Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to the 2024 school year. On behalf of the staff, I extend a very warm welcome to both returning families and those who are new to our St Bernard’s community. A special welcome to the following new students who joined us today:

• Phoebe B (Yr 1R) and Willow B (Yr 5C)
• Lennea H (Yr 1K) and Jayda H (Yr 4C)
• Lucas C (Yr 1M) and Liam C (Yr 5C)
• Charlie O (Yr 3KT)
• Brody B (Yr 3W) and Riley B (Yr 5M)
• Cooper M (Yr 3KT)
• Ivy G (Yr 4C)
• Paige C (Yr 5M)
• Jordan B (Yr 5M)
• Amalia I (Yr 6C)

As we embark on this exciting journey together, we want to share some important updates and highlights to keep you informed and engaged.

Our K-12 theme for 2024 is “whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12-13). Jesus is portrayed as a guiding light, suggesting that those who follow him will be led on a path of righteousness. This theme will be central to 2024 and can certainly inspire us to be the light in our St Bernard’s community.

STAFFING UPDATE
As you are aware, Claire Campbell has made the decision to resign from her position at St Bernard’s at the end of Term One 2024. Claire and her husband Chris are moving to Queensland this year to begin a new chapter in their life. On behalf of the St Bernard’s staff, I extend our best wishes to Claire. Claire has been an excellent teacher and she will leave a lasting impression on the development of her students. 

Kate and Anthony are expecting their second child this year. Kate will most likely commence maternity leave at the end of Term 2. I take this opportunity to wish Kate and Anthony all the best for the birth of their new baby.

This year we have some staff fulfilling additional roles. The changes include:

• Mrs Georgia Veneris will be teaching three days Performing Arts (Tues-Thurs) and 2 days in Classroom Support (Mon & Fri). Georgia will commence maternity leave towards the end of Term 1.
• Mrs Beck Keough will be teaching Digital Technologies to Stage 3 and leading the da Vinci Decathlon enrichment. This will take place on Wednesdays from 11.15am. Mrs Jane Hicks will be teaching 1R to enable Mrs Keough to fulfill this role.
• Mrs Jenny Smith has been appointed to Literacy Leader. The Literacy leader/s will be the point of contact for the Teaching and Learning team with Literacy Programs (Let’s Decode, Spelling Mastery), English Scope and Sequence and Curriculum resources as well driving implementation and refinements within our school.
• Ms Claire Campbell (Term 1) and Jenny Smith will be leading High Impact Teaching Practices. This will involve these teachers participating in HITP Leaders’ Groups each term at the CE Office for focused training, with the intention for them to go back to schools and continue to support HITP being embedded across all classes.
• Ms Jeni McCarthy will continue leading in the area of Assessment.
• Mrs Karen Hadley will be taking on the role of Curriculum Leader. These leader/s will drive Curriculum implementation and refinements, be the point of contact for Curriculum Working Groups, support other curriculum resource developments (e.g., Ochre Resources) and engage in network meetings and professional learning.

WELCOME MORNING TEA
All Kindergarten families and new families are invited to a morning tea next Monday 5 February at 8.45am in the courtyard outside the Administration Building. If any of our existing families are able to join us, that would be lovely. 

SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
Communication between home and school is both valued and encouraged. We believe it is one of the most vital elements in creating an effective and welcoming community. Emails and messages through Compass are being pushed out regularly with updates and important information to remind you of events and changes that may be occurring for your children. All classroom teachers have group emails created for their parent group. If your email changes, please advise our front office staff. Parent emails are kept private. Staff will always use Bcc when sending group emails.

Remember to check our website. Relevant curriculum information and school procedures are highlighted for your reference. There is much to communicate as we begin the new school year. I encourage all families to visit our school calendars for key dates such as parent-teacher conferences, school assemblies, and special events. Stay tuned for detailed calendars and reminders throughout the school year. Parent Introductory Meetings are planned for Week 5. Information regarding these meetings will be sent out to families in the coming week.

CLASSROOM MASTERY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Last Tuesday the staff from Carroll College, St Mary’s Primary School and St Bernard’s came together to participate in Classroom Mastery Professional Learning. Our three schools were chosen recognising the importance of a common approach for the K-12 Pathway.

Classroom Mastery focuses on the skills and routines needed for staff to create engaged, positive and productive classrooms to improve students’ wellbeing and academic learning. On Tuesday all staff:

• Developed an understanding of student behaviour informed by neuroscience, youth studies, trauma practice and positive psychology.
• Explored the elements of culture: beliefs, values, norms, routines and rules that create a positive learning environment.
• Understood the teacher skills needed for effective classroom management.

Dr Tim McDonald introduced three behaviour routines that we will focus on as a staff for Term One. The three routines that we will focus on are:

• Classroom Entry Routine
• Classroom Exit Routine
• Student Movement
  

Today the teachers have begun building relationships with your child/ren and getting to know who they are and their talents. “Trust between child and adult is essential, the foundation on which all other principles rest, the glue that holds teaching and learning together” Nicholas Hobbs. We are excited about this new program and look forward to hearing your feedback as the year progresses.

We have high expectations of our students, and we are committed to ensuring that they are coming to school to learn in a safe, calm and predictable environment.

K-12 SCIENCE & STEM ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
This year we are offering all Year 6 students to be part of a Science & STEM Enrichment Program at Carroll College. Each group will run for 6 weeks with approximately 8 students in the group. The outline will be as follows:

• 5 groups of students (approx. 16 students from St Mary’s and St Bernard’s)
• 6 weeks of enrichment lessons per group with 3 Science and 3 STEM lessons
• Every Tuesday at Carroll College from 12.30pm – 1.30pm
• Odd numbered weeks – Science with Ms Danielle Ciuffetelli
• Even numbered weeks – STEM with Mr Andrew Kenneally

The program will begin Week 5. Further Information will be communicated to Year 6 parents in the coming weeks.

We are looking forward to celebrating the achievements of our students throughout the year. From academic milestones to extracurricular successes, we'll keep you informed about the fantastic accomplishments of our St Bernard’s community. We are thrilled to have each of you as part of our St Bernard’s family. Together, let's make this school year a memorable and successful one!

Please know we are here to support you in every way we can. My door is always open. Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education, and we eagerly anticipate a fantastic school year ahead! 

Kind regards
Jo 

Johanna Wain
Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

We are very excited to be beginning the 2024 school year and to welcome students back to school today. We have many new students who have started today which is wonderful, and on Monday we will have the new Kinder students join us for their very first day of big school. It has been equally as wonderful to have new staff join us this week. I know that they look forward to meeting you in the coming weeks. 

On Tuesday we had an excellent return to work, joining with Carroll College and St Mary's for a Masterclass led by Dr Tim McDonald in 'Classroom Mastery'. The focus was on the importance of explicitly teaching students a behaviour curriculum and teaching routines for optimum learning in the classroom. We know that students learn best when there is a predictable and ordered learning environment with clear expectations and this is what we are all striving to achieve together at our three Catholic Pathway Schools on the coast.

In this first newsletter of the year, I would like to take some time to explain my role at St Bernard's and key areas of focus for 2024.

Assistant Principal

My role as Assistant Principal is to work in collaboration with our Principal, Jo Wain and the other members of the leadership team to ensure that our school functions smoothly and that students and staff are supported to achieve their best. The role of Assistant Principal has an administrative element but also requires at times to have a big picture approach in considering the school within a larger system in the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese. Having a thorough knowledge of the curriculum and a deep understanding of how students learn best is also key in my role.

Leadership and Decision-Making: I support Jo and our leadership team to make informed decisions that align with our school's mission and values and plan for future progress. One of the focuses that we will have in 2024 is to ensure that our school documentation is prepared for School Registration that will occur towards the end of this term. 

Supporting Professional Learning and Academic Excellence: I am involved in supporting teachers in the planning and implementation of curriculum and effective high impact teaching strategies, providing guidance and resources required. Along with other members of our leadership team, I collaborate with teachers to identify areas for growth. This will be a particular focus for me this year in my role as Curriculum Leader.

I teach small groups of students Mathematics Enrichment and in 2024 will collaborate with Jeni McCarthy to provide Mathematics Enrichment lessons for students from Years 3-6.

Student Welfare and Behaviour: I work to ensure that there is a positive and nurturing school environment. Like all members of our school team, I strive to know each student well and to ensure that each child feels safe, supported, and valued. I work with students to support them to be ready to learn so that they can achieve their best in the classroom.

Parent and Community Engagement: Along with our Principal Jo, and other members of our leadership team, I communicate regularly with parents and carers, striving to build a strong partnership between home and school. I meet with new and existing families at times as a point of contact about a range of matters and am a member of the School Community Council.

Contact Teacher for Aboriginal Students

I work alongside local Elder and Knowledge Holder, Trish Ellis in our school to support the learning and wellbeing of the Aboriginal students in our school. I organise and am part of Personal Learning Pathway meetings for all Aboriginal students and plan events to celebrate and acknowledge Aboriginal culture and language in our school.

As we launch into this new school year, I am confident that there are wonderful times ahead for us all. Our school calendar is already very full and many events are  already being planned. We look forward to seeing you soon in the school.

Please don't hesitate to be in contact with me if you have any questions or require my support throughout the year.

Have a lovely weekend

Karen Hadley

THE PATIENCE OF JOB

 I remember many years ago an English Literature teacher telling my class of fourteen year old students that we couldn’t properly appreciate Shakespeare unless we knew the Bible. Most of us thought Shakespeare’s Elizabethan english was difficult enough to decipher without requiring us to have some knowledge of Sacred Scripture. But he was right.

 In Shakespeare’s play Henry IV Part 2 the buffoon, Sir John Falstaff, an impoverished spendthrift and a disreputable associate of Prince Hal, defends himself before the Lord Chief Justice by saying: “I am as poor as Job, my lord, but not as patient.”  Most of the audience would have known the Biblical story of Job. How well do we know it?

 In today’s excerpt from the Book of Job (7: 1-4, 6-7) we hear Job lamenting his lot as eloquently as the prophet Jeremiah. Job once had everything. Now he is poor, sick and abandoned. If he ever thought he was a self-made man, his experience of loss is a wake up call. He was depressed. “My eyes again will never see joy.”

 Those of us who have read or know the whole story of Job (42 chapters in 23 pages) learn that it ends well. “The Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life, even more than he had blessed the first.” (Job 42: 10)

 In the afterglow of the Christmas season it is good for us to be reminded that this life is a mere dot on the endless line of human existence. There will be demands made on us by God. As Paul explains there were demands on him to preach the Good News. (See First Corinthians 9: 16-23).   

Likewise Mark (1: 29-39) describes how Jesus had to keep pressing on from village to village, so that he could preach the Good News throughout Palestine because that was why he became man among us.

Let Us Pray

Almighty and Everlasting God,

I am willing today

That You should have all of me, good and bad.

Grant me the strength, dear God,

As I go out into the world today

To preach the Good News

 By how I live my life.  Amen

                                                                                                                                Joe Quigley

Sharon Beashel

My name is Sharon Beashel, and I am the Religious Education Leader at St. Bernard’s School. It is a privileged, challenging, and rewarding role which gives me an opportunity to share my faith with staff, students, families, and the community. I share the responsibility of the integration of faith and life within the school with other members of our leadership team.

The role of Religious Education Leader involves leading the implementation of an effective teaching and learning program in Religion that is catechetical and kerygmatic, as well as coordinating formation, and the liturgical and Religious Life of the School.

 Religion Curriculum

• In collaboration with Mrs Wain, I provide leadership and support for the

        Religion Curriculum: teaching and learning in Religious Education by:

• Ensuring all teachers of Religion know the required Religion Curricula mandated by the Archdiocese – The Brisbane Religious Education Curriculum and where to access it.
• Ensuring that priority and teaching time allocations for Religion are met according to the Religious Education Policy.
• Ensuring that the relevant Religion Achievement standards are addressed andassessed for each grade.
• Ensuring there is a school wide planning cycle for Religion (planning, teaching,assessment, evaluation).
• Visiting classrooms to observe teaching and learning in Religion and provide feedback.
• Providing and promoting professional learning in Religion teaching andpedagogy including regular Religious Education Staff Meetings, Professional Learning Series.
• Ensuring appropriate resources are available and accessible for all staff teaching Religion i.e. relevant curricula documents, the Catechism, a Catholic Bible, YouCat.
• Ensuring, in conjunction with the principal, that all RE Accreditation requirements are met according to CECG Policies.
• Promoting further study opportunities in Religious Education and Theology.
• Attending RE Leaders’ meetings four times a year.

Religious Life of the School

In conjunction with Mrs Wain, I strive to provide leadership and support in the

Religious Life of the School by:

• Promoting regular prayer and liturgy in the school and community.
• Ensuring that staff are provided the opportunities to gather regularly for prayer.
• Supporting teachers to provide a variety of daily prayer opportunities in the classroom.
• Coordinating and facilitating formation opportunities for staff and students e.g.Staff and Student Retreats.
• Building staff capacity, to plan and prepare school liturgical celebrations.
• Liaising with the parish in the planning and preparation masses and liturgies involving the School.
• Assisting with the promotion of prayer and liturgical celebrations in the community e.g. parish masses, First Holy Communion, and other sacramental celebrations.
• Ensuring that there are liturgical focus areas, religious symbols and iconography in the school to reflect Catholic character.
• Promoting and facilitating staff to lead social justice, outreach, and fundraising opportunities which support Catholic charitable works (St Vincent de Paul, Caritas, Catholic Mission)

Sacraments Term 1 2024

Year 3 is the grade when many children at St Bernard’s make their First Reconciliation. If your child is baptised Catholic and would like to make their Reconciliation you are invited to attend a Family Enrolment and Information Evening on Thursday 15 February from 5.00 - 6.00pm. The meeting will be held in St. Bernard’s Church.

Key Dates for Reconciliation are: 

Enrolment Evening: Thursday 15 February 5.00pm St.Bernard’s  Parish Church 

Commitment Mass: Saturday 24 February- 6pm / Sunday 25 February - 9am

Reconciliation Retreat Day: Friday 1 March – Carroll College

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Thursday 11 April – 5.00- 6.00pm St.Bernard’s  Parish Church

If you have any questions about Religious Education or our Sacramental Programs please don’t hesitate to contact me at school.

 Blessings on your weekend

Sharon Beashel    

Jeni McCarthy

I am very excited to continue in my position at St Bernard’s. My role at the school allows me to work alongside and support staff, students, and the wider school community in several different ways. My formal roles include; 

• Coordinator member of the School Leadership Team. 
• Classroom Support Teacher
• Data Analyst
• School Community Council Member

Coordinator – Member of the School Leadership Team. 

As part of the Leadership Team, I contribute to the daily running and supporting of staff to meet the curriculum and Catalyst requirements. I have the opportunity to work with staff to meet their teacher accreditation requirements. Teacher accreditation is a passion that I developed after successfully gaining my teacher accreditation at a higher level. This year I have a number of personal expectations to fulfil so I can continue at this level of accreditation. I will be submitting my 5-year accreditation maintenance report and continuing my professional learning by studying with Dr Ross Greene, Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS), a behavioural support program to meet the needs of individual students. 

Classroom Support Teacher

This is the biggest component of my position and by far my favourite. I have worked in Classroom Support roles for over 20 years. At St Bernard’s I am very lucky to share this role with Sharon Beashel. We work closely in supporting students K-6 who have been diagnosed and imputed with learning needs that require adjustments. 

This role involves; 

• Working closely with families throughout their child’s primary education. 
• Supporting the referral of students for further assessment.
• Coordinating the Classroom Support Team, that consists of 11 Classroom Support Assistants. 
• Implementing and coordinating intervention programs. 
• Providing behavioural support
• Coordinating visiting practitioners and therapist to support student needs. 
• Continual self-education of evidence-based practices to support student learning. 
• Meeting the requirements of NCCD and policy implementation for students with a learning difficulty or disability.  

Data Analyst 

• School growth patterns
• Students having difficulty that require extra support, and students excelling that require extension. 
• Creating and evidencing data targets for the school Annual Improvement Plan. 

We then share this data with the K-12 Pathway team consisting of staff from St Mary’s, Carroll College and St Bernard’s. 

School Community Council Member

I have been a parent and staff representative on the P&F committee (15 years) and School Board (4 years). This year we see the formation of the School Community Council and I look forward to working alongside St Bernard’s staff and parents to make decisions to best support the needs of our school community. I have a particular interest in the fund-raising for our school so we can purchase resources and complete projects to improve school environment for all students. 

I couldn’t think of a job or school that would give me greater satisfaction than what I do in my role at St Bernard’s. I look forward to working with students and their families throughout the year. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time if you have questions that I can support you with. 

St Bernard's Swimming Carnival is being held on Friday 9 February at Bay Pavillions Aquatic Centre. Students from Years 3 to 6 are all going to attend the whole school carnival, along with some of the Year 2 students who are able to swim 50 metres confidently. This will be a fantastic day of fun and a wonderful way for the students to interact with their peers at the start of the year. Parents are warmly invited to come and sit with their children and support them or help with timekeeping and marshalling. 

A junior is any student turning 8, 9 or 10 or is already 8, 9 or 10 years old this year.

• The Junior Events include 50m Breaststroke, Backstroke, Butterfly and 4 x 50m Individual Medley.
• 11 yr olds compete in their own category in 50m Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly.
• Senior 50m Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly is for students who are 12 or 13 years of age.

Our aim is for maximum participation and enjoyment for all our students. These inclusive events have become a highlight of our carnival in recent years and the staff would love to see this continue. We will be having lots of 25m races in a variety of strokes throughout the day. There will be duck races, noodle races, splash pool and events where students can stand up and not go into the deep end of the pool. All students no matter their ability will have an activity they are able to participate in.
 
All students who compete in 50m events will receive points for their house, we encourage all students to have a go at one or more of the races to support their house colour.
 
Please be aware that in the competitive events, placegetters will be the fastest times from all of the heats in each age group. 
 
Students who are selected in their age group will then represent St Bernard’s at the Southern Region Carnival in Narooma on Monday 19 February. 
 
Those who would like to swim in the Open 100m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley are asked arrive early at the pool by 8:30am. These students will need to arrange their own transport to the pool. 
 
Junior Boys and Girls, Senior Boys and Girls 200m Individual Medley will begin at 8:45am. 
Open Boys and Girls 100m Free will begin at approximately 9:00am. 

We would really appreciate any parents, carers or grandparents who are able to help with timekeeping even for an hour. It is very simple and we can show you how to work the automatic timers. You only have to press stop. If you would like to help, please come over to the blocks on Carnival day any assistance will be gratefully appreciated.

SAVE THE DATE

Friday 22 March 2024

St Bernard’s Cross Country Carnival

Kindergarten to Year 6 whole school event on school grounds.