I am pleased to report that we are nearing completion of our recruitment process for 2026, having worked to fill over 17 positions this term. This significant staffing renewal reflects both our school's continued growth and our commitment to bringing exceptional educators into our community. The response to our campaign demonstrates that the wider community sees us as an employer of choice. The calibre of candidates we have met with and appointed is truly outstanding, and I'm confident they will contribute meaningfully to our mission of empowering young women through excellent Catholic education grounded in our Benedictine and Good Samaritan tradition.

Our new staff members join a dedicated team committed to forming our girls to grow; academically, spiritually, and personally within the rich tradition of Benedictine education. Each appointment reflects individuals who understand and embrace our unique mission.

As we prepare for 2026, we invite you to extend warm Benedictine hospitality to our new staff as they become part of our College community. More details about our new appointments will be shared next term.

Thank you for your continued partnership in forming the next generation of faithful, confident, and capable young women.

Karen Keogh
Deputy Principal

Week 10 in Term Three is always a time of mixed emotions as we farewell our Year 12 Students. These students have been such an important part of the College, which is never more evident than in the wonderful House Liturgies. It is always such a privilege to attend these and to hear the wonderful testimonies offered by each of the Homerooms for “their Year 12s”.

Graduation Week starts with the Connect Evening. This tradition is a meaningful mini retreat marking the milestone of finishing school and celebrating this significant period of transition.  It is a chance for Year 12 to come together and just be before the hectic and emotional few days of Graduation.

There is no more fitting place to begin this special evening than in the Chapel. This sacred space is where the Good Samaritan Sisters have sat quietly, listening for the voice of God and the gentle whisper of grace and mercy. The girls are invited to pause to listen to the beating of their own hearts and to be guided by God’s love, allowing their hearts and souls to catch up in what is often a busy and overwhelming week.

The evening was filled with meaningful activities. Students rotated through various stations, including preparing hospitality care packs to be distributed to Vinnies Parramatta and Vinnies Hornsby, embodying the spirit of giving. They also listened to words of wisdom from Mrs Keogh, Mrs Luckman, Mrs Gallagher and Mr LeGrand. After dinner, they engaged with The Giving Tree , reflecting deeply on who they are today and who they hope to become. As part of this session, Mrs Wells offered  them this advice,

“Tonight isn’t just about what you’ve achieved over the past six years. It’s about what you’ve become.

You’ve become people who know how to keep going when it’s hard.
People who offer a hand, even when their own is tired.
People who’ve learned that uncertainty is not something to fear, but something to face together.

So, as you take your next steps, whether they’re bold or tentative, I hope you remember this: you already carry within you the roots of resilience and the branches of becoming. Keep growing, keep giving, and above all, keep hoping .”

On 22 September, the College entered four teams in Write a Book in a Day, an event that challenges students across Australia to write and illustrate a novel in just 12 hours while raising vital funds for childhood cancer research. The charity supports scientific research to develop better treatments and ultimately a cure, while also helping children on their journey of recovery.

Each team was given unique parameters for their story, including a set of characters, a setting, an issue, and five random words that had to appear in the final book.

Our four teams in the competition included:

Every book submitted will be made available for free to children in hospitals around Australia, potentially brightening their day, while the funds raised will help ensure more children can leave hospital and return to the classroom sooner.

This year, our students raised around $3,000 for Write a Book in a Day. These funds will directly support vital childhood cancer research projects through The Kids’ Cancer Project, helping to save lives, improve treatments, and reduce the long-term side effects faced by survivors.

Throughout the day, students discovered the importance of time management, problem-solving, and collaboration, often experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions as ideas evolved and deadlines approached.

Competition results will be announced in October, but the true reward for our students lies in knowing their stories will be shared with children in hospitals. Offering comfort, distraction, and hope, these books give the competition its deepest meaning.

The Write a Book in a Day competition continues to inspire creativity, foster teamwork, and remind us all of the power of stories to connect and heal.

Jiwon Kim
English Faculty

At Mount St Benedict College, our uniform is more than just clothing—it’s a symbol of belonging, respect, and readiness for the world beyond school. When students wear their uniform with pride and care, they reflect the values that underpin our Graduate Attributes, including:

You can explore all the Graduate Attributes on the accompanying image.

But why does it matter how we wear it?

Research shows that high expectations—even in small things like uniform—can have a big impact. According to studies in educational psychology and workplace readiness, when schools set clear standards and students rise to meet them, they develop habits that translate into professional environments. Wearing a uniform well fosters:

These are the very qualities employers look for in young people entering the workforce. In fact, a report from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) highlights that students who experience high expectations are more likely to be work-ready and confident in new environments. With this in mind, we have made alterations to the College diary and uniform policies next year highlighting that uniforms should be below the knee not above, so that students can, no matter what rate they grow, be comfortable in their uniform and ready to represent themselves, their families and the College well.

So next time your daughter adjusts her collar, puts a ribbon in her hair or polishes her shoes, remember—it’s not just about rules. It’s about showing the world she’s ready.

Sheri Upasiri
Dean of Wellbeing

A heartfelt thank you to all New Norcia and Maresdous students for your generous donations in support of our House Partner, the Bacolod Philippines Kinder School. Your contributions will help provide much-needed books for the children’s learning and enjoyment. During the upcoming holidays, Year 11 students Amelie T and Grace A will visit the school on our behalf to deliver these gifts and share our community’s warm wishes. Your kindness is making a real difference—well done everyone!

Special thanks to Ms Rowena Flowers and Ms Catherine Exton for leading this initiative.  💜💚

Nicola Murray
Head of House - New Norcia

The balance of 2025 school fees are due on Friday 17 October.

If paying automatic deductions by the term, the payment for the balance of your fees will be processed on Friday 17 October. Monthly, fortnightly and weekly deductions will continue until mid-November, including Year 12.

Year 12 Enrolment Deposits will be refunded to the fees account after Exit Day – 13 November. A final statement will then be issued.

If you have any queries regarding your fees account, please contact the Finance Office on 9980 0445 or fees@msb.nsw.edu.au

Please find a link to a fact sheet from TransportNSW with minor changes to the train network, which will take effect from Sunday 19 October. It also contains links and general information regarding obtaining a Student Opal Card or providing feedback directly to TransportNSW.

To access the College calendar log in to BenniesLink (Parent Portal) Calendar.
Click here

* 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 livestream link is here.

Year 9 Duke of Ed Bronze Adventurous Journey – Somerset, Colo River

Following their Year 9 Residential Experience in Week 7, our Duke of Edinburgh Bronze participants had the opportunity to spend a week at Somerset on the Colo River. We were fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather, which helped make the journey a successful and memorable experience.

A total of 111 Year 9 students remained after completing their Residential Experience to undertake the Adventurous Journey component of their Duke of Ed Award. These students stayed through to Saturday afternoon, showing great commitment and resilience throughout the week.

We were also fortunate to have the support of six dedicated Bennies staff members who generously gave their time to assist the students. A heartfelt thank you to:

Miss Gallacher, Mrs Go, Mrs Hattersley, Mr Le Grand, Mr van der Meer, and Mr Tompkins.

The reflections below from students, highlight the impact and significance of the Adventurous Journey experience and what it truly means to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh program.

The MSB Social Debating Competition provides an opportunity for experienced debaters to further develop and share their debating skills and also for those new to debating to explore this fun and useful activity.

The six-week program, held after school on Fridays from Weeks 2 – 7 of Term Four will have a workshop session each week with the Debating coaches and then a series of practice debates, where participants can try speaking in different positions, or take different approaches.

Further details are included on the following information sheet, which includes links to the Registration Form and Payment Portal - PERMISSION AND REGISTRATION HERE .

Participation in the Social Debating is neither a prerequisite for, or guarantee of a place in one of the Bennies Debating teams for the 2026 CSDA or Archdale competitions. Trials for those competitions will be held in Term Four.

For any questions, please reach out to Mr Steven Rosenstrauss.

MSB Representative Sport, Team trials – Term Four

In Term four, students will be invited to express their interest to trial for various MSB representative teams. We are currently in the process of trials for our Representative Volleyball teams and will be emailing students links to an expression of interest form for the following sports. The EOI forms will be emailed closer to the date of competition.

NSWCCC Athletics Carnival – 15 September

Congratulations to our students who represented CGSSSA (Catholic Girls Secondary School Sport Association) at the NSWCCC Athletics Carnival, held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on Monday 15 September. It was a fantastic day of competition with excellent results achieved across both track and field events.

Track Highlights:

Field Highlights:

Well done to all athletes for their commitment, determination, and school spirit. We are proud of your efforts and look forward to seeing your continued success.

MSB - CGSSSA Team Members:
Abigail W, Cate M, Eliza OH, Emma B, Eva E, Joycelyn O, Mikayla M, Nehara D, Penny J, Ruby P, Sienna M and Sophie P.

All Schools Touch Football Finals

On Wednesday 17 September our Year 7/8 Touch Football team travelled to Nolan’s Reserve, Manly, to compete in the prestigious NSW Touch Football All Schools Finals. The level of competition was extremely high, with the best school teams from across NSW all vying for state honours.

Our players showed great skill, teamwork and resilience throughout the pool matches, finishing third in their pool and earning a well-deserved place in the quarter finals. This was a fantastic achievement, as it placed the team among the top eight schools in the state.

The quarter final match was played at a fast pace, with our students giving their all right to the final whistle. Although the result didn’t go our way, the team displayed tremendous spirit, determination and fair play, representing the College with pride. Thank you also to Mr Nosti (coach), Mr Lichaa (coach) and Miss Finegan (manager) for their help on the day.

7/8 Touch Football Team Members:  Amelia B, Claudia M, Eleanor H, Elise W, Emma B, Emma S, Harper M, Mia S, Scarlett B, Sienna G, Victoria F and Zoe L.

Darren Nosti
Sport Academy Coordinator

Students will change to summer uniform on the first day of Term Four, Tuesday 14 October.

For all those students who have purchased the College Winter Pants, you are allowed to wear these in the summer terms until the new College Summer Pants are introduced. If you wish to wear the pants, seniors can wear them with their senior summer blouse and juniors with the junior summer blouse.

A reminder that the College Shop opening days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Nikki Horbach
College Shop Manager