St Benedict's Catholic College
Newsletter Friday 4 September 2020
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Dear Parents, students families and friends of the Bennie’s community
Over the past few days we have experienced beautiful warm weather, wattle blooming and new growth on trees and shrubs as we move into Spring and the final weeks of Term 3. Year 12 returned from their Trial examinations this week confident, happy and ready to make the most of their final weeks of schooling at the College. I know they will make the most of the feedback from their teachers as they hone the knowledge and skills necessary for success in the HSC examinations in October.
Congratulations
Last week, the College received news that Alyssa Chambers from Year 12 was named Macarthur Hospitality VET Student of the Year. This is an incredible achievement. Below is an extract from Alyssa’s employer who nominated her for the award.
“Alyssa is the winner because she is exactly what is needed to become a successful person working in Hospitality. Upstairs@Freds said she was driven and showed a great commitment to her work placement. During the work placement the dishwasher broke and she took initiative to wash the dishes by hand even though they were extremely busy. Alyssa was offered a part time job and has been working there since July 2019. “
Mason Connell, Year 11 2019 also received a special recognition award for Hospitality. Mason now works for Wests Leagues Club.
Congratulations also to Azariah Baker and Ronan Camilleri who represented the College in the MISA Youth of the Year Competition. As part of this competition both students had to deliver a three minute speech on a topic they were passionate about and then face a three person panel to discuss current local, national and international issues.
There were 28 participants from various secondary schools in the MISA competition. Special mention to Ronan Camilleri who was placed third position, a wonderful achievement.
New Website Development
Our College community is in the process of developing a new College website that we hope will go live for the commencement of the 2021 Academic Year. In developing this website our goals are to have an up-to-date online presence which both informs and engages our community and showcase our great school. We also hope that the new website will assist prospective parents in learning about the incredible opportunities and exciting things that are available each day at Bennies.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all a very Happy Father’s Day on Sunday with your family and friends
Fathers in Our Lives
We give our thanks, Creator God, for the Fathers in our lives.
Fatherhood does not come with a manual,
We ask for Your blessings for them all and forgiveness and understanding where it is needed.
This Father's Day we remember the many sacrifices fathers make for their children and families, and the ways--both big and small--they lift children to achieve dreams thought beyond reach.
So too, we remember all those who have helped fill the void when fathers are absent; grandfathers and uncles, brothers and cousins and friends of our families.
For those who are fathers, we ask for wisdom and humility in the face of the task of parenting. Give them the strength to do well by their children and by You.
In Your Holy name, O God, we pray.
Amen.
Warm regards
Kerrie Piatek
Principal
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Welcome Year 12 Back from Trials
This week we welcomed back Year 12 from their Trial HSC Examinations. Congratulations to students for the great effort that has been put into these examinations. There will be important feedback coming to Year 12 as a result of these examinations and it’s important for students to take that feedback on board and to work with their classroom teachers to develop strategies for improvement. Good luck Year 12.
MISA Youth of the Year
Last week, Azariah Baker and Ronan Camilleri proudly represented the College in the MISA Youth of the Year competition. By all reports, Azariah and Ronan were wonderful ambassadors for their families and the College. Congratulations to both on their efforts.
History Debating
The Year 10 History debating team was in action last week and put in a great performance. Unfortunately, they were not successful, but congratulations to all on such a great effort.
White Card Training
Some of our students were able to undertake their White Card Training recently. This is important for students as they look to complete work placements/experience. Congratulations to students on undertaking this course and good luck as you implement your new skills into work placements.
HSC Drama
The HSC Drama practical performances examination is on today. Good luck to all students – we are very proud of your efforts.
Reminders:
A reminder that students who are waiting for siblings from St Justin’s or being picked up after school are not to go onto St Justin’s property. Students should wait on College grounds until 3pm if their parents are not in the carpark.
Next two weeks:
Wellbeing Week, HSC Music Practical Performance and Preliminary Examinations.
Mr David Costin
Assistant Principal
Parents please take note
- Please do not enter details of Covid test for your child through Compass, please notify the office.
Reminders
- Photo Consent forms have been sent out via Compass and will need to be returned to the office before Friday 18 September.
- Year 11 Preliminary Final Examinations are scheduled for Monday 14 September to Friday 25 September. Please take note of the procedure to be followed if your child is absent from an exam.
- Keep Covid safe: If your child is sick, keep them home. See below for Covid updates.
- Please do not use Disabled Parking Spaces without a Disability Sticker
DATES TO REMEMBER
- Friday 4 September - HSC Drama Performance
- Monday 8 - Friday 11 September - Wellbeing Week
- Thursday 10 September - RUOK Day
- Friday 11 September - HSC Music Practical Performance
- Monday 14 - Friday 25 September - Preliminary Examinations
- Monday 28 September - Monday 12 October - Term 3 School Holidays
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MISSION AND VISION
“I encourage you all to be instruments of God’s love in our community” Bishop Vincent Long
This week has been a very busy week here at the College with our Year 12 students finalising their Trial HSC exams, the teachers carefully marking and creating feedback for these students to be able to take the necessary advice and ready themselves for the fast approaching HSC Exams. Our Year 11 students are preparing to sit the Preliminary exams and this too is a significant opportunity for these students to have the experience of sitting formal exams in a concentrated block and receive feedback and learning.
This can be a time of stress but also of great reward and is a time when students will need to practice their Benedictine virtue of humility. Humility is a key aspect of the Rule of St Benedict and reminds students of their value in themselves and in their relationship with God. The exams and practices that these students are undertaking will help each of them to grow, prepare and develop better study techniques and improve their exam sitting skills. St Benedict wrote: “Through this love, all that he once performed with dread, he will now begin to observe without effort, as though naturally, from habit, no longer fear of hell, but of love for Christ, good habit and delight in virtue.” (SBR, #7:68) We wish all the students in the College the gift of humility as they continue to learn and grow in their school endeavours and in their personal relationships with God.
This week saw the release of the annual Social Justice Statement.The celebration of Social Justice Sunday is a long tradition in the Catholic Church in Australia. For almost every year since 1940, our bishops have joined together to issue a major social justice statement at this time. It is hoped that the statements will inspire reflection and action throughout the whole year.
This year the statement is called 'To Live Life to the full - Mental Health in Australia Today'. In today's society, particularly during the pandemic we are all living through, mental health issues are on the rise and are more prevalent than before. This year's Social Justice statement aims to draw attention to these issues and invite us all to reject stigmatisation, to work for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health, and to call for policies and service provision that meets the needs of the poorest and most marginalised members of our community.
Social Justice Focus
September is the month of Creation! During this month the Christian community celebrates the Season of Creation by praying and acting together to care for and protect our common home. During this time Catholics unite with others in the global family to protect every creature in God’s beautifully complex web of creation. The theme for this year is ‘Jubilee for the Earth’. Here in our College Community we are making great strides in considering our own ecological footprint and designing ways that we can be better stewards of creation.
Our BEARS (Bennies Environmental Action Group) have been instrumental in a number of initiatives in our College so far. This includes cultivating and maintaining fruit, vegetables and herbs that we use in our Hospitality kitchens. They have implemented waste management solutions such as appropriate recycling in classes and clearing rubbish from our school landscape. But most importantly they have been sharing their mission and vision with the whole school community. The work of the BEARS will continue to grow as we look to finalise a whole school environmental management plan over the coming weeks.
Pope Francis shares with us the following statement in his monthly prayer focus to commemorate this special month:
We are squeezing out the planet’s goods. Squeezing them out, as if the earth were an orange.
Countries and businesses from the global north have enriched themselves by exploiting the natural resources of the south, creating an “ecological debt.” Who is going to pay this debt?
In addition, this “ecological debt” is increased when multinationals do abroad what they would never be allowed to do in their own countries. It’s outrageous.
Today, not tomorrow; today, we have to take care of Creation responsibly.
Let us pray that the planet’s resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner.
No to plundering; yes to sharing.
Work of the Week
This week Miss Ferguson has nominated Ashton C. from 9 Mackillop for his creativity in creating a Church and its significance by using technology. He has developed a very great interpretation using Minecraft! This activity was designed to look at the history of the Church and to celebrate the importance of being Catholic.
Well done Ashton! You have earned Mackillop 10 House points!
God Bless;
Mrs Tarnya Grana
Acting Director of Mission and Vision
SCIENCE NEWS
YEAR 8 SCIENCE
Year 8 are completing a food web activity at present in Science. It is part of our unit Earth Warriors where the students are learning about the interactions between organisms, their surroundings and each other.
CAPA NEWS
This term we have been welcoming back Mrs Natasha Kovacevic, an experienced Visual Arts and Photography teacher who has been at St Benedict’s for several years.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Kay Andonopoulos for her expertise and skills. I know that all of our students have been supported in their learning (particularly during the school closure period) and I am certain that Mrs Andonopoulos will be missed by many.
All of our CAPA students are busy preparing or completing assessment tasks this week. It is great to see and hear the talents of our Stage 4 and 5 students.
Congratulations to our HSC Drama students who today completed their performance component. We now look forward to our HSC Music class performing next Friday 11 and we wish them all the best.
Jenny Koryzma
CAPA Coordinator
SPORTS NEWS
Yours in Sport
Mrs Ashleigh Durrant
Sport Coordinator
At St Benedict’s we are fortunate enough to have some talented young sporting stars who are achieving outstanding results in their chosen field. Under recent conditions, where sport has come to a standstill, we are pleased to receive some positive news regarding one of our own students and their incredible achievements.
Rory Southwell of Year 11 was recently recognised for his amazing achievements in BMX by being awarded Elite Sports Person of the year in the Macarthur region. We are extremely proud of Rory and want to congratulate him for all his success within his chosen sport.
Please read the following article which outlines all the amazing personal achievements Rory has received in order for him to be eligible for this award.
Congratulations Rory and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.
Yours in Sport
Mrs Ashleigh Durrant
Sports Coordinator
What is STEPtember?
STEPtember is a charity event that challenges people to take 10,000 steps a day for 28 days during the month of September. This event raises awareness for individuals who live with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood. It’s caused by damage to the developing brain either during pregnancy or shortly after birth – directly affecting a person’s movement and posture for life.
This September, Year 7 will be holding their own version of STEPtember here at school, where each house group will be given a pedometer and presented with the challenge/opportunity to reach the 10,000 steps or more each day. The number of steps per house taken daily will be recorded and the house with the most steps accumulated at the end of the month is the winner!!!!!
Harry Nolan from Year 7, together with his family are participating in “STEPtember” to support people living with cerebral palsy by taking 10,000 steps a day for 28 days!
Miss Liska
Year 7 Coordinator
Western Sydney University Fast Forward Program for Year 9
The WSU Fast Forward program encourages students to see the value in continuing their education through Year 12 and beyond. By building student confidence and academic ability, the program aims to increase the awareness of post-school educational opportunities, and promotes the benefits of lifelong learning and the career paths it leads to. Commencing in Year 9 and continuing through Year 12, the program consists of activities and events tailored to each year group.
The Welcome to Western Sydney University online event was held on Wednesday 26 August at 6.30pm via Zoom, students and their families were welcomed to the Western Sydney University community and informed about the exciting opportunities that lay ahead.
Throughout the year students will participate in online School Workshops designed to enhance social and academic skills and assist them in reaching their full potential.
Year 9 students in the program were given a copy of ‘Letter To My Teenage Self’ book, as a welcome Gift from Western Sydney University. They were also given a Welcome to Western booklet for themselves and their parents as a memento of the evening.
In order to participate in the program students had to satisfy the criteria as outlined by Western Sydney University. Congratulations to the following Year 9 students for being involved in the program:
SCHOOL HALL BUILDING PROGRESS
ABSENCES
We ask Parents/Carers to only report all day absences via COMPASS, part day absences should be reported to the office via phone on 4631 5300 or email to info@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au
If a student is having an absence of 3 days or more, a request should be sent to the Principal via email to info@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au
If a student is having an absence of 10 days or more an Application for Extended Leave should be completed and submitted to the office with a copy of the students itinerary, if the absence is within Australia or a copy of flight tickets if the extended leave is to be outside Australia. A copy of the Application for Extended Leave can be found here .
FIRST AID NOTICE
Given the presence of COVID-19 coupled with the commencement of the influenza (flu) season, our school has an important responsibility to provide a safe environment for students and staff. Your child should not attend school if they are showing any flu like symptoms.
If a student is sent to the office with flu like symptoms we will place them in isolation and call their parents to organise for them to be collected as soon as possible.
Your support in keeping our school healthy and safe is appreciated.
LOST & FOUND
We have a number of unmarked clothing items, jewellery, reading glasses and containers which would like to be returned to their owners. Please ask your child/ren to come to the office if they may have lost one of these items.
We ask parents to check that all their child/rens items are marked clearly with their name in permanent marker.
Any items not collected will be given to the P & F Clothing Pool at the end of Term 3.
UPDATE FROM RANIER SCHOOL UNIFORM SHOP
Ranier Shop guidelines – Covid-19
- No more than 1 family in the store at a time (or allowing 1.5m gap)
- Staff to remain behind the counter when customers are present
- Any customer displaying any illness will be requested to leave the store and purchase online or by phone
- Counter will be disinfected with spray and paper towel (or disposable wipe) throughout the day
- Tap and go payments are encouraged
- Hand sanitiser is available at all times for customers.
- Any returned stock (including fitting room returns) is to be placed on the counter by the customer.
P & F CLOTHING POOL
Please contact the P&F via pandf@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au with a list of your requirements and a contact telephone number and Tracey will contact you with availability.
CatholicCare now offers the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) in the Macarthur region, helping seniors to access entry-level support services to live independently and safely at home.
If your grandparents, parent(s) or anyone you know requires aged care assistance at home, please ask them to call 4628 0044 and ask for Melissa or Colleen.