St Bernadette's Primary School

NEWSLETTER | TERM 4 | WEEK 8 I 29 November 2024

Good afternoon everyone and wishing you a very happy weekend ahead!

With our last school week for students just around the corner, we hope all St Bernie parents are managing to ‘recharge the battery’ and find some pockets of quiet time, amidst all the noise and busyness of end of year preparations.

As we enter the season of Advent, students will be learning about this special time of preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. They will explore the themes of the four Advent candles—hope, peace, joy, and love—through mass, prayer, and acts of kindness to deepen their understanding of this sacred season.

Our focus will also be on supporting each and every child in our school to finish the year well. We will be prioritising a calm, relaxed, happy, fun-filled week, with time for staff, students and families to reflect on our many blessings throughout the year. The end of year Mass on Wednesday the 4th of December, will be a wonderful opportunity to do this and you are all very welcome to join us!

Many thanks for supporting our end of year Christmas Concert for 2024 on Tuesday this week and I think we can all agree that staff and students did a really excellent job getting us all into the Christmas spirit! Congratulations and thank you to our hard-working staff, the P&F? and to our talented kids, for their efforts in making this such an enjoyable and special evening for us all.

The P&F AGM and the Annual Community Meeting of the School Advisory Council was held on Wednesday evening. Annual meetings like this one are an accountability measure to the St Bernadette’s school community and the wider Catholic Education System. They are also a way of pausing, amidst the busyness of the end of the school calendar, to acknowledge and celebrate the culmination of our shared efforts, goals and achievements throughout the 2024 school year. Many thanks to those who attended – your presence was very much appreciated.

Next Tuesday evening the 3rd December at 5pm, we will be celebrating our Year 6 students at their Graduation Mass and Ceremony. They will also be attending their Big Day Out at Adventure World and finally farewelled with our traditional guard of honour on the last day of term. This is a very special time for our Year 6’s and their families and we have worked hard to ensure that they have every opportunity to enjoy their last days here at St Bernadette’s

Many thanks to all our Year 6 parents for the wise counsel you continue to give your children, especially at this time of year when high excitement can sometimes cloud good judgement. Our Year 6’s understand that we have very high expectations that they will all finish well – still being good role models to other students, still having excellent manners, still being helpful, kind and responsible, right to the last minute, of the last day, here at school. When parents and staff are united in our goals, children learn much about the importance of being both grateful and responsible, amidst excitement!

Today children met their 2025 teacher and participated in classroom transition opportunities with their new 2025 classmates. Much time and care has been given to the creation of class lists and each teacher brings their own strengths and personality to the learning adventure!

In regard to the formation of our new classes, I really cannot emphasise enough how important it is that parents model a calm, positive and low-key attitude – especially in front of your children. Why? Because your reaction and attitude is what your child will pick up on!

If you show or express any disappointment or frustration after seeing your child’s class list and who their teacher will be, your child will potentially (and unnecessarily) feel, more anxious, worried or upset about their situation. If, on the other hand, you project a positive attitude and gently dispel any niggling concerns your child may have, they will in turn be far less worried or upset and develop a more resilient and hopeful attitude toward the change.

While it is vital that children do not overhear adult conversations about class lists, I would also challenge you to not make them the hot topic of parent conversations either! Staying positive and optimistic and maintaining perspective at this time of year is so important - for everyone’s mental health! The class lists are now finalised – time to move on to your ‘to do’ lists!

Please be reassured that we understand change can be challenging for many children (and adults!) After being in the same class for a number of years, my own twins will be separated next year. Like all parents, we too hope they will both be happy in their respective classes, that they will continue to make good friends and that they will enjoy learning with their new teacher. While it can be tempting to worry ahead, all we can do is trust in the school’s decision, and support and work cooperatively with the teachers and with our kids.

In the final analysis, change is an inevitable and constant part of all our lives, that we need to learn to adjust to along the way. The more we can do, as significant adult role models in our children’s lives, to support them learn to manage change, the better. I have every confidence in you and in my staff to provide your children with the very best of care as they transition into their new classroom environments in 2025.

I am heading off to compete in an Ironman Triathalon down south this weekend. Crazy? Probably ... but this is a goal I have had all year and while it has been tough trying to train in the wee small hours, especially leading up to this very busy time of year, I am looking forward to the personal challenge and hoping I get through it with some good weather and without any injuries!! Suffice to say that I will be spending the school holidays making it all up to my wife, who has been very patient and supportive of me (most of the time!).

Take good care everyone

Regards

Geordie

Advent Prayer Week 1: Hope

God our Father,

during this first week of Advent,

we ask You to fill our hearts with hope

as we journey toward the birth of Your Son.

Lord, we do not always accept Your invitation to true happiness.

Often, we fill our hearts with distractions and lesser things.

By Your gift of hope, help us to desire You above all else,

and fully trust Your promises to us.

We place our trust in You,

relying not on our own strength, but on the help and grace of the Holy Spirit.

May Your gift of hope enlighten our hearts, minds, actions, and deepest desires.

May we hope in You, seeking only You as our true source of happiness.

SEQTA Access: IMPORTANT UPDATE

SEQTA has recently done an upgrade and in doing so have changed the URL link to access accounts. You will now need to use a new link to sign into your SEQTA account.

Please action the following:

Delete your current app/account and remove any old bookmarked webpages
Use the following link to sign in https://stbernadettes.engage.cewa.edu.au/

Semester 2 reports will be uploaded next week, please ensure that your access is correct before then.

Hi St Bernadette Community,

It is now that time of year where we are inviting children to participate in our Christmas Eve Mass and be a part of the nativity play. All children are invited, please join us at our St Bernadette’s Church, Thursday 28 November for the first rehearsal and deciding parts (if more the one child nominates for a part, we will draw names out of a hat). If your child wants to participate but can’t make it to our first rehearsal, please send me a text.

Rehearsal Dates 5.00 - 6.00pm (if unable to attend every rehearsal due to prior commitments still very welcomed).

Thursday 28th November
Thursday 5th December
Thursday 12th December
Thursday 19th December
Monday 23rd December
Tuesday 24th - Arrive at 5.20 pm.

Thank you,

Jodie Babb

M: 0418 792 199

Medicine at School

Please remember to collect any medication that is stored at school before the end of term.

New medical forms/action plans and in date medication will need to be provided at the start of the Term 1 2025.

Change of Contact Details

If you have recently had any changes to your contact details, telephone numbers, emails or physical address details, please ensure you notify the office. It is imperative that we have up to date and correct details.