St Benedict's Catholic College

I would ask that you continue to keep our Year 12 students, their teachers and families in your prayers and thoughts as they continue completing their HSC examinations. Students have been very positive about each of their examinations this week. Their resilience and determination is truly commendable, and we are excited to witness the remarkable achievements that await them.

“Heavenly Father, Give our Year 12 students the gifts of wisdom, right judgement, knowledge and courage.

Bless them with calm hearts and clarity of mind as they sit for their exams.

May they be affirmed in their efforts, and may they know that you are there with them.

We pray that they will stay calm under pressure and work to the best of their ability.

May they feel Your loving presence in their lives, now and always, and may they be strengthened by the prayerful support of us, the St Benedict’s.

“We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, Amen.

Dear Parents,

As always, the wellbeing of students and staff in our Catholic school communities is paramount. Recent events in Israel and Palestine are widely publicised across all media platforms, including Tik Tok and Instagram, and may cause distress and concern for our young people.

It is normal to have feelings of distress in response to these events and awareness of the impact of this information and images on our young people is important. If at any time, you are concerned about the explicit nature of any information your child, or the young people in your care are exposed to on social media platforms, please contact the e-safety commissioner website to report this. (Information regarding what constitutes inappropriate content, and ways to report this are available on the e-safety commissioner’s website.)

If you feel your child may require additional support at school, please contact the relevant personnel at your school.

During Weeks 3 & 4 of Term 4 all students from Years 7 - 10 will participate in Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in Mathematics, Reading Comprehension and Science. PAT tests are designed to assess each student’s current capability against the appropriate standard for their age.

The tests are online, multiple-choice and each test will take 40 - 45 minutes.

Why do we use PAT?

At St Benedict’s, PAT helps in measuring a student’s knowledge, skills and understanding in a subject, which in turn helps pinpoint where they are in their learning journey – and what they need to progress.

Staff use a multitude of data including PAT and NAPLAN to help determine how to best differentiate the learning within their classrooms. It is essential, therefore, that students approach these tests seriously, allowing them to be a genuine reflection of their ability.

At St Benedict’s, staff use a powerful and intuitive data package called Literatu, which sorts and presents data on each student in each class. Literatu highlights to teaching staff what specific skill areas need development, allowing them to cater the learning to the different learners in the class.

Below is a sample view of the data ‘Ledger’ that staff have for each class:

Test durations:

Reading - 45 minutes

Maths - 40 minutes

Science - 40 minutes

All students will receive their login in details closer to the tests.

Student Instructions (these details will be provided to students)

• For the Maths test, calculators may be used by students. They will need their physical calculator with them.

• Students are encouraged to use a pencil and paper to assist with working out in all tests.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via ghignonem01@dow.catholic.edu.au

Marc Ghignone

Marc Ghignone
Pedagogy and Innovation and High Performance

TERM 4

• Monday 16 October - Student Leadership Formation Day
• Tuesday 17 October - Year 10/11 Barista Course
• Thursday 19 October - Year 9/10 Duke of Ed excursion to the Royal National Park
• Friday 20 October - Year 8 HSIE Incursion
• Monday 23 October - Year 11 reports released
• Tuesday 24 October - Year 11 Presentation of Awards
• Tuesday 12 December - Last day for Years 10 & 11
• Wednesday 13 December - Students Activity Day
• Thursday 14 December - Last day for Years 7, 8 & 9
• Friday 15 December - Parent Teacher Interviews Years 7 to 10 (8am - 12.30pm)

Congratulations to Christopher F in Year 11 Photography and Digital Media who recently entered into a Photography competition run by Wollongong Art Gallery exploring reflections.

Christopher's photograph featured, "Pondering" came commended in the competition.

Well done Christopher, the Art Department is very proud of you!

Mrs Castelli

Here are some photos taken of the after school Art Enrichment program from Week 1. Students participated in observational drawing techniques by studying Banksia seed pods. A reminder for parents/carers, the workshop is running every Wednesday afternoon 2:30pm-3:30pm. Please note, Week 5 will not be running as Mrs Lane has Visual Arts HSC Marking to attend. The last session will be Week 9.

Keep an eye on our Oliver homepage and the big screens for our next competition Mask-A-Rade. This competition invites students to express their creativity with a light hearted approach to Halloween with a mask made by the students. Strict guidelines are to be adhered to, to encourage appropriate entries particularly the exclusion of blood, gore, weapons and similar items.

The Library will be implementing Technology Free Friday for the remainder of the year at the Recess and Lunch break.

This will provide our students the opportunity to either:

• Read a book

• Play Chess

• Play Games

• Ask for direction

Relax - this will not apply to Senior Students!

Happy Reading,

The Library Team

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The Social Justice team will be hosting a stationery and sporting equipment drive throughout Week

9-10 of Term 3 and Week 1 of Term 4. We will be gathering the necessary resources for children in Uganda in support of Mary Babirye Kabanda and her team which will be donated around October.

Please look out for any notices and please donate anything you are able to! Your small donation can make such a large impact.

We are hoping to receive the following items:

Sport

• Soccer Balls

• Soccer Boots (used but in good condition)

• Netballs

• Basketballs

• Handballs

• Skipping Ropes

Stationery

• Pencil Cases

• Pens

• Pencils

• Coloured Pencils

• Textas

• Glue

• Rulers

• Erasers

• Sharpeners

• Coloured Paper

• Writing Books

• Calculators

• Reusable Lunch boxes

Kayla Price

The empowerHER trades was an amazing experience. Learning about all the different trades that not a lot of people look into or don't want to because of the "stereotypes." But it really opened my eyes about the actual things that go on throughout those trades, how to apply with an application, and what to expect when going into that trade. We learned a lot and did activities including climbing a ladder, VR of spray painting a car render, Jeopardy based on plants, wiring a Powerpoint, and so on. It was a great experience and I learned new skills and took a lot of information from it. I would highly recommend it for girls in Years 10 and 11, you will enjoy every second and take a lot of information from it that will help you later on down the track if you are interested in those trades.

The incursion today to showcase the empowerment of women helped to encourage all the people taking part in the event today. It was very insightful allowing you to learn to do activities that people in certain jobs have to do very often. Allowing the people in the event to truly get an understanding of each business. It was truly a great experience!

• University of Sydney | Ngara Future Focus Program October 20, 2023 - Registration closes on Friday, 13th October 2023 Find out more

• Sydney Design School | Open Day October 28, 2023 - Find out more

• Aviation Careers Forum – Parramatta November 9, 2023 - Find out more

• Scholarships Beyond university – diverse scholarship opportunities

Vocational education

Scholarships are available for apprentices and trainees pursuing careers in almost any field, like automotive technology, business, healthcare, and more. Many industry-specific associations and organisations can also offer financial aid.

Art and creative fields

If you have a talent in art, music, writing, or other creative areas, there are numerous scholarships available. These can support your artistic pursuits and help you refine your skills. You could be offered a residency or money to help you buy new supplies.

Sports and athletics

Athletic scholarships aren’t limited to university. Many local organisations and clubs offer scholarships for talented athletes, which can help with training costs and travel expenses.

Entrepreneurship and innovation

If you have a knack for business or innovative thinking, there are scholarships and grants available to support your entrepreneurial endeavours. Look for programs in your area, or get in touch with local business associations to see if they offer anything.

Language learning and gap years

Scholarships for language learning programs or gap year opportunities can enhance your cultural understanding and language skills. These experiences can be invaluable in today’s globalised world (and can be really fun too).

Essay contests and competitions

Various organisations host essay contests and competitions on a wide range of topics. These can be a great way to showcase your writing skills and potentially win funds to put towards nearly anything you can dream of.

Remember, finding the right opportunity may take some time and effort, but the investment is well worth it. Take advantage of online resources, scholarship search engines, and your school’s career services to help identify opportunities that align with your interests and goals.

You can find out more about scholarships and search our database here.

Getting Ready for Work- Finding holiday jobs

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College P & F Uniform Pool orders

P & F Uniform Pool order form - click here

The P & F preloved Uniform Pool has reopened, please complete the order form and send to the P & F by email at: uniforms@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au Our wonderful P&F volunteer Tracey will contact you.

Items can be paid for and collected from the SBCC College Office. We do not return, exchange or refund on 2nd hand clothing as these are donated by families.

Donations of items in good condition can be left at the College Office.