Dear Parents,

Over the last three weeks of term we have some staff taking leave. Those grades impacted have been informed. I will be taking leave from Friday 6th September as I will attending a Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi with 25 other Principals from the North Central Zone. This pilgrimage is the culmination of work we have undertaken over the past twelve months which has been focusing on the Pope’s encyclical ‘Laudato Si’- Care for our Common Home’. This document calls for ecological change, care for the environment and the poor, by all people regardless of faith or religion. This is of particular importance and relevance to us in our roles in leading catholic primary schools. I have been working with our staff and will continue to share my learning from this wonderful experience. I feel very privileged and blessed to be able to participate in this and look forward to sharing the learning with the entire community. At the conclusion of the pilgrimage I will be taking some leave and will return to school on Monday 14th October. In my absence please contact Ms Franca and/or Mr Reed.

Father’s and Special People Celebration

On Friday we are looking forward to welcoming Dads and special people to school. Students are able to come dressed like their Dads. After some time in the classrooms, our special visitors will join us in the hall for coffee, donuts and a catch up. If you have not rsvp’d yet, please do so by tomorrow Thursday 29th August for catering purposes.

Learning Conversations

Learning Conversations are being held Tuesday 10th September from 3:30pm-6:00pm. These are compulsory for all students to attend with at least one parent. Bookings open tomorrow morning and more information is on our Learning page.

MACSSIS Parent Surveys (2nd - 20th September )

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS) are a set of tools for creating, collecting, analysing, interpreting and using data to inform Catholic school improvement. MACSSIS produces perception data, which tells us what different people in a school community think and feel about their learning environment.

At this time of the year we select 50 random families to complete an online survey that usually takes between 15-30 minutes. If chosen, families will receive an email from the school that will provide you with the link to access the survey, an individual pin number (password) and a letter explaining the process.

The survey link can only be able to be accessed from 2nd September up until 20th September. We ask that all selected families complete the survey as this provides us with important information in our forward planning for the school.

2025 Planning

Early in Term 4 we will begin planning for 2025. If your child is not returning to St Bernard’s next year, please notify us in writing by Friday 6th September. If you are aware of any families thinking of enrolling at our school, please encourage them to contact us as soon as possible. This enables our planning to be accurate.

Head Lice

There have been some cases of Head lice reported to the office in recent weeks. We encourage all families to check their child’s hair regularly and let us know if your child ever has lice. This enables us to notify the particular class/ classes so that parents can be vigilant. Any student that has head lice must be treated before returning to school. The attached link provides some useful information.

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/head-lice-nits

Bunnings BBQ

We are so excited and grateful that we have a Coordinator for our Bunnings BBQ on Saturday 26th October. Many thanks to Andrew Gunn, father of Mila and Darius who kindly volunteered. We now need volunteers to work throughout the day. If you are able to help on one of the short shifts please visit our BPC page.

Student Illness

Despite the very windy conditions, we have certainly felt the slightly warmer weather over the past and we look forward to the beginning of spring. With the change in season, we can see an increase in coughs, allergies and viruses. If your child is unwell, please keep them home to help avoid the spread of illness. We appreciate your support in this.

Save the Dates

We have some very special events planned for Term 4 so put these dates into your calendars. More information and details will be shared in coming weeks.

Friday 25th October 8:45am-10:00am Grandparents Morning
Tuesday 29th October from 6:00pm-8:00pm “One Night Only”. This will showcase the videos produces as past of our Artist in Residence Program & artworks by our talented students
Friday 29th November - Tabloid Sports Morning. This event is to replace the Twilight Sports night which we are unable to run.

'Something to Think About'

Did you know that there are laws in place that aim to protect you in the online space.This week’s video and transcript explains this in more detail.

https://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/laws-and-legislation/

Grade	Students
Foundation L	Maddie and Arzoey
1/2 L	Mimi and Romina
1/2 R	Gianni and Christian
1/2 T	Skyler and Julian
3/4 J	Atticus and Kalia
3/4 M	Matteo and Mila
3/4 T	Summer and Hamish
5/6 B	Favian and Ella
5/6 J	Christiano and Herb

Awards & Celebrations

Student Awards