From the Principal's Desk
Principal - Ms Julie Di Noto
Loving God,
As we journey through Lent,
help us to grow closer to You each day.
Teach us to be kind and patient,
to forgive others as You forgive us,
and to look for ways to help those in need.
Guide us to make good choices,
to show love in our words and actions,
and to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives.
May this season of Lent
be a time of reflection, growth and hope
for our school community.
Amen.
Dear St Bernard’s community,
As we approach the midpoint of the term, it is clear that students are actively engaged in their learning. When taking prospective families on school tours, many comment on the calm and settled atmosphere in the classrooms. Visitors often notice the respectful interactions between students and staff, the positive relationships across year levels, and the strong sense of community that underpins our learning environment. It is something we are very proud of and evident to me when I began at St Bernard’s, and a credit to our students and staff.
This week we have entered the second week of Lent, a special season in the Church year when we are invited to pause, reflect and grow closer to God. Over the forty days of Lent, our students learn about the importance of prayer, fasting and almsgiving as ways of strengthening their relationship with God and showing care for others. In our classrooms and liturgies, we focus on kindness, compassion and making positive choices, encouraging students to think about how they can serve those in need, linking to our school theme ‘Let your Light Shine.’ Lent is a meaningful time for our school community to come together in faith as we prepare for the joy and hope of Easter.
Last Wednesday we came together as a school community to celebrate our beginning of year Mass as well as Ash Wednesday. The engagement and prayerful singing by the children filled my heart with joy. I would like to thank Ms Lesa, our RE leader, for the hard work that she puts in to ensure our gatherings at Church are meaningful and prayerful. It was wonderful to have so many families attend. I was honoured to receive a special blessing from Father Leo welcoming me to the Principal role at St Bernard’s. After Mass we presented our student leaders with their school badges. I am looking forward to working with these very enthusiastic students in 2026!
In the coming weeks, students in Years 3 and 5 will participate in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN is an online nationwide assessment that provides information about student achievement in Literacy and Numeracy (please note: Year 3 writing is a pen and paper test). The assessments cover four areas: Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. NAPLAN is designed to complement, not replace, classroom assessment. It provides a snapshot of how students are progressing in key skill areas and helps schools identify strengths and areas for further development. The information collected is utilised along with other forms of assessment throughout the year to support student learning progression.
Our approach at St Bernard’s Primary School is to keep the experience calm ensuring students try their best. Students will be well supported by their teachers, and we encourage families to help children feel confident by: ensuring they get a good night’s sleep, providing a healthy breakfast, arriving at school on time and reassuring them that doing their best is what matters most. Results will be provided to families later in the year.
NAPLAN will take place on the following dates:
Wednesday 11 March - Yr 3 and 5 writing
Friday 13 March - Yr 3 and 5 reading
Monday 16 March - Yr 3 and 5 Language Conventions
Tuesday 17 March - Yr 3 and 5 Maths
Please see attached document for more information. NAPLAN 2026 Information for Parents and Carers
If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s classroom teacher
or if you would like to request that your child not participate in the NAPLAN assessment please contact me as soon as possible at jdinoto@stbernardscoburg.catholic.edu.au
I am looking forward to visiting the kinders in the upcoming weeks to kick start our official promotional campaign. We have already had great interest in our school. It has been pleasing to hear that many parents who I have taken on tours have mentioned that St Bernard’s was recommended by our parent community. Our official school tour dates are listed below, however I welcome the opportunity to provide families with a personalised tour. If you have a child who will begin Prep in 2027, please submit an enrolment form as soon as possible, to help us with our planning for 2027. Please click on the following link to apply online or contact the office for an enrolment form if you would prefer.
https://www.stbernardscoburg.catholic.edu.au/apply-now/
At assembly last week it was wonderful to award the first recipient of the new Principal’s ‘Let your Light Shine’ Award to Hugo from Year 6. Potential candidates include students, teachers and parents.
Tonight we have our first School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting for 2026. On the agenda is child safety, community feedback regarding reporting procedures, Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) processes and Teaching and Learning. I am looking forward to working with the SAC members in 2026. One position on the SAC has recently become available. On behalf of St Bernard's community, I would like to sincerely thank Nahrain for her leadership and dedication as Chairperson. Although I didn’t have the opportunity to work with her for very long, her commitment and contributions have been truly valued and deeply appreciated. Please submit your interest in joining the SAC via email to
jdinoto@stbernardscoburg.catholic.edu.au.
We are seeking members of our community to join our Bernie’s Parent Collective (BPC). The BPC supports the school with organising fundraising events. It is a wonderful opportunity to build relationships and connections with families across our school. Please contact me if you are interested or would like to find out more information. Our first meeting will be on Friday 27th February at 2.30pm. All are welcome.
We have been advised of an upcoming plan to upgrade Calder Reserve across the road from the school. The below link takes you to the council site where feedback can be captured.
https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/calder-reserve
We have recently reviewed and updated a number of school policies. Some recently updated ones include - Supervision of students procedures for schools, Digital tools used by schools, Acceptable use of ICT agreements, Curriculum procedures, Curriculum assessment and reporting, assessment and reporting procedures. Please note that policies are continually updated and the most recent policies can be accessed by families on our website - https://www.stbernardscoburg.catholic.edu.au/
Warm Regards
Julie Di Noto
(Principal)
Reminders:
Anaphyalxis and Asthma Action Plans need to be reviewed by a GP each year. For those students who have a plan that has expired we will send home a copy this week.
Please let the school know of any new allergies or medical conditions.
School Photos
Save the Date - School Photos are on Wednesday 18th March.
Families can register and pay online at
www.theschoolphotographer.com.au code : NRF3KDSN
Prep Family Teddy Bear Picnic - Thursday 5th March 5.30pm-7pm