Dear Parents and Carers

I hope you are having an enjoyable week. This Saturday, 19 of our Year 4 students will be receiving the Sacrament of First Eucharist. The students will participate fully in the Eucharist for the first time. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers at this special time. Blessings to all.

I feel very privileged to be part of the St Bernard’s Community. I work alongside a dedicated team of staff who are committed to providing your child/ren with the best education, helping them to reach their full potential. We care for all students and I hope that as you walk into the school each day, you feel welcomed and a valued member of the St Bernard’s Community. Please know that our door is always open. If you ever have a question or a concern arises, I encourage you to make contact with your child’s teacher. Each week the teachers prepare an email to be sent home to inform you of the focus for teaching and learning for the week and any reminders for the week ahead. This direct line of communication with the teacher is so important. Education is a partnership between home and school. Next year we hope to engage parents more in the school with greater opportunities for you to be part of your child’s learning.    

Southern Region Public Speaking Competition

Congratulations on the following students who progressed to the finals of the Southern Region Public Speaking Competition this week:

The competition was held in individual schools via video link up last Tuesday for Stage Two and Wednesday for Stage Three. The finalists were asked to deliver their speech in front of a computer screen. The students spoke beautifully and we are very proud of their efforts. Thank you to Mrs Hadley for her coordination of this event. A special congratulations to Annie F (First place for Year 3), Isla B (Runner up for Year 4) an Ellen H (Runner up for Year 6). They will now be presenting their speeches virtually in the Archdiocesan Competition next Thursday. We wish them all the very best. 

Annual Improvement Plan

With the return to school routine, our focus has moved to our Annual Improvement Plan. Last week the Leadership Team met with Tim Smith, Performance & Improvement Leader at Catholic Education. Our students are central to every decision we make. In partnership with our families, we strive to offer our students an excellent education in an environment that is both engaging and nurturing. Our focus at St Bernard’s continues to be on Explicit Teaching and improving student outcomes in Literacy and Numeracy. Our Annual Improvement Plan consists of three measurable targets that lead to our ultimate goal of improving student outcomes. Our three goals are:

1. To increase student growth in English and Maths through explicit feedback.
2. To engage students in Religious Education through conceptual inquiry and visble thinking.
3. To implement Maths Pathway in Years 5 & 6 to improve student learning outcomes

Students are currently participating in Literacy and Numeracy assessments so that we can track our growth and progress ensuring we are catering for the needs of all students.

Carroll College Year 7 Orientation
A reminder to families that our Year 6 students moving onto the College next year have their Orientation day next Friday 26 November.  This is an exciting time for our Year 6 students as they transition through to secondary education. I’m sure they will enjoy their experience next week.

Next week, our Year 5 students will be presenting SRC speeches. I wish them well as they aim for a formal student leadership position for 2022.

Blessings on the week ahead.

Johanna Wain

Principal