts!

It was eye opening and very informative and helpful.

Year 6 Media Leaders

Happy Birthday to the following child who celebrates their special day this week: Mia T.

Kinder:          Rafaela H and Elijah M

Year 1/2B:    Sandile N and Mackenzie A

Year 1/2G:    Mia-Rose S and Jack K

Year 3/4B:     Antoni T, Katherine D, Taliyah M and Georgia W

Year 3/4G:    Charlotte W and Hunter R

Year 5/6B:    Hubert K and Sophia R

Year 5/6G:    Mia T, Nobel S and Ava W

Year 3/4B:    Alexander H and Lucy W

Year 3/4G:    Gordon S 

Year 5/6B:    George P

Year 5/6G:    Joanna D

National Primary Principal’s Appreciation Day – 7^th August 2021
Friday 7^th August 2021 was National Primary Principal’s Appreciation Day. We were able to show our appreciation for our wonderful, hard-working Principal, Rachel Smith with a lovely bunch of flowers, a card and a bottle of wine.  We are lucky to have such a caring Principal at our school. Thank you, Ms Smith for all that you do.

Grandparents Day morning tea – thank you
Thank you to everyone who bought in morning tea for Grandparent’s Day on Friday. What an amazing spread of food. Thank you also to everyone who helped to set up and pack up the event.

Bunnings BBQ success
Thank you to all who volunteered at the Bunnings BBQ. We discovered some great hidden talent in our community in our BBQ captains, customer charmers, marvellous up sellers and mathematicians. Thank you also for your understanding in regard to the strict COVID rules we had to follow.  Thanks especially to Ms Smith and Mrs Quirk who came and helped at the BBQ. It looks like we will make around $1000 profit. 

The lost property box continues to have a large number of items in it - particularly water bottles and lunch boxes.  With the cold weather here please ensure your child / children bring their items home each day.  

If you require uniform items please email the school office.stbenedicts@cg.catholic.edu.au or contact Mrs McRae with the list of items.  We will endeavour to fill your order and reply to you as soon as possilble.

Tuck Day Tuesday and Thursdays are back.
The menu is now up on Qkr! ready for your Tuesday and Thursday orders. 

All orders for recess and lunch must be placed before 9.10am on the day it is required.

The Qkr! app also gives you the ability to order in advance for a particular Tuesday and/or Thursday.

Apple slinkys are available if you bring your own apple on Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Recess Menu

Lunch Menu

St Benedict's Parish

Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9am to 12noon
Phone: 62957879
Email: narrabundah@cg.org.au
Web:  website: http://cg.org.au/narrabundah/Home.aspx

Parish Team:
Fr Rembert Fernando MGL
Fr Baiju Thomas MGL
Onela Iruthayaraj (Parish Secretary)

Mass Times:
Saturday Vigil - 6pm
Sunday - 9am (Streamed via Facebook)
            - 6pm Charismatic Mass
Youth Mass every 4th Sunday (6pm)

Weekday Mass Times:
Tuesday:         5.30pm
Wednesday:   12.30pm
Thursday:        5.30pm
Friday:            5.30pm (HealingMass)
Saturday:        8.00am

Baptisms:  During Weekend Masses or by appointment.

Open Day (Rehearsal)–Tuesday August 17

For ages 8-18. Come and have fun as you sing with one of our age appropriate choirs. No previous experience necessary.

RSVP: info.wvyc@gmail.com

 

Auditions–Saturday 21 August

For ages 8-18. Take the next step as you join us. Prepare a simple song you sing well. Our director, Olivia, will guide you through the rest.

Bookings: wvyc.director@gmail.com 

 

For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by reply email. Or visit our website at wvyc.org.au.