Newsletters

Dear Parents,

What a fantastic week it has been at our school, filled with exciting achievements, inspiring visitors, and heart-warming performances!

We began the week on a high note as we welcomed the Assessor of the 'Wellbeing Award for Schools' on Monday. After 18 months of dedication and hard work from our incredible Wellbeing Drive Team and indeed all staff members, we are absolutely delighted to announce that we have been officially accredited with this award! This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting the wellbeing of our children, staff, and wider school community. A huge thank you to all the staff in making this possible, as well as to the children and parents who played a role in this process. This is yet another string to our bow, and we are so proud to be a school that truly values every aspect of education and care.

Later that day, we had the pleasure of welcoming Sr Maria from Stroud Convent back to our school. It was wonderful to hear her speak about her life as a nun, and the children asked some thoughtful and engaging questions. When one child asked what the hardest thing about being a nun was, her honest and humorous response—"living with other people"—gave everyone something to reflect on.

Wednesday brought a truly beautiful Liturgy from Prep A, centred around the theme of love. The children shared family photographs and spoke about how they know they are loved. Their confidence in speaking and the beautiful singing made it a truly special and moving occasion. Mrs. Biscardi noted how wonderful it was to see how much they have grown since their Early Years days.

On Thursday and Friday, our Year 3 and 4 pupils took to the stage for their much-anticipated performance of ‘Project Planet: A Flower Power Musical’. The whole school was buzzing with excitement as they brought this wonderful production to life. It was a truly uplifting performance that showcased their hard work and dedication.

To round off the week, Friday afternoon was all about fun, laughter, and dancing as the children enjoyed the FOPS Valentine’s Disco! A huge thank you to the FOPS team for organising such a fantastic event—the children had an amazing time, and it was the perfect way to finish an action-packed half-term.

Project Planet

I couldn't be prouder of our incredible Year 3 and 4 children for their hard work and dedication in bringing ‘Project Planet: A Flower Power Musical’ to life! Their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment shone through in every moment of their fantastic performance.

They put in tireless effort to perfect their singing, dancing, and acting. Their confidence on stage was truly inspiring as they told the heart warming and important story of a local school embarking on a rewilding project, only to face unexpected challenges from some very determined scarecrows who had other ideas!

It was wonderful to see each child embrace their role with such passion and enthusiasm. Their expressive performances, clear and confident speaking, and beautifully choreographed dance routines brought the story to life in the most magical way. The audience was captivated, and it was clear just how much joy and excitement filled the room.

A special thank you also goes to our dedicated staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this production to life. From directing and choreographing to organising costumes, props, and rehearsals, your hard work and commitment made this show a truly memorable experience for everyone. Your efforts ensured that the children had the opportunity to shine, and we are so grateful for everything you have done.

Lastly, thank you to our wonderful parents and carers for your continued support—it truly takes a team to make something this special happen. What a performance to remember!

TT Rockstars

Last weekend, we took part in an exciting TT Rockstars house competition, and together we answered an incredible 120,000+ correct times tables questions! This is a truly amazing achievement, and we want to say a huge well done to everyone who participated—you should all be very proud of your efforts!

A special shout-out goes to Avi, Anuj, Ari, and Shrey, who were the top scorers for their respective houses—fantastic work!

Here are the final results...

1^st - Mark

2^nd - John

3^rd - Luke

4^th - Matthew

Wellbeing Weekend Wisdom for Valentines Day

?? 1. Prioritise Quality Time Together

Half-term is the perfect chance to strengthen family bonds. Plan activities that encourage togetherness, like:

• A family movie night with heart-warming films
• A game night with board games or charades
• A baking session to make Valentine’s treats

?? 2. Express Love & Gratitude

Encourage everyone to write handmade love notes or gratitude letters to each other. This could be:

• A jar of kind words where everyone adds positive notes for family members to read
• A Valentine’s mailbox where each person leaves surprise messages for the rest of the family

?? 3. Show Acts of Kindness

Make half-term about giving love, not just receiving it. Ideas include:

• Creating homemade gifts or cards for friends, teachers, or neighbours
• Doing random acts of kindness like baking cookies for someone or helping with chores

?? 4. Have a ‘Self-Love’ Day

Teach kids that self-care is part of love! Try:

• A pamper session with face masks and relaxing music
• A family mindfulness or yoga session
• A cosy reading afternoon with feel-good books

?? 5. Cook a ‘Love-Themed’ Meal Together

Get creative in the kitchen! Make heart-shaped pizzas, pancakes with berries, or a "love potion" smoothie together.

??? 6. Go on a ‘Love Walk’

Take a nature walk and look for heart shapes in nature—like heart-shaped leaves, rocks, or clouds. It’s a great way to combine fresh air with a mindful activity.

?? 7. Reflect on Love & Happiness

Over dinner or bedtime, have heart-to-heart conversations with prompts like:

• "What’s one thing you love about each family member?"
• "What was the kindest thing someone did for you this week?"
• "How can we spread more love in our family and community?"

?? The Head Teacher’s Challenge: Write a new School Song! ??

Are you ready to make history? This half term’s challenge is a song writing competition like no other! We need YOU to help create the lyrics for a brand-new school song.

? Your Mission: Write lyrics inspired by the theme of hope.
?? Deadline: Submit your lyrics to your class teacher by the first day back after half term.
?? What Happens Next?

• A judging panel will select the winning entry.
• Dr Bunce will set the winning lyrics to music and teach the song to the whole school.
• We will record the song to share with the wider St Bernard’s community and parents.

To help get you started, we have provided below the lyrics to two well-known songs we sing at school.  Feel free to use their structure to help inspire your own lyrics.  It might be an idea to write your lyrics so they fit one of these song’s melodies as that way you know your lyrics will be singable.

Colours of Days Colours of day, dawn into the mind, The sun has come up, the night is behind. Go down in the city, into the street, And let’s give the message to the people we meet. So light up the fire and let the flame burn, Open the door, let Jesus return. Take seeds of His Spirit, let the fruit grow, Tell the people of Jesus, let His love show.  Go through the park, on into the town; The sun still shines on, it never goes down. The light of the world is risen again; The people of darkness are needing a friend. So light up the fire and let the flame burn, Open the door, let Jesus return. Take seeds of His Spirit, let the fruit grow, Tell the people of Jesus, let His love show.  Open your eyes, look into the sky, The darkness has come, the sun came to die. The evening draws on, the sun disappears, But Jesus is living, His Spirit is near. So light up the fire and let the flame burn, Open the door, let Jesus return. Take seeds of His Spirit, let the fruit grow, Tell the people of Jesus, let His love show.

Candle in the Window

When the winter day is dying,
And the wind is blowing wild,
Listen for a lonely crying.
It may be a wandering child.

Light a candle in your window.
Let the night know that you care,
Light a candle in the window.
It may guide the Christ-child there.

 When at times you fear to follow,
On the track that you must tread,
Friendly promises are hollow,
For the test that lies ahead

Light a candle in your window.
When your final hope is gone,
Light a candle in the window,
And the Christ-child will lead you on.

When the world outside is waiting,
But you can’t give anymore,
There’s no end to war and hating,
And you long to close the door.

Light a candle in your window.
Let it shine beyond your pain.
Light a candle in your window,
And the Child will come again.

 This is your chance to share your creativity and leave a lasting legacy at our school. Get writing, and let hope inspire your words!

?? Good luck, songwriters! ??

Sports News

Under 10 Football vs St Benedict’s

Last Friday, we welcomed St Benedict’s for Under 10A+B football matches. With both schools regularly participating in rugby and netball against each other, this was the first time that a football fixture took place. Some outstanding football was played throughout the afternoon and the all-round skill produced by the players was of a very high standard. St Benedict’s won both matches with their A’s making a dramatic comeback to win 3-2, after St Bernard’s led most of the match 2-0, and their B’s winning 2-0 in a rather evenly fought out match. Well done to both Younis and James for getting the MVP awards for their teams.

Under 8 &9 Rugby vs Caldicott

On Tuesday, a mixture of our Year 3 and 4 boys travelled to Farnham Royal to play against Caldicott. Although our 3 teams had to adapt from Tag Rugby to Touch Rugby, they did not disappoint. Our A Team lost but never gave up throughout the match, and while both our B and C teams also lost narrowly, they did score plenty of outstanding tries. This was a great rugby effort from all the boys, considering it is our football term. Well done to all the players and a special well done to Karanveer, Raaghav and Saarth for all being nominated as the MVPs on the day.

Under 11 Netball vs Gayhurst

On Wednesday, our Year 6’s formed two mixed Netball teams to take on Gayhurst in Gerrard’s Cross. Our teams have worked very hard over the past 2 weeks and were thus very well-prepared for this fixture. All of the players blended well and were in complete control on both courts. Our A Team won 9-4, while our B Team won 7-5. Well done to both of our teams for their outstanding display, and a special congratulations to both Jai and Aydin for receiving the MVP awards.