Term 1, Week 6 2024

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

It was wonderful to see so many families at our Welcome Night recently.  I particularly hoped our new families enjoyed themselves and witnessed firsthand the strong community spirit that exists at St Bernadette’s.  Thank you too, to those families that were able to bring food to share.

During the evening our Annual Community Meeting was held.  We shared highlights from 2023 and unveiled some concept plans to cater for the high enrolment demand we continue to experience.  We thanked Yadu Acharya, Anu Paul and Alissa Blake for their service on the Board and called for nominations.  I’m pleased to advise that Sushmita Chaugalai and Jenny Sharma will be joining the Board for 2024.  Our first meeting will be on March 26^th, when we will elect Office Bearers for the year.  Your school Board in 2024 is:

Next week our year 3 and 5 students undertake NAPLAN testing. At St Bernadette’s, we are dedicated to preparing your child for these assessments and using them as one of many tools to understand and support each student's learning journey. Recognising that while NAPLAN is an important assessment, it will be just one of the various resources we use to evaluate your child's progress. We understand that assessments can be a source of anxiety for some students, and we are here to support your child through this period. 

If you child is in Year 3 or 5, please note the schedule below. 

Over the coming weeks, parents of students with Personalised Plans for Learning will have the opportunity learn about the types of supports and adjustments we have put into place to support your child to be their best. We thank you in advance for working with us in this way, we love working in partnership with you!

We are now coming to the end of the third week of Lent, halfway between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Our Year 4L class and Year 1H class have led the school wonderfully in the first 2 Lenten Liturgies, and in Week 8 it will be the Year R/1M class who leads us in the third Lenten Liturgy. Watching the development of our students, particularly the younger ones, in how they speak on the microphone, share ways in which they can grow as a person during Lent, and engage in the celebrations have been amazing. We have also had a number of parents and family members come along which has been lovely to see.

Last week, we had 12 swimmers represent St Bernadette’s at the SAPSASA Swimming Carnival at Marion. While we competed against neighbouring schools much bigger than our own, our students gave their best efforts and certainly matched their peers in a number of events. We have 2 more carnivals taking place this term, with the SAPSASA Athletics Carnival on Thursday of Week 9 (March 28) and the SACPSSA Swimming Carnival on Thursday of Week 10 (April 4). Tryouts for the Athletics Carnival will begin next week on Wednesday and Thursday – assuming it is not too hot!

Regards and blessings,
Michelle, Matthew and Ray

This term our Year 1 class has enjoyed learning about the liturgical season of Lent. Our students have examined traditions of Lent and explored how we can implement the traditions of ‘Fast’, ‘Pray’ and ‘Almsgiving’ in our own lives.

Lent is an important period of reflection, growth, and new beginnings. We use this special time to show our devotion to faith, draw closer to God, and prepare for Easter. One of the best-known parts of modern Lent celebrations is the act of ‘giving something up’ for the duration of Lent, such as a habit or particular type of food or drink.

Our students particularly enjoyed creating their own Lenten Promises. We brainstormed how we might give during lent (almsgiving), who we could pray for and something we could take up to help us grow and develop ourselves in some way.

Examples of some of our Lenten Promises are below.

Lent is a time for us to grow and be the people we really want to be. This term, the Year 2 class has been talking about ways we can be more like Jesus by making good choices. We have also decided to look out for positive behaviours in class and affirm our friends when they have demonstrated behaviours that make our classroom a safe and happy place to be. Individual students have identified friends in class displaying these positive behaviours and written them down on a leaf for our Lenten tree. Each leaf will eventually lead to a beautiful flower for Easter. We are so proud of our Lenten tree and look forward to watching it grow and change each day.

Lynda Moser and…

The Gang