Learning & Teaching

St Bernadette’s offers a holistic education that develops the students’ capacity to manage themselves, their relationships with others and their connections with the world. Learning is enhanced when teachers and students work within a positive culture that reflects gospel values and respects the human person.

At St Bernadette’s, we are a learning community that focuses on our students today, being the adults of tomorrow. Through our powerful teaching, we provide our students with authentic learning activities that enables them to wonder, question  and reflect on their learning. We maximize their key potential to develop a better understanding of self, others and to become effective and ongoing contributors to our society.

Our learning culture is formed when our thinking is made visible. The ongoing process of wondering, questioning, reflecting and goal setting provides our community with an environment that supports, enables and values the learning process.

We use Inquiry Based Learning to actively involve and engage our students. IBL involves different types of knowledge:

  • Personal and social knowledge
  • Knowledge of the content subjects and
  • Knowledge of the process subjects

We believe that learning is more successful when:

  • The content is significant and rich with the potential for inquiry
  • Learners are actively involved in gathering and processing information
  • The learner is engaged and interested in what s/he is doing
  • Individual learning styles are recognised and catered for

Our curriculum is framed by the new Victorian Curriculum.  Science, History, Geography, Economics, Civics and Citizenship, Health and Technology are the content areas that contain the rich concepts that drive effective learning. Language is the vehicle through which much of our daily experience is processed. We depend on our ability to use language, mathematics and the arts to inquire, gather information, analyse and communicate our understandings to others. There is also a  focus on the domains of Personal Learning, Interpersonal Development and Thinking Processes.

Our specialist subjects are Performing Arts, Mandarin, Visual Arts, STEM and Sport. Children can also participate in Choir, Dance group, Chess Club, Instrumental lessons and support and extension is available with specialised teachers in Maths and Literacy.