St Benedict's Catholic College
Benny's Bites Friday 25 September 2020
Reminders - important update
- Monday 12 October is a Staff Development Day (Pupil Free)
- If students are Covid tested during the holidays, could you please notify the College by email using the info@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au account. A follow up email with results will also be required.
- 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.
- HSC exams start Tuesday 20 October. Please note that during exam periods students cannot be called to the office during recess and lunch.
Parents please take note
- Please do not enter details of Covid test for your child through Compass, please notify the office.
DATES TO REMEMBER
- Monday 28 September - Monday 12 October - Term 3 School Holidays
- Monday 12 October - Staff Development Day (Pupil Free)
- HSC Examinations - Tuesday 20 October - Wednesday 11 November
Parent Survey
Next Term we will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our College using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.
We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Benedicts Catholic College.
The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL that we will provide to you in Week 1 Term 4.
Our new Hall needs a name?
Work has been progressing well on our new joint hall being constructed near our Science Labs and prayer garden, joining us with St Justin's Catholic Parish Primary School. Already a lot of underground and base work has been completed. As work continues we realise that this new structure needs a name! We are encouraging everyone to get onboard and make a suggestion! The name you put forward will need to reflect all aspects of our school precinct, not just our own Bennies school community. Please email your suggestions to granat01@dow.catholic.edu.au and if you are the lucky person who suggests the name that the committee chooses first, you will win a prize pack!
CLASS OF 2020 GRADUATION
YEAR 7 LITERACY BOOTCAMP
Literacy Boot Camp Experience~ By Evangaline V
Literacy boot camp was a great experience. There was so much to learn and lots of fun every lesson. I gained new information and got to interact with others. We completed many worksheets and did many kahoots. I really enjoyed this new experience as there was always something new to learn or do. I have taken away many new things to remember and will apply it to my own life and in English.
When people hear of literacy boot camp they think it's a childish, silly thing to do, which I thought as well but I have been reminded of so many things that have importance to my life. I also have the ability now to teach others of these great things I've learnt which I'm grateful for. This boot camp was so much fun and I'm sad that this experience is over.
Evangaline V
Literacy Boot Camp Experience~ By Charlie H
Literacy Boot Camp has been so fun, I feel as though my knowledge of literacy has grown very much throughout this program, it has been a great experience and I have learnt many different things throughout, such as spelling different clauses, conjunctions and so much more. I feel more confident in my writing skills and feel that I am a better writer and have gained more skills that will help me not only in English but other subjects as well.
Year 7 End of Term Wrap Up
Due to remote learning, Term 3 saw Year 7 being present at school for the entire term for the first time this year and I wish to congratulate them on their behaviour. Watching the students grow and build positive relationships is something I continue to look forward to witnessing into next term.
This term Year 7 were involved in the St Benedict’s version of STEPtember and I would like to express how pleased I was in the way they participated in this initiative. The students were so eager every morning to let me know their step count and couldn’t wait to being the next student to have the pedometer. I am please to announce the house that accumulated the most steps over the month was Polding with a total of 535,316 steps. Congratulations to all students involved but most importantly congratulations to Polding.
To end the term with some fun, the Hildegard STRIVE coaches and students participated in an in-house competition of Jenga. The students had a great morning strategising and planning their moves.
I look forward to seeing the students of Year 7 continue to flourish next term.
Have a safe and relaxing break.
Miss Julia Liska
Acting Year 7 Coordinator
SCIENCE NEWS
This term, Year 7 had fun learning about our planet’s sustainability and energy use. They enjoyed the choc chip mining practical, building electrical circuits and learning how heat can be transferred.
Year 8 had a big term as they designed and conducted their Student Research Projects. As part of the Ecosystems unit, Mrs Dao’s class looked at the anatomy of meal worms and darkling beetles. Marcus Z and Adam L have agreed to look after the meal worms and investigate their life cycle. It will take 12 weeks to hatch from egg to beetle.
Mrs Brown’s class had fun creating complex food webs.
Year 9 busied themselves learning about Natural Disasters and Diseases. They made models of volcanoes and made structures out of pasta and marshmallows to see how well they could survive an earthquake.
Learning about diseases gave them insight into our current COVID pandemic. They grew bacteria on agar plates and learnt how quickly microorganisms can spread and reproduce.
Year 10 enjoyed learning about Inheritance and Evolution. They should now all know what DNA stands for, where it’s located in the cell, its structure and how it controls our characteristics.
One of the highlights of the Year 11 Biology course this term was carrying out fish dissections. We could all certainly smell it throughout the building!
Maria de Lima
Science Coordinator
SPORTS NEWS
Yours in Sport
Mrs Ashleigh Durrant
Sport Coordinator
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.
Please remember there are COVID-19 restrictions in place which may cause delays.
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.