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Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - Volume 14, Issue 12

Message from Administration

It is hard to believe that we are at the end of our second quadmester. We are grateful to for both our staff and students who have consistently demonstrated flexibility and resilience throughout this entire year. We are excited to move forward tomorrow in a full semester model. This provides us with the opportunity to begin to experience a more “normal” school year. This will be a new experience for many students who have not had the experience of a semester, but we are confident that they will continue to be well supported in this transition. We would encourage students to take this opportunity to start fresh and find renewed energy to thrive and reach their fullest God-given potential. Please know we are here to support our community and encourage you to continue to reach out to teachers and administration when we can be of assistance.

We will continue to follow our operational guidelines to keep our community safe. We remind students to complete the daily school screener and follow the direction it provides. Masks must continue to be worn at all times while in the building, outside of actively eating or drinking. To better accommodate students during lunch time, we will be opening the cafeteria, gyms, and hallways for students to eat their lunch. Classrooms will be closed, outside of any supervised lunch club or activity that is being offered. Capacity limits and protocols are in place to support distancing. Please continue to encourage your child to follow these protocols around distancing, masking, and sanitizing as we all have a part to plan in keeping our community and each other safe.
In February we recognize Black Heritage Month. We will continue to build awareness of the diverse of experiences of the Black community while celebrating their historical and current contributions to our community. As Catholic educators we have a moral imperative to act intentionally to ensure those we serve are treated with respect and dignity. Please check out the SAC Instagram for further information to celebrate this month. We are committed to learning and growing together as a school community.

Finally, we wish to celebrate 3 educators, who after many years of teaching will begin the next stage of the journey as they enter retirement. Congratulations to Mr. Adamo, Mr. Lowes and Mr. Olinksi. Many students and staff have been impacted by your faithfulness and dedication to the teaching profession. On behalf of the SBCSS community, we wish you all a wonderful and fulfilling retirement. Many thanks on behalf of all for all you have given to St Benedicts – you will always be a Saint!

Admin Team

Mrs. M. Ingoldsby
Principal
A-Bl

Ms. E. Riley
Vice Principal
Bo-G & International

Mr. R. Stehlik
Vice Principal
H-N

Mr. R. Roque
Vice Principal
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Inclement weather reminder

Inclement Weather Protocol

As you know, there are sometimes days in the winter when we have to cancel bussing due to the weather and unsafe driving conditions for our buses. In consultation with the public board, with whom we share bussing, when we cancel buses, we will close schools and have a remote learning day. Your teacher will communicate with you in advance so you know where to look for school work for the day and protocols on such days, but in broad terms, the teachers will post work in the morning, no later than 9:30 a.m. and students will work on their own timing in their home. This will allow all students to access learning and we will be continuing to keep one and all safe.

We realize it may not be a perfect solution and learning day, but bus snow days rarely were. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and hope that we are not in this situation too often.

Report Card Distribution

Report cards will be distributed to students in their homeroom on February 16th. Hybrid and E-Learn students will receive their report card in the mail shortly after the 16th

Semester 2 begins tomorrow!

To view important dates, pleaser refer to the calendar on our school's website.
calendar

Bell Times for Semester 2

Warning Bell
7:55 AM

Period 1
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Period 2
9:20 AM - 10:35 AM

Lunch
10:35 AM - 11:15 AM

Period 3
11:20 AM - 12:35 PM

Period 4
12:40 PM - 1:55 PM

Looking for your locker number and combination?

CHECK YOUR STUDENT PORTAL IN ASPEN

  1. Log into your student account in Aspen
  2. Click on the “My Info” tab
  3. Your locker number and combination will be listed on the right side of the screen
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Bus Delay Notifications

While many families subscribe to Email Notifications for bus delays, the text notifications can actually be more reliable in terms of sharing timely information. Up to 5 numbers can be notified for each student using text notification. Please see below info and links to this "new" option. Given some current busing circumstances and the cold weather that is upon us, this potentially becomes a very helpful tool.
The subscription service allows you to receive an e-mail or text for all bus delays over 10 minutes and all cancellations that effect your bus route or school. An e-mail will be sent to your address, or a text to your phone number, as the delay or cancellation is posted to our STSWR website. The wait time on the e-mail depends on your e-mail server’s speed (how fast it gets to Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc). Wait time on SMS text is determined by the volume of texts being sent. For the best results, text messaging provides the fastest response time. Please login to the STSWR website to adjust your notifications. Add your phone number under My Information, SMS.

Sign up for the subscription service or get detailed instructions on how to subscribe to all the features.
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Daily Screening

A reminder that students must complete the daily screening: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ before leaving home each day. This daily screening tool gives information on how to handle various personal/family symptoms scenarios. Should the guidance be to stay home from school, we ask that you contact the attendance office to report your student’s absence by calling the direct line 519-621-4001, or emailing SBEN.Attendance@wcdsb.ca

Masks

A reminder to all students to continue to arrive in full uniform and wearing masks that cover the mouth and nose. Students were provided with new masks on Tuesday will receive another later in the week. We encourage students to wear the new masks provided and to wash these masks frequently.

Rapid Antigen Testing

We will begin to distribute government provided rapid tests for students as they become available. They are to be used when an individual feels symptomatic. No student should attend school after a positive result. Instructions on the use of test can be found on School Cash online.
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Positive Parent-Teacher communication

As always parents/ guardians are valuable partners in their 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, we ask that all public and interpersonal communications must recognize the dignity of the individual and be conducted fairly, honestly, and with respect.

When a parent, guardian or other board stakeholder has a concern or suggestion, it is expected that the concern/suggestion will first be taken up with the staff member with whom the parent / guardian / stakeholder has the concern/suggestion. Therefore, the process outlined below should be followed.
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Attention Students:

DON'T GET LOCKED OUT!

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It always happens at the worst moment: you just need to complete that essay, so you open your Chromebook or laptop, and try to connect to your school account, and.... nothing. You're locked out. And it's Friday evening, you're at home, so there is no way you can get someone to reset your password for you.

Fortunately, you have the power in your hands. If you click on the graphic below, you will be taken to a PDF document which will allow you to set up your Self-Service Authentication. What this does is allow you to access a password reset function by linking your school account to your mobile phone or other email address, or by setting up security questions. Students are encouraged to complete this process so they can recover their accounts on their own should they find themselves locked out of their account.
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Online Pre-registration for Kindergarten is Open: It’s Time to Sign Up for School!!

It’s time to sign up for the 2022-23 school year – and registering to attend one of Waterloo Region’s 43 Catholic elementary schools has never been easier.
  • Children born in 2018 are eligible for Year 1 Kindergarten (JK).
  • Children born in 2017 are eligible for Year 2 Kindergarten (SK).
Parents can access the Online Pre-Registration form by clicking on the Register for School link on the WCDSB Homepage and then choosing Kindergarten Registration.

To finalize your child’s registration, please contact your local Catholic school directly, for individual registration dates and times.

Chromebook Reminder for Students

Don't Just Close the Lid on your Chromebook

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Make sure you actually log out at the end of the day. Logging out and then logging back in will clear the memory/cache of the device and will run software updates. The reason that Chromebooks are so quick for their entire life cycle is because they automatically clear their working memory every time you log out and log back in. Chromebooks have a limited space on them, and if they aren't cleared regularly, they do slow down and won't allow Read and Write to install as an example (not enough working memory available). Keep your Chromebook fast and DON'T JUST CLOSE THE LID!!
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HEY GRADS!

Get ready to SAY CHEESE!

Appointments for February now available! Book your appointment now, or if no time slots are left put yourself on the waiting list to be notified when bookings reopen.

Click here to get started.
SCHOOL CODE: TBO

PHOTO RETAKES

Students who need school photo retakes (not grad retakes) will be have an opportunity to do so in the morning on February 14. Call downs will happen for this, retakes will be done in the Sky Box (Seminar room 3.1 at the far end of the English hallway).

COVID-19 Screening

Just a reminder to complete the screening tool before you arrive at school. Any individual who fails the screener or who is symptomatic in any way should not be reporting to school. That is part of our collective responsibility to one another. https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/

Significant Days & Dates

Click here to view the most up to date calendar information.

Start of semester 2:
Thursday, February 3, 2022

March Break:
March 14, 2022 to March 18, 2022

Professional Activity Days:
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Friday, April 8, 2022
Friday, June 3, 2022

Stay Connected with St. Benedict's!

Twitter

@StBenedictCSS

Instagram

@bennies_sac_updates

News from Guidance

Who is your Guidance Counsellor?

Counsellor’s Name

Ext

Last names

Mrs. O’Toole
5190
A – Dl
Ms. Arkell
5636
Do – Ki
Mr. Betik
5633
Kl – Pl
Mrs. O’Neill
5634
Po – Z
Ms. Varriano Lane
5635
International Students/ICP

Guidance Google Classrooms

Once again, the Guidance department will have google classrooms available to share information with our students. Please consider joining the classrooms:

Grade 9 and 10
https://classroom.google.com/c/Mzg1OTc4MjA0MDk1?cjc=7c3t6un

Grade 11 and 12
https://classroom.google.com/c/Mzg1OTc4MjA0MjMz?cjc=mxmohzx

Scan the code below to book an appointment with your Guidance Counsellor

GuidanceQRcode
Then click the plus sign beside your Guidance Counsellor to book an appointment.

SEMESTER 2 SCHEDULES:

  • Please be sure to access and review your semester 2 schedule located in your Aspen account.
  • Semester 2 begins February 3rd.
  • In a semester schedule, students will be managing 4 courses from February – June, 2022.
  • Students, please follow the instructions below to access your schedule https://www.wcdsb.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2020/09/Aspen-Student-Portal.pdf
  • Course change requests for semester 2 will be accepted until Wednesday February 9th, 2022.
  • Please note not all change requests are possible due to scheduling limitations.
  • To make a course change request, students must complete the Google form for their appropriate counsellor.
  • If a change is possible, guidance will require email consent from parents/guardians.

Course Selections for 2022-2023

All students and guardians have received an email with links to the course selection virtual information. It has also been posted in the Guidance google classroom. As we move into semester 2 it is a good time to continue research and have conversations about your choices for the next school year.

Grade 12 students who are interested in returning to St. Benedict for a 5th year are invited to complete their course selection in myBlueprint.

The decisions that students make now regarding their choices for next year are what drive the scheduling decisions that are made about both the courses and the numbers of sections of each course that we offer at the school next year. Course changes are not always easily corrected once the school year is underway.

Videos were included in the email and contain a lot of valuable information. Including resources, required courses, and detailed instructions regarding the process for choosing their classes.
Students will be choosing their courses on-line through myBlueprint and parents can verify course selection by email.

The site can be accessed as follows:
  1. Go www.myBlueprint.ca/waterloocatholic
  2. Login using your school login or GAFE account login
Please note that course selections must be submitted to the school and email verification by a parent, by Friday February 25th. Students are encouraged to consult the course calendar on the website, as well as subject specific teachers and guidance counsellors for help making the correct decisions.
Guidance counsellors will be available in room 111 during lunch For Grade 9 students on February 4th. For Grade 10 students on February 7 & 8th. For Grade 11 students on February 9 & 10th and for Grade 12 students on February 11th.

If students wish to make an appointment with their Guidance counsellor after these sessions, please visit the Guidance webpage and complete the google form.

Summer Elearning through St. Louis

Registration for Summer School Elearning courses will be available through Waterloo Catholic District School board’s St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Centre. Please visit their website stlouis.wcdsb.ca for a list of courses and how to register. Registration begins end of February 2022.

Students wishing to take a required course in summer school should include the required course in their myBlueprint planner. They should also include an alternate course. Once registration has been confirmed the Guidance Counsellor will update the planner.

Academics

Interested in learning more about the Specialist High Skills Major program?

Please go to highskills.ca or drop by the coop office on the second floor to speak with Mrs. Crowell

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Course Selection is coming in February!

As you start thinking about what courses to take next year, here is a bit of a highlight of some of the course St. Benedict has to offer. To see the complete course offering, check out myBlueprint, and the Academic Program Area pages on our school website.

Geography offerings

Attention Grade 10 Students!
Do you remember how much you loved Grade 9 Geography, especially the disasters topics? Well this is your reminder that you can take Geography again in Grade 11 with CGF3MI Forces of Nature: Physical Processes and Disasters.

Select this course for next year if:
  • you are interested in learning more about disasters, what cause them and we react to them;
  • you are curious about the impacts of climate change and its connections to disasters
  • you want to investigate how to create plans for communities most at risk, etc.
  • you like to go on field trips (Covid Restrictions permitting!) to places like: The ROM, Niagara Falls, The Science Centre, etc.
Other benefits of taking this course:
  • you need to select a senior social studies course
  • you are working towards a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
  • you are interested in natural disasters and how we respond to them
If you thought, "YES" to any of the above then you should take CGF3MI Forces of Nature: Physical Processes and Disasters

OR...

  • Do you love travelling,
  • Seeing new places,
  • Tasting/Making new foods,
  • Learning about various cultures,
  • Exploring different natural environments, etc.?
  • Going on field trips to China Town, Little India, Greek Town, etc.? (Covid Restrictions Permitting!)
Other benefits of taking this course:
  • you need to select a senior social studies course
  • you are working towards a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
  • you are interested in finding a career in the travel and hospitality industry
If you thought, "YES" to any of the above points then you should take CGG3OI Travel and Tourism: A Geographic Perspective

Attention Grade 11 Students!
Ask yourself:

  • Are you passionate about current events and what is going on in the world?
  • Do you wonder why there is such a difference between the wealthy and the poor around the world?
  • Do you think some issues in the world are demanding our attention and action?
  • Are you interested in learning more about human rights and other social justice issues, climate change issues, political issues, economic issues, Indigenous issues, etc.?
  • Do you enjoy meeting people who are actively trying to make the world a better place?
Other benefits of taking this course:
  • you need to select a senior social studies course
  • you are working towards a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
  • you are interested in preparing yourself for University Studies
  • you are interested in a degree in Social Science or Social Studies or Political Science
  • you are interested in taking a course as an elective where you can learn more about the world we live in
If you thought, "YES" to any of the above points then you should take CGW4UI Canadian and World Issues - A Geographic Analysis

If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Kot (Room 123), Mr. Mathe (Room 125) or Mr. Abreu (Room 223). The Geography Department looks forward to seeing in senior Geography classes next year!

Are you up for an Adventure?

The Grade 11 Outdoor Education Physical Education Course (PAD 3O) focuses on the development of a healthy lifestyle through participation in a wide variety of outdoor activities such as fire-building, hiking, canoeing, orienteering and camping. Students will be given opportunities to practice goal-setting, decision-making, interpersonal skills, leadership, planning and organizational skills. Students will also earn certifications in line with meeting the requirements of the many SHSM programs.

Not your typical classroom

Imagine a classroom that involves spending time outside, building your own shelter, making a fire using flint, canoeing through Algonquin Park, or hiking in one of our beautiful conservation areas.
Sound appealing? If the answer is “yes”, then please email Ms. Novakovich at Melissa.novakovich@wcdsb.ca for more information or to get an application form for the course.

Course code: PAD 3O (open to 11, 12 students; grade 10 students may apply)

Fees apply to help pay for our many excursions and opportunities!
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(Financial assistance may be provided to support a student due to financial hardship or circumstance. Please speak with your Ms. Novakovich directly or ask your parent or guardian to contact a member of the administrative team.)

LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN!!

LEAP: A Cross-training course for our athletes

Do you have an athlete that competes on a rep level sports team or individual sport? Do they want to spend more time training to improve their overall performance? Then you may want to consider choosing LEAP (Leaders and Exceptional Athletes Program) as one of their courses for next year. Students from any grade are invited to apply, but please note that all grade 10’s must complete the application process if they want to take LEAP in grade 11, even if they were in the program last year.
LEAP is a specialized physical education course for student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional athletic potential in a given sport. This course is designed to help student athletes improve their overall performance in their sport of choice by developing transferable skills like cardiovascular endurance, speed, agility, coordination, power, strength and flexibility. Applications are currently being accepted until March 4, 2022. For more detailed information about the program, selection criteria and application process please visit our website http://stbenedict.wcdsb.ca/leap or contact the program coordinator, nathaniel.dufresne@wcdsb.ca.
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Abby Van Groningen – St. Benedict LEAP Graduate and Canadian NextGen Snowboarder

Which computer course is which?

As the time approaches for students to start picking courses for next year, grade 10 and 11 students can often be overwhelmed by the number of choices available to them. Today we want to look specifically at courses relating to computer technology.

Computers are a part of our everyday life, and students are so familiar and comfortable using them, that they often take for granted all of the skills involved in developing the hardware and software that make them work. Thankfully, St. Benedict offers two sets of courses that allows students to explore computer technology and focus on the types of skills and knowledge that they would like to develop. Computer science and computer engineering are two related but very unique streams of study that students can choose from, and by combining both, can work towards their Specialist High Skills Major certification.

In computer science courses, students will learn to program, design software using industry-standard programming tools and applying the software development life-cycle model. They will also write and use subprograms within computer programs. Students will develop creative solutions for various types of problems as their understanding of the computing environment grows.
The grade 10 course focuses on essential computer basics, with some coding in Scratch and Python. In the grade 11 course, the focus is on developing strong program development fundamentals using Python. The grade 12 course focuses on object oriented programming in Java.
More details about all these courses can be found on the Computer Studies page on the school website.
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Click on the image to go to the course catalogue section for Computer Studies on the school website.
By contrast, in computer engineering courses, students will have the opportunity to examine the inner workings of computer technology through the creation of circuits and logic sequences, as well as program physically devices such as Arduino microcontrollers and robots. Skills in problem solving and design are applied in hands on projects geared towards university preparation are at the core of these M level courses.
Computer engineering pathway
Click on the image to go to the course catalogue section for Computer Engineering on the school website.
Students also have the opportunity in grades 11 and 12 to take emphasis courses specifically in robotics. When the traditional computer engineering and robotics courses are combined, they lead to our University of Waterloo recognized Engineering Certificate.
There is no shortage of great things to learn when it comes to computers and computer technology and St Benedict is here to support students in exploring their interests. Hopefully this brief overview of these two streams can help making course choices for next year a little clearer. If you would like to talk about computer science please contact Mr. Milardovic or if you would like to talk about computer engineering and robotics please contact Mr. Strassburger; and as always, reach out to your guidance counsellor to discuss all of your course options.
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The Evolution of Communications Technology

Many things have changed dramatically over the lifetime of our students. There are many things that students take for granted that many parents will remember as eventful; when cell phones first became popular, or when cameras changed from film to digital. These changes have had a profound impact on how we use and interact with media and as such the courses that we teach at school have changed as well.

Today’s comm tech courses start at grade 10 and progress all the way through grade 12, with grade 12 being eligible for university mark consideration. We still focus on many of the same concepts, graphic design, photography, and film production, but we also look at animation and augmented reality. With the use of digital technologies students are able to more quickly and effectively produce their own content and instead of simply consuming social media, have the opportunity to contribute positively to it.

Comm tech also breaks into two pathways starting in grade 11, the traditional pathway that looks at graphic design, photography, and film, and specialized courses in 3D animation. By further combining these courses students can obtain the Specialist High Skills Major certificate in Information and Communications Technology.

Of course, comm tech is a modern technical course that utilizes industry standard software, but it is also an opportunity to combine this technology with creativity. Every year there is the opportunity for students to participate in the schools film competition and the Charlie Film competition. Students can also take what they have learned to Skills Canada to compete in the 3D Animation competition.

Times have changed and the technology has changed with it, but here at St. Benedict's Communications Technology, the sky’s the limit.

Interested in Engineering?

Then the Engineering Certificate Program is for you!

The ECP is designed to provide students with the hands on, practical skills needed to be successful in several fields of engineering. By emphasizing academic achievement in science and mathematics, along with courses in technology to practice and apply the theory, and participation in robotics and/or e-car competitions, students will leave high school fully prepared for their post-secondary challenges.

See the Engineering Certificate page on the school website, or contact Mr. Castela for more information.

Considering a career in health care?

Consider grade 11 health care – TPJ3M and grade 12 health care TPJ4M.

These courses offer good background information for anyone interested in entering the health care profession. They provide an overview of the anatomy and function of various body systems, an introduction to the health care system including conventional and complementary methods of disease prevention and treatment, some basic health care skills (such as taking vital signs) and an overview of healthy lifestyle choices.

Grade 11 Course Codes: TPJ 3M

Prerequisites: none
SHSM: This course can be taken as part of the Health and Wellness SHSM.
Who can apply? Any student who is in grade 11 or 12, college or university stream is eligible to take the grade 11 course.
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For more information, please contact Mrs. Taylor in the Tech. office or make an appointment with your guidance counsellor.

Something NEW Baking up in Hospitality

This coming school year, 2022-2023 will be the inaugural year for our technology emphasis programs: TFB 3EI and TFB 4EI, grade 11 and 12 emphasis baking.

Each program is designed to focus on industry standard techniques and professional practices while giving the student a step up before entering the baking industry or applying their knowledge to a post-secondary institution.

Students may enter directly into the grade 11 program or they can continue from the grade 10 Hospitality and Tourism program. Those that attend the grade 11 program will focus on the principles of baking and presentation through the production of various basic breads, pastries and other confections. While the grade 12 program will focus on developing an understanding of Artisan Breads, Cake Decorating, Pastry and Confectionary work.

All of our students, both in the Hospitality and Tourism Cooking focused program and baking focused program are an integral part of our community partnership with the Cambridge Food Bank. Catering sales from each program allow us to donate both food and funds to support and strengthen our local community.

If your child has a special knack for baking or likes to surprise you with a fresh batch of baked cookies or a loaf of bread for a fancy weekend dinner, then the baking emphasis course is for them: TFB 3EI - Grade 11 emphasis baking and TFB 4EI - Grade 12 emphasis baking.
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The program is run out of Monsignor Doyle School, but St. Benedict students are welcome to be part of this experience. If you are a part of an academically strong core of students who would be eager to take the program together, your wish WILL be granted! For St. Benedict students:
  • Financial support for city busing may be provided
  • You WILL be in the same class as any other St. Benedict student who joins for the whole day
  • You can still participate in sports at St. Benedict's, and clubs at either school
  • You can wear your St. Benedict uniform, no need to buy any Doyle clothing

Information Session

If you would like to learn more about this exciting opportunity, please fill in the contact form below, and you will be sent a link to a Teams Meeting for one of the following two dates (you can choose):

Option 1: Thursday, February 10th @ 7-8pm
Option 2: Thursday, February 17th @ 7-8pm

Sign-up for the meeting: https://forms.gle/9aCHDGB8uyCfgw7w5

Be sure to invite your friends to sign-up and learn more about the program too!

At the meeting, you will learn more about this exciting opportunity, speak with real world partners supporting the program, and have the chance to speak with current and former students of the program about their experience.

Want even more information?

If you would like to learn more in the meantime, check out this video: https://youtu.be/GLY9x_4Mvek

If you have any questions please email Michael.kearns@wcdsb.ca

Athletics

Clubs

Doctor Who back in Semester 2

DOCTOR WHO CLUB will resume on the first Friday of second semester. We will begin our final journey with Jodie Whittaker's 13th Doctor and hold our delayed Christmas giveaway bash as a welcome back. Join us Friday, February 4, after school in room 226 for goodies & adventures in time and space.
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Interested in making memories that last?

Enjoy photography or have a knack for design? Join the Yearbook Club to leave a lasting impact on your school community for generations to come!
Any interested students see Ms. Weiditch in Rm. 216 on Wednesday, February 9 after school for a brief meeting.

Games Club

Games Club will continue every Thursday in room 227 after school starting this week. New members are welcome to join us.

Are you into Marvel?

Come join the MCU club in room 227 during lunch every day and watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe unfold before your very eyes, starting with the movie that launched us into phase one, Iron Man.

Attention Star Trek and Science Fiction Fans!

The Star Trek club will continue running in Semester 2 starting on Friday, February 4 at lunch in Room 123. New members welcome so come and enjoy and bring a friend! Looking forward to seeing you and all new faces are welcome.

Until then, "Live long and prosper!".

Seams Sew Easy is back!

Are you interested in learning to sew? Come check out the Seams sew easy club Wednesdays at lunch in room 217. No sewing experience necessary.

Coders Club returns Monday!

Students interested in participating in the UW or ECOO programming contents are invited to return to Coders Club Mondays and Wednesdays at lunch. Mr. Milardovic will be updating the Project Euler leaderboard on the whiteboard and website soon; if you have been completing Project Euler challenges, please let him know.

Finance Club returns: Stock Challenge and Wealthy Barber

Finance club will return Tuesdays at lunch in room 216 with Mr. Milardovic. Students interested in the new stock market challenge should be sure to attend the meeting on Tuesday, February 8.
Students who are simply interested in learning about personal finance and would like to read and discuss The Wealthy Barber Returns are also encouraged to attend!
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This year's University of Waterloo MATH CONTESTS are HERE!

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Students are encouraged to sign up for the Grade 9 Pascal, Grade 10 Cayley and Grade 11 Fermat contests by Friday, February 4!

Please come see Miss Stockie (in room 309) or Mrs. Brennan (in room 203) or come to the Math Office to sign up with your $5.00 deposit (which will be returned when you show up to write the contest.)
Students will be writing in the Cafeteria on Wed. Feb. 23rd.

Why not come out to the Math Club - still meeting every Thursday after school in Room 309! Dr. C will guide you through skills that will help you when writing contests!
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ATTENTION PROGRAMMERS

Canadian Computing Competition coming!

The University of Waterloo's Canadian Computing Competition (CCC) is a fun challenge for students with an interest in programming. Designed to be both accessible to students with some programming experience and to challenge the keenest programmers at the secondary-school level, the CCC helps students build confidence and grow their ability to design, understand and implement algorithms.

This contest is recommended to anyone pursuing computer studies at the post-secondary level.

More information about the CCC--including past contests--can be found on their page on the University of Waterloo website.

This year, the competition is held on Wednesday, February 16. Students who have taken computer programming or computer engineering, or members of the Coding Club who have been doing the Project Euler challenge questions are invited to contact Mr. Milardovic. Students have until Monday, February 7 to let Mr. Milardovic know if they are interested in participating.

Student Activities

Carnations for Valentine's Day

Hey Saints! Do you have a special someone you would like to send flowers to this Valentine’s day? Get ready for our Valentine’s Day Carnation sales taking place right now on School Cash Online for $1.25 per carnation. After purchasing online please visit the SAC office at lunch on February 7th and 8th to write down who you want to send the carnations to. We will require you to have a receipt from School Cash Online and your friend’s third-period classroom number. Otherwise, we will not know who your special gift is for. Please check out the SAC Instagram page or the school cash online for more information.
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December Grad wear orders are in!

Grade 12's: your December grad wear orders are in! Please pick up from the SAC office window at lunch this Thursday and Friday!

Hey Saints!

Have a great idea?

Want it to be run by SAC?

Fill out the suggestion QR forms posted around the school and
on the Bennies SAC instagram & maybe it will flourish into an event!

Other News

News from the Library

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From the Librarian’s Desk:

The St. Bennies Library Learning Commons welcomes students back to in-person learning.
Students on spare are reminded that the library is open for reference help, hold pickup, reader’s advisory and independent study only.

Proper masking (mask must cover your nose, mouth and chin) and a maximum of two students per table will be enforced. No food or spillable drinks allowed.

Just as a reminder, the school library not only carries print materials but a wide range of online resources as well. Students can access these resources from the school Library Learning Commons website both in the school and remotely at home. The library’s online databases and ebooks can be accessed from the Online Resources page. Remote access does require a log-in. If you do not know the log-in please contact your teacher or reach out to your school librarian, Ms. Pilon at ppilon@ideaexchange.org.

Calendar of Events

Monday, January 24
Grad Photo Booking OPEN

Thursday, February 3
Semester 2 Begins
10:30am: MCU Club
2:00pm: Games Club

Friday, February 4
10:30am: MCU Club
2:00pm: Doctor Who Club

Monday, February 7
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Literature Club
10:30am: Coding Club
2:00pm: Homework club
2:00pm: Debate Club

Tuesday, February 8
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Chess Club
10:30am: Finance Club

Wednesday, February 9
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Literature Club
10:30am: Coding Club
2:00pm: Racing Saints E-car club
2:00pm: Homework club
2:00pm: Yearbook Club Meeting

Thursday, February 10
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: GSA Club
10:30am: Chess Club
2:00pm: ACE Robotics Team
2:00pm: Math Club
2:00pm: Racing Saints E-car club
2:00pm: Games Club

Friday, February 11
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Star Trek Club
2:00pm: Doctor Who Club

Monday, February 14
Valentine's Day
Photo retakes and Grad Photos
8:00am: School Photo Retake Day - AM
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Literature Club
10:30am: Coding Club
2:00pm: Homework club
2:00pm: Debate Club
Tuesday, February 15
Grad photos
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Chess Club
10:30am: Finance Club
3:30pm: SHSM Workshop: Networking Skills

Wednesday, February 16
Grad photos
SHSM Workshop: Plant Based Eating for Disease Prevention
BENN Newsletter release
Quad 2 Report Distribution Date
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Literature Club
10:30am: Coding Club
11:00am: UW Canadian Computing Competition
2:00pm: Racing Saints E-car club
2:00pm: Homework club

Thursday, February 17
Grad photos
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: GSA Club
10:30am: Chess Club
2:00pm: ACE Robotics Team
2:00pm: Math Club
2:00pm: Racing Saints E-car club
2:00pm: Games Club
3:30pm: SHSM Workshop: Business Etiquette

Friday, February 18
Grad photos
10:30am: MCU Club
10:30am: Star Trek Club
2:00pm: Doctor Who Club

Monday, February 21
Family Day

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

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