Dear Parents and Carers

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Year 6 camp at the Berry Sport and Recreation Centre from Wednesday to Friday. It was a wonderful experience in an excellent location, with a range of fantastic activities on offer.

The students were an absolute pleasure to spend time with. Their behaviour throughout the camp was exemplary, and they approached each activity with enthusiasm, resilience, and teamwork. We were incredibly proud of them, and I’m sure their families will be too.

In Week 2 of Term 3, Year 5 will travel to Tharwa in the ACT for their camp to Birrigai, where they will be learning about the history of the Gold Rush. Soon after, Year 4 will go to Canberra for an overnight excursion, visiting attractions in our capital city.

It is always an exciting and very valuable learning time for our students and we appreciate the support of parents as well as the staff who give their time to attend. 

These camps are always an exciting and enriching part of the school year. They offer valuable opportunities for learning beyond the classroom and help students build independence, confidence, and connection with their peers. We are very grateful for the support of our parents and the dedication of our staff who generously give their time to make these experiences possible.

Spirituality Retreat

Leaders of our Catholic schools are fortunate to be provided with time to focus on spiritual growth in intervals during the school year. I recently travelled to Galong with fellow principals to participate in a Siloam retreat for two days. The theme of the retreat was Receiving: The Synodal Leader, and focused on scripture from the Acts of the Apostles. The idea of seeing clearly and walking with others was emphasised, as we participated in discussion and prayer. Each of us were given the opportunity to share our thoughts, relating the teachings of Jesus and the early church, to how we carry out our role as Catholic leaders in schools.

The opening prayer of our Siloam retreat captured the essence of this well:

Loving God,

You have called us to lead, to serve, and to build communities of faith and learning.

Inspire us through the example of the early Church - bold, Spirit-filled, and united in Christ.

May our decisions be embedded in love, our conversations marked by listening, and our mission grounded in the Gospel.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful leaders.

Amen

Fr Joshy Kurien

We are very happy to welcome Fr Joshy to the St Bernard's Parish. Fr Joshy has moved from the Goulburn parish where he was parish priest for Goulburn and outlying towns. Fr Joshy joined us today to support the students at the Year 6 Confirmation Retreat Day at Carroll College. We look forward to working in partnership with Fr Joshy. 

Bay Theatre Players -Fantastic Mr Fox

Year 4 students will attend a live performance of the exciting story Fantastic Mr Fox at the Bay Theatre Players next Friday 20 June.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to experience live theatre, and we are proud to support several students from St Bernard’s who will be performing in the show. Congratulations to Year 5 and 6 students Eva C, Harper B and Holly B who are performing in the production. 

Lunchtime clubs
This term we have different activities happening at lunchtime to cater for students’ interests. Our lunch time activities include:

• Monday: Board Games in the iCentre with Mrs Rosenbaum/ SRC Meet with Mrs Coggan and Mr Maynard
• Tuesday: Choir with Ms Guthrie
• Wednesday: Chess Club with Mrs Keough
• Thursday: MakerSpace/Coding Club in the iCentre with Mrs Holmes                                   Mini Vinnies Meetings with Mrs Smith
• Friday: Drawing and Games with Mrs Nussdorfer

Lunchtime clubs are great a way to build student engagement, social skills and inclusion for all students.

Cultural Learning Pathway Meetings

This week, Aboriginal students from Years 1 to 6 and their families have taken part in Cultural Learning Pathway meetings with Mr Riley Nolan, classroom teachers and Contact Teacher for Aboriginal students, Mr Marynard to plan cultural goals for learning. The process of goal setting is one that we all value. It is very much about building close connections, focusing on how we can all work together to create excellent opportunities for each child's cultural learning. 

Compass - Absences via the Parent Portal
If your child is absent from school for a whole day or longer, please submit details of the absence via the Parent Portal in Compass. This should be completed within 7 days of the absence. Unexplained absences for your child will be displayed on your homepage when you log in to the Parent Portal. If an unexplained absence appears that you believe to be incorrect, please send an email to the Front Office.

If a student is away for three days or more with no explanation, classroom teachers will follow up with parents to check in on the student. Please know that we are here to support and work in partnership with all families.

I hope that you are able to join us for the Athletics Carnival tomorrow which will be held on our top oval. Students have been preparing for a number of weeks in their PE and Sport lessons. I thank Mrs Angela Holmes in advance for the time she has given to organise the carnival and teach the students.

Warm regards,

Karen

Mrs Karen Hadley

Principal