Term 4 Week 4
Principal's Message
All Souls
November is traditionally the month in which we remember those who have gone before us and are now in Heaven. This morning at school prayers I introduced our remembrance box. Children and families are encouraged to write the names of those family members and friends who have died and place them in the box. We will then take the box to Mass and school prayers each week in November to pray for them.
Holyween
I love hearing about what our children get up to outside of school. Below are some photos of Joan as Mary (with baby Josephs), Josaiah as St Francis of Assisi, Jesriya as Mother Mary, and Jordiya as St Catherine of Siena, for their Holyween celebrations at Church.
Library Visits
As you know each class visits Brooklyn library two times a term. The children love the time with the librarians and getting to chose books to take home.
We have a number of children who have lost or their cards or don't have a library membership at all.
If you want your child to have a library membership you can join them up online. https://www.wcl.govt.nz/joining/
If your child has lost their card please pop into any library and the librarians will be able to help you get a new one.
Lisa
Faith News
Wednesday Mass
Please come and join Room 4, along with members of the parish, for Mass this Wednesday morning at 9am,
in Room 3.
Parish Newsletter
This week’s Parish newsletter is available here
Welcome to St Bernard's School
Today we are delighted to welcome Phebe to school. Phebe recently turned 5, and has now joined her big brother Daniel at St Bernard’s. Welome to school Phebe!.
Brooklyn Library Visits
This term we will resume our termly visits to Brooklyn Library. If your child wishes to borrow a book during the visit they need to bring their personal library card with them. We will return books on the next visit if they are brought back in time. Books not brought on the day of the visit will need to be returned by yourselves. If you would like to leave your child's card in the classroom between visits then teachers will find a safe place to keep them.
Room 1: 13 November
Room 2: 20 November
Room 4: 06 November 27 November
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
Room 1's bean seeds are GROWING!!! We are very excited to observe the changes in the seeds. We are describing what we see using words such as roots, shoots, stem and leaves.
Our learning about New Zealand birds continues. We have learnt facts about the piwakawaka (Fantail) and this week will learn about Kiwi.
We made Piwakawaka to put on our bush mural in Room 1.
Drag Racing
It must run in the blood. Check out the video below of Amelia drag racing at the weekend!
Amelia
Room 2 Learning
Room 2 has been busy learning about fractions.
The year 5's have been learning how to convert fractions into decimals and then into percentages. In order to achieve this, they are learning to use long division. They've had a lot of fun during this learning and are starting to feel quite confident in using long division.
The year 4's are learning the proper terminology for fractions, including how to spell them (two quarters, four sixths, one third etc.) They are also learning how to recognise and write fractions using hands-on learning materials (as seen in the photos of the pizza slices).
The year 3's are learning to compare fractions, recognising which are smaller and which are larger. They are also learning the correct terminology for fractions and using some great hands-on material to help them visualise fractions in real life.
We are also carrying on with our New Zealand birds writing project. This week we've been learning about introduced pests, including why some pests were released into New Zealand and how they threaten our native birds.
Room 4 Learning
All Saints' Day Research
As it was All Saints' Day on Friday Room 4 researched saints and found lots of different information about them. The common theme that came through was how each saint was prepared to help others, pray and keep faith in God and Jesus even if it meant they could lose their lives. On All Saints' Day we pray to the saints to guide us and show us how we can live more like God and Jesus in our daily lives. Room 4 also had important roles in our All Saints' Day Mass, including gospel readings, prayers of the faithful and altar serving.
Here are some of the saints that Room 4 researched:
Alna: Mary - the first Saint
Mary was a very kind person. She was caring, lived in peace and was thankful for the things she had. She always trusted in God. Mary gave birth to a king, Jesus Christ, who would save the world. Mary suffered seeing Jesus crucified just as Jesus suffered from being crucified.
Vincent: Saint Vincent:
He is a saint because he has helped many people and lived a pure life. St. Vincent also performed a few miracles and founded an organisation focused on helping others. A skill St Vincent De Paul has that I admire is his determination to help the poor and the wrongly convicted.
Mason: Saint Paul:
St Paul was converted from Judaism on the road to Damascus. He was called Saul and persecuted Christians before he was converted. Paul was struck by a great dazzling light that blinded him and a voice asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And he answered, “Who are you, O Lord?”; and the voice, “I am Jesus whom you persecute.” St Paul was 65 years old when he died in 2BC in Rome, Italy.
Erin: Saint Maximilian Kolbe:
St Maximilian Kolbe inspires us to look for ways to live our faith by following the life of Jesus. Not only did he defend and communicate the faith during the height of World War II. He lived like Jesus and sacrificed himself for another man. This was just like when Jesus died on the cross for us. St Maximilian Kolbe died for his belief and his faith.
Dara: Saint Patrick:
He was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party when he was around 14 and was taken to Ireland. He would pray a lot every day and night. When he was 20 he escaped when God told him to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found sailors to take him to Britain and was reunited with his family. Then he moved to Ireland and preached about the Holy Trinity with a Shamrock. What I most admire about St Patrick is how much he prayed to God.
Public Notices
Girls Smash is a fun cricket programme for girls only and is best suited to girls in school years 3-6.
Sessions involve activities and skills followed by a six a side game. The whole session takes about an hour and is held after school for six weeks. Our focus is learn-as-you-play, and every girl is supported to participate at their own level. All equipment is provided, no experience is necessary, and every participant receives a shirt!
Your local hub is at Wakefield Park next to the Turf. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays (5, 12, 19, 26, November and December 3 and 10) from 4.00-5.00pm.
Participants can register here
If you have any questions please contact sarah@cricketwellington.co.nz