Welcome back to another exciting year at St Bede’s! It has been a terrific week as we’ve had the opportunity to settle in with our new students, explore our updated classes, and adjust to the expectations of the year ahead. It’s been wonderful to see the energy and enthusiasm as everyone gets back into the rhythm of learning and growing together.

Thank you to all our students, staff, and families for your support and commitment. We’re looking forward to an amazing year ahead!

We warmly invite you to our Parent Information Night on Tuesday 11 February at 6pm! Join us for an opportunity to meet other parents and staff, receive important classroom information, and be welcomed to the 2025 school year.

Enjoy some cheese and crackers while the children are treated to a sausage sizzle! We would also love some volunteers to help with the BBQ – if you’re able to assist, please contact Breen Fox.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We would like to warmly invite you to join us for our Opening School Mass on Wednesday, 12th February, commencing at 9:30am in the school hall. This special Mass will mark the beginning of the school year and will include the commissioning of our Year 6 leaders.

The Mass will be celebrated by our interim chaplain, Fr. Josh Scott, and it would be wonderful to have our school community come together to celebrate this occasion.

We would like to remind all parents that the classroom teacher should be your first point of contact for any questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning and wellbeing. Please note that while teachers are committed to supporting you, they may not always be able to respond to emails promptly due to their time in class with students.

If you have an urgent or time sensitive matter, we ask that you contact the school office.

Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us maintain a smooth communication process.

Walking in Love and Peace as Pilgrims of Hope in 2025

What a great week this has been! It has been full of excitement, wonder and new beginnings for everyone this week. As we begin our new school adventure, we do so in light of a very special year for the Catholic Church. Pope Francis proclaimed that 2025 would be a Jubilee Year with it officially beginning on Christmas Eve last year. The theme for the Jubilee Year is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ and Pope Francis explained that the year might be ‘an opportunity for us to be renewed in hope.’

To break open and take up the opportunity to be renewed in hope, our school theme this year is ‘Walk in Love and Peace as Pilgrims of Hope.’ The scripture passage in the bottom right corner ‘Hope does not disappoint.’ is from Romans 5:5 which Pope Francis used as the title of his letter to announce the Jubilee Year. It was taken from the Apostle Paul’s ‘words of encouragement to the Christians’ in his letter to the community of Rome. All staff participated in a Spirituality Day last week and explored the themes of pilgrimage and Christian hope. This was a day of deep connection and a beginning in our faith journey as a St Bede’s community. One of the biggest learnings for me was that the hope we are learning about is not the hope that is a wish - ‘I hope it doesn’t rain’ or ‘I hope I get the concert tickets i want’. Christian hope is a living hope. I have to nurture it with prayer and knowledge of Jesus’ teachings by listening and reading scriptures. As I enter my journey of renewal, these are my goals. What might your goals be?

I know that students across the school have been exploring what it means to walk in love and peace as pilgrims of hope, even creating images of hope and I can’t wait to see them showcased around the school. Some classes have been exploring what a pilgrim is or what going on a pilgrimage means.

Haley Stonham

Religious Education Coordinator

We are currently resurfacing the school courts as a part of our ongoing efforts to improve our facilities. Temporary fencing will be in place around the area to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and ask for your understanding as we work to enhance our school environment. Thank you for your cooperation and patience.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We would like to inform you of the Pupil Free Days for 2025. These days are set aside for staff professional development and planning, ensuring we continue to provide the best education for our students.

The Pupil Free Days for 2025 are as follows:

• Friday 11 April
• Monday 28 April
• Friday 4 July
• Monday 21 July
• Friday 26 September
• Monday 13 October
• Friday 19 December

Please mark these dates in your calendars. Should you need any further information, feel free to contact the school office.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.