Dear Parent and Carers,

Sacrament of First Eucharist
Congratulations to our Year 4 students who received the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first-time last Sunday. A special thank you to Fr Joshy, Mrs Keough, Mr Whiteford, Mr Lowe and Mrs Hicks for preparing the students for this special celebration. During his homily, Fr Joshy shared insights from newly canonised saint, Carlo Acutis on his appreciation of the Eucharist: "The more we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven". We wish every blessing for these students.

Storyline
Next Tuesday 23 September, from 9.30am - 10.30am, all parents are invited to visit classrooms to come and see what your child/ren have been learning over the term. Each class launched a Storyline Unit to engage the students in their History or Geography units of work. I hope you can join us in this wonderful celebration of learning. I know your child/ren are very excited and proud to be sharing their work with you. 

Tournament of Minds
Congratulations to our outstanding students who competed in Canberra last Sunday in the Tournament of Minds (ToM) Regional Finals competition! The students proudly represented St Bernard’s in the second round of the competition, showcasing their creativity, problem-solving skills, and teamwork. A special mention goes to Mrs Keough for preparing and supporting our students. The students have now been invited to be part of the ACT Team to travel to Sydney for the International Tournament next term which is an amazing achievement!

Planning 2026

As mentioned in my recent email, Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn (CECG), has provided St Bernard’s with our staffing allocation for next year. This allocation determines the number of classes based on grade enrolments and overall school numbers.

For 2026, the class structure will be as follows:

• Kindergarten: 2 classes
• Year 1: 2 classes
• Year 2: 3 classes
• Year 3: 3 classes
• Year 4: 2 classes
• Year 5: 2 classes
• Year 6: 3 classes

The classroom teachers and the Executive Team will meet to form classes for 2026 in Term 4. This process involves carefully considering social/emotional, behavioural, and academic factors. Teachers are very mindful of the importance of friendships. Students will be invited to nominate 2–3 friends they would like to be placed with in 2026. Every child will be placed in the grouping that best supports their learning and social development.

Classroom teachers will create groupings in consultation with their grade partners, paying particular attention to the factors outlined above. Draft class lists are then reviewed by the Principal, the Classroom Support Teacher, and the School Executive Team. Students will be informed of their class and teacher for 2026 during the “Step Up” session in the final week of Term 4.

Parents and Carers Workshop – Home–School Connections for Student Learning

Next term, we are offering a workshop for parents, carers, and teachers on Tuesday 21 October from 3:15–4:30pm in the iCentre.

The session will be facilitated by Sarah Rose, Catholic Education Family Engagement Officer, and will explore how working side by side listening, learning, and supporting one another can positively impact student achievement and wellbeing. Child care will be provided.
Please complete the RSVP link to secure your place. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3TC6KT2