St Benedict's Primary School - Narrabundah eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we have reached the second half of Term 2, things continue to be busy. Teachers are assessing students and preparing reports, whilst I continue to welcome new families through enrolment interviews.

Reconciliation Week

Today we acknowledged Reconciliation Week in a special, reflective mass lead by Father Samson and Deacon Joseph. Reconciliation Week is a time to reflect on our shared history and the journey towards truth, justice, and unity. As a Catholic school, we are called to walk alongside First Nations peoples, listening, learning, and working towards a future built on respect and understanding. Thank you to Mrs Linda De Salis for her organisation of this mass and to the students who helped to lead it.

Athletics Carnival and South Weston Cross Country

Last week we had a fantastic day at our Athletics Carnival. The sun was shining and the ground was drier than expected. Everyone had a great day, participating in a variety of athletics events and also some novelties. Thank you to our team of teachers that organised the day; it was a very successful event.

In addition, yesterday we had a number of students participate at the South Weston Region Cross Country Carnival at Stromlo. The air was fresh, but the smiles of our students were wide. The students had fun and represented our school extremely well! We are very proud of you all. Thank you to Mrs Laura Webb for her coordination of this event and also to Miss Alice Tero for her support on the day.

Place ribbons for both our school Cross Country and Athletics Carnivals will be presented at this week's assembly - Friday at 2:30pm.

Semester 1 Parent Teacher Interviews and Reports

We are looking forward to our Semester 1 Parent Teacher Interviews, which will take place from Monday 23^rd to Wednesday 25th June.

These 15 minute conversations are a valuable opportunity to build strong partnerships between home and school. They provide a dedicated time to discuss your child’s academic progress, social and emotional development, celebrate their growth, and raise any questions in a collaborative way. It is also an opportunity to discuss learning goals for the remainder of the year. When parents and teachers work together, it supports student confidence, motivation, and success.

We encourage all families to take part in these important parent teacher interviews. Whether celebrating achievements or identifying areas for growth, this collaborative approach ensures that every child feels supported and known. They provide much more insight and understanding than a comment written in response to a report.

You will be notified via Compass when bookings become open in the near future. We will send out instructions for ‘How to book an interview’ at the same time as bookings open.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the learning and progress of your child this semester.

Semester 1 reports will be available via the Compass portal from Friday 27 June at approximately 3:30pm.

Wishing all our families a restful and enjoyable long weekend.

Yours in partnership,

Alana Quirk

Principal's Reminders

ICAS Testing Opportunity

ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies. Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.

ICAS tests are available for students in Years 2-6 who are interested and register. There is a fee for each test. The tests are conducted at school during August. Online registration is now open. Please see the attached information about ICAS.

Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July at 11:59pm. To register, please see instructions in the parent letter below.

Winter School Uniform

We are now in Winter, and it is certainly starting to feel and look like it with cold nights, dark mornings, and some frosts. With this change of season, students are reminded to rug up, wearing school winter jumpers and tracksuits on sports days.

It is important that all students are dressed appropriately in their winter school uniform to stay warm, comfortable, and ready for learning. Wearing the correct uniform not only promotes a sense of pride and belonging in our school community, but it also ensures consistency and fairness across all year levels.

Here are a few key reminders for winter:

Boys are expected to wear long pants as part of the winter uniform. Occasionally exceptions can be made for special reasons, following a conversation between home and school.
On sports days, all students may wear the school tracksuit. It’s fine to wear shorts underneath for when playing sport.
Runners are for sports days only. On all other days, students must wear black school shoes.
Girls wearing the tunic can choose either navy tights or white socks—both are part of the correct winter uniform.
To help keep warm on very cold days, students are also allowed to wear the following items - plain navy beanie, navy parka and navy gloves.
Hats are no longer needed at school during the months of Winter.

We appreciate your support in helping your child wear the correct uniform each day.

Student Illness

We love seeing your children at school—but only when they’re feeling their best! If your child is feeling under the weather (a sniffle, cough, fever, upset tummy or just not quite themselves), it’s best for everyone if they stay home, rest up, and come back when they’re feeling better.

Help us keep our classrooms full of learning and laughter—not tissues and tears!

Thanks for helping us keep our school happy and healthy.

Student Attendance

We kindly ask all families to support their children in arriving at school on time each day. Being on time is essential for student success—it helps children start the day calmly, take part in morning routines, and not miss important instructions and key learning opportunities. Arriving late can make it harder for students to catch up and can disrupt their focus and confidence. By establishing a consistent morning routine at home and planning ahead, families can help ensure their children are ready to learn from the moment the school day begins. Together, we can create positive habits that support every child's learning and growth.

Last chance for enrolments - Year 7 and Kindergarten

If you have a child entering into Kindergarten or Year 7 in a Catholic School in 2026 it is crucial that you have submitted your enrolment application. If you have not done this, please complete this process as soon as possible.

Enrolment applications submitted after the enrolment period will be held until all those submitted in the enrolment period have been allocated. This includes for Catholic students, those in area and siblings.

ICAS Letter to Parents

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CE_School_attendance_flyer.pdf

From the Assistant Principal

Online Gaming

Gaming, when balanced, can offer benefits like improved problem-solving, social skills, and cognitive function, while also presenting risks like cyberbullying and excessive screen time. Parents and carers play a crucial role in ensuring their child's gaming experience is safe, healthy and enjoyable.

It can be difficult to know which games/apps to allow your child access to, and how to establish boundaries which are fair and reasonable. The table below shows a selection of games and platforms which some students at St Benedict's currently use online at home. You may be interested to see the rating, age recommendation and content descriptions of each.

Game/App	Rating	Age Recommendation	Content
Among Us	PG	10+	Violence, online interactivity, in-game purchasing
Fifa	G	4+	Mild themes, online interactivity
Five Nights at Freddy’s	G – M (depending on version)	15+	Violence, horror themes, online interactivity - all versions
Fortnite	G – M (depending on version)	13+	Violence, online interactivity - all versions
Minecraft	PG	10+	Fantasy violence, online interactivity
Poppy Playtime	G – MA15+ (depending on version)	15+	Violence, online interactivity - all versions
Roblox	G – PG (depending on version)	Parental controls for under 13	Mild violence, online interactivity - all versions
Snapchat	N/A	13+	Snapchat is a messaging app that lets you send images, videos or instant text messages to friends. These images, videos and messages are only available for a short period of time once they are opened.
Tiktok	N/A	16+	TikTok is a social media app for creating, sharing and discovering short videos. You can create and share short videos on any topic.

The e-safety guide, developed by the Australian Government e-Safety Commissioner, has a comprehensive list and description of games and apps which parents and carers may find helpful when considering their child's gaming experiences. Visit https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/esafety-guide

Further to this, the following link also from the e-Safety Commissioner, will take you to an article about Online gaming information for parents and carers.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-01/eSafety%20parent%20guide%20to%20online%20gaming.pdf

Continue reading in the Counsellor's Corner section of our newsletter for a valuable and practical article about creating screen time agreements within your family.

Spotlight on Religious Education

Walking with Jesus, Guided by His Teachings

This term, our school is exploring the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on Jesus as a teacher. In this Gospel, Jesus invites us to listen, learn, and live by the values of God's Kingdom. Through His stories and actions, He teaches us how to show compassion, fairness, and love in everyday life.

Like Jesus, the late Pope Francis often used simple words and everyday examples to help people understand their faith. One special quote from him has inspired us: “We are pilgrims who take risks, put in effort, and have the goal of reaching God.” Pope Francis reminds us that following Jesus means more than praying, it also means living out our faith by the way we treat others and the choices we make.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches that faith is shown through action: feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, and loving even those who are hard to love. These lessons still guide us today, helping us become people of kindness, justice, and mercy.

This same message is found in the Rule of Saint Benedict, which encourages us to seek God through prayer, work, hospitality, and community. Saint Benedict said that “all guests are to be welcomed as Christ,” reminding us that every person deserves care and respect. Faith, he teaches, is something we live each day through simple acts of service and love.

Together, the teachings of Jesus, Pope Francis, and Saint Benedict help us on our journey of faith, encouraging us to walk with purpose, grow in love, and build a life of action, care, and community.

On Sunday 18 May 2025, Pope Leo XIV began his papal ministry with a powerful homily, describing himself as a humble servant and calling the Church to be a sign of love and unity. He echoed the image often used by Pope Francis, the shepherd who leads from the front, walks among the flock, and stays behind to care for those struggling.

Pope Leo XIV’s message reminds us of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew: a teacher who walks with His people, leads by example, and never leaves anyone behind.

As we continue our learning this term, we are inspired to be active learners and doers of God’s Word, just as Jesus taught His disciples. We are called to listen to His teachings, reflect on them, and bring them to life through our actions.

Mini Vinnies Winter Woolies Day ~ Helping Others Stay Warm This Winter!

This winter, Mini Vinnies is proud to support the St Vincent de Paul Society through our special Winter Woolies Day on Wednesday 2 July, Week 10. On this day, students are invited to come to school wearing their favourite winter woolies. Think beanies, scarves, gloves, jackets, or colourful socks! Instead of a gold coin donation, we’re asking families to bring in an item to help support people doing it tough this winter.

All donations will go directly to the Winter Appeal and Vinnies Night Patrol Van, which travels around our local area offering hot drinks, warm clothes, blankets, and friendly conversation to people who are sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness. The Night Patrol volunteers are a kind and compassionate presence during the coldest months of the year, offering warmth, dignity, and hope to those who need it most.