Dear Parents and Carers,

As we approach the school holidays, I want to take a moment to talk about an important issue that affects all of us—cybersafety. With more free time and increased access to devices, our children may be spending more hours online, engaging with games, social media, and digital content. While technology offers many benefits, it also presents risks that we must be vigilant about.

As a Catholic school community, we are committed to nurturing the whole child—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. This includes ensuring their safety in the digital world. Our school Vision “Aspiring to be people of faith, courage and examples of justice for all”  extends to how we interact online.

Understanding the Risks

The eSafety Commissioner provides excellent resources for families to help navigate the online world. Some key concerns include:

• Inappropriate content: Children may stumble upon material that is not age-appropriate.
• Online grooming and exploitation: Some platforms can expose children to strangers with harmful intentions.
• Cyberbullying: Hurtful messages and exclusion can occur even outside school hours.
• Excessive screen time: This can impact sleep, mood, and overall wellbeing.

Games such as Roblox, while popular, have been flagged for potential risks. Although marketed as child-friendly, Roblox allows users to interact with others in real time, which can expose children to inappropriate language, unsafe interactions, and unmoderated content. It’s essential that parents activate parental controls, monitor gameplay, and talk regularly with children about what they’re experiencing online.

Tips for a Safe and Balanced Holiday

Here are some practical steps you can take, inspired by the eSafety Commissioner’s advice:

• Set boundaries around screen time and encourage offline activities.
• Use parental controls and privacy settings on devices and apps.
• Talk openly with your child about what they do online and who they interact with.
• Encourage kindness and empathy in all digital interactions.
• Model good behaviour—children learn from how we use technology too.

You can explore more resources and guides at the eSafety Commissioner’s website, which includes tailored advice for parents and carers.

Our Shared Responsibility

As a Catholic school, we believe in the dignity of every child and the importance of community. Let us work together to ensure our children are not only safe but also guided by the values of faith, integrity, and compassion—online and offline.

Wishing you all a restful and joyful holiday break. May it be filled with meaningful moments, both on and off screen.

Stay safe and God Bless,
Danielle Reed
Principal

PB4L ASSEMBLY

On the first day of Term 4, our school assembly will include PB4L awards. If you recieve notification this week that your child is receiving a PB4L award 'next week', it is referring to Week 1, Term 4. 

END OF YEAR MASS AND AWARDS

Our end of year Thanksgiving Mass and Award ceremony will be held on Tuesday, 9th December commencing at 9.15am. We look forward to celebrating with you.

YEAR 6 FAREWELL LITURGY 

Year 6 parents will have received details of this event and the farewell celebration evening this week via Compass Events. 

PUPIL FREE DAY

Our final pupil free day for 2025 will be on Monday 4th November. There will be no school for students on this day. 

SCHOOL PRIORITIES CONSULTATION

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, each year our school identifies a list of priorities. These priorities are carefully considered to ensure is using its resources wisely and to best support student learning, wellbeing and school operations.

As valued partners in our school community, I would like to invite you to complete a short survey, which will inform how our school will work towards its 2026 priorities. The survey also provides an opportunity for you to have your say on aspects of our school you think should be prioritised to ensure it operates at a high standard now, and into the future.

SURVEY LINK    https://forms.office.com/r/9ZnK95VwcH 

I thank you in advance for completing this survey. Your feedback will provide valued insights into the wants and needs of our school community and strengthen decision-making.

Enhancing Writing and Feedback with Writemark at St Benedict’s

At St Benedict’s, we are always looking for innovative ways to support our students’ learning. This year, we’ve introduced Writemark, a powerful AI-driven writing assessment tool developed by Elastik, to help us better understand and support student writing development.

Why Writemark?

Writing is a deeply personal and often subjective skill to assess. Traditionally, teachers have faced challenges in maintaining consistency when marking writing samples. Writemark helps overcome this by providing objective, standardised feedback using the same criteria as NAPLAN. This means we can quickly and accurately gauge how students are progressing and where they may need support.

What Does It Offer?

• Detailed Feedback: Writemark provides rich, personalised feedback on each student's writing, detailing their strengths and areas for improvement. Classroom teachers use this feedback when holding writing conferences with the students. 
• Cohort and Individual Insights: Teachers can view both whole-class trends and individual student data, allowing for targeted teaching strategies.
• Goal Setting and Growth: Students work with teachers to set writing goals based on their feedback, fostering ownership of their learning.
• Time Efficiency: Teachers receive instant feedback, allowing them to respond while the writing task is still fresh in students’ minds.

How It Supports Teaching

Writemark doesn’t replace teacher judgment, it enhances it. Our teachers continue to use a variety of strategies in the lessons and problem solve together how to address areas for improvement. Writemark assists teachers to:

• Identify class-wide gaps and individual needs
• Group students for targeted groups
• Track progress over time

What Our Students and Teachers Say

Students appreciate the clarity and usefulness of the feedback, and teachers value the time saved and the depth of insight gained. Through using the program for the 2025 school year, we have already seen substantial growth in student’s writing and engagement. So much so that a range of other schools in our Diocese are working with us on implementing the program at their schools.

We celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day on Wednesday 3^rd September. Year 3 and 4 First Nation Students helped kindergarten learn through Culture Storytelling Rotations.

 Students listened to Dreaming stories and picture books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, learning about Country, animals, and community. Children explored traditional instruments like clapsticks and learned how sound is used in ceremony and storytelling. Another activity was Symbol Card Matching Using Aboriginal symbol cards. In small groups, students matched and interpreted symbols used in art and storytelling, sparking conversations about meaning and connection. The last activity was a Cultural Drawing Station Inspired by stories and symbols. Students created their own artworks using dots, lines, and natural colours to express what they learned.

Other classes listened to Aboriginal stories and joined online to a National Storytime session.

Thankyou, The Aboriginal Education Team

YEAR 2 CHAMPION:

Lizzy the Lizard

Dignity of the Human Person.

The Catholic Church teaches that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. This means that all people, no matter their background, abilities, or circumstances, deserve to be treated with respect, compassion, and love. Our faith reminds us that dignity is not earned it is God-given, and it must be upheld in the way we live and the choices we make.

One person’s actions can lift up others and affirm their worth. Catholic Social Teaching challenges us to see Christ in everyone, especially those who may feel forgotten, judged, or excluded. Whether it is the sick, the elderly, the lonely, the poor, or those with different gifts and abilities, each person reflects the face of God.

The Gospel of Luke reminds us of this truth in the words of Jesus:

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

Some of the examples Year 2 gave of how they can show the dignity of each person, just like Lizzy teaches them:

At school, we can live this out by:

• Speaking kindly to classmates and teachers, and treating everyone with respect.

• Including others in games and group activities, especially those who might feel left out.

• Valuing the unique talents of each student and encouraging them to shine.

• Showing care for those who are struggling by offering help and encouragement.

At home, we can live this out by:

• Listening to family members with patience and love.

• Helping with jobs at home to show respect and care for our parents and carers.

• Being mindful of the words we use and always choosing kindness.

• Welcoming visitors to our home with warmth and generosity.

Catholic Social Teaching helps guide us to live as Jesus did, recognising the dignity in every person and treating them with love. By living this out each day, we become people of justice, peace, and hope for the world.

Yours in faith,

Miss Michelle Collins

(Religious Education Co-Ordinator)

STEM Fair Wrap-Up & STEM MAD Success

What a way to finish the term! This week Stage 3 hosted our second St Benedict’s STEMquest Fair in our school hall. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase the accumulation of their STEM learning journey. After weeks of research, design, collaboration and problem-solving, our students proudly presented their innovative projects to the school and wider community.

The Fair was a celebration of creativity, teamwork, and faith in action. All students demonstrated impressive commitment and confidence, excitedly sharing their ideas and innovations with younger students and parent visitors. It was inspiring to see such passion and pride in our Stage 3 students.

To add even more celebration to this event, we are thrilled to announce that St Benedict’s has won the STEM MAD Competition for the second year in a row!

We are delighted to share the results of this year’s competition:

1st Place – Safety Bumps
This team will represent our school and the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese at the STEM MAD National Showcase in Adelaide this November, presenting their project in person to educators, leaders, and industry experts from across the country.

A special congratulations also go to our second place winner - House Savers, and our runners up – Worry Warriors, Fidget Soles, and The Altar Makers.
These groups will present their projects virtually at Nationals, giving their creativity and innovation the opportunity to shine on the national stage.

We are incredibly proud of all our students for the passion, effort, and creativity they have brought to STEMquest 2025. A huge congratulations to our winning teams. We can’t wait to see them shine at Nationals later this year!

We are so proud of every Stage 3 student for the way they embraced this challenge and made their learning come alive. A heartfelt thank you also goes to our parents, families, and volunteers. Your support and encouragement made this project possible. We also extend our deepest thanks to the Stage 3 teachers for their commitment, guidance, and dedication throughout the journey.

The success of STEMquest 2025 is seen most clearly in how brightly our students shone throughout the Fair. We now look forward to a well-deserved break.

Amanda Lewis

Fidget Sole Runner Up

House Savers Runner up

Worry Warriors Runner up

Alter Runner up

Safety Bumps First

WEEKLY AWARDS

Congratulations to the following student's who received awards at this weeks assembly: