Newsletters

Dear Parents,

What an incredible final week of the term it has been!
On Monday, we were thrilled to welcome parents to our Open House event. It provided a wonderful platform for children to proudly display their learning achievements from this year, and we loved witnessing parents and carers engaging with their efforts. Afterward, we hosted Cheese, Chat and Cheers in the Atrium, which is always a fantastic opportunity for parents to connect with staff and each other in a friendly atmosphere.
On Tuesday, the school buzzed with excitement as all the children participated in a fantastic Easter Egg Hunt organised by our wonderful FOPs Team. The children had a blast searching for hidden rabbit paw prints, joyfully exchanging them for well-deserved Easter Eggs!
Wednesday was particularly special for our Early Years children, who celebrated Eid in style. Dressed in their brightest colours, they enjoyed a delightful time together, sharing delicious food and learning about the festival's significance.
Finally, on Thursday morning, our Year 6 pupils delivered a profoundly meaningful and touching Easter Assembly, serving as a perfect lead-up to Easter.

Easter Assembly

On Thursday morning, our Year 6 children delivered a truly beautiful and emotional Easter Assembly, reflecting on the Passion of Christ with reverence and sincerity. Their performance was both moving and heartfelt, with each child demonstrating deep understanding and respect for the story they told. The singing was especially powerful, with stunning solos adding to the poignancy of the assembly. It was a wonderful way to prepare for Easter, and we are so proud of our Year 6 children for their incredible effort and dedication.

PI Day

Once again, St Bernard's were excited to mark Pi Day - any excuse for a bit of competition! Remove completed their challenge to release Princess Kate from the nasty Knight by answering questions about circles, including working our the area, circumference, diameter and radius of a circle. It was then finished off with our annual 'Pi Off'. This year the trophy went to Jai Makkar - he was very excited to be following in his brother's footsteps keeping success in the family! Well done Jai.

Meanwhile, Year 5 children explored creativity and maths with a circle art project. They used vibrant colours and imaginative designs to learn about circles and π (pi). This activity enhanced their artistic skills and deepened their understanding of this key geometric concept. The classroom was filled with enthusiasm as they appreciated the blend of maths and art.

Achievements

Congratulations to Anya (Y5) for earning her Green Belt (6th Kup) in Taekwondo! She is now only four steps away from achieving her Black Belt. Keep up the great effort, Anya!

Congratulations to Melia (Y2) for winning a gold medal at her gymnastics competition this past weekend! Melia has dedicated herself to her gymnastics training, and her excitement over achieving her first gold medal is truly inspiring. We are extremely proud of you, Melia!

A special mention to Niko (Y4) for taking the initiative to write a letter to his MP expressing his concerns about the tax increases imposed by the government on all private schools this year. Niko received a response from his local MP, who was quite impressed by his proactive approach and the alternative suggestions he provided for raising funds.

Congratulations to Arjun (Year 4) for achieving his entry-level Drums certificate with merit. Well done to Myra (Year 4) for earning her Grade One piano certificate. Additionally, congratulations to Avi (Year 4) for successfully obtaining his initial grade piano certificate with merit.

Headteacher's Challenge - St Bernard's Got Talent!

We are thrilled to announce our very own school talent show – St. Bernard’s Got Talent! This is a fantastic chance for our children to shine, express themselves, and celebrate what makes them unique.

Whether your child loves to sing, dance, play an instrument, perform magic, recite poetry, or has another special talent, we want to see it! They can perform solo, team up with friends, or even take the stage with a sibling – it’s all about creativity and fun!

How it works:

• Auditions will be held in class on Wednesday, 23rd April.
  Every child who auditions will earn 2 house points, just for taking part!

• The most dazzling acts will move on to the Grand Finale on Friday, 25th April, earning 5 house points each!

And here’s the exciting twist… it’s also a house points challenge! Will Team Mark, Team Matthew, Team Luke, or Team John win the talent crown? 

We can’t wait to see the amazing skills and confidence our children bring to the stage. So let the rehearsals begin — and let’s make St. Bernard’s Got Talent a joyful celebration of courage, creativity, and school spirit!

Wellbeing Wisdom for the Easter Holidays

Here are some wellbeing ideas for families to enjoy over the Easter holidays:

Get Outdoors

• Go for a spring nature walk and look for signs of new life (flowers, birds, etc.).
• Try a simple outdoor treasure hunt or Easter egg hunt.

Be Creative

• Decorate Easter eggs or make DIY Easter crafts.
• Bake something together, like Easter biscuits or hot cross buns.

Stay Active

• Have a family sports day in the garden or park.
• Try kids’ yoga or a dance session at home.
• Go on a bike ride or explore a new walking trail.

Relax & Recharge

• Have a family movie night with homemade snacks.
• Read a book together or visit the local library.
• Try mindfulness activities like breathing exercises or simple meditation.

Give Back

• Write a kind note or make a small gift for a neighbour or friend.
• Donate toys or clothes you no longer need to a local charity.
• Spend time together doing acts of kindness, like baking for someone in need.

Wishing all our families a restful and joyful Easter break!

Music Workshop Day 

On Sunday 27th April, Hampton School is hosting its 25th annual Junior Schools Music Workshop for local Junior School pupils in Year Three and above. On the day, we will be running a series of workshops for string, wind and brass players. In addition to this, we will be running a choir session for singers. Unfortunately, there is no provision for keyboard players or guitarists to come and play, though they are more than welcome to come and sing for the day!

The workshop will start at 10.00am (registration from 9.30am). We will break for lunch and activities at 12.30pm. At 2.30pm there will be a concert in the Hammond Theatre presenting all the music prepared during the workshops. All parents and teachers will be very welcome to attend this concert, which will be free to attend.

The workshop offers an excellent opportunity to work with experienced musicians, and allows pupils the chance to work in a large ensemble. The day will be suitable for brass, woodwind and string players of at least Grade One standard, and for singers of all standards. The course, including lunch and refreshments, is free of charge.

Sports News

Lower Transition Swimming:

During the Lent Term, our first group of Year 3 swimmers attended their weekly swimming sessions and took part in a number of activities and assessments. The children all made good progress and demonstrated confidence and enthusiasm in the swimming pool. Over the course of 10 weeks we achieved 3 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze accolades. Well done to all these children.

Under 11A&B Football vs Thorpe House:

On Friday the 21^st of March, our Under 11A and B teams travelled to Thorpe House School to play in the final football fixture of the season. Both of our teams had to adjust their style and format of play, transitioning from 7 a side to 9 a side matches, and we also played on much larger pitches. Despite losing both matches, the players did put up a good fight throughout the afternoon against very strong opposition. Well done to both teams, and a special congratulation to both Esa and Srihan for both being nominated as the MVP for each of their teams.

Year 1 and Year 4 Inter-House Football

This week our Year 1 and Year 4 classes played in inter-house football matches. The competition was very tight and all the players got stuck in. It was wonderful to see all the children give their best, and many goals were scored. In Year 1 MARK were the champions, while in Year 4 it was JOHN who beat LUKE in the final on a controversial penalty shoot-out. Well played everybody!

Sports Summary for the Lent Term:

It has once again been a very exciting and rigorous term in the sporting lives of our school. Our football, rugby and netball teams have had a very busy time participating in competitive matches against other schools and also in various tournaments. As a school, we also hosted 3 large festivals, namely the Prep Schools Under 11 Fives Netball Festival, The St Bernard’s Prep Under 9 Football Tournament and The Slough Primary Catholic Schools Football Festivals for both boys and girls. All in all, our teams have played in 81 matches this term with a win rate of 71%. This is truly remarkable from our teams and we are extremely proud of their successes.

This term, we also hosted our first ever Prep Schools Chess Tournament which was organised by Mrs Young. With many schools participating, It was a huge success and an event which we hope will run for many years to come.

Along with this, we have also played in a number of inter-house matches throughout all the year groups in both Key Stages 1 and 2. In the second half of the term, we started assessing the children individually in exercises and activities which include speed, stamina and ball control and the children have all put in a phenomenal effort to better their scores. To add to this, our first group of Year 3’s have completed their 10-week swimming program with great success.

Well done to every child for their outstanding contributions in both their PE and Games lessons!