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Vocations Welcome from Fr Fretch Ballesteros I was born in the Phillipines in 1989 and was raised by my mother and Father with my brothers and sisters. At the age of 16 I joined the seminary after deciding I wanted to become a priest. Later I travelled to the UK and completed my theological studies at St Mary’s College Oscott. I was ordained a deacon on 29th September 2016 and was ordained a priest at Corpus Christi Church in Stechford. In January 2023 I became the Parish Priest of Holy Family Church in Small Heath and work closely with the two schools in the parish, Holy Family School and St Bernadette’s. As a Vocationist Father, I live in a community and took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Our Founder was Father Justin Russolillo. On 20th September 1913, Justin was ordained a Priest. While kneeling before the Bishop for the ordination, he vowed to the Lord to found a religious Congregation to cultivate vocations to faith, priesthood and holiness. On 15th May 2022, Pope Francis canonised 10 new saints of the Catholic church during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square including Blessed Justin Russollilo. Sister Maura Halpin A Sister of Mercy When I joined the Sisters of Mercy in London 60 years ago I had no idea what ‘JOB’ I would be doing. I could have been working in the convent or parish, as a nurse or as a teacher because our Foundress, Venerable Catherine McAuley founded our Religious Order to give education, healthcare and support to the poorest families in Dublin in mid-19th Century. It was a shock to leave rural Ireland and find myself in a very busy city. Becoming a teacher was my second Vocation as being a Sister came firs t. I taught in a number of secondary schools throughout my teaching years. I was called away from teaching 30 years ago to do pastoral work within our Religious Order. This ministry took me to some countries that I would otherwise never have visited as some of our Sisters were working abroad. Now that I am ‘retired’ I feel so grateful to God for all the Blessings I have experienced. I have learned so much from saintly Sisters who are no longer with us. They were women of prayer and were totally committed to the people among whom they worked. Teaching colleagues too have inspired me and now I have time to reflect on how much the Church and society owe to all who work in education. Nowadays prayer has a special place in my day. It always was important but when I was busy I was often distracted in my prayer, always planning ahead. Now I value Mass daily and in particular I listen more attentively to the Word of God, to hear what God is saying to me each day, how much He cares for me and all his people. I hope this makes me a more compassionate and attentive Sister of Mercy when I meet people. I meet people in the local Care Homes and those who are housebound when I visit with Holy Communion because these people cannot come to Church. I am privileged to feel welcome when I visit our schools, especially St Bernadette’s & Holy Family where I join them at their Masses. I support them in their joys & sorrows with my prayer and occasionally do home visits if asked by the Head Teacher. Another ministry that is very special to me is support for the bereaved both in giving a listening ear and in helping them plan the funeral Masses and Services for their loved ones. This ministry sometimes reconnects me with former pupils in their time of grieving. Perhaps I could sum up my life as a religious Sister in the words ‘availability’ and ‘prayer’ and I am grateful to all who have supported me in my vocation over the past 60 years. If you would like support I can be contacted on the following email address: mhalpinrsm@hotmail.co.uk

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We are delighted to announce that St Bernadette’s School has achieved the Live Simply Award, having successfully demonstrated that we are living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the world’s poorest communities. The assessor stated: It was wonderful to hear how the children were able to relate the actions they have been taking to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and how we are entrusted to look after God’s world. It was lovely to hear how praying helps them to feel calm, peaceful, safe, happy and grateful. The action you have been undertaking to build links with the Aaran Court care home and with the local parishioners was lovely to hear about and it was clear the children are enjoying interacting with the older generation. It was great to hear about the fundraising you are doing to support young people in Rwanda and how one of the children is now at Manchester university studying engineering. The children were knowledgeable about climate change and how the world’s poorest countries are the most impacted, it was fabulous to hear of the initiatives you are doing to make a difference. It was very interesting to see the difference in energy usage during your “digital down day”. We have decided as a school to pursue the CAFOD Live Simply award. This is an opportunity for us to respond to Pope Francis’ invitation to “work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world which God has entrusted to us.” To earn this award, we need to show as a school we are living: Simply- how we encourage our families to consume less in our daily lives. Taking the time to be more reflective, prayerful and considerate to others. In solidarity with the poor- being aware that other people might be experiencing difficulties, vulnerabilities, injustice or exclusion. Sustainably with creation- learning ways that can help rebalance our relationship with the environment. Remembering that God gave us this Earth for us to care for. We already do so much as a school to fulfil these objectives, but this year we have planned some special events which we will have a positive impact upon our global, local and school communities. The action plan is as below, some of the highlights are: Engaging with the vulnerable in our local community by writing Christmas cards to older people, inviting them in to watch our Christmas performances. Developing links with our local foodbank by taking collection of food and hygiene items from staff and children to donate regularly. Working towards the Oceans Friendly School Award, making concerted steps to reduce our waste in school and electing members of an eco-team to monitor this. Live Simply Action Plan Food bank collection This Lent we demonstrated how we can be ‘Generous and Grateful’ ‘Compassionate and Loving’ by inviting parents/carers to donate to a food bank that Mrs Buchannon had heard about The food bank is run by Teresa at the back of her café called Lily’s Tea Parlour. Every Friday a collection bin was placed at the Nursery and the gates at the front of school, with a list of items that were most needed. Mrs O’Brien, Mrs Robbins and Mrs Bchannon looked after the Nursery collection and Mr Wayne collected in the donations from the gate. Our parents/carers were extremely generous in donating plenty of items and these were then picked up by Teresa and given out to members of the community in need. We would like to give our thanks to all who felt that they could spare some provisions, especially at this time when costs of our own food and provisions is rising. Living in Solidarity We have been demonstrating our virtues of ‘Compassionate and Loving’, and ‘Generous and Grateful’ by inviting residents of Aran Court to our seasonal celebrations this year. On Wednesday 7th December 2023, we had extra members in the audience for the Christmas Performance of ‘Born in a barn’. The ladies and men really enjoyed their performances as can be seen below in the tweets and photos on the day. They loved getting to meet the cast of the play and our children were delighted to be able to get to chat to them in their costumes. The Wellbeing staff, Katie and Sharon sent us this lovely message when they got back to the home. We also had Year 4 making Christmas cards for the 80 residents of the home. "We had a lovely afternoon, thank you very much for inviting us. We felt very welcome in your school and your children were so well behaved too. Thank you for our refreshments - the ladies love a good cuppa!" When reception held their Easter Bonnet Parade on 29th March 2023, we invited the Aran Court residents in to watch the children proudly displaying their beautiful bonnets. Nursery and Reception were delighted to have an extra special audience. After the parade we invited our visitors to have tea and biscuits. As can be seen below they really entered into the spirit of the day and came with their own beautiful bonnets! Sharon and Katie who are staff members of Aran Court are pictured here having a well-earned cup of tea. They have always been delighted to join us in our celebrations. Our visitors also took a tour around our Easter egg competition entries and were really impressed with the effort put in to making the Religious Stories entries. We are also inviting the residents for an afternoon tea on Friday 26th May 2023 as this is our Vocations Day for the whole school. We will have some Mini Vinnies attending this tea, having a chat with them to find out more about their previous life, where they worked and just getting to know them better. Check back here soon for how this goes! Waste Management Results from the parent/carer environmental survey Many thanks for the replies to the environmental survey we sent out recently. We had 85 replies and this shows that there is an awareness and care for our local and world environment within our community. Below is a pie chart demonstrating how you consider single-use plastic when out shopping. Living Sustainably This shows there is a care towards using less but we all know sometimes the most convenient solution can be heavily plastic based eg, apples in a plastic wrapper or milk in plastic bottles. The pie chart above shows that it has sometimes been a decision for you to walk/take public transport instead of using the car. This shows you consider the effect of pollution on the air we breathe, and the cost of petrol makes this decision make sense. When asked what concerns you where you live 43 out of 85 people said litter/flytipping/waste management. It is all our responsibility to ensure we reduce our waste. When asked what your concerns were for the global environment some people said pollution. Some said plastic waste, others mentioned global warming/climate change. Our children are so environmentally aware and knew that we needed to do something as a school community about the plastic we dispose of. Although great efforts were made in our classrooms to recycle paper and card we did not have a dedicated recycling system in place for plastics. That all changed this academic year. Special plastic recycling bins were ordered and installed at key places within school. These were clearly labelled with the items which could be recycled within them. The Eco-wardens check the bins in their particular zone weekly and when these are full help Mrs Lennon empty these into the larger plastics bin for refuse workers to collect. Through the work we are doing for our Live simply award, the Eco-wardens and the Earth Ambassadors are all working together to help make our school more environmentally aware. We are grateful for your support to your children achieving this aim. Digital Down Day You may remember that on Monday 20th March, children and staff participated in Digital Down Day. During this day, teachers taught their lessons without laptops and interactive whiteboards, the staff in the kitchen switched off the ovens and served cold lunches and children arrived in bright clothing to light up our classrooms since the lights were switched off. We were so impressed with how this day was embraced by children, parents and staff members. We wished to highlight how making small changes to our everyday routines could have a massive impact upon our energy consumption and thus our impact upon the environment. The charts below show our electricity usage during the month of March. You can clearly see our reduced electricity usage on the 20th March, which was very similar to Friday 10th March – a snow day, where no children and a limited number of staff were in school. We are so proud, thank you for your support. The Eco-team

St. Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Yardley, Birmingham We are delighted to have achieved the 'School of Sanctuary Award'! You can discover more about our journey towards the award by visiting stberns.co.uk/school-of-sanctuary St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School 1/10 Parent Pay Newsletter School opening hours Monday to Thursday 8.30am -3.15 pm Friday 8.30am- 2.00pm Total time 32.5 hours Pupil Absence Staff Email OPEN DAYS Monday 3rd November 5:00pm Monday 10th November 9:00am All Welcome

The Sacraments At St Bernadette’s School, the children have the opportunity to receive three of the sacraments: The Sacrament of Reconciliation in year 3 First Holy Communion in year 3 The Sacrament of Confirmation in year 6 The preparation for these sacraments takes place in school, with meetings held for parents and children in the early evening. The Sacramental Life of the School: About Us Reconciliation Reconciliation is one of the seven Sacraments of the Church. It is one of the two sacraments of healing, the other being the Sacrament of the Sick. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation we receive God’s forgiveness for our sins, his pardon and healing and reconciliation with the Church. Baptised Catholic children in Year 3 will usually receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time during Lent. This takes place in a special Reconciliation service at Holy Family Church. Preparation for this important sacrament takes place in school through the RE curriculum and during an after school meeting, where parents meet with Fr Fretch and children work with teachers and catechists. All You Need to Know About Reconcilliation The Sacramental Life of the School: Our Mission First Holy Communion The Holy Eucharist is described as “the source and summit of the Christian life.” This is because it is at the very centre of the practice of the Catholic faith. It is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation into the Church, which are necessary for people to become full members of the Church. The other two Sacraments of Initiation are the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. In receiving Holy Communion we are united with Christ in a physical way and we enter more fully in to the Body of Christ. The more we receive Christ the more Christ-like we become. At St Bernadette’s, Baptised Catholic children in Year 3 will make their First Holy Communion during a Mass held at Holy Family Church in the Summer Term. Preparation for this important sacrament takes place throughout the RE curriculum and in the form of after school meetings where parents meet with Fr Fretch and the children are supported by Catechists. All You Need to Know About The Sacrament of The Eucharist The Sacramental Life of the School: Our Philosophy Confirmation Confirmation is one of the seven Sacraments of the Church. It is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Church which are necessary for people to become full members of the Church. The other two Sacraments of initiation are the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist. Through Confirmation the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are received: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. These gifts can help a person to live as a follower of Christ. Through receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit it is hoped that the candidate will, through their thoughts, words and actions bear the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control and joy. It is a means by which the candidate publically professes their faith and shows their commitment to becoming a full member of the Church. Children at St Bernadette’s usually receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in Year 6, during the Autumn Term. Preparation for this important sacrament begins in Year 5 and is continued in Year 6 through the delivery of the RE curriculum. Children have the opportunity to work closely with Fr Fretch and Sr Maura during this time. They are encouraged to think carefully about their chosen saint’s name and opportunities are provided for them to find out more about their saint and reflect on their life. All You Need to Know About Confirmation The Sacramental Life of the School: Text

MFL at St. Bernadette's “A different language is a different vision of life." Federico Fellini St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School is a place that offers pupils an education rich in wonder and memorable experiences. Through our creative and inspiring MFL curriculum, it is our aim that children ‘learn to love and love to learn’ as global citizens. We believe that acquiring a foreign language and developing skills in communication are a necessary part of living in a multicultural society, essential ingredients to broadening our children’s horizons. Language lessons place a strong emphasis on developing the speaking and listening skills of the children: expressing their ideas and thoughts as they interact and communicate with others orally is at the heart of our MFL curriculum. The bespoke KS2 curriculum is organised around a wide range of engaging and relevant topics and themes; it aims to teach language that is purposeful and of high interest as well as nurture linguistic curiosity. MFL Overview Assessment Statements for MFL Intent, Implementation & Impact statement Language Ambassadors At Saint Bernadette’s we have Language Ambassadors who promote the school’s positive ethos in language learning. These children have been chosen to represent our school as great role models, promoting the importance of language and the diverse world we live in. What an amazing job they do- thank you so much for sacrificing all those lunch times and giving your class a voice! Pupil Voice The children at Saint Bernadette’s really enjoy their French lessons and the experiences the French curriculum provides. Here are some of their comments: “I love my French lessons as there are so many activities to do and I know I am progressing because I can do the recaps without any help” Y6 pupil. “This is only the second time I have cooked in my life and now I learnt how to make crepes” Y5 pupil “I enjoyed going on the Mrs Colclough’s plane because it felt real and exciting to fly to France. I have never been on a plane before” Y1 pupil “French is important for our lives so we can meet new people, go on holiday, speak to people and not offend them” Y6 pupil French Day Every year at Saint Bernadette’s, we hold a special French Theme Day to celebrate France’s Bastille Day. Each class across school is involved in a vast range of fun and practical French related activities where they learn about the country’s geography, history, food, art and culture. All children are invited to come into school dressed in a French theme and get the opportunity to cook and taste selected French cuisine, re-create the work of well-know French artists and architects, as well as participate in a variety of workshops and experiences such as ballet, Cirque Du Soleil, pétanque, Tour de France, a Journey to Paris to name but a few. Take a look… Learning Outside the Classroom We know that reviewing and consolidation new vocabulary and grammatical structures is an integral part of learning and memorising a new language. As well as looking out for the ‘Réviser Votre Français’ section on the school newsletter, below are some web links to support your child’s language learning journey. Enjoy! https://www.french-games.net/ https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=french https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z39d7ty Why not join in on your child’s language learning journey by downloading Duolingo, the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages (including French) through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills. https://www.duolingo.com

Updates on the Corona Virus and it's impact on pupils, parents & staff. CORONA VIRUS - Updates and Information Risk Assessment Covid Catch Up Premium Remote Education Provision Blended & Remote Learning Covid Management Plan For the latest information relating to Corona Virus, please visit the Government website and World Health Organisation. https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public For any urgent queries regarding Corona Virus, you can contact the Department of Education Helpline using the contact information provided below. This is for Staff members and Parents. Department for Education Helpline: Phone: 0800 046 8687 Email:DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday) NHS Information: NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do. Use this service if: you think you might have coronavirus in the last 14 days you’ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see travelling advice you’ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus enquiry@stberns.bham.sch.uk What are Covid 19 Symptons? The main SYMPTOMS OF Covid-19 are: - A new continuous cough and/or - Fever (temperature of 37.8 degrees or higher) - Loss of or change in, normal sense of taste of smell (anosmia) What is the mode of transmission? Covid-19 is passed from person to person mainly by large respiratory droplets and direct contact (close unprotected contact, usually less than one metre). These droplets can be directly inhaled by the person or can land on surfaces which another person may touch which can lead to infection if they then touch their nose, mouth or eyes. When is a person infectious? A person is thought to be infectious 48 hours before symptoms appear, and up to seven days after they start displaying symptoms. Are pupils at risk of infection? Pupils of all ages can catch the infection, but pupils make up a very small proportion of Covid-19 cases with about 1% of confirmed cases in England aged under 19 years. Pupils also have a much lower risk of developing symptoms or severe disease. If setting has been notified of symptomatic pupil/staff member, should the rest of the class/bubble be excluded? No, the class/bubble should continue to attend the education setting as normal. The symptomatic case should stay at home and follow the stay at home guidance: the staff member/pupil’s parents encouraged to get tested. Any siblings of the pupil attending the setting/staff’s household member should self-isolate for 10 days. Should a pupil/staff member come to School if a member of their household is unwell? No. If a member of the pupil’s/staff member’s household is unwell with COVID-19 symptoms then the pupil/staff member should isolate for 10 days starting from the day after the household member(s) became ill. If the pupil subsequently develops symptoms then they should isolate for 10 days from the date. Can the siblings of a pupil who is self-isolating because they are a contact of a case attend the education? Yes, other household members of the contact do not need to self-isolate unless the pupil, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms. If a pupil has Covid-19 symptoms, get tested and tests negative, can they return to the education setting even if they still have symptoms? If the pupil is NOT a known contact of a confirmed case the pupil can return to the education if the result is negative, provided they feel well, and they have not had a fever for 48 hours. Should close contacts of a positive case get tested? No, they are not required to get tested unless they develop symptoms during the 14 days of isolation. Key Worker Contact Form A message to all the children at St. Bernadette's

Holy Family Parish Parish Holy Family St. Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School is in the parish of Holy Family Church. "Greetings to all parents and parishioners, May the peace of God be with you and your families. You are always welcome to visit our church" Father Fretch Ballesteros (SDV) is our priest at Holy Family Church in Small Heath. The parish was founded in 1901. The church was built in 1928 and extended in 1966 Tuesday - Friday Mass 10:30am. Sunday Morning Mass: 10.30am. Weekend Mass times at Local Parishes Parish Saturday Sunday Holy Family 4 pm 10.30 am and 5.15 pm St Thomas More 5.30 pm 8.30 am and 10.30 am Corpus Christi 6 p m 10.30 am Holy Souls 5pm 8.30 am, 10 am and 12pm (Noon) The Holy Rosary - 9.30 am and 12 pm (Noon) Fr. Fretch Ballesteros History of Holy Family Church A brick building of the 1920s by George Drysdale, built on a Greek cross plan, and significantly enlarged in the 1960s to accommodate a large influx of (mainly Irish) Catholics, attracted by jobs in local industry. The interior is a fine barrel vaulted space. An intended campanile was not built, the result being that the townscape contribution of the church is relatively minor. The mission in Small Heath was founded by the Revd James Wright in 1901 from St Anne’s in Digbeth and Mass was said in a workshop in Green Lane until a school-chapel was built in 1903, then Mass was said in the upper floor of the new school (this was destroyed by enemy action in 1940.) Subsequently, the first Parish Primary School (Holy Family) opened its doors in Holy Family Church on 11 January 1904. The permanent church opened in 1928. The church is orientated roughly north-south, but this description follows conventional liturgical orientation, as if the altar was to the east. The church was built in two phases. The first, in the 1920s, was on a Greek cross plan, and was built of local purple brown bricks, with Green Westmorland slate roofs. The eastern arm of this was demolished and the nave extended to form a Latin cross, using complementary materials, in the 1960s. An intended northwest campanile was not built. So the present church originated as a Greek cross design by George Drysdale, seating 400, and opened in August 1929 (builders William Sapcote & Sons). It was described in The Tablet as ‘a quiet design …unity of character has been sought in the architecture, in the treatment of furniture and fittings, and also in the arrangement of the forecourt’. The 1920s church had open pediments on the north and south faces with moulded brick string courses and a row of arched clerestory windows. The east end was apsidal. The interior was an impressive barrel vaulted space, with a groin vault at the crossing. Although externally expressed, there is no internal separation into ‘nave’ and ‘aisles’, the nave is one wide space, with the barrel vaulting springing from great steel joists spanning east to west. There is a gallery and narthex at the west end, with a mosaic roundel of the Holy Family fixed to the gallery front (figure 2), possibly from the 1929 church and possibly by Pippet. In the narthex are brass panels to Fr Wright, founder of the mission, and Fr J. P. Dowling, benefactor. At the east, arched openings are located at the corners of the Greek cross. The sanctuary is placed in the eastern arm, and is dominated by a large freestanding altar, with a crucifix and tabernacle in the apse. Side chapels were placed at either side. There is a large organ of 1903 by Steele & Keay of Burslem, acquired c.1993 from Pitts Hill Methodist Church, Stoke. The forecourt was developed in the 1960s when, following a large influx of (mainly Irish) Catholics drawn by jobs in local industry: Birmingham Small Arms;the Chrysler Factory; JJ Gallagher the Builder. The local population used to say that they were either coming out the Blues ground or Holy Family Church. And so the priest, Father O'Keefe extended the church in 1966, and that's why it is so big now. The nave was extended to form a Latin cross plan, increasing the seating capacity to approximately 1,000. The architect for the additions was J. T. Lynch of Jennings, Homer & Lynch, and the extended church was blessed on 25 October, 1967. New sacristies, meeting rooms, a cry room and confessionals were also built, but an intended 100ft campanile was never realised. The total cost was for the built additions was about £120,000. In that period a second Parish Primary School was built on Hob Moor Road, (St Bernadette’s) which served the Irish community. Previously, St Benedict's Church of England School had been used for some of the children because of the enormous numbers. The 1960s additions were a modern and simplified version of the original work. The west front had a brick pilaster/piers at the corners and an open pediment framing a large central ‘feature panel’ faced in Portland stone. A crucifix was placed against this. Below this, solid oak entrance doors were placed beneath a flat canopy, with windows on either side. Flanking the entrance, low flat-roofed wings with recessed stone faced bays incorporating windows were presumably built as the baptistery and a side entrance. Above these, a round arched window on either side lit an internal gallery. Beyond this were raised (but not as high as the nave) and plain ‘aisle’ walls, the ‘aisles’ lit by one rectangular window per bay. The present church was consecrated on 10 June 1976.

Prayer Clubs At our school, our faith journey extends beyond the classroom. Our extra-curricular prayer clubs provide a haven for our pupils to explore and embrace their faith, whilst also promoting a sense of unity. Pupils are encouraged to engage in meaningful discussions and cultivate their religious practices. We understand the importance of nurturing the whole child, and our prayer clubs play a vital role in supporting their emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. We invite all pupils from EYFS to Year 6, seeking a space for reflection and connection, to participate in these integral extra-curricular prayer clubs. December - Advent During Advent, we have the opportunity to gather as a KS2 family to share ideas about how we can be ready to meet Jesus. This year the children collectively created an Advent Reflection. They reflected on simple steps that they could take in their daily lives and explored how they could carry out our mission. Lent During Lent, we gather together to explore CAFOD’s Lenten calendar to help us journey through Lent. This year our Year 4 pupils reflected on Pope Francis’ Lenten message and began each session by exploring how Jesus speaks to us through the word of God. They explored daily readings and used CAFOD’s online Lent calendar to journey through Lent with their global family. The children created purple prayer cubes and encouraged each other to preform acts of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lenten Prayer Club Through the inspiring resources from Mission Together, we gathered together in prayer, exploring themes of repentance, sacrifice, and renewal. Our interactive sessions incorporated Lent-themed craft activities, providing hands-on experiences that reinforced the messaged shared in the weekly Gospel reading. May - The Month of Mary Our prayer club in May is dedicated to “Mary”. This year, the children were provided with the opportunity to learn about, explore and pray the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Each week the children explored and reflected on one of the four mysteries. June - The Sacred Heart During the month of June, children from Reception and KS1 have the opportunity to take part in a Sacred Heart Prayer Club. This year the children gathered together to learn about the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The children were encouraged to be prayerful and attentive during this special time. All children took an active role in the club; setting up the prayer table, writing and reading prayers, singing Hymns and listening to the word God. The children had the opportunity to create Sacred Hearts using a range of different materials, building upon skills they have learnt during their art lessons. They also reflected on the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and shared prayers of love and thanks.

British Values Statement Promoting British Values The DfE have reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.” As a Catholic Primary School we believe that everyone is made and loved by God as unique individuals, made in His image. Our Mission Statement and Catholic ethos embeds the foundations of British values: At St. Bernadette's Catholic School you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you. British Values & SMSC Policy British Values: About Us Democracy We encourage our children to actively take part in democratic activities, throughout the school. Each class has an annually democratically elected school councillor, who form part of the School Council which meet regularly throughout the school year. In Year 6, pupils vote for their Head Boy and Girl. These opportunities are used as an avenue to promote and teach about the democracy and electoral process. Children in Key Stage 2 are also given the opportunity to visit the council house in Birmingham and a group of children visit Parliament and Downing Street. Our local MP also visits school and brings their role to life through a question and answer session, annually, with Year 5 and 6 pupils. Democracy is also taught in the curriculum (e.g. through historical research of Ancient Greek civilisation and looking at how Historical figures influenced democracy). Pupils’ opinions are highly valued at St. Bernadette’s School and their views and ideas are sought via their school councillor and through the annual Pupil Questionnaires. The Behaviour Policy identifies both rewards and sanctions, both of which the children and parents (through our Parents’ Forum) have contributed to. There is a strong ethos of pupils volunteering in and out of school time. This includes activities such as Nursery Prefects, school prefects, rabbit prefects, buddy partners. adette's Catholic Primary School. We’ve created a safe and accessible environment where students are encouraged to discuss ideas, collaborate on projects, share their work and receive feedback with pride. We give students the foundation to reach their potential and gain confidence both academically and socially. British Values: Student Life Rule of Law The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country are constantly reinforced at St Bernadette’s. We have high expectations of behaviour in school and this is observed throughout the school. Our behaviour policy reflects our expectations and has been influenced by pupils contributing to our school rules, rewards and sanctions. Pupils have created an Anti-Bullying Charter, displayed in our dining hall. Pupils and parents have suggested rewards such as: behaviour badges, behaviour assemblies, Head Teacher, class and year band certificates, stationery rewards, star pupil and star table. Sanctions include missed play time or missed equipment time. Weekly discussions take place in class regarding behaviour and pupils self-evaluate their own and their peers performance and responsibility throughout the week. British Values: Text Individual Liberty At St Bernadette’s, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries from where pupils can make informed choices. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to do these safely, for example through our e-safety and PSHE lessons, Whether it be through choice of challenge, of how they record work, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular activities clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices. Children are taught about personal responsibility, choices, ambition and aspirations. They are encouraged to have broad horizons and the opportunities provided include, theatre visits, theatre performances, musical instrument lessons, a rich breadth of PE in and out of the curriculum and art. Our school values its local environment and pupils are given opportunities to explore and visit the local recreation area, Eco Park and playing fields. During these visits road safety, stranger danger and life skills are reinforced. Children are taught the importance of keeping safe and taking responsibility for their safety on line and in reality. They are given opportunities to explore this through annual Life Bus visits, regular ICT teaching, NSPCC assemblies, emergency service visits, visits to Safeside and visits from our school nurse. British Values: Text Mutual Respect Mutual respect is at the heart of our Mission Statement. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own right and the rights of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect. Pupils are taught to respect their school, adults, peers, other pupils and themselves through our ethos, RE and PSHE curriculum and behaviour policy. Pupils are taught to have morals and will inform staff if they feel there is discrimination evident in school. Our school has strong links with a local school for children with a wide range of learning difficulties, encompassing moderate learning difficulties and increasingly more complex needs including autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), behavioural issues, sensory impairment and language disorders. We celebrate the breadth of talents and support the needs that our own pupils have and children are encouraged to recognise effort and achievement. British Values: Text Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs Pupils demonstrate an understanding and awareness that people in school and our community have different faiths and beliefs to the individual pupil and to the Catholic faith. They understand that these differences are part of our liberty and should not be the cause of prejudice or discriminatory behaviour. We value our local community links and children annually visit a many places of worship. The children, each year, visit at least one place of worship. This has been timetabled so that children will visit a place of worship for each major religion by the time they leave our school. Our school celebrates and recognises many faith festivals and we encourage children and parents from a range of faith and cultural backgrounds to share experiences and knowledge with our children. We encourage our children to interact with children from other schools, through organised activities and events. There are clear procedures and guidance in school for pupils who demonstrate a lack of respect or racist behaviour. British Values: Portfolio

Altar Servers ‘Let the children come to me’. (Luke 18:16) Our altar servers play an important role in the spiritual life of our Catholic school community. Being an altar server is a valuable opportunity for our pupils to grow in their faith and to serve others at the Ch urch’s liturgy. As altar servers, they have the privilege of serving the altar, assisting with the preparation of the altar and communion elements, as well as performing other duties during the Holy Mass. They also help the congregation to pray by being good role models and setting a good example. We are blessed to have such devoted pupils, willing to serve the Lord, their school and church community in the worship of God in a prayerful and reverent manner. Any child who has completed the First Holy Communion programme can become an altar server. Please talk to Fr. Fretch if your child is interested in deepening their faith and fulfilling their vocation to serve others by becoming an altar server. School Altar Servers The Guild of Saint Stephen Our altar servers have recently been enrolled into the Guild of Saint Stephen. The Guild of St. Stephen is an international organisation of altar servers, founded in England in 1904 by Fr. Hamilton McDonald. The Guild has spread and developed since then, and is active in many parishes in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Altar servers take Saint Stephen as their patron saint. Saint Stephen is one of the first seven deacons chosen to assist the apostles in service (Acts 6) and the first martyr of the Church. The objectives of the Guild are: To encourage, positively and practically, the highest standards of serving at the Church's liturgy and so contribute to the whole community's participation in a more fruitful worship of God. To provide altar servers with a greater understanding of what they are doing so that they may serve with increasing reverence and prayerfulness and thereby be led to a deepening response to their vocation in life. To unite servers of different parishes and dioceses for their mutual support and encouragement.

Mental Health & Well Being Mental Health and Wellbeing at St.Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School At St. Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community and recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing are to our lives. Our role is to ensure that everyone is able to manage times of change and stress, and that all members of our community are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a responsibility to ensure that our children, staff, and wider community learn how to maintain positive mental health, understand what affects their mental health, help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and know where to go for support. Therefore, we have developed a curriculum to help children become more resilient and aware of their own mental health and wellbeing. For children, mental health encompasses their emotional, social, and cognitive wellbeing. It involves how they feel, think, and act, and is crucial for their overall development. Mental health affects daily life, relationships, and learning. In childhood, good mental health includes reaching developmental and emotional milestones, learning healthy social skills, and developing strategies to cope with challenges. We encourage the following abilities through our delivery: Resilience This is the ability to bounce back from challenges and adapt to changes, which is important for long-term well-being. Children develop the ability to manage stress, learn from mistakes, and build confidence. When children build resilience they form stronger relationships, have better problem-solving skills and manage their emotions better. Healthy relationships Healthy relationships with peers and adults can foster a sense of belonging and support. Children have healthy relationships when their communication is based on respect, trust, honesty and open communication. Healthy relationships offer support and encouragement, helping children to grow and develop their confidence. Children who learn to build and maintain relationships develop empathy and can communicate effectively. Self-regulation These are abilities that help children manage their emotions, behaviours, thoughts and choices of actions especially in the face of challenging situations. It is a crucial skill as it impacts learning, social interactions and overall well-being. Children learn how to manage and regulate strong emotions like anger, frustration and sadness. It is important for children to know how to control their impulses, by resisting the urge to act on immediate desires and rather make more thoughtful decisions. Children are encouraged to maintain attention on tasks and resist distractions. What we provide your child. We have several programmes and methods we use to encourage this. These programmes are described below. Compass This company are a NHS endorsed group who offer support to your child’s mental health through counselling. This service is offered at no cost to yourselves and we have many children who have really benefitted from their time spent in sessions. They can offer one to one counselling with a child or sometimes where more appropriate they offer parent and child meetings to help you develop together. These can take place in person at school, in a community place or over Zoom. Letter for Parents Intro to MHST Pupil Voice: A Year 4 pupil said ,”I learnt ways to calm down. I use these a lot. I use Happy Breathing.” A Year 4 pupil said, “They were awesome. They taught me to take a deep breath. I could talk about what happened and my feelings.” Throughout the year we will organise one-off workshops for parents as advertised in the newsletter. Their parent worker has a lot of experience in sharing ideas and knowledge that we could use as parents when our children are experiencing difficulties. You can self-refer to Compass or ask Miss Corkery, Mrs Taylor or Miss Finn and they can talk you through the process to receive your consent for a referral. Throughout the year we will organise one-off workshops for parents as advertised in the newsletter. Their parent worker has a lot of experience in sharing ideas and knowledge that we could use as parents when our children are experiencing difficulties. You can self-refer to Compass or ask Miss Corkery, Mrs Taylor or Miss Finn and they can talk you through the process to receive your consent for a referral My Happy Minds Children are led through a weekly informative programme where they are shown how parts of our brain drive how we feel. They watch short videos, play games, hear short stories for each section. hm1 hm2 hm7 hm1 1/7 My Happy Mind Happiness Heroes This is a group of KS2 children who meet regularly to share how to help their year band sort out little issues in the playground or the classroom. They will start the important role of Playground Ambassadors and will be trained in how to watch out for children that are sad or lonely on the playground. They will be trained in how to start a conversation to help others explain what they are feeling and what to do to help.