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Wednesday, April 5, 2023 - Volume 15, Issue 16
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Wishing you a joyous Easter!
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IEP Distribution
This is a message from the Student Success Centre at St. Benedict. If your son or daughter is on an Individual Education Plan (IEP), please know that a copy of their IEP was sent home with them earlier last week. Please review the IEP and have your son or daughter return the signed consultation page to room 210 as soon as possible.
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Please contact the Student Success Centre at Ext 210, if you have any questions or concerns or if you did not receive a copy.
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Meet our new administrator: Mrs. Kamta
I am excited to begin my journey as a Vice Principal here at St. Benedict! Some of you might know me from 2019-2020, when I was a teacher here for one semester (although I went by Ms. Lam at the time). This school year, I returned as the History/Geography Program Head and taught Career Studies and Senior Social Sciences. I am thrilled to transition from teacher to Vice-Principal at the school I am so proud to be a part of. There is something very special about this community. In the short time I have been here, I have observed and gotten to know the many talents and gifts that our community shares. Above all else, I value the kindness that gets spread everywhere. This is the type of community I know I belong to and it is already feeling like a second home. I am also blessed to work and learn from the fabulous admin team here.
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In 2010, I graduated from York University with a Hons. B.A. in Sociology and B.Ed. Immediately, I made the decision to travel the world and teach abroad in South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.K. During my time in South Korea, I was also an Elementary Principal for 2.5 years. In 2016, I returned to Canada and settled back in Toronto where I grew up all of my life. In 2017, my husband and I decided to start our new family in Cambridge. At that time, I also joined WCDSB and what an amazing decision that was! I have worked here as well as at St. Mary’s, Resurrection, and St. Gregory. In over 12 years of teaching, I taught on both elementary and secondary panels. I am a lifelong learner and graduated with a M.Ed. from Wilfrid Laurier in 2021. Through this program, I developed my leadership skills to be more prepared for this role today.
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I am a proud wife and mother to my son (2.5) and stepdaughter (7.5). Family is very important to me, which is why I will do everything I can to ensure our families in this community feel supported and welcomed as a Saint. I am very passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion. My goal is to do my part in providing an equitable environment for our community to learn safely in. In my leisure time, I like to shoot hoops with my family, practice calligraphy, and cook new recipes.
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I look forward to continuing developing relationships I already have with some of you and getting to know new faces as well. Say hello in the hallways, stop by my office, or send me a quick email to introduce yourself. I can’t wait to meet you!
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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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Grad and Prom Information
Dear grade 12 students and guardians,
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The purpose of this communication is to provide some clarity regarding prom. Like last year, a group of students and parent volunteers are organizing a Prom for St. Benedict students. This is consistent with the practice of many of our local schools for the past several years. To ensure that all students in grade 12 have access to the information and the opportunity to attend the event, we are working with the organizers to provide further details on the event that is being planned. Please click on this link to access information about Prom 2023.
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The school will provide further details about the graduation liturgy, breakfast, and convocation ceremony at a later date.
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District 8 Athletics seeking Sponsors
District 8 Athletic Association - after a ten year absence, will be hosting its annual coach appreciation event which will return in the Spring of 2023.
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The purpose of the event is to honour and thank current and past teacher-coaches and community volunteer coaches who dedicate their time working in high school athletics at the eight member schools of District 8.
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The coaches appreciation event, once run annually, ended more than ten years ago after its funding model became unsustainable. The updated version of the event will be delivered in partnership with District 8 and the Catholic Community Foundation of Waterloo Region.
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Together, the Catholic Community Foundation of Waterloo Region and District 8, with support from its member schools, will be seeking community sponsors who share the same appreciation for the opportunities that school sport can offer to students.
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If you are interested and able to donate – please contact St. Benedict athletic director – Tim Jankura (timothy.jankura@wcdsb.ca) -he can provide more details and answer any questions you may have.
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Saints Spring Food Drive
Tomorrow is the last day!
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Bennies will be conducting a spring food drive to support the important work of The Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank. The food drive will take place from Monday, March 30 – Thursday April 6. The Food Bank is short of breakfast items and so the focus of our food drive will be breakfast cereal. Students are encouraged to bring in cereal items on more than one day. We know our current economic times are putting pressure on many people. We invite to as generous as you have been in the past. Together we can care for and support members of our Cambridge community.
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Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test information
On Wednesday, April 19, most Grade 10 students will be writing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). In order to facilitate the administration of this test, as it is a graduation requirement for our students, there will be a change to our school day and bus schedule for the above-mentioned date. Below is a description of the altered schedule.
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- Students who are required to write the test are to be in their designated location at 8:00am
- Students who are not required to write the test (most of our Grade 11 &12 and all our Grade 9 students) will have work posted on their class D2L or Google Classroom
**All students are expected to be in full uniform**
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ALL students who have a school Chromebook/Cloudbook are REQUIRED to bring them in for the day of the test
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Bus Schedules
- WCDSB morning school bus routes will run on their regular schedules
- WCDSB afternoon school bus routes will run on an altered schedule and will depart the school at 11:30am
Resources for the test can be found:
- On our school website, under Student Services à Student Success à Literacy Test Preparation
- Google Classroom: z3cnkya
Test Preparation for Students
We recognize that some students find testing stressful, and we will provide students with support leading up to the test. Classroom visits are occurring in grade 10 classes. Grade 10 teachers will also be including literacy activities in weeks leading up to the test. Furthermore, we are providing students with literacy support in small group sessions during school hours. Below is listed the information of additional supports available to students at lunch or outside school hours.
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Literacy Support: Wednesday 10:35-11:15 (lunch) in room 206
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Google Classroom: z3cnkya
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Accommodations
All students are eligible to receive extra time if required. As per past practice, additional accommodations are available to students with special program needs who have an IEP (Individual Education Plan). Those accommodations are listed on your child’s Individual Education Plan. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the accommodations your child will receive, please contact Andreia Borba at the information listed above or your child’s IEP Monitor.
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We wish all our students the best of luck as they participate in the Ontario Secondary Literacy Test.
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Thank you for your continued support.
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Edit this to insert text.
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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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Success at Skills
Congratulations to Jordan Lacroix and Nathan Rivas-Perez for placing 2nd and 3rd respectively in their Ontario Skills qualifier for Culinary Arts this past Saturday. They will be moving on to the Provincial competition on May 1st. Best of luck!
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Sports Results
We are between seasons... watch for spring sport start-up soon!
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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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Ace Robotics team takes 2nd place in UW competition
Congratulations to the whole team!
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Calling all Green Thumbs!
The School Food Garden is starting a Garden club. The Garden Club information meeting will be held in room 312 on Wed April 12. If you enjoy growing fresh produce, weeding, watering, and spending time in the garden or learning about safe water testing, solar power, vertical gardens, composting, and rainwater collection systems. Starting Wed April 26, the School Food Garden will be open for all students to come enjoy their lunch outdoor. The School Food Garden is located beside the annex.
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Bennie's Brain Bee club
Are you interested in learning about the brain? Join Bennies Brain Bee club and meet weekly to prepare for the University of Waterloo's Brain Bree Neuroscience competition! Meeting with us Thursdays the start of lunch in room A2 in the Annex.
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Other News
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Are you pumped about prom?
Spring is coming and that means Prom is coming up! Did you hear tickets went on sale starting March 20th and they are on sale for the next 4 weeks?
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We can’t wait to make memories with you on June 8th at Bingemans. See you in Old Hollywood!
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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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Monday, April 3 CoPrez apps out
Thursday, April 6 Holy Thursday 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, April 7 Good Friday
Saturday, April 8 Holy Saturday
Sunday, April 9 Easter Sunday
Monday, April 10 Easter Monday
Tuesday, April 11 Spirit Week 3 10:45am: Model UN 10:45am: GSA Club 10:45am: MCU Movies club 2:00pm: Weight Room Club
Wednesday, April 12 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, April 13 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
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Friday, April 14 10:45am: Star Trek Club 2:00pm: Weight Room Club 2:15pm: Doctor Who Club
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Monday, April 17 10:45am: Lights Out! Club 10:45am: Coding Club 10:45am: EcoClub 2:00pm: Weight Room Club
Tuesday, April 18 10:45am: Model UN 10:45am: GSA Club 10:45am: MCU Movies club 2:00pm: Weight Room Club
Wednesday, April 19 OSSLT BENN Newsletter Release 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, April 20 Turn Around Date for Careers/Civics Term 2 Begins 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, April 21 PA Day
Monday, April 24 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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