Balgowlah North Public School eNewsletter

"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

Thank you

Thank you to Rachel Ridley, R/Principal, Olivia Wakelin Assistant Principal Wellbeing and Amy Mussett R/Assistant Principal Stage 1, Susie Stock R/Assistant Principal Stage 3, Sarah King Assistant Principal Early Stage One, Karina Lewis R/Assistant Principal Stage One and Julia Gough APCI for leading with courage, integrity and compassion over the past 6 weeks. Schools are places of complexity, and our students flourish and grow when we are able to work in positive partnerships with our parent body. It has been wonderful chatting to and reconnecting with our students and teachers over the past couple of days.

As I returned to school on Monday morning, it gave me great delight to see how excited our students were to be going to camp with all their friends. It was a lovely way to come back after 6 weeks away. I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Susie Stock, Jenny Mercer, Patricia Vitale and Deb Horsley for the hours of time spent preparing and organizing all the myriad of details needed to take over 100 students to camp.

Our teachers take these additional responsibilities seriously and are committed to providing these extracurricular activities for our students when supported by our school community. It is important to acknowledge that teachers give up their own personal time, for which they receive no additional compensation, other than the joy that they receive from seeing the children having fun at camp and embracing the opportunities and personal growth that is presented to them.

These activities are only possible because of the generosity of the school staff organising and participating in these events. Without this goodwill these activities would not be possible. Over the course of this term we will be reviewing the extracurricular activities that the school provides in 2025 for students, and we will ensure that staff wellbeing is considered carefully as part of this process.

Whats App and BNPS communication policy

I would like to take this moment as a self-reflection point for parents within our school community, to ensure we work within a culture of positivity and respectful relationships as is clearly outlined in our BNPS communication procedures.

Within the document I have highlighted below how WhatApp groups are to be used. At no point are students or staff to be discussed within this space. Respectful comments and proactive behavior is expected at all times.

Parent Participation in P & C founded Social Communications groups

All official class social communication groups are established by a parent representative who is an active member of the school P & C
All parents agree to a charter of expectations at the beginning of the school year that stipulates guidelines for conduct and communication within the social communication group. Any violations of this charter will result in the parent and their communication being removed from the group
The parent representative acts as a moderator of the group, reporting any disrespectful communication about staff, parents or students to the Principal

Please consider whether your own actions and behaviour are providing a positive, trusting partnership with the school so that your children can continue to grow and flourish.

State Athletics

We celebrate an incredibly talented group of students who represented our school with grit, determination and courage. To represent at a state level in any field requires focus and unwavering commitment to attaining personal best. We are very proud of them all.

Jamison
Senior Boys 100m MC - 2nd
Senior Boys 200m MC - 2nd
Senior Boys 800m MC - 2nd
Senior Boys Long Jump MC - 3rd

Harrison E
11 Years Boys 1500m - 10th

Edward G
Boys 8-10 Discus - 4th
Boys 8-10 Shot Put - 7th

Frankie J
Girls 8-10 High Jump -15th

Anna R - Junior Girls Relay - 2nd
Aria B - Junior Girls Relay - 2nd
Alice O- Junior Girls Relay - 2nd
Frankie J - Junior Girls Relay - 2nd

Kindergarten Orientation
Our new students had a wonderful time at their first orientation session last week. We look forward to welcoming them back tomorrow! Thank you to Sarah King and our office administration team for the thorough planning and preparation.

I look forward to seeing you in the playground.

Kind regards
Brooke Keevers

Assistant Principal's News

Colour Run

One of the highlights of the school year for students and teachers! We are excited for the mess and organised mayhem of the Colour Run next week. Last year we had some wonderful parents who manned the water pistol guns and colour bombing with great accuracy much to the delight of our students. We would love it if you were intending on coming and would like to be involved, please just pop your name in the google link.

https://forms.gle/nVg6SGxE1LJ9TXG89

It would be wonderful if you could be at school by 1.30pm on Thursday 7th November and let Carol Saab or Jess Hardy know that you would like to be involved.

School News

Science and Technology
On Wednesday 6/5M commenced their Digital Technologies unit, where they took on the challenge of developing a Lego Mindstorm vehicle for gold mining. The students designed and programmed robots to aid in both the search and retrieval processes. The project saw students fully immersed, collaborating on construction, coding, and showcasing their achievements.

Curiosity in Outdoor Learning - Geographical Fieldwork
As part of the ES1 geography program, ‘Special Places’, kindergarten students became trainee geographers, carrying out fieldwork in our school environment. The Green Grove was determined by everyone to be a special place to many including chickens, birds, insects and other living things, not to mention us humans! ‘Hmm… why might this be so?’ we wondered.

We set about with a partner using our senses to explore our surroundings. A magnifying glass gave us the opportunity to get a detailed view of our environment and we documented all our discoveries carefully.

Kindergarten are curious to know what next week’s learning will be!

Katherine Evans - Program Coordinator

Round 7 PSSA results

PBL Week 3

Library News

Teacher Picks!

Mrs Mercer’s favourite picture book is:

‘The Napping House’ by Wood Audrey

‘A cosy bed, a snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing--WAIT! There's a surprise in store, and little ones will want to discover it over and over again. So pull on your sleeping cap and snuggle in for a timeless cumulative tale that's truly like no other.’- Amazon

“I like this book as I used to read it to my own children. They got so many laughs out of it. It’s very much like ‘Who Sank the Boat’. I also love all the beautiful colours used for the illustrations.

Question is…. Did the flea actually cause it all?” - Mrs Mercer

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.

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 outside of school hours 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

KE Class Snapshot

Food Scrap Friday

The Week Ahead

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

P&C meeting - Wednesday, 6 November
Come and get involved with the P&C. Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 6 November, at the library from 7.30pm.

BNPS Christmas Carnival

Stay Connected:
Please join our exciting new BNPS Carnival Facebook event page here to learn more about what is on offer throughout the big day!

Tombola Jar Update:
After our first collection week, the classroom tally was as follows:

2HL - 1
4/3P - 4
3R - 8
2A - 26

Thank you in advance for your filled tombola jar contributions for this very popular carnival game! We will be collecting them in the classroom boxes each week until the 15th of November.

Carnival Rides:
Carnival entry is free, but early bird unlimited ride wristbands are on sale here for $40. Buy yours today!

Volunteer on the Day:
As you can imagine, an event of this scale cannot operate without the support of the entire school community. Please see here for how you can help out during the day.

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

Who knew playing an instrument could be so much fun!
There was lots of excitement at the Year 2 Instrument Suitability Assessments on Monday. The sounds the students were making from the instruments and the delight on their faces was infectious. They got a taste of how much fun playing an instrument can be. The tutors were impressed with the talent they saw so we are hoping many of the students will sign up to join band to tap into that talent.

Did you know that playing an instrument can develop parts of the brain that no other activity can? Find out from expert Anita Collins – Benefits of playing an instrument

If you are thinking that band/playing an instrument could be your child’s interest please contact us via the online form https://forms.gle/qJcf3pf6vBE9yZck9. You can leave messages/comments on this form. We will be in touch to arrange an instrument suitability assessment. All students in Years 3, 4 and 5 next year are welcome to join the band.

REMINDER – Parent Information Evening is next Thursday 7 November at 6.30pm in the Hall.

This is a great opportunity to learn about the instruments and the band program, hear our Concert Band play and ask questions. We can also chat to you about instrument choices. Please bring your ‘future band member’ with you. See you next week.

More information: BNPS Band website https://bnpsband.wixsite.com/website

Don’t Forget About Strings!

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 string group.

An information session for parents will be held on Thursday 14 November. In the meantime, pop into rehearsals at any time to see our string group in action – we rehearse on Thursdays from 8am in the Library.

Read all about our String Program on our website – https://bnpsband.wixsite.com/website/about-3

Koolkuna News

Dear Families,

What to do & expect as part of Re-Enrolment:

1. Read through the Family Handbook 2025

2. The Primary Carer will receive a re-enrolment email requesting them to complete a new enrolment form.

3. Click on “Complete Re-enrol”

4. There are new mandatory sections that are required under the

Education and Care Services National Regulations including;

Cultural Background
Medical Practitioner Details
At least 2 Emergency Contact Details

5. Please ensure all details are current, uploading any updated documentation (i.e. Allergy, Anaphylaxis or Asthma action plans, court orders and/or ACIR immunisation records).

6. Once you have finalised your enrolment, you will then receive 2 emails:
– Your completed enrolment form from Xplor, for your records.
– An email from Sustainable OSHC confirming your permanent B/ASC bookings for 2025.

Koolkuna OSHC Admin