Dear Parents and Friends,

As we approach the end of Term 4, it's a fitting time to reflect on the incredible journey we've undertaken together this academic year. Our students have shown a high level of commitment, and passion for learning, that continues to inspire us all. I commend each student, teacher, and parent for their contributions to making this term a success. The dance concert was excellent and showed how the arts continue to inspire us and bring joy to our hearts. Next year we look forward to showcasing our musical, Moana. Auditions for main roles will happen in Term 1.

Annual Improvement Plan
Last week our Leadership Team met with Tim Smith, Performance & Improvement Leader at Catholic Education to discuss our data and plan for the 2024 school year. Student achievement data is showing excellent growth in areas of English and Mathematics across different year levels. Our students are central to every decision we make. Our focus at St Bernard’s continues to be on Explicit Teaching and improving student outcomes. Our Annual Improvement Plan consists of three goals:

Goal 1: To improve student achievement in English & Mathematics through embedding High Impact Teaching Strategies.

Goal 2: To enhance school culture through explicitly teaching an engaging behaviour curriculum.

Goal 3: Improve student achievement through the implementation of a new Scope and Sequence for Religious Education.

Information from Parent/Staff/Student surveys and assessment data informs our direction each year and supports us in setting goals for future improvement and growth. We will continue to keep you updated on our goals throughout the year.

Planning is well underway for end of year events and the 2024 academic year. Term 4 is a busy time for schools, we are currently focusing on the following projects:

• Science of Reading & Science of Learning

• Classroom Mastery - an Explicit Behaviour Curriculum 

• NSW Fire Emergency Management Plan implementation

• Transition to the new School Community Council model

• New Finance System - Tech One

Commitment to positive changes at St Bernard's Primary School will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the overall educational experience for students, teachers, and the community.

Talent Quest
This week and next week our SRC along with assistance from Mrs McRae, have organised auditions for our St Bernard’s End of Year Talent Quest. Students from all grades across the school are invited to audition and showcase their talent. This will be held on Thursday 14 December commencing at 9.00am in the Hall. Parents are invited to come along and enjoy the show. 

Book Fair
Thank you to all the children, parents and staff for their support of the Book Fair this year. It has been a wonderful success with many books being purchased for the children to read. A special thank you to Theresa Hopman for her high level of organisation and the many extra hours of preparation for the event. All funds raised will go back into our iCentre to purchase resources.
 
Online Triple P - Positive Parenting Program
Parents and carers are able to access free online parenting courses developed in Australia by the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, thanks to Australian Government funding. Below is a link to some online resources that may assist families with the everyday challenges parents and carers face raising calm, resilient and happy children. https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/au/triple-p/

Student Absences
As we approach the end of the term, I would like to remind parents about completing their child's unexplained absences. Reports will be distributed at the end of Term 4 and explained absences ensure your child’s attendance records are accurate and reported correctly. To complete your child's absence reports, please login into your Compass Portal.

2024 Term Dates

Term 1

• Thursday 1 February – Years 1-6 return
• Monday 5 February – Kindergarten students begin
• Friday 12 April – Term 1 ends

Term 2

• Tuesday 30 April – students return
• Thursday 4 July – Term 2 ends 
  

Term 3

• Tuesday 23 July – students return
• Thursday 26 September – Term 3 ends 

Term 4

• Tuesday 15 October – students return
• Wednesday 18 December – Term 4 ends

We continue to pray for peace around the world. In times of conflict, let the spirit of peace prevail over hatred, understanding over ignorance, and compassion over cruelty.  

Kind regards
Johanna Wain
Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Our Year 6 students are looking forward to attending the Carroll College Orientation Day tomorrow Friday 24 November. A full day of activities have been organised to support a smooth transition for students as they move into their secondary education at the college. Next year there are four Year 7 classes at Carroll College. With a new building project commencing, the college have limited space and classroom capacity once construction begins. We know that the students will have a great day tomorrow.

Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews

Semester Two Reports will be sent home next Friday 1 December via Compass. In line with the changes that we have recently made to our reporting, our focus at St Bernard’s will be on prioritising parent/teacher conferences, with no comments included on reports. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, their strengths, challenges, and future areas of focus. A Semester Report will be sent home as in previous semesters providing A-E grading and attendance information.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 December for parents and carers wishing to discuss their child’s progress or Semester Two Report. The interviews will provide parents with an opportunity to discuss your child’s growth, celebrate their successes and plan future goals. All information will be passed onto 2024 Classroom Teachers to support the transition of your child/ren into their next grade. If you are yet to make a time for a meeting to discuss your child's progress, please log in to Compass to complete this.

St Bernard's Talent Quest

We are very excited to be holding our St Bernard's Talent Quest on Thursday 14 December. The auditions for students in Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two were held on Monday 20 November this week with a second day of auditions being held today at lunchtime in the Year 6 classrooms. Years 3-6 auditions will take place next week, on Monday 27 November and Thursday 30 November. The SRC will lead the auditions. Music that children might need can be arranged at school or, alternatively, students are welcome to bring this along with them. Students won't need their costumes for the auditions but if they are using a musical instrument, they will need to bring this along. 
We have many enthusiastic students eager to share their talents.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs McCrae or myself.

Nativity and Carols

During our final week of term, on Wednesday 13 December, we will gather for our Christmas Carols, presenting gifts to St Vincent de Paul to give to those less fortunate. This year St Vincent de Paul are asking for donations of Kmart gift cards. If you would like to donate, please send the card into the Front Office and we will present these to St Vincent de Paul at the Christmas Carols. Our nativity and Christmas Carols will take place in St Bernard’s Church at 1.30pm. Kindergarten will be leading us in the nativity play, and each class will be singing a Christmas carol. Students can come dressed in mufti Christmas colours or a touch of Christmas. It is a lovely way to finish a great year.  

The many disguises of my neighbour!

Joyce Rupp in her book ‘Boundless Compassion’ speaks of compassion as a way of life – an inner posture of how to be with suffering, both our own and others, and a desire to move that attitude into action ... a radical change unfolds in us when compassion becomes a way of life. [Rupp, pg 12]

Today’s Gospel Matthew 25: 31-46, reminds me of the vocation of being a Vincentian. Our Conference is invited, each time we meet with companions, ‘to provide any assistance and specifically to seek out those who experience exclusion or adversity and seeing Christ in them.’ [Rule of St Vincent de Paul 1: 3- 4, 8.]

St Ignatius teaches us to see God in all things as does our Catholic Social teaching which emphasises to look for Christ in every person.

Mary Cresp rsj in reflecting on the life of Mary MacKillop states: ‘Once Mary recognised an old acquaintance at Circular Quay, whom she immediately engaged. As the encounter unfolds we discover that this person was a dirty, alcoholic homeless person. Mary recognised him from a prior life - he was the schoolmaster whose cheating had lead to Mary’s disgrace in Portland. For this man Mary sold her watch so that she could give him a suit of clothes and care. Mary lived today’s Gospel throughout her life ...she saw Christ in every person even those who had wounded her. [Mary Cresp: ‘Reflections on Beatification’ Jan 25, 1995] Given God’s expertise in disguise it is so easy to forget that it is Jesus who is coming to us for assistance.

 We are called to help others in simple ways.

Today’s Gospel is one of the most vivid parables which Jesus ever spoke and its lesson is crystal clear – God will judge us in accordance with our reaction to human need. As William Barclay points out: ‘God’s judgement does not depend on the knowledge we have amassed, or the fame that we have acquired, or the fortune that we’ve gained, but on the help that we have given. But it must be help in simple ways. The things that Jesus picks out include giving a hungry person a meal, or a thirsty person a drink, welcoming a stranger, being present to the sick, visiting the prisoner- all things that anyone can do.’  [W. Barclay: The Gospel of Matthew, 2, pg 359] As St John of the Cross] points out” ‘In the evening of life we will be judged on love'.

Marie Weatherall

Dear Parents and Carers,

Mini Vinnies met last week to assist with the organisation of entries for the Eurobodalla District Agricultural Show which will be held over the weekend of the 27 and 28 of January 2024.

The team began drafting their artistic ideas on the Show’s theme which is, “The ABC’s of Agriculture”. Their completed poster will be entered in the Year 3-6 category at the event. Entries for the Colouring Competition were also delivered to each class. Once completed they will be submitted for judging with the Show committee.

The Eurobodalla Shire is recognised as one of the food bowls that supplied Sydney in earlier times. The Shire still grows and produces items that are sold and supplied to local and other areas around NSW. Mini Vinnies has worked together this year to understand and appreciate the importance of their natural environment. Their head, heart and hand participation and support of the Show is to be commended.

Today, Mr Gary Norris from St Vincent de Paul was a guest speaker at our Mini Vinnies meeting. He spoke to the students about the needs of our community and how we could support these needs leading up to Christmas. Our team members then spent time after the session decorating our school Christmas Tree.

Begin With the Heart Awards

Over the past three weeks our BWTH focus has been on the value of HONESTY. Congratulations to the ninety two students who have received recognition of their positive behaviours of this value.

Congratulations to this week's BWTH award winners Taj B, Alexia V and Benjamin T.

Class 5D

A huge congratulations to the amazing students in 5D for their efforts in recognising and actioning our school values of: Honesty, Empathy, Appreciation, Respect and Tolerance. 5D had a total of 469 hearts in their class jar. Year 3W who had 450 hearts, Year 6M & 6C with 306 hearts should also be recognised for their efforts.

Farewell Mrs. Hynes

On Monday it was our privilege to host a special farewell morning tea for Mrs. Hynes. The students had written special messages to her which were presented in the form of a Memory Book. I know that she was very touched by the personal recollections and best wishes that the children had written.

We remember Annette’s kindness, sense of humour and level of educational expertise that she shared with so many students and staff across her decades as a teacher. She is very much missed by the teaching staff of St Bernard’s and will always be remembered with great fondness.

Blessings on your weekend

Sharon Beashel

Religious Education Coordinator

Maths

In Maths, we have been working on double digit addition and subtraction using algorithms. We have also been learning a variety of mental strategies to help us solve equations. We have been exploring area and measuring using informal units. We worked in teams, first to estimate how many paper clips or blocks would fit into different squares. We then used the materials to calculate the correct answer. Maths can be so much fun!

Religion

In Religion, we are learning about Advent and preparing for the birth of Jesus. We have learnt about the colour purple and its connection to the arrival of Jesus. We also designed Advent Wreaths with four candles; Hope, Joy, Love and Peace. 

Dhurga

In Dhurga, Trisha has shared the story of Tajeer-Tarnium with us. The story is from the Wurundjeri, belonging to the Yarra Yarra and was originally told in the Woiwurrung language. It tells the story of an orphan boy, who was very mischievous. When the men and women went hunting and gathering, they would fill their tarnucks with water. One day Tajeer carried the tarnucks to a branch in the tree where the others could not reach them. They were very angry and Tajeer was too scared to come down from the tree. He drank all the water and had to eat gum leaves to get water. Gradually, he turned into a koala. only coming down at night. We illustrated parts of the story. 

Dance

Dance lessons have now finished and we want to thank Miss Tracy for being such a great teacher.  We loved displaying our amazing dance moves in our whole school dance concert. It was great to dress up in groovy, colourful outfits. 

HSIE

In HSIE this week, we have been exploring technology used when travelling. We looked at technology that Miss McRae and Miss Campbell used when they travelled over 20 years ago.

Art

In Art, we have been learning about artists from different parts of the world. We have created our own version of Monet’s waterlilies, Damien Hirst's glitter skulls and Ken Done and the Sydney Harbour.

Representative Sport 2024

Good Luck to Indiana A, Beatrix F, Annie F, Evie P, Lucy B, Xavier L, Flynn A and Georgina W who will compete at the Canberra Goulburn Tennis trials next Thursday.

Tennis

Congratulations to Xavier L, Quinn S, Beatrix F, Lucy B, Lucas V-D, Arthur S-D, Evie P, Georgina W and Indi A from Year 3 and 4 who finished second in their pool games at the Todd Woodbridge Cup State Final at Sydney Olympic Park on Monday. They played five games winning three and were defeated by the winners of the tournament, Kenthurst Public School. All the students have commented on what an amazing day it was and how much fun they had.

Seb C, Hunter C, Ruby B, Bella L, Arsh K, Samuel S-D, Annie F and Hailey I from our Year 5 and 6 team also played in the State Final of the Todd Woodbridge Tennis tournament in Parramatta. They played above and beyond expectations! Undefeated in their pool games the team played outstanding tennis to head into the semi finals. The students commented that is was so much fun and without pressure, because if they lost a set they knew they weren’t defeated as the other doubles pairings would pull through and keep the match going. After winning the semi finals five sets to three. they played the preliminary final and were narrowly defeated in a tie-break point in the mens doubles. This meant they lost three sets to five to the tournament winners Trinity from Albury and were ranked an amazing third in the state.

We were the only school in NSW to have two teams ranked in the top 8. Thank you so much to our coach Rob Frawley, the teachers and amazing parents for all their assistance in helping the students achieve such success. We are very proud of all our wonderful young players. An awesome achievement.

Angela Holmes

Term 4

Week 7 Class Awards

Presented: Thursday 23 November 2023.

Congratulations to the following children who received class award this week. It is great to see so many children working hard and receiving acknowledgment for their efforts. Well done to all!

Catch a wave for Maliyia! 

“Life is a lot like surfing. When you get caught in the impact zone, you've got to just get back up. Because you never know what may be over the next wave.”- Bethany Hamilton

Surfers will gather to raise much needed funds for Maliyia, a nine-year-old Yanyuwa Garrwa girl from Borroloola, Northern Territory, to fight brain cancer. With your help Maliyia, a lover of swimming and the water, with your support she will be able to hit the water as soon as possible!

What - Together with Surf The Bay, Joey McCarthy, Maylia’s cousin and keen surfer, are looking for sponsors and donations to support local surfers from the Batemans Bay area to Catch a Wave for Maliyia. Local businesses are being asked to sponsor a surfer from the area to come down and Catch a Wave for Maliyia at Surf Beach, Batemans Bay on 25th of November from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Donations can be made by contacting Joey on 0491810310 or through the linktree https://linktr.ee/maliyia_journey or the gofundme https://www.gofundme.com/f/maliyias-journey and we will promote your business on the day! A raffle and a sausage sizzle will be held as part of the Catch a Wave for Maliyia fundraiser. We are looking for financial donations, vouchers, flights, or anything that could be used as a prize in the raffle. All funds raised will go towards Maliyia’s family for ongoing medical expenses and costs associated with travelling to the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick for rehabilitation. Joey can’t wait to surf with all keen surfers, young and old, on the day!

Who - It’s been a tough year for Maliyia’s family after the Year 4 student was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour known as Medulloblastoma. The family’s world turned upside down when their youngest daughter was flown from Darwin to Sydney after an MRI revealed the life-threatening condition. Maliyia has undergone surgery to remove the tumour, but her battle is far from over. She faces a long and arduous journey to regain her speech, mobility, and overall health. The gruelling process of radiation therapy has begun, causing her to experience the harsh side effects of new medications. And once radiation is complete, Maliyia will embark on a daunting round of chemotherapy that will extend well into Christmas.

In this challenging time, Maliyia's unwavering spirit is bolstered by the love of her mother and stepfather, who remain by her side in Sydney. However, her brother and best friend, Tyriqe, had to stay behind at home in the NT. The separation of the siblings has been, and remains, especially difficult. Being thousands of kilometres away from her beloved home Maliyia endures not only the physical challenges of her cancer treatment but also the profound homesickness that comes with it. Separated from the familiar sights, sounds, and warmth of her community, Maliyia longs for the comfort of her home and the support of her Mob, friends and family, especially Tyriqe. The harsh reality is that being away from home, off Country, is a necessity to fight brain cancer as the facilities are not available in her home state or town.

Why - To alleviate the immense emotional and financial burden that Maliyah's treatment has placed on the family we are asking you to support the Catch a Wave for Maliyia fundraiser. While medical expenses are a major concern, the frequent flights for the family are also very costly. It is crucial for Maliyia's well-being and recovery that she can see Tyrique whenever possible and, most importantly, during the holiday season. The first trip to Westmead was very emotional, filled with both heartache and hope. We are determined to help Maliyia’s family create cherished moments of happiness during their time together. Please consider donating today, share Maliyia’s story and join us in giving Maliyia and her family the strength, hope, and resources they need to face this challenge head-on.

When – 25th of November 2023

Where – Surf Beach, Batemans Bay

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.