Newsletter Number 6 7 th March 2019

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1 Newsletter Number 6 7 th March 2019 Merciful Father, help me to begin this journey of Lent close to your Heart, Listening to your Word, and open to those in need. Shrove Tuesday and Lent It was wonderful to be able to celebrate Shrove Tuesday with our community on Tuesday morning. Thank you to all of our staff who prepared, cooked and served pancakes on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. From the smiles on everyone s faces, the amount of pancakes we cooked and the amount of syrup and jam on uniforms, our cooking skills certainly made the grade. ST BENEDICT S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 3 9 CENTRAL AVENUE BURWOOD St Benedict s Primary School Burwood During our Information Evenings, parents were also asked to nominate an address that they were happy to have shared on a friendship list for their child s class. Without parental or caregiver consent to share addresses, we are unable to share any contact details with other members of our community. If you were Leadership Day Yesterday morning, we joined our Parish community at Mass to celebrate Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. As Father Dan mentioned in his homily, Lent is a time of praying, fasting and giving. As a school community, each our classes will continue to unpack these concepts as we continue to prepare for Easter. At the end of this term, we will come together to recognise particular Stations of the Cross. Each class is preparing a reflection, including an art response, for their station. These images will be displayed throughout our school during the last two weeks of term. Catholic Education Week Next week is Catholic Education Week. This is a great time to celebrate all of the amazing things that we achieve as a school. This is also a time, as schools, that we advertise ourselves through our local papers, kinders and child care centres. During this week, our enrolments for 2020 open. We have two Open Days organised to market our wonderful school, Tuesday 19th March from 9am to 6pm and Sunday 24th March from 11am to 2pm. Next Friday, Mary Brooks and I will attend the St Patrick s Mass with other schools from the Archdiocese to celebrate Catholic Education. We also have two pieces of art work displayed in the Catholic Education Week Art Expo at the Catholic Leadership Centre. Further information in relation to the Art Expo can be found in Deb Chapman s information further in our newsletter. CareMonkey Tomorrow, all parents and caregivers will receive a CareMonkey Digital Technologies agreement for each of their children. This agreement covers the use of devices, appropriate sites and use of student images as well as a number of other areas. All parents and caregivers are asked to complete this agreement by Friday 22nd March.

2 Any student who has not had a parent or caregiver complete the agreement by this date, will not be able to use a digital device at school until this agreement is completed. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact Maryann Hamilton at mhamilton@sbburwood.catholic.edu.au. Just a reminder that next Tuesday, 12th March is a closure day for all of our students. During Tuesday, all of our staff will be focussed on preparing documents for our school review which will take place in June this year. Meredith Bennett Principal 2019 Term One Diary Dates March 11 th March 12 th Labour Day School closure day School Review March 13 th Student/Parent/Teacher conversations 3:00pm 8:00pm March 14 th March 15 th School Photos St. Patrick s Day Mass March 15 th National Day of Action Against Bullying & Violence March 19 th Open Day 9:00am - 6:00pm March 24 th Open Day 11:00am 2:00pm April 1 st -3 rd April 3 rd Year Five/Six Camp, Mt Evelyn ANZAC Commemoration for Students April 5 th Term One concludes 3:15pm April nd Easter Term Two April 23 rd Term Two commences 8:45am April 25 th Anzac Day No school Mark Your Calendar September 12 th Art Expo FRIDAY ASSEMBLY 2:45pm alternate Fridays Week 7 15 th March Year Five/Six B Week 9 29 th March Year Three TUCKSHOP CLOSED TOMORROW Subway lunch day tomorrow. Icecream orders via CDFPay. Tuckshop will be open Friday, 15 th March. Cut off time for orders via CDFPay is now Thursday, 8am.

3 Education in Faith Ash Wednesday and Lent If we walk in hope, we have joy in our hearts. Let us be lights of hope Pope Francis The rich symbolism contained in the signing of the cross in ashes on our foreheads at Ash Wednesday Mass reminds us to turn back to God who is full of tenderness and compassion. In the first reading the prophet Joel says: "Call the people together, summon the community, assemble the elders, gather the children." Today this may be seen as a rallying cry, a call to live in solidarity and to work together for the common good. Caritas is the international aid and development agency of the Catholic Church in Australia. Each Lent Caritas launches its Project Compassion appeal - a practical way of bringing to life our campaign of Christian service. Lent sharpens our awareness of prayer and the importance of doing good work and acting selflessly and with compassion. Project Compassion this year asks us to focus on how lives change when we all give 100%. Let us take time today to reflect on how we can live our Lent by committing 100% to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Project Compassion boxes to have in your home were sent home to each family this week. As a family you may like to discuss and decide how you can change lives by giving 100%. The Project Compassion box can be returned to school or St Benedict s Church at the end of Lent. All contributions over $2 are tax deductible and there is a slip attached to the box for you to fill in if you wish to receive a tax deduction. First Sunday of Lent Year C Gospel: Luke 4:1-13 Jesus is tempted in the desert Gospel Reflection The wilderness, or desert, is used repeatedly throughout the Bible as a place of special encounter with God and preparation for a new direction or a new ministry. The 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness immediately followed his baptism in the Jordan where his status as the beloved of God was confirmed. He is led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness for a period of fasting, prayer and preparation before entering into his public ministry. In fact, the event that immediately follows this passage is the episode in Nazareth where Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah and declares the intent of his ministry. It is presented as if, having spent his time in preparation and overcoming the temptations before him, Jesus strode out of the wilderness and laid out what he had decided. The episode of the temptations is a clear indicator of the humanity of Jesus he experienced doubt, uncertainty and fear just as we do. If the gospel intended to emphasise the divinity of Jesus, none of these temptations would have been an issue. We are told that Jesus was indeed tempted, not just pestered by the devil. The opportunities laid before Jesus were actually tempting to him. They challenged his resolve. They made Jesus question the sort of Messiah that he was to be: the all-conquering, powerful Messiah that the people expected; or the servant to the poor who will be tortured and put to death. Jesus is tempted to use his power to make his task easier or to display his authority to others. Had he chosen to do this, surely it would have been easier to get people s attention and that was the temptation: to take the easier path or stick to the more subtle, more personal, more difficult path. Scriptural context The temptations The three temptations Jesus faces all focus upon the nature of his mission and ministry. The first temptation is to miraculously feed himself is his ministry to be about himself or others? The second is to take power and authority over all the world to fulfil the human expectations of what a Messiah ought to be or fulfil God s plan of service, rather than domination? The third temptation is about grandstanding to make a spectacular declaration of his arrival or to minister to the lowly and reveal himself in that way? Have you thought? The Devil The personification of the devil is sometimes difficult to contemplate. The one who tempts Jesus in the wilderness is referred to in this passage as the devil. Devil is the English translation of a Greek word, diabolos. As the gospel of Luke was originally written in Greek, we can assume that diabolos was the word used. Diabolos has several meanings: the accuser; the slanderer; the one who separates. It is the purpose of the temptations to separate Jesus from God and from his intended approach to his ministry. The temptations we face are often those that separate us from what we know to be right. Living the Gospel Lent The 40 days that Jesus spent praying and preparing in the wilderness is reflected in the season of Lent that lasts 40 days from Ash Wednesday until the day before Easter Sunday (not counting Sundays in the season). It has been traditional that during the time of Lent Christian people renew their efforts in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. All three of these practices are actions of preparation. Just as Jesus prepared for his ministry in the wilderness, so too is Lent an opportunity for us to be deliberate about our reflection on what we are called to do in this world. Greg Sunter

4 Weekday Mass and Adoration Week Day & Date Mass Adoration School Events 7 13/03/19 Year Five/Six B 15/03/18 One/Two 10:40 Prep 11:30 Catholic Education Week St Patrick's Day Mass, Friday March 15th 8 20/03/19 Year Five/Six PM 22/03/19 Year Three 10:20 Year Four 11: /03/19 Prep 10 3/04/19 Year One/Two Holy Week Liturgies Ms Mary Brooks Religious Education Leader Student Awards Congratulations to the following students Prep Year One/Two Year Three Year Four Year Five/Six B Year Five/Six PM School Captains Award Nehemia N and Jolly C Rafael H and Chiara A Archie S and Maria A Charlie P and Ned S Chloe C and Nadine R Bella G and Andre M Lana R

5 Learning and Teaching Middle School News Week Six 2019 We are now half way through Term One and our middle school students have established good routines and are working very hard. Our class banks are up and running with students enjoying the positive rewards they can achieve for respectful behaviour, working together and remaining on task. In Religion we have completed our Identity unit. Our students have reflected on the parable of the Good Samaritan and watched the story of Ryan s Well. The Three/Four students were very touched by Ryan s example of how good choices can lead to change and hope for others. Our Year Three students have begun their preparation for Reconciliation and the Year Four students are beginning a unit on Prayer. Our students were very fortunate to attend the ecumenical World Day of Prayer service with our St Benedict s Parish community last Friday. They wrote beautiful prayers that reflected their hope for everyone to have access to food and water. This week we came together as a school community to share pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and attended mass on Ash Wednesday. In Mathematics we have finished exploring the key features of 2D and 3D shapes. Our students have used tangrams and explored symmetry. They have discovered how objects can be turned, rotated and flipped. Our next unit is Pattern and Algebra where we will be focusing on repeating patterns in addition, subtraction and multiplication. We will learn about growing patterns and the rules required to create and continue a pattern. In Inquiry we continue to explore our own identity and consider how we respond, feel and behave in different social situations. Our students have reflected on their own behaviour and what they need to work on. We have been reflecting on the impact we have on our environment around us in Science and we are going to explore recycling and composting over the coming weeks. Our English program has focused on contractions, homophones, comprehension, inferring emotions and feelings, handwriting and spelling. Our students have been following the five step writing process and they are currently editing and publishing their narrative writing pieces on their Chromebooks. Next week we will introduce the persuasive writing genre.

6 Thank you for your continued support of our Spelling Program. Our students are very proud of their work and we have observed students achieving success in their weekly spelling tests. Students will receive new spelling words each Monday and will be tested on a Friday. If you have any questions about the spelling or homework programs please see your class teacher. It is important to ensure that our students are recording their nightly reading in their diaries and that they are bringing them to school each day. Please encourage your child to read for 15 minutes each night and discuss with him/her what he/she has read, asking probing questions to ensure he/she is reading for meaning and remembering what he/she has read. We invite all parents to visit our classrooms to see first hand the terrific learning that is taking place in the middle school. Jess and Belinda Catholic Education Week March 2019 This year we have had two entries accepted into the Catholic Education Week - Student Visual Arts Exhibition. St. Benedict's students representing our school this year are - Thomas B Year Six (2019) and Aileen Y Year Six (2018). The exhibition opens to the public on 12th March to 15th March from 9.00am to 3.30pm. Families and teachers of the exhibiting students are invited to attend on 16th March between 2.00pm pm. If we are lucky enough to win a prize, the Prize Giving Ceremony is by invitation only on 17th March, at 2.30pm for a 3.00pm start. Students involved will be notified of their win. All are families are welcome to visit the exhibition and look at the calibre of the art our students are exhibiting with many Catholic primary and secondary schools being represented. Well done to Tom and Aileen for your contributions and good luck! Deb Chapman Visual Arts Teacher Digital Technologies We ve had a couple of busy weeks in Digital Technologies. Firstly, we had a presentation for parents and caregivers from the ThinkUKnow organisation in relation to cyber safety, followed by a presentation to our students from a member of Victoria Police, working in conjunction with the ThinkUKnow organisation. The parent night, run by a member of the Australian Federal Police and a ThinkUKnow industry partner, covered what young people say, see and do online and what parents and caregivers can do to help provide a safer online environment for them. Below are links to the SOS Guide to Cybersafety booklet, ThinkUKnow website and the Family Online Safety Contract.

7 On Thursday last week the students heard from Constable Verity Newport, talking about how they use the internet, strong passwords and usernames, maintaining privacy and where they can go if they run into trouble. The ThinkUKnow Program link shows how the material is adjusted for each year level. On Tuesday a group of Year Six girls and I attended a RoboGals workshop at Melbourne Uni. RoboGals is an organisation that aims to inspire and empower young women to consider studying engineering and related fields. It targets girls aged 8-15 to encourage their interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). The girls heard about the different types of engineering and then participated in a series of activities which involved programming a small robot to complete a variety of tasks. To make a great day even better, a pizza lunch was included! SOS Guide to Cybersafety ThinkUKnow website Family Online Safety Contract ThinkUKnow Program

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11 School Community cont d Extend After School Care at St Benedict s Primary School Aftercare Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Imagination Creation Group Games Around The world Initiative: Russia Playground Enrichment Program: Auslan Ball Sports Cooking: Cupcake Decorating 40/40 Science: Slime Program Playground The Extend Superstar is Chloe... For always have a big, bright smile on your face and a positive attitude to match. You are a great friend to everyone at Extend. Keep up the awesome work! What s Been Happening? Time sure does fly when you're having fun! We can't believe we are already half way through term 1! It s crazy! We have been having so much fun in after school care each week. Cooking, creating wonderful pieces of art, making slime, and visiting different countries! Last week we also learnt how to sign our names using the Auslan alphabet! Can't wait to see what fun we get up to next week! ***Donations*** Recycled Materials would be greatly appreciated for our art activities, if you have any unwanted cardboard boxes, or plastic containers, please feel free to donate them to our recycled donations tub at after school care. Enrol and book now: extend.com.au

12 School Community cont d Tuckshop News FRIDAY LUNCHES, TERM DATE LUNCH OPTION ORDER 22 nd Feb SUBWAY FUNDRAISER LUNCH Subway envelope & cash 1 st March SUSHI LUNCH CDF PAY 8 th March SUBWAY FUNDRAISER LUNCH Subway envelope & cash 15 th March TUCKSHOP CDF PAY 22 nd March SUBWAY FUNDRAISER LUNCH Subway envelope & cash 29 th March TUCKSHOP CDF PAY 5 th April SUSHI LUNCH CDF PAY PLEASE NOTE, ICE CREAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO ORDER VIA CDF PAY EACH FRIDAY IN TERM 1 UPDATED TUCKSHOP ROSTER, TERM DATE FIRST SHIFT (9-9:30) SECOND SHIFT ( ) 8 th Feb TUCKSHOP CLOSED 15 th Feb TUCKSHOP CLOSED 22 nd Feb SUBWAY FUNDRAISER LUNCH 1 st March SUSHI LUNCH (Kate Pearson ordering & pick up) 8 th March SUBWAY FUNDRAISER LUNCH 15 th March Susannah Runci-Oddy Kaz Palma Cas Coomans Kristina Metallidis Melina Natsioulos Nicole Trippit Mary Munafo 22 nd March SUBWAY FUNDRAISER LUNCH 29 th March Kate Sutherland Annmaree Hoy Nicole Hendriks Walter Firth Maria Filipovic Sarah Wearne Carolyn Peters 5 th April SUSHI LUNCH (Kate Pearson ordering & pick up) PLEASE USE THE VOLUNTEERS LIST TO CHANGE ANY TUCKSHOP SHIFTS NOTE, NEW TUCKSHOP ORDERING CUT OFF IS THURSDAY 8am

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