Newsletter Term 1 Week 9 2025
"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
Forest High Enrichment Program
Our wonderful Year 5 students have reported on their experiences with the Forest High Enrichment program, I hope you enjoy their reflections.
The program is so much fun for all of us! We have all had a great time and enjoyed the school - even though the high schoolers are scary! My favourite part is the 3-story library - so many books. Also, in TAS, we can cook, use technology and do woodwork. I have looked forward to this opportunity and I think waiting for year 5 was worth it. Thank you for this opportunity and every teacher for making this amazing program possible at our school.
Claire Z
I really enjoy going to Forest High on a Wednesday for many reasons. I love the big three-story library filled with books and computers. I love doing food tech and woodwork, creating your own things to take home. I also like learning another language when I go to German class, and I like to play handball with kids from other schools.
Frankie J
The Forest High Enrichment Program is a fantastic experience. So far we have done trivia games in geography and made sparks with magnesium in science! I’m so excited for what else is planned for us.
Evie R
Every week I always look forward to Wednesday when I go to Forest High with my friends. Forest High is a wonderful opportunity for me to be presented with. We always get greeted with a smile at the gates. My favourite class is science because I love doing experiments and learning about all of the science instruments. Forest high has a wonderful library with a variety of books that I love to read.
Alyssa S
I love going to Forest High because we get to learn new things that we wouldn’t do or learn at school. One of my favourites is food tech where we get to bake different recipes. I also like languages where we learn about German culture and language. In science we memorise different pieces of equipment and do exciting experiments. Making friends from other schools is great and we collaborate on projects in HSIE and learn new skills in creative arts. Overall, I really enjoy going to Forest High.
Laila
Years 3-6 Winter Sports
We have completed summer interschool sport. On Fridays of weeks 9, 10 and 11, trials for Winter sport be held for students in years 3-6. Teams will be posted on Wednesday 30 April, Term 2 week 1. First round will be Friday May 16.
Tennis will open on Wednesday 30 April. An email will be sent via School Bytes to register your child.
School sport for Term 2 will be basketball and touch football taught by specialised coaches.
Interschool Sport on a Friday is when selected teams from BNPS travel to compete against the other schools in the Manly Zone area; this is Interschool sport, coordinated by teachers and Principals of the Manly Zone. Interschool sport is open to all students in Years 3-6. At the beginning of each season coaches issue a code of conduct which is signed by participating students and their parents. This code of conduct details the expected behaviour of students representing our school in their chosen sport.
Further Information regarding Interschool Sport & PSSA guidelines from our school sports policy:
- Junior division is for those students who turn 8, 9 or 10 years of age in the current calendar year.
- Senior division is for those students who turn 11 years and over in the current calendar year.
- If a child is absent due to illness or family circumstances and has missed all selection trials, another selection trial will only be held if the team still requires additional members.
- Representatives have additional responsibilities including attending training, wearing school sports uniform, adhering to school rules, understanding and adhering to the rules specific to the activity, meeting any associated costs and reading, signing and committing to the code of conduct.
- All students selected into a sport team and/or participating in a PSSA Sport carnival must abide by the Code of Conduct and the BNPS Behaviour Support and Management Procedures. Breaches of this code will lead to the removal of the student from the team or competition.
Interschool Sport Selection Procedures
Interested students are required to nominate themselves for consideration in a team.
- Selections will be held over two sessions (minimum). To be selected for a team, students must attend at least one trial date to be considered for a position in a team.
- The selections will be made according to performance at selection sessions. Teachers facilitating the trials will assess performance in accordance with the required skills of each sport.
- General school behaviour, attitude and sportsmanship are taken into account when selecting teams.
- Children who are absent due to illness or holidays on all selection days may not be considered unless additional players are required to form the team.
- If a child is absent for the selection days, due to other school commitments i.e. Zone sports or Selective High School Tests, then another training session will be held to determine if he/she is worthy of being selected.
- Where there are two children of equal ability the child from the higher school grade will be selected.
- Children do not have to participate in this sport out of school to be eligible to try out for the team, but experience, including out of school participation and representation will be considered.
- The final selection of teams will be conducted by teachers and reviewed by the school sport teacher.
- Once selections have been made, decisions are final and must be respected.
Zone Swimming Results
Congratulations to our 39 amazing swimmers who competed last Wednesday at the Manly zone swimming carnival against 11 other schools in our zone. We were very proud of the way the team cheered on each other, took pride in personal bests and competed with good sportsmanship.
Thank you to all the parents who were able to come and support the team. Congratulations to the following swimmers who will go on to compete at the regional carnival for Manly Zone: Joshua S, Freya VR, Julian M, Toby S, Sammy P, Liam D
Congratulations to our Junior Boys Relay team - Jake I, Liam D, Joshua S and Harry O, who will also compete at the regional carnival. See the sports section for full results table.
kind regards
Brooke Keevers
Assistant Principal's News
Term 1 APC&I Update: Exploring Vocabulary through the SEEC Model
Dear Parents,
Term 1 has kicked off with a focus on Literacy, and we’re diving deep into vocabulary development across all Stage 2 classes. It's been a pleasure visiting each class weekly and beginning to unpack our students' current knowledge of words and their meanings.
This term, we’re exploring vocabulary through a structured approach that includes understanding the building blocks of words—prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Our aim is to help students identify and build meaning around these word components, which will enhance their ability to understand and use vocabulary more effectively. By using contextual clues, they’ll also learn to select the best word choice in various situations, expanding their vocabulary with a range of tools and strategies.
A key part of our vocabulary focus is the SEEC Model, which helps classify words based on their complexity and relevance. The SEEC Model breaks down vocabulary into three tiers:
- Tier 1: Known words (common, everyday words).
- Tier 2: Complex words (used across multiple subjects).
- Tier 3: Subject-specific words (specialized vocabulary for different subjects).
Once we categorize words into these tiers, it becomes easier for students to learn how to approach each word, understand its meaning, and decide when and how to use it.
The SEEC Model guides students through four stages in their vocabulary learning:
- Select: Choosing which words to focus on.
- Explain: Understanding the meaning of the words.
- Explore: Investigating the word’s usage and context.
- Consolidate: Reinforcing learning through practice and application.
By using this model, students will not only expand their vocabulary but also gain a deeper understanding of language, which will support their overall literacy skills.
We’re excited about the progress we’ve already seen and look forward to continuing this journey of vocabulary exploration throughout the term.
Mrs Gough
Assistant Principal, Curriculum & Instruction
Wellbeing Resources
There are some wonderful wellbeing support services available to our school community that you may be interested in registering for:
Cool Kids Program
Cool Kids programs | Lifespan Health and Wellbeing centre | Macquarie University
Stepping Stones Parenting Seminar:
See flyer below:
Rachel Ridley
Assistant Principal- Wellbeing
School News
Curiosity and Critical Thinking
Stage 1 have been studying the history of dams in order to find out:
What is a Dam?
What is the purpose of a Dam?
How do people create a Dam?
Our research culminated in a STEM experiment requiring us to work as a team using objects from the environment to create our very own dams from scratch. What a rewarding challenge this proved to be!
Katherine Evans, Outdoor Learning and Support Teacher
The National Young leaders Day – The Halogen Conference
Yesterday, March 25th, our Year 6 leadership team had the exciting opportunity to attend the Halogen Young Aspiring Leaders Conference. The Halogen Conference is an inspiring event designed to empower and equip the next generation of leaders. Our students spent the day engaging with influential speakers and connecting with like-minded peers.
The day began with an adventurous journey as we travelled by ferry and tram, enjoying the beautiful Sydney sights before walking down to the bustling Darling Harbour to the International Convention and exhibition centre.
Once inside, the students were captivated by a lineup of highly influential speakers who shared their personal stories and leadership wisdom such as Emma McKeon, Anthony 'Harries' Carroll, Catherine Lagaʻaia, and Thomas Duncan-Watt.
Overall, the experience empowered our students to embrace their leadership potential and gave them the confidence to take initiative and make a meaningful impact. It was a transformative day that will undoubtedly influence their growth as leaders in the future.
"The Halogen Conference was an amazing experience. The Student Leaders, House and CAPA Captains got to see and take photos with some famous people that told us their stories about how they became leaders in their field. Emma McKeon who is one of the best Australian swimmers and Harries a Bondi Rescue Lifeguard gave us inspiring speeches. Other speakers were the new lead for Moana, Catherine Laga’aia and Thomas Duncan-Watt who told us how they made it. We took lots of notes about all the speakers, whether it was swimming, lifeguarding or going from making small adds to writing and being in block buster movies".
Toby S 6/5H and Will R 6SR
Congratulations to our winners 2/1A, 2H/L, 5M and 6/5H
ANZAC Day Poppies
Poppies will be on sale Thursday 10th April at the flagpoles in the front entrance of school from 8.30 to 9am.
The cost is $5, Cash Only please. Thank you for supporting our Veterans.
ANZAC Day Assembly
On Thursday, April 10th at 9:15am, Balgowlah North will hold a special assembly in the hall to commemorate Anzac Day. Each class will create a wreath which will be presented by the SRC during the service. We look forward to commemorating the contribution and sacrifice of veterans and serving personnel.
Sports News
Results - Top 8 Finishers
Relay Team Results
Junior Girls: 6th
Junior Boys: Ist
Senior Boys: 5th
Senior Girls: 6th
We are so proud of everyone who competed.
Kerry Kelly
Jenny Mercer
Round 4 PSSA Results
PBL Week 9
Admin News
Medical
If you have listed a medical condition on your enrolment form that requires treatment at school we will need documentation for this treatment to be administered eg: Asthma plan, Anaphylaxsis, Allergy and Request for Student Health Support at school
Student Department emails
If you need your child's email address this can be found on the "Dashboard" of your School Bytes Parent Portal, at the bottom on the page under "Student details".
Emailing the school
When you email the school, please include yours and your child's surname.
Student Contact Details
Please ensure you email the school if you have any changes to your contact details, email, address or emergency contacts.
Administration Team
Library News
Meet our Monday Library Monitors
Recommended books to read -
Zoe G - Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby
Jasper C - The Three Doors by Emily Rodda
Benny M - The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor
Scholastic Book Club Orders- Issue 2
All orders for Scholastic Book Club need to be submitted by
Friday 28th March 2025
The Week Ahead
Thursday 27 March Peer Mediation (moved from 20 March)
Monday 31 March Whole School Assembly 1:45pm
Monday 31 March Year 2 Swim Scheme (weeks 10 & 11)
Tuesday 2 April Regional Swimming Carnival
Thursday 3 April World's Greatest Shave and Crazy Hair Day
Tuesday 8 and Wed 9 April Parent Teacher Interviews
Thursday 10 April Anzac Day Assembly
Band News
We have had a bit of wobbly start to the year with conductor’s and/or their own children being unwell, so we have had a revolving door of fill-in band directors assisting us to ensure rehearsals kept on track for the students. It is good for the students to have different conductors as it develops their resilience and ability to be flexible and meet a changing situation head on. The students have been excellent with adapting to the changes and should be congratulated.
We are hopeful that our conductors (and families) get back to full health soon and band rehearsals can continue with some consistency. Fingers crossed.
Our Performance Band is looking forward to their first performance which will be at Week 10 assembly. They are a small group but are sounding good.
Stay tuned for dates of more performances over the next few terms.
P & C News
Save the Date - Trivia Night
Please save the date for the next big event on 21 June 2025. We look forward to seeing you all there!
Sponsorships and Sponsorship and Donations
We are always looking for new sponsors for our events. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact Dan Brabant on 0434 004 797 for further information.
Canteen News
Koolkuna News
Dear Families,
Please find attached the 2025 Autumn 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.
School Community News
School Sponsors
