masthead2014
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 - Volume 17, Issue 1

WELCOME TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR, SAINTS!

Message from Administration

Dear St. Benedict Families,

Greetings and blessings to you all as we embark on another exciting school year at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School. I hope this message finds you well and that you have enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating summer with your families.

As we open our doors for the new academic year, I am filled with a sense of joy and anticipation for the journey ahead. Our dedicated faculty and staff have been working diligently to prepare for the return of our students, ensuring that we provide a nurturing and enriching environment where each child can thrive academically, spiritually, and socially.

At St. Benedict we are committed to fostering a community grounded in the teachings of Christ. Our mission is to educate the whole person, instilling values of faith, integrity, and service. We believe that every student is a unique gift from God, and it is our privilege to guide them in discovering their full potential.

We are also dedicated to maintaining open and transparent communication with you, our valued partners in Catholic Education. Your support and involvement are crucial to the success of our school community. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have.

Let us join in prayer for a blessed and successful school year. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all our endeavors, and may we continue to grow in faith, knowledge, and love. We look forward to a wonderful year ahead.

Sincerely,
Jordan Figueiredo
Principal, St. Benedict C.S.S.

Admin Team

Mr. J. Figueiredo
Principal
A

Mr. M. Anderton
Vice Principal
B-G, International

Mrs. L. Craftchick
Vice Principal
H-N

Mr. C. Kamta
Vice Principal
O-Z

Stay Connected with
St. Benedict's!

Twitter

@StBenedictCSS
Instagram
@bennies_sac_updates

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

https://www.wcdsb.ca/parents/

Bennies Buddies can't wait to see you!

The Bennies Buddies are excited to welcome students back to school on Wednesday! Please look for the bright yellow shirts! Bennies Buddies can help find lockers, open lockers, find classes, and answer any questions your new or returning student might have!

News from Guidance

Who is your Guidance Counsellor?

Counsellor’s Name

Ext

Last names

Mrs. O’Toole
5190
A – Cl
Ms. Varriano Lane
5635
Co – Ha
Mrs. Novakovich
5636
He - Mc
Mr. Betik
5633
Me - R
Mrs. O’Neill
5634
S – Z
Mrs. Kot

International Students
Administrative Assistant: Mrs. McAulay-Arruda, ext. 5631

Course Change Requests

Students must follow their existing schedule.
To make a request requires 2 steps – students fill out and complete the Google form for their counsellor and then have parent / guardian email to approve request. Only those who complete the 2-step process will receive follow-up.

Students and families please recognize change is not always possible to make to existing schedules. Some courses are full or conflict with another course making it impossible to take them this school year. Students requesting a course change must fill out their appropriate guidance counselor's form.

There have been changes to guidance counsellor assignments.

Please read alpha assignment carefully - Guidance google forms are linked on the school's Guidance page.

STEP 1
Complete an online request form for your guidance counsellor (assigned based on your last name). To access and complete the form, go to the Guidance page on the school's website, and click on the booking icon beside your counsellor's name.

STEP 2
Have your parent/guardian email your Guidance Counsellor that they approve of the request for course change (this is not a guarantee the course change can be made).

Guidance will then contact students via phone, email or call into their existing classes once the form has been filled out  and  we have heard from a parent/guardian.

Please be aware that guidance is prioritizing "Essential Changes" according to the criteria below:

ESSENTIAL CHANGES
  1. In grade 9, 10 or 11 and do not have 8 courses on their timetable.
  2. Failed a course last year or last semester and no longer have the prerequisite for a course on their timetable.
  3. In grade 12 or year 5 and do not have enough courses on their schedule to reach 30 credits/graduate by the end of this year.
  4. Level changes (for example moving from academic to applied).
  5. Missing a prerequisite course for entry into a post-secondary institution.
  6. Have a course in their schedule in which a credit was already earned.
Please understand that we cannot accommodate teacher requests or requests to be in classes with friends.

We want to thank you for following the course request change process and for your understanding and patience while we work together to support students and families in a successful school year.

Community Service Hours

It is a requirement of graduation that each student complete 40 hours of community service. There are many opportunities to fulfill this requirement. Please visit the school website for links to community opportunities and a fillable form to submit their hours.

Want to be better informed?

Welcome to Guidance D2L!

The Guidance Team would like to communicate regularly with students and parents about:
  • college and university visits - and bursary and scholarship opportunities
  • volunteer and exchange opportunities
  • available academic supports including homework club
  • convocation etc.
We have now moved to D2L and would like to make sure all students are able to access this important information.
When students sign in to D2L (through My Apps), they should land on the Bennies D2L page (see logo in yellow).
If, when students log in, they land on the WCDSB D2L page (see logo in yellow), scroll down the page until you see My Schools on the left and choose St. Benedict.
Next, are you taking an elearning course from another board? Please be sure to scroll down to My Courses In Other Orgs on the left - as this is where your elearning course(s) will be found.
Lastly, please be sure to turn your notifications on so you do not miss any announcements!

Bus information for September 2024 available!

Eligible students are automatically assigned transportation for September 2024 on August 19, 2024, using the home address on the students’ school records when registered at school, and therefore you do not need to register them for the bus. If the address on the student’s record is incorrect, contact the students’ school directly to update it.

Learn more here: https://www.stswr.ca/transportation-details-2024-2025/

Academics

Athletics

SENIOR BOYS VOLLEYBALL MEETING

Attention all boys interested in trying out for the senior boys volleyball team. There will be a MANDATORY meeting on Wednesday, September 4 in room 315 at the beginning of lunch A. You will need to attend this meeting to get all the information for tryouts that begin Thursday after school. Please see Mrs. Edwards or Ms. Kreuger if you are unable to attend.

Watch the announcements!

Junior girls basketball meeting and tryouts in the second week of school, time and location TBA.

See Ms. Roche for details.

Water Sport Opportunities for 2024-2025 School Year!

Opportunités de sports nautiques pour l’année scolaire 2024-2025!

Students at St Benedict have the opportunity to engage in many activities outdoors and on the water! These are open to students in all grades 9-12, and include:



Rowing Club/Team

  • Learn a new sport rowing on the Grand River!
  • No experience required!
  • You can try this out THIS FALL (late September) in “Try Rowing” days. Look out for more information coming soon!
  • And, if you have a competitive spirit, you can choose to compete in races across Ontario in the Spring, and even indoor rowing machine competitions in the Winter months!

Outers Club

  • Hike trails in Ontario, canoe on the Grand River, and sign up for overnight camping trips throughout the year!

Swim Team

  • Represent our school at D8 and at other swim meets in our region and across the province!
Les étudiants de St Benedict ont la possibilité de participer à de nombreuses activités en plein air et sur l'eau ! Ceux-ci sont ouvert aux élèves de toutes les années, de la 9e à la 12e année, et comprend :

Club/équipe d'aviron

  • Apprenez un nouveau sport d'aviron sur la rivière Grand!
  • Pas d'expérience requise!
  • Et si vous avez un esprit de compétition, vous pouvez choisir de participer à des courses partout en Ontario au printemps, et même à des compétitions de rameur en salle pendant les mois d'hiver !

Club des extérieurs

  • Parcourez les sentiers de randonnée en Ontario, faites du canoë sur la rivière Grand et inscrivez-vous à des séjours de camping d'une nuit tout au long de l'année !

Équipe de natation

  • Représentez notre école au D8 et à d'autres compétitions de natation dans notre région et à travers la province !

INFORMATION MEETING

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th
Lunch A: room 208
Lunch B: room 310
Before you can engage in any of the above water-related activities, you must complete a swim test first. However, we know that not everyone has the same level of comfort in the water, so we’ve created an opportunity for you to improve your swimming confidence, too!

Skills you’ll need to demonstrate on the swim test:

Students must successfully complete the following swim test in its entirety, in sequence and without any aids or stops:
  • rolling entry (backwards or forward) into deep water at 2.75m (9’) minimum depth
  • tread water for 1 minute
  • swim 50m (164’) continuously any stroke
  • demonstrate the ability to put on a personal flotation device (P.F.D.) while in the water
Students confident in the above skills should MARK THEIR CALENDARS and plan to attend:
Swim Test for Confident Swimmers:
Students who are unsure about their ability to complete the swim test successfully are invited to read on about the “SWIM TO SURVIVE” program!

Improve Your Swimming Confidence and Learn to “Swim to Survive!”

Do you wish you felt more comfortable in the water?
Do you hope to try rowing or get involved with the outers club, but worry that you might not be able to pass the swim test that’s required?
Then this opportunity is for you!
AND THIS PROGRAM IS FREE!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
On Thursday, September 12th, 2024 and Monday, September 16th, 2024, we are offering a “Swim to Survive” program through the City of Cambridge at John Dolson Pool after school (from 2:30 - 3:30 on each date). Lifeguards from John Dolson will run the program and teach you to be more comfortable in the water, and help you develop the skills you would need in order to survive in the water if you fell in unexpectedly.

At the end of the program (at the end of the Monday session), you will attempt the swim test described above. If you pass, you can participate in water-related activities with St Benedict in the 2024-2025 school year! For example, you can join the Rowing Team! Or you can go on Outers Club trips!

Complete this form to let us know you plan to attend! https://forms.gle/UNjXa9bU5GNg4bt37

This opportunity and the Rowing Club and related rowing activities are partially supported by a Community Support for All Initiative grant. It’s important to acknowledge these sponsors at every opportunity – they truly make these programs possible!
Avant de pouvoir participer à l’une des activités nautiques ci-dessus, vous devez d’abord passer un test de natation. Cependant, nous savons que tout le monde n’a pas le même niveau de confort dans l’eau, c’est pourquoi nous avons créé pour vous une opportunité d’améliorer également votre confiance en vous en natation !

Compétences que vous devrez démontrer lors du test de natation :

Les élèves doivent réussir le test de natation suivant dans son intégralité, en séquence et sans aucune aide ni arrêt :
  • entrée roulante (en arrière ou en avant) dans les eaux profondes à une profondeur minimale de 2,75 m (9 pi)
  • faire du surplace pendant 1 minute
  • nager 50 m (164’) en continu, n’importe quelle nage
  • démontrer la capacité d’enfiler un vêtement de flottaison individuel (VFI) dans l’eau
Les étudiants confiants dans les compétences ci-dessus doivent MARQUER LEURS CALENDRIERS et prévoir d'assister à :
Test de natation pour les nageurs confiants :
  • Piscine John Dolson
  • mercredi 11 septembre 2024
  • 14h30 - 15h30
  • Remplissez ce formulaire pour nous faire savoir votre intention d'y assister ! https://forms.gle/UNjXa9bU5GNg4bt37
Les étudiants qui ne sont pas sûrs de leur capacité à réussir le test de natation sont invités à poursuivre leur lecture sur le programme « NAGER POUR SURVIVRE » !

Améliorez votre confiance en vous en matière de natation et apprenez à « nager pour survivre ! »

Est-ce que tu j'aimerais que tu te sentes plus à l'aise dans l'eau?
Vous espérez essayer l’aviron ou vous impliquer dans le club des extérieurs, mais vous craignez de ne pas réussir le test de natation requis ?
Alors cette opportunité est pour toi!
ET CE PROGRAMME EST GRATUIT!

MARQUEZ VOS CALENDRIERS :
Le jeudi 12 septembre 2024 et le lundi 16 septembre 2024, nous proposons un programme « Nager pour survivre » dans la ville de Cambridge à la piscine John Dolson après l'école (de 14h30 à 15h30 à chaque date). Les sauveteurs de John Dolson dirigeront le programme et vous enseigner être plus à l'aise dans l'eau, et vous aider à développer les compétences vous auriez besoin pour survivre dans l'eau si vous tombiez de manière inattendue.

À la fin du programme (à la fin de la séance du lundi), vous tenterez le test de natation décrit ci-dessus. En cas de réussite, vous pourrez participer à des activités nautiques avec Saint Benoît pour l'année scolaire 2024-2025 ! Vous pouvez par exemple rejoindre la Team Rowing ! Ou vous pouvez participer à des voyages Outers Club !

Remplissez ce formulaire pour nous faire savoir votre intention d'y assister ! https://forms.gle/UNjXa9bU5GNg4bt37

Cette opportunité est partiellement soutenue par une subvention de l’Initiative de soutien communautaire pour tous.

Clubs

DOCTOR WHO CLUB RETURNS!

Doctor Who Club returns on Friday, September 6th, after school in room 226. Join us for pizza, raffle prizes, and a weekly gathering of friends and fans to watch episodes of the longest running science fiction/fantasy series in history.
All new members are welcome, so join us for another year of travels through time and space with the world's most famous Time Lord.

More information is available on our school club page.

Other News

Calendar of Events

Friday, August 30
Student schedules available on ASPEN

Monday, September 2
Labour Day

Tuesday, September 3
P.A. Day
8:30am: Used uniform sale: Grade 9
10:30am: Used uniform sale: Grades 10 to 12

Wednesday, September 4
BENN Newsletter release
First day of school for students
10:40am: Sr. Boys Volleyball meeting

Thursday, September 5
2:30pm: FOOTLOOSE auditions

Friday, September 6
10:40am: Water sport info meeting
12:00pm: Water sport info meeting
2:15pm: Doctor Who Club
2:30pm: FOOTLOOSE auditions

Monday, September 9
3:30pm: Jr. Boys Volleyball tryouts
Wednesday, September 11
3:00pm: Course change request deadline

Friday, September 13
Student Info Verification forms due!
2:15pm: Doctor Who Club

Wednesday, September 18
BENN Newsletter release

Friday, September 20
2:15pm: Doctor Who Club

Tuesday, September 24
6:00pm: Catholic School Advisory Council

Be sure to check out the calendar on the school website for updates!

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