Welcome to the Week 7 Newsletter. 

Child Protection Week/ R U OK Day 2024 

SBE is a community that comes together each school day and while here we all are part of a common story, experience routines, expectations and protections. What is important to be mindful of is that all 375+ (including staff) members of our community that are onsite each day bring their own story, experience and expectations to this shared space. Everyone of has had a wake up, a morning and a journey. And this afternoon, every one of us will go home to different stories and experiences.
In our world, we as parents want to protect and ensure that the stories our students live (here at school and at home) are safe, supporting and nurturing so that they can thrive in life. We also want to equip our children with the strength, skills and strategies to ensure their own world, the one they create for themselves as emerging adults, has that same sense of thriving, not just surviving.

Sadly, not all stories are safe, nurturing and supportive all the time. Often for reasons beyond our control we face concerns, worries and even threats to the world in which we create for our children and ourselves. While this is not a reason to surrender, it is a reason to be ever mindful and committed to safeguarding ourselves and our children from this. We do this by ensuring we have clear systems in place to respond to, if they occur. For our children, it is about inviting open conversations that build a clear understanding of where help is when its needed and a willingness to engage with conversations that, while initially worrying, are essential to developing awareness and understanding of child protection, mental health and wellbeing.

The next two weeks has two critical events that are critical in raising our commitment to this very conversation - Child Protection Week (September 1st - 7th) and RUOK day (12th September). Our students are currently participating in the "Decorate your Space" competition and each of the class doors are being designed around the theme of " Opening Doors to Conversations that Count". They are also covering age appropriate content to equip themselves to become safe guarders of themselves and others while knowing that they, along with their loved ones, form the net of safety in the stories we create together. Next Monday we will mark both events with a Liturgy as part of our Monday Awards Assembly.

Term 4 Planning and Remaining Dates for Term 3  

This week as our planning priorities begin to focus on Term 4, I want to confirm for parents that I will be taking the first 4 weeks of Term 4 as Long Service Leave. My Family and I have the opportunity to travel to UK and Europe to visit my sister and family who live over there. Mrs Katherine Wilson, who is currently Acting Principal at Charlestown for this term will return to SBE and undertake the Acting principal role here at SBE. the other Acting positions that are already in place during Kate's absence will remain in my absence. SBE could not be in better hands.

Another date that has now been confirmed that i understand many are waiting for is our 2025 Swimming Carnival which we hold in the second half f Term 4 the previous year - the turnaround in the new school year before the regional is simply too quick to hold in February. Our Date for the 2025 Swimming carnival will be Wednesday November 20th, 2024. More details will follow but this is a "save the date" notice for those wishing to arrange their work rosters. We are currently forming the key dates for the Term 4 and will publish in this newsletter toward the end of  term with updates and details always on COMPASS. 

Remaining whole school events to note this term are: 

• Week 8 Disco (Thursday 12th September 5.30 and 7pm) 
• Week 9 Book Fair and Stem Fair (Thursday 19th and Friday 20th) 
• Week 10 Author Visit (Wednesday 25th) CST Launch (Friday 27th September) 

Socktober Launch

Catholic Mission’s Socktober campaign in 2024 launches in the coming weeks. With the official launch at McDonald Jones Stadium, on Tuesday, September 17. St Benedict’s will be represented by eight of our school leaders.

As another way of preparing for and contributing to Socktober, we prepared for Catholic Mission and participated in a video that will become part of the montage of video clips. For our leaders it will be a highlight to see themselves on the big screen at the stadium! The Launch includes prayer, on field activities and hospitality.

This year, the theme is ‘Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet.’ (Matthew 22:9)

Catholic Mission has a particular focus on the Don Bosco Caring Centre in Mongolia and the children in need. The Don Bosco Caring Centre was established in 2003. This centre strives to provide support to vulnerable children. They provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can grow through education and ongoing support. During Term 4 our school will support Socktober and hold a fundraiser to support this organisation.

Father’s And Special Men in our Lives Liturgy and Breakfast

Thank you to Kindergarten who showed us how special Fathers are with their Liturgy last Thursday. The liturgy followed a bbq breakfast thanks to the staff, as students celebrated their special person for the morning.

HAPPINESS AND GRATITUDE

This cycle of our Wellbeing Project our focus is on HAPPINESS AND GRATITUDE. I have published to our School TV channel some wonderful resources that you can utilise to support your child and family in this area. Below is an overview of this topic:

Happiness is defined as the balance of positive and negative emotions, combined with

overall life satisfaction. Happiness and gratitude have been studied in positive psychology for many years and researchers have found that gratitude is always strongly associated with greater happiness. Although everyone has their own definition of happiness, many of us want to feel more positive emotions than negative ones. However, negative emotions are still important. They have a lot to teach us and alert us when things need to change. Practising gratitude helps people feel more of the positive emotions, enable us to relish good experiences, improve our overall health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships.

To read more please follow this link to our School TV Channel:

https://edgeworth.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/happiness-gratitude

We are also heading into our third week of our "Happiness Challenge". How are you and your family going? Remember to please send through photos of you and your family doing the challenge and we can publish them here in the Newsletter. 

Have a wonderful week,

God Bless,

Miss Michelle Collins

(Acting Assistant Principal)

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK

2024 theme: ‘Every conversation matters’

This week is National Child Protection Week. This year the National Child Protection Week message that ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’ will be complemented with the theme ‘Every conversation matters’.

Conversations are powerful tools to keep children and young people safe and well. Conversations can help us understand issues, craft solutions, value community knowledge, and build the brains and social connections of children and young people.

Conversations between
…children and their caregivers matter (from the very earliest days)
…children and their peers matter
…families with teachers, doctors, and other professionals matter
…friends or neighbours matter

…decision-makers and the communities they serve matter.

And, of course, conversations in the public realm and media matter…

So this National Child Protection Week we invited to speak up and speak together about what needs to change for every child in every community to have a fair go.

This theme provides an oportunity to:

• engage in important conversations,
• promote the value of conversations, and
• equip us to have conversations that keep kids safe.

Promotional information from: NAPCAN AUSTRALIA

God Bless,

Miss Michelle Collins

(Acting Assistant Principal)

Year 2

MAT & YMCA

2 Red and 2Black have been participating in two programmes designed to help build resilience, emotional regulation and conflict resolution skills.

The first program is called the MAT program. It is run by Sensei Darius and Sensei Lees who are the owners of Newcastle Aikido. The mantra of the MAT program be strong, be calm, be kind and try hard.

“Being calm means to make your heart calm so you don't be scared"

“In week 10 we're going to break the board. We have been practising by taking deep breaths, doing lots of push-ups and lots of sit-ups to get strong”

“We have learnt tiger sitting. When tiger sitting your hands are on your knees and you squeeze your knees. This helps to keep us calm and still. So still a tiger won’t see us”

 YMCA stands for yoga, mindfulness and creative arts.

“The yoga moves we do are tricky, but I try my best. It is calming and peaceful”

“We read stories and keep a mindfulness journal”

“We are making an artwork on a canvas with special words to us”

Luke Moore

(Year 2 Red Class Teacher)

School Office 

Phone: 4958 1858

Email:admin@edgeworth.catholic.edu.au

Admin/ Finance Officer Suzi Di-Nardo Monday to Friday

Admin - Tiare Collins-Grayson Monday, Thursday Friday

School Fees

Special Note for year 6 parents regarding fees.

As this will be the last year for year 6 students at St Benedict's fees need to be finalised & paid in full prior to November 30th 2024. Any families that are experiencing hardship or require assistance with extinguishing their debt please contact our school office. Payment of school fees must be addressed to avoid being negatively impacted on their enrolment proceeding at another Catholic school. Principal's will be notified where no fees clearance is applicable. 

An SMS was sent out to all families last week regarding this.

As we enter term 3 it is expected that families are well on their way to extinguishing their fees for 2024. If your intention was to make your payment weekly or fortnightluy please ensure this is happening as it can be hard to catchup once behind.

School fee

Payments were expected to have commenced by 31 March if you have not made a payment as yet this is now overdue.

School Fees are to be finalised by 30 November 2024, please contact the school office if assistance is required to work out a best payment method or frequency to accomplish this requirement.

Payments can be made via B/pay, Direct debt, EFTPOS,  over the counter at our school or over the phone. These payment can be set up through your internet banking to be paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly.  

We ask that all Fee Payers closely review your current account, paying particular attention to:

• Only one charge for DFSBL (Building Levy) across all schools; and
• Check sibling discount has been applied at ALL schools (if applicable).

Diocesan Pastoral Contribution- This charge of $300 is a voluntary fee. Parents can decline or accept via Compass Parent Portal.

If you have not received your statement please check your Junk mail and contact our office. 

Issue 6, 2024 out now

Orders to be placed through LOOP only

Special Offer with this Issue of Book Club:

Every order gets a $5 Promo Code to spend on Issue 7!

‘Thank you’ to everyone who purchases items from Book Club throughout the year. As a result of these purchases, the school is able to select new resources for our library.

All students have received the September issue of Book Club.

Orders for Issue 6 should be completed by Monday, 9 September, 2024. 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.

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

Mrs Pam Nicolaidis

Book Club Co-Ordinator and Library Assistant

Lakes Region Netball Gala Day

Best of luck to all students (pictured below) who will compete in the Lakes Region Netball Gala Day held at Charlestown tomorrow. A reminder that children need to be at school at 8.00am to catch the bus to the venue. Children will return to school before 3pm dismissal time. 

NSW Primary State Football Championships

A big congratulations to Archer Guihot who represented Polding (Northern NSW Catholic Schools) in the NSW Primary State Football Championships in Tamworth last week. Archer played outstanding football in a very successful Polding Team, making the semifinals for the first time in many years. Polding finished with 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss after their Pool games, placing them 2nd in their group.The team just fell short of reaching the Final, drawing the semifinal 0-0 but being eliminated after a corner kick countback. Well done Archer and team Polding!

Congratulations to the following students who acheived a Bennies milestone and Spirit of Jesus award this week.