Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you are having an enjoyable week. It has been wonderful to welcome all the students back to face-to-face learning this week. I have seen so many smiles as the children have reconnected with their teachers and peers.

Happy World Teacher’s Day tomorrow to all our amazing Staff. I think you would agree that they deserve our appreciation for the incredible amount of work they put into developing an engaging and academic remote learning program. Keep an eye out on Facebook for some messages from our students.

Over the past two years, our Years 3-6 students have participated in the program Journey of Hope. The program was designed to support students following the challenges they have experienced with the bushfires. As part of an evaluation, Will, Jonah and Reeve were asked to reflect on the past twelve months and were interviewed by a reporter, focusing on their experience from the bushfires and the issue of climate change. After they spoke about their experience from the bushfires Jonah and Reeve highlighted ways they can help with climate change. Some of the things they spoke about was riding bikes to reduce petrol, planting trees to increase the oxygen and thinking carefully about how much water and electricity they are using at home. I am very proud of both Reeve and Jonah for speaking about their experiences and for doing their bit to assist with climate change. This aligns with Pope Francis’ message where he states "Our Earth needs constant concern and attention. ... Each of us has a personal responsibility to care for creation, this precious gift which God has entrusted to us".  The article can be found at : https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/environment/kids-urged-to-turn-climate-fears-into-positive-actions-with-launch-of-mission-zero-faces-of-the-future/news-story/25ecfc196adf598abe87dee695b1a0c7?btr=99c0ce452613cdeafb7f4d9e9789827b

2022 Classes and Staffing

This week, I would like to take the opportunity to discuss our Class Allocation procedures. We are currently preparing for our 2022 Kindergarten Parent Information Nights to be held virtually on Monday 8 November and Tuesday 9 November. Kindergarten class groupings are being developed at present and in conjunction with preschool teachers and parent information. Creating class groupings is a collaborative process involving class teachers, specialist staff and the school executive team. St Bernard’s consists of grade levels of 2 and 3 streams. Each year class combinations are changed. When creating classes each year, we considered the following:

• Gender
• Individual learning needs
• Interpersonal relationships
• Social dynamics
• Medical needs
• Class size

Every child will be placed in the best grouping to enhance learning and social development. Classroom teachers will create class groupings in consultation with their grade partners, paying particular attention to the factors highlighted above. All class lists will then be sent through to the Principal and confirmed with the Classroom Support Teacher and School Executive Team. Students will be advised of their class and teacher during the “Step Up” session held in the last week of Term 4.

 

 

Love God, Love our Neighbour, Love Self ?

We have heard it all before:  ‘Love your God….. love your Neighbour as yourself’…    But have we truly HEARD it?

 During the Mission month of October it was a good time to test our belief.   A month where we needed to concentrate not only on those who have suffered and needed our help, but to heed the call of Pope Francis .. ‘to go forth to the peripheries of our world as messengers and agents of compassion.’ It is a reminder that the Mission for all of us is to Listen and then Act with conviction!

 The language of the First Reading is one of plenty.   The Commandments seen as life giving. The whole history of the Old Testament was a journey of ‘forgetting God’s great love and then being reconciled.’  I guess we could put ourselves in that catagory but we are so much more blessed to know that Christ our High Priest has spoken for us!  Yes, we have representatives in our Church who lead us but we, as baptized in the Priesthood of Christ, all have a role in enacting that great command to love our neighbour as our self. We may tend to forget that the healthy love of self is important for us as we go on this Mission.

 Self love refers to our ability to hold ourselves in esteem and have confidence in our worth, ‘we are God’s work of art’  Eph 2:10  no matter what happens around us.  We do not depend on others to tell us who we are!

‘God is love; we are created in God’s image; and Jesus commanded that we be what we already are.

Your True Self, God’s Love in you, cannot be exhausted. Material gifts decrease when you give them away. Spiritual gifts, by contrast, increase the more you use them. Yes! You get more love by letting it flow through you, just as modelled by the Trinity. If you love, you will become more loving. If you practice patience, you will become more patient.’ Richard Rohr

So, as we move to respond to the Synodal Process let us do it with confidence that we are great Lovers and moved by the knowledge that we are doing God’s work.

In celebrating All Saints Day and All Souls this week let our true missionary spirt lead us to bring others -neighbours - on our journey.

God bless ,                                                                                                    Sr Marie

Dear Parents and Carers

It has been a big week back at school. Many students and teachers have felt like it was the start of a new year after returning from a long period of remote learning. Coming back to school has been wonderful in so many ways but also a little exhausting as we returned to our usual school routines.  I think everyone will enjoy a rest over the weekend.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Carroll College Graduation Mass and Awards Ceremony for the Year 12 class of 2021 at the St Bernard’s parish church. It was a wonderful occasion, and as parents of graduates, we felt very fortunate to be able to celebrate this special moment with our children following a long period of restrictions.

Congratulations to all of the students and best wishes on their upcoming HSC examinations.

Summer uniform

This week we have reminded students about wearing the correct summer uniform to school. This includes wearing a school hat. During Term 1 and Term 4 we ask all students to wear a hat when outside due to the higher levels of ultra violet radiation. Students who do not have a hat will be asked to play in an area that is shaded.

Student reports

In Week 10 of the school term, students will receive an individual report, describing their learning achievements over the semester. A grade from A-E for each subject will be allocated based on a five-point scale (Elementary, Basic, Sound, High, Excellent).

In addition, students will be assessed on their engagement with learning, focusing on the highly valued skills of Critical and Creative Thinking, Communication, Responsibility and Collaboration. A three-point scale (Beginning, Developing, Consistently) will be used to indicate achievement in this area.

An Individual overall comment, highlighting the strengths and highlights from the year as well as learning goals for the future will be provided.

Walkers Car Park

The Church Car park is a particularly busy area during school pick up in the afternoon. As you would have noticed, we have a number of teachers at the gate to ensure that students can move to their parents as safely as possible. It has recently become problematic when cars come close to the gates where students are walking to meet parents. If you could please leave this area free, it would assist us to ensure the safe movement of students in the car park.

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend.

Karen Hadley

Assistant Principal

WE’RE HAVING A BOOK FAIR!

5-12 November 2021

It will be a virtual book fair like no other!

Due to current restrictions we are unable to welcome parents and guests into the school for the fair, however we hope to make it just as amazing, with a virtual book fair!

 How it works:

Step 1:

Students browse Book Fair during their iCentre session during week 6.

They will complete a ‘Wish List‘ and take a catalogue home.

Step 2:

Parents can browse the Book Fair collection via our virtual tour on Facebook in Week 6.

Step 3:

Decide which books you would like to purchase, complete the ‘Wish List’ or catalogue order form, including title and price per book and add up the total cost. 

Step 4:

All credit card payments are to be made online this year as parents are unable to visit the Book Fair. Otherwise, students may purchase using cash in the Library.

If paying by credit card, please visit www.scholastic.com.au/payment

Step 5:

Complete online payment details

State: NSW,  School name: St Bernards School (choose Batehaven option)

And your name, payment amount) then NOTE THE RECEIPT NUMBER on the back of the Wish List / Catalogue with the name used for the purchase.

Step 6:

Student brings the receipt number (or cash) into the Library and can collect the book/s and accessories to the value paid.

Thank you, every purchase benefits our school!

Do you have any Lego or Woolworths bricks that you don’t need??

 The iCentre would love to use them in our Makerspace during class lessons and lunch times.

 Please send in anything you have spare to your child’s class teacher and they will deliver them to the iCentre.

 Thank you so much

 Angela Holmes