Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to school for Term 3. I hope you have enjoyed the rest from the school routine. Hasn’t the time just flown by? We have an exciting second half of the year ahead and we’re going to hit the ground running.

We are looking forward to an exciting term ahead with a variety of events planned.  These include Grandparents and Grand Friends day, Confirmation for our Year 5 and Year 6 students, Science Fair for our Kinder to Year 3 students, Book week, Fathers’ Day, Indigenous Literacy day, St Benedict’s Colour Splash and Dash, Whole School Performance and Mindfulness Day.

Our School Values
The current building repairs have given me cause to stop and reflect on our school values. The values are displayed on the turquoise wall in the front office and in the busyness of school life I find myself walking past these words daily without reflecting on what they actually mean for us as a school.

The school values we have are an important way of deepening our charism of ‘All Guests who present themselves are to be treated as Christ’(From the Rule of St Benedict) and our school mission ‘Inspired by Christ and guided by his teachings, the community of St Benedict’s journeys together to provide a caring, friendly, learning environment that nurtures the development of each child through love, work and prayer.’

Our school values of Spirituality, Dignity, Excellence, Compassion, Integrity, Community, Respect and Optimism help us to recognise the value of all members of our community, established and new. We honour their worth and uniqueness, made in the image of God, and in this knowledge we treat each other with the greatest respect. Our school values underpin all we do at St Benedict’s.

Thank you for your ongoing care and partnership in your child’s learning.

God bless.

Rachel Smith
Principal

Congratulations
Congratulations to Ms Hayley Dwyer, 3/4 Gold’s classroom teacher, who got married the first Friday of the school holidays. I know as a community you join with me in congratulating the new Mrs Gould. We wish Hayley and Daniel a long and happy life together

School Ski Team
I am very pleased to announce that St Benedict’s now has a Ski Team. The team made up of Matilda (5/6 Blue), Mila (5/6 Blue) and Grace (3/4 Gold) will be competing this week at the ACT & Southern NSW Interschools championship at Perisher. Thank you to Mrs Erika Wagstaff for her coordination of the team. Good luck girls!

School Supervision
As we begin Winter I am concerned about the number of students who arrive at school well before 8:30am – some as early as 8:00am – and then need to sit and wait for the teacher who begins duty at 8:30am. If students are being dropped to school or making their own way they should not be on site prior to 8:30am. If your work commitments do not allow for a drop off after 8:30am you might like to consider accessing YWCA before school care.

Approaching Other Children
Parents are reminded that it is never appropriate to approach other children to confront them about issues between your child and the other student. Imagine how you would feel if another parent or carer approached your child and spoke to them. It is inevitable that there are social conflicts, misunderstandings, and unkind actions. At St Benedict’s we encourage students to develop skills that will assist them to deal with social situations, with teachers offering assistance and support. If you are concerned about how your child is coping socially please contact your child’s teacher.

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 student 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.

Grandparents and Grand Friends’ Day
Next Friday 1^st August is St Benedict’s Grandparents and Grand Friends Day. Grandparents and Grand Friends are most welcome to join us for our school mass at 10am, followed by a special morning tea and visits to the classroom. We look forward to seeing many significant ‘Grand’ people on the day.

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 and 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 the 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.

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.

Shortly an Expression of Interest form will go home to students in Years 3 - 6 to assist us with planning for this event. Please return the Expression of Interest form to school as soon as possible.

School Fees
Thank you to the many families who have finalised their fees for last term. Term 3 School Fees have been sent out today via email for the families that have selected this option otherwise they will be sent home as per normal. If you have not yet finalised your Term 2 fees could you please attend to this as a matter of urgency. Should you be experiencing difficulty with the fees please come and make a time to speak with the school.

Uniform
As we return for the new term I feel it is timely to remind our students and families about our school uniform policy. Below is an excert from the policy regarding student appearance. Please read through it and discuss it with your child.

Student Appearance

• All aspects of student's appearance are gender inclusive i.e. apply to both girls and boys.
• Student’s hair should be clean and neat; fashionable extremes are not permitted. Shoulder length hair or longer must be tied back. Only natural, all-over hair colour is acceptable. The Principal or Assistant Principal will contact parents if other hair styles are of concern.
• Accessories are to match school colours (maroon, navy blue, yellow and white).
• No jewellery may be worn other than small, plain (silver or gold, no colour) ear studs, a watch or medical alert identification. Only one stud per ear (i.e. earlobe)
• Nail polish and make-up in any form are not part of the school uniform.
• Students out of uniform are required to bring a note from home on the day.
• If a student is out of uniform, parents may be contacted and requested to give a commitment to resolve the problem.

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 2020. 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.

Confirmation Parish Preparation

Grand Friends' Day Mass
On Friday 2nd August Year 1/2 Gold will lead our school community in celebrating our Grandparent and Grand friend Day Mass. Mass is held in the St Benedict’s Church from 10:00am. Families are warmly invited to join us for this liturgical celebration. Morning tea will be provided by the families of students in Years 1/2 Gold. Parents are invited to stay after Mass for morning tea and a chat with in the Library. Parents of the hosting class are welcome to bring their child along to the morning tea. As part of the Mass, we would like to display photos of students with their grandparents/grand friends. All are welcome to submit photos. Please email these by 31^st July  to Miss Breena Walshe breena.walshe@cg,catholic.edu.au

Mini Vinnies
Thank you very much to all who collected toiletries over the school holidays and donated them to the Mini Vinnies Hygiene Donation Station in our school Front Office.  These will be packed into hygiene kits and distributed on the St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol.  Having access to hygiene products to take care of our body is vital to our human dignity.

2 Jul School resumes K-6, Term 3
23 Jul School Board Meeting
26 Jul CE NAIDOC Mass
29 Jul First Aid for 5/6
2 Aug Grandparents’ & Grand Friends Day 1/2Gold
Mass, 10.00am
6 Aug Parents & Friends Meeting, 6.30pm
8 Aug Feast of St Mary MacKillop, Mass, 10:00am
12 Aug Science Week begins
13 Aug Science Fair, Kinder to Year 2
13 Aug School Board Meeting
15 Aug Feast of the Assumption, Mass, 10.00am
17 Aug Confirmation Retreat, 3.30pm—7.00pm
18 Aug Y3/4 Gold Family Mass, 9am
19 Aug Book Week begins
30 Aug Fathers’ Day Stall
1 Sep Fathers’ Day
3 Sep Parents & Friends Meeting, 6.30pm
4 Sep Indigenous Literacy day
6 Sep Kindergarten’s Fathers’ Day Mass, 10am
10 Sep School Board Meeting
15 Sep Year 5/6 Family Mass, 9am
17 Sep Catholic Schools’ Week Begins
19 Sep Learning Showcase, 2pm
19 Sep Year 3/4 Mountain View visit
20 Sep Colour Run
22 Sep Sacrament of Confirmation, Mass, 9.00am
25 Sep School Performance, 6pm
26 Sep Mindfulness Day
27 Sep Last day of Term 3
27 Sep 5 Ways of Being Award Ceremony, 2.30pm

The following notes have gone home this week and will be sent home via Schoolzine App:

• Grandparents Day Invitation
• Grandparents and Grand Friends Day
• First Day Bytes

School Fees
School Fees were emailed home today, while some went home with students. Thank you to all the families that continue to pay their school fees on time.

As per the CE Policy all fees must be paid by week 5 of each term, unless you have made other arrangements.  All school fees are due Thursday 15th August.

If you have not received your school fees or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Belinda in the Front Office.

School Banking
Rewards Program update:
In Term 3, two new reward items from our Polar Savers range become available to redeem: Arctic Owl Fluffy Keyring and Scratch Art Cards.

 

Happy Birthday to the children who celebrate their special day during the holiday period and this week: Niamh B, William C, Angus C, David T, Nathaniel G, Selina H, Lalia D, Laura K, Mia F, Nathan W, Zayn S.

Kinder:  Fergus K and Savannah L

Year 1/2B: Nathan W and Arwyn S

Year 1/2G:  Jayden L and Claire L

Year 3/4B: Rafael V and Lucia M

Year 3/4G:  Alec C and Ava D

Year 5/6B:  Samuel F and Jacinta V

Year 5/6G:  Grace L and Adam O

This term we will be selling the new 2019-2020 Entertainment Book Membership for $60. You will receive hundreds of valuable offers for shopping, dining and accommodation.  $12 of every membership sold will go towards our school. A sample copy is available for viewing at the Front Office.

Please make sure you buy a book through St Benedict’s School, and tell your family and friends about it too!

Entertainment           Book           using           the           link: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/23231n Then pickup your book from Belinda at the Front Office. 

Thank you to all the wonderful families that have been shopping at Woolworths over the past weeks.  The school had 7860 stickers dropped at front reception and we have been able to order items such as: 

• Trundle Wheels
• Stopwatches
• Calculators
• Graduated Measuring Jugs and Cylinder Sets

Sorry for any inconvenience the Clothing Pool will not be open tomorrow - Thursday 25th July.

Otherwise the Clothing Pool will be open each Tuesday and Thursday between 2.50pm to 3.15pm by appointment. 

The Lost Property box has been emptied and all named items have been returned to students via their class note bags.  

Please let Mrs McRae know at the Front Office if you need something from the Clothing Pool, even if you are unable to make the opening times.  Where possible we will always help.

The Lost Property Box is located in the  canteen area.  Please take some time to go through the box on a weekly basis as the lost property box is overflowing with jumpers and jackets.  These are going to be essential items of your child/rens uniform as the days get colder.

PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILD/REN'S CLOTHING IS LABELLED WITH THEIR NAME.

Extra Lost Items
There are a number of personal items and cash that has been handed into the office during the term.  If you are missing any jewellery or accessories please call in and see Mrs McRae at the Front Office.

Hello everyone,

Beginning next week there will be a change to the canteen
days. The canteen will now be operating on a
Monday and a Thursday. The Term 3 menu will be the
same as the Term 2 menu. Please see the school website
for the most recent menu.
The St Benedict’s canteen operates as a healthy canteen
as prescribed by the ACT Department of Education.
This does mean additional costs and the need for
more preparation. Mrs Cook continues to do a wonderful
job at limiting the cost and the work involved,
but unfortunately the canteen may be forced to close
without increased patronage and volunteer support.
This is something we are sure we do not want to happen.

Canteen Winter Menu 2019

Recess – Counter Sales only

Cheese Melts  (can be GF and LF)      $0.20c per triangle

Pizza Pinwheels      $0.70

Nachos (can be LF)      $2.00

Muffins of the Day      $1.00 ea

Seasonal Stewed Fruit and Custard    (LF & GF)      $1.00

Corn Cob      $0.50

Frozen Yoghurt      $2.50

Jelly      $0.50

Lunch – Bag Orders

Pasta Bolognese (GF and can be LF)      $5.50

Toastie (GF and LF options available)      $3.70

            Ham, Cheese & Tomato

            Tuna & Cheese

Braised Eggs & Turkish Bread (GF & LF options available)      $4.50

Fish and Chips with Veggies – an old favourite (LF)      $5.00  

House made Chicken Noodle Soup (LF & GF)      $4.00

St Benedict’s homemade Sausage Rolls (LF)      $3.00

Kids Meat Pie      $3.40

Sauce Squeeze      .20c

Drinks

Juice – 200ml pure fruit juice      $2.50

Nippy’s Milk – 200ml whole milk      $2.50

            Chocolate

            Strawberry

            Honeycombe

THURSDAY 25th July

9am to 11.30am - Helpers Required - Over counter sales only

11.30am to 2pm - Helpers Required

TUESDAY 30th July

9am to 11.30am - Helpers Required - Over counter sales only

11.30am to 2pm - Helpers Required

If you would like to touch base about volunteering please either drop in or contact me on Cara.Cook@cg.catholic.edu.au.

Yours in tongs,

Cara Cook, Canteen Manager

Weekend Mass Times

Saturday          6.00pm

Sunday            9.00am

Youth Mass      6.00pm

Charismatic Mass    6.00pm (last Sunday of the Month)

Baptisms: 11.00am, 2nd and 4th Sundays of the Month