Religious Education News
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. Luke 5:10.
Commissioning Mass: St Bernard’s Staff
Over the past two weeks, staff from St Bernards, St Mary’s and Carroll College have been commissioned into their roles in Catholic Education.
On 15 February, Father Rex Curry warmly welcomed all staff and went on to deliver a very thought provoking and relevant Homily which reflected on the Gospel of Luke and specifically on the notion of a vocation.
Reflecting on the Gospel reading, where the disciples left everything to follow Jesus, Father Curry reminded us that our work here at St Bernard’s is more than just a profession. It is a vocation we are called to undertake.
The representation of staff at this event was a clear indication of the staff’s passion and dedication to their roles in Catholic Education in serving the community at St Bernard’s Primary School.
Whole School Christian Meditation
Meditation is an important part of our prayer formation at St Bernard’s Primary School. Each week, classes have dedicated time to this intentional form of prayer in their classrooms.
In 2001, Pope Francis stated: “We all need to meditate, to reflect, to find ourselves,” he said. “Especially in the voracious Western world, people seek meditation because it represents a high barrier against the daily stress and emptiness that is everywhere.”
As part of our commitment to develop opportunities for prayer and faith formation for all of our students, commencing Week 3, our school will introduce meditation across the school. Student leaders will guide the entire school through a Christian Meditation. We hope that this provides as an opportunity for students for connection, calm and community.
This is not something that only occurs in the classroom, the St Bernard’s Primary School staff are invited each Thursday to participate in Staff Prayer.
Last week, Mrs Coulter led the staff through Christian Meditation reminding us of the importance of using the sacred word ‘maranatha’ (Aramatic: Come Lord Jesus Christ). This word is a prompt to be present, clear your mind, open your heart and be open to the Lord’s presence.
There is a great opportunity to use this as part of your child’s daily routine. Perhaps as a calming and prayerful moment as they settle into bed of an evening as an alternative to traditional prayer routines.
If you’re curious, I’d welcome any questions!
Sacramental Program - St Bernard’s Parish Church
Mr Tony Ward and Mrs Vyvette Coulter spoke to the group about the program and how to support the candidates, whilst reminding everyone present that we are here to support the journey towards this important milestone in faith.
Thank you to Mrs Hadley, Ms McCarthy, and Mrs Smith for their support of the candidates and staff. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Father Rex Curry and Roslynne Trompe from the Parish for their time and support. We also express our gratitude to the families who made time to come along to the evening. We hope you found it informative.
Mini Vinnies
We have kicked into 2025 with some VERY enthusiastic Year 5 students wanting to join Mini Vinnies. We will meet each Thursday for a working lunch.
Mini Vinnies is a voluntary program that empowers primary school students to become advocates within their school and local community by putting Vinnies Values into action. They meet regularly to learn about social justice issues, develop leadership skills and engage with the local community.
This Lent, we will participate in Caritas Australia's Project Compassion to Unite Against Poverty and take action to make a lasting difference.
The annual donation boxes will be sent home and placed around the school soon.
We will commence our fundraising on Shrove Tuesday as we lead into Lent with a Pancake Fundraiser. We will share details soon about how to get involved and order pancakes on the day.
The students will also be putting out a Forty Days - Forty Items Challenge to staff. This will encourage our staff to purposefully donate items to charity. We can’t wait to see the interesting things the staff will donate!
Beck Keough
Religious Education Coordinator