Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to Term 4! 

It has been lovely to see everyone back this week. The students have settled back into class routines and have commenced familiar and new areas of learning.

At the end of last term so many of you were able to join us for the open classrooms when Storyline learning was displayed. I am sure that you would agree that this was a fantastic showcase and celebration of the student's learning.

On Monday our staff participated in a Sprirituality Day led by Anne Staines, Religious Education and Faith Formation Officer at Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn. The theme of the day was Pilgrims of Hope, and provided an opportunity for learning and reflection. Staff deepened their understanding of pilgrimage and hope in the Catholic tradition; recognising signs of hope in our lives, and catholic communities as a sacrament of hope. The idea of our school being a beacon of hope is one that resonated with us and inspires us in our relationships and support of all students. 

Creator God,

Help us to understand more deeply

this mysterious reality called 'hope',

which comes only as a gift from you.

Continue to stir up hope in our hearts.

May it find a home in us and room to grow

so that our life may speak of one long season of hope.

Welcome 

We are very happy to welcome Agatha (1K) and Hugo (5KT) to our school to begin this term. We hope that you find our school a warm, supportive and engaging place to learn and grow.

Home School Connections for Student Learning 

Grandparents Day

On Friday 31 October in Week 3 we will be hosting Grandparents Day. The morning will begin at 8:00am, where grandparents and other special adults in the children's lives will be provided with a scone and a cuppa from the iCentre before visiting the children's classrooms. At 8:45am we will gather in the hall for a liturgy, led by the students of Year 1, in honour of grandparents. Please find a link to a form to complete your RSVP to assist us with catering.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STBBGRAN

Dance Program

This term, dance teacher, Tracy Spence will be working with classes over 5 weeks as part of the Performing Arts program. On Friday 21 November the students will perform their dances at a concert in our hall at 1:45pm. Please save the date!

NSW All Schools Athletics Championships

Congratulations to the members of the Senior Girls Relay Team, Beatrix F, Lilly G, Charlie M and Georgina W, who are competing at the NSW PSSA Athletics Championships next Thursday 23 October following their recent success at the MacKillop Athletics Championships in Sydney. Best wishes for the competition ahead. We are very proud of your achievement!

Next week we will participate in Mission Week, with events taking place on Monday and Friday. We thank you in advance for your support of the Socktober kick off on Monday and the Mission Day markets on Friday when students are permitted to wear mufti. We warmly welcome you to join us for the Mission Liturgy in the hall at 8:45am and the Mission Markets that will begin at 11:15am.

School Disco

This evening we are holding the annual School Disco, supported by the School Community Council. The cost to attend the disco is a gold coin donation. Food and drink items will be available to purchase from the canteen. As this is a drop off occasion, with staff supervising, we please ask parents to sign your child in and out of the disco at tables that will be set up outside the hall. 

I will be attending the Southern Region Principal's Meeting and Catholic Leaders Day next week from Wednesday to Friday. Jeni McCarthy will be acting principal in my absence.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

Warm regards,

Karen Hadley

Principal

But we know ultimately prayer is about love, not insight. It is meant to establish friendship. Friendship as we know is not as much a question of having insight into each other’s lives as it is of mutually connecting with each other with affection and understanding.  Friendship as St John of the Cross states is a question of attaining “boldness with each other.” In friendship when we have touched each other’s lives deeply we can be bold with each other. We can ask each other for help, ask each other to be present without needing an excuse, or share our deepest feeling, fears or concerns. Good friendship inspires boldness.

It is this kind of boldness with God - when we are comfortable enough with God to ask for help, just as we would a trusted friend.  But to reach this kind of trust we must first let God touch our heart where we feel God’s affection for us.

The persistent and bold Widow who secured justice.

Jesus, in today’s gospel, Luke 18:1-8, challenges us to keep our faith alive and never lose heart. Our good God does not take pleasure in seeing us struggle through life. At the same time, we cannot manipulate God into granting us our requests. It is only through self-surrender that we can experience God’s help. Today’s first reading [Exodus 17:8-13] emphasise the importance of praying for one another. The Israelites were able to defeat the Amalekites because Moses kept his hands raised in prayer supported at times by his friends. So also, on our faith journey we need others to raise their hands in prayer for us as we do for them.

The lack of good will in the parable of the judge invites us to understand that God will unfailingly answer the call to those who ask unlike the slowness of the judge. In the Glenstal Bible Missal we read: ‘the lessons of the parable are clear: the problem for us is that God seems to remain silent and inactive in spite of our petitions. By encouraging his followers to persevere in asking, Jesus suggest the relationship between faith and prayer …Faith has need of the breath of prayer if it is to flower in good works and remain alert and not grow weak and fade away. Faith is a living reality and cannot continue if it is to be lived, that we ‘pray continually and never lose heart.’ [pg 1358.]  

Marie Weatherall             

As we move into the busyness of Term 4, gratitude is at the forefront of my thoughts. Gratitude for the year that has been, the gift of the present and the many moments that lay in front of us. But mostly a feeling of deep appreciation for our staff, students, and our wider St Bernard’s community. 

At Mass on Sunday, the Gospel spoke of a wealthy man struck down with leprosy, and his subsequent battle with how his life of self indulgence obscured his ability to live his life as God willed. Father Joshy then delivered a pertinent Homily reminding us to always be humble and grateful.

We have much to be grateful for here at St Bernard’s Primary School, and we are blessed to be surrounded by a community who are humble, kind and generous in so many ways.

May the rest of 2025 bring you joy and opportunities to find the time to take a moment to be grateful for the little blessings in our lives.

Operation Christmas Child - It’s a Wrap! 

The Mini Vinnies team met up at the end of last term to pack boxes of Christmas gifts ready to be donated to Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child.

Gifts big and small streamed into school and filled boxes in classrooms. We were astounded by the kindness of our community. A special mention to Charlotte who engaged her head, heart, and hands by sewing skirts and scrunchies to be included in a box. Outstanding work Charlotte!

Evelyn Bennett from the local branch of Samaritan’s Purse joined us for our ‘Packing Party’ where the students learnt how to pack the boxes in the correct way. Check out our Facebook page for a personalised message from Evelyn and our sensational Mini Vinnies Team.

We were able to package 32 boxes, which is excellent. What a wonderful effort by our Mini Vinnies Team. A big thank you to Evelyn for joining us and for taking the time to collect our donations ready to send off to those who are less fortunate.

We would also like to extend our gratitude to our amazing St Bernard’s Families for your donations big and small. Your generosity will mean so much to a child somewhere in the world this Christmas!

Begin With The Heart

Congratulations to 6M, who were the winners of our Begin With The Heart Class Award. As a class, they actively showed respect to their peers by allowing everyone the right to learn. An integral part of our value system here at St Bernard’s Primary School. Nice work Mr Maynard’s team of learners!

Please see below for our values for Term 4. Each fortnight, a class will be recognised as the ‘winners’ by having the greatest number of hearts in their classroom jar. We commence the term by considering how we can be tolerant through being inclusive, something we are sensational at doing here at our school.

Begin With the Heart: Term 4 2025
Week/s	Heart Focus	Announcement
1 & 2	HEART – Tolerance  I am inclusive.	Week 2 - Friday (Announcement)
3 & 4	HEART – Honesty I am honest about where I am at with my learning.	Week 4 – Friday (Announcement)
5 & 6	HEART – Empathy  I speak positively about people in the community.	Week 6 – Friday (Announcement)
7 & 8	HEART – Appreciation I try my hardest at all times.	Week 8 – Friday (Year 3 Assembly

Class Masses: Term 4

There are many ways to get involved with our school, and attending Class Masses with our students is just one of them. This promotes the importance of our Christian community, and seeing parents at Church models to our students that participating in Mass is an important part of our faith formation.

Father Joshy has warmly welcomed classes to join the Parish for Mass. He will be away during the first two weeks of term and there will be no week day Masses during this time. Weekend Mass will be facilitated by Father Rex.

Below is a list of the Class Masses for Term 4.

We also have quite a few whole school Liturgies and Masses coming up on the calendar, with our first Liturgy being held in Week 2. This Liturgy will be hosted by the Mini Vinnies Team (Year 5) as part of our Mission Week celebrations, and this will be held in our hall at 8:45 am on Friday 24 October.

Soctober 2026 - Mission Week Celebrations

Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples

Next week we will be celebrating Mission Week, one of our most anticipated weeks of the year. There are quite a few events happening, so keep up to date with this through Facebook.

This year’s focus for Catholic Missions is; ‘Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples.” Information about the full month of opportunities can be found here: World Mission Month

Our focus will be on raising funds to support the work that is being done in Zambia. We will participate in a variety of activities which will align with the Soctober initiative which aims to raise funds and awareness and help to ensure that children have access to food and education, giving them a chance at a brighter future.

We will ‘kick’ things off on Monday with Crazy Sock Day and a Staff v Students goal kicking competition. Please send in a gold coin to wear crazy socks with their sports uniform and to have their kicks counted as part of the ‘Sock it to Poverty’ challenge.

Beck

Mrs Rebecca Keough

Religious Education Coordinator

Be a gift of love and compassion for one another. ~ Mary MacKillop ~

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’re looking forward to this evening’s Community Council Disco at 5pm! A big thank you to the parent volunteers who are generously giving their time to help make the event a success. Our students are buzzing with excitement and can’t wait to come together for a fun night!

Swimming Intensive Program

During Week 7, beginning 24 November, students will take part in a week-long intensive swimming program at the Bay Pavilions. We are delighted to have secured a grant to help subsidise the cost of lessons for all students.

To assist with organising student groupings and instructors, we kindly ask parents to complete and return the swimming skills checklist, indicating their child’s current swimming ability.

We’re confident this program will be a valuable and enjoyable experience for all students. For further details, and to provide consent and make payment, please visit Compass.

SunSmart Reminder – Term 4

As the weather warms up, it’s important to stay SunSmart! In Term 4, all students are required to wear a school hat during outdoor activities, including recess, lunch, sport, and excursions. Please ensure your child’s hat is clearly labelled and brought to school each day.

We also encourage families to apply sunscreen at home each morning. Let’s work together to stay safe in the sun!

Term 4 Dates

Please refer to the Term 4 Calendar for all dates. Some key dates for Term 4 include:

• Community Council Disco Thursday - 16 Oct
• Home School Partnership Parent and Staff Meeting - Tuesday 21 Oct
• Mission Market Stalls and Mass – Friday 24 Oct
• Grandparents Day Liturgy - Friday 31 Oct
• Kindergarten Expo and Stalls – Tuesday 11 Nov
• Year 5 Assembly – Friday 7 Nov
• Year 6 Graduation Mass and Awards – Thurs 11 Dec
• Candle Ceremony – Friday 12 Dec
• Kindergarten Nativity – Tuesday 16 Dec
• Year 6 Disco at the RSL – Wednesday 17 Dec
• Year 6 Big Day Out/ Last day of Term – Thursday 18 Dec

We are looking forward to a busy and productive Term 4. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Jeni

Ms Jeni McCarthy

Assistant Principal

Year 3 are excited to embark on a busy and adventurous Term 4. This term, students are looking forward to broadening their horizons as they learn about Australia’s neighbouring countries, including New Zealand, Indonesia, and Pacific Island Nations. Students will also dive into our swimming program, building water confidence and strength. We are also excited to use our creativity and energy to learn choreography to a variety of fun and lively dances.

Reflecting on Term 3, students thoroughly enjoyed their Storyline unit. Each student became a curious researcher, completing an information report on a South Coast animal such as echidnas, cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets, possums, snakes, great white sharks, or dolphins. A highlight of the unit was the engineering challenge of constructing bridges using nothing more than paper straws and masking tape. Students also showed their creative flair by designing vibrant boomerangs and producing imaginative artworks of their favourite local beaches.

Adding to these classroom experiences, students loved the adventure of our excursion to Caseys Beach and Observation Point Lookout. It was a day filled with fun, discovery and cultural learning. Students gained a deeper appreciation of how the local Walbanja people cared for and used the land. We were fortunate to have Riley Nolan share his extensive knowledge of the environment and Aboriginal traditions. The day included a powerful smoking ceremony to welcome students to Country, an engaging Dreaming story, and the unforgettable moment when Riley transformed a grass reed into a snake whistle.

Looking forward, Term 4 offers even more exciting opportunities. Year 3 are ready to apply themselves diligently in Mathematics and English, continue borrowing inspiring books from the library, and further develop their sporting skills through cricket-based sessions. In the art room, students will experiment with a variety of techniques and mediums to produce bold, colourful and imaginative creations. Each subject will challenge, inspire and nurture their growing skills.

Finally, the anticipation is already building for the Year 3 Assembly in Week 8. It will be a wonderful celebration of the hard work, enthusiasm and achievements that Year 3 has embraced throughout the term.

Mr Tony Ward & Mrs Vyvette Coulter

Year 3 Team

International Finals

A team of seven students have been selected as part of the ACT Team to participate in the International Finals of Tournament of Minds. Our team has won their branch and regional division in order to be selected as part of the team, which is an outstanding accomplishment, and we are very proud of them.

Congratulations to Ava J, Ava G, Mia B, Beatrix F, Sarah S, Alyssa D and Remi F on your dedication and success.

There are only three weeks left to prepare, and as such, the students will be working on a variety of challenges over the coming three weeks as they prepare to participate in the STEM part of the competition in Sydney on 1 November.

The event is being hosted by the NSW Branch, and it will be held at the University of New South Wales. It commences with an opening ceremony and badge swap on Friday 31 October, with the competition and presentation ceremony being held on the Saturday.

Each of the families behind the teams are to be commended on their commitment in supporting their child’s participation in this event which strives to showcase academic and creative excellence.

Please join us in wishing the team all the very best as they strive toward this remarkable goal and keep up to date with our progress via our school socials.

Kind regards,

Beck

Rebecca Keough

Enrichment Coordinator

‍MacKillop Athletics Championships

Congratulations to all our amazing athletes who competed at Sydney Olympic Park on Wednesday 24 Sept. Our Junior Boys Team Jordan, Lebron, Lehan and Raph were amazing, with excellent baton changes and a new personal best time for the team. They finished 5th in their heat. Our Senior Girls Team Charlie, Lilly, Georgina and Beatrix were up against quick times from Sydney schools and the girls were exceptional, pulling together with great changes and extremely fast running. They were awarded a silver medal for their efforts and will now progress to the NSW All Schools Athletics at the end of October. Our Senior boys Sion, Lucas, Finn and Ollie were dynamite, with fantastic changes they won their heat easily with a new personal best time. In field events our high jumpers set new personal bests. Charlie was excellent in the windy conditions, with Beatrix 2nd and Noah and Raph both narrowly missing out on a medal on a count back. Beatrix was 2nd in Long Jump winning another silver medal. On the track, Noah and Ollie ran excellent 100m times and Beatrix and Charlie were extremely quick both making it to the finals. Beatrix won bronze in the 100 and 200m. St Bernard’s was cheering you on all day and we are so proud of your outstanding achievements. Good Luck to our girls as they compete next week.

Todd Woodbridge Cup Tennis Competition

A huge congratulations to our Year 5 and 6 students who took part in the Todd Woodbridge Cup Tennis Competition in Broulee on Thursday 18 September. Ten teams from St Bernard’s competed against schools from across the region in a half court format that focused on having fun while still trying to score points.

Our students showed incredible sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and teamwork. The staff were especially proud of their positive attitudes and eagerness to do their best throughout the day.

Special congratulations to Nate K and Will M-N who each received recognition awards from Tennis NSW for their positive participation and outstanding skill.

One of our teams emerged victorious and advanced to the Illawarra and Southern Highlands final. Congratulations to Beatrix F, Lucy B, Indiana A, Georgina W, Xavier L, Quinn S, Remi C and Lucas V.

Representative Sport 2026

There are lots of opportunities for students to compete at Representative level in a variety of sports, soccer, rugby league, netball, tennis, cricket, AFL, hockey, golf to name a few. If your child would like to compete in any of these teams further details can be found at https://www.sport.cg.catholic.edu.au/nominations

Dates for these competitions have been added to our St Bernard’s School calendar which can be found online at https://stbernardsbb.schoolzineplus.com/calendar

Tennis, Basketball and Cricket trials are in a few weeks so please nominate soon before entries close.

Whole School Swimming Program

Our St Bernard’s Swimming program is coming at the end of November. Thank you to all our families for returning their checklist. The students are now being levelled. They will be checked on the first day by the instructors to see if the level they are in is appropriate. Students then progress across groups as they improve their skills. Our aim as always is for maximum participation and to increase the water safety of all our students. Please check on Compass https://stbernardsbb-nsw.compass.education/login.aspx? to see if you have finalised your permission and payment.

Upcoming Sports Events

Thursday 23 October  - NSWPSSA Athletics Championships

Friday 31 October  - Canberra Goulburn Cricket trials

Monday 10 November -  Year 5 and 6 Stand Up Paddle boarding

Tuesday 18 November -  Year 5 and 6 Stand Up Paddle boarding

Friday 21 November  - Canberra Goulburn Tennis and Basketball trials

24-28 November  - Whole School Swimming Program     

Wishing everyone a fantastic Term 4!

Ang

Mrs Angela Holmes

Sports Coordinator/PE Teacher 

Class Awards from

Term 3, Week 9 

Presented: Friday 19 September 2025.

Well done to all!

Happy Birthday to all of our students that have or will celebrate their birthdays in October.

Colby S, Isabel K, Violet L, Franki S, Ava G,  Lucy B, Benjamin T, Fraser S, Koa S, Eve P-K, Neha M, Neil M, Maisie H, Jace T, Inalah R, Lylah K, Thomas B, Paige C, Gabrielle A, Evan A, Maxwel M, William O’C, Laycie E, Abram B, Holly L, Alexia V, Ella J, Charli H, Quinn S, Lennox B, Savannah H, Oliver B, Arpan K, Anabel D, Brooklen S.

We hope you enjoy your special day.

2026 School Travel Applications

Students who need a travel pass for 2026 can apply now. A new application will need to be submitted if they are applying for a school travel pass for the first time, or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation. (eg joint custody)

Students progressing from year 2 to year 3 and from year 6 to year 7 need to re-apply.

Where a student meets the new distance eligibility, the system will automatically update their entitlement. If they do not meet the new distance requirements, they will receive an expiry notification.

Students who change address, school, campus location, have repeated a year or received an expiry notification for their school travel entitlement need to renew or update their details before the end of term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications before the end of the year, so students travel entitlement can remain valid for the start of the 2026 school year.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Please see flyer for more information.

From Child Rescuing to Compassionate Witnessing: 

Some Reflections on How to Truly Be There for a Child

All parents, carers and teachers know there are times where our healthy instincts to intervene and to protect life can accomplish miracles. Think of the parent that saves their children from a burning building, for example, or the grandparent that stands in between their grandchild and a random attacker in public. There are certain situations where we must act, without hesitation.

Yet our desire to rescue children from suffering can also become a troublemaker! This is particularly so for those of us that experienced chaotic, unsafe, or traumatised caregivers during our own childhood, who may have taken on a pattern of feeling responsible for the pain of others, including children. As has been well-documented in the media, we are living in an era of “helicopter parenting” where many caregivers feel that they cannot allow their children to fail, feeling that it is their job to intervene on the child’s behalf to protect them from any pain. 

As a result of the actions of such well-meaning adults, children may be denied valuable opportunities to learn from failure, to be humbled by life’s difficulties, and to grow in their own sense of healthy individuality, distinct from the identities of friends and family members.

I must include myself in this, as there have been times as a counsellor when I have been caught in a feeling that I need to fix or resolve a particular problem that a child comes to see me about. Any time I notice this happening, I take this as an invitation to relax, come home to myself, and redefine how I might truly help the child in front of me.  More often than not, I find it is less about doing and more about allowing: allowing the child to express themselves in their own language, allowing the child to have their pain witnessed by a safe adult, and allowing the child the space to come up with a solution on their own terms and on their own timeline. 

I have found that to truly help a child, usually they don’t need to be rescued from anything. What most children need from us is a compassionate witness for whatever is showing up in their world, without the baggage of expecting them to be a certain way for us.

 In the words of Alan Watts:

“The water will clear itself when the conditions are right. Your frantic stirring won’t help; in fact, it will make things worse. This is the wisdom that must accompany clear seeing: the understanding that not everything you perceive requires your intervention.”

Warmly, 

Damian Gerber

Student & Family Counsellor 

St Bernard's Oosh currently has some availability for our before school care Program. Open from 6.30am, we provide the children with a nurturing environment where they can prepare themselves for the school day in a relaxed way, ensuring self regulation is the focus of this program. We provide breakfast and support the children in whatever way needed, to help our working families.