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 report

Thank you

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teaching staff of Balgowlah North Public School. This term has been challenging, and we have once again had to adapt to a changing environment. The dedication, flexibility and focus on teaching and learning of our staff this term has been impressive. We have had over 24 staff members off this term for over a week at a time. This level of complexity has been managed by our fantastic leadership team with care, and total commitment to what is best for our students. It has also given me many opportunities to be in classrooms and have an opportunity to build stronger relationships with our students. We are hopeful that next term will be a new normal, but as always we will continue to do our best to work with our school community to engage and support our students in all aspects of school life.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Thank you to all our families that have taken up the opportunity to meet with their class teacher this week. These times are extremely important as they give you an opportunity to find out how we can work together to support each child through a collaborative and trusting relationship. Understanding each child’s individual needs is important and being able to touch base as to how learning and wellbeing can be supported at home is vital for all our students to reach their full potential.

Sickness

Unfortunately we have had many children over the past week presenting at school with coughs, sniffles and colds. We are aware that many of these children do not have Covid but they are also not to be at school if they are unwell. The administration team will call if your child has any of the following symptoms whilst at school.

These include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, fatigue, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, extreme tiredness, unexplained chest pain or conjunctivitis (eye infection).

Please ensure that emergency contacts are also up to date and live in Sydney. At times we are unable to contact parents and have had to call emergency contacts. I understand that it is difficult for parents when they both work, but the health of all students and staff is our priority at all times.

K-6 Assemblies

Our K-6 presentation assembly will be next Monday afternoon after lunch. This will be outside under the COLA. Parents are welcome to attend if their child is receiving an award or performing. If the weather is inclement then the assembly will take place in the hall. Unfortunately if this is the case parents will not be able to attend. An app message will be sent out on the day if this is the case. Fingers crossed for fine weather!

PSSA Update - Summer Season and Winter

Season Trials

The first half of our Summer PSSA Season has come and gone without a game being played unfortunately. This was due to the wet weather then ensuing issues post the flood that affected the sporting fields around our area.

The season will resume later this year where we will complete the remaining games and the washed out rounds from this term. Thank you to all players and coaches for your commitment to your teams throughout this tricky period!

The Winter PSSA Season is fast approaching with the intention to hold trials this week in Week 10 and into Week 11 during Friday sport. Students will be asked to nominate for their sport to trial in and are being made aware of when trials are occurring in our school notices. Our first game is not scheduled until Term 2 so we have some time between now and then to conduct trials should we be impacted by wet weather.

As always, it’s fantastic to see large numbers of students signing up for every sport. Teachers are faced with the difficult task of putting these teams together. Teachers do their absolute best to give every student the opportunity to impress and be selected.

We often use Mrs Kerry Kelly to help with the selection process, but ultimately it is the teacher’s decision. We would love to take every student who trials for PSSA; however, we are limited to take a certain number of students in each sport. We ask that students and parents are understanding of the decision made by teachers. Teachers will not be responding to requests to add students to teams or to change decisions. Decisions on teams are final.

Along with this, please be advised of the following:

Trials are held over two/ three weeks to allow for students to be seen multiple times and to accommodate students who may be absent due to illness on one of the trial dates. Students must be present at a minimum of one trial to be considered. Students who are absent due to illness on all three trial dates will not be considered.
Students who are present at the trials but are injured and unable to trial e.g. broken arm, will be considered if the injury is not long term. Teachers will arrange a trial for these students as soon as their injury has resolved.
Students who are absent for all trial dates due to holidays will not be considered.
Sports may be cancelled where we do not have sufficient student numbers to field a team.

Our Winter PSSA sports on offer are:

Junior and Senior Rugby League (coached by Mr Stewart)

Junior and Senior Netball (coached by Mrs Stock and Ms Mc Indoe) Netta (Ms Wakelin)
Junior and Senior Boys Soccer (coached by Mr Mc Call)
Junior and Senior Girls Soccer (coached by Mrs Hadley)

We look forward to a fabulous season of winter sport.

Kind regards,

Brooke Keevers

Principal

School news

Selective High School Test

The Selective High School test will take place on Thursday the 31st of March. Tests will take place in our school library and will be facilitated by Mrs Ridley.

All candidates must bring their Test Authority Letter. Candidates should bring a plain water bottle, two sharp lead pencils, an eraser and a pencil sharpener in a clear, plastic zip lock bag. Students are also reminded to provide for their own medical needs as required such as asthma puffers and reading glasses.

No other equipment will be permitted in the exam room. Calculators, computers, smart devices and any other form of written or digital communication will not be allowed.

Candidates must be at school on time as the test will commence at 9:20am.

Please see an approximate timetable for the test below:

9:10-Students go to library

9:20 Instructions and distribution of test materials

9:30-10:10 Reading Test (exactly 40 minutes)

10:10-10:15 Short break and collection/distribution of test materials

10:15-10:55 Mathematical Reasoning Test (exactly 40 minutes)

10:55-11:00 Short break and collection of test materials

11-11:20 Recess

11:25 - 11:55 Thinking Skills test (exactly 40 minutes)

11:55-12:00 Short break and collection/distribution of test materials

12:00-12:30 Writing test (exactly 30 minutes)

12:30-12:35 test papers collected

12:40 Candidates dismissed

Rachel Ridley

Deputy Principal (Acting)

The week ahead

28 - 1 April Year 2 swimming scheme

30 March Parent teacher interviews

31 March Selective High School test

01 April P&C Parent night out

04-05 April PSSA State Swimming Championship

04 April K-6 Celebration assembly

05 April Mufti day - flood relief

06 April Kindergarten secret ninja incursion

08 April Anzac Day ceremony

Last day of term 1

Stage 2 have been busy presenting their homework projects this week. Benny from 3M loves science and chose to create a water repellent school uniform.

Benny’s design process included coming up with an initial design, shopping for suitable waterproof materials and sewing his patterns together to create his prototype. Benny even included an inside pocket to house Pokémon cards. Fantastic effort Benny!

Miss McIndoe

Year 2 Swimming Program 2022

Starting our mornings with a SPLASH! Year 2 have plunged into the School Swimming and Water Safety Program this week at the Warringah Aquatic Centre. Water safety is an important part of the Department's program. Students are participating at their skill level with discussion, demonstration and practice of strokes, diving and safety survival sequences. Students will receive a skills certificate on completion. The Year 2 teachers are so impressed with the students' continued progress, growing independence, boundless energy and respectful manners at the pool. Well done superstar swimmers!Alice Pond - Swim Scheme Coordinator

Stage 3 Science

This term we have been learning about our carbon footprint and how to reduce it. Unfortunately, the DMI project wasn’t completed the way it should have been as our mentors from Balgowlah Boys were unable to join us! But we have still learnt a lot about the things that make our carbon footprint bigger and how we can shrink it.

We have realised how much carbon we release into the world by doing a survey within our classes and then with our families. By doing this it has made me aware of how much we have damaged our fragile world without noticing. By looking at what we do, we can start to try to fix it and hope everyone else starts to realize how much we do to our world and fix it.

Chris O

This term we have been learning about our carbon footprint and how we can lower it so we have a better world to live in for example: instead of using a car to go to school you could ride a bike or walk, don't leave the tap running when you brush your teeth or the light on when you leave the room, have a compost bin and many more. We have done surveys such as what foods people like because some foods use a bigger carbon footprint when making them. We have watched video’s that show us how small countries can use renewable energy and share it with others around.

Archie H.

Year 6 Spelling f, ff ph sound

The office had a strange atmosphere. Almost like it wanted you to be stressed. But as soon as I sat down with a hot steaming long black with a dash of almond milk coffee, all was calm.

Issy K

The man stepped out into the bustling atmosphere, feeling not a fragment shy and not a fraction fragile, considering the great, difficult boat journey he had just made. He followed his nose along the dock, weaving through clusters of people and narrowly avoiding getting slapped in the face by a frazzled, open-mouthed snapper swinging by on a fishing rod. Finally. A drink. The man swaggered up to a low, slightly mouldy traveling crate where a toasted, burned smell was rising into his nostrils.

“What is this foreign mixture?” he demanded. The merchant looked up at him with a crooked frown of confusion sweeping over his face.

“Coffee…” he said slowly, before drowning the contents and whisking away.

Naomi G

Every morning, I have the same difficult routine. Firstly, I wake up to my parents grinding the noisy coffee machine. I am pretty sure they put extra effort in it to make me even more annoyed. Is there a phobia for waking up to a coffee machine because I am pretty sure I am suffering from it?

Lucy O

World’s Greatest Shave

BNPS have registered to take part in this year’s World’s Greatest Shave on Thursday 28^th April to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. Year 6 pupils will shave, cut or colour their hair and K-5 will participate in Crazy Hair Day.

Every single day, over 50 Australian families will receive a devastating blood cancer diagnosis. The money we raise will provide these families with the special care and support that they need. We will also help brilliant research scientists continue their search for better ways to diagnose and treat blood cancer more effectively, and ultimately find a cure.

Use this link to sponsor a Year 6 student and/or donate to the BNPS team for crazy hair day. You can also donate cash on the day at school.

http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/balgowlahnorthpublicschool

World’s Greatest ShaveI’m taking part in #worldsgreatestshave to help beat blood cancer! Please sponsor me today.my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au

Greatest Shave fundraiser scrunchie stall!

To help raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation’s Greatest Shave, we are going to be selling our homemade scrunchies on Thursday 24th March at the kindergarten entrance on Bardoo Ave from 8:30am-9am. We have lots of different colours and even some in school uniform fabrics. We are selling them for $3 each or 2 for $5. If you buy one you will be helping sick kids and the researchers to find a cure for this awful disease. Please come and check out our stall on Thursday morning and support the Year 6 Fundraiser - The Greatest Shave.

By Lucy & Nina

PBL

Waste free Wednesday

P&C news

P & C Positions for 2022

President – Richard Wokes
Vice President – Karen Ciano
Secretary – Cath McMillan
Treasurer – Lisa Forster
Fundraising – Pip Perkins/Lucy Orth
Sponsorship & Grants– Adam Vidal/Daniel Brabant

Band Sub-Committee
Chairperson – Caroline Fetchner
Secretary – Sarah Olofinsky
Treasurer – Mandy Hunt

Band news

Balgowlah North Public School has a strong and vibrant music ensembles program which caters to students from Year 2 - 6. Currently we have a Concert Band Program comprising three bands and a Strings Program.

Further information can be found at Home | BNPS Instrumental Music Program (wixsite.com)

Community news

Dear Families,

The recent floods across Northern New South Wales and Queensland have impacted the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people and we would like to help. The rural and isolated communities of Bundjalong, home to many Aboriginal people have been significantly affected. Across Lismore, Cabbage Tree Island, Casino, Coraki & Maclean approximately 36,509 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been directly impacted by the floods.

On Wednesday 6^th April, Koolkuna OSHC will be hosting a Flood Relief Bake Sale to raise funds for these Aboriginal Communities and will donate the proceeds via the Koori Mail gofundme page. All donations raised will go directly to the Bundjalong people and communities, providing access to medical supplies, food vouchers, clean drinking water, dry linen & temporary accommodation.

Find us & the Flood Relief Bake Sale from 3pm on Wednesday 6^th April in the BNPS Playground off Bardoo Ave and indulge in some delicious sweet goods!

Kind Regards,

Maire

Koolkuna OSHC Admin

Sustainable OSHC

Mob: 0400 774 697 | kkoshc@sustainableoshc.com.au