St Bernard's Newsletter

Welcome to another half-termly newsletter featuring once again a glimpse of the talents, gifts and sense of community amongst our St Bernard's family. You will see that there is always an opportunity to get involved and make a difference at all levels of school life.

As we move towards the end of our Lenten journey and enter Holy Week, we pause and reflect. As Christians, we have been invited to walk alongside Jesus through adoration, humiliation and ultimately death in its most barbaric form, before we can truly rejoice in his Resurrection. We have been presented with the chance, to be honest with our true selves and reset to renew our commitment where we have failed so that we can do better with God's grace.

The articles in this newsletter show the variety of ways in which we look to support our young people and wider school community to encounter God in all that we do. Our prayer and liturgical life remain as strong as ever. However, through art, literature, music, charity, sport or digging an Orchard, our students can also connect with God's creativity and creation. Prayer and communion with God is in all we do. We hope this Lenten period has reminded us all that God is always close to us.

To all our St Bernard's community, I wish you all a blessed Holy Week, a Holy Easter and an Eastertide that continues to carry you through the challenges of life in faith, hope and love.

Warmest regards

Mrs Moise-Dixon

Headteacher

Our Year 7, 8, and 9 students had a blast with various interesting STEM activities that challenged them, made them think, learn, and bring out their creative thinking.

The Shoe Box Car Challenge for Year 7 students was a hit! They showcased their creativity by designing and building model cars from simple shoeboxes.

Year 8 students took part in the MiSAC competition on the 'Neglected Tropical Diseases and Climate Change' project. They created illustrated webpage reports to raise awareness about NTDs among teenagers. Exploring symptoms, distribution, prevention, treatments, and how climate change may affect the spread of diseases globally.

Lastly, our Year 9 students explored the intriguing world of 'Conspiracy Theories.' They examined persuasion techniques and analysed diverse opinions. While making presentations challenging established ideas, students investigated existing conspiracy theories or developed original ones.

Finally, we have started a new project with 'The Department of Space and Climate Physics', via 'Mullard Space Science Laboratory', Connor Ballard, the PhD student, is once again, presenting a challenge for students to solve. Our students will be given a set of research tasks by Connor and the Science department teachers.

We celebrated World Book Day on the 7th of March, inviting students to engage with reading for pleasure and participate in dressing up, reading competitions, and quizzes. Our students had so much fun and were inspired in assemblies with book recommendations from the World Book Day £1 selection and ideas for fantastic books to purchase with £1 off. They were also invited to join the celebration of International Women's Day on the 8th of March, where we celebrated the poetry, prose, fiction, and non-fiction from female writers worldwide.

Last term, we started our new guided reading programme during form time, where Year 7 and 8 students read a selected fiction book with their tutors to foster a love of reading and strengthen literacy skills. Our Year 7 students read 'October, October' by Katya Balen, and Year 8 students read 'The Bone Sparrow' by Zana Fraillon. We requested that parents ensure their children had a copy for the first day after Easter.

We continued to support students in their literacy through Lexia support sessions held in the library. We were pleased to witness the next group of Year 10 Reading Leaders continuing their support of younger readers through the Coram programme, fostering leadership skills by assisting younger students in enjoying reading.

Our Reading Scholars group flourished this year, with Year 7 members, in particular, rising to the occasion by presenting in front of their peers and older students during assemblies, sharing their passion for reading, and supporting the school's promotion of reading for pleasure. They are truly a credit to the community.

It has been a very busy Lent for St Bernard’s. We have a great number of joyful and prayerful events going on that help our students remember the importance of Lent.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Races we had a delightful lunch break on Shrove Tuesday with a fancy dress pancake race for the various Year groups. A damp and drizzly day turned into a joyful event with students flipping coloured plastic pancakes and running relay races. A tradition at St Bernard’s the day before the solemnity of Lent begins.

Sixth Form led Reconciliation in the Chapel every morning during Form time, three Sixth Formers, including one accomplished pianist, Aaliyah Damo, are in the Chapel each morning at 8:45 am where they are joined by a Form and Form Tutor. The service is lovely and many Form Tutors have commented on the reverence and beauty of the service.

Big Lent Walk: every day at 1:15 pm teachers and students have the option to go out on a 20-minute walk down to the seafront to raise funds for CAFOD. Parent Pay has a CAFOD portal and they can donate as much or as little as they wish to CAFOD. Last year, St Bernard’s raised over £1000 for CAFOD during Lent, and we are hoping this year we will surpass that number. Students have certainly been walking miles in the Big Walk. Funds donated go towards CAFOD working with partners to generate clean water supplies.

Food for St Vincent Centre and Southend Food Bank: our students have been collecting to feed the hungry and homeless for both the St Vincent Centre and the Southend Food Bank. We have already had our first pick-up of food for the St Vincent Centre and will be delivering to Southend Food Bank next week. Our students, as usual, have been very generous with their contributions, as have parents on Parent Pay. We will continue to collect donations throughout the whole period of Lent.

Individual Confessions in the Chapel: Our priests, Fr Jean-Claude Selvini and Fr Paul Fox have offered individual Confessions in the Chapel. These are supervised by the Chaplain and it is a valuable opportunity for our Catholic students to make their Lenten Confession. However, it is notable that many other Christian denominations in the school have come to talk to the priest and receive a blessing. The priests tell us that this is a moving experience for them and that these students should not be discouraged from attending. When we talk about a ‘St Bernard’s Girl’, we know why they are so special.

Lenten Reflections are sent out each day for posting on the screens around the school. These are prayerful reflections based on the work CAFOD does around the world for the poor and disenfranchised. The reflections are both moving and thoughtful and the students can witness the work that CAFOD does. Students have reported to the Chaplain that sometimes they simply stop and read the screens because they have captured their attention.

29 students from Years 8, 9 and 10 rehearsed with enthusiasm and creativity every Thursday and after school since October to create an original and vibrant abridged version of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Our talented students utilised their acting skills to create the magical woods of Athens, a puppet of the fierce and revengeful ‘King of Shadows’ – Oberon and a range of other highly engaging and entertaining characters.

The students’ hard work culminated in an exciting performance at The Shaw Theatre, London during the last half-term, and 2 site-specific performances back at the school in The Nun’s Garden. Congratulations to all students involved.

In this section, we'll provide you with a comprehensive guide to crafting effective flashcards to enhance your study sessions.

• To create effective flashcards, begin by obtaining two-sided flashcards. Assign one side for the title and the other for the content. This ensures clarity and simplifies your review process. Start small by including between five and ten points on each card to keep your information concise and easily memorable. You don't want to feel overwhelmed!

• Now, onto the fun part! It's important to make your flashcards visually engaging by using colours. Highlight keywords, incorporate images, doodles, or photos, and consider colour-coding cards for different subjects or topics.

• Research has shown that writing in capital letters can enhance memory recall. Capitalising important terms helps reinforce key information.

• You could also create flashcards from memory and then add details from your exercise book, textbook, and revision guide. This ensures a thorough understanding of the topic. Arrange your flashcards systematically by grouping them according to topic, content, or even colour!

• To further aid your recall, create cards with questions on one side and answers on the other. And remember, consistency is key! Practice every day and stay consistent. You can do this!

Health and Wellbeing News by Mariam

This month’s article is about art therapy and how it can help with your emotions. Expressing feelings and thoughts through drawing is an excellent way to get rid of the negative emotions torturing your brain. The 5 art activities below will help you do exactly that.

• Draw or paint your emotions. In this exercise, you'll focus entirely on painting what you're feeling helping you to let it loose.

• Put together a journal. Journals don't have to just be based on words. You can make an art journal as well, that lets you visually express your emotions.

• Attach a drawing or message to a balloon. Send away negative emotions or spread positive ones by attaching a note or drawing to a balloon and setting it free.

• Paint a mountain and a valley. The mountain can represent a time when you were happy, and the valley, when you were sad. Add elements that reflect specific events as well.

• Design a postcard you will never send. Are you still angry or upset with someone in your life? Create a postcard that expresses this, though you don't have to ever send it.

Try these out I am sure they will relieve you from the negativity inside you!

We Won an Orchard! - Effie Year 8

On 7th March, St Bernard’s Eco-Club happily took delivery of our Orchard: 3 apple and 2 pear trees kindly donated by Veolia. Eco monitors and members of the Eco Club worked together to dig the holes for the trees, before composting and watering the new trees.

The Eco Club is an opportunity for students to make a big difference to Westcliff, and the new leader, Eliza has some excellent ideas for the Spring, including a beach litter pick, more plants for classrooms and continuing the redevelopment of a small site within the school. The orchard will be the centrepiece of the tiny patch of wasteland to the south of the Arts Block. This Westcliff wilderness started to take shape last year during Eco Week and this year we plan to create a bug garden to go with the orchard and composting bins

Head Student Team Election 2024: Introducing the Fab Four – by Natalia Year 9

Every year, students at St. Bernard's vote for who they want to have as their head student. For 2024, our head student team is Angel as Head Student and Annabelle, Dom and Matilda as Deputy Head Students.

The election campaigns of all the nominees were professional and engaged the school community. In addition to sharing their speeches in assembly, each candidate took part in a lunchtime Hustings event where they were grilled by students from every year group. This fantastic event was the brainchild of Kendra in Year 11 whose team organised every part of this event with faultless precision. Kendra explained where the inspiration had come from:

“Every year we hear the speeches but feel that we don’t really know enough about them. My idea gave students a chance to really get to know them.”

This year the competition was tight, with over 2/3 of the school voting and less than 20 votes between the Head and Deputy Head Student. The four applied for head student to “make a difference in the school”, they all have different plans in which they want to change things. Examples of their ideas are extra study places, changes in the library rota, and providing much-needed shelter to make standing in the lunch queue less dismal when it rains.

Angel’s inspiration is the previous Head Student, Erica "She made a large impact on the school community, and it inspires me to do the same.”

The team said they’re enjoying being part of the Head Student Team and are finding it rewarding. The new team have been visiting assemblies to share their plans for the next year and talk about how every student at St Bernard’s can make their voices heard.

Pancake Races – By Tyra Year 12

In a recent display of school spirit St Bernard’s students from different year groups came together during lunchtime for a delightful event that added a twist to the traditional pancake race: costumes for Shrove Tuesday.

What truly made the pancake race special was the sense of community it brought. Regardless of whether students were competing or cheering from the side-lines, everyone came together to celebrate the joy of friendship and shared experiences. In a world often filled with academic pressures and extracurricular commitments, the pancake race served as a reminder to pause, have fun, and embrace the spirit of togetherness.

As the final races came to a close and the winners were announced, it was evident that the pancake race had left a lasting impression on everyone involved. Beyond the laughter and friendly competition, the event brought the student body closer together, strengthening bonds and creating memories that would be cherished for years to come.

As the students dispersed, one thing was clear: the costume-themed pancake race had been a flipping good time, leaving a legacy of fun that would endure long after the griddles had cooled.

Scholars Programme March – by Sylvan in Year 12.

On Thursday 14th March, Francesca Mann, the Emmanuel College Outreach Officer, visited Saint Bernards, running two separate workshops aimed at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 Students.

Francesca’s talk to Year 10 and 11 Scholars focused on myth-busting around courses and careers, providing invaluable advice about the most and least valuable subject choices when making Oxbridge applications. Students were shocked to discover that Junior Doctors have one of the lowest starting salaries of Science graduates and that the highest earners often have humanities degrees.

The focus of the talk to Year 12 students was applying to Russell Group universities. Francesca graduated from Cambridge with a master's in English Literature several years ago and was happy to answer all of our questions about the elaborate university application process.

During the talk, we learnt that Oxford and Cambridge are very different to other unis, even amongst the Russell group. Their regular 1-on-1 supervision sessions with experts provide a personal touch to education there, and the collegiate system allows students to tailor their experience of student life. We were also taught about the application process, and found ourselves surprised at how extensive the process was! All Oxbridge applicants must apply early, due to the massive volume of applications they receive from all over the world each year.

Francesca also gave us advice on how to write a good personal statement, which provided an excellent grounding for UCAS applications which are fast approaching. She showed us some examples of great personal statements written by other Cambridge alumni, then we brainstormed some ideas for our own. We were encouraged to demonstrate critical engagement with our subjects, show enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment, and just keep drafting!

Finally, we got some advice on interviews, probably the most intimidating aspect of applying to university. We were told to think about it less like an interview- which is very formal- and more like an academic conversation with one or more experts. Going above and beyond is important when applying to Russell Group, so keeping up super extracurriculars, practising oratory skills, and re-reading your statement are all important in the lead-up to the interview.

Overall, we felt Francesca’s talk prepared us well for the big task of applying to university and made things feel less daunting. I would encourage younger students to do their research and start thinking about university now, so it feels familiar when the time comes!

In this newsletter, we are seeking some input from the parents on a complex issue.

The governors are very aware that children who receive free school meals tend not to collect their free lunch when they are attending a school trip. This is largely due to them not wanting to collect the lunch from the dining hall as this highlights their receipt of the free school meals.

We have been trying to think of a way to enable the students to receive their lunch without highlighting that it is a free school meal. We have however reached a dead end on every idea.

We would like some input from the parents to see if you have any ideas that would help us successfully address this issue. Please email me at lorraine.lancaster@stbernards.southend.sch.uk with any suggestions.

Thursday 2nd May - Year 7 Parent Consultation Evening

Friday 3rd May - Monday 6th May - Duke of Edinburgh Silver Assessment

Thursday 16th May - Year 8 Parent Consultation Evening

Friday 17th May - Year 10 Textiles and Graphics trip to Hyde Hall

Saturday 18th May - Sunday 19th May - Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Practice Expedition

Thursday 23rd May - Rewards trips to Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park

Thank you to all staff and students at St Bernard's for raising a fantastic £267.57 to Save Our Children. This amount was raised during a charity event that the students came up with – Bench ball -Teachers vs Students. Thank you to everyone who was involved.

Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School is located in Leigh's heart along Manchester Drive, a short walk from the London Road. With its welcoming community atmosphere, it's a perfect choice for children entering Nursery in September 2024.

The school is proud of its family feel, which spans generations, and our vast grounds for children to play. Excelling in music, sport, science, and a balanced curriculum, This could be the ideal place for your child to flourish.

Thinking about your child as they grow, children at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School

transition easily and happily into our Reception classes.

Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace of Easter Sunday, every day. Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice. Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in our salvation. Help us to walk in that mighty grace and tell your good news to the world.

All for your glory do we pray, Lord.

Amen.

Email: office@stbernards.southend.sch.uk
Website: stbernardswestcliff.org.uk
Location: Milton Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7JS UK
Phone: 01702 343583