Newsletter Term 4 Week 2 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 News
World Teacher’s Day
World Teacher’s Day is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the immense effort and dedication teachers put into their work. Our team of teachers at Balgowlah North Public School are an absolute credit to our profession, going above and beyond to ensure our school is the rich, supportive learning environment that it is.
This week our wonderful P & C will be expressing their gratitude by providing our teaching staff with a special lunch. Thank you so much to the P & C for this incredible gesture of appreciation that ensures our teachers continue to be celebrated for the positive impact on students lives they make every day.
You may like to get involved with the DoE’s NSW Teaching Gems Initiative. A gem is a teacher you care about, past or present, who motivates and inspires you and others
Click on the Message button below to give a shout out to a teacher in our community. All submissions are anonymous.
https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/events/world-teachers-day-in-nsw//
Class Formation - 2025
We are extremely fortunate at BNPS to have highly skilled, professional and passionate teachers. Creating classes is an extremely rigorous process that teachers take very seriously. Our aim is to provide equity for all students based on their academic, social and emotional needs. We will be creating composite (multi stage) classes in 2025. All classes will be formed carefully to create best fit for all our students at BNPS.
If your child has any social, academic or emotional needs that we are unaware of which may have an impact on their class placement for 2025 please email the school - attention Brooke Keevers. This information must be submitted by Friday 1st of November. Requests for specific teachers will not be taken into consideration.
ICAS Awards
We will celebrate students who received a Credit, Distinction or High Distinction in the ICAS Competition for 2024 at the K - 6 assembly on 11th November.
Rachel Ridley
Acting Principal
Assistant Principal's News
Throughout this term, you will receive important information via SchoolBytes and our school newsletter about how mathematics is taught in our classrooms. This resource will introduce you to the terminology we now use and provide insights into our approach to teaching essential concepts such as mathematical reasoning and problem solving, place value, addition, and subtraction, across the different stages.
To support your child's learning at home, we’ll also share engaging games and activities that reinforce these skills in a fun and interactive way. Stay tuned for these valuable resources designed to enhance your child’s mathematical journey!
Thank you for your continued support!
K-6 Mathematics Curriculum Team
School News
6/5H Robotics Day
Stage 3 of Digital Technologies kicked off last week with 6/5H students designing and creating a Lego Mindstorm vehicle for gold mining. Tasked with helping gold miners find innovative ways to locate and mine gold, students built and coded robots to assist in the search and extraction process. Students were highly engaged with this project working collaboratively to build code and demonstrate their success. Some feedback from the students included:
“I loved what we did today, designing and building our robot in my group of 3. There was lots of trial and error and great satisfaction when we got it right”.
“I definitely enjoyed robotics today because we got to work in pairs creating our own robots with our own ideas. I found the coding really challenging and time consuming.”
“There was lots of trial and error. It was fun!”
“Connecting the robot to the coding was the hardest. The best part was when we tested out how it moved and seeing everyone else's”.
“I liked working in pairs because it helped our teamwork skills and played to our abilities”.
Principal for the day
My day as Principal, Miss S, was super busy and fun! I wrote a passage about the Christmas Fair for the newsletter, which was cool. I also visited classes to deliver important notes and messages, and I helped with the Front Office with jobs for Kindy Orientation. One of my favourite things was going to the Kindy and Stage 1 classes to find fantastic student work and give out special Principal stickers. The best part was definitely attending the K-2 assembly and handing out the merit certificates!
Sadie S
Creative Arts Corner - Music performances
Over the last week we have been observing and appreciating the music of others as well as composing our own pieces to perform. Students have taken to the stage to sing and play, moving to make sound or music through time!
We can’t wait to share these with you all!
Mrs McAllister
Community Christmas Card Competition
Mr James Griffin would like to remind students who would like to participate in the Community Christmas Card Competition that the entries are due in on Friday 1 November. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
We look forward to receiving the student’s entries.
Office of James Griffin MP, Member for Manly, Phone: (02) 9976 2773
Youth Rotary award to Ben B
Previously in the year, Ben B of 6/5M was nominated for a Youth Rotary Award, and was the successful candidate. Last Tuesday evening, he was presented with his award by the Rotary Club of Balgowlah, at Wakehurst Golf Club, in front of his family and members of The Balgowlah Rotary Club. He was a very worthy recipient, and received it with so much pride; with very proud parents and grandparents.
Congratulations, Ben. A true honour to witness. Below is the citation about Ben.
‘Ben is an outstanding citizen and ambassador for BNPS. He demonstrates constantly the qualities of an all-rounded student within the school environment with admirable ease and high integrity. His remarkable ability to communicate effortlessly, coupled with a warm and approachable demeanour allows him to connect easily with individuals from all walks of life. Whether it’s offering a helping hand or lending a compassionate ear, Ben steps in willingly. As a peer mediator, he was able to foster harmony and understanding among his peers. Ben’s ability to seamlessly blend in with and peer group is a testament to his amicable nature and unwavering commitment to inclusivity.’
Curiosity & Outdoor Learning
Can you guess what I can see?
Sports News
Round 6 PSSA results
Library News
Teacher Picks!
Mrs Gough’s favourite picture book is:
‘The Snail and The Whale’ by Julia Donaldson
One little snail longs to see the world and hitches a lift on the tail of an enormous whale. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the little snail feels so small in the vastness of the world. But when disaster strikes and the whale is beached in a bay, it's the tiny snail's big plan that saves the day! - Pan Macmillan
“I love The Snail and the Whale as I love all the books written by the author Julia Donaldson. She is my favourite children’s author and all her books are fabulous” - Mrs Gough
Scholastic Book Club Orders
All orders for Scholastic Book Club need to be submitted by Friday 1st November.
Admin News
The school oval and surrounding grassed areas will be sprayed for clover this Sunday and so we are asking the school community to avoid these areas on that day.
How to see notes on the School Bytes Parent App
If you are wishing to see any excursion notes these can be found by going into the School Bytes parent app, clicking on your "activities tab" and then the event name.
Kindergarten 2025
If you have a student starting Kindergarten in 2025 and we have asked you for more paperwork, please come to the office when you are next in the school so we can finish your child's enrolment.
E-bikes, e-scooters, bicycles and skateboards are not permitted on school grounds under any circumstances as their use jeopardises the safety of our community. Use of play equipment is prohibited outside of school hours and playing on school grounds after school and during the school holidays should always be under the supervision of an adult.
We understand that the community enjoy having access to the school grounds over the holidays so we urge you to please assist us in keeping our school safe by adhering to these protocols and notifying local police if you observe any concerning behaviour occurring on the school grounds.
Manly Police - 99768099
Dee Why Police - 9971 3399
Administration Team
4/3P Class Snapshot
Food Scrap Friday
PBL
The Week Ahead
Thursday 31 October Kindergarten Orientation 2
Friday 25 October World Teachers Day
Monday 4 November Stage 2 Geography Excursion
Monday 4 November Stage 3 Assembly 1.40pm
Monday 4 November K-2 Assembly 2.30pm
Thursday 7 November Band Information Evening 6.30pm
Monday 11 November Remembrance Day Memorial Service
Monday 11 November K-6 Assembly 1.45pm
Thursday 14 November Mufti Day
Thursday 14 November Strings Parent Information Session
Monday 18 November 3-6 Assembly 2.30pm
P & C News
Christmas Carnival
The BNPS Christmas Carnival is fast approaching, and we couldn't be more excited to bring it back to our community after 5 years! Please see below for a quick FAQ:
What Exactly is the Christmas Carnival?
Click in the link to see a short video on all the fun you and your family can expect to enjoy on the day.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HoH0TTdNMSZKGE2WKORLZXjbk1yoYBhQ/view?usp=drive_link
Can I Buy Tickets Yet?
Carnival entry is free, but early bird unlimited all-day wristbands are already on sale here for $40.
How Can I Help?
As you can imagine, an event of this scale cannot operate without the support of the entire school community. Here are a few ways you can help:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EAEA923A2FECF8-50658414-bnps?useFullSite=true#
The BNPS Christmas Carnival Committee
Band News
What’s Happening with Band in Term 4?
The short answer is LOTS is happening. All bands are back rehearsing in preparation for performances this term. It’s a full schedule for our bands. With our band and strings program participant performances and activities ramping up, its the perfect time for potential 2025 band members to find out more!
Join our fabulous School Band 2025
We are delighted to invite students who will be in Years 3 -5 in 2025, to join our band program next year. Playing an instrument and being part of a large team, such as a band, is an enjoyable, social experience, benefiting the children in a multitude of ways. There is a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from playing an instrument as well as improved literacy and mathematical skills, better coordination, social development, organisation skills, leadership and much much more.
Soon, all Year 2 students will have the opportunity to tryout on some instruments to see which one they are most suited to play. This is a thorough process which looks at physical aspects of the child, results from an aural assessment they all participated in last term, preferences as well as many other considerations to ensure the right fit for your child. Outcomes from the instrument tryouts will be communicated to parents via a recommendation of instrument that will start them on the right path for their musical journey. You can sign up for band and indicate the instruments via the form on the band website, where you can also view some demonstrations of instruments. Find all the information here – Join the Band
If you would like to know more about our band program, come along to our information evening (date below) to see the instruments up close.
PARENTS - IMPORTANT DIARY DATE: Band Program Parent Information Evening - Thursday 7 November
Band Program Parent Information Evening 6.30pm in the Hall. It's the parents turn to learn about band at the Parent Information Evening. Our Concert Band is putting together a special presentation so you can enjoy their performances, learn about the instruments from the players themselves and also hear from our Director of Bands about the opportunities and positive experience your child can have as a member of the band. Plus there will be plenty of time to ask questions! Please bring your future band member/budding musician along also - the students really enjoy the evening.
Strings Program Parent Information Session – Thursday 14 November 8.15 – 9am in the Library
BHPS has a growing strings program and we are keen for new members in 2025. We are inviting Year 2 2025 and above to join our beginner group and come to an information session will be held in Week 5 (14th Nov). Parents and students are also welcome to come along to rehearsals at any time to see our string group in action – we rehearse on Thursdays from 8am in the Library.
In the meantime you can read about our String Program on our website – https://bnpsband.wixsite.com/website/about-3
More information: BNPS Band website https://bnpsband.wixsite.com/website
Koolkuna News
2025 Re-Enrolment
Sustainable OSHC requires all existing families to complete the Re-Enrolment process for your child/ren for 2025.
The re-enrolment process ensures that all regulated information is obtained and current for the children in our care as well as secures your bookings for 2025.
All primary guardians will receive a re-enrolment email on 28th October.
DO NOT RE-ENROL VIA THE SUSTAINABLE OSHC WEBSITE - THIS WILL CREATE A DUPLICATE ACCOUNT.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Your current B/ASC bookings WILL NOT rollover into 2025 without the completion of the re-enrolment. If re-enrolment is not completed by 20th December, 2024, your account will become inactive and you will be unable to book in for Sustainable OSHC in 2025.
Koolkuna OSHC Admin