Welcome back St Bernie’s community!
The holidays have come and gone, and I hope that everyone had a relaxing holiday. I managed to get away down south for a week or so and got a camping trip in with the kids too. We had some amazing weather so it was nice to spend a lot of time at the beach and just chilling out!
Here at school, we have had a really busy January with a number of grounds and maintenance jobs going on around our school. Our Kindy space has had a ‘freshen up’ inside and out with new grass and paint. We can’t wait to have our new Kindy’s back to enjoy the space and look forward to planning the next stages of the play area in line with our Masterplan. In addition to Kindy, a lot of work has gone into all our green spaces these holidays and both our ovals are looking amazing! Huge thanks to Simon, Lewis and Doug for their hard work.
Our junior classes have also had a TV upgrade over the holidays and Wayne, Simon and Lewis have been installing large, interactive touchscreens to support our teaching and learning. Our staff have now participated in Professional Development sessions to learn how to use them in the classroom and these will support whole class teaching, small group work and be engaging for our students!
Throughout January, I have worked closely with Father G and the OSH Club Team to have the after-hours care up and running for the start of term. This has been a big job, but a worthwhile one and I believe that the new program is going to be great for the students who use it. The space has had a huge cleanout, has been fitted out with new activity stations and will soon be re-carpeted to make the space inviting for our kids. We are also looking to licence a few of the play areas through the school to support the program and give the team more options before and after school. If you are interested in using the facility, please see the office or our website for details.
Over the last week I have had many meetings with staff and there is a really great vibe in our school. I am excited about the year ahead and look forward to a calm, engaging start to the year. Early next week all of our teachers will be sending home a ‘Welcome Note’ so that parents have all the relevant info for the term ahead.
This year, to ensure all students have the opportunity to participate in some physical activity and to ensure our class morning sessions start on time, we will be conducting a Runners Club from 8.15am to 8.35am each morning. All students who arrive at school between these times will need to complete at least one lap of the oval and will score points for their faction team. Students who do not enjoy running are welcome to walk and talk with their friends, however, will still be asked to participate.
We are very fortunate to have Brad from Behaviour Tonics to come and present for our parents on the 123 Magic Program this term. This is a great opportunity to develop consistency between home and school and we would love to see as many families support this initiative as we can. Thanks to the P&F for their support and to our staff for helping us out as well. More info will come out early in the term.
We look forward to seeing you at our Parent Info Sessions on Tuesday the 7th February at 5pm or 5.30pm where our teachers will give you a run-down of the year ahead.
See you Wednesday
Geordie
