Dear Parents and Carers

I hope you have had an enjoyable week. This week we began the Season of Lent, with Years 1-6 attending the Ash Wednesday Mass. The season of Lent reminds us of prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Fr Loi engaged the students in conversation around the meaning behind this significant season. Each student received a cross on their forehead reminding them to be the face of Jesus. Lent is a special time where we can stop and think about prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We are encouraged to shift the focus from ourselves to assisting and giving to others.

Today we commissioned our Year 6 leaders for 2024. As I listened to their pledge, I was reminded how special it is to be part of the St Bernard’s Community. Our Year 6 leaders enthusiastically accepted their leadership responsibilities and I know they will lead our school with pride and be courageous in their decisions. I have already witnessed our School Captains being exemplary leaders at our recent Swimming Carnival. Brennan assisted the teachers in their roles and cheered on his peers and Annie was so encouraging to her fellow swimmers and swam her best in every race. Both Brennan and Annie represented the school and their house with pride.

A special congratulations to our Year 6 students who were elected last year to the Student Leadership Team for 2024 and to all our Year 6 students who have become leaders of our school.

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to the 2024 Student Representative Council (SRC), Isla B, Mia A, Tomas C and, and to our School Captains Brennan C and Annie F.

Lourdes: Jayden B & Matthew S                               

MacKillop: Tyler M & Arthur S-D                               

Tenison: Golden P & Korban S                      

Clairvaux: Oliver B & Campbell R                                 

I have been very impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to their roles and I look forward to supporting and watching as they grow in their leadership roles.

Also congratulations to Didier D and Sienna B who were chosen as Digital Leaders in our school. We thank them for the leadership they are already exhibiting, sharing their talents in the area of digital technologies with other members of our school.

Last Saturday night at Mass the staff of St Bernard’s were inducted for the new school year by Fr Loi As a staff, we are committed to nurturing all those in our care so that we all may grow in a deeper awareness of God’s presence and a greater understanding of God’s teaching, bringing to life the vision of our School Motto: That All May Be One. I feel very privileged to lead such a beautiful school and I very much look forward to the year ahead. 

Staff Professional Learning
Our learning journey continues… we have begun to feel the magic of momentum – we’ve seen tangible results and will continue to raise the bar to ensure our students receive the best possible learning opportunities at St Bernard’s. Our goal is to continue to be a leading school for best practice. Last Tuesday, Brooke Wardana from Perth, met with staff focusing on High Impact Teaching Practices. Brooke is working alongside staff with the aim to support teachers and leaders to improve their practice through practical professional learning based on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and follow-up coaching. Brooke led our Staff Meeting this week with a particular focus on engaging Daily Review Literacy Routines. Brooke was very impressed with our school and continues to see growth each time she visits. 

Teachers came away feeling empowered and ready for the year ahead. We are very fortunate at St Bernard’s to have such a highly skilled team who are continually working to meet the needs of all students. Our new teachers, Mr Whiteford, Ms McCluskey, Ms Nagel and Mrs Manwaring will be attending a Catalyst Onboarding Workshop in Canberra next week. Mrs Keough, Ms Manwaring, Ms McRae, Ms McCluskey, Mrs Nussdorfer and Mrs Bellete will be attending Let’s Decode training on Thursday. All staff are committed to continuing to grow in their roles and providing evidence-based instructions. Ms Turner and Mrs Rosenbraum trained in MiniLit this week and Mrs Clynes will be participating in MacqLit training next week. At St Bernard’s all decisions are made in the best interest of our students. We are committed to maximising learning time and ensuring that our students’ needs are met both socially, emotionally, and academically. 

Emerging Leaders Program
Congratulations to Ms Jeni McCarthy who has been accepted to participate in Catholic Education’s 2024 Emerging Leaders program. Ms McCarthy holds the role of Classroom Support Teacher and Coordinator. She fulfils her role with confidence and dedication and is committed to her own professional growth, both educationally and spiritually. As new ideas and educational initiatives are presented to the school, Ms McCarthy leads by example, and will make a sound analysis based on research, professional reading and experience. Ms McCarthy has played an important part in driving educational change at St Bernard’s through Literacy and Numeracy pedagogical changes, creating opportunities for professional learning for staff, peer mentoring, and nurturing a culture of personal improvement and growth. The course is an opportunity to acknowledge, affirm and develop the leadership capacity in our staff.  

Attendance at school
I would like to thank all parents and carers for making student attendance at school in 2024 your priority. Ensuring your child attends school every day is a legal responsibility for all parents and carers.

The school day starts at 8:40am and arriving at or before this time is essential to ensure your child starts every day to maximise their learning time. If your child is late by even as little as 5 minutes a day, this time accumulates over the course of the term to days and weeks of missed learning. Each morning, Yrs 1-6 start the day with a Spelling lesson. If your child is late, they are missing key instruction time. We understand that on rare occasions you might be late to school. If this is the case, please sign in using the Compass kiosk at the front office before sending your child to class. 

Swimming Carnival
Last Friday I saw many talented swimmers take part in our annual swimming carnival. The students show great team spirit, cheering for their houses and participating in a variety of events. It was wonderful to see every child have a swim! A special thank you to Mrs Holmes and Ms McCarthy for their preparation and organisation of the day. Also to our parents and staff who assisted us and supported us on the day. It was lovely to see the St Bernard’s community come together after the holiday break. 

Blessings on the week ahead.

Kind regards

Johanna Wain
Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Our new Kinder students completed their final rest day yesterday and will now be coming to school each day of the school week. We know that this is a big adjustment for many of the Kinders and we have been very impressed with the way they have already settled in and learnt some of the class routines. It is certainly a team effort, so congratulations to you the parents, the teachers and of course the children for the fantastic start to school at St Bernard's. 

Library and Sport Days

Please find the schedule for the days when each grade will be required to wear their sports uniform or bring their library bag to school this year. 

Grade	Sport	Library
Kinder	Wednesday and Thursday	Tuesday
Year 1	Tuesday and Wednesday	Monday
Year 2	Monday and Friday	Tuesday
Year 3	Wednesday and Friday	Monday
Year 4	Monday and Friday	Wednesday
Year 5	Monday and Friday	Wednesday
Year 6	Tuesday and Friday	Monday

Lunchtime Activities

At lunch times we have a range of different activities for students to be involved in as an alternative to playing outside in the playground. The activities are as follows:

• Monday - Boardgames with Mr Maynard
• Wednesday- Chess Club with Mrs Keough
• Thursday- Minecraft Club with Mrs Holmes
• Friday- Drawing and Games with Mrs Beashel.

In addition, Year 6 students in the Student Representative Council meet on Mondays at lunchtime with Ms Nagel and Mr Whiteford, students in Years 3-6 who are interested in being part of the choir rehearse on Tuesdays with Mrs Smith and Ms Nussdorfer and Year 5 students who are members of Mini Vinnies will have the opportunity to meet with Mrs Beashel each Thursday. 

We strive to provide a range of options for the students at St Bernard's and remind students about these activities each day as they occur. 

School Counsellor

We have a new school counsellor beginning this year. His name is Damian Gerber. Damian will work Wednesday - Friday. Referrals can be made to the School Counsellor through Jo or myself.

Gurubangamba-ga Mentoring and Transition Program

On Monday 8 students from Years 5 and 6 attended the first of three mentoring and transition days for Aboriginal students at Carroll College. Our students combined with students from St Mary's Primary School, Moruya and were introduced to the new College Indigenous leaders and mentors for 2024. The students were involved in activities around the theme of Relationships led by the Carroll College students and facilitated by Contact Teacher for Aboriginal students, Mrs Katuke. Our students enjoyed being in the College environment and getting to know some of their peers from other schools. The day concluded with a tour around the College.

Lunch box ideas

The Council of Catholic Schools Parents NSW/ACT’s website has some great shopping and cooking videos for parents and families loaded with tips on making fun, tasty family-friendly meals on a budget.

Click the link below to watch the videos. Recipes can be downloaded from the website and one top tip lunch box sheet is included here.

https://youtu.be/tltGHPvwv6g

Lunchbox_Bacon_and_Egg_Slice_Recipe_and_Tips.pdf

Lunchbox_Bacon_and_Egg_Slice_Recipe_and_Tips _pdf 423.45 KB

Parking at the Church Carpark

We have recently added no parking signage adjacent to the fenced area where parents/carers wait for their children at the church car park in the afternoon. The reason for this is to ensure that this area remains clear for children walking towards their parent/carer. Thank you for your vigilience at pick up time. You will notice that we allow students to move towards their parent/carer when we can see that you are within a safe distance. We thank you for coming over towards this area and staying with your children at all times as you move towards your car.

Your_guide_to_parking_safely_near_schools.pdf

Your_guide_to_parking_safely_near_schools _pdf 111.65 KB

Take care over the next fortnight.

Kind regards

Karen Hadley

THE TIME HAS COME 

 Lent! Lent comes around every year! What does it mean for and to us? To you and I, in what is an often distracted and busy life? Is it simply the period of time or season leading up to what has become another highly commercialised and secular preparation time for the culmination celebration which in this instance is Easter? We are persuaded to stock up early on Hot Cross Buns ( note all the new flavours), Easter Eggs and prepare for visitors or do we use Lent as a time for taking stock of our lives, face challenges, step out of our comfort zone, take time for reflection?

All the above would equip us better for Easter when we renew our Baptismal vows and celebrate “The time has come, and the Kingdom of God is close at hand.Repent and believe the Good News” Mark1:15

The first week of Lent sees our being invited to “ journey with Jesus into the wilderness” for 40 days, 40 being a symbolic number used often to suggest a long time. Noah, in the first reading is not only a reminder of the great flood which destroyed much, leading to a rebuilding, also mentions ”my covenant”or promise. We also know that Moses, the people of Israel, King David and Elijah had experience with 40!

There must have been occasions in all of those times when the people felt abandoned by God, tempted to turn back and even tempted to abandon God. They may have questioned themselves and each other- what do we need to do better? How can we repent? How can we reconcile with God.

Jesus, however, driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit brings another dimension - the Spirit being  a direct link to God and the covenant. Jesus knows about suffering and we know He is aware of adversity. Whilst it is stated that Jesus was “tempted” in the desert it has been suggested that the word “tested” is a more correct translation. Whilst tested in the wilderness Jesus became strengthened and was able to announce  “The Kingdom of God is close, Repent and believe the Good News”.

We too , can use the 40 days of Lent as a walk in the wilderness. As Jesus under the guidance of the Spirit, we too , can withdraw from pressures and situations which may have resulted in our own spiritual dryness. We can use the time to take stock of our lives.It is important that we ponder “ covenant “.After the flood, as a result of God’s unfailing love the Earth was on a new journey of renewal.Peter’s reading picks up on “water” when he talks about Baptism. God made a pledge to us of enduring, faithful love and we, renewing our Baptismal vows at Easter make a commitment to a new journey of discipleship. It is the understanding of discipleship which could help us during our Lenten journey. We have time to reflect and understand that we can be strengthened in our belief in God and discern how we can actively participate in the work of prompting the Good News in both our personal and wider world. As we reflect, we are acknowledging that “ the time  is here, the place is here and we have to turn our lives around, experience a change of heart and mind”. R Rohr. Great Themes of Scripture.

  Ken and Carolyn Evenden

Dear Parents and Carers,

Yesterday we celebrated Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. In this season which lasts for forty days, we prepare ourselves for the new life given to us at Easter.

Fr Loi marked our foreheads with a cross made of ashes. This was a reminder of Christ's sacrifice for our sins - a sign that we are truly sorry for the wrong things we have done.

Historical Context – The Mark of the Cross

The tradition of marking the forehead with ash on Ash Wednesday can be traced back to the ancient Jewish action of dusting oneself with ash as a sign of repentance and mourning for wrongful actions. It was a public declaration of the acknowledgement of the wrong and the commitment to turn one’s life around and try not to make the same mistake again.

It remains a public declaration that during the period of Lent those who wear the cross of ash are going to attempt to turn around their lives and re-focus themselves more fully on God. Three ways we can do this are by:

• Almsgiving
• Prayer
• Fasting

Project Compassion - Almsgiving

One way that we can assist with Almsgiving during Lent is by contributing to Caritas through the Project Compassion project. A small money box was sent home with your child yesterday. During Lent your donations in this box will go towards supporting people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world. The theme for this year’s appeal is again, “For all Future Generations,”

Project Compassion provides us with an opportunity to work in partnership towards a brighter tomorrow. It acts as a timely reminder that by putting our faith and compassion in action today, we have the power to create lasting change for generations to come.

 Videos and a wide range of resources are now available at www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion.

Lenten Prayer: God of mercy and compassion, you call us back to you in this season of repentance. Listen to our pleas and put a steadfast spirit within us. Amen

Sacramental Enrolment - Reconciliation

Thank you to those parents who have sent back their RSVP to our Reconciliation Family Enrolment Evening tonight. Year 3 teachers, staff and myself look forward to supporting your family through your child’s sacramental journey.

Time: 5.00pm-6.00pm

Venue: St Bernard’s Church

Lenten Prayer: God of mercy and compassion, you call us back to you in this season of repentance. Listen to our pleas and put a steadfast spirit within us as we strive to make a better world. Amen

Blessings on your weekend,

Sharon Beashel

REC

Welcome to Year 3

Year 3 are to be congratulated for their terrific start to 2024. Students have impressed us with their high levels of enthusiasm and commitment to their learning. Students have made a fantastic transition to the routines and expectations of Year 3.

In Visual Arts, the creative vibes have been flowing! Students have enjoyed the opportunity to create a T-shirt design that is all about themselves. Students used their artistic skills to draw their self-portrait along with their favourite sport, animal, movie, song etc. We have discovered that we have some very creative and artistic students. We look forward to creating our next artwork that will take us to the Great Barrier Reef. We can’t wait to see what future artistic creations they will amaze us with this year.

Year 3 are working together as a well-oiled machine during our Literacy and Numeracy sessions. We are continuing to engage with fast paced, high-impact Daily Review lessons. They are applying themselves in every session to help take their learning from their short-term memory to their long-term memory. We are refining and expanding on our ability to write narratives. We have been learning how to expand our sentences as we are introduced to new vocabulary each day as well as using the conjunctions - but, because and so. We look forward to reading future Year 3 narratives as the students have vivid imaginations!

It hasn’t been all work and no play. Students have been able to explore new areas of our school like the Tinkering Space, top oval and playing in the Lean To.

Year 3 have relished the opportunity to visit the library to borrow new and exciting books that will take them on many adventures. We have also enjoyed our class novel Matilda by Roald Dahl.

This will continue to be a very busy and exciting term as we learn about Reconciliation and our Geography unit – Our Place Australia. There is so much to investigate. We can’t wait! We would like to wish everyone at St Bernard’s a fantastic year full of fun, learning and new experiences.

St Bernard’s Swimming Carnival 2024

St Bernard’s held its annual Swimming Carnival last Friday 9 February. Both students and teachers enjoyed a fantastic day. Students competed in age groups from 8 years to 13 years. Thank you to parents, teachers and the staff at Bay Pavilions for helping us run our day so smoothly. All students who participated in 50 and 25 metre races received points in the House competition. We will announce the winning house and age champions at the Presentation of Ribbons assembly on Friday at 1:50pm.

I must extend my sincere thanks to the many parents who gave so generously of their time helping with timekeeping and morning tea. Without their assistance the day would not have been so enjoyable for the students. As you may have seen on Facebook, the 25m races were hugely popular with students forgoing competition for a fun race with friends of all age groups. It didn’t matter what you went in or what place you came, the students were cheering, so supportive and encouraging of each other. It was a delight to see such enthusiasm and sportsmanship.  

The following students were selected to represent St Bernard’s at the Southern Region Carnival on Monday in Narooma:

Arlo W, Arthur S-D, Beau C, Dante T, Ethan S, George S-D, Harlo P, Hudson A, Isaac R, Jacob B, James P, Korban S, Lebron C, Lucas V, Matthew S, Nicholas E, Oscar J, Raph  C, Taj P, Toby S, Zach C, Addison G, Annabelle T, Annie T, Astrid B, Beatrix F, Charlie M, Charlotte F, Eva H, Evie P, Indiana A, Lucy B, Mia A, Mia B, Mila W, Ruby P, Winter W, Yana K.

We wish them well. Thank you to all those who helped make our carnival such a fantastic event.    

MacKillop Tennis

Next Wednesday we have Annie F, Arthur S-D, Indiana A, Lucy B, Beatrix F and Xavier L all competing at the MacKillop Tennis Championships in Sydney. These students will play against students from all over NSW, we are very proud of their achievements and can’t wait to hear about all the matches they play.

 Angela Holmes 

Term 1

Week 3 Class Awards

Presented: Thursday 15 February 2024.

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

Well done to all!