St Bernadette's Primary School Dundas Valley

Newsletter 2021 Term 3 Week 2

FROM THE PRINCIPAL...

Dear families of St Bernadette's

Welcome to our first newsletter for Term 3! 

Our return to term has once again seen us return to remote learning. While it has been an unsettling time with Covid cases rising to numbers we have not seen in NSW before, we pray that the measures being put in place see these numbers drop sooner rather than later. We keep those who are unwell in our prayers.

As we continue to abide by the ever changing restrictions, it is a time to put our own discomfort aside and be mindful that we are a part of a community. By working together we will be able to support and comfort each other through this time where many of us may feel isolated.

Thank you for your ongoing support in maintaining our remote learning platforms but as we have stated on many occasions, we remain open for those families who need to send their children to school. Should you need to send your child just fill in the google form or email the school so that we can ensure we have the correct amount of staff on-site for supervision. 

Stay well!

Mrs Lisa Gerrard (on behalf of all of the staff and students)


FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL...

When I think about the last year and all we have been through, I certainly did not expect to be writing another newsletter item during remote learning, from my kitchen table. Like you, I have children at home, learning remotely and not enjoying it that much. They long to see their friends and even some of their teachers! It is an unusual and challenging time and we need to remind ourselves that it will not be forever and we will come out the other side -  maybe a little more tired and frazzled - but almost certainly with more resilience. 

Just some reminders about remote learning:

  • Give kids regular ‘brain breaks’. In a regular school day, we don’t have students sitting in chairs for hours - we move to different spots and have different sorts of activities. ‘Go Noodle’ has a great YouTube channel that kids can groove along to.

  • Remember to have some time outside in the fresh air. It’s great for overall wellbeing. 

  • Stay in contact with us. If your child is having trouble with something, if you are struggling to complete the work due to your work from home commitments, your child is feeling upset - reach out to us. 

  • This will not be forever. Some students might not get as much done as they would at school. When we all return, your child’s teacher will assess where they are and set next steps from there.

  • You are doing a great job!

As teachers, we are struggling with not having our students on site. We miss them and we miss the interactions we can have with our community. 

We hope to see you again soon!

Mrs Willard

Welcome Mrs Nassima!

At the start of Term 3, we welcomed our new Receptionist, Christine Nassima. She is the new voice you will hear on the phone or who will greet you when you come to the School Office. We know that Christine will be a great addition to our community and we can’t wait till restrictions are over so more of our community can meet her in person.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION...

Sunday 25 Jul 2021

REFLECTION by Dianne Bergant CSA

Today we are reminded of God’s providence. We live in a world that feeds us and shelters us and supplies us with everything that we need to grow and to thrive, and all of this comes to us from the hand of God. It is usually when we are in desperate straits that we become painfully conscious of our dependence on God, but this dependence is always there. God does not merely intervene when we are helpless; God's providence operates in our lives at all times.

Living in a society that promotes individualism, we sometimes undervalue the communal dimension of life. God certainly cares passionately for each of us (not even a sparrow falls without God knowing it), but God's concern is for the whole people. We are first and foremost members of a people. We would never have seen the light of day, we would not endure or develop, without others. As unique as we may be, we are a unique expression of a communal reality. God created a race; God formed a people; Jesus died for the world. By the grace of God, we belong to the community.

As members of the people of God, we are called to a way of life that is noble, not selfish. We are to live with each other in humility and gentleness, with patience. We are to bear with one another in love. Through baptism we all live by the same Spirit of Jesus; we are all united through the bond of God's love. The bread that we receive from the hand of God is the bread of full life, life in all its dimensions, life in Christ.

A Prayer During COVID 19

May we, who are experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and in our small world, and are coming to terms with the new reality, remember the words of Scripture: “Be still and know that I God”.

May we, who as adults struggling to process what is happening in our world, remember children who are fearful of a reality they cannot comprehend

May we, who complain about the scarcity of commodities, remember those who are working to maintain the supply chain.

May we, who observe the long queues of those seeking support, remember those for whom there is no government assistance or financial aid.

May we, who work to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity, remember those living and working in vulnerable communities.

May we, who are working from home, remember those who have no employment or home from which to work.

May we, who have access to medical facilities and services, remember those do not have basic health care.

May we, who are beginning to experience border closures, remember refugees who cannot return home.

May we give thanks for those who are working to help or bring some kindness, joy or humour to others, showing us that the light of  Christ shines.

During this time of isolation, as we close our doors, may we continue to keep our hearts open to our families, friends, local and global communities.

We asked this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Anon

 

You and your family may enjoy the read aloud of this uplifting story of how humanity has pulled together during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Windows, by Patrick Guest and Jonathan Bentley

Literacy during Lockdown

Here are some ideas to support your child’s literacy during the remote learning period:

Read each day for at least 15 minutes.

Have daily conversations with your child to support their communication and interaction skills.

Have older children read to their younger siblings or listen to their younger siblings read.

Listen to your child read and discuss the text - events in the story, who their favourite character is and why, information they have learnt etc.

Quick Writes - give your child a sentence starter or an image (Pobble 365 has a fantastic selection of free images with writing prompts) to inspire their writing.

Handwrite letters or create cards for neighbours and on your daily walk deliver these around the neighbourhood.

Encourage your child to write a story and illustrate it into a picture book.

Visit Storyline Online and stream videos of picture books being read by many famous actors.

Online reading resources:

  • CEDP provides personal access to eBooks for all students via SORA or WHEELERS. They can be accessed online or via the “SORA app” or the “Wheelers ePlatform”  apps. Students sign in using their CEDP username and password.

  • Access your local library website to request a library membership so your child can access the wonderful online resources available to support reading.


Premier's Reading Challenge

Just a reminder to those students who are taking part in the Premier’s Reading Challenge to continue adding books to their reading log. The Challenge closes for students on Friday August 20, 2021.

Maths at Home

During this period of online learning, there are many incidental opportunities to explore mathematical concepts in and around the home. What is most important is to stay safe and well, so these suggestions are best used when your child is interested in doing these suggested tasks. 

Your class teachers are doing a great job of providing meaningful yet accessible activities throughout the week, though here are some suggestions of how you can explore Mathematics at home!

Board Games

There are lots of opportunities to explore maths through playing board games! Snakes and ladders employs addition and subtraction, whilst scrabble, boggle and upwords combine literacy with maths, involving multiplication as well. 

Even rolling dice and moving game pieces in so many games requires mathematical processes. 

Card Games 

Another fun activity where maths can be explored. With a regular deck of cards, you can play friends of 10 snap, where the pile is won when 2 consecutive cards equal 10 (or 20). You can explore double numbers, as well as numbers that are one more and one less. Games like UNO also promote mathematical thinking. 

The Olympics

What a great opportunity to explore maths through an exciting global event!

  • Medal tallies

  • Distances and times

  • Records

SCHOOL NEWS...

Stage 3 Camp - Great Aussie Bush Camp

Stage 3 had a fantastic time at the Great Aussie Bush Camp last term. It was wonderful to see so many students (and teachers!) push themselves out of their comfort zone and try something different. 

Here are some of the responses when we asked "What was the best thing about camp?"

Stevania - The best thing about camp was the County Fair, the Giant Swing and being able to have a great time with my friends, teachers and the Great Aussie Bush Camp instructors!!! 

Anonymous teacher - Canoeing was great, the food was fantastic! An awesome time!

Angelica - The best thing about camp was that we could spend time and create memories with the class before we all moved into high school. 

Jada - The best thing about camp was the fact that all the activities were a challenge for us, so we had to keep on going until we got it.

Ian - The best thing about camp was the mud run because we all could get mud everywhere.

Christian - The camp was a new experience that I loved. My favourite thing was sitting around the campfire and seeing all my friends.

Louis (Yr 6) - The best thing about camp is that we were able to spend time with our friends and I also liked the activities because it enabled us to step out of our comfort zone.

Look at all the fun we had at Camp!

Good bye and Best Wishes!

At the end of last week we said “Good bye” to our groundsman Rod Galvin. He and his family are relocating to Mildura to be closer to an unwell family member. We wish him all the best and we thank him for all of the work he did in maintaining our grounds.

Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Survey

Thank you to those parents who responded to the Tell Them From Me survey. We appreciate all feedback and will use this to make St Bernadette's an even better place for students to learn. In each newsletter, we will respond to some of the feedback we received in our Tell Them from Me survey. 

Some of the feedback we received was around homework, especially in the upper grades. To understand this issue even further, we would ask that parents complete this survey about homework at St Bernadette's.   https://forms.gle/yhZsbgJMm1pZYfdj8


Another issue that was raised was the issue of access to the school and parents coming onsite. As you would be aware, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, the NSW Government has restricted access to parents coming onto the school grounds to try and lessen the chance of virus transmission. This order was lifted in the last weeks of Term 1 this year. Since that announcement, we welcomed parents back on-site almost immediately, having a Kindergarten information evening, an Easter Hat parade at the end of Term 1 and finalised our drop-off and pick-up arrangements to begin on the first day of Term 2. In Term 2, we welcomed parents on-site for a range of activities and celebrations including Friday Assemblies,  and our Mother's Day celebration. The scheduled Open Classrooms had to be postponed due to COVID restrictions at the time. We continued with Friday assemblies and welcomed parents of performers on-site for the Bernie's Got Talent show. We were very lucky to be able to take Stage 3 away on their school camp, which we managed to squeeze in before these latest lockdowns. 

Our staff enjoy the interaction and feedback we receive from having our parents on-site for both informal and formal occasions. Although current restrictions will probably prevent this from happening in the immediate future, we look forward to the time when we can welcome you onsite again. 

PBS4L

PBS4L During Remote Learning

Whilst working online it is important we continue to uphold the St Bernadette’s expectations:

⭐ I am safe

⭐ I am respectful

⭐ I am a learner

 

What would this look like online?

I am Safe 

    • Join Zoom lessons from a safe area in my house eg. the living room or kitchen/dining area
    • Use the technology correctly


    I am Respectful

      • Wear appropriate clothing during Zoom lessons
      • Mute my microphone when I am not speaking
      • Only use the chat feature in the Zoom lesson when my teacher asks me to
      • During Zoom lessons I am listen attentively
      • Speak kindly and use my manners when interacting online


      I am a Learner

          • Complete activities set by my teacher
          • Only use the comment section on Google Classroom when I need to ask a question
          • Avoid distractions around me when I am working
          • The work that is submitted is my personal best

            Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

            Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about support provided to students with disabilities. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

            Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

            ·  year of schooling

            ·  category of disability

            ·  level of adjustment provided

            This information assists schools to:

            ·  formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools

            ·  consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools

            ·  develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

            The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disabilities.

            Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).

            Altar Servers' Roster 16 July - 17 September 2021

            Download

            TERM 3 - Dates for your diary

            As we are currently unaware of whether COVID restrictions will continue and in what form, all upcoming events will need to be postponed. We will advise new dates and times when we have more clarity around restrictions. 


            Our Digital Sign

            We would love to advertise events in our community so if you know of an upcoming event please email the details to dundasvalley@parra.catholic.edu.au.

            Don't forget to collect your Bread Tags!

            Enrolling now for 2022

            We still have a small number of places left in our 2022 Kindergarten. Please send in all relevant information as soon as you can to secure your place.

            Happy Birthday

            Elena  - 26/6

            Jocelyn - 28/6

            Isabella M - 29/6

            Nataniel - 29/6

            Nerso - 29/6

            Maddison W - 30/6

            Mia - 5/7

            Tevita - 8/7

            Max C - 8/7

            Layla - 9/7

            Christian P - 12/7

            Oliver - 13/7

            Siosiana - 17/7

            Tahlia - 19/7

            Noah - 19/7

            Henry - 19/7

            EXTRA CURRICULAR...

            COMMUNITY NEWS...

            Community Health Advice

            St Bernadettes Primary School

            St Bernadette's Primary, Dundas Valley is a community focused, Catholic parish school catering for boys and girls from Kindergarten to Year 6. The school strives to build a Christ-centred community where faith is integrated with daily life. We provide learning and teaching experiences which enable the children to deepen their faith understandings, investigate, solve problems and explore their learning. We recognise the importance of creating a learning environment that provides opportunities to develop 21st century learning. Technology is integrated into the learning at St Bernadette’s in all Key Learning Areas.