Newsletter Term 4 Week 4 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

‘Little Moments, Lasting Change’.  Every day, our school counsellors and school psychologists provide little moments of listening, understanding and connecting that have supported students, families and staff to notice their needs and strengths, persevere and grow.

This week we celebrate our wonderful school counsellor Joy Thompson with School Counsellor Recognition Day. I’d like to recognise and celebrate the unique role she plays in supporting students, families and our school.

Colour Run
Thank you to our incredible school community for supporting our school Colour Run for 2024. It is definitely one of our favourite days of the year. At this point in time as I write, we have raised over $14,546.70 which is absolutely amazing. This money goes directly into our classroom resources and teaching and learning materials. With last year's Colour Run money teachers bought home readers for kindergarten ($3,000), and we have ordered over $12,000 in reading resources to continue to support our English programs in Stage 1, 2 and 3. Our fabulous art show this year was funded by money from our Colour Run as well. These funds make a big difference to our little school!

Last year we had some wonderful parents who manned the water pistol guns and colour bombing with great accuracy 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 you’d like to be involved.

School Development Days for 2025
Changes to School Development Days for 2025 Term One

• Teachers commence Friday the 31st of January with 4 School Development Days.
• First day for students will be Thursday 6th February 2025
  
• Kindergarten students will commence on Thursday 6th of February 2025

School development days are used by schools to build on the knowledge and skills of our teachers, school leaders and school administrative support staff through a targeted professional learning program.

Professional learning is important in building the capabilities of all staff to ensure a highly skilled and professional workforce that can support the department’s vision for NSW public education to be Australia’s best education system and one of the finest in the world. School development days improve the learning outcomes of students by:

• providing targeted professional learning activities aligned to school strategic directions and Department of Education priorities
• enabling whole school planning and enhancing teacher quality, school leadership and management practices
• implementing legislative and policy requirements

ARCO
In our school, we have a designated Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO). This role is currently assigned to Mrs Amanda Mason. An ARCO is a teacher chosen by the principal to help teach everyone about stopping racism in our school. The ARCO helps the principal by:

• Helping teachers understand how racism affects students' learning and feelings.
• Giving advice to students and teachers on what to do when they see or hear racism.
• Suggesting ways the school can fight against racism.

The ARCO is also trained to help parents, teachers, and students know what to do if someone reports racism. If someone needs it, the ARCO can be there to support them or speak up for them during the process.

If you or your child experiences or witnesses an incident of concern please report to our ARCO via the school email. Students are also welcome to report via the ARCO box which is located in the library office.

Stage 3 Camp Reflections
My favourite activity in the 2024 Great Aussie Bush Camp was canoeing because I enjoyed being in the water and steering the canoe. It was fun working together with Cam and Julian, testing out how fast we could go and trying to coordinate our oars. Dodging and ramming other canoes was also exciting, scraping against other boats cruising by. 
Talon D

The Great Aussie Bush Camp was absolutely incredible! Canoeing, high ropes, power fan, bush craft, archery, flying fox, giant swing, raft building! There was so much to do! We had the best time. My favourite activity at camp was the giant swing! You would get harnessed up and put onto a ladder. Then the instructor would clip you in and the entire class would sprint while pulling a long rope making you go higher and higher. When you reach a certain height or the top, you pull a rope that lets you go and you drop then swing so high! It was exhilarating! The feeling when you drop and swing is so thrilling! I loved every second camp! I never wanted it to end!
Liv C

On Monday the 28th of October 2024 stage three went on an exciting school camp to “The Great Aussie Bush Camp”. The camp was held at Lake Macquarie and was in the bush. The whole camp was filled with exciting and new experiences for all of us. My favourite activity was the giant swing. The giant swing is two ropes attached to two metal poles and has a harness that you sit in. The whole class would grab onto the rope and pull it back. When they did this the ropes would pull you up to the top of the giant swing. When you get to the top you would pull down a small rope dangling in front of you. When you pull it, you would swing down like you are on a huge swing. When you got on this swing you would be wearing a full body harness, helmet and glasses. This camp was filled with awesome experiences and opportunities for our stage. I had a great time and was very lucky to be a part of it. 
Grace C

One of my favourite activities at Great Aussie Bush Camp was raft building. We had to make our rafts out of tires, wood and rope to see which boat was sturdier. Six people from your team had to sit onto the raft as they raced the other team. Our other team members had to push the raft. It was such a great experience and was lots of fun. Everyone ended up getting wet and swimming in the lake. The key to winning the race is teamwork is the dream work.
Darcey O

My favourite part about the Great Aussie Bush Camp was going on the giant swing. It was really fun when you would pull the rope then get flung into the air. I was the guinea pig, so I went first. The overall experience was really fun and I would definitely do it again.
Olive B

My favourite camp activity at the Great Aussie Bush Camp 2024 was the Giant Swing. As I put the harness on and got clipped onto the ropes, my heartbeat faster. I felt so excited to swing! Dangling in mid-air, the rest of the class pulled the rope, slowly getting me towards the very top. As I was about to pull the orange rope to let myself drop then swing, my friends called out “pull the lever Kronk” and then I screamed back “wrong lever” as quoted from the movie “The Emperor’s New Groove”. I felt a rush of adrenaline as I swung downwards then up, to a height that was in line with the top of the trees. I let my arms out wide and felt as if I was flying! It was such a fun experience and I felt so glad that I did it!
Tess P

The moment the buses stopped at this amazing camp everyone's faces lit up with excitement. There were so many activities and the biggest campfire you would ever know. But we were still worried who would be in our cabins?! We stepped out of the bus onto the campgrounds and the moment the bus doors closed it was excitement for the next 3 days! 

The great Aussie bush camp had very fun and amusing activities for everyone. Even if you were scared of heights or scared of anything else, you could still do all of them. Everyone in stage 3 enjoyed their activities and it was fun and exciting for everyone. But the most popular activity was the big swing, it lifted you up high into the air and swish, you were down in a flash, it was the biggest swing ever!

Our dorms were nerve-racking to find out who was in with us but hopefully everyone was happy (I know I was). We had 14 beds in our cabins but they were 7 bunk beds, or how else would they fit 14 beds in a tiny little space? But first, before we moved our bags in, my class (6/5M) did the power fan activity. Most of us were nervous because you had to jump off a high line, but thankfully we didn’t need to jump off the top.The first night was very hard without our parents but we helped each other out and everyone hopefully slept well because we woke up at 6am.
Eva  6/5M

As my eyes glanced up at the enormous power poles holding together ropes at almost 15 metres high, my tummy roared with nerves knowing that I was about to drop and swing from that height. I had never done anything that looked this scary before, plus I had no idea what was even supposed to happen on this massive swing, so I was terrified. When it was my turn to get my harness on, I freaked out. I climbed up the  ladder, got hooked on to the ropes and up, up, up I went. As I got closer and closer to the very tall top I became more and more nervous along the way. Then, there I was at the top. I looked down from where I was, took a deep breath and pulled the rope that released me and I flew. All the way down I went and then whoosh, I swang right back up into the sky. And that was my favourite part of camp.
Alice 6/5M

On the 28th of October to the 30th of October stage three went on school camp. We went to the Great Aussie Bush Camp at Lake Macquarie, even though it was a long bus ride it was 100% worth it. The first activity we did was power fan, you climbed up a pole and jumped off the platform which was 15 meters high. Another one of the activities was a giant swing. You got harnessed then connected to a mechanism where the whole class then pulled on a rope, getting you up to 10 meters in the air. You then pulled on a rope and you swung. One of the activities was bush cooking. We had to collect sticks, twigs, and dry leaves, we then got dough to make damper. You had to wrap the damper around a stick, cook it over the fire then when it was done fill it with maple syrup. Over all, camp was super fun and everyone enjoyed it.
Taylor 6/5M

When we first arrived at camp we went straight to activities. The first activity, and my second favourite was the power fan, where you climbed up a massive pole and jumped off while the rope got faster and faster as you slowed down. The next was a raft building, there were 3 tires, 2 wood planks and rope to build a raft. Unfortunately my raft did not work but the experience was really fun. We then got settled into our cabins had Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread.
Jack 6/5M

Fun, exhilarating and different are only some of the words to describe my experience at The Great Aussie Bush Camp. So many fun activities to do. My favourite activity was definitely the giant swing. Everyone would pull you up until you were about 15 meters high and then drop. My screams echoed through the fields. The best part was how encouraging my friends were. Two nights staying in cabins with my friends. I had the best time at The Great Aussies Bush Camp
Freya van R 6/5M

Between the 28th and the 30th of October our stage got to experience going to the Great Aussie Bush Camp. The very fun activities there consisted of a Power Fan, Raft Building, Giant Swing, Kayaking, Bush Craft, High Ropes, Flying Fox and Commando. After we arrived, we got put into our classes and our class got to do the Power Fan first. We were harnessed in and we began our assent up a 15m high pole. When we got to the top we jumped straight off it leaving us free falling attached by a pulley which made sure we didn't get hurt. Although that activity was so much fun, my favourite activity was the Giant Swing where my classmates pulled a rope attached to a pulley. They all ran in one direction which then pulled the swing up to 15m high. You were then instructed to pull on a string which would release you from the pulley, leaving you swinging very high up. On the night of Tuesday we got to play Commando, where the teachers would take six students into the forest. We all scrambled around the eerie forest to try to find them with no luck, we shone our torches everywhere, sticking in groups that ranged from three to nine. Our mission was to save the hostages from the teachers without being seen with their torches. If we were seen we had to return to base and do something funny to be able to go back out again. Overall I loved going to the Great Aussie Bush Camp in Lake Macquarie and would definitely go back again.
Sophia 6/5M

The Great Aussie Bush Camp, the best camp I have been on (also the only camp I have been on). After the bus trip we arrived at the place we would spend the next 2 nights at. Overall there were over ten activities and I did all of them. My favourite activity was definitely the big swing but I also enjoyed archery because I actually got a BULLSEYE, right in the center of the target. The other activities included raft building, canoeing, high ropes, dual zip line, power fan and finally making damper, which also included making a shelter out of the natural surroundings. Overall camp was a blast. I had so much fun hanging out with my friends all day so camp is probably going down as one of my BNPS highlights.
Jamison 6/5H

All the activities were amazing, but one stood out from the others. It was even better than the flying fox and the ropes course. THE POWER FAN, a thirteen meter drop, was my favorite . Attaching the harness was painful, talk about a mega wedgie! Climbing up was scary, the machine was pulling you up half the time, at the top, it didn’t look like 13 meters, it looked like twenty. Jumping felt like free fall for the first 8 meters then it caught you, I wanted to do it again!!
Logan P 6/5H

First we got ourselves wet while canoeing on the lake and splashed around for a while and then we had a swim. Later that day we went to the 100m flying fox and flew for a while and then moved onto game night and a spooky campfire story. Then we went to bed to get a good nights sleep. The next morning we went to the power fan which was a 13m pole that you would climb up to the top and jump off like you were bungee jumping but not upside down and you weren't bouncing up and down. Then we did raft building on the lake and we tested it out and it worked! It was so much fun then we had dinner, which wasn't very nice so to clear our throats of dinner we had ice cream then we played commando in the dark. After that we went to bed. 

The next morning we shot some arrows at a target. It was tricky but most of us got some points so we did that for a while then we had lunch and after that we had the big swing. It was a 13m pole and people were pulling you up and then you had to pull a rope and you'd drop from the top or wherever you went from then you’d swing side to side and eventually you would stop and hop off. We also did push survival and made a damper then we ate it. It was just bread but we had fun anyway. And another thing that we did was treetops again. It was a pole that you had to climb up and at the end it was another flying fox. It was so much fun. Overall my personal favorite was commando because it was in the dark late in the bush. It was so much fun and we did it for ages. That is all we did at camp so overall it was a great experience. I would go back any time.
Harvey 6/5H

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Camp Poetry

The whistling bush rustles through the night
As we sit in our bed snuggling tight
The birds and the kangaroos in the bush
If you want to hear them you have to shush

When you awake your stomach rumbles
We eat our breakfast as it crumbles
Excited for the day we get ready fast 
The most fun activity we do last

We set a fire for a rest 
We made damper and it smelt the best
Excited for the giant swing
People go on it and they sing

Ready to go home with our bags packed
We had so much fun and that’s a fact
I get on the bus feeling like a champ
It’s all because of the Aussie Bush Camp 
Nina R 6/5H

The Great Aussie Bush Camp!
What a great time,
I’m going to make this poem,
With a little rhyme.

We get on the bus!
Ready to go away,
And this would mark,
Our very first day.

Canoeing is fun,
Power fan is good,
Would I do it again?
I certainly would.

Sleep time now,
Tucked in tight,
But please do not,
Let the bedbugs bite.

Challenges await,
Confidence shows,
But some of these activities,
Tickled your toes.

3rd day now, 
Time to go back, 
And this awesome trip,
Definitely did not lack.
Joshua N 6/5H

Out in the bush where trees stand tall,
Where the adventure begins when nature calls,
Packing our bags before we head,
But boy I wish I could stay in bed,

Getting in my car at 7:15,
Ready to drive a long way,
Past newcastle, past the place we were meant to stay,
Oops we all went the wrong way,

After we arrived at the place we were meant to stay,
I hopped out my car ready for the day,
It started with canoes splashes and laughter,
And ended with a night guard scaring us all,

The next day begins with archery,
Then goes on with the power fan,
Raft building and high ropes,
Later that night I promise we were good,
I mean the night guard left us alone,

The last day wraps around the corner,
With the giant swing and bush craft,
Were I first ever tried damper,
Oh I wish I never did,

Then it all came down to our last meal,
Before getting back in my car,
Where I played Olivia Rodrigo all the way home,
Till I reunited with my loved ones leaving my heart full.
Emilia H 6/5H

Quotes:

“JUST JUMP” - Max S

I felt a live and free on the giant swing" Izzy G

“Go higher.”- Kurt H

“You’re nearly there!” Is my quote as it was screamed a lot during camp whether we were climbing up the 15 metre Power Fan or being pulled to the top of the Big Swing.- Evelyn S 

“Just pull the rope!” - Marley H

“Can I go again?” - Remy R

“Don’t overthink it. Don’t even think about it. Just do it.” - Bronte S

“If you hear a ball bouncing make sure you don’t leave your cabin, because it could be Nathan!” - Henry J

Brooke Keevers
Principal

Assistant Principal's News

Kindergarten 2025
Over the past two weeks we have welcomed our new Kindergarten 2025 students into Balgowlah North Public School with our Orientation program. The children have spent time in the Kindergarten classrooms, touring the school and starting to form social connections. It has been absolutely wonderful to see the children so settled and ready to start school! 

Our current Kindergarten students have spent the past two Thursday mornings with their Year 6 buddies, doing sport activities and creating picture books. A huge thank you to the Kindergarten and Year 6 teachers for facilitating this wonderful opportunity for our future and current students.

Sarah King

APC&I 3-6 Mathematics Update 
We are nearly half way through Term 4 but we definitely haven’t lost momentum. We are excited to continue our focus on multiplicative reasoning in Stage 2 and are extending our Stage 3 students in problem solving space using SOLO taxonomy to increase the complexity in students' thinking and understanding. Both these concepts are crucial for developing our students' mathematical understanding and skills, empowering them to approach more complex problems with confidence. 

In Stage 2, multiplicative reasoning is essential for our students as they tackle various mathematical challenges. We continue to explore the relationships between numbers and deepen our understanding of multiplication and division, applying these concepts to real-world scenarios and using Pam Harris's Problem Strings as a vessel for consolidation.

Our Stage 3 students are investigating more complex problem-solving tasks that require differentiated multi-step reasoning. There is a strong emphasis on the ‘reflecting and communicating’ element of their problem-solving as the process will help solidify their learning. Students will practice explaining their reasoning, which reinforces their understanding and enables them to articulate their thought processes to others.

We are incredibly proud of the progress our students have made this year, and we are excited to see their continued growth at BNPS and as they embark on their learning journey into high school.

Julia Gough

School News

Celebration of Learning
As Tuesday 3 December is the orientation date for all Year 6 students transitioning to NSW Government high schools, we have decided to change our Celebration of Learning date for the 3 - 6 Celebration of Learning with the K-2 Celebration of Learning. It is an important milestone for our Year 6 students.

3-6 Celebration of Learning Monday 2^nd of December at 9.15am
K-2 Celebration of learning Tuesday 3^rd of December at 9.15am

 We hope that you will be able to celebrate these special days with us.

Stage 3 - Mind Storms
On Wednesday 6/5M had a full day where we worked with Mrs Stock to make robots out of LEGO Mindstorm pieces. 

Our challenge was to design and build a vehicle then code it to navigate its way through a maze and locate pieces of gold (yellow Lego bricks).

The biggest challenge was coding the robot to find its way and create a scoop to pick up the ‘gold’. The scoop had to pick up the pieces then flip them into a storage bucket which was really tricky. We used a colour sensor to recognise the correct bricks. 

It was a really fun day because we had the chance to work with our friends in a team. The challenge was hard but seeing the robot achieve the goal was really satisfying.

Will G 6/5M

Christmas Fair Mufti
On Thursday the 14th of November we will be having a mufti day to support our school Christmas Fair. Students can wear mufti clothes and are asked to bring in a chocolate donation that will be given as a prize at the fair.
By Sadie S (Principal for the day, Term 4)

Remembrance day
Poppies will be on sale on Monday 11th November from 8.30 to 9am at the front playground Flagpoles at a cost of $5 cash each. Thank you for supporting our Veterans on Remembrance Day.

Curiosity & Outdoor Learning

Sports News

Round 8 PSSA results

2HL Class Snapshot

PBL Week 4

Admin News

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

Library News

Teacher Picks!

Mrs Pond’s favourite picture book is:

‘The Cat Who Taught Zen’  by James Norbury

‘This is the tale of a cat wise in the ways of zen who hears of a solitary ancient pine, deep in a maple forest, under which infinite wisdom may be found. So begins a journey of discovery. Along the way he meets a vivid cast of animals: from an anxious monkey and a tortoise tired of life, to a tiger struggling with anger, a confused wolf cub and a covetous crow. Each has stories to tell and lessons to share. But after a surprise encounter with a playful kitten, the cat questions everything . .’- Penguin Books

“I like this book because I like the friendships and the connection that the cat makes as he discovers there is beauty everywhere - although it can be difficult to see it at first”.- Mrs Pond

Food Scrap Friday

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 6 November     P&C meeting 7.30pm
Thursday 7 November         Band Information Evening 6.30pm 
Monday 11 November          Remembrance Day Poppy Sale 8.30am
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

Last P&C Meeting of the Year:
Please join us for our last P&C meeting of 2024 tonight at 7:30PM in the library.  Come and get involved - all welcome!

2025 Fundraising Meeting 20/11: 
Calling all current Year 1 parents!  Believe it or not, planning is already underway for 2025 fundraising.  Each year, the P&C raises funds to support the school across a range of initiatives. It is traditionally the Year 2 parents who are annually tasked with coordinating these fundraising and community building activities.  Please join us on Wednesday, the 20th of November at 7:30PM in the school library to gain an understanding of the fun events planned for next year and how you can get involved.  Help support the future growth of our school! Refreshments provided. 

BNPS Christmas Carnival:

The countdown is on, and we are so grateful for your enthusiasm and support already for this huge event.  The carnival not only promises to be a wonderful family and memory-making day, but 100% of proceeds will go towards our school in the form of playground improvements for Stage 2 and 3, health & wellbeing sponsorships for students in their pursuit of arts/sport/STEM and helping to fund the band program.

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

Chocolate Bar Mufti Day on 14/11:
Next Thursday, the 14th, the students have a mufti day at school and are asked to bring a chocolate bar donation for our popular Lob a Choc carnival stall.  Flat chocolate bars work best for this game and will be collected in the classrooms.  Thank you in advance for your contributions!

Tombola Jars:
What an outstanding effort with all of the fun and creative tombola jars that are coming in!  We are continuing to collect as many of these filled jars as possible by 15/11 for this highly popular stall. Congrats to 2H/L for the 32 jars they collected last week!

Carnival Ride Wristbands:
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. 

Entertainment Schedule*:

*Subject to change

The BNPS Christmas Carnival Committee

Band News

 Reminder – Learn About The Band – Information Session for Parents

Thursday 7 November 6.30pm - 7.30pm in the Hall
Come along to the Hall, THIS Thursday evening.  This is a great opportunity for parents and students to learn about the instruments and the band program, hear our Concert Band play and ask questions.  If your child would like to try some instruments, we can help out there too.  So much information to share with you!  Please bring your ‘future band member’ with you.   See you on Thursday.

 Information about Instrument Suitability Assessments.  
If you would like information about your child’s instrument suitability assessment then please provide your email address so we can directly communicate with you.  If you are thinking that band/playing an instrument could be your child’s interest please provide your details via the online form  https://forms.gle/qJcf3pf6vBE9yZck9.  You can leave messages/questions on this form too.

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

Diary Note:    Strings Parent Information Sessions – Thursday 14 November  8.15am – 8.45am in the Library.

Kindy and Year 1 students and parents are welcome to come to the library to hear all about the strings program and see our string ensemble perform.

Koolkuna News

As we approach the holiday season Sustainable OSHC is participating in a Reverse Advent Calendar. In support of One Meal - Northern Beaches, Sustainable OSHC will be collecting a range of goods to donate to those families doing it tough these holidays.Our Reverse Advent Calendar will begin on Monday 19th November and run for 24 week days until Friday 20th December. Refer to our Reverse Advent Calendar on display at the Sign In/Out Area to identify what products we are collecting on which days.We hope our families will support this initiative by encouraging your children to drop the goods under the Koolkuna OSHC Christmas Tree.

Canteen News

School Community News

School Sponsors