Newsletter Number 18 15 th June 2017 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. The Lord is merciful and gracious. The Lord is to be praised and highly exalted forever. St Benedict s Catholic Primary School Burwood 3 9 Central Avenue, Burwood 9808 8551 St Benedict's Primary School Burwood stbenedictsburwood School Wide Positive Behaviour Support On Friday, all of our staff focussed our professional learning on SWPBS and how to further implement it at St Benedict s. Throughout the day, we focussed on our current Behaviour Purpose Statement, areas of our school that different members have identified as a focus, our current Behaviour Matrix and what constitutes a major or minor behaviour. From student, parent and staff data, the area identified to focus on first is Movement and Transition within and outside of our school. Due to this, there will be a focus on how our students line up for morning assemblies, how they move throughout the school and how they enter and leave the Church and the School Hall. We will be implementing a positive reward system for classes who move quietly and quickly into these different areas during the last two weeks of Term Two. Our school community has also voted on our acronym and mascot for our expectations of Responsibility, Respect, Resilience, Support and Safety. The winner of our competition is Patrick H. in Year Three/Four. Patrick s poster identified HEROES as our school concept with the following explanation: Honour responsibility Expect respect Remember resilience Offer support Ensure Safety Patrick s poster includes two superheroes who will become part of our concept moving forward. To celebrate this concept, all members of our school community are invited to come as their favourite superhero on Friday 30th June, our last day of Term Two. This is a wonderful way to end our first semester together and to also prepare ourselves for the exciting adventures that await us in Semester Two. So don t forget to come dressed as your favourite superhero!
Confirmation Our Year Six students continue to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Last night, the students and their families participated in a Family Faith Night. It was wonderful to see families sharing their stories of their own faith journeys. Tomorrow, our students will participate in a Reflection Day to further prepare for the Sacrament. Please keep these students in your prayers as they continue their preparation. Reports and Parent/Teacher Interviews We are currently finalising our student reports for Semester One. Our reports will be sent home in Week Eleven on Thursday 29th June. Our Prep, Year One and Year Two students will also bring home a Learning Folio with specific examples of their learning from the semester. Our Parent/Teacher Interviews will occur in Week Three of Term Three in the school hall. This allows time for you to read your child/children s report/s and identify any questions that you may have. Further information about the date of our interviews and how to book a time will be made available in future newsletters. Orange Sky Laundry Visit Next Friday, 23rd June, our assembly will be held at 2:30pm. Members of the Orange Sky Laundry will attend this assembly and our donations of toiletries will be presented to them. Our visitors will also bring a Laundry Van and a Shower Van for the children to see. All families are welcome to join us for this special assembly. Congratulations Congratulations to Henrik T for representing St Benedict s at the Division Cross Country last week. Henrik ran an amazing race and came 14th overall. Football Clinics This week and for the following fortnight, all of our students will participate in football clinics during their PE classes. These sessions have been organised by Jo Golds and are run by Oakleigh Chargers. All of the classes enjoyed their clinics on Tuesday and we look forward to seeing some of their skills during break times. Funding Update I have previously sent a letter to our local Federal Member, Julia Banks, in relation to the changes to the funding schedule for Catholic schools. Last week, Ms Banks office made contact with us and she will be visiting St Benedict s on Wednesday 28th June. During this time, I will meet with Ms Banks and she will also tour our school and meet the staff and students. I look forward to sharing the results of our discussion in following newsletters. Meredith Bennett Principal
Education in Faith Please keep our Year 6 Confirmation candidates in your prayers as they enter the final week of their preparation for this very special sacrament. The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year A Gospel: John 6:51-56 Gospel Reflection The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, celebrates and commemorates the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Although the liturgy on Holy Thursday remembers the celebration of the Last Supper, its focus tends to be more aligned with the events of the Passion rather than on the institution of the Eucharist. In the 13th Century, Pope Urban IV established the feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ) and it was St Thomas Aquinas who composed the official prayers of the Church for the feast day. In 1970 the feast was changed to the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. In some countries it is celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday and in others on the following Sunday. The gospel passage comes from the 6th chapter of the gospel of John in which the gospel writer has Jesus deliver an extended discourse on the image of himself as the Bread of Life. This passage comes from the end of that discourse and, in this relatively short passage, Jesus repeatedly demands that his followers must eat his flesh and drink his blood. It is through these actions that his followers will share in eternal life. Jesus says that whoever does this will live in him and he will live in them. That is one of the fundamental beliefs about the Eucharist. When we receive the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist we become what we receive we become Christ s body in the world. When Jesus called his disciples, he called them to be like himself. He reissues that call to be like him every time we receive his body and blood in Eucharist. Scriptural context Eucharist in Scripture The gospel of John does not include any account of Jesus taking bread and wine and urging the disciples to do this in memory of me. The three synoptic gospels, however, all feature these actions and words, as does Paul s first letter to the Corinthians, which predates all of the gospels. Rather than using these words of institution, the gospel of John includes an entire chapter much earlier in the gospel in which Jesus theologises about the image of himself as the Bread of Life. It is this discourse, more than the Last Supper accounts, that provides much of the theological understanding of Eucharist. Living the Gospel Meals are very important events. Not only do we physically need food and drink to keep ourselves alive, but we use meals to mark occasions and celebrate events: birthdays; weddings; dates; achievements; disappointments; reunions. There is a sacredness about gathering with friends and family and sharing a meal together. Stories are told; memories shared; the food is appreciated and more often than not there s a drink to accompany the meal. Treating such occasions with gratitude as blessed moments of grace is living out the Eucharistic reality of welcoming Jesus into our lives and seeking to be more like him. Gospel Focus Real Presence In the gospel passage, Jesus speaks a number of times about his followers eating his flesh and drinking his blood; For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. In the Eucharist, we celebrate the real presence of Jesus, understanding that bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of Christ. This change does not occur in a physical, observable way. The Church teaches that the substance of bread and wine (what makes them bread and wine in essence) is changed but not the physical attributes. This is known as transubstantiation change of substance. Greg Sunter Weekday Mass and Adoration Week Day & Date Mass Adoration School Events 9 Wed 14/06 3/4GL Friday 16/06 P/1/2 classes (in Benedict house) Confirmation Parent and Child Faith night 14/06/17, 7pm Confirmation Reflection Day 16/06, all day (Church Gathering Space) 10 Fri 23/06 Whole School Mass Feast of the Sacred Heart 23/06/17 Sacrament of Confirmation, Sunday 25th, 2pm 11 Wed 28/06 1/2B Ms Mary Brooks Religious Education Leader
Learning and Teaching Year Three/Four News Dear Parents, We hope you had a restful long weekend. The soccer clinics have been really enjoyable for the children, they have been lucky enough to have one coach to 4 children. In Religion we will be concluding our Unit on Holy Spirit in our Lives. We pray for those children who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday 25 th June. In Reading we have been exploring synthesising. This skill is where the reader will merge new information with prior knowledge to form a new ideas or opinions. In Writing, we have been looking at the fundamentals of explanations and looking at volcanoes. Children have looked at various explanations. In Maths we have been exploring money. Our next unit of work is on Chance and Data. In History, we have been working on mini projects relating to the First Fleet. Please join us if you can to watch Year Three/Four C present at assembly tomorrow. Regards, Grace, Sophie and Lorraine Year Five/Six News We hope you all enjoyed the Queen s birthday weekend and got to take a breath and relax. First of all, a big thank you to both Angelina and Natalie who accompanied us on the tram to our excursion in the city. The whole day was a wonderful experience for everyone and hopefully generated a lot of discussion around the table. Some children have interviewed a person with a migrant story. This is our first attempt at making a digital presentation and we are aware that some children have had trouble uploading and editing their interview. If you are having trouble, one option is to send it to school on a USB. We look forward to watching these interviews in the last week of term. Thank you to the Year Six parents for coming to our Family Faith Night on Wednesday. It was lovely to see you sharing your experiences and understandings together. The Year Six children have their Reflection Day this Friday, they are able to wear casual clothes (something comfortable and appropriate for crawling around on the floor). They must bring their Gift Box with them and lunch will be provided. Our poetry reading went well. For the rest of the term, we will be exploring book reviews, poetry and using key words and phrases to summarise. In Maths, we will continue with our understanding of how to add and subtract fractions and measure area. Deb, Mandy & Tanya Cross Country News 2017 Congratulations to Henrik Thompson who competed at the Division XC at Ruffey Park Lake in Doncaster last Thursday. Henrik came 14 th out of approx 100 runners. Ruffey Park Lake is a hilly, tough course. Congratulations to Henrik on such an amazing effort and representing our school so well. Go Henrik! Mrs Golds
MATHS STRATEGIES During the year the children have been learning about different strategies to work out operational equations. They are taught these strategies to enhance their understanding, before they learn the algorithm. It gives the children more than one way to work out an equation or a word problem. Each week we will share a strategy that the children have learnt about in class. They can be used at all levels of the school. Jump strategy Mental calculation method: jumping from one number (usually the largest number) either forwards (addition) or backwards (subtraction) to the answer. You use an empty number line
Diary Dates TERM TWO June 15 th Soccer Clinic Year Three to Six June 16th Confirmation Reflection Day 8:45am 3:15pm June 19 th P&F Meeting 8:00pm in staffroom June 20 th Footy Clinic Whole school June 23rd Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass 9:00am June 23 rd Orange Sky Laundry visit Assembly to be held at 2:30pm June 25th Confirmation 2:00pm, Parish Church June 27 th Footy Clinic Whole school June 29 th Reports go home June 30 th Superhero Day Whole school June 30 th Term Two Concludes 3:15pm TERM THREE July 11 th St Benedict s Day July 17 th Term Three Commences 8:45am July 18 th Hooptime Years Three/Four July 21 st St. Benedict s Day Celebration 9:00am & Mass July 24 th P&F Meeting July 27 th Italian Day August 2 nd First Eucharist Faith Night 7:00pm August 8 th St. Benedict s Athletics Years Three to Six Training August 11 th First Eucharist Reflection Day August 13 th First Eucharist 10:00am August 15 th Feast of the Assumption 9:00am Whole school Mass August 18 th Grandparents Day 9:00 to 11:00 am August 21 st Book Week August 21 st P&F Meeting 8:00pm in staffroom August 28th Curriculum Day Students do not attend school September 1 st Father s Day Breakfast & Mass September 11 th Italian Poetry Competition September 14 th Art Expo 2:30pm September 15 th Art Expo Open Day 9:00am 3:00pm September 18 th P&F Meeting 8:00pm in staffroom September 22 nd Term Three Concludes 3:15pm TERM FOUR October 9 th Term 4 Commences 8:45am October 13 th District Athletics October 16 th P&F Meeting October 24th Andrew Chin Concert October 31 st Prep 2018 Storytime 2:15 to 3:15pm November 6 th Report Writing Students do not attend school November 7 th Melbourne Cup Day Students do not attend school November 9 th Prep 2018 Parent Info Dinner 7:30pm to 9:30pm November 11 th Remembrance Day November 14 th St. Benedict s Sports Day November 16 th Prep 2018 Orientation November 20 th P&F Meeting 8:00pm in staffroom November 23 rd Prep 2018 Orientation November 24 th Staff Planning Day Students do not attend school
FRIDAY MORNING ASSEMBLY Week Nine June 16 Year 3/4C Week Ten June 23 Assembly at 2.30pm Week Eleven June 30 Year 1/2B Feast Sacred Heart Mass Orange Sky Laundry visiting school at assembly CHICKEN DUTY 17 th & 18 th June Zarro family 24 th & 25 th June Thompson family 1 st & 2 nd July/ SCHOOL HOLIDAYS VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED New volunteers are always welcome for weekends and school holidays. Please contact Lorraine Walker if you would like to be a volunteer. Shift One Shift Two TUCKSHOP OPEN FRIDAY 16 th JUNE P.Huynh, J.Turner, M.Munafo, N.Trippet P.Huynh, J.Turner, T.Zarro, K.Pearson,A.Baccini Tuckshop bags are available from the school office, $4 per pack. Please send correct money in an envelope marked with your eldest child s name and class.
School Community Extend After School Care at St Benedict s School WINTER HOLIDAY PROGRAM BOOKINGS ARE OPEN AT A SCHOOL NEAR YOU! Book 14 days in advance to receive the lowest rate. Participate in our winter-themed activities, including science experiments to learn about animals with blubber, recreating a winter snowstorm in a jar, and participating in a snowman slam! Check out the daily schedule at your nearest program at extend.com.au and book via the Parent Portal. PARENT PORTAL: extend.com.au