We took the bus to Meadowbank wharf and caught the RiverCat to the island. For some of the students this was the first time on a RiverCat and even a boat!
Once we were on Cockatoo Island we made our way to a giant old factory where we were introduced to our tour guides. Each student was given an outfit, which showed their role, either boss, guard or convict. We were also allocated historical people who lived and worked on Cockatoo Island in the 1700s.
On the tour we got to see where the convicts slept and ate. We saw the tremendously large silos and long tunnels the convicts dug out of the sandstone. We heard about the story of a convict who escaped off the island by swimming across the water, he later became a bushranger! Each student got to explore the solitary confinement cells that convicts were sent to if they misbehaved.
The excursion was exhausting with all the walking we did. We learnt so much about the history of Cockatoo Island...it is more than just a place where Australian Ninja Warrior was filmed!
St Bernadette's Primary Dundas
www.stbernadettesdundas.catholic.edu.au
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20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
Motiv8 dance lessons are in full swing 🎶🎵All classes are enjoying moving and grooving 🕺15 Oct 2026
From Facebook
📸 Let creativity shine! ✨ This term, all classes will take part in Photography lessons, exploring their creativity, discovering new perspectives, and capturing the world through their own unique lens.
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20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
Motiv8 dance lessons are in full swing 🎶🎵All classes are enjoying moving and grooving 🕺
15 Oct 2026
From Facebook
📸 Let creativity shine! ✨ This term, all classes will take part in Photography lessons, exploring their creativity, discovering new perspectives, and capturing the world through their own unique lens.
28 Sep 2026
Celebrating 40 years of Voice of Youth and the power of student voice
Six Year 6 students from 58 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Primary schools came together at St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens on 22 September for the Voice of Youth Grand Final, showcasing their public speaking skills through a series of thoughtful and engaging speeches.
18 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning, Year 1 met with Father Andrew in the church to learn more about the Sacrament of Baptism. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to deepen their understanding by seeing, smelling and touching the sacred items used during Baptism. Through this hands-on experience, students were able to make meaningful connections between their learning in Religion and the sacramental life of our Church. A beautiful opportunity for our young learners to encounter and celebrate our faith!
17 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Thank you to our wonderful Kindergarten parents for hosting the school canteen today! Lots of delicious treats were enjoyed 🍭
15 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning, some of our Stage 3 students experienced the spectacular ‘Be the Witness’ musical at Riverside Theatre. The production shared the life of Jesus through the eyes of Peter, bringing the story to life through powerful song, dance and theatre. Our students were immersed in the story of Jesus’ life, death and Resurrection and had the opportunity to reflect on His message and mission in a truly engaging way. We are very grateful to CSPD for providing our students with this wonderful experience of faith, allowing them to encounter the story of Jesus in such a meaningful and memorable way.
11 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning Mr White, our Student Animator, led a small group of students in prayer. The prayer focus was ‘The Season of Creation’ and allowed students time to reflect on the gift of creation given by God. Students also reflected on our responsibility to preserve and promote creation 🍃🌸🌱🌷We look forward to Mr White offering students from Year 4-6 in future formation sessions throughout this term and in Term 4.
09 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Today in music, Stage 3 students practised maintaining a steady beat by creatively jumping to the beat of Michael Jackson’s music. They then began composing their own musical pieces, exploring the elements of beat, rhythm, melody and timbre. Musicians in the making 🎶🎵
04 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning we welcomed our wonderful Fathers, grandfathers and father figures for a delicious breakfast! Our Infants students led a beautiful Father’s Day Liturgy which was followed by some fun dad jokes and a great song! Thank you dads - you are simply the best!
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
What a fantastic book week! We have loved every minute of the soundscapes, book reading, games and fun that 2026 book week has brought. We love reading and we love book week!
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Going Faceless You might notice something a little different on our school social media page and we wanted you to hear the why straight from us. We have a new approach to social media, taking a proactive stand on protecting our students’ online safety. We’ll keep sharing what our students are learning and achieving, the wins, the projects, the everyday moments that make our school community special. But we will not be posting identifiable photos of children’s faces on our public social media pages. This follows new guidance from the e-Safety Commissioner about how AI tools are being used to misuse photos taken from school social media pages. Our school takes online safety seriously. We’ll continue to share event memories directly with families through our newsletter. We ask that these photos aren’t used on personal social media platforms. Families who have selected ‘not for publish’ will still not appear in these photos. To update your permission, please contact the office. This is a new endeavour and like any new approach, we may not get it perfectly right every time as staff adjust. We appreciate your patience as we find our feet. Thank you for backing us as we take this step. 💙
28 Aug 2026
Our schools are cracking the reading code
Do you remember how you learned to read? For a vital skill that is linked to all other learning, it’s surprisingly difficult to explain how to go about learning it.