Hats Off to Our Teachers!

Next Friday, 31st October, we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day with the joyful theme: “Hats Off to Teachers!” It’s a wonderful opportunity to pause and reflect on the incredible work our teachers do each and every day.

At St Benedict’s, we are truly blessed to have a team of  professional and compassionate educators who go above and beyond to nurture the hearts and minds of our students. Their commitment to excellence in teaching, their care for each child, and their embodiment of our Catholic values make our school a place of genuine learning and love. It is a pleasure to come to work with them every day and witness their dedication to our students. It is very true that at St Benedict’s “we all own all the faces” – all our staff feel a responsibility and care for all the students in our school.

Whether it’s in the classroom, on the playground, or behind the scenes, our teachers wear many hats — mentor, guide, cheerleader, and role model. This week, we tip our hats to them in gratitude and admiration.

The children have been working on a little ‘surprise’ for the teachers and I invite all families to join us in celebrating our teachers — perhaps with a kind word, a note of thanks, or a prayer of appreciation. Let’s make sure they know just how valued they are.

Hats off to our teachers — you are a blessing to our community!

Take care and God Bless,

Danielle Reed

Principal

PLAYGROUND UPDATE

Hundreds of square meters of concrete has been poured and our new playground is taking shape. We can see where the basketball court will be and there are beautiful bluestone steppers near the new sandpit and pathways meandering where gardens will soon be situated. We are looking forward to a grand opening, and keeping our fingers crossed that the weather is kind and we are on the playground before the end of the year. 

PUPIL FREE DAY

A reminder that Monday 3^rd November (Week 4) is a pupil free day. There is no school for children on this day. Our staff will be engaged in professional development on this day. St Nick’s OOSH will be in operation on site for any families wishing to use the service.

NEW BUS ROUTE

The new 6204 bus to Cameron Park South is up and running, and the children seem to have adapted to it well. Mr Searle and I caught the bus with the children for the first few days last week and I commend them on their manners and problem solving if they were worried about stops or where to get off the bus. I think they are all quite confident with the bus now and the driver, James, is very helpful. Thanks to Mr Searle for giving up his time to assist with the bus trips.

FACE MEETING

Our FACE (Family and Community Engagement) meeting for this term will be held on Monday 17^th November, Week 6, immediately after the morning assembly.

Our agenda will include:

• Student goal setting, assessment and reporting - how goal setting with students is used by staff to inform student reports
• A discussion on how we can better include and support our Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families to ensure they are part of our growing community
• Fundraising goals and ideas for 2026
• Principal's report
• Questions with notice for executive staff

Questions with notice are due via email by Monday of Week 5 - 10th November, please.

It is hoped that with so much notice we will have lots of parents/grandparents/carers able to attend our FACE meeting. We look forward to seeing you!

 STEP UP AFTERNOON

Children will have the opportunity to ‘step up’ to their new classes on Wednesday 10^th December – week 9 – from 12pm. We have invited students in years 1- 6 who will be new to the school next year, and hope they can come along and make some new friends in preparation for their transition to our school.  

 2026 STAFFING

We are still finalising our staffing for 2026 and when it is completed, we will advise a staff list.

Grade Spotlight – Year 6

As Term 4 unfolds, our Year 6 students are engaging in rich and purposeful learning experiences that are helping them grow academically, spiritually, and personally as they prepare for the exciting transition to high school.

English

In English, students are developing into confident communicators and critical thinkers. They are refining their reading fluency and comprehension, expanding their vocabulary, and learning to craft written texts with clarity and creativity. Through literature discussions and writing tasks, students are deepening their understanding of language and learning to express their ideas with confidence. Expanding their skills that will serve them well in high school and beyond.

Mathematics

This term’s mathematics learning is focused on applying number operations, exploring times tables, angles, and coordinates, and solving real-world word problems. These activities encourage students to think logically, reason effectively, and make connections between mathematical concepts and everyday life. The emphasis on problem-solving helps build resilience and confidence in tackling unfamiliar challenges.

Religion

In Religion, students are exploring the role of liturgy in shaping the Catholic community and the importance of active participation in worship. As we approach the season of Advent, students will reflect on the meaning of Christmas and how its message of hope, love, and generosity can be lived out in their daily lives. These units support spiritual growth and help students connect their faith to action.

PDHPE

This term, all students across the school are participating in a whole-school gymnastics program. Year 6 students are exploring how their bodies move through space and developing foundational skills in balance, coordination, and control. In Health lessons, they are also learning strategies to promote wellbeing and safety, and practising decision-making in situations that involve risk. These experiences support physical development and empower students to make healthy, informed choices.

End of Year Heat, Tiredness and Flaring Emotions.

It’s the end of the year, and with this sudden burst of heat, a lot of us are feeling physically and emotionally tired. This will most likely get worse, especially for our infants’ students, the closer we get to Christmas. This is a busy term with school camp for our senior students, elections for year 5, visits from our 2026 kindergarten students, award ceremonies, graduations, step-up…the list goes on. Add to that the heat (and it’s not even summer yet), Christmas preparations and parties, ballet concerts, winding up work for the end of the year, and there is no wonder that we all get exhausted come November, December. I thought that I’d share some tips to help you cope with some of the challenges that could go along with that.

1. Sleep will be your best friend. It’s sometimes hard to get enough sleep in a busy world, but it can make all the difference in how we cope. There is no shame in catching up on the weekends, nor in allowing your kids to have an afternoon nap. Even 30 minutes can make a difference to their well-being. The Europeans have been doing it for centuries, with siesta still existing in some parts till this day.
2. Meal preparation on a Sunday for the busy week ahead can seem daunting at first, but once you put some things into practice, you will never go back. Plan what meals will work for your week, considering the family’s activities, and have the ingredients ready to go. Cut up veggies and store them in an airtight container, make bases for things like stir fries and pasta dishes. Some dishes can be made and stored in the fridge or freezer ready to be heated and served. Being prepared will save getting takeaway and getting stressed about what you’ll have for dinner.
3. For those emotions like anger that come out when our children (or ourselves) are tired, try to recognise what is at the base of the emotion (being hot, tired or stressed), rather than the bad mood or outburst. Having a calm conversation, and simply saying in a calm tone, “You seem so tired, how can I help?” or “Let’s sit down and have a cuddle and talk about what’s going on. You’re not yourself.” can make your family members feel supported and heard and helps to calm their emotions. Just taking some slow deep breaths can also do wonders in calming our brains and bodies.
4. Use dinnertime as a time when everyone can share information about how their day was, what other activities or changes will be happening the next day so there are no surprises, or to share excitement or anxiousness about something that’s coming up. Again, this will help make your children feel safe and supported, easing their concerns and potentially ensuring a better night’s sleep.
5. Communicating with your child’s teacher is beneficial. Probably through email is the best option. Knowing that your child has had a busy weekend, late night etc. makes a huge difference to how we can support them at school. We can take this into consideration and be understanding when they fall asleep in class, get more emotional than they normally would or don’t feel like playing with particular friends.

Hopefully you have had some useful take away from this. Remember that in my role as Pastoral Care Worker, I am here to help you as well as your children. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you need support though this hectic term.

Deanne March

Sporting Success!!

We are happy to share some exciting news from the sporting field! A huge congratulations to Yuvi, who proudly represented St Benedict’s at the recent Regional Cricket Trials. Yuvi’s outstanding performance and dedication to the game have earned him a well-deserved spot in the Lakes Region team, and he will now go on to compete at the Diocesan Cricket Trials in the coming weeks. We wish him all the very best on the cricket field!

We are incredibly proud to announce that Tom (100m, 200m), Michael (Shot Put), and Cruz (800m, 1500m) will be representing St Benedict’s as part of the Polding team at the CCCNSW Athletics Championships this week. Their dedication and talent have earned them this exciting opportunity, and we wish them all the very best as they compete at this event. We can’t wait to hear how they went and celebrate their achievements!

While our playground is being completed, the whole school is participating in Gymnastics. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to strengthen their skills, build confidence, and enjoy active movement in a fun and engaging way. We look forward to seeing their progress and enthusiasm throughout the term!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Megan Hunt

(Primary Co-ordinator)

Issue 7 – Second last Book Club for 2025

Orders to be placed through LOOP only

Special Offer with this Issue of Book Club:

1 Free book when you spend $25

2 Free books when you spend $50

3 Free books when you spend $75

PLUS

Every order gets a $5 Promo Code to spend on Issue 8!

As always, ‘thank you’ to everyone who purchases items from Book Club. Because of your support, the school continues to be able to select many new resources for our library.

All students have received the October issue of Book Club.

This issue includes some extra sections, including a ‘Best of 2025’ ‘Christmas’ and ‘$6 and under’ sections.

Orders for Issue 7 should be completed by Wednesday, 28 October, 2025. If you have an enquiry you can email me at pam.nicolaidis@mn.catholic.edu.au.

To place your order please use Scholastic’s excellent on-line ordering platform (go to scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app), then pay by credit card.

If you are placing an order for Christmas, Scholastic have a Gift Function in LOOP! The Gift Function allows you to place a separate order as a surprise gift for your child. Items marked as a gift will be delivered to St Benedict’s, along with all the other Book Club orders. They will be marked accordingly as a gift. Once I have received the delivery from Scholastic I will contact you to make arrangements for you to collect your order.

For more information about Scholastic and Book Club, visit www.scholastic.com.au

Mrs Pam Nicolaidis

Book Club Co-Ordinator and Library Assistant