Term 2 Week 9
Principal's Message
Celebration of Learning
Please come and join us at 2pm this Thursday for our Celebration of Learning. We have a particularly musical afternoon in store for you.
Preference Certificates
When you are enroling your child at a new Catholic school you will be given a preference certificate to complete. You only need to fill these out if your child is preference. If you are unsure about whether you need to complete one or not please come and see me before you see a priest.
Non-preference children are entitled to attend a Catholic school but you do not need to complete a preference form. Catholic schools know about this situation.
I am sorry this is so confusing for you all.
Something I noticed the other day is that St Francis de Sales and St Teresa's are the same distance as each other from Brooklyn. St Teresa's is even closer for those of you living down the Brooklyn Hill. Somewhere else to think about (traffic coming out of Karori after 8.30am is very quiet Ms Parson's tells me). They have nice small class sizes.
I've been talking to Tony at St Patrick's and he will have some spaces but mainly in the lower half of the school.
Lisa
Faith News
Wednesday Mass
Please come and join Room 2 for Mass this Wednesday morning at 9am in Room 3.
Parish Newsletter
This week’s Parish newsletter is available here
WelCom Magazine
Please click the link below for the latest issue of the WelCom Magazine.
Celebration of Learning
This Thursday, June 26, at 2pm in the hall we are holding our Celebration of Learning. Each class will share what they have learnt during the term. We will then head back to classes for you to have some one on one time with your children.
Anyone is welcome to join us- mums, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, au pairs, etc.
Birthday Wishes
Special birthday wishes to Biqiltu who turns 8 on Saturday. We also send out special birthday wishes to Sammy, Bisi and Eza who all have birthdays during the school holidays. We hope you all have wonderful, fun filled birthdays.
Absences
If your child is sick or unable to attend school for all or part of the day, please either send a notification via the school app (skool loop), email the school office on office@stbernards.school.nz or phone 3899377 by 9.00 a.m. so that your child's absence can be accounted for.
Children who are late need to report to the office in case they have been marked absent by the teacher who takes the roll first thing in the morning.
If an absence is planned for a special reason, a note or telephone call to the school in advance is appreciated. In cases of prolonged absence, e.g. a family trip, a written note is required.
Room 1 Learning
At maths time in Room 1 we have been busy learning doubles, addition and subtraction facts, number bonds to 10, practicing counting backwards and writing our numbers correctly. Here we are playing games that help us practice our learning. We have been making ourselves a set to bring home to play with whanau. Look out for these in book bags on Friday!
Room 2 Learning
Room 2 has been exploring the wonders of space by learning about stars. We began by asking the question: What is a star? and discovered that stars are huge balls of burning gases that give off light and heat. The students were fascinated to learn that our sun is actually a star - much closer to Earth than all the others - which is why it looks so much bigger and brighter in the sky. We also explored how stars can vary in size, colour, and temperature. A highlight of our learning was investigating the Matariki star cluster, also known as the Pleiades. Students learned that Matariki holds special cultural significance in Aotearoa New Zealand, marking the Māori New Year and a time for remembering those who have passed, celebrating the present, and planning for the future. This inquiry helped us combine science with culture, deepening our understanding of both the cosmos and the traditions of Aotearoa.
Room 4 Learning
Last Wednesday, Room 4 conducted an experiment in pairs to see if they could make curds and whey using a mixture of powdered milk, water and vinegar. Powdered milk is a manufactured dairy product made by removing water from milk solids. It has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated.
Curdling is a process by which a liquid is transformed to a soft semi-solid or solid mass. Vinegar is an acid. Adding vinegar lowers the pH content, allowing proteins in the milk to clump forming lumps (curds). Over time the lumps (curds) will rise to the surface. When milk curdles, clear liquid left in the beaker is called whey.
The children mixed the water, milk powder and vinegar and stirred vigorously to thicken the mixture. This produced no curdling initially but then Room 4 continued to experiment by using more vinegar or milk powder. Riley and Joan succeeded after adding a lot of extra milk powder to the original mixture. It was great for Room 4 to experiment with different ingredients!
Public Notices
Brooklyn Pippins
There is space at Brooklyn Pippins for Term 3 for girls aged 5 and 6 years old to experience Girl Guiding.
Brooklyn Pippins meet on Mondays 6pm -7pm at the Brooklyn Reformed Church Hall on Harrison Street. Fees are $110 per term at all levels of Guiding.
Pippins make lifelong friends, discover the thrill of outdoor adventures, and learn skills that will shape their future. If you'd like more info or to visit, please email brooklynpippins@outlook.co.nz.
