A very happy New Year and a warm welcome to both our returning and new families at the College for 2025. I trust that each of you, along with your extended families, enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating holiday period. To all the new families joining us this year, I am sure it won’t take long for you to feel embraced as part of the wonderful Bennies community. I have just returned from a term of long service leave and six weeks in Europe with my family, all of which was marvellous, I am excited to be back at school and for another year at our College.

Schools are dynamic places, and our staffing has continued to be very stable, especially so given our size. Again, this year, the College is in a period of growth and as a result we have been able to recruit for some exceptional additional staff for 2025. We have been fortunate to employ outstanding educators for roles across the College and we are excited to welcome the following new staff as they commence their roles this year.

And some changes for other staff to commence the year

Should you have any concerns as the year progresses, please do not hesitate to make contact with the College staff. We seek to partner with you in your daughter’s education. I encourage you to contact your daughter’s Homeroom Mentor as the first point of contact for any wellbeing matter or the class teacher for a subject-related matter by telephone or email.

If there is any way that I can be of assistance to you throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email.

Karen Keogh
Deputy Principal

As we begin another exciting school year, we extend a warm welcome to all students, staff, and families joining our community. I am delighted to introduce two new members of our Mission Team, both of whom will play key roles in strengthening our faith community this year.

First, we are pleased to welcome Ms Jacinta Wells as our new Deputy Dean of Mission. Jacinta brings a wealth of experience in guiding students to live out their faith and Catholic Social Teaching, with a particular focus on raising awareness of social justice issues. Her passion and expertise will be invaluable in fostering a deeper commitment to service and compassion within our community.  We are also excited to welcome Ms Christina Ryan as our new Assistant Head of Religion and Head of Liturgy and Prayer. Christina comes to us with an extensive background in liturgical ministry and Religious Education. We look forward to her contribution to enriching our prayer life and enhancing the spiritual experience for all members of our community. The existing Mission Team is eager to collaborate with Jacinta and Christina, to provide our community with meaningful opportunities to deepen their faith.

This year is especially significant for Catholics as we journey through the Jubilee Year—a time to reflect on our shared faith and mission.  “Pilgrims of Hope,” is the theme Pope Francis has chosen for the Holy year.  It is a beautiful reminder that as a community, we walk together in hope, seeking renewal, and transformation. This theme resonates deeply with our value for the year, “Hospitality,” which will guide us in fostering closer relationships with one another and with God.

In keeping with tradition, we will celebrate our Opening School Mass on Friday 7 February. This Mass provides us with the opportunity to come together as a community and invite God’s blessing upon our academic year. We will also ask for God’s blessings on our new students and staff. As is customary at Bennies, each new member of our community will be presented with a Benedictine Medal as a sign of welcome and belonging.

Throughout Term One, there will be many opportunities for students to engage in prayer, service and reflection.  As we move towards Lent and Easter, we will be partnering with Caritas to explore Catholic Social Teaching, the challenges faced by people around the world and how Caritas supports communities in need. One key event, early this term, will be the Caritas Trek.  The Trek raises awareness about the plight of young girls around the world who need to travel great distances before school to collect water for their family. This event has been extended to two days in recent years to accommodate the large number of students eager to participate. Students are encouraged to read the Student Update to ensure they don’t miss out on these meaningful opportunities.

I look forward to an exciting new year and to share all the wonderful things happening in our community.  If you’re just joining us at the College or haven’t yet done so, I encourage you to follow Bennies on our social media channels, Facebook , Instagram . Our Marketing Team does an excellent job of capturing and sharing photos and stories of students engaging in the many Mission activities. It’s always heartwarming to see our students and staff involved and enjoying  these experiences!

Kerry Bailey
Dean of Mission

Happy New Year and welcome back to another promising year of learning and growth at Bennies!

We were incredibly proud to celebrate the fabulous HSC results achieved by the Graduating Class of 2024. Thanks to their hard work and the supportive environment at Bennies, these outstanding achievements have provided them with a springboard towards their post-school goals. If you missed the communications – you can check out the news on the College website. We can't wait to see what futures unfold for the Class of 2024 as they step into the next chapters of their lives.

As we step into 2025, we are thrilled to share some exciting developments in our teaching and learning environment. This year, our educational journey will focus on three key areas designed to enhance our students’ learning experiences and outcomes, emphasising not only academic success but also significant personal growth and active engagement in the learning process.

Leveraging Cognitive Science in Lesson Design

Our teaching staff have been exploring and learning about the latest findings from learning science to make lessons more effective and engaging. By understanding how the brain learns best, teachers can design their lessons to maximise retention and comprehension. This approach helps us tailor our teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of our students, making learning a dynamic, immersive experience tailored to each student's unique strengths and interests. The integration of student-led discussions and reflective practices into our lesson plans further prepares our students to be lifelong learners and active contributors to society.

Embracing Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

This year, we are committed to providing more explicit opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking and problem solving activities. Whether through class discussions, project-based learning, or research work, our aim is to help students not just learn information, but to think deeply about it and apply it in meaningful ways. By encouraging students to tackle challenges that stimulate their intellect and creativity, we foster a student-centred approach where they are encouraged to take charge, be curious by asking questions, and seeking out answers. This practice not only enhances their critical thinking but also builds resilience and self-direction.

Harnessing AI for Enhanced Assessment

We will continue our work integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies into our assessment methods. AI will assist students in unpacking complex tasks, by learning how to create powerful prompts which can make the tasks manageable and open doors to new approaches and understandings. This technology not only provides immediate, actionable feedback but also empowers students to take control of their learning journey. Students are encouraged to use AI tools to become adept at enhancing their own academic pursuits and to develop curiosity and initiative. We have developed bespoke hybrid courses for Year 8 – 12 helping to unpack the power of a range of AI tools. For more information please email our eLearning Resource Teacher, Ms Farrar dfarrar@msb.nsw.edu.au

We are enthusiastic about the potential of these initiatives to enrich our school's learning environment and provide our students with the tools they need to succeed.

Class Placements

Considerable thought and effort are invested in the construction of class placements, starting mid-way through the previous year. We carefully consider each student's individual challenges, diverse learning needs, and academic achievements. Our objective is to create balanced environments that foster both academic excellence and social development for all students. We recognise that adjusting to a new class can be challenging initially, and while changing classes is discouraged, we are dedicated to ensuring that every student settles in comfortably. If your child is experiencing difficulties or concerns with their current class placement, we encourage the student to speak directly with their Head of House or Homeroom Mentor. This approach not only helps build a meaningful relationship with the Head of House but also empowers your child to actively use their voice in expressing their needs and concerns. The Head of House is ready to listen to students' concerns and provide support to facilitate a smoother transition, which may include strategies to expand and strengthen their social networks. This dialogue is essential for ensuring that your child feels supported and understood within our College community. We value your understanding and cooperation as we work to provide the most supportive learning environment for all our students.

As we embark on this journey together, we look forward to your continued support and involvement. Here’s to a fantastic 2025 filled with learning, growth, and success!

Corinna Bailey
Dean of Learning Science and Innovation

On behalf of the College Wellbeing Team, I warmly welcome all students and families to the 2025 school year and hope the break provided our families with the opportunity to refresh and reconnect. As a new member of the College Executive, I look forward to meeting the girls and their families in the coming weeks and months. As a product of an all girls’ Benedictine education myself, I hope your daughter’s journey is as fruitful and rewarding as mine was, and look forward to working in partnership with you as we best support your daughter during her time at Mount St Benedict College.

As we commence the school year, it is helpful to acquaint our new families and reacquaint our existing families with the support systems available. For concerns pertaining to your daughter’s wellbeing or transition into the new school year, her Head of House is your best point of contact. Heads of Houses can be reached via email or phone (9980 0444). If you feel your daughter would benefit from seeing one of our College Counsellors, please contact the relevant Head of House who will arrange for a referral.

Our team this year is as follows:

As part of our commitment to the care of our Students, we also have Assistant Heads of House who work to support our girls and their families in addition to providing assistance to the Heads of House. They are:

Our Vision for Wellbeing

Launched in 2023, the Mount St Benedict College Wellbeing and Learning Model has become an intrinsic part of College life. As part of our investment into our Students, the College arranges fortnightly Wellbeing Workshops to support our students. Our research-based approach fosters stronger relationships and connections whilst also upskilling each of our girls to help promote success during and beyond, their time at the College.

As part of our commitment to the development of the whole girl, we employ the “Flourishing at School” model which, through a series of online surveys allows each student to gain a greater understanding of how she engages with the pillars of wellbeing and develop strategies to help her thrive.

More information about the platform, including content relating to data privacy and security information, can be found here .

Looking forward to meeting you and your daughters when the term commences.
Best wishes,

Sheri Upasiri
Dean of Wellbeing

Welcome to 2025! We are very excited to welcome back our students and in particular, I’d like to warmly welcome our new students and families to this special Bennies community.

The Cocurricular Program plays a significant part of the overall learning experience here at Bennies. The participation rates across the program continued to grow last year and we expect this to continue in 2025 as we expand our cocurricular offerings to cater for a range of student needs and interest areas. Already, enrolment numbers for our Term One IGSA Badminton and Tennis teams have nearly quadrupled from last year, which is a positive indicator that we are providing new opportunities for students to flourish. Likewise, we have strong numbers for our new Junior Production that will take place in Term 2 this year, as an alternative to our Biennial College Musical. This arrangement will continue to alternate every year so that there is something in the creative and performing arts for our students every year. It is our intent to grow the program this year, so please encourage your daughter to keep an eye and ear out for information throughout the year. You can also follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/benniescocurricular/ for regular cocurricular updates and news.

Late last year, we sent communication home regarding a slight change in our Representative Sport Program. Historically, we have accessed the Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW) Representative Sport Pathway through Broken Bay Sport (BBS). This year, we will no longer be participating in BBS Representative Sport but rather the Catholic Girls' Secondary Schools Sporting Association (CGSSSA) where we will be competing against similar independent Catholic schools from NSW. Students who progress through the CGSSSA pathway will continue to compete at CSNSW level. This remains unchanged. If you have any further queries, please contact Mr Darren Nosti, Sport Academy Coordinator at dnosti@msb.nsw.edu.au .

When students return, the Cocurricular Team will begin opening registrations for many of our programs. As such, students are reminded to regularly check their emails that will include registration details. You will find more information about the Cocurricular Program below including an overview of the program, the summary of offerings for 2025 and a Term One outline to help students and their families make informed decisions about what they would like to participate in. Please note, this information is correct at the time of publishing, but activities and schedules can occasionally change due to teaching staff availability as well as student participation rates.

COCURRICULAR PROGRAM BROCHURE

SUMMARY OF OFFERINGS BROCHURE

TERM ONE OUTLINE

Should you have any questions or queries about the program, please contact the relevant Academy Convenors or Coordinators as listed below.

I look forward to a great 2025! In the Year of Hospitality, I challenge our students to get involved, meet new friends, hang out with old ones and enjoy being part of this wonderful community.

Wishing our students, staff and families a fantastic year ahead!

Christina He
Leader of Cocurricular

Click here to view the Parent Handbook which contains important information about the College.

Important information about Bus Services on Thursday 30 January 2025

While most public bus services will run on Thursday 30 January, the College has recently been informed that no contracted school bus services will run on Thursday 30 January.

School buses are contracted to run according to the public school calendar, which has previously not impacted Mount St Benedict College. However, recent industrial award changes for public school staff have introduced additional pupil-free days in public schools, including at the beginning of the school year. This has impacted most of the College's school bus services on Thursday 30 January. Our neighbouring independent schools have also been impacted by this decision.

Parents of Year 7,11 and12 students should make alternative arrangements for their daughters to travel to and from school on Thursday 30 January if they catch a school bus. Most bus services will run as usual from Friday 31 January.

Bennies Private Bus Services

Public Bus Services

The following CDC NSW public bus services will operate on Thursday 30 January and Friday 31 January:

The 9087 bus service to Hornsby Station via Westleigh (CDC Forest District) is confirmed for operation from Friday 31 January.

As per usual, families are advised to check the transportnsw.info website to confirm transport arrangements for their daughters.

We are pleased to share two updates about our free Bennies Bus Cherrybrook Metro service:

1.    Transition to Electric Buses
Through our charter partnership with North Sydney Bus Charters, the Bennies Bus fleet will be transitioning to electric vehicles over the course of 2025. This initiative reflects our commitment to our College value of Stewardship.

2.    Additional Shuttle Service
Starting from the beginning of the 2025 school year, an additional Bennies Metro Shuttle will operate between Cherrybrook Metro and Mount St Benedict College. This means there will now be two 55-seat shuttles running every 10 minutes during the morning service.

Morning Timetable – Departing Cherrybrook Metro:

Afternoon Timetable – Departing Mount St Benedict College (Gate D):

Important Notes:

Mount St Benedict College is well serviced by buses which drop and pick up students in Beecroft Road before the start and at the end of the College day. Parents should make their own enquiries to TRANSPORT INFOLINE if train or bus travel is required.

Students must have a valid Opal Card to travel on school buses and they are required to tap on and off both morning and afternoon. The School OPAL card gives eligible students free or discounted travel between home and school, using the train, bus and ferry services you nominate in your application. For further information go to transportnsw.info/school-students

It is very important that students use their Opal card to tap on and off the Government bus services provided. If students do not have an Opal card for the Government bus, parents are asked to order a replacement card online.

https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-elig...

Tapping on and off with your Opal card is vital as College Bus services are provided by Transport NSW in response to the needs of the community. The need is determined by the data collected from students using their Opal card to tap on and off the bus. If students do not have an Opal card or do not use their Opal card to tap on and off, this leads to inaccurate data being collected, and the need is not addressed or known by Transport NSW. This leads to full buses and transport needs are not met as a result.

Bennies Private Bus Services

All Bennies Private Bus Services will be operating from Thursday 30 January. Please note:

Students must tap on and off the private bus services with their College-issued ID card. Year 7 and new students to the College are exempt until they are issued with cards.

Please see link for timetable and bus stop locations: https://www.msb.nsw.edu.au/enrolments/location-and-transport/private-bus-services/

Bennies Ryde Region Service (BB1) (Limited seats available)
Paid Private Bus Service
Operating from Thursday 30 January.
Bus stops: Ermington, West Ryde, Putney, Ryde, North Ryde, Marsfield and Epping.
Link to bus route (after opening the Google map, double click on the bus stop to see photos of the bus stop location)

Bennies North West Service (BB2) (No seats available)
Paid Private Bus Service
Operating from Thursday 30 January.
Bus stops: Rouse Hill, Beaumont Hills, North Kellyville, Kellyville and Castle Hill
Link to bus route (after opening the Google map, double click on the bus stop to see photos of the bus stop location)

Bennies North Shore Service (BB3) (No seats available)
Paid Private Bus Service
Operating from Thursday 30 January.
Bus stops: South Turramurra, West Pymble, Pymble, Turramurra, Warrawee, Wahroonga, Hornsby and Thornleigh
Link to bus route (after opening the Google map, double click on the bus stop to see photos of the bus stop location)

The new College portal, BenniesLink was launched in November 2024 and is available for parents to access. BenniesLink is a centralised platform to help you efficiently manage your daughter’s education at the College. The portal is also used by staff and students at the College. This portal will give you easy access to College learning platforms, parent information, newsletters, student timetables, and the College calendar.

The BenniesLink portal is available through your desktop browser and the mobile app.

Year 7 Parents and New 2025 Families
An email will be sent with instructions for logging into BenniesLink for the first time.

BenniesLink Parent Portal User Guide: CLICK HERE
This comprehensive guide will help you navigate and utilise the features of the portal.

Year 8 -12 Parents
If you have yet to log into BenniesLink, please refer to the user guide linked above.

Link to log in for the first time:

https://bennieslink.msb.nsw.edu.au/

Access this link to log in for the first time and click the Forgot Password link.

Subsequent log-in link: https://bennieslink.msb.nsw.edu.au/
The functionality of the portal will continue to grow as further enhancements are progressively rolled out.

Mrs Kylie Gray
Director of Marketing

From Thursday 12 December, changes were made to College networks and College - supplied laptops regarding sites and services that students can access. Students in Years 7 through to 10 can no longer use the direct chat function within Microsoft Teams. This change does not affect the student learning experience, as it only relates to direct messaging, voice, and video calls within the direct messaging feature on the platform. Collaborative and supervised interaction within College defined Teams and Groups is still accessible to all students.

Similarly, access to streaming services for the same year groups has been removed, including but not limited to Netflix, Spotify, and others.

Students in all year groups now have greater restrictions placed on social media and networking sites and their access to Zoom Team Chat has been removed. These changes are in line with our continuous improvement approach across all College systems.

Scott Broadbridge-Brown
Director of ICT

Open Day

Save the Date - Bennies is holding our annual Open Day on Sunday 2 March from 10.00am - 2.00pm.

Tell your friends with daughters currently in Year 5 that enrolments for Year 7 2027 are now open.  Prospective families can register to attend: https://enquiry.msb.nsw.edu.au/events , and lodge an online Expression of Interest to reserve your daughter's position on our database.

Have you moved or changed your phone number?

Please update your change of contact details within BenniesLink (Parent Portal) .

Absentee Procedure

If a student is absent and will not be attending school on that day, a text message needs to be sent to 0407 461 087 notifying the College of this with a reason.

College Communication

To keep up to date with what's happening at the College, please like our Facebook page here , follow our Instagram page here and read the College Newsletter and Bennies Updates, which are delivered via email each Friday afternoon.

College Term Dates

Term One Years 7,11,12 Thursday 30 January - Friday 11 April.
Years 8, 9,10 Friday 31 January - Friday 11 April.

Term Two Tuesday 29 April - Friday 27 June.
Monday 9 June - King's Birthday Public Holiday.

Term Three Wednesday 23 July - Friday 26 September.

Term Four Tuesday 14 October - Wednesday 3 December.

From the Fees Desk

Annual Fees Statements for 2025 have been emailed to all families. Term One fees are due Friday 7 February.

If the College holds a Direct Debit Authority to deduct payments automatically from your bank account or credit card, payment processing for the year will commence as follows:

Friday 7 February for weekly, fortnight B and term payments.

Friday 14 February for fortnight A payments.

Monday 17 February for monthly payments (17th of the month, or next business day).

Term Two payments are due 2 May 2025 .

Term Three payments are due 25 July 2025 .

Term Four payments are due 17 October 2025 .

Direct Debit Authorities remain in force until the College receives notification in writing. New authorities can be downloaded from the College website. Please click here . Please email completed form to fees@msb.nsw.edu.au

If you wish to confirm your payment arrangements or require a copy of your 2025 statement, please contact our Finance Team on 9980 0445 or fees@msb.nsw.edu.au

Extended Fee Payment Option – Edstart

Families in need of an extended payment plan beyond the current school year may consider contacting Edstart on https://edstart.com.au/msb

Disclaimer :Mount St Benedict College does not provide any recommendations, brokering, or advice services. We do not receive referral fees, commissions, or other remuneration from this company.

College Uniform Shop

The College Shop is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during Term Time between 8.00am-12.00pm and 1.00pm-4.00pm, and is located near the Hall Courtyard.
Click here to see the 2025 College Shop price list

We are excited to announce that the renovation of A Block is now complete. This upgrade includes three additional TAS multi-purpose learning spaces, a dedicated Health Clinic, and improved offices for Student Services and the Wellbeing Team.

To help you navigate this change, please refer to the access details below:

Collection of Students During the School Day
(e.g., attending an appointment or due to illness)

In 2025, Mount St Benedict College will partner with a new canteen provider.

Introduction from Vanilla Blue

Vanilla Blue are excited to be your new canteen provider at Mount St Benedict College. As finalists in 2023 and 2024 for “Education Site Caterer of the Year”, we focus on wholesome lunches and snacks that will be freshly prepared on-site each day by our dedicated and friendly canteen team including your Canteen Manager- Migumi, Chef- Josh and Canteen Assistants- Kym, Sharon and Prin.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to our team, please call 1300 556 086 or msbcanteen@vanillablue.com.au .

Menu

Please view our menu here.

Student Opening specials will begin on Monday 3 February, and will be published in next week’s newsletter.

Students are not permitted to order hot drinks including coffee, except for Year 11 and 12 students, who are permitted to order hot chocolates before school or during study periods.

Payment information
Orders can be placed up to 8am on the day via the Flexischools app, or over the counter by Student ID card (linked to the Flexischools account) or physical bank/ATM cards.

Vanilla Blue supports the College’s policy on mobile phone usage, so we are unable to accept payment by mobile tap-and-go.

Your student Flexischools account should already be linked to the new canteen menu.

Sign up to Flexischools here.

To Access the schedule of events for 2025 log in to BenniesLink (Parent Portal) Calendar.

*College Assemblies For Parents

College Assemblies are livestreamed for the MSB parent community at 9:40-10:45am on the dates specified in the schedule above. The live stream link is here.

Students should arrive at the Hildegard Centre Roof between 8.00am and 8:15am on Thursday 30 January. Parents are welcome to join their daughters on the Hildegard Centre Roof before school and watch the Guard of Honour at 8.30am.

At the end of the school day at 3:15pm, please have a plan in place for your daughter to travel home safely. In particular, if you are meeting at a College gate, please agree this in advance - either the Beecroft Road or Hull Road gates.

Parking: There is no parking available on College grounds [7.30am - 4.00pm]. Parking suggestions include the top of Beecroft Road adjacent to Observatory Park, or Loftus Road and Wilson Road on the opposite side of Pennant Hills Road, where the College can be accessed via the overhead pedestrian bridge. A College map is available for your convenience, as well as parking options (shown in pink).

Bennies Private Buses will resume from Thursday 30 January.

Your daughter might like to catch the free Bennies Shuttle Service to Cherrybrook Metro in the afternoon - and be collected from there. This bus leaves from Gate D and staff can direct students where to go to access this service.

A couple of “Need to Know” items for Years 11 and 12 over the next two weeks.

The ELEVATE study program will happen again for Years 11 and 12 on Thursday 30 January. This is an annual event and is the culmination of the study skills program which now runs throughout the College. ELEVATE deliver high quality tailored programs for the specific needs of senior students. The feedback and engagement from past year groups has been very positive. These sessions will be held across a number of classrooms with a trained presenter. A College staff member will also be in the room for these sessions.

Please make sure you read through the Assessment Handbook with your daughter. Year 12 Assessment Handbooks were issued mid-Term Four and Year 11 will be issued shortly. It is important parents are aware of the guidelines that help make assessment equitable and in accord with the guidelines from NESA. Please contact RRussell@msb.nsw.edu.au if you would like a copy emailed home.

Corinna Bailey
Dean of Learning Science and Innovation