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

P&C Christmas Carnival
A big thank you to the community for getting involved in our 2024 Christmas Carnival. I’d especially like to thank the many, many parents who gave their time to man all the stalls, baked cakes, made jam, donated prizes, supported through planning, promotions, logistics and bringing friends and family to support the event!

It was so fantastic to see the school come together and celebrate together. Yes, there was a little rain, but there was also a lot of fun + smiles + memories made. YOU are all what makes this school such a wonderful community. THANK YOU.

Band and Strings
Wow, what an amazing finish to the year for our Bands and strings.

So many performances in the last week which were a great celebration for our band and strings members and families. Wednesday evening was the final Band and Strings Performance Evening for the year. It was an evening of excellent performances from the string group and each band capped off by a combined piece with all three bands performing together. All the children received an achievement certificate, and a little Christmas treat to acknowledge all their work and commitment throughout the year. Special thanks to Aven and Archer who were excellent emcees for the evening and to Susie Stock Assistant Principal for supporting this evening.

On Saturday the combined Senior Band and Concert Band played carols at the carnival – hopefully we brought some cheer to a rainy day. Then on Monday combined Senior Band and Concert Band performed for the Farmhouse Montessori children followed by a performance of carols at the K-6 assembly. This was a great note to finish on for the year!

We farewell three of our conductors who are taking on more work or in one case, moving to the ACT. Thank you to Mr S for his hard work in Terms 1 and 2, then taking over from him was Colden Anderson who provided calm guidance to the program and is leaving us to take on more work in the classroom. Thanks to Phil Keyzer who is moving to ACT and Nick Barnard who is taking a break from conducting.

2025 will see new conductors join the band team. Mrs Emma Clain will join us as the Director of Bands. She is an experienced band conductor and saxophone and oboe tutor working in many schools. A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium, Mrs Clain has honed her conducting skills in band programs in the local area and schools across the Spit Bridge. We are delighted to welcome her to the team

Angus Bullough continues with the program, conducting on Tuesday mornings. We are still recruiting to fill the conducting role for two other rehearsal timeslots and are hopeful we can secure someone soon.

Big thanks to Dr Charlotte Fetherston who does an incredible job with our string group. They sound great

Year 6 Yearbook
Our Year 6 students will receive an amazing Yearbook next week which will become a treasured memory of their years at Balgowlah North. The students create their own individual pages and our talented parents compile this with photos of their time together over the years. Thank you to our wonderful committee of parents who have edited, created, organised, communicated and designed such a quality memory book. THANK YOU.

Year 6 Farewell Dinner
Another incredible celebration on Friday night. What a creative, supportive and dedicated group of parents we have in our Year 6 parent body. The night was one to remember. The students were amazing, beautifully dressed, respectful behaviour, and it was just plain old FUN. Spending time with each other socializing, reminiscing and demonstrating all that they have learnt over the past two years in Dancesports was a pleasure to see. Our teachers and parents were so proud of them all.

I’d especially like to thank ALL the parents involved, events like these take a huge amount of organisation, from catering, decorating, logistics, waiting, serving and purchasing of gifts the list goes on. I would especially like to thank Nadhya Anchorena Ortiz who took the most amazing photos of the event. We have added a small selection of these incredible photos, nights like this are memories that last with our children a lifetime.

Year 6 teachers
As you may be aware all of these incredible opportunities are made possible through the dedication, collaboration and communication of our outstanding Stage 3 team of teachers. Their good humour, passion and connections to their students make us ALL proud to be part of Balgowlah North Public school.

Thank you to Susie Stock who has led the Stage 3 team both this year and over the past three years. She has led with integrity, courage and ALWAYS with the students front and centre in every decision made. She has worked side by side with Jen Mercer, Deb Horsley and Patricia Vitale, three of our most experienced teachers in our school to prepare our students for their next chapters. THANK YOU.

Our Year 6 students leave Balgowlah North ready to take on high school with enthusiasm, independence and the ability to create connections and build relationships with their new schools, students and teachers.

Our Year 6 events continue. We are looking forward to our Year 6 Fun Day on Friday. The last event for our Year 6 students is their final assembly and clap out. This commences under the COLA at 2.20pm on Wednesday the 18th of December.

Brooke Keevers
Principal

Assistant Principal's News

Year 6 End of Year Celebrations
From the moment our students stepped into the beautifully decorated hall, they were stunned by the spectacular atmosphere that our wonderful parents had created. The effort and creativity that went into transforming the space into such an elegant venue did not go unnoticed. Every detail, from the lighting to the table settings, added to the charm of the evening.

The students' behaviour throughout the night was remarkable. They carried themselves with grace and maturity, making the event even more special. It was a true delight to see everyone dressed so beautifully, radiating confidence and joy. The evening was filled with warmth, laughter, and a genuine sense of community. It was a reflection of the amazing group of students they are, leaving a lasting impression on everyone who attended.

The Year 6 Farewell Dinner was a fitting celebration of their time at the school, and it was a privilege for everyone present to share in this occasion.

A heartfelt thank-you to these wonderful parents for their incredible dedication and effort

Susie Stock

Year 6 Farewell Dinner
The year 6 formal was a celebration for the Year 6 students who have finished their time here at Balgowlah North. The evening started off with photos on the red carpet and then we went inside. Inside there was a wall of photos of us from kindy to year 6. We were then seated and got a choice between sliders, chicken tenders and pizza. Dinner was served by parents that volunteered and dinner was exquisite.

Nicola Grogan, our Dancesports teacher helped us warm up and get into a dancing mood by practicing all the dances with our partner. Then it was time for the big show, the parents arrived. It was the students' time to shine in their dress to impress outfits. We performed the waltz and the Cha Cha with perfect form. To finish off a brilliant night, we got a graduation gift and a cookie.

Marley H & James H

Quotes:

6/5M
“Great decorations” Sophia C
“Fun food and excitement” Evie H
“Majestic decorations” Matias R
“Photo gallery was a blast from the past” Finn E

6S
“All of year 6 joining together having the best time” Talon D
“I loved the music and our kindy to year 6 photos” Talia P
“The decorations really set the tone of the night, they were beautiful” Khalia M
“Food, food so wonderful and tasty,

All I've been thinking about is our Farewell Dinner. Popcorn to lollies and soft drinks galore chicken strip, sliders and chips
A yummy time for all.”

Remy R
6/5H

School News

Year 6 Fun Day 2024
Year 6 students are looking forward to hosting our Fun Day event this Friday, 13th December (Week 9). Each class will have a 45-minute session to enjoy the activities, which will be set up under the COLA and on the adjacent ovals.

For Years 2-5: Games will range in cost from 10c to 50c per turn.
For Kindergarten and Year 1: A gold coin donation is kindly appreciated.

All funds raised will go towards purchasing a special Year 6 gift for the school. We look forward to seeing everyone there for a day of fun and excitement!

Congratulations to our students receiving awards at assembly.

Maths Games & Maths Olympiad
Congratulations to our Maths Olympiad award winners. Particular mention to Julian C, Hugo D and Archer C all placing in the top 10% of state.

Curiosity and Outdoor Learning
How tall can you build a structure using nothing more than natural materials from the environment? What will it be?

PSSA Summer Wrap Up
Congratulations to all students who represented our school in PSSA teams for the summer season. There were lots of excited faces getting on the buses each week! I want to acknowledge the wonderful staff we have who took on the organisation, coaching, training and managing of our PSSA teams throughout the year. Thank you! We had four teams finish in 1st or 2nd place in the zone for the summer season - well done.

Senior AFL
Players Player: Finn E
Coaches Award: Abbey M

Junior AFL
Players Player: Grace H
Coaches Award: Arlo L

Junior Girls Eagle Tag - CHAMPIONS!!!
Players Player: Frankie J
Coaches Award: Aria B

Senior Girls Eagle Tag - Runners Up!
Players Player: Sophia C
Coaches Award: Hazel H

Senior Boys Eagle Tag
Players Player: Vinnie M
Coaches Award: Charlie B

Junior Boys Eagle Tag
Players Player: Edward G
Coaches Award: Thomas G

Senior Cricket - CHAMPIONS!!!
Players Player: Lachlan P
Coaches Award: James J

Junior Cricket - Runners Up!
Players Player: Nic H
Coaches Award: Matthew C

Calling all Cricket Fans….
If you are planning to go to the BBL game on the 16th December to support the Sydney Sixers, please book through the following link - to put BNPS in the running for some cricket prizes!

https://sydneysixers.spinzo.com/dan

Thanks and enjoy the summer of cricket!

Kerry Kelly

KP Class Snapshot

PBL Week 9

Admin News

Student Medication
Please collect any medication that the school holds for your child before the last day of term. If your child still requires this medication, please return in date medication in its original packaging to the school office on the first day of Term 1, Thursday 6th February 2025 along with a completed Student Health Support Request form. This form can be completed online by going into your School Bytes Portal under the FORMS tab.

Student Contact Details
Please ensure you email the school if you have any changes to your contact details, address or emergency contacts.

Transitioning from SchoolZine to School Bytes
We are starting to transition from the SchoolZine app to the School Bytes app in 2025.

How to set up notifications on the School Bytes Parent App

IPhone:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph7c3d96bab/ios#:~:text=You%20can%20turn%20app%20notifications,number%20of%20notifications%3A%20Tap%20Count.

Samsung:
https://www.samsung.com/africa_en/support/mobile-devices/how-to-manage-the-notifications-and-permissions-of-apps-through-settings-on-a-galaxy-phone/

Administration Team

Library News

Retuning Books
Please remember to return any library books you still have before the end of term.

Scholastic Book Club Orders
Scholastic orders should be arriving before the end of term.

Food Scrap Friday

The Week Ahead

Friday 13 December Year 6 Fun Day
Monday 16 December Stage 2 and 3 end of year events
Wednesday 18 December Last day of school Year 6 clap out
Thursday 6 February First day of school 2025 K-6

P & C News

Band News

Join The Band – 2025 Years 3 – 5 students
We welcome students from year 3 – 5 in 2025 to join our band program. Read all about band on the website https://bnpsband.wixsite.com/website or drop us an email if you have questions – bnpsband@hotmail.com.

Junior Band 2025 – instrument offers are out. It’s not too late to join.
Instrument offers have been issued to those families who registered to join the band. There is still time to join and to obtain information from us regarding the right instrument for your child. Fill in the registration from https://forms.gle/MizpCoPXuCByN18u5 . For further information please contact bnpsband@hotmail.com or text Caroline on 0403 579 130.

Koolkuna News

Can you believe 2024 is nearly over? This year has flown by, and its been filled with so many wonderful activities and memories that we've shared together. From crazy constructions to exciting new bake-offs, kindy spray paint sessions to action packed Jiujitsu lessons, we have had such an exciting journey through the school year.

It's been incredible to watch the growth of every single child that walks through our centre. On behalf of all Koolkuna staff we would like to thank you for this last year and we cannot wait to experience 2025 with you!

Here are just a few of our favourite moments from 2024 that we'd love to share!

Please find attached the XMAS and 2025 Summer Vacation Care Program. Bookings are now 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" where you will be able to book each child in for the days requested. When a solid orange circle is displayed above, your child is successfully booked in for that day.
Changes or cancellations will be accepted up until 2 weeks prior to your booking and must be requested via Email.

Year 3 2025
This is a reminder for all children who are currently in Year 2, going into Year 3 in 2025, please ensure you book in for the 3-6 Vacation Care Program.

Kindergarten 2025
If your child is beginning Kindergarten in 2025, please ensure you only book your child in from the 13th January 2025 and not the pre-XMAS period or first week of Vacation Care. We also highly recommend that parents consider the changes in routine that your child will be facing and the new expectations of a regular school day. This will be an exhausting time period for your child and we encourage children beginning in Kindergarten to attend between the hours of 9am-3pm to support this transition and their emotional regulation.