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Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - Volume 15, Issue 19
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Graduation Information
Dear Grade 12 Students and Parents/Guardians,
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Thank you to all who have registered to attend graduation this year. The fees that were paid cover the cost of your cap, gown, grad breakfast, and more.
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We will hold a Grad Breakfast (including a liturgy) on June 14, 2023 at 8:00-10:30AM.
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The Graduation Ceremony will be held at Forward Church (55 Franklin Blvd.) this year on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 6:30pm. Following the ceremony, light refreshments will be available to celebrate. A livestream link will be provided to share with families who cannot make it physically.
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Stay tuned for information about gown and tickets pick up, and other important updates. They will be communicated to you via email or School Messenger. Additionally, please refer to our school website for a slideshow with more information.
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Thank you and we look forward to celebrating with you and your families!
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Looking for a quick way to navigate all things WCDSB for parents?
Check out the Board website for information and information pertaining to Aspen Portal, Brightspace, School Cash Online, Transportation updates, and other resources
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Navy Program Information
Navy staff will be in the atrium at lunch on Thursday May 25th to provide information and recruit for the next after school program that starts Jan 2024.
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There are many steps to the application process, so any interested students need to start early.
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It is a paid coop, and students would get two credits for completing the program.
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A friendly reminder
Please remember to leave accessible parking spaces available for those who need it.
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Relay for Life
at St. Benedict's on June 1st
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Who: The St. Benedict School Community
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What: An all-day event that is active in 29 countries and 6,000 communities worldwide
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When: June 1st, 2023, 9:00am-4:00pm
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Why: Nearly half of all Canadians will get cancer in their lifetime, add all those impacted by cancer and the number is even greater. We have an opportunity to make a lasting change together, Canadians need our support.
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Where: St. Benedict Football Field- games, food, Zumba, luminary ceremony, along with many other exciting activities
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How can I get involved?
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Donate to a student’s fundraising goal
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Gather donations/sponsors: Every dollar helps! We’re asking any community members if they have a company or business that is willing to sponsor our event for cancer research to contact us. If you are interested or know of anyone who is interested, email Mrs. Kreuger at Ashley.Kreuger@wcdsb.ca.
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Donation to the school relay site = tax receipt
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Donation of goods (gift cards for prizes, money to support purchase of event day needs) = promotion/recognition at event and on socials
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Our Goal is to raise $30,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society!
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We will have a luminary ceremony in gym 1 during period 3.
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There will be a special survivor's dedication and walk.
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There are school incentives for each level of fundraising, including pie in the face, all school BBQ, water bucket challenge and more!
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PLEASE GET INVOLVED AND SUPPORT THIS AWESOME EVENT!
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Community Feedback Sought
Multi-Year Strategic Plan – Feedback from the Community
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The Waterloo Catholic District School Board prides itself on being the Heart of the Community, providing Success for Each and A Place for All. With this Vision, we have developed our new WCDSB Multi-Year Strategic Plan (2022-2025) (MYSP). This short video from Director Tyrone Dowling summarizes the process, content and goals for our new Strategic Plan. This plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in December 2022.
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At this time, we are gathering feedback to assist with our ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the current MYSP. We are inviting all staff, parents/guardians, and community members to provide feedback on our new MYSP plan (one per family/staff). Your input is valued and appreciated.
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The survey will take less than 8 minutes to complete and will be available until May 23rd @ 8am.
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Participation in this survey is anonymous and voluntary. You will not be asked to provide your name, contact information, or any information that can identify you. As well, no identifying information (e.g., email address, IP address) will be automatically collected through the online tool.
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If you have any questions about this collection or need assistance completing it, please contact the Research Department at research@wcdsb.ca
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WCDSB L.E.A.D. Campaign
Today we installed a few new pieces of art in our front atrium! Earlier in the school year several students from our student equity engagement groups took part in a photo campaign to help educate students on the effects of racism. The WCDSB’s L.E.A.D. Campaign was initiated to address racism and to remind students that they have the power to become anti-racist. The L stands for “listen”, the E for “empathize, the A for “address”, and D for “do something”. Being an inclusive community calls us to honour all our unique identities but recognize that we are one, in God.
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We would like to express sincere thanks to our empowering students; Matthew, Fatima, and Naiya for standing up to be part of this initiative. This wonderful display represents the diversity of St. Benedict C.S.S. and affirms our commitment to being an inclusive community that cares.
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Positive Parent-Teacher communication
As always, parents/guardians are valuable partners in a child’s education. We invite you to keep the lines of communication open as you can be an effective resource to support the learning your child. As per out WCDSB Administrative Procedures Memorandum #APC001, Communication Guidelines, all public and interpersonal communications must recognize the dignity of the individual and be conducted fairly, honestly, and respectfully.
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When a parent, guardian or other board stakeholder has a concern or suggestion, it is expected that the matter will first be taken up with the staff member. The process outlined below should be followed.
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2022-2023 School Year Bell Times
7:55 Warning Bell 8:00 - 9:15 Period 1 9:20 - 10:35 Period 2 10:40 Lunch 11:20 Warning Bell 11:25 - 12:40 Period 3 12:45 - 2:00 Period 4
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Stay Connected with St. Benedict's!
Twitter
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Community Service Hours – for 2023 Graduates
It is a requirement of graduation that each student complete 40 hours of community service. There are many opportunities to fulfill this requirement. Potential graduates should submit their hours to the Guidance office as soon as possible, so it can be recorded for graduation.
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Who is your Guidance Counsellor?
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Counsellor’s Name
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Ext
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Last names
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Ms. Varriano Lane |
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Pe – Q, International students
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GUIDANCE GOOGLE CLASSROOMS
Once again, the Guidance department will have google classrooms available to share information with our students.
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Please consider joining the classrooms:
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Financing Post-Secondary: Scholarships, Bursaries, and OSAP
Got a ‘rich uncle’ with a bank full of cash waiting for you to cover your post-secondary costs? Well, I did not either. The reality is that post-secondary education is costly and takes planning, so we hope you’ve begun. Many students supplement their post-secondary savings through scholarships, bursaries, and loans. This article will get you pointed in the right direction to access the necessary resources for information.
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Most scholarships for first year students are ‘entrance’ scholarships and are automatically awarded based on marks. Some awards, called bursaries, are based on financial need, but may also include other components such as volunteer service, leadership, or being associated with a service group, employer, or union. These are very individual, and you can search these out using the resources set out below.
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The following sites are Canadian websites where you can register and search online for a variety of scholarships, bursaries, and contests to help fund post-secondary education.
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The Scholarship Report is a service Guidance subscribes to at Bennies. It is a wonderful resource that you can use to search for scholarship opportunities by the month. It also provides a great deal of post-secondary information for all pathway opportunities. As the Scholarship Report is a proprietary service, access to it must be for the St. Benedict Community. In order, to view the report, go to the Scholarship page on the website and hit the link to the report. You will need a PASSWORD that is for St. Benedict students only. The password can be obtained through guidance.
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What can you do now?
- Determine your post- secondary costs including tuition, books, room and board, travel, etc.
- Check parents’ places of employment/ your place of employment or service groups for scholarships or bursaries
- Check with the schools in which you are going to apply
- Check Bennies website, through the Students Services tab, AND the Guidance Google Classroom (code – MXMOHZX)
- Create a scholarship/bursary resume where you collect all of your accomplishments, achievements, involvements, and potential barriers overcame in chronological order; you should line up references from teachers, community members and coaches who can speak to your involvement and character
- Talk seriously, with your family about your plan to fund post-secondary which may include applying for OSAP
OSAP - The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a financial aid program that can help you pay for college or university. Applying, for OSAP is done individually and one may be eligible for grants (free money!) and/or loans. OSAP applications will open in April or May 2023 for the 2023-2024 school year. Check out the OSAP website OSAP for more information. In order to plan, you can use the OSAP Estimator tool for a quick guide to see if you eligible for loans or grants. This can be completed anytime.
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Post-secondary education is an investment in yourself. Planning, as best as possible, will help reduce stress and strain, and is certainly more reliable than finding a ‘rich uncle’.
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Saints Garage Spring Tech Tip!
Most drivers have already swapped their winter tires for summer ones, or will very soon. Did you know there's another step to the process that lots of people forget - taking the vehicle back later to get the wheels re-torqued.
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Although it’s rare for a wheel to fall off, if it does, it can cause major damage and be extremely dangerous. It is important to have your wheels re-torqued after approximately 50-100kms, and even more important on softer aluminum rims where lug nuts can loosen off more easily.
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“Ultimately, drivers have a responsibility to make sure their vehicles are safe. If they aren’t careful and a wheel comes off, the consequences could be tragic. When you lose a wheel at highway speed, it’s a cannonball. It’s dangerous for you and potentially deadly for someone else.” - Andrew Davidson, Road safety manager at the MTO
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Luckily, the process is quick. But if you aren’t sure how to do this yourself, please connect with your local garage or Transportation Tech teacher.
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Saints Track Success
Congratulations to the St. Benedict Track and Field Team for a great showing at the Track Wars competition at Jacob Hespeler. Against 48 other schools and over 2000 athletes, our school was one of the top performing teams.
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Special congratulations to Cameron Barker and Madeleine Porto who both set new school records in the pole vault competition. Other outstanding performances among D8 schools were:
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D. Espinoza - 1st in javelin, 3rd in shot put M. Holman - 1st in 300 metre dash, 2nd in 100 metre dash C. Barker - 1st in pole vault M. Porto - 1st in pole vault T. Elises - 1st in long jump A. Bluhm - 1st in discus, 3rd in javelin F. Latif - 2nd in 100 metre dash S. Ming-Setalsingh - 2nd in 300 metre dash M. Harris - 2nd in 100 metre dash E. Mensah - 2nd in shot put T. Webb - 2nd in javelin J. Chen - 2nd in javelin, 2nd in shot put V. Riordon - 2nd in discus, 2nd in javelin, 2nd in shot put A. Hammer - 2nd in triple jump, 3rd in high jump V. Inadagbo - 3rd in high jump A. Bitovski - 3rd in discus L. Munroe - 3rd in 300 metre dash B. Doherty - 3rd in 1500 metre run Senior Boys - 1st in 400 metre relay Novice Boys - 2nd in 400 metre relay Senior Girls - 3rd in 400 metre relay, 3rd in 4 by 800 metre relay Novice Girls - 3rd in 400 metre relay
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Sports Results
VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER St. Mary's HS 9, St. Benedict CSS 3
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Resurrection CSS 8, St. Benedict CSS 1
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St. Benedict CSS 3, ES Pere-Rene-de-Galinee 3
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St. Benedict CSS 16, Resurrection CSS 1 St. Benedict CSS 24, Pere-Rene-de-Galinee 6
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St. David CSS 15, St. Benedict CSS 13 St. Benedict CSS 14, Monsignor Doyle CSS 5
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St. Benedict CSS 17, St. Mary's HS 11 St. Benedict CSS 18, Monsignor Doyle CSS 3
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Pere-Rene-de-Galinee 14, St. Benedict CSS 13 Resurrection CSS 25, St. Benedict CSS 2
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Monsignor Doyle CSS 9, St. Benedict CSS 5 St. David CSS 18, St. Benedict CSS 15
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St. Mary's HS 2, St. Benedict CSS 1
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St. Benedict CSS 2, Resurrection CSS 2
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St. Benedict CSS 7, ES Pere-Rene-de-Galinee 1
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St. Benedict CSS 5, Resurrection CSS 1
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Check out the calendar on the bottom of the newsletter and on the school website for up-to-date information about game times for all your St. Benedict teams!
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Outer's Club has more events coming up June, and you are invited!
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Join us for a full day of archery, rock climbing and canoeing at Camp Ki Wa Y on June 8th and a Canoe the Grand experience after school Wed June 14th. There is a meeting at lunch in room 315 Wednesday May 24th .Come as you are or bring a friend. This is a club for grade 9 - 12 students and all experience levels are welcome. Must be able to pass a swim test for canoe activities.
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See Mrs. Novakovich, Ms. Whalen and Mr. Lehan if you have further questions. Can't wait to see you there!
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May is SPIRIT MONTH!
Door Decorating
Does your class want to win a contest? From May 15 to 19, period two classes can participate in a door decorating contest! Only 15 classes can participate in the contest so teachers sign your class up today!
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Movie Night
What are you doing Thursday May 18? We’re having an indoor movie night after school watching HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL to commemorate a great school year! Tickets will cost 2 dollars with proceeds going to The Cambridge Humane Society.
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Are you interested in applying for student council next year? Applications are now available! Join google classroom for details and an application - jzwtd56. Apps are due May 29th @ 2pm
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Civvies Day
Civvies day is coming up on May 31st! Donate on SCO or bring in money to participate - this month's donations are in support of Relay 4 Life. There are some fun things to look forward to on the day! Civvies day will be TWIN DAY!! find a partner or group of friends to coordinate a matching outfit to wear on civvies! Also, at lunch there is a kahoot game happening in the cafe and the top three winners get a PRIZE!
More events to come ... listen for announcements!
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Saints and Mustangs join to bring Thrift shop
Hey Saints! The Saint Benedict SAC is joining together with the Monsignor Doyle SAC to bring you our school’s first thrift initiative. Do you have old clothes that you don’t wear anymore or that don’t fit? Bring the washed items in to the SAC office every Tuesday and Thursday at lunch. All items from both schools will be collected and then sorted for a big thrift event taking place at St. Benedicts on Tuesday June 13th! And bringing in items will give you credit that can be redeemed at the event. All proceeds and unsold items from the event will be donated to charity, so bring in those clothing items Saints, and help us to create a more sustainable environment.
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Watch the announcements for collection days for clothing items for our thrift shop taking place on June 13th. Bring in clothes that you don’t wear anymore or that don’t fit to the SAC office at lunch every Tuesday and Thursday until June 6th. When you bring in items you can get redeemable tickets for the event. Donate to a good cause, and clear up your wardrobe!
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From the librarian’s desk
A gentle reminder to all students that NO FOOD is allowed in the Library Learning Commons during school hours.
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Meeting Rooms: To book one of the meeting rooms, students need a valid Idea Exchange library card. Please remember to return to the membership desk at the end of your booking to pick up your library card!
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Resource Spotlight
Need a book for your ISU?
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The Idea Exchange website offers many different booklists through the new catalogue, BiblioCommons.
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Featured Idea Exchange Programs
Note: The following events are hosted by Idea Exchange and are not affiliated with St. Benedict or the WCDSB. Please visit ideaexchange.org to register.
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Hey, teen chess enthusiasts and beginners! Want another chance to learn chess or practice your skills? We are running a Chess Club, Tuesdays, 3:00PM to 4:00PM in the library!! Drop-in. Snacks, boards, and clocks will be provided.
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Calendar of Events
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Wednesday, May 17 Student Council Applications Out
Thursday, May 18 Movie Night! 10:45am: Brain Bee Club 10:45am: HOSA Club 10:45am: Seams Sew Easy 10:45am: Chess Club 10:45am: Writing Skills Society 10:45am: GSA Club 10:45am: MCU Movies club 2:00pm: Concert Band 2:00pm: Math Club 2:00pm: E-car Racing Saints 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Games Club 2:15pm: BoulderDash Club 2:15pm: Student Equity and Engagement Council
Friday, May 19 10:45am: Star Trek Club 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Doctor Who Club
Monday, May 22 Victoria Day
Tuesday, May 23 10:45am: Model UN 10:45am: GSA Club 10:45am: MCU Movies club 2:00pm: Weight Room Club
Wednesday, May 24 10:45am: Guitar Club 10:45am: Writing Skills Society 10:45am: Coding Club 2:00pm: E-car Racing Saints 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Graphic Novels Club
Thursday, May 25 10:45am: Brain Bee Club 10:45am: HOSA Club 10:45am: Seams Sew Easy 10:45am: Chess Club 10:45am: Writing Skills Society 10:45am: GSA Club 10:45am: MCU Movies club 2:00pm: Concert Band 2:00pm: Math Club 2:00pm: E-car Racing Saints 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Games Club 2:15pm: BoulderDash Club 2:15pm: Student Equity and Engagement Council
Friday, May 26 10:45am: Star Trek Club 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Doctor Who Club
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Monday, May 29 10:45am: Lights Out! Club 10:45am: Coding Club 10:45am: EcoClub 2:00pm: Weight Room Club
Tuesday, May 30 10:45am: Model UN 10:45am: GSA Club 10:45am: MCU Movies club 2:00pm: Weight Room Club
Wednesday, May 31 civvies day BENN Newsletter Release 8:00am: Cara Filler Guest Speaker 10:45am: Guitar Club 10:45am: Writing Skills Society 10:45am: Coding Club 2:00pm: E-car Racing Saints 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Graphic Novels Club
Thursday, June 1 9:00am: relay for life 10:45am: Brain Bee Club 10:45am: HOSA Club 10:45am: Seams Sew Easy 10:45am: Chess Club 10:45am: Writing Skills Society 10:45am: GSA Club 10:45am: MCU Movies club 2:00pm: Concert Band 2:00pm: Math Club 2:00pm: E-car Racing Saints 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Games Club 2:15pm: BoulderDash Club 2:15pm: Student Equity and Engagement Council 2:15pm: Doctor Who Club
Friday, June 2 PA Day
Monday, June 5 10:45am: Lights Out! Club 10:45am: Coding Club 10:45am: EcoClub 2:00pm: Weight Room Club
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Be sure to check out the calendar on the school website for updates!
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