Dear Parents and Carers,

In our rapidly changing world, current events can often be a source of concern and confusion for our young ones. At St Benedict’s, we are committed to guiding our students not only academically but also spiritually and emotionally. It is essential to address these concerns with compassion and wisdom, rooted in our faith.

Children are perceptive and often pick up on the anxiety and stress that adults feel about world events. Whether it's natural disasters, conflicts, or social issues, these events can be overwhelming for young minds. It's important to create a safe space where children feel comfortable expressing their fears and questions.

Our faith teaches us to trust in God's plan. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." In this Jubliee Year of Hope, encouraging children to pray and seek comfort in God's love can be a powerful way to help them cope with their worries.

Strategies for Parents

1. Open Communication: Encourage your children to talk about what they hear and see. Listen to their concerns without judgment and provide age-appropriate explanations.

2. Reassurance: Remind them that they are safe and loved. Explain that there are many people working to make the world a better place, including leaders, helpers, and community members.

3. Limit Exposure: Monitor and limit their exposure to distressing news. Instead, focus on positive stories and acts of kindness happening around the world.

4. Faith and Prayer: Praying together as a family can provide comfort and a sense of unity. Consider using resources like Catholic Online for prayers and reflections. Attending Mass on the weekend also assists in providing a sense of community and of being part of something bigger than ourselves.

5. Acts of Kindness: Encourage your children to participate in acts of kindness and service. This can help them feel empowered and see the positive impact they can have on the world.

Resources for Further Support

· Our school pastoral care worker, Mrs March, can check in with children who may be feeling anxious or worried.

· The Rosewood Centre can provide counselling and support.

· Your GP can provide a mental health care plan if you feel this is necessary.

Please let us know if you feel that your child needs some extra support at school. Together, we can help our children navigate these challenging times with faith, hope, and love. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in nurturing our students' hearts and minds.

Take care and God Bless,

Dani Reed

Regional Spelling Bee & Maths Bee Finals

Congratulations to St. Benedict’s representatives who were chosen to participate in the Regional Spelling Bee & Mathematics Bee last week. Oliver B, Rhys T, Phoebe H, Dylan T & Noah J represented our school with pride and performed splendidly on the day. Dylan was placed first in the Stage 2 Spelling Bee Final and has now been chosen to represent the Lakes Region at the Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan Finals being held on Friday, 27th June.

Year One – A Semester Full of Discovery!

What a big and busy semester it has been for our enthusiastic Year One students!

In Science, students have been exploring the fascinating world of materials. They’ve investigated different properties through hands-on experiments like building foil towers, floating boats, and creating the gooey fun of oobleck!

In Religion, we’ve been learning about what it means to belong to God’s family, and exploring the sacraments that are part of the Catholic faith.

In Mathematics, students have been learning to tell the time to the hour and half-hour, as well as exploring measurement, data collection, and combining quantities.

In English, our letter-sound knowledge is growing stronger every day, helping us become more confident readers and writers.

In Health, we’ve created Positive Choice Wheels and learned about different emotions. We’ve also discussed helpful strategies for managing big feelings in positive ways. We have also been refining our gross motor kicking, running and throwing skills.

In Art, we’ve been exploring the use of colour in creative and meaningful ways. We’ve also connected our learning in Religion by drawing our families and designing doves to represent the Holy Spirit and the message of Pentecost.

A huge well done to all our Year One students for their hard work, curiosity, and enthusiasm this semester!

Staff Introductions 

Dear Parents and Carers,

My name is Clare Parker, and I am Aboriginal Education Teacher at St Benedict’s. I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

I am Primary school Teacher working in the Aboriginal Education Role. I have worked in this position for over 10 years in several Primary Schools.

I will be assisting our First Nation students but also helping our school learn about Aboriginal culture and be involved in dedicated events.

I am a non-Aboriginal woman but have a strong interest in Aboriginal culture and collaborating with community.

I look forward to being part of the St Benedict’s community. If you have any questions, please email me at clare.parker@mn.catholic.edu.au

We welcome Sarah Shankley to our school as Aboriginal Support Worker. Sarah is studying teaching at Newcastle Uni and is a proud Wonnarua Woman. Sarah has been helping deliver our cultural well being and Traditional Indigenous Games lessons. Sarah has also been in the classroom assisting our First Nation students. Sarah plays for the under 19 Newcastle Knights women’s rugby league team. Sarah will work Tuesdays and Thursdays at our school.

We both are excited to be a part of the St Benedict’s family and look forward to meeting all the students.

Thank you, Clare Parker – Aboriginal Education Teacher

REPORTS

Semester One reports will be made available to parents on Friday 27^th June. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any concerns regarding reports. There will be another opportunity for a more formal student/parent/teacher conference in Term 3.

GENERAL WALKING PERMISSION

If you haven’t already done so, please complete the general walking permission on Compass for your child. This will be important when our playground construction begins as there may be times we would like to take the children to the local sporting fields to allow them more room to play…….if the general walking permission is done this will save a lot of time and paperwork and allow us to be more responsive to the needs of the children when playground access becomes restricted.

YEAR 6 FAREWELL AND END OF YEAR ARRANGEMENTS

We have planned to hold our End of Year Mass for the whole school on Tuesday, 9^th December. However we are waiting on confirmation from the parish that this date is available for our priests. So please, pencil the date in and we will confirm as soon as we hear back from Fr Christian.

Year 6 Farewell will be held on Thursday 11^th December with their ceremony in the morning and dinner and disco that night. The children have decided on a HOLLYWOOD theme for their disco – please await further information from the Year 6 teachers regarding the dress code before purchasing costumes.

CAROLS BY DAYLIGHT will be held on Monday 15^th December.

Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Next friday 27th June, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a special day in the life of our Church. Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of the many beautiful titles we give to Mary, the mother of Jesus. This title reminds us that Mary is always there to help us – especially when we pray to her in times of trouble, worry or sadness.

The famous image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help shows Mary gently holding Jesus as

He looks towards the angels who hold the cross – a sign that Mary stays close to us through all the ups and downs of life. Just as she cared for Jesus with love and trust in God, she cares for each of us, too.

At Assembly on Monday, we will take time in prayer and reflection to honour Mary and ask her to continue guiding our hearts toward Jesus. May we, like her, be people of compassion, courage and faith.

Let us all remember to turn to Our Lady in prayer, knowing that her help is always near.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

FEAST DAY CELEBRATION

In Week 10 we will celebrate our end of term 3 in a very special way. On THURSDAY 3rd July we will celebrate the feast day of St Benedict - our schools patron saint with a special liturgy presented by 4 Red. St Benedict's actual feast day is on the 11th of July (in the school holidays) hence why we celebrate this special day earlier. 

On FRIDAY 4th July we will remember those less fortunate than ourselves through our Mission Day and Bennie's Got Talent Performance. We will be wearing our PJ's and winter warmers as a reminder that not everyone is as lucky as we are to have such warm clothes. To show our gratitude each student is asked to bring a gold coin and ONE item from the list below depending on what stage they are in at school. Please check the lists and donate accordingly. Early Stage One - Kindergarten,  Stage 1 - Year 1 and Year 2, Stage 2 - Year 3 and Year 4 and Stage 3 - Year 5 and Year 6.

PLEASE ONLY BRING IN YOUR DONATIONS ON FRIDAY 4th JULY.

LET THE CHILDREN CELEBRATE -

Jubilee Year - Pilgrims of Hope

As we continue to celebrate this Jubilee Year - Pilgrims of Hope, the Maitland Newcastle Diocese have put together an exciting funfilled day of events and activities to share this special time with our students in a way that is relatable to them as children. The organisers are both teachers from our Diocese who are known for sharing their faith through fun and creative ways. The day is being offered free of charge and morning, and afternoon tea is provided, attendees are asked to bring along a packed lunch. Get in quick as I am sure places will fill up fast for this exciting day.

I am Unique.

Some year 3 students and the whole of year 5 are working through a program called Girl Wise and Wise Guys. The first couple of sessions have been spent talking about, identifying and celebrating each student’s uniqueness. Their strengths, talents and characteristics, the things that they would like to get better at, and the things that they don’t love about themselves.

The conversations have been interesting, and when a more shy or wary child has struggled to name any of their good qualities, it has been heartwarming to hear their classmates so easily offer words that they would use to describe that person. We’ve talked about what qualities we look for in our friends, and what our friends value in us. As a facilitator, it’s positive when I see particular students surprised at how well their classmates really know them, and with others, I see them taking a little mental note, that maybe a not so likeable quality might need to be changed.

Our uniqueness is something that should be celebrated. Some of us are great at STEM subjects, some are artists, some of us are quiet and like to blend in while others are loud and outgoing. Sometimes we try to fit a mold without even realizing it, but it’s important that we embrace and celebrate the things that make us “unique”

Deanne March

Pastoral Care Worker

Bennies Got Talent

Our audtions are currently happening for our Bennies got Talent, our students have been working hard and we have seen some outstanding talent. Any child or group that make it through to the final will be notified prior to the final which is being held on the last day of term. 

Another 28 students have completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge over the last two weeks.

They are:

From 2 BLACK: Alen B J, Noah J, Georgia L

From 2 RED: Chloe A, Ivan B, Daisy B, Macy C, Mace D, Indi E, Emily H, Clara H, Subhani K, Sienna M, Bonnie M, Jacob P, Cora P, William S, Mason S, Kyah-Jade W

From 3 BLACK: Adithya A S, Jonty G, Maisie H, Nate T

From 4 BLACK: Bianca B, Alexander L, Diya P V

From 6 BLACK: Anliya L L, Mia S.

Congratulations and well done

Mrs Pam Nicolaidis

PRC Co-ordinator