Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have had an enjoyable week. It’s been wonderful to welcome back our Kindergarten and Year One students this week. They have settled in extremely well to school, eager to learn and they have loved reconnecting with their friends. On Monday I look forward to welcoming back our Years 2-6 students. We are so excited to have the school back for face-to-face learning. I take this opportunity to thank our highly committed St Bernard’s staff who go well and beyond their duties each day. World Teachers’ Day will be celebrated in NSW on Friday, 29 October 2021. This provides us with an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the incredible contributions our teachers make to our children's lives each day. Our teachers have shown great resilience and commitment as they have overcome the challenges of bushfires and a pandemic. They have adapted their teaching and learning to support their students and our school community. I am sure you will join with me in thanking each of our teachers for everything they do. As the parents said in their video over the holidays “They are simply the best”!  

I can appreciate that this is a very difficult time for families. Catholic Education will again support families who have been financially impacted as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The position of Catholic Education is that no child will be denied a Catholic education because of financial circumstances. To apply for fee relief, please contact either myself or Heidi Miners. The form was emailed out to all families this week.   

STEAM at St Bernard’s

At St Bernard’s Mrs Holmes has been instrumental in supporting our students to engage in a variety of high quality technology during remote learning. Students are working on Canva, iMovies, converting and editing pdf's in Kami, flipgrids, slideshows and sharing documents with their teachers. Our students are consistently engaging with, and creating, high quality tasks that go well beyond the outcomes for their age and stage. Students have been actively engaging in multiple video meetings across the week. They are confident and enthusiastic in their use of a huge array of technology. We are consistently analysing our data and collaborating with secondary school staff who comment on how advanced our students are in their knowledge and skills across all areas of STEAM. We are in the process of purchasing additional resources to continue to provide an excellent STEAM program. A special thank you to Mrs Holmes for her support and leadership in STEAM.

Term 1 2022 School Dates are as follows:

Term 1 Teachers commence: 28 January 2022

Years 1-6 Students commence 1 February 2022

Kindergarten Assessment Days 1 February – 3 February 2022

Kindergarten students commence 4 February 2022

Kindergarten Rest Day 9 February

Term 1 ends 8 April 2022

I hope you enjoy a lovely weekend.

I was twenty one when I got spectacles for the first time. My ophthalmologist warned me that when I went outside into the bright sunshine to expect everything to be very sharp edged. “Remember, Mr Quigley, for most of your life you have been living in a fog.”

He was right. As soon as I walked outside I saw for the first time individual leaves in the sycamore trees that lined the street outside his consulting rooms. Before that day I saw only a general mass of green
foliage above a greyish brown trunk. I knew my eyesight was not as good as that of my Australian mates but I put that down to their being from the Bush and I was a migrant from tiny Ireland. The wide open spaces of Australia meant they had inherited the long distance eyesight that their forebears needed. Of course I was wrong and if I had not received
medical treatment I might have gone blind.

The blind beggar Bartimaeus of Jericho was not so blessed. His poor eyesight had
degenerated into blindness. Mark (10: 46-52) covers the story of Bartimaeus regaining his sight as vividly as any good news reporter. In fact Mark is a Good News reporter. Jesus’ reputation had preceded him and when Bartimaeus heard he was on his way out of Jericho, surrounded by an admiring throng, he cried out in desperation from the side of the road: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Being afflicted by the curse of blindness he was despised as someone out of favour with God. Many in the crowd told him to shut up. He was spoiling the occasion. But Jesus heard the cry of the poor man. “Call him here,” Jesus orders the mob. And to my surprise (and possibly to many in the mob) they pass on an embellished but encouraging form of Jesus’ request, ”Take heart; get up; he is calling you.”

Bartimaeus needed no second invitation. Throwing off his cloak he sprang to his feet and approached Jesus. Jesus asks Bartimaeus the same question he asked those ambitious brothers, James and John, in last week’s gospel, “What do you want me to do for you?” To which Bartimaeus, aware of his crushing defect, both physical and social, in utter humility and with complete faith prays: “My teacher, let me see again.” No vaunting ambition here.

“Go, your faith has made you well,” is Jesus’ response. Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight - a miracle.

And followed Jesus on the way - a conversion to discipleship.

And taught us all a lesson in humble and faith-filled prayer.

Joe Quigley

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been so wonderful having our infants children back at school this week. They have been very focused on their learning, enjoying their daily classroom routine and social interactions with friends. It will be uplifting to have Primary grades return on Monday.

RE Curriculum

Our K-6 focus during Mission Week comes from the Christian Life Strand and the Justice and Mission Sub Strand of the Brisbane Curriculum. The table below gives you an overview of the Religious Knowledge and Deep Understanding and the Skills around Mission and Justice in each year of learning.

                                Kindergarten                 Year One                      Year Two

                            Year Three             Year Four           Year Five           Year Six

Mission Week – Socktober

In Week 4 classroom teachers will select from the following packs of teaching resources. They will make a sockball for their Friday Shootout.

Mrs Holmes will give all grades the chance to practice the perfect penalty shot during their PE lessons. On Friday each Stage group will hold their own penalty shootout. Try and gather sponsorship for your goals.

Liturgy

Prayer is a great source of life and communication. Prayer also helps us to express our concerns for those who are affected by poverty. It is an important way to support our brothers and sisters who not only need material support but also spiritual support to live life to the full.  On Friday our school leadership team will lead us in a Socktober liturgy – “How Can We Keep from Speaking?

Prayerful thoughts for those in need at this time.

Sharon Beashel REC

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God (Micah)                                               

 

Dear Parents and Carers

ICAS ASSESSMENTS

The ICAS Assessment timetable has been revised to commence in Week 5, when all students have returned for face-to-face learning. Students will complete the assessments online in cohort groups. The new timetable is below.

SPELLING MASTERY-CATALYST

Next Wednesday, when all students return to school for face to face learning, we will be re-commencing Spelling Mastery lessons for all students in Years 1-6. The Spelling Mastery program is a part of the system wide Catalyst initiative, focusing on teaching lessons in an explicit and systematic way. Students will learn in cohort groupings which cater for individual levels of spelling ability based on data we collect at regular points of the program. Spelling Mastery teaches phonemes or sounds within words, whole word memorisation of words that can’t be sounded out conventionally and morphemes as building blocks of words and word rules. Lessons begin at 8.45am and conclude at 9.15am each Monday to Friday for the rest of the term. 

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL and HOUSE CAPTAINS

The SRC at St Bernard’s School is a proactive student group which meets weekly to discuss issues brought up in class meetings. It is comprised of two school captains and four SRC representatives from Year 6. Our House Captains assist Mrs Holmes with sporting events throughout the year. There are two Captains per House. As you are aware the positions are held for the school year. Our SRC and House Captains have done an excellent job in what has again, been a very different year, and I thank them for their enthusiasm and leadership. It is coming close to the time of year where we vote for next year’s leaders. Speeches will be held on Thursday 25 November. Mrs Coggan and Mr Maynard will be speaking to the children about how to prepare and the expectations of the roles over the coming weeks. More information for Year 5 students will be sent home soon.

RETURN TO SCHOOL-WALKERS

Each afternoon we are staggering the departure of students from school to comply with COVID restrictions related to limiting the gathering of large groups of people. Students are waiting in their classroom until their group is called. The groups are arranged according to alphabetical order of surnames, with students from A-F moving first at 2.30pm, G-N in the next group at 2.40pm and O-Z in the final group at 2.50pm. We ask that you arrive to collect your child at the staggered time in order to follow our COVID plan.

CANTEEN

A reminder that the school canteen is again open for pre-orders made via QkR or written on a paper bag each Wednesday to Friday. This new practice for ordering is in compliance with health orders to avoid queuing to purchase food.

I hope you enjoy a relaxing weekend.

Karen Hadley

Assistant Principal

Welcome Back Kindergarten and Year 1

St Bernard’s welcomed back our Kinder and Year 1 students this week. The weather kept the students indoors, but we were able to build on our tennis skills which included learning how to feed a ball, hitting with a racquet underarm to a partner and aiming a ball over the net to a target. The students were very excited and engaged in developing their skills. For the first few weeks, once students return to school, they will all participate in activities to develop skills needed for striking an object. In Week 4 kicking a soccer ball for our Socktober soccer shoot out will be the focus. Over the following weeks, students will continue to develop their striking with various hand held equipment such as bats and clubs. Depending on their age and stage of development, students will learn and practice skills in t-ball, hockey, cricket and golf as well as continuing to practice their tennis.

St Bernard’s Athletics News

Last term the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Athletics Carnival was unfortunately cancelled. Catholic Education held a virtual athletics carnival using times from events held before restrictions were in place. Some students participated, allowing them to showcase their athletic talents against students from other regions across Southern NSW. Students will receive their ribbons and certificates upon their return to school in class groups. Congratulations to Sam S-D who was named Junior Boy Champion and the following students who placed in various events:

Lily G, Georgina W, Teagan W, Annie F, Ruby B, Maizi M, Claire Z, Keira A, Mikinley B, Summer H, Kiana W, Amelia E, Abbie M, Kasey S

Arthur S-D, Brennan C, Samuel S-D, Bay L, Henry A, Leo H, Lukas C, Cale P, Anthony N, Indi F, Levi L and James C.

We are very proud of your achievements. Angela Holmes

St_Bernard_s_Canteen_2021.pdf

2022 school travel applications are now open

Students who need a travel pass for 2022 can apply now. A new application will need to be

Submitted if they are applying for a school travel pass for the first time, or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation.

(eg joint custody)

Students who change address, school, campus location, or who have repeated a year or  received an expiry notification for Transport of NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications and current entitlements are updated and remain valid.

If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their grade the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email. 

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply. 

Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel passes at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass. 

School Student Transport Scheme site change 

On 1 October 2021 the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) information and application portal was moved to transportnsw.info. This will assist families to find all their travel information in the one place.