Newsletter Term 2 week 8 2024

"We acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians on whose land our school rests. Their footsteps and whispers blow in the wind, drift on the clouds, remain deep in the sandstone and float on the waterways of this place. Their memories and Dreaming stories will continue to connect us to the land and guide future generations of our school community. Country is alive if you take the time to look, listen and learn."

Principal's message

We have certainly felt the winter chill at Balgowlah North this week but that hasn’t stopped our students from enjoying our outdoor spaces and playgrounds.  Our K- 2 parents are likely to have noticed some sandy little shoes coming home in recent weeks with the sandpit proving a popular play space every day. It has been wonderful to see the new sandpit toys engaging large numbers of our K- 2 students in construction activities and collaborative play. 

The ovals are an always popular space for our older students, and we commend our students on the way they share their outdoor spaces to ensure everybody has space to play with their friends. 

Whilst on the topic of playgrounds and play, we would like to remind parents to please ensure your child comes to school each day with a hat as our school expectation is that all students must be wearing a hat to play outside, even in the cooler winter weather.  Hats should be clearly labeled with your child’s name. For hygiene reasons, we do not permit students to take hats from lost property if they have forgotten their own. 

We also ask that parents adhere to our playground policy and do not allow their children to play on the ovals, basketball/futsal courts or 2-6 play equipment prior to school, even if you’re there to supervise them. These areas are out of bounds before school unless students are attending PSSA training with a teacher. We also remind parents that our playgrounds close at the end of the school day.

Sporting Achievements
Balgowlah North has several sporting accolades to celebrate this week. Firstly, I would like to extend our congratulations to the Senior A Netball Team who were victorious in their game against Vaucluse Public School on Monday and will now proceed to Round 4 of the NSWPSSA Netball Knockout Competition. 

We also have an amazing bunch of talented young athletes representing our school at the regional cross country this Friday. 

We are so very proud of each and every one of you!

Communications with the school
We are incredibly blessed to have a school admin team who are at the forefront of our communications with our community and go above and beyond to support our parents and children on a daily basis.  To ensure we continue our successful communications partnership with the parent community, I would like to highlight a couple of processes it is essential we all have a shared understanding of going forward:

The school email is monitored regularly throughout the school day, however, is not checked after hours. If you have an urgent matter, please call the school office after 8:30am to ensure it is dealt with promptly.

This also extends to changes to school pick up arrangements. We understand that the juggle of daily life can mean plans change from day to day and we do our very best to accommodate emails that come through via email that require us to inform students of a change of pick-up requirements.  We ask that emails of this nature are sent to the school before 10.30am. For urgent changes to pick up arrangements, parents must call the office and speak with one of our admin team to ensure the message is communicated to class teachers in time for the end of day bell. 

Amazing Disco team
Finally, a huge shout out of appreciation to the team of parents who have worked tirelessly to coordinate tomorrow nights disco.  It is always a highlight on the school calendar and the excitement amongst our students is palpable. Thank you for the energy, effort and passion our committed team of parent volunteers put into pulling this spectacular event together for our children. Happy dancing everyone! 

Rachel Ridley
Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal News

This term, the Maths Curriculum Team have been engaging with some exciting Professional Learning with prominent educational leader, Pam Harris. 

Pam Harris is highly sought after for her innovative approaches to maths instruction, particularly in fostering problem-solving skills and mathematical thinking in students. She has a profound understanding, which allows her to effectively communicate complex mathematical concepts to teachers. Pam's depth of knowledge enables her to tailor pedagogical approaches that promote conceptual understanding rather than rote memorisation.

The Maths Curriculum team have enthusiastically been sharing their new skills of effective maths instruction with their K-6 stage teams, with a strong focus on improvement in teaching, learning and classroom practice. 

All teachers at Balgowlah North Public School will be provided with targeted professional development at our highly anticipated Term 3 Staff development day. This is where Pam will offer practical strategies and techniques that teachers can immediately implement in their classrooms to improve mathematical instruction and student learning outcomes.

We look forward to this amazing opportunity to engage with evidence-based practices, foster a supportive learning community and improve students learning outcomes. 

Julia Gough
Assistant Principal 

School News

Curiosity and Outdoor Learning - How many squares does the leaf cover?
In week 7 Kindergarten explored the many shapes and sizes of leaves when crayon rubbing onto a maths grid. The textures varied along with the number of squares covered by each leaf. Why might this be?

 Katherine Evans - Program Coordinator

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Buddy Collaboration Activity

NBLA Writing Workshop
On Thursday the 13th of June, four selected children from 10 different public schools around the Northern Beaches all met at our BNPS library for the annual NBLA Writing Workshop.

This workshop got off to a great start! In the first session we had the awesome opportunity to work with Deborah Abela! She was very inspiring especially when she talked about her childhood and also why she loved writing and how became an author. Deborah showed us some of her amazing books she had written, getting us intrigued by the first few pages she read of them. From turning boring sentences into descriptive paragraphs, to writing a short story from just a sentence starter, we learnt so much and enjoyed every minute with Deborah Abela!

After the amazing session with Deborah Abela in the morning, we then had an exciting middle session planned. Manly Selective High School had four students from their Creative Writing Elective Class come in with their teacher, Miss Watts. We explored the different techniques of writing and looked at juxtaposition, figurative language, and making characters.  They also taught us an interesting way to think of characters. Listening to music! We listened to two different pieces of music, one classical and melancholy and the other upbeat and joyful. 

For the last session we then had Paul McDonald come. We learnt about how to describe characters through appearance, action, and by using metaphors and hyperboles. From doing great work some lucky people got a prize of one of Deborah Abela’s books and other fantastic novels. When describing action through a character, Paul taught us that using shorter and sharper sentences helps build suspense and makes the reader want to keep reading. This was an incredible experience and we learnt so much! 
Tess P and Evelyn S

His dull, drab, sunken posture casts ominous shadows of worry. Wrinkled and shriveled he sits feeling melancholy. His age showing, his loneliness rests in his wake. Scraggly beard, dark features, lost eyes. The bleak coolness of his glare stabs soles, ruins days, sticks to minds. 
Charlie B

On Thursday, students from schools around our area came to Balgowlah North Public School to attend a writers workshop in our school library. Starting with Deborah Abela, we learnt about her books, how she became a writer through trouble making and the importance of trouble making to writing stories. Then we learnt from Manly Selective students about characters and got many important tips; make sure-your characters connect with their setting, your characters have flaws, you connect with your characters, and you research your characters. The afternoon session was with Paul MacDonald all about character description. We wrote four descriptions, with four people winning a book for their writing. The day sadly ended, but we left with many new things learnt.
Charli K

Colour Day
On the 2nd of July week 10 our school will be holding a ‘colour day’. This means each year group will come to school dressed in a certain colour. We are raising money for a charity called ‘Eat Up’. 

Eat Up helps give children, less fortunate, with sandwich for lunch if they have none.

Year 6 will be participating in making those sandwiches that will be packed and off to other schools. 

Wear as much of your colour as you can! Please bring a gold coin donation.

Waste Free Wednesday

Congratulations to our winners 1M and 5V

Class Snapshots 2/1C

Sports News

The BNPS Athletics Carnival will be held at the NSW Academy of Sport, Narrabeen, on Wednesday, 3rd July. The cost for this event is $29 and has been included in your Term 2 Statement of Account.

The field events will be held at the original track. Due to work being carried out on the Athletics Track, track events will be held in the adjacent field. All students in Years 2-6 will participate. Year 2 students turning 7 in 2024 will attend, however, will not be considered for the Zone Carnival.

This carnival will have the programmed events of the Zone Carnival. Track events will be open to all students. Field events will be for students who have qualified for the finals by participating in the heats that have been run during PE lessons at school. Novelty events will be held for students that didn’t qualify in field event finals.

Travel to and from the carnival will be by bus. Students must be at school by 8.50am for roll call and a 9.00am departure. Buses will depart Narrabeen at 2.15pm

Carnival Information:

- 800 m races will be the first event. After the 800m, Juniors and seniors will split into 2 groups.

- Juniors (7, 8, 9, 10yrs) - Track events - AM, Field events - PM

- Seniors (11, 12, 13yrs) - Field events AM, Track events - PM

- Children wear their sport uniform and house colours. Please also bring a jumper, hat (as there is no shade) and raincoat.

- Children are to bring recess, lunch and plenty of water as there is no canteen available on the day.

- Please label everything clearly with your child’s name and make sure he/she knows what items are packed in his/her bag.

- Parents must sign their child out at the track field recording desk if they are going home by car after the carnival.

- Students are not able to leave with a parent other than their own without written permission.

- Teachers will move students in their age groups between the 2 fields. Students will rotate through events to maximise participation on the day.

All teachers are trained in Anaphylaxis and CPR annually.

A Harris, K Kelly, D Horsley, S Carroll,
Athletics Carnival Organisers

PSSA Netball Knockout
On Monday afternoon, the Balgowlah North Senior A netball team competed in the third round of the NSWPSSA Netball Knockout. Despite the challenging conditions of strong winds and driving rain, their performance was outstanding. The team, consisting of Sammy D, Evelyn S, Abby Mc, Tess P, Sophia C, Louisa O, Freya van R, and Evie H, showcased remarkable grit and determination, seizing a 28-3 victory against Vaucluse Public School.  I am incredibly proud of their sportsmanship throughout the afternoon. Well, done, team!

Susie Stock Assistant Principal (Relieving)

Library News

Scholastic Book Club Orders
All orders for Scholastic Book Club need to be submitted by Friday 21st June

Teacher Picks!

Mrs Harris’ favorite picture book is:

‘ Peepo’ by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Each page gives a different glimpse of a baby's day, as the adults in his world go about their obscure yet urgent tasks. The initial view of each full-page illustration is through a peep-hole in the center of the page. A rhyming text describes the picture, and asks "what does he see?”- Amazon

“It takes you through moments of time of a little baby growing up and I used to read it to my kids and they loved it”- Mrs Harris

Admin News

Positive Behaviour for Learning

The Week Ahead

Thursday 20 June              P&C K-2 and 3-6 Disco
Friday 21 June                   Regional Cross Country
Monday 24 June                3-6 Assembly 2.30pm
Tuesday 2 July                  Year 6 Eat Up Fundraiser
Wednesday 3 July             BNPS Athletics Carnival     
Friday 5 July                      Last day of Term 2  

Band News

It's been an action-packed term for Band.  Just a recap in case you want to be reminded - we've had Mother's Day Performance, Band Workshop, Harbourside Music Festival, Assembly Performance from Junior Band and preparations for the Disco on 20 June.   

Things to look forward to this term - the Disco, an assembly performance from Senior Band (Week 10) and an assembly performance for Strings (Week 9)  

A big thank you to parents for your support of the program.  Your help at the band workshop with logistics and sustenance, your sausage-sizzling at Harbourside Music Festival and just getting your children to rehearsals and lessons each week is fantastic support for your child's musical development and the program.

Of course, none of this is possible without our conductors - Mark, Nick and Angus and a supportive community (band committee members and P&C) plus the guidance and leadership of Brooke and the school executive.

Lots of highs to celebrate there.  

The not so high..

Sadly for us our wonderful Band Director of two and half years, Mark Strykowski, and his family, are heading south where Mark's wife has taken a new, very important, role in Canberra.  We have been fortunate to have Mark's expertise and experience as a musician and band conductor, among other things, at our school.  He has worked with Angus and Nick to establish a program that is developing the students' abilities in musicianship while instilling the social skills and responsibility that comes with being part of a team.   His leadership, calmness and positive attitude when interacting with the children has been an asset to the program.  Personally, I will miss learning from and working with him.  Thank you Mark - you will be missed!
Please feel free to drop into a rehearsal in the next few weeks if you would like to give Mark your best wishes.

We are finalising plans with two potential replacement conductors to take over the Band Director role and the rehearsals that Mark was conducting.  We will be in back in touch to introduce them to you once confirmed.

Rainbow Disco - tickets on Flexischools and volunteer to help make it a fun time

Just 10 days away, the Rainbow Disco is guaranteed to be a fun afternoon for everyone.  It's the band programs major fundraiser so please support it.  Please see the poster below.  Tickets are available on flexischools - purchase by Monday 17 June.  Also seeking volunteers to assist with a range of jobs to help make it a fun time for the please contact Nicole.margetts@me.com

Diary Dates

As always, please keep an eye on the website for Diary Dates.  https://bnpsband.wixsite.com/website

Upcoming Performances

Strings - Assembly Monday 24 June

Senior Band - Assembly Monday 1 July

Band Manager

P & C News

Thank you TRIVIA TEAM!
A huge thank you to the Trivia Team who arranged a fantastic evening for all. A big call out to Alex, Cate, Kate, Diane and Ash. 

Disco Thursday night
Wristbands will be sent home with the children this week. Please ensure that they wear them when they arrive to ensure fast & efficient entry into the hall.

Please note, parents are to collect their children from inside the hall promptly at finish times. Children will not be allowed to leave or walk home unaccompanied.

P&C meeting - Wednesday, 26 June
Come and get involved with the P&C. Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 26 June, at the library. 

Thanks from the P&C team

Koolkuna News

Winter Vacation Care 
Please find attached the 2024 Winter Vacation Care Program. Bookings are open via the Xplor Home App.

Please use the Xplor Home App to find the bookings tab and book into the appropriate sessions labelled "Vacation Care K-2" or "Vacation Care 3-6". If your session does not appear, this is due to the session being fully booked. In this instance, please select “request a space” for this day which will automatically add you to the waitlist.

If your place is approved from the waitlist, you will receive a notification on your Xplor Home App so please ensure you are monitoring this.

Changes or cancellations will be accepted up until 2 weeks prior to your booking and must be requested via Email.

Koolkuna OSHC Admin

Canteen News

School Community News

School Sponsors