Dear Parents and Carers

It has been a very eventful and joyful fortnight at St Bernard’s! We’ve celebrated the feast day of our school and parish patron, St Bernard, enjoyed the excitement of Book Week culminating in our character parade tomorrow, and cheered on our talented students at the Canberra Goulburn Athletics Championships who competed today. These special events are a vibrant part of our school life and reflect the spirit and energy of our community.

Amid all the activity, teaching and learning in the classroom remain our core focus. Students continue to engage deeply in their daily English and Mathematics lessons, showing great enthusiasm and progress in their learning.

I’ve also had the pleasure recently of meeting some of our 2026 Kindergarten students and their families. It’s always a delight to welcome new members to our school community and to share what makes St Bernard’s such a wonderful place to learn and grow.

As a Catholic school that welcomes everyone, we are proud of our strong sense of faith and belonging. Our Religious Education program and the prayer life of our school invite students to learn about Jesus and reflect on His teachings in a meaningful way. This spiritual foundation is something that truly sets us apart and contributes to the caring, inclusive, and values-driven environment we offer.

On Thursday last week we had the wonderful news that Mr Matt Lowe and his wife Rebecca had welcomed their son Reuben into the world. Ms Ella Mitchell has also now started her leave in preparation for the birth of her child. We wish Matt and Ella and their famillies the very best at this special time.

New families

Recently we have been very pleased to welcome new students to our school.

• Khalid N in Year 3W
• Harrison K in Year 4W
• Savannah H in Year 2N

We hope that you and your family have a wonderful association with our school.

Tournament of the Minds

On Sunday 31 August, a team of Year 5 and 6 students will represent our school at the Tournament of the Minds competition in Canberra. The students include:

Ava J, Remi F, Ava G, Alyssa D, Mia B, Beatrix F and Sarah S.

Under the guidance of Mrs Rebecca Keough, the students have spent a number of weeks preparing for the academic challenge of the competition. 

The students will compete in the STEM challenge.The combination of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics principles provides an integrated approach for students to deepen their conceptual understanding and use their creative and critical thinking skills to solve the challenges within an authentic context.

We thank Mrs Keough for her leadership and dedication to this extension opportunity for our students. Thank you also to the team of 14 who were part of this program and then the final 7 students who will compete in Canberra. We wish you every success and look forward to hearing all about it when you return.

Archdiocesan Public Speaking

Congratulations to Beatrix F of Year 5 who will compete at the Archdiocesan Public Speaking Competition at Sacred Heart Central School in Cootamundra on the 12 September. Beatrix was runner up in the Southern Region Public Speaking competition last week. She will present her 3 minute speech on the topic: 'What would I do with a time machine?'  Beatrix will be an excellent representative for our school and region.

Storyline

In all classes, students are engaged in their Storyline learning on topics within the Geography and History curriculum areas. Teachers have created engaging opportunities for students to learn content, as they become part of a narrative, taking on the persona of a character within their learning area. Students in Kindergarten are learning about farming and have had a visit from the Ralston family to learn about oyster farming and are also hatching their own chickens in the classroom. Year 3 are learning about the history of Batemans Bay and will be going on an excursion led by Riley Nolan to learn about the Dreaming Stories connected to the local area near our school. Year 5 have created a goldrush town within their classroom and are playing a goldrush game to experience what it would be like to live at this time in Australian history.

Please make sure you save the date of Tuesday 23 September from 9am-10am, when we open the classrooms to share the students' learning with you.

Changes to Drop-Off Zone on David Avenue

The Roads and Traffic Authority has recently made changes to the drop-off zone on David Avenue, just outside the bus zone near the school.

This area is now designated as a “Drop-Off Only” zone between 8:00am and 9:30am. During this time, drivers may stop for up to 2 minutes and must remain within 3 metres of their vehicle.

To ensure the safety of all students, we kindly ask that parents avoid using nearby driveways to turn around or drop off children. Reversing onto the street can pose a serious hazard, especially with children walking along the footpath towards the school.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep our students safe.

Father's Day Celebrations
Our annual Father’s Day Breakfast will be held on Friday 5 September from 7.30am to 8.30am in the Lean To. All students are welcome to invite their fathers, grandfathers, uncle or special friend to come and receive a bacon and egg roll for breakfast to celebrate Father’s Day. The breakfast is prepared by the Staff at St Bernard’s (There is no cost involved). To assist with catering, can you please complete the survey below and indicate the number of bacon and egg rolls you would like for your family in the link below by Friday 29 August. There will be a vegan option of a sausage sandwich.     

Following breakfast, you are invited to stay for Assembly in the Hall starting at 8.45am. This will be led by our Year 6 students. The children will also have the opportunity to purchase something special at the Father’s Day Stall with their class following the assembly in the iCentre. Parents are able to purchase vouchers through Qkr! or children can bring money in on the day. A description of gifts are in Qkr and can now be ordered.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STBBFathers2025

We look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow morning for our Book Week Character Parade in the hall starting at 9:00am. Everyone is welcome!

Warm regards

Karen

Karen Hadley

Principal