St Bernadette's Primary School

Good afternoon everyone.

We hope this newsletter finds you all well, it has been another great week here at school. Hopefully by now many of our Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 parents will have heard about the Powerful Problem-Solving lessons going on in classrooms! (Because we all know kids like to come home and talk about Maths…).

A huge thanks to Callum and Ashleigh for leading this professional development and supporting staff in their learning. We have had a lot of good feedback from students and teachers about the strategies being implemented.

Parent–Teacher Interviews are running over the next few weeks, and are an important opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school. We ask that families please arrive on time, respect the allocated time for each meeting, and approach conversations with a spirit of cooperation and respect. These meetings are most productive when we work together, focused on supporting each child’s growth, wellbeing and learning.

A reminder that this is a shorter school term of nine weeks, concluding on Holy Thursday, 2nd April. With a condensed timeframe, every week of learning is particularly valuable. Regular attendance and strong routines will help students make the most of this important term.

We are unfortunately noticing an increasing number of families choosing to take holidays during the school term. While we certainly understand that a genuine “once in a lifetime” opportunity is special and sometimes unavoidable, regular term-time holidays can significantly disrupt a child’s learning. Continuity is essential for building knowledge, confidence and strong classroom connections. Extended absences not only impact individual progress but also affect group learning and the planning and flow of classroom programs. We ask families to please carefully consider the timing of holidays and, where possible, schedule travel during school breaks so that students can fully benefit from the teaching and learning taking place each day.

Finally, with some of the challenging news going on both domestically and overseas, I thought it appropriate to mention that children can be particularly sensitive to news coverage of conflict, including the current situation involving Iran. Even when they seem distracted or are not directly watching, children often absorb what is on in the background, and repeated or graphic coverage can leave them feeling anxious or fearful. Research shows that exposure to distressing news can make children see the world as a scary place and may even lead to worry, sleep disturbances or ongoing anxiety. For this reason, it is important for families to monitor television viewing and limit exposure to upsetting news, particularly for younger children. Where possible, turn off rolling news coverage, be mindful of conversations children may overhear, and provide calm reassurance if they have questions or concerns; focusing on the wonderful things in their life they have to be thankful for.

All the best for a relaxing weekend. Good luck to anyone doing the Port to Pub.

Geordie

The following students will be receiving Merit Awards at next week's Assembly, which starts at 8.50am in the undercover area. Family and friends are welcome to join us.

• Individual photos are for Kindergarten to Year 6 students currently enrolled in school.

• Family photos will take place in the library before school. Younger siblings may join in family photos with parental assistance if time permits. Family order forms can be collected from the office, and should be handed directly to the photographer on photo day. These photo's cannot be ordered online.

• Students are to wear their red polo shirt on photo day and are to be dressed adhering to school uniform requirements (please check earrings and hair in particular).

• Year 6 students are to wear their leavers shirt.

• A late processing fee will be charged for orders received after 9 April 2026.

8:10 – 9:00am: Family photos in the library: surnames A-M only.

Pre-Primary to Year 6 photos.

Y6 Graduation photo

Y6 Student Leaders photo

Y6 Student Leaders and Captains photo

8:10 – 9:00am: Family photos in the library: surnames N-Z only.

Kindergarten Blue and Red photos

Please see how to order your photos' below:

Get your tickets on the Spriggy app

Among the EGG-cellent prizes, there is also a chance to win a joy flight with Lauren Bunce (Mrs Bunce’s daughter!) Hop to it and good luck!

Our school is a Nut Aware & Allergy Aware environment. We have students with severe allergies, including nut and egg anaphylaxis.

To help us keep all children safe, we ask families to please be mindful when packing lunchboxes and avoid sending foods that contain nuts, nut products, or eggs. Please be especially mindful of hard boiled eggs, eggs in salads, curried eggs, meringues etc. We ask that you remind your children not to touch others after eating and that they wash their hands thoroughly.

We appreciate your support and understanding in helping us create a safe and inclusive environment for all students.

Please email the office if you are able to assist during the Carnival.

We know plans can change, but passing along last-minute messages to students at the end of the day is tricky and not always possible. To help keep things calm, safe, and on time, please let your child know about any transportation or dismissal changes before school starts or have an agreed back up plan (eg. If I'm not at the classroom, please go to kiss & drop)

If however, something urgent comes up during the day, please call the front office as soon as possible and we’ll do our best to help.

Please remember to complete an absentee form whenever your child is away from school. This helps us keep accurate attendance records and meet reporting requirements. Notification must be in writing and can be submitted via our website - https://stbernadettes.wa.edu.au/families

Thank you for your cooperation.

Year 3 - 6 Interschool swimming carnival - Thursday 26 March

Year 5R Assembly - Friday 27 March

Last weekend, a few of our Bernie's students competed in their Athletics Centre Championships and all did extremely well! Congratulations to Neve T, Maddison T, Bilya F, Maali F, Matilda G and Ned G for their amazing performances, PB's and medals!

Year 2 - 6 Piano, Guitar & Drum lessons 2026

Keyed Up Music is the largest music school providing music lessons for kids in Perth. With over 550 guitar students per week, the professional guitar teachers at Keyed Up know how to not only teach guitar competently to your child but also engage, inspire and create learning opportunities for them. Coupled with some basic practice discipline and good ol’ fashioned grit, there are simply no limits to your child’s musical potential! They too could be a Rock n’ Roll star of the 21st Century.

Guitar and Drum lessons are held at Bernie's after school on a Tuesday & Thursday. Please hop onto the Keyed Up Music website for more information - https://www.keyedupmusic.com.au/

Our school canteen is only open on

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Orders can be placed online via the Spriggy App before 8.30am

or in person at the canteen.

Please note that as this is a live calendar, dates and times may change occasionally.

2026 TERM DATES:

Term 1: Mon 2 February – Thur 2 April

Term 2: Mon 20 April – Fri 3 July: Pupil Free Day 29 May 2026

Term 3: Tues 21 July – Fri 25 Sept: Pupil Free Days 3 & 4 September 2026

Term 4: Tues 13 Oct – Thurs 11 December

In the Catholic tradition, our parish and school are closely connected.

The parish, led by Father Giovanni, provides spiritual leadership and is responsible for ensuring we nurture students’ faith alongside academic learning. The school supports the parish by helping children grow in Catholic values, preparing them for sacraments, and encouraging family participation in parish life.

It’s essentially a partnership — the parish is the faith community, and the school is one of its key ministries. For more information about our Parish, please click here:

https://portkennedy.perthcatholic.org.au/

Email: admin@stbernadettes.wa.edu.au
Website: https://stbernadettes.wa.edu.au
Location: 252 Grand Ocean Boulevard, Port Kennedy WA, Australia
Phone: (08) 9593 4066
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stbernadettescps/