St Bernadette's Primary School Dundas Valley

Next week, we begin our Swimming program. Most of our students love this opportunity to get outside the classroom and have a change of routine for a few days and it certainly burns some energy!

Sometimes, this change in routine, participating in new and challenging experiences and dealing with new situations can be hard for some students. The biggest hurdle many of our children face with the swimming program is getting dressed at the end of the lesson and organising their belongings. This new situation is a great opportunity to encourage independence in our children. Independence is important so that children feel they can tackle new challenges and adventures but know that adults will be there to support them if things go wrong. 

Independence over our swimming weeks would be:

• Children getting dressed for school each day, with their swimming costume under their uniform, by themselves

• Packing their own swimming bag with a towel, fresh underwear and socks

• Drying themselves and combing their own hair after a shower each night 

These skills will be extremely important over the next two weeks as school staff and parents are not allowed into the school allocated change rooms to help students get dressed and changed. 

For more information on building independence, take a look at this great resource from Beyond Blue

https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/age-6-12/raising-resilient-children/encouraging-independence

Have a wonderful week, 

Jackie Willard

Assistant Principal

The God who spoke to Moses is pained by the depravity of the people yet moved to show them mercy.  Who could ever have imagined such a God?  The God depicted in the gospel actually searches for what is lost.  He seems to abandon the safe ones for the sake of the one who has strayed.  She goes to great lengths to find one coin.  As a spurned yet loving father, God patiently waits until we come to our senses.  Who could ever have conceived of such a God? 

Our God seems consumed with an insatiable desire to reestablish a relationship with us after we have turned our backs on God, have chosen to commit our loyalties elsewhere, have thoughtlessly wandered off into danger that threatens our well being, not God’s.  What is it about us that makes us so desirable?  The answer has less to do with us than with the magnanimous character of God.  It is almost as if unconditional love is not simply a characteristic of God, but God’s very essence and no human frailty or depravity can change this.

Paul insists that it is through Christ that all of this is accomplished.  It is through the sacrifice of Christ that the depraved are forgiven, that sinners are saved, that the lost are found.  It is through Christ that we are sought by God, and Christ is the very gift of mercy, the forgiveness of our sins, the celebration of our return. 

Today three of our Year 6 leaders, Isla, Isabelle and Stevania, attended the Diocesan Education Mass and Agencies Mission Expo at St Patrick’s Cathedral, accompanied by Mrs Willard, Mrs Brooker and Mrs Elias.

This was an occasion for students of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Parramatta to gather with principals, RECs, parents and Diocesan Priests to celebrate their role in the mission of the Church.

We are very proud of the way our leaders represented St Bernadette’s and engaged in exploring new ideas in Mission for our community.

In Stage 1 we are looking at ‘How can we as disciples appreciate and care for creation? Last week, Year 1 and 2 did a lesson on symbols in the world around us and how they can have a deeper meaning. The students sat outside and were able to identify something in nature that reminded them of God and his creation.

During this term we have been running a number of activities with different students at Lunch time. These programs are designed to encourage students who may find being on the playground overwhelming and who are in need of some simple tips to assist them to join groups or initiate games. Students are invited to go along and participate in social activities in a safe environment, monitored by our Well being counsellor Jeanette Mansour or other staff members.

Also our Library is open to provide another quiet space to read and participate in less strenuous activities.

Through the facilitation of these groups, we feel that all students are provided with an environment to participate in social activities suitable to their skillset

We had a wonderful morning last Friday celebrating Father’s Day. Our dads enjoyed a delicious breakfast of bacon and egg rolls and sausage sandwiches before being treated to entertainment by the students, a blessing of fathers and a photo story of the members of the St Bernadette’s community with their dads. We finished our celebration with Open Classrooms, so that our dads could have the opportunity to see some of the sensational learning happening here at St Bernadette’s. We hope that all fathers and father figures enjoyed a day full of love with their families on Father’s Day.

Congratulations to the following students who represented St Bernadette’s at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival on Friday, 2nd September. It is a great achievement to compete at this high level!

Shane F (Discus)

Ayden H (Shot Put)

Eamon N (800m)

If you wish to purchase any items from our school clothing pool, please email the school office via dundasvalley@parra.catholic.edu.au . If the items are available, they will be sent home with your child. We are no longer able to have uniforms paid for via QKR! app, as unfortunately refunds aren't able to be processed if your required uniforms aren't available.  Therefore all payments need to be processed via EFTPOS only in the school office.