Graduation Week is both a time of excitement and anticipation but also sadness as we farewell our Year 12 students. Our Graduation day commenced with a beautiful Mass celebrated by our Pastoral Leader Father David Caterall , with a significant homily “Come Fellow me – Be My Light”.

Thanks must go to the College Leadership Team and all the staff and students who contributed to the preparation and organisation of this Mass and student presentation awards ceremony. Thanks also to the music staff Mrs Jenny Koryzma and Mr Brandon O’Donnell and the student vocalists and musicians, who provided the wonderful music. I would also like to acknowledge the technology staff Mr Greg Trevena and Mr Tony Silveri and tech students for ensuring that all aspects of the Mass and the Presentation Ceremony was captured so brilliantly.

Year 12, the class of 2022 have shared their gifts generously. They contributed significantly to sport, the arts, our Catholic life and showed maturity and commitment to their learning. Their contributions have blessed and challenged us, and we have become a richer and more diverse community because of them.

Below is an excerpt from the College’s Captain’s Graduation Address

Over the past 13 years, our parents and family have lived through our schooling journey side by side with us, you have seen us at our best and at our worst, and it is you who has been our greatest support network through it all. We thank you for providing us with the love, education, guidance and support throughout this journey. For instilling a passion for learning and doing everything in your power to guide us on our path to greatness.

To the Class of 2022 - though today is one of celebration and commemoration, we cannot forget that there will be times that truly test us and push us to our limits. Life has proven itself to not always favour our own desires and values, and at times can make us question who we are and where we’re headed, and whether it’s even worth it to begin with. There will be days where you want to quit, and it is in these times that hope is needed most. Hope that things will get better. Hope that there is always something better. Because in hope, lies strength. The strength to be greater than the challenges that confront us, to fight for what you believe in and what you want to achieve, to look life in the eye and take what you’ve worked so hard for.

We hope that you all find the strength to make yourselves into the extraordinary people you’re destined to become. We want you to promise us that you will always maintain hope, that even when it seems impossible you will keep going. Because when we look around this room today, we see no shortage of potential and talent waiting to be unlocked, people destined for great things.

A piece of each and every one of us has been instilled in our hearts, filled with fond memories and everlasting friendships that will see us through even the toughest of times. Although this may seem like a goodbye, we’d like to think of it more as a “see you later”. So wherever you may find yourselves in the future, we wish you the best of luck, and look forward to seeing what becomes of you all.

Lucia and Lachlan

Blessing

God bless Year 12 and may God always hold you in the palm of his hand

Student Leaders 2023

Last Tuesday at the Year 12 Farewell Assembly we commissioned our 2023 Student Leaders. Their leadership roles are a direct result of their service and contribution to our College community, and their authenticity and willingness to serve. Servant leadership is the central tenet of leadership at a Catholic School.

Pope Francis last week in paying tribute to the life of Queen Elizabeth spoke of her “unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in his promises.”

Congratulations to our student leaders we are very proud of you

School Captains: Blake S, Katelynne T

School Prefects:

Mission and Ministry: Sebastian W, Simon Mc

Learning: Azariah B, George H

Wellbeing: Hannah D, Rose N

Co-Curricula: Chelsea S, Leandro C

As Term Three draws to a close I would like to thank our students, parents and families for your support, positivity and ongoing gratitude. We are blessed to have such a close and positive partnership between home and school.

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of staff at the College. I also wish Mrs Ashleigh Durrant all the best as she commences maternity leave. Mrs Settineri will be the Acting Year 7 Coordinator during Mrs Durrant’s leave

I would ask that you keep Year 12 and their families in your prayers as they prepare for their upcoming HSC examinations. I thank the many Year 12 teachers who are conducting holiday classes and supporting our Year 12 students as they prepare for their final examinations.

As we conclude Term 3, I would like to wish staff, parents and students a most wonderful and restful break. The past two weeks have been very busy - Year 12 Farewell celebrations, Year 12 Graduation Mass and Awards, Year 11 Preliminary Examinations, and a visit by Paul Nunnari to the College.

Year 12 Graduation - Mass of Thanksgiving

A most beautiful way to conclude 13 years schooling for Year 12 - the Mass of Thanksgiving on Wednesday 21 September 2022.

A special thanks to Fr David Catterall for celebrating this wonderful Mass and who spoke about the importance of being a disciple of Jesus in life. I am so grateful for Fr David’s continued prayers and support of the College and the various events we hold.

Thank You to Mrs Jenny Koryzma and Mr Brandon O’Donnell for organising and preparing the beautiful music for Mass. In the words of St Augustine of Hippo “To sing is to pray twice."

Thank You to Felicity Constantine of Year 12 who painted the “Campsite - Be my light”. This artwork captures the fire and flame of passion and compassion that burns within the hearts of Year 12. At the Senior Retreat - spending time in reflection, prayer and sharing was a highlight. Felicity took inspiration from this in painting this most beautiful piece.

PRAYER FOR YEAR 12

May the Lord constantly walk beside you.

May you see joy in all that you do.

May you be surrounded by people who respect your thoughts and words.

May your journey be safe, yet filled with self-discovery.

May your occasional cheekiness bring a smile to people’s lips.

May your heart always be kind.

May your soul always stay ‘safe’.

May the happiness you dream come true.

May the searching that inspires you find a meaning and a purpose.

May the mountains you climb never discourage you.

May the turbulent rivers you cross never overwhelm you.

May God bless you with health and peace.

And may the Lord continue to walk beside you all the days of your life. AMEN.

On Monday, students in Years 9-12 received an email from Atomi inviting them to the Atomi learning platform. Atomi helps students and teachers work better together with thousands of video lessons, interactive quizzes and personalised revision recommendations powered by AI.

Atomi lessons are easy to understand, interesting from start to finish and only cover the information you need. They combine the experience of senior teachers, exam markers and expert lesson designers. Each lesson incorporates the latest research in pedagogy

and neuroscience in order to maximise engagement and retention.

We have organised a trial of Atomi for 10 weeks. Students are encouraged to make use of this resource, particularly Years 11 and 12 students with their exam revision. If you have not yet done so already, please go to your Gmail inbox and complete the activation of your account. The email came from "Atomi"

To make sure students know how to log in, build their own past papers, access work assigned by their teachers, etc, watch this quick 7-minute video that steps through it all.

o Stage 5 - https://www.loom.com/share/97dc0bc5e3034280b18bfb5fc2373d49

o Stage 6 - https://www.loom.com/share/b27788b6073a482f9c059a385c65a757

We look forward to gathering student feedback on this trial.

Despite the foreboding weather conditions, Year 9 students and staff undertook the Outdoor Education Program at Camp Somerset on Thursday 15 - 16 September. We were all hopeful that the rain would hold out for most of the day, but by late afternoon it had set in and we had to accept mother nature's downpour. Despite this, the next day the sun shone brightly and we were grateful for the warmth.

During their time at camp the students were presented with a range of activities, some they were confident to master, others pushed them out of their comfort zones.The students met the challenges head on, working together with their peers to overcome any hurdles that came their way. Students managed to step up and show leadership, lessons we hope the cohort will take into their senior years.

The students took part in a variety of activities, ranging from High ropes, to Kayaking and the popular Wombat Hole, with everyone being provided with a chance to overcome adversity and face hardship along the way. Several of the camp leaders and teachers commented on the way the students collaborated together in difficult situations and developed an understanding about respect towards others as the days progressed.They also put their cooking skills to the test, creating some tasty nachos for dinner, working together to pitch their tents, and sharing a yarn around a campfire.

For all involved there was something to be learned, whether it was about working with others or challenging yourself. It was pleasing to see the students rise to the challenges before them, forging closer friendships and developing a better understanding of themselves and those around them in the process.

Many thanks to the teachers who supported the students during this experience.

Mr Peter Morris, Mr Vince Ripepi, Mr Blake Wakfer-Denbeigh, Mr Jayden Vella, Mrs Jo Dash

Ms Tamara Mora, Ms Alicia Lorking, Ms Isabelle Taylor, Ms Mady Mining, Mrs Magda Mizzi.

I am immensely grateful and proud of all the students who attended. For their kindness and compassion and the camaraderie they showed each other was inspiring.

Mrs Teresa Holland

Year 9 Coordinator

• Ehinomen E’s drama Individual Project titled ‘Raisins in the Sun’ has been nominated for Onstage.

• Thomas Hardy nominated for Encore (Music)

• Michael Litherland nominated for Encore (Music)

We are very proud of all of these achievements, congratulations.

I’d like to welcome Mrs Stevie-Lee Lane to the CAPA department as our new Art and Photography Teacher. Mrs Lane comes to us with experience from Year 7-12 art/photography. We are very happy to have her on board at the start of Term 4.

I would also like to thank Mrs Kay Andonopoulos for her support in the CAPA department for Term 3. She again worked above and beyond to provide quality learning opportunities for our students. We look forward to continuing working with her at St Benedict’s.

And lastly, I'd like to farewell Donovan Cleary (Music Practical Student/Teacher) who finished his second practical at the end of the term. We look forward to seeing him again as a casual teacher at St Benedict’s.

A huge thank you to all of the students who again supported our department with providing the music for the Blessing of our Hall as well as the Year 12 Graduation Mass.

Thanks

Jenny Koryzma

CAPA Coordinator

This week 9FTE2 students have been making DELICIOUS creations in the Food Technology labs!

Check out these mouth watering rocky road, waffle paddle pop sticks!

Miss Singh

TAS Teacher

One of our own St Benedicts - Lachlan H participated in the All Schools National Softball tournament and whilst they had a gripping final they unfortunately just lost out to Queensland.

We congratulate Lachlan who has made the All Schools Australian side from this tournament.

The U15’s MISA Boys Rugby League team made history this year - being the first team to win a Rugby league MISA competition for the school!

Our boys began from humble beginnings, working relentlessly every week for one another. Going undefeated throughout the season until the very last game which came down to the final second. The boys did enough to secure first place and come first past the post. Some notable highlights of the season include:

- The courageous performance against a much bigger Macarthur Adventist outfit, thanks to Tom B scoring a try with 3 seconds remaining to draw the game after losing two of our players in wet conditions.

- Riley D scoring 5 tries in one game

- Marcus C being the best on ground during multiple occasions in his first year of rugby league.

- Allan Y leading the way with his fearsome defence and skilled attack.

The team displayed fantastic footy through their attack led by the crafty Tom B and defence led by our enforcer Aidan G. They should be applauded for their effort, respect of opposition and the camaraderie that was built amongst each other.

There were many more highlights throughout the term and every player that took the field should be commended for their effort. What stood out during the season was the willingness from the team to listen and learn from Mr Wisbey and Mr Ripepi. The boys showed maturity beyond their years, which also led to an amazing progression in skill and understanding of the game.

The U15s rugby league boys should be extremely proud of themselves.

What a team!

We would like to thank the following Universities who visited the College during Term 3 to give presentations and Q & A sessions to our Year 12 students so they have the latest news and advice on applying for University, Early Entry and Scholarships:

• University of Wollongong

• Western Sydney University

• University of Technology Sydney

• Australian Catholic University

• University of Sydney

• Macquarie University

Also one of our former students Morgan White, who was a recipient of the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong ‘Step into Teaching’ Scholarship held a Scholarships Workshop for Year 12 students.

Applications are now open for the University of Wollongong's Summer Master Class program. Classes are open to students commencing Year 12 in Term 4, 2022, and are offered across a range of subjects.

Students who successfully pass their Summer Master Class subject will, at a minimum, be guaranteed a conditional offer or admissions interview to a degree that aligns to the Summer Master Class subject they complete (noting must meet the assumed subject knowledge criteria), and credit towards a UOW degree that could make them eligible to skip a whole subject when they study at UOW.

UOW will be running two public online information sessions via Zoom: 7.00 pm, Tuesday 30 August 2022 7.00 pm, Wednesday 7 September 2022. Students and their families can access further information or book a spot to attend an information session by visiting: https://www.uow.edu.au/engage/outreach-pathways/year-12/year-12-summer/

St Benedict’s students and staff have access to both a physical library and a digital library (Sora).

CEDoW has clear and consistent guidelines on text collections within our system of schools.

The St Benedict’s college library collection is balanced with print and digital resources that are diverse and informed by learning and teaching requirements. Resources purchased or made available by the college are carefully selected in consultation with college staff. College library text collections contain broad, general and specific selection criteria for education resources.

Library staff make decisions on age-appropriate resource suitability as texts are purchased by the college. This age-appropriateness is guided by author and publisher recommendations as well as bookshop and recommended website reviews. However, most importantly, library staff apply professional knowledge and experience to ensure resources are relevant and suitable, and that the collection as a whole is balanced. Junior students are sometimes unable to borrow texts in the library that are considered more suitable to older students at the College. However, a written permission note from the student’s parent or guardian giving consent to allow books catalogued as ‘suitable for Year 9+” may be submitted to the Library which will then be added to the student’s profile.

There are many fantastic opportunities available for students at our College. Unfortunately many of those experiences are not photographed due to student permission to publish forms not being submitted to the College Office.

If your student has been involved in a sporting team or extra curricular activity but their photo has not been published in the newsletter please complete the permission to publish form and lodge the form at the College Office.

The permission to publish form is available to download here

Mon 10 Oct - Term 4 Starts

Wed 12 Oct - HSC Examinations Commence

Tue 25 Oct - YML & Middle Leaders Induction Ceremony 8:10am

Fri 28 Oct - Year 7 History Incursion

Tue 01 Nov - Year 11 Report Release via Compass 2:45pm

Wed 02 Nov - Senior Retreat

Mon 7 Nov - Year 12 Sign Out, Year 11 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews 3-8pm

Tue 08 Nov - P&F Meeting at 6.30pm

Wed 09 Nov - Year 12 Formal

Fri 11 Nov - 25th Annual CDF Sports Awards

Wed 23 Nov - Yr 7 2023 Orientation evening - 6.30pm - Hall

Fri 25 Nov - Yr 7 2023 Orientation Day for Students

Tue 13 Dec - Year 9 Academic Awards - 8:50am - Hall, Year 10 Academic Awards - 12:50pm - Hall, Last Day Year 10 and 11

Wed 14 Dec - Closing Mass and Yr 7-9 Academic Awards - Hall - 8:10am, Yr 7-9 Report Distribution via Compass at 2:45pm

Thu 15 Dec - HSC Results Released, Students Activities Day

Fri 16 Dec - Term 4 Ends for Students, Yrs 7-10 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews (all day)

Tue 20 Dec - Term 4 Ends (Staff)

End of Term 4

RANIER has advised that there may be significant delays with the college uniform. This delay is due to COVID lockdowns in China.

Orders placed for home delivery are despatched twice a week from the Uniform Shop. Orders placed for collection from college office will be available Mondays after 2:30pm, orders placed prior to 9am Monday will qualify.

TRADING HOURS DURING COLLEGE TERMS:

Monday 9am – 5pm

Tuesday 9am – 5pm

Wednesday 9am – 5pm

Thursday 9am – 5pm

Saturday 9am – 12pm

Collection from shop | Collection from College | Home Delivery

CONTACT:

Ranier Schoolwear Unit 5/6-8 Porrende Street Narellan 2567

Online purchasing and appointments visit: shop.ranier.com.au

Email: stbenedict@ranier.com.au

Phone: 02 4647 8942

Responses will be provided during opening hours

For more immediate assistance, Head Office details are

Online: ranier.com.au/contact

Email: custservice@ranier.com.au