Bernard's Buzz
December 2019 Bernard’s Buzz Email: info@stbernardsps. newtownabbey. ni. sch. uk Tel No: 02890844634 Web address: www. stbernardspsglengormley. co. uk
Important Dates for your Diary Christmas Celebrations - Our annual Year One and Nursery Admissions - Christmas Carol Service was celebrated on Parent Consultations - Monday 6th The parent portal will be available to Monday 9th December in St. Bernard’s make online applications to pre-school or January. School closed for pupils on Church. It was a beautiful service, portraying this day. primary school in September 2020. The the true message of Christmas though portal will open on Tuesday 7th January Christmas songs and carols, a wealth of 2020 and closes on Thursday 30th instruments, some fabulous Irish Dancers and January at 12.00 noon. Any applications School reopens at 08.55am on our Christmas Tableau. We would like to thank Tuesday 7th January 2020. all our parents, grandparents and families who received after this date will be joined us for a festive and enjoyable evening. considered late. All verifying documents must be brought to school by Digital Admissions for Nursery and It really was a beautiful way to open our P1 open - Tuesday 7th January at Christmas Story and share the festive season Friday 7th February. 10am. with family. We will be holding an Information Evening in school on Thursday 16th Extended Schools begin - Monday P1 - Christmas Counts - Year One were January 2020 at 6pm for prospective 13th January. absolutely fabulous during their Christmas parents who have children due to Nativity Play, called ‘Christmas Counts.’ All of start Nursery or Primary 1 in Fitness Friday - Friday 24th the children worked very hard to learn their September 2020. This is to pass on January. lines and all the songs. The children sang information about the Admissions beautifully and said their lines wonderfully. process for those who The play went without a hitch! All the children couldn’t make the Number Workshop for Year 1-2 were true professionals! Open Day. parents - Wednesday 22nd January at 9am. P2 - Santa’s Hat - P2 gave a fabulous
performance of ‘Santa’s Hat.’ It was a super Christmas kindness - St. Vincent de Catholic Schools Week begins - magical story which saw Elves, Snow people, Paul received 38 Christmas hampers, Monday 27th January. Fairies, Hedgehogs and Reindeer looking for made up by each class and each year Santa’s Hat! The Narrators narrated the group. These will be distributed to story so clearly and confidently and the band needy families in the parish. Nursery Parent Meetings - Tuesday accompanied the fantastic singing on their 28th January / Tuesday 4th percussion instruments. Who would have thought Santa had been sitting on his hat the Our Presents for Pounds will be February. whole time?! What a silly Santa! forwarded in January to the Children’s Cancer Fund. Your generosity is most appreciated and shows our community Grandparents Mass - Wednesday P3- Baubles - At school, excitement levels are that we are indeed a ‘Caring School’ and 29th January at 10am in St. reaching fever pitch with thoughts of the playing our part. Bernard’s Church. plentiful presents and parties that the Christmas season will bring. It’s clear to our Year 1 Health Appraisals - Monday Caretaker Mr Rogan that something may have Christmas Jumper Day - Thank you 3rd February. been overlooked. With the assistance of some for all of your support for the helpful mice, he sets to work to create some Christmas Jumper Day. We had lots of beautiful baubles for the bare, forgotten fun wearing our Christmas Jumpers and E-Safety Parent Workshop - Christmas tree and helps the children to all money raised will Tuesday 11th February at 9am. rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. go towards ‘Save This was a lovely Nativity story performed by the Children’. our Primary 3 children. School closed - Monday 17th Well done to everyone involved. February - Friday 21st February.
Thank you to all of our parents, support Maths Challenge Year 7 Confirmation - Monday 9th staff and teachers for bringing the magic of March at 11am. Christmas to St. Bernard’s Foundation - Jack McKeown, Connor
once again. School concerts Casey, Éoin McCready, Fionntan Fegan develop so much of St. Patrick’s Day Concert - Friday children’s personalities and KS1 - Cara McGill P4LT 13th March. talents and will be KS2 - Helen Jyothis P7MMC remembered long after the Parents - Nicola Heatley School Closed - Monday 16th and event. Tuesday 17th March. (mother of Ché and Cara Heatley) Accelerated Reading - Our P4-P7 children have been Voice Box Joke Competition - Well done to Cathair McKenna working hard this term, reading a variety of books and P7SC who was the winner of the Voice Box Joke competition. His completing quizzes as part of the Accelerated Reading joke will be entered into the UK wide competition and if selected programme. They were rewarded on Wednesday 18th her will go to London for the final. Good Luck Cathair! December for reaching their targets. The children enjoyed a movie in the hall with some popcorn. Well done How do you make a tissue dance? everyone and Good Luck for next term! Put a little boogie into it. Merit Awards - Gold, silver and Bronze Merit Gaelic Footballers - Our Gaelic Boys and Girls Teams both took Certificates were awarded to all of our children on the part in an indoor 5 a-side tournament this month. Both teams had last days of term. These Merit Books are an some great wins and the girls did really well and succeeded to the excellent way for parents to keep up to date final stages! with their child’s progress on a daily basis. Well done to everyone Well done to all our award winners. involved!
Ancient Egyptians - Our P5 children have been learning all about Ancient Egypt as part of their WAU topic. This month they enjoyed a special visit from a lady from Time PTA - Thank you to the PTA who arranged the Santa visit for Steps who came to school as an Ancient Egyptian. The all the kids with a present on Wednesday 18th December. children also enjoyed a trip to the Ulster Museum to learn The PTA have orgnaised a Tesco Bag packing event on Friday 20th more about the Ancient Egyptians. December from 7-9pm in Tesco Northcott .
In 2020 there are lots of exciting things to look out for including the Belfast Marathon teams, and our signature event St. Bernard’s Got Talent in and around April time. Make sure you return your acceptance slip to your teacher to secure your place. This will be a great night to celebrate all that is great about our school and see the vast talent we have.
All the funds this year will help go towards funding interactive Christmas Masses whiteboards for the school.
St. Mary’s on the Hill We are invested in making the school the best and most Christmas Eve - 7.30pm rewarding experience for all the children. Christmas Day - 10.30am If you would like to support the school more please contact Colin St. Bernard’s Hughes PTA chairperson. Christmas Eve - 6pm, 7.30pm, 9pm Christmas Day - 9am, 11am, 12.30pm Youth Club - It has been a very exciting year this year in the Youth Club. Last week we had Monkeynastix, Christmas Crafts, St. MacNissi’s Biscuit Decorating and every child got a selection box to take Christmas Day - 10.30am home. Coming up in the New Year we have Ecomantella coming to visit with birds of prey, Wheelworks Art Cart, Gathering Drums, Ark Open Farm and Kellys Roller Dicso. No Evening Mass on Christmas Day The Youth Club will start again on Friday 10th January. We are always looking for new Worker of the Month CAPS Trait - Caring volunteers to help out.
3MC - Luke Sloan 3MC - Cayla Maguire 3SR - Tiernan Fox 3SR - Sophie Doherty From the Principal’s Desk We have reached the end of 2019 and I would like to thank 3TW - Conlaed Maskey 3TW - Mason McAlea everyone for the amazing support we have had all year. The boys 4DD - Ruadhán Rafferty 4DD - Erin Dempsey and girls have achieved so much this year and they continue to 4MM - Lena Wankowicz 4MM– Logan O’Boyle make us all extremely proud. Our new School Development Plan 4LT - Leo O’Rorke 4LT - Kian McKerr has three new targets which we are already making great 5DTDM - Dylan Kelly 5DTDM - Hollie McCann progress with. All the children have been given their own copy of 5CL– Ella Johnston 5CL - Maisie Rainey this Plan and parents can access it in school when they wish. Our 5CC - Daragh Campbell 5CC - Jack Morgan three targets specifically for this year are: 6EMK - Ruairi Boyd 6EMK – Laurie O’Neill 6BC - Jasmine Power 6BC- Faire Hynes 1. Development of a Nurture School 2. Development of Literacy throughout the school 6FM – Lisa Robinson 6FM – Darragh Grant 3. Make Learning Fun 7PM– Cormac McCollam 7PM - Summer Rose Butler 7MMC - Emily Quinn 7MMC - Summer Donnelly A huge thanks to all parents for support with all the annual 7SC - Dominic Shannon 7SC– Shea Thomlinson pageant, plays, costumes and for donating to all our charitable collections. My sincere thanks to all staff members for working so hard to make this another wonderful Christmas for the pupils. Achieving Success Outside School Finally, my last thanks to the pupils for working so hard and being such a pleasure to work with every day. No doubt Santa will be Congratulations to Darcie Smith-Hewitt on coming first visiting every single house! place in her Christmas Gymnastics Competition. Congratulations to all our children who have achieved Finally, on behalf of all the Governors and staff of St. Bernard’s, I wish you all a happy, holy and peaceful success outside of school. Christmas and good wishes for the New Year.
If your child has an achievement you would like us to See you all in 2020. celebrate, please put it in writing to Mrs Devine or by Mrs Cruiks email to [email protected]