© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

Advent Prayer

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of

Your Father and ours.

Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord who enlists me in God's own

work for justice.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world,

peace in my home, peace in myself.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy. I seek

His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me the joy and love and peace it is right to bring to

the manger of my Lord.

Raise in me, too, sober reverence for the God who acted there, hearty gratitude for

the life begun there, and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son.

I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose advent I hail.

Amen.

Ku-ring–gai Chase Catholic Parish Fr Jinto Administrator Peat Island—Chapel Lane, Mooney Mooney Fr Thomas Assistant Priest Saturday Vigil—4.00pm Deacon Kevin WEEKEND MASS TIMES St Patrick’s Asquith St Bernard’s Berowra Heights Saturday Vigil—6.30pm Saturday Vigil—5.30pm Sunday—8.00am 10.00am &6.00pm Sunday—9.00am

2014 Term 4

Week 10 11th Dec

From the Principal

St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School

PO Box 367 Berowra Heights 2082

Phone: 9456 2104 Fax: 9456 4904

Email:sbb@dbb.org.au

www.sbbdbb.catholic.edu.au

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

Dear Parents and Students, As this is our last newsletter for the year I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support this year. I believe we have achieved a great deal this year and this was only possible with your support. End of Year Arrangements On Friday your children will meet their teacher for 2015, although there may be some teachers not present because of other commitments. Also you will receive an envelope with your child’s report, 2015 class requirements and class list. If you have any queries about these please contact the school but all classes have been finalised and changes will not be made. The classes have been chosen based on a number of criteria (academic, social, friendship and behaviour needs) and a great deal of thought has been given to the organising of these classes. The School reports, use A – E Reporting, which is a Diocesan requirement, for all students in Year 1 to Year 6. For Diocesan Schools this equates to: A – Outstanding (O) B – High (H) C – Sound (S) D – Basic (B) E – Limited (L) This Report is Semester Two and it covers the work completed by the students in Terms 3 and 4. The student grades are given across the cohort. By this I mean, for example, when assessing writing, the grade teachers look at all the students in both classes and give the students a grade based on their achievements on a number of writing samples. The same applies for all Key Learning Areas. Students receiving an ‘S’ achievement, means they are operating at the Stage/Grade Outcomes. The students also receive an Effort Achievement based on their consistent effort in the Semester. For Stage 3 students, the Year 5 students are reported according to their grade and the same applies for the Year 6 students. The students in Kindergarten are not reported using this system.

Wednesday 16th December Next Wednesday is the final day for our students. It has been a tradition at St Bernard’s that we finish the school year with a whole school Mass, which has been on the School Calendar for some time now, followed by a ‘Thank you’ morning tea for our parents, as an expression of our gratitude for your support this year. After Mass or morning tea, if parents wish to take their children home this is allowed. Mass commences at 9am and our 2015 School Leaders will receive their badges during the Mass. The teachers will be at school for a Staff Development Day on Thursday and school is closed from Friday. 2015 School commences for all students in Years 1 – 6 on Thursday 29th January 2015. Kindergarten students commence on Monday 2nd February with full days. On Tuesday 27th January and Wednesday 28th January the teachers will be conducting MAI Assessments for the students in their class. We will be using the School Interviews Website for you to book in for this assessment. The Kindergarten students have been asked to book in from Tuesday 27th – Friday 30th January for their Best Start Assessments. Students return to school in their full summer uniform and you will be informed at the beginning of the year as to their sports days and library days, once school commences. We have planned a welcome to 2015 Mass for all families followed by a sausage sizzle for Saturday 7th February. Mass will be at the 5.30pm Parish Mass followed at 6.30pm for a sausage sizzle so please keep this date free.

Appointments for 2015 Mrs Narelle Cartwright will be joining the staff for 2015 as the Religious Education Coordinator and classroom teacher. I am sure that you will make Mrs Cartwright welcome to our community. Mr Treweeke will not be returning to St Bernard’s in 2015. His position has been advertised. All other classes have been allocated their teacher for 2015.

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

Thursday 11th December Year 6 Graduation Mass Friday 12th December 2.30pm Assembly Reports go home Tuesday 16th December Year 6 Graduation Social Wednesday 17th December 9.10am End of year Mass Last day of term for students.

Calendar 2014

From Father Jinto

Hello friends, The Christmas is approaching with the messages of love, peace and joy of Baby Jesus. Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you for your wonderful support to our school community. Let me also extend my special thanks to all the parents for their support, co-operation and love for the parish and the school. Let me also thank all our teachers for the wonderful job they are doing .Finally I thank all the children for their enthusiasm and obedience. I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. May your holidays be full of beauty and blessings and may the good God shower His abundant blessings on you, your families and your friends. Fr. Jinto Joseph

REC News ( Jackie Tod)

A huge thank you to all of the teachers, children and parents who contributed to making the Christmas Carols Evening a HUGE success. On nights like this it is such a pleasure and joy to sit back and reflect on the wonderful year that we have shared together and the beautiful children and families that we are blessed to have at St Bernard’s. Thank you very much to all families who contributed to the very significant collection for the St Vinnie’s Christmas Appeal. These items have been collected for distribution and I am sure that this will make Christmas so much brighter for those families in need. The End of Year Mass this year will be at 9:10am on Wednesday 17th December. After the Mass we will remain in the church for the farewell of Year 6 children, families and teachers who will be leaving us. Afterwards, parents are invited to share morning tea in the hall. Please join us for this special morning as we thank God and celebrate our many blessings and achievements this year. Once again we are truly blessed to have our parish youth band play for us at this Mass and we would like to deeply thank them for their invaluable contribution.

Once again I would like to sincerely thank all families for their support, encouragement and enthusiasm in Religious life at St Bernard’s. I wish you a very safe, happy and holy

Christmas and New Year. God Bless Jackie Tod Dates for the Diary for Term 4 Thurs 11th Dec at 6pm – Year 6 Farewell Mass Wed 17th Dec at 9:10am – End of Year Mass

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

PBL News (Dominique Tomsett)

KidsMatter/ PBL Newsletter We have had a very respectful term! Congratulations to all of these students who have been nominated for the St Bernard’s Award in Term 4: Hayley M, Trang T, Madelyn S, Tigga C-F, Alice F, Lily M, Jessica O, Gemma S, Imogen K, Nick S, Lily H, Laura C, Chloe F, Harrison F, Claire M, James S, Rebecca E, Tiana D, Sarah B, Sam W, Hannah M, Olwen Q, Lucas M, Natalie B, Xiao M-T, Ryan B. The winners of the St Bernard’s Award will be announced at this week’s assembly. Thank you, students for all of your efforts to follow the school rules. We are very proud of you. For you to read

This fortnight I have included an interesting article from the Parenting Ideas website titled ‘Making the most of these holidays’. Michael Gross suggests some ways to help reduce tension over the festive season and make the holidays enjoyable and fruitful for all. You can read other articles from the magazine by visiting: http://www.parentingideas.com.au/Parent_Magazine.html Wishing you all a Merry Christmas! Happy reading and have an enjoyable and safe holiday.

Let’s do lunch (Elise Hassan & Kyla Italiano)

It has been a very busy year in the Let’s Do Lunch room. We have had a lot of fun using our imagination playing games, dressing up and making fantastic creations from recycled materials. Next week is the last week, and so we will only be open on the Monday and Tuesday. Have a safe and Merry Christmas, and we’ll see you back again next year.

HEALTH WARNING

Please advise the office if your child has exhibited signs of a gastro-intestinal virus.

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

INSIGHTS

ORDS Michael Grose

Making the most of these holidays

Often family differences are contained during the year but

over when normal routines cease over the holiday period.

You don’t need an instruction manual to

make the most of the school holidays. After

all, holidays are about kicking your feet up,

relaxing and getting away from the usual

routines. Right?

But the holiday season can be stressful.

For many parents the prospect of keeping

children occupied for up to six weeks can be

daunting. Kids who kept busy with school,

after school activities and weekend sport

suddenly have time on their hands and look

to you to keep them busy.

Christmas can also be a difficult and lonely

time for some. Sole parents and step-parents

usually experience particular challenges

at this time of the year as family catch-ups

cause conflict, and disputes can arise over

who children spend their time with.

Often family differences are contained

during the year but spill over when normal

routines cease over the holiday period. High

maintenance children who’s behaviour

is bearable when they are at school can

suddenly seem very challenging indeed

when you spend 24/7 time with them.

Here are some ways to help reduce

tension over the festive season and

make the holidays enjoyable and

fruitful for all.

1 Be creative with how

festivities are organised

For instance, two or more Christmas dinners

may be needed so everyone is included. If

you are flexible with your arrangements as

well as your thinking then the potentially

tricky times will flow more easily.

2 Mix up the routines

The best part about holidays is the move

away from the routines of school-life. Some

kids feel comfortable with the routines of

school-life and can feel a little lost until the

new holiday routine kicks in. Be patient with

these routine-junkies! Also make sure you

begin adjusting the routine as a return to

school comes closer so kids are prepared for

going to bed and getting up at earlier times.

3 Mix ‘me’ time with ‘them’ time

Plan a mixture of outdoor activities or trips

with quiet at-home activities where you can

relax and recharge your own batteries. The

holidays are a chance to spend time as a

family but you also need to take some time

for yourself each day. It helps to let your kids

know that you are having some timeout too.

4 Resist being your child’s home

entertainment machine

Give children opportunities to keep

themselves occupied or think of

inexpensive, fun ways to keep themselves

amused. “I’m bored” is an invitation for kids

to keep themselves occupied rather than for

you to keep them amused.

5 Team up with other families

Whether it is sharing celebrations with other

families or just holidaying with friends,

holidays offer the chance to broaden your

child’s social circle. Create opportunities to

spend time with other families preferably

with children the same age as yours.

Make sure you provide the three types

of activities that children want with their

parents – i.e. rituals and celebrations,

including family mealtimes; one-on-one

activities where you spend some time

alone with each child; and unstructured,

impromptu activities such as playing

simple games, story-telling and walks

around the neighbourhood. These are

important relationship-building activities

that bind families together and enable you

to build up emotional collateral with kids as

they move into adolescence.

© 2014 Michael Grose parentingideas.com.au

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

Library News (Maria Richards)

Battered Suitcase DVD (Madeleine Cottrell)

Dear Parents, It is with much regret that I need to inform you that the delivery of the Battered Suitcase DVD will not be completed, due to circumstances beyond our control. DVD delivery is anticipated to take place in Term 1 2015; communication with our school community will be provided at the commencement of the academic year. For those students leaving the school at the conclusion of 2014 DVDs will be posted upon their arrival. Thank you for your anticipated understanding and please keep John and Debbie in your prayers.

Library monitors and helpers; these students have been invaluable throughout the year. An eager and will group of girls and boys who dedicate one lunchtime per week to helping out in the Library. Thank you very much for your hard work and dedication. I will miss the leadership from the Year 6 Monitors especially, Xiao who has been an amazing Library Captain. I look forward to offering children from the current Year 3 the opportunity to become helpers in 2015. I will also be looking for a new Library Captain! PRC participants: 51certificatres were awarded including; 2 platinum (7 years of participation) and 5 gold (4 years of participation) and 44 for participation. Listen to the thoughts of Premier Mike Baird and Author Libby Gleeson as they reflect on the impact of reading and

the PRC. REMEMBER any books you read from the PRC list will count towards next year’s challenge, so keep a record. National Simultaneous Story Time – For the second consecutive year, all classes participated in the reading of and activities for the book “Too Many Elephants in This House” by Ursula Dubosarsky. Bookweek A wonderful week of activities, classroom visits, literacy and numeracy activities, including our Book ‘dress up day’. The children really embraced this opportunity to “Grow a Reading Connection’ by naming both the Book Title and Character they were portraying. Both K-2 and 3-6 were treated to performance which took them on a literary journey through Asia, in keeping with our focus for Term Three. Bookfair – 2014 Thank you all - what an amazing effort! 2013 sales increased by 150% from 2012 2014 sales increased AGAIN by a further 50%. This provides the school with an ongoing budget to provide further resources based on current trends, student suggestions and teaching support materials.. Library Returns Thank you to everyone who has returned their borrowed items. Many children have been able to find books that have been “missing’ for quite a long time. Here is a snapshot of the current Library situation: Patrons – 318 active Titles single titles -10,016 Copies of titles 604 Circulations: we currently still have: 192 items checked out; 181 are overdue. 372 items I have had to mark as LOST in 2014! (a significant cost)

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

Uniform Shop News

Please note that the uniform shop will be open this Friday 12 December from 2.30 - 3.30pm.

For administrative purposes, we do require payment at the time of purchase. Payment options include cash, cheque or direct deposit (details are printed on the attached order form). Orders can also go through the office bag.

Complete summer uniform is required for Term 1. If you have any questions, please email: Christine Hindmarsh - hindmarsh_christine@hotmail.com or Liz Chan - chan_lizzy@hotmail.com Thank you, Liz Chan, Christine Hindmarsh, Michelle Desmarchelier

Community News

Congratulations to local community member Sean McArdle on his recent mention in Hansard. Sean has worked

tirelessly in raising the profile of those in our community suffering from schizophrenia and recently met the Prime Minister at the opening of Hornsby swimming pool.

Thank you Sean.

St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School, Berowra Heights

STUDENT ABSENTEE NOTE We are required by law to record all absences for children enrolled in our school with an accompanying note.

My child _________________________________ of class _____ was absent from school on the following date/s: _________________________________________________________ Please sign below to indicate that your permission was given for this/these days absent. I, _______________________________ verify that my child was absent from school with my permission on the dates above. Reason: _________________________________________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________________date: _____________

from the office

PRIVACY LAW ADVICE

At the direction of the Catholic Schools Office, please be advised

that if you take photos at school functions and then post them on

social media, you are in potential breach of privacy laws.

You may not post photos which contain children other than your

own, even if they only appear in the background.

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal

Messages From the Community

© St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School.

Material in the newsletter is not to be reproduced without the permission of the school Principal