Dear Parents and Carers,

Last Friday Father Dan and I joined the other Priests, Principals and RECs from around our Archdiocese for a ‘RE Key Personnel Day’. These days are important in gathering together and discussing important issues that are affecting our Catholic schools and the local Church. A large focus of the day was on developing a deeper understanding of the Papal Exhortation “Christus Vivit” (2019). Christus vivit ('Christ is Alive') is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis, released earlier this year and written in response to the Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, on young people, faith and vocational discernment. It is addressed "to young people and to the entire people of God". At the RE Key Personnel Day we were given the opportunity to pose questions on the impact of the Exhortation on the Archdiocese and celebrate the successful initiatives currently engaging youth within our Archdiocese.

On the day I was reminded about how lucky we are at St Benedict’s that we grow students who act out their faith and their mission by seeing a need and doing something about it. I was thinking in particular about some of our Year Five students who recently organised and ran a very successful ‘Bake Da Cake’ stall. They saw a need to raise money for the homeless in our community and set about working out the best way to do that, all off their own volition and without parent or teacher direction. The students raised a massive $198.50 for the St Vincent de Paul society. Thank you for your generous financial contributions and support of this student led initiative. Thank you to Arthur, Hamish, Brigid and Adam for their amazing efforts in organising this day. Thank you to the Year Five  and Six students who helped run the food stall on the day and provided food, and thank you to the parents who also helped with the supplying of food on the day.

10 Ways For Parents To Help Teachers Help Their Children Learn

This crossed my desk this week and I thought it has great advice for all of us.

1. Create a smooth take-off each day. Get organised the night before. Give your children a hug before they leave the house and your head to work. Tell them how proud you are of them. Your children’s self-confidence and sense of security will help them do well both in school and in life. A positive, happy start is the best foundation for the day at school.
2. Prepare for a happy reunion at the end of the day. Create predictable rituals such as 10-20 minutes listening to your children talk about their day over an after-school-snack before you check phone messages, read the mail or begin dinner. This is truly a quality time when your children know your attention is focussed on them and they can count on you every day after school.
3. Fill your child’s lunchbox with healthy snacks and lunches. Have dinner as a family, preferably around the table, at a reasonable hour. In the morning provide a healthy breakfast with whole grains, protein and fruit. A well-balanced diet maximises your children’s learning potential and helps them to stay alert throughout the day.
4. Include peaceful times in your children’s afternoons and evenings.
5. Remember it’s your children’s homework, not yours.
6. Fill your home with books to read, books simply to look at, and books that provide answers to life’s many questions.
7. Fill your children’s lives with a love of learning by showing them your own curiosity, respecting their questions, and encouraging their efforts.
8. Be a partner with your child’s teacher. When you do need to speak to the teacher in reference to a specific issue with your child, do it privately, not in front of your child. Never criticise your child’s teacher in front of your child.
9. Set up a system where routine items are easily located-such as school bags, shoes, signed notes.
10. Become involved in school activities. This could be helping with reading, being on a committee, helping with a school event. Teachers appreciate the practical support of parents and children whose parents are involved do better at school.

(Reference: Principal’s Digest: Vol 14, No. 6)

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

God bless.

Rachel Smith
Principal

St Benedict’s Colour Splash & Dash
On Monday this week the students bought home a letter and sponsorship card outlining how the St Benedict’s Colour Splash and Dash works and how they can raise funds. Please encourage your children to participate in this fundraising opportunity. The St Benedict’s Colour Splash & Dash will take place on Friday 20^th September and we would love as many parents to be involved as possible. We are hoping that this could be a real community event, so don’t forget that you can participate in the Colour Run!

Whole School Performance – St Benedict’s ‘Disneyland’
Don’t forget the date for the whole school performance is the 25^th September. Doors will open at 6pm for 6.30pm start. All students are participating in the performance and are busily practising their class items and whole school finale.

Winter Sport
Congratulations to many of our students who have been playing a range of sports over the winter months. A particular congratulations to the members of the St Benedict’s Netball Club who did a wonderful job representing our school in the Winter Competition at Deakin. A particular thank you to our parent coaches, Suzie Clarkson, Belinda Daunt, Olga Morabito and Belinda Eidum for hard work throughout the season. Thank you to all our players and supporters for a very successful season. Good luck to our Year Five and Six team who are competing in the finals this week!! They are playing at 10.30am at the netball courts at Deakin (next to the Mint) if you would like to come along and cheer them on.

School Uniform
A reminder that Summer Uniform commences in Term 4, so please check the wardrobe and visit the Clothing Pool and Savvy if any items are needed. We will have the usual transition period early in Term 4 to cater for the unpredictable weather.

A reminder that black leather school shoes are an essential item of uniform. Several parents comment that their Year 6 child only has one term left at school. However, students also need black school shoes in high school.

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 Preparation

We hope that the children who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation have enjoyed spending quality time with their chosen sponsor. Students have completed their Saint Research Project and will be sharing their knowledge and understandings with Fr Tony Percy, next week. We continue to pray for these students as the Spirit is revealed and lit within them.

Confirmation Practice 1- students only
Wednesday 11^th September 9-10.30am

Confirmation Practice 2- (including Reconciliation, parents are not required to attend, but are welcome attend if they wish)
Wednesday 18^th September 9-11am

Praying the Rosary with Your Child
The Rosary is a mediative family prayer that can be easily adapted for children. Take some time this week before bedtime to explore the Rosary as a family with your child. Below are some articles to assist you in adapting this prayer for children and teenagers.

12 Tips for Praying the Rosary with Kids
https://teachingcatholickids.com/12-tips-for-praying-the-rosary-with-kids/

Loyola Press (explanation and Rosary Diagram)
https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/scripture-and-tradition/devotions/praying-the-rosary

Father’s Day Mass

Kindergarten will be leading our school community in a special Father’s Day Mass 6^th September. All families and friends are welcome to come and celebrate this special occasion with our school.  

Year 5/6 Class Parish Mass

Year 5/6 will be leading will be joining the parish next Sunday (15^th September) to celebrate Mass.  We ask that those who have children in Year 5/6 make a special effort to attend the school’s Parish Mass. The parish choir will be at this Mass and warmly welcome anyone to join in singing. If you are planning to attend Mass on Sunday and would like your child (or any family member) to have a formal role such as a reading, bringing forth the offertory or the Gospel procession, please email: Alana.quirk@cg.catholic.edu.au

Year 3/4 Mountain View

On Thursday 19^th September, all Year 3/4 students will be participating in a Healing Liturgy with Father Dan and the members of our community at the Mountain View Aged Care Centre.  We ask that you keep these students in your prayers as they nurture community spirit through their presence and participation in this special prayer celebration. 

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.

3 Sep Parents & Friends Meeting, 6.30pm
6 Sep Kindergarten’s Fathers’ Day Mass, 10am
10 Sep School Board Meeting
10 Sep Indigenous Literacy day (Book swap)
15 Sep Year 5/6 Family Mass, 9am
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 note has gone home this week and will be sent home via Schoolzine App:

• Summer Netball
• Catholic Primary Schools Netball Carnival
  • (Due by Friday 6th September - morning)
• Colour Splash Information Note
• Colour Splash & Dash - Volunteers
• Colour Splash & Dash - Sponsorship Card
• Book Swap

This week we remember 80 years after the beginning of World War II.  It is also Legacy Week.

I heard a media presenter pay special tribute to those who served our nation, detailing the landmark events of WWII.  Amongst his commentary, his words were simple:

“It is really hard to get your head around what these men and women did some 80 years ago.”

“It’s a level of bravery no ordinary person will experience in their lives, but these servicemen and women aren’t ordinary. They’re extraordinary.”

We remember in prayer, our country’s current and ex-service men and women.  God bless.

Linda de Salis
Defence School Mentor

Indigenous Literacy Celebration – Preloved books still wanted!
Indigenous Literacy Day is a national celebration of Indigenous culture, stories, language and literacy. The day helps to focus our attention on the disadvantages experienced in some communities and encourages people to raise funds and advocate for more equal access to literacy resources for these communities. 

To celebrate this day our school is holding a Book Swap, where families (students and parents/carers) are able to donate preloved books that they no longer want and then they can also purchase a book/s with a donation of a gold coin. We are also lucky to be hosting some guest speakers who will share traditional stories and aspects of their culture with our students.

To give further opportunities for book donations, we have delayed these celebrations until next Tuesday 10th September. Thank you to those families that have already brought in some preloved books.

Woden Vally Youth Choir - 50th Anniversary Concert
Jacinta (somewhere in the middle 2nd row from front) singing with all current and alumni choristers of the Woden Valley Youth Choir during their 50th Anniversary Concert last Saturday night at Llewellyn Hall. The conductor is the founder of WVYC.

Happy Birthday to the children who celebrate their special day this week:  Trinity M, Alec C, Dharma S and Ysabella G.

Kindergarten:  Mya R, Nathaniel G and Olivia D

Year 1/2B:      Alessandra B, Georgia W

Year 1/2G:      Alisha W, Kate S

Year 3/4B:      James N, Nobel S and Liam N

Year 3/4G:      Ekamjot K, Oliver J and Ava D

Year 5/6B :      Gabriella S, Gabriel D

Year 5/6G:       Grace L, David T

Year 1/2G:      Sarah R

Year 3/4B:      Sophia R

Year 3/4G:      Angus C

Year 5/6B :      Samuel F

Colour Splash & Dash

Dear Parents, Carers & Friends of St.Benedict’s,

Only 2 1/2 weeks to go until our first Colour Splash & Dash! It’s shaping up to be an exciting fundraising event for all students and their families to participate in!

We would love to see as many family members, siblings & relatives there to join in the day! Sausage sizzle starts at 12.30pm, then time to warm up at 1pm, before the walkathon and splash & dash starts at 1:30pm! While the main part of the day will finish at 3pm you are all more than welcome to stay and continue enjoying the afternoon in the school grounds. The BBQ will be running again and drinks and treats will be sold at this time!

To prepare for the day, we will be selling the following 2 colour packs:

Extra sausages can be purchased for $3.

A note will be going home shortly to order these packs by cash. Alternatively, orders can be placed on Qkr App later this week.

We look forward to sharing this day with you all!

Entertainment Books
Thank you to all the wonderful people that have purchased books this year, we are sure you will enjoy using them over the next 10 months.

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

The Lost Property box will be emptied weekly and all named items will be returned to students via their class note bags.  All items without a name will be washed and donated to the Clothing Pool for repurchasing.

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 continually overflowing. 

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

Extra Lost Items
There are still a number of expensive personal items that has been handed into the office. eg. glasses, fitbit, phones, usb sticks, jewellery, key rings and pursers.  If you are missing any items please call in and see Mrs McRae at the Front Office.

Hello parents and friends,
Canteen days are Mondays and Thursdays.

Qkr! is now operating for the canteen and it is a quick and convient way to order your child's lunch if you have no spare change.  If you are using Qkr! please check that you have selected the correct day and date otherwise your child's order will not be come through to the school on the correctly. 

This week during recess, available are:

gluten and lactose free savoury muffins $1
pumpkin soup $2
nachos $2
cheese and herb pastry twists 10c
pizza slices 50c
delicious muffins of the day $1
fresh fruit $1 ea (Bananas, Apples and Pears)
whole carrots 50c
jelly 50c
jelly and lactose free custard 50c
warm corn cobs 50c
seasonal fruit and custard $1

If your child forgets their morning munch and crunch, please see the front office.

THURSDAY 5th September
9am to 11.30am - Helpers Required - Over counter sales only
11.30am to 2pm - Helpers Required

MONDAY 9th September
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

Fr Dan and St Benedict's are running a Men Alive weekend Oct 12-13. A low key weekend to explore what it means to be a Christian man. Contact Fr Dan at Daniel.Benedetti@cg.org.au or check out the website: www.menalive.org.au

Interested in becoming a Catholic or learning more?
Contact Fr Dan at Daniel.Benedetti@cg.org.au for info about the RCIA program for adults.

Welcome/Info night Thurs Sept 5 at 7:30pm in the Collins Wing next to the School Hall.