Balgowlah North Public School eNewsletter

Principal's report

Another busy week at Balgowlah North. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the P&C meeting tonight. Our Student Wellbeing presentation starts at 6.30pm with the P&C meeting at 7.30pm.

Fingers crossed for no rain on Friday morning for our informal Mother’s Day breakfast. Keep an eye out on Friday morning for an app message if the weather is inclement in case we need to make changes.

If it is raining we will not be having performances instead we will pop on some music in the hall whilst you chat and share a muffin/croissant with your children. We appreciate Alex and Mel from Cracker Catering organising the menu and coffee van for us. Coffee vouchers will be in your breakfast order bag.

Our SRC representatives will be delivering our breakfast orders to the hall in their class baskets. If your child is an SRC representative please remind them to be at school promptly at 8.15am and to go straight to the canteen. They will hand out the orders to the family members. They are very excited about this responsibility!

Cross Country

Lovely to see our students challenging themselves last Friday at our school cross country carnival. Thank you to Kerry Kelly for her organisation of the event and the teachers and parents who assisted on the day. We all enjoyed the opportunity to support our students.

Please take the time to read the Mobile Devices procedures below in the School News. We have had students using their watches to contact family members during the day. These devices are treated exactly the same as a phone. Please see below our school expectations and behaviour. The students will be discussing these processes in class this week. I would appreciate it if you could read through our procedures and discuss as a family.

Reports

This semester reports will be sent home in Week 10 via email. If you have changed your email address please ensure you let us know.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

Parent teacher interviews will occur in Term 3 Week 2 on Tuesday and Wednesday the 20th and 21st July from 12.30pm until 6.00pm. Please pop these dates into your diary as these are the only dates that will be available for parent teacher meetings. More information will come out over the following weeks.

Brooke Keevers

Principal

Making good use of some the funds raised on the colour run!

School news

BNPS Mobile Device Procedures

At Balgowlah North Public School, we aim to develop students who are lifelong learners, able to challenge themselves, create connections and contribute positively to our world. In this technological age we understand there is a range of technology available including mobile telephones, smart watches, digital cameras, fitbits and other similar devices. We understand that some students may need to be in possession of a mobile phone at school for reasons relating to their safety when traveling to and from school. When these communication devices are misused by students they can be disruptive to students' welfare, socialisation and in some cases, cause various levels of harm. This can cause distress and breach the privacy of others.

Parents are able to contact their children by calling the school phone number 9949 4499. If necessary, students can contact parents from the office phone.

If a parent feels it is necessary for their child to bring a communication device (mobile phone or smart watch) to school, then the rules for student use of mobile phones and smart watches in the school are listed below:

Devices brought to and kept at school are used entirely at their owner’s risk. Balgowlah North Public School cannot accept any responsibility for theft, loss or damage of these devices.

Mobile phones are to be kept in the student’s bag at all times including, before school, recess and lunchtime, and must be switched off or on silent.

Smart phone, smart watch, notification alerts and location must be switched off.
Phones and watches are not to be used to call home in an emergency. This is the duty of the school and the administrator/teacher in charge.
Phones and watches are not to be used to call home in the event of a mishap at school or because belongings have been forgotten, unless at a teacher’s discretion and under the supervision of the teacher. In the main, these events are to be dealt with by the school. Parents will be informed of any events that have impacted on their child.

Phones and watches are not to be used in the classroom, playground or incursion/excursion for any of the following purposes; check text messages, access games, the internet, images, the camera or videos.
Phones and watches are not to be used to harass, bully or intimidate students or staff.

Breaches will be dealt with as per the school’s Student wellbeing Procedures.

Any use of mobile phones and smart watches by a student, that is in breach of our processes will need to be collected from the Administration Office by the student’s parent or caregiver at the end of the day.

Term 2 Parent Information Sessions and Workshops

At BNPS, we are committed to ensuring our parents and carers are actively involved in their child’s learning. This term, we will be hosting a series of information sessions and workshops to connect with our parent community and provide information around some of our school processes and procedures. Please find some information on this term’s opportunities below:

Student Wellbeing Information Session

This will be a chance to get some more information about our Diverse Learner's Team, the Personalised Learning Profile (PLP) process and our new student wellbeing program, UR Strong. This session will be hosted by Katrina Ross (Learning and Support Teacher), Rachel Ridley (Relieving Deputy Principal) and Sascha Carroll ( Classroom Teacher).

Time: 6:30-7:30pm

Date: Wednesday 5th May

Location: School library

Register your interest here:

https://forms.gle/mabyFPaYTLfLxeLd9

Kindergarten Home Reading Workshop

We understand that supporting your child with their home reading and literacy development can be a daunting new experience for Kindergarten parents. In this workshop, we will demonstrate explicit strategies in the following:

How to interact with your child's guided readers
How to engage your child in building their comprehension of shared stories
How to apply emerging phonological skills to writing
How to approach sight words

This is an opportunity to ask lots of questions and build your knowledge, skills and confidence in how to support your child's literacy development at home.

Time: 9:00-9:45am

Date: Thursday 6th May

Location: TBC

Register your interest here:

https://forms.gle/wx7MPnJrQRpqMBAn6

MiniLit Parent Workshop

This year, we have introduced the MiniLitprogram for some of our Year 1 and 2 students. MiniLit is an evidence-based, explicit and effective early literacy intervention program for teaching reading skills. Our information session will provide parents with an overview of the content covered in the program and how it supports Stage 1 students to develop their literacy skills.

Time: 9:00-9:45am

Date: Thursday 3rd June

Location: Library

Register your interest here:

https://forms.gle/MAn15ZLeZvrGGkbeA

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It tests the types of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students will participate in tests in reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance.

NAPLAN assessments will be conducted online in order to provide a better and more precise assessment that is more engaging for students. Year 3 writing will still be conducted on paper.

All students eligible for adjustments have been contacted directly.

Our timeline of assessment will be as follows:

Tuesday 11 May- Writing and Reading

Wednesday 12 May- Conventions of Language

Monday 17 May- Numeracy

Thursday 20 May-Make up assessment day

If your child is absent for any of the NAPLAN tests, we will be holding a make up assessment day on Thursday the 20th of May.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in NAPLAN.Further information can also be accessed here:

https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/resources/naplan-online-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf

AECD

Later this term, our Early Stage One teachers will be participating in The Australian Early Development Census (AECD). This is a nationwide data collection of early childhood development at the time children commence their first full-time year of school. The AEDC is held every three years and highlights what is working well and what needs to be improved or developed to support children and their families by providing evidence to support health, education and community policy and planning.

Kindergarten teachers will respond to questions in five domains:

Physical health and well being
Social competence
Emotional maturity
Language and cognitive skills (school-based)
Communication skills and general knowledge

Data is collected for individual children and reported for groups of children at a community, state/territory and national level. Further information about the AEDC will be communicated to our Kindergarten families.

Just Like You

This week our students have been participating in the Just Like You series of workshops run by Variety-The Children’s Charity. This engaging and educational program provides our students with an opportunity to learn about acceptance and inclusion of people living with a disability. The workshop content is linked to curriculum outcomes and encourages students to reflect on their own roles and actions as citizens in their school and community.

Rachel Ridley

R/Deputy Principal

School Photos

It's time to trim hair, polish shoes and give that smile a work out.

School photos will be held on Tuesday 18th May, 2021.

Your child will have brought home their note from the photographers this week. The unique ordering code for Balgowlah North Public School can be found at the top of the note:

X1237EL44B

Please ensure you child is in full winter school uniform on the day, with black shoes.

SIBLING PHOTOS can be ordered through the same ordering code.

All ordering is online and there are no envelopes to be handed in at school.

Mrs Jenni Reinhardt

Assistant Principal

Sydney Writers Festival

Mrs Ridley and I had the great pleasure of taking a wonderful group of students from years 4-6 to the Primary School Days Festival on Monday. We were entertained by 4 very different authors of diverse backgrounds and experience. The students were given personal tips and insights into the writing process by these established writers and came away feeling excited to read their books. We were very proud of the way the group represented the school and look forward to next year’s festival!

Deborah Horsley

Teacher Librarian

Cross Country Carnival

What a fantastic day we had last Thursday for our school Cross Country carnival. Thank you to all the parents who were able to come and support their children. A special thanks to the wonderful volunteers who put their hand up to marshal around the course. Your assistance is truly valued! There was some excellent running on the day and it was pleasing to see our students push themselves to achieve their best. I am very proud of the effort and resilience that many students demonstrated. Congratulations to the Wombats house who gained the most points on the day. Results are:

The zone carnival will take place on 25 May. Students who placed 1^st through to 6^th in the 2km and 3km races will represent our school at this carnival. 7^th and 8^th place getters are reserves for this team. Notes will be sent home in the coming weeks.

Kerry Kelly

Sports Teacher

Waste free Wednesday winners KM, who were 100% waste free!

URSTRONG parent booking form

PBL

Be Respectful

Weekly focus:

Back to school - Playground expectations

Activity:
- Discuss the different ways you can be respectful in the playground with your teacher.
- Search and reread the new PBL signs in the school. Can you spot them all?

Wellbeing Team

Assembly awards

Class snapshot - 2H

Dates for your diary

05 May

Just like you incursion K-6
P&C meeting

06 May

Kindergarten home reading workshop 9:00-9:45am
Maths Olympiad

07 May

Mothers day breakfast
Year 5 DanceSport

11-13 May

Naplan

13 May

Band Bake Sale

14 May

Year 5 DanceSport

15 May

P&C parent event

18 May

School photo day

P&C news

Community news

Koolkuna

On National Sorry Day – May 26^th - Koolkuna has chosen to support “Clothing the Gaps”, a Victorian Aboriginal owned and led social enterprise. The fresh and dynamic fashion label uses their brand (a word play on “Closing the Gap”) to campaign, educate and elevate Aboriginal people’s voices and causes by influencing social change and promoting equity. The foundation exists to get Aboriginal people moving so that years are added to Aboriginal people’s lives. By increasing Aboriginal physical activity through participation in their virtual run, walk events, they endeavour to encourage Aboriginal people to be 'Wellah Together' physically, mentally and spiritually.

Koolkuna will donate $2.50 for every child attending Before & After School Care on May 26th by purchasing merchandise from “Clothing the Gaps”. On this day, the Koolkuna Years 3-6 will have the opportunity to walk down to Manly Dam and Years K-2 will be staying at the centre to participate in immersive games and activities to respect and reflect on the Aboriginal culture.

Recently the International retail giant “Gap” successfully opposed the registration of the trademark “Clothing the Gap” and are forcing the not-for-profit to remove any reference to “Clothing the Gap” from stock, website and collateral. Clothing the Gaps has up until 31^st July to sell all items. The Koolkuna team have chosen to support Clothing the Gaps by purchasing and wearing the merchandise to promote our values and as a platform to elevate Aboriginal people to feel seen and heard.

Koolkuna OSHC Admin Team

Mob: 0400 774 697 | admin@koolkunaoshc.com.au