St Benedict's Catholic College

As we approach the end of the 2023 academic year, I wish you and your families a safe, joyous and Blessed Christmas and happy New Year. I am excited about the new opportunities and challenges that awaits us on our return in 2024, especially given our increase in enrolments in Year 7 2024.

I would also like to express my sincere appreciation for the support of the Parents and Friends’ Committee and all our parents and carers this year who work in partnership with us to ensure the highest educational outcomes for their children. I would ask that we continue to keep Father David Catterall in your prayers and thank him for his pastoral leadership of our community.

Our college is not just a place of learning; it's a catholic community where students grow, thrive, and feel a sense of belonging. I would like to acknowledge our students for their dedication and achievements this year, and also the amazing staff that I work with for their commitment to our students' education, faith and well-being. Their passion for teaching and tireless efforts both in and outside of the classroom create a lasting impact on the lives of the students in our care.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Warm regards

Mrs Kerrie Piatek

Principal

The photo I have included is of the Advent sacred space in the Staffroom of the College. It contains the Advent wreath and a beautiful Australian Aboriginal inspired and created nativity scene.

ADVENT - WEEK 2

The second week of Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a period of reflection, hope, and joy as Christians prepare their hearts for the coming of Christ. This week focuses on the theme of peace, symbolised by the lighting of the second candle on the Advent wreath, often referred to as the “Bethlehem Candle.”

During this week, Christians reflect on the message of peace brought by Jesus Christ and strive to embody that message in their daily lives. It is a time to seek inner peace, reconcile with others, and work towards creating a more peaceful world. The readings and prayers during this week often emphasise the longing for peace, both in our personal lives and in the world at large.

The story of John the Baptist is also prominent during the second week of Advent. John’s message of repentance and preparation for the coming Messiah serves as a reminder for believers to examine their own lives, repent from wrongdoing, and make way for the arrival of Christ.

As we journey through the second week of Advent, we are reminded to cultivate a spirit of peace, to seek reconciliation with others, and to prepare our hearts to welcome the Prince of Peace into our lives.

Over 65 students and staff from St Benedict’s are spending the afternoon and evening at the MACFEST. This wonderful event is being held at Magdalene Catholic College. Over 600 staff and students from across the Diocese of Wollongong will be attending this event. A great Youth Ministry initiative for the Macarthur region.

The program contains both Plenary sessions involving all attendees and a Pastoral Outreach breakout session which provides the opportunity for attendees to have some choice and agency over which parts of the program to attend. The Pastoral Outreach “Living our Faith” session also allows for hands-on practical workshops and active participation in a range of faith, social justice and advocacy experiences from a range of leaders and organisations. These sessions have all being prepared and led by student leaders (Youth Ministry Leaders of each College), special guests and Catholic interagency education officers and representatives.

The highlight of the event will be hearing Fr Rob Galea speak, perform music and songs with his ban and lead Adoration. Fr Rob Galea will be leading two presentations in which he will be speaking about “Extraordinary Ordinary” and “Do it scared”.

A separate Compass post will be sent next week with reflections and photos of this event.

We conclude the year with the Year 10 Liturgy and Awards on Monday. This will be followed by our End of Year Mass and Awards on Tuesday 12th December which will be celebrated by Fr Michael Williams (Parish Priest of St Paul’s Catholic Church Camden). Years 7, 8 and 9 will be in attendance for this.

Mrs Kimberley Logue

Director of Mission and Vision,

Religious Education Coordinator

“To all people of good will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater solidarity”, Pope Francis.

What a year 2023 has been for the Social Justice team and the St Benedict’s community.

This year our team was led by our president Grace Clarke and secretary Claire Small, who have been outstanding in their leadership. Again this year, our team grew with more members joining throughout the year.

The Social Justice team was also supported by each of the Houses this year with many new activities being established. Some of these events included, Pancake Tuesday, Easter raffles, Winter Appeal for St Vincent de Paul and We Are Community, Harmony Week, Wellbeing Week, RUOK Day as well as the Christmas Appeal supporting St Vincent de Paul and Catholic Care. This is also not limited to the number of other sales made throughout the year like BBQs, Zooper Doopers, Cheese Toasties, Hot Chocolates and various dress up days.

As always, our school community has been exceptional in providing food items for the recent Christmas Appeal. Thank you to all students and families from Year 7 - 10 who have contributed to the food hampers for Catholic Care and St Vincent De Paul. Year 11 have raised money for the Ronald McDonald House in their fundraiser, Santa for Sick Kids where they hope to raise enough money to provide 1000 nights for sick children and their families by Christmas eve. Together, Year 11 students and staff managed to raise enough money to purchase 3 nights! An amazing effort!

Year 11 have raised money for the Ronald McDonald House in their fundraiser, Santa for Sick Kids where they hope to raise enough money to provide 1000 nights for sick children and their families by Christmas eve. Together, Year 11 students and staff managed to raise enough money to purchase 3 nights, which equates to $480! An amazing effort Year 11, I am so proud of each and every one of you.

Recently Year 11 Social Justice members and Ms. Pepper organised a visit from Santa to the Library for students to have photos. This event raised over two-hundred dollars for St Vincent de Paul. Thank you and well done to everyone who was involved.

The team is now planning our events and fundraisers for 2024 and with this comes great excitement to what we can achieve together. The team would like to encourage all students to take advantage and buy a Christmas jumper for our new event, WinterFest - think Christmas in July and Europe!

I would like to finish our final newsletter article of 2023 by thanking the St Benedict’s school community for your ongoing support of the Social Justice team. It has been wonderful watching students plan, promote and run events that will support people in need. I would also like to thank all staff and the wider school community for supporting the team, your encouragement and involvement has been remarkable.

Finally, thank you to the Social Justice team, a group of wonderful young people who have given up countless hours, lunch times and recesses to meet and engage in planning and organising events to help raise awareness for those in need both locally and internationally. I look forward to seeing what we can do together next year.

I wish all our staff, families and friends a happy, holy and safe Christmas and a new year filled with happy memories.

God Bless,

Mrs Sara-Jane Castelli

Social Justice Coordinator

2023 has been a great year for the college Mountain Bike Club. Not only has the club engaged in numerous social group rides, we have also represented the college in several Interschool events including the Australian Interschools MTB Competition in Thredbo and the Fox Academy Interschools in Wollongong. We are now currently preparing for the 2024 Australian Interschools in Thredbo next March.

The club again wishes to extend our gratitude to the parents of our riders for their commitment to race events. We would also like to send our sincerest thanks to the P&F committee for their ongoing support of the club and their assistance in providing opportunities for our young riders.

We look forward to a big year of riding in 2024.

We were very privileged to have this beautiful and moving experience at the Sydney Jewish Museum for our Modern History excursion. We started our journey to the Sydney Jewish Museum at 7:30 on the train to Darlinghurst. When we arrived we first had a seminar to help us develop our source analysis skills.

Afterwards we got to ask questions to an AI recording of Holocaust Survivor Eddie Jaku, which was a great primary source and gave us an opportunity to ask questions during his life in Nazi Germany. We were then able to have a tour around the museum to look at the displays and artefacts and to learn about the Jewish perspective of the Nazi regime. The tour guides were very educated on the topics and gave us beneficial information for our topic.

Afterwards we got a chance to roam the Darlinghurst area and have some lunch with each other and bond over the experience. Overall it was a very eye-opening experience that was very beneficial for our class. We would like to thank the tour guides and workers at the Sydney Jewish Museum for providing us with a very insightful day.

Written by students Alyssa Selakovic and Owen Place.

https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/byoddsbcc/it-support

TERM 4

• Monday 11 December - Last day for Years 10 & 11 - Canteen OPEN
• Tuesday 12 December - Canteen OPEN
• Wednesday 13 December - Students Activity Day - Canteen CLOSED
• Thursday 14 December - Last day for Years 7, 8 & 9 / Parent Teacher Interviews Years 7 to 10 via Zoom (12.00pm - 2.30pm) / Canteen CLOSED
• Friday 15 December - Parent Teacher Interviews Years 7 to 10 via Zoom (8am - 12.30pm) / Canteen CLOSED

TERM 1 - 2024

• Wednesday 31 January - Year 12 ONLY first day (Sports Uniform)
• Thursday 1 February - Year 7 & 11 ONLY first day (Summer Uniform)
• Friday 2 February - Years 8, 9 & 10 first day (Summer Uniform)

Ever tried to guess the number of lollies in a jar? Students are turning this sweet temptation into a maths lesson, using concepts like area and volume. By considering the surface area of each lolly, they estimate how many can fit on the top layer. Taking it a step further, they dive into volume calculations to understand how the lollies stack up within the jar. It's a hands-on way to apply geometry and make educated guesses.

But here's the twist—there's a sweet prize at stake! Whoever makes the closest guess gets to take home the entire jar of Christmas lollies. It adds an extra layer of excitement to the maths lesson. As the lollies are counted, students not only explore probability and statistics but also compete for the delicious reward. Who knew estimating the contents of a candy jar could be so deliciously educational and rewarding?

We are thrilled to announce and extend our heartfelt congratulations to not one, but two remarkable sporting teams, Girls 7-9 Softball & Boys 7-9 AFL, who emerged victorious in their respective grand finals!

Their achievements are a testament to the teamwork, perseverance, and spirit that define our school's sports program. We are immensely proud of each player's contributions and the coaches', Mrs Loudoun, Ms Lorking and Mr Sapienza, guidance that led these teams to success.

As we approach the final Tuesday on our 2023 Sport Calendar, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students and all our wonderful staff for such a great year in sport. Throughout the year we have been able to see our students showcase their many talents across our College Carnivals, MISA, Diocesan Sport and Tuesday Sport. Our students have had one of the most successful years in terms of the MISA competition and the number individuals progressing through the NSWCCC pathway system. All of this would not be possible without the constant support and dedication from our staff along the way. We look forward to what lies ahead in 2024.

Mr Simon Zahra

Sports Coordinator

Year 8 had a fun educational day at the UOW Science Space Centre in Wollongong last Friday 1 December. The combination of hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, a liquid nitrogen show, and a whirlwind visit to the planets in outer space at the Planetarium made for a very enjoyable day. Students were also engaged in making a helicopter landing pad in the STEM makerspace which added a practical element to their learning. Overall, it was a fantastic day and a fitting end to the year 8 science course.

Ms Maria de Lima

Leader of Learning (Science)

Visit the St Benedict's Catholic College Careers website here

What a wonderful exciting time of the year for students and parents. Year 12 who are waiting for their HSC results, please check for your ATARS online from Friday 15 December, 2023 in the morning. If you are not progressing onto University or any other Educational Institution and are in Year 10 or 12 and are struggling to find work, please remember to check the school's Career website for any Traineeships, Apprenticeships, or job vacancies for full-time or part-time work. There will also be Scholarships for Year 12 listed when available.

STUDENTS LEAVING SCHOOL IN YEAR 10 FOR APPRENTICESHIPS/TRAINEESHIP MUST COMPLETE PAPERWORK

Those students in Year 10 who have currently informed the school that their child is leaving school for an Apprenticeship/Traineeship or are enrolled in another educational institution, please remember you have to complete the leaving school application forms sent home and return them to the school before the end of the school year or you will be charged school fees for 2024. Please contact Mrs. Tracee Brown for the Exit forms. For students who wish to do an SBAT in 2024, you need to contact Mrs. Ghignone the VET Coordinator to complete this registration.

WHITE CARD TRAINING - YEARS 10/11 & 12

Those students who are doing the VET Construction course must register for the upcoming White Card Training to be held in late February 2024. Any other student in Years 10, 11 or 12 who are interested in this course are welcome to register. Registration is via Mrs. Tracee Brown TAPS Google Classroom. If you don' t have have access to this, please make sure you get in contact with Mrs. Tracee Brown.

For the last week of school please take note of the canteens opening and closing dates:

• Monday 11 December - Canteen Open
• Tuesday 12 December - Canteen Open
• Wednesday 13 December - Canteen Closed
• Thursday 14 December - Canteen Closed
• Friday 15 December - Canteen Closed

Please find below the 2024 Canteen Menu.

EXISTING FAMILIES IN OUR SCHOOL WITH INSTALMENTS

If you are currently paying by instalments there is no need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment as your request carries over from year to year unless you wish to amend the frequency of your payments eg Weekly to Fortnightly

EXISTING FAMILIES IN OUR SCHOOL WITHOUT INSTALMENTS

If you would like to pay school fees by instalments in 2024 and have previously not taken up this option for payment, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form before the start of Term 1 2024 which is attached and also available from the school’s office. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the school office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2024 school fees. Your school fee statement will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date depending on the frequency you have chosen eg Fortnightly, Monthly, etc.

IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc.

PAYMENT OF SCHOOL FEES BY INSTALMENTS – NEW FAMILIES TO OUR SCHOOL

School Fees are invoiced as an annual account, due for payment in full 30 days after invoicing. However, many families elect to pay their school fees by regular instalments and as a new family to our school, we would like to offer you this option. If you wish to take up this offer, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form before the start of Term 1 2024 which is attached and also available from the school’s office. On completion of the request, either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the school office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2024 school fees. Your school fee statements are emailed to you and they will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date.

IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc.

Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass for 2024 can apply here. A new application will need to be submitted if they are applying for the first time, or if they are requesting additional travel entitlement because of new shared parental arrangement (e.g. joint custody).

Students who change address, school, campus location, have repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of Term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications, and entitlements remain valid for the start of the 2024 school year. School Opal card holders will have the changes applied to their existing card.

If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their grade (i.e. grade two to grade three), the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, we will send them an expiry notification via email.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their Student Opal card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2024.

Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

On Monday 11 December all items of clothing, reading glasses and water bottles will be displayed as students enter the front gate. This will simply be a first in best dressed scenario as these items have been sitting in the lost property container for months. What doesn't get collected will be donated to charity.

It has come to the attention of Executive staff that a number of students are turning up to school late without their Compass card. This card is compulsory for all students attending the College. If your child/s has lost their Compass card, please follow these instructions.

If you are thinking of taking extended leave outside of the school holidays that is more than 10 consecutive days, please ensure you complete the attached form below. Any additional leave needs to be approved via the Principal. Completed forms can be dropped into the office either via the parent desk or student desk.

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.