Dear Parents and Carers

As we near the end of Term 2, it’s a fitting time to reflect on the many achievements of our students throughout the first half of the year. We’ve seen excellent growth in learning, with students consistently demonstrating high levels of engagement, effort, and enthusiasm.

Our students have also embraced a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom — from participating in sporting events at both school and regional levels to engaging in special occasions such as Catholic Schools Week and our Sacramental retreats.

These achievements are a credit to the dedication of our staff, the hard work of our students, and the ongoing support of our parent community. I sincerely thank you all for your contributions to what has been a rich and rewarding term.

Student Semester One reports will be available today via Compass. Parent–Teacher Interviews will be held next week, offering a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in more detail. If you have not yet booked an interview time, I encourage you to do so. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance with the booking process.

Sacrament of Confirmation

This Saturday evening at the 5pm Mass, 14 of our Year 6 students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, with Archbishop Christopher Prowse and Fr Joshy presiding.

We are especially proud of these students, who have thoughtfully prepared for this important step in their faith journey—through class lessons, support at home, and involvement in both the parish and school community.

We warmly encourage you to join us in supporting these students and their families by attending this special celebration.

Staffing Announcement

I would like to congratulate Mrs Sophie Kenny, who will step into the role of Coordinator during Weeks 7–10 of Term 3, while Mrs Jenny Smith takes Long Service Leave. Sophie will be a valuable addition to our leadership team during this time.

Mrs Georgia Veneris will teach Year 2VS full-time during these weeks, ensuring consistency and continuity for the class.

The appointment of a new Year One classroom teacher will be announced in the coming days. In the meantime, we thank Ms Kate Manwaring for her dedication and contribution to our school over the past 18 months, and we wish her every success in the future.

Carroll College Musical Success

I had the pleasure of attending the matinee performance of We Will Rock You at the Bay Pavilions yesterday, along with our Year 4–6 students and staff. The production was outstanding and a real credit to the Carroll College team. It was especially heartwarming to see so many of our former students on stage, shining in their singing and acting roles. Congratulations to all involved—what a fantastic achievement! If you haven’t yet purchased tickets, I encourage you to do so for the final show this evening—you won’t be disappointed. https://bpav.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/147478

NAIDOC Week

Next week, we will begin our school NAIDOC Week celebrations. NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

On Monday and Tuesday, Riley Nolan will work with each grade in the hall to teach traditional dance. We are especially fortunate to have Riley work in our school each week to share his cultural knowledge and the local dhurga language. A special feature of the dancing next week will be Riley playing the yidaki or didgeridu as the children perform their dance.

Looking ahead to Term 3, on Wednesday 23 July (Week 1), our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will take part in our biannual Yuin Bunaan Culture Day, held in partnership with our K–12 Pathway schools, St Mary's Moruya and Carroll College, Broulee. As in previous years, the event will be held at Captain Oldrey Park, Broulee. Students from Years 3-6 will be encouraged to invite a friend to share in the day with them and families are also welcome. There are many members of our community who are coming together to support this event with stalls and information. The day will begin with a welcoming ceremony, opening speeches and activities including cultural dance, bush tucker walk, sport and art. 

On Thursday 24 July, St Patrick’s Primary School, Bega will host the NAIDOC Southern Region Mass. Aboriginal students in Years 4–6 and school leaders will be invited to attend along with students from our region.

We look forward to these special events to celebrate NAIDOC Week in our school communities.

Special Jubilee Pilgrimage

We extend our very best wishes to Ms Jeni McCarthy as she embarks on the Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome during the upcoming school holidays, travelling with the Archbishop and colleagues of our Catholic schools.

This is a wonderful opportunity for Jeni, and we wish her a safe and faith-filled journey. We look forward to hearing about the experiences and insights she will no doubt bring back to share with us on her return.

Important Dates

The final day of school this term for students is next Thursday 3 July. Please note that Friday 4 July is a pupil free day.

Students are asked to wear their pyjamas on the last day next Thursday as part of our fundraising for the St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. We will be attending Mass as a whole school on this day at 9:15am. Everyone is welcome.

School resumes for Term 3 on Tuesday 22 July. 

I hope that you have a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing many of you next week at the Parent/Teacher Interviews.

Warm regards

Karen

Karen Hadley

Principal

THE SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

The Apostles

St's Peter and Paul have always been stars our faith development but have you ever thought of how different they are – like chalk and cheese!

Peter, as a professional fisherman, was most likely uneducated while Paul was a highly educated Pharisee. Both had very strong feelings about Jesus. Peter recognised him immediately as someone special and came to be the first person to acknowledge him as the Messiah, son of God while Paul considered him to be a heretic and a danger to the Jewish faith.

Simon’s name was changed to ‘Cepha or Peter’ meaning the rock and Jesus made it clear that he would be the rock on which His church would be built because of his faith. Because Saul enthusiastically persecuted all who followed Jesus – even approving the stoning of Stephen - God had to literally knock him to his knees when on his way to Damascus. From this encounter Saul was renamed Paul and given his commission to convert the Gentiles.

They didn’t always agree on how to continue their conversion activities yet, by the grace of God and their Holy Spirit gifts both have had the most enormous influence on our faith and both followed Jesus willingly to martyrdom in Rome.

So why do we celebrate a day for the two of them together? On pondering their differences it occurs to me that the very example of two vastly different personalities with very different gifts is a wonderful lesson to us that we must never compare ourselves to others who travel with us on this journey of faith.

I may not have the depth of spiritual gifts of my fellow Catholics or I may have more,  but whether I am rich or poor in the recognition of God, I am called to do my ‘bit’ in spreading his message.

We may be called to bring clarity of faith to a spouse, a family member, a friend or an arena of thousands, but we must recognise that call to proclaim Jesus as Lord within our life daily – in the way we speak, dress, act; read and ponder the Bible and most importantly how we treat others whether speaking of them or to them.

Hopefully people who know you and I, know our commitment to God.

Hopefully for each of us, if we left the area those we left behind would mourn our absence because  they have seen Jesus in us.

Deidre Herring

Important: Pajama Day and Winter Appeal Mass - Change of Date!

We will conclude our Fundraising efforts for The St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal next Thursday.

On this day, students are invited to wear their pajamas to school and bring in a gold coin donation.

We will attend Mass at 9:15 am on Thursday 3 July and we would warmly welcome all families to attend.

You can still purchase a student-designed ‘snowflake’ on QKR for $5, $10 or $20. These funds will be used to purchase items to support families during the winter months. Items might include warm blankets and gloves. 

Contact Mrs Keough if you have any questions.

Our students will now focus on a respect value for the coming week: I wear my school uniform correctly. Students will be rewarded hearts in their classroom heart jar whenever they demonstrate this value. Good luck to the classes who are hoping to win.

Sacramental News: Confirmation

Today, students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation with Father Joshy in preparation for their Confirmation this weekend.

We warmly welcome our school and parish community to join us on Saturday at St Bernard’s Church to celebrate this important sacrament. 

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Archbishop Christopher Prowse will be the celebrant, with Father Joshy supporting.

We hope you can join us.

Please pray for our candidates as they prepare for this special event.

Kind regards,

Beck

Rebecca Keough

Religious Education Coordinator

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Semester One reports will open today at 3pm. Parents and Carers can access these reports through COMPASS. 

Students in Years 1-6 will receive a grade A-E for each area of the curriculum. The Common Grade Scale describes performance at each of five grade levels.

Kindergarten students achievement for each subject is reported against the NSW Syllabuses using the following four-point scale:

Above Expectations The student applies the curriculum content and demonstrates a very good understanding of the required knowledge. The student demonstrates a high level of skill that can be transferred to new situations. 

Meeting Expectations The student typically demonstrates they are working with the curriculum content, with a sound level of understanding of the required concepts, procedures and skills. 

Working Towards Expectations The student is becoming aware of the curriculum content and demonstrates a basic understanding of aspects of required knowledge. Relevant skills are beginning to be developed. 

Experiencing Difficulty The student is demonstrating limited understanding of the curriculum content and required knowledge. 

Parent Teacher Conferences – Reminder

We look forward to welcoming parents and carers to school next Monday and Tuesday for Parent Teacher Conferences. A reminder that bookings can be made through COMPASS and will close at 4:00pm this Friday.

Parent Teacher Conferences provide a valuable opportunity for your child’s classroom teacher to share their achievements, discuss goals, and outline how we can work together to support your child’s ongoing success in the classroom.

JUBILEE YEAR PILGRIMAGE 2025

I am honoured to have been selected to take part in a special Pilgrimage to Rome during the July school holidays. This Catholic Education initiative will bring together colleagues from across the diocese, and we will be privileged to travel under the spiritual guidance of Archbishop Christopher Prowse, who has been preparing us for this journey throughout the term.

The pilgrimage takes place during the Church’s Jubilee Year – a Holy Year celebrated every 25 years, offering a time of grace, renewal, and mercy for all God’s people. Inspired by the lives of many holy men and women of Italy, we will walk in the footsteps of saints such as St Francis and St Clare of Assisi, and Saints Peter and Paul in Rome. A highlight will be crossing the threshold of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica to receive the Jubilee blessing.

I am especially excited at the possibility of glimpsing our new Pope, Leo, during this sacred journey. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you upon my return.

As the term comes to an end, we encourage everyone to take care, stay well, and enjoy some restful, quality time with family over the school holidays. We look forward to welcoming students back for a busy and exciting Semester Two.

In Religious Education, Year 2 students have been learning about God’s nature and how it is revealed through Bible stories. They explored how God showed love and care for people in the Old Testament, and how Jesus’ teachings and actions in the New Testament help us understand more about God today. Students made connections between the life of Jesus and how we can live out his message through kindness, forgiveness, and caring for others. They also learned about the Sacrament of Penance and how it relates to Jesus’ healing ministry. A key focus has been on recognising the importance of all creation and human life, and how we are called to be good stewards of the world. Students discussed how our choices can either harm or help our relationships with God, others, and the environment.

Throughout the term, students took part in different types of prayer, including prayers for forgiveness and meditative practices like centred breathing.

This term, Year 2 students have dived into a variety of texts with a focus on transport and journeys. Through stories, poems, digital texts, and picture books, they are exploring characters, settings, and shared themes. Students are learning how authors use language, structure, and style to connect with their audience and communicate ideas. They are developing an understanding of how different types of texts are organised and how their features help serve their purpose.

As part of our writing focus, Year 2 students have been learning how to plan, create, edit, revise, and publish information reports. Using a single-paragraph outline, students have been writing factual texts about animals, including a clear topic sentence and a concluding sentence that may be a statement, question, command, or exclamation. This work is helping students build their confidence in structuring and presenting information clearly and engagingly. It’s a rich and exciting journey through language and storytelling!

Year 2 students have also been learning all about technology past and present, focusing on how transport, toys, and games have changed over time. We've been looking at the way technology has developed and how it affects our everyday lives.

As part of our learning journey, students have been working closely with Riley Nolan, our Aboriginal Education Officer, who has been sharing valuable insights into First Nations perspectives on both traditional and modern technology. This term, we've explored the tools, toys, and methods of travel and communication used by First Nations Peoples. A highlight was the opportunity to build our own model canoes, and we were fortunate to see a miniature version of a real canoe that Riley crafted himself from stringy bark. Each week, we look forward to welcoming Riley into our classrooms and learning from his knowledge and experience.

To bring this learning to life, we’re very excited to be partnering with the Batemans Bay Heritage Museum in Week 10 for a special incursion. Volunteers from the museum will run three hands-on stations based on the themes “Transport: Then and Now,” “Technology in the Home,” and “Communication and Entertainment.” Students will explore real artefacts, take part in group discussions, and compare items from the past with what we use today. It promises to be a fun, interactive and meaningful learning experience!

Naomi Beatty, Sara McCluskey, Ann-Maree Nussdorfer, Jenny Smith & Georgia Veneris.

Year 2 Teachers

St Bernard’s Athletics Carnival

St Bernard’s held its annual Athletics Carnival on Friday 13 June with both students and teachers enjoying a fantastic day despite the intermitent showers. Students competed in age groups from Kinder to 12 years. All students who participated in field events, including trials, 800m, 200m and 100m received points in the House competition. The winning house was Clairvaux. Congratulations to all students especially our House Captains and the children who helped with leadership of the teams throughout the day. The teachers commented on the kindness of students who assited with field events, running of novelty events, those who helped in marshalling and those who encouraged their friends and congratulated their running mates.

I must extend my sincere thanks to all the staff who gave so generously of their time helping with set up, field events, races, timekeeping, judging and at the canteen. Without their assistance the day would not have been so enjoyable for the students we are most grateful. Thank you to our amazing Sports Coaches from Carroll College who helped with timing, field events and pack up. Photos of the day and our ribbon ceremony are available on the schools Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StBernardsPrimarySchoolBatemansBay

Congratulations also to:

Junior Champion Athletes Astrid B and Raph C, Runner up Champions Winter W and Lehan D.

11yr Champions Beatrix F and Lucas VD, Runner up Champions Charlie M and Noah S.

Senior Champions Lilly G and Ollie L, Runner up Champions Georgina W and Finn H.

The following students have been selected to compete at the Southern Region Carnival in Bega next term a fantastic achievement.

Alyssa O, Emerson B, Kaitlyn D, Harper A, Georgia N, Ashton S, Vander C, Nalu G, Roland S, Harlo W, Sietta G, Sienna K, Juliette  DC, Fraser S, Lebron C, Jordan L, Hudson A, Jacob B, Indie F, Ivy G, Astrid B, Winter W, Annabelle T, Yana K, Raph C, Lehan D, William O, James P, Zaden F, Cooper M, Beatrix F, Charlie M, Aurelia S, Brooklen S, Addison G, Sydnee S, Avia N, Lucas VDS, Noah S, Xavier L, Levi T, Remi C, Quinn S, Ben F, Lilly G, Georgina W, Indiana A, Sienna N, Scarlett C, Emie A, Paige L, Sion D, Ollie L, Liam C, Pravin V, Harper B, Finn H, Mason H.

Upcoming Sport Dates

Sunday and Monday 29 and 30 June - MacKillop Rugby Union Championships

Monday 28 July - Southern Region Athletics Carnival

Enjoy a restful and relaxing holiday break.            

Angela Holmes

Term 2

Week 8 Class Awards

Presented: Friday 20 June 2025.

Well done to all!