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

OUR DREAMING
For Aboriginal people, the Dreaming is a connection of time, place and all living and non-living things. The Dreaming refers to a time of creation, and it encompasses the many stories, songs, dances and artworks through which First Nations peoples live and thrive. It presents a way to see the beauty and connection of the past and present. It is also a responsibility to share for the future, where the spotlight will be on the strength of the young leaders of tomorrow, taking forward what they have learnt as they continue to grow and learn. — Aunty Stephanie Armstrong

NAIDOC Week
From the 6th to 13th of July, we recognise and celebrate NAIDOC Week — a time to honour the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I encourage families to look out for opportunities to connect with community events during the break. You’ll find a fantastic list of local activities here: NAIDOC Events Northern Beaches.

At school, we’ll mark NAIDOC Day on Wednesday 23rd July with a special flag-raising ceremony at our flagpoles. In the first week of Term 3, students will explore their personal strengths, responsibilities and connections to our beautiful natural environment — a wonderful opportunity to reflect and grow together.

Performance Band Patches
A huge thank you to our P&C for recognising the dedication and commitment of our band students. Those moving into their third year of band at Balgowlah North will receive a special patch, proudly worn on their shorts — a lovely acknowledgment of their perseverance.

I was so proud of our Junior Band’s performance at Monday’s K-6 assembly and the wonderful showcase evening on Monday night. It was a joy for our families to hear our bands perform, beautifully guided by Emma and Caroline’s narration. Thank you to Kate La Peyre, our Assistant Principal, who works alongside Emma and Caroline to ensure our band program continues to thrive and give students every opportunity to shine.

School Disco
The 2025 P&C Band Committee Disco was a fantastic night filled with dancing, laughter, and memory-making — all while raising funds for our incredible band program.

A huge thank you to Prue J for leading this event with support from Sarah King and Olivia Wakelin from the teaching team. A big thank you to Alex W, Nikki M, Clare R and Karen C for your amazing work on the “Out of this World " decorations and setup — the space looked absolutely stellar! A big shoutout to the wonderful parent team Alex, Cate, Clare Jen, Leanne, Nikki, Sarah and Sarah who helped with refreshments, supervision, and cleanup – your time and effort were so appreciated.

To our awesome DJs, Danny B and Side B – thank you for the epic tunes and the great energy that kept everyone on the dance floor all night long.

And finally, to our fabulous administration and maintenance teams - thank you for all the behind-the-scenes work that ensured everything ran smoothly. We’re so grateful for everyone’s support and hope you all enjoyed the 2025 Disco!

Leo in KR has written me a letter advocating for beanies as part of the school uniform. The weather has been very cold and if your child wishes to wear a plain dark blue beanie first thing in the morning to keep their head warm, the school staff are happy with this. Good on Leo for showing such initiative.

Rest and reset
As we approach the winter break, I want to acknowledge the hard work, energy, and commitment our students have brought to Term 2. I’ve read nearly 400 student reports this week and am in awe of the personal goals, strengths, and growth our students have achieved. I hope you enjoy reading your child’s report and celebrating their milestones with them.

A huge thank you also to our incredible staff. Our teachers and administration team consistently reflect on their practice, deliver engaging and meaningful learning, and work side-by-side with our families to provide excellence and equity for all.

I wish you all a safe, restful holiday with your families. Take time to pause, reset, and enjoy the slower pace. Term 3 will be a busy one, especially in the first few weeks — please stay connected by reading the newsletter and checking the school calendar so you don’t miss out on the wonderful opportunities to connect with us and create memories for our students.

Have a restful break.

Brooke Keevers
Principal

Assistant Principal's News

School News

Congratulations to those students who received an award in the Week 10 Assembly

Congratulations to our Mini Lit graduates!

Creative Arts Corner

BNPS Choir
The BNPS Choir for students in Years 2, 3 and 4 is going from strength to strength! We perform at every whole school assembly (Weeks 5 and 10 of the school term), as well as other special school events.

The central ethos of the choir is that it is student-led. Members choose the songs they rehearse and perform, they critique their performances and set personal goals for themselves. Our focus is on creativity and expression, and finding the joy in singing (regardless of ability!).

If your little one would like to take part, rehearsals take place every Thursday at 8.15am in 1SL. Parents can give permission through an online form - please contact the office for more information.

Please enjoy our performance of ‘My Tribe’ from the assembly this week!

Ms Saab

Stage 2 Curiosity and Challenge
Stage 2 have had the opportunity to practice their drama skills during ‘Curiosity and Challenge’ lessons in Weeks 5 and 10 of both terms this year.

It has been wonderful to see the student’s skills and confidence grow in such a short time. In Term One, we focused on character development and used the literacy focus of ‘heroes and villains’. In pairs, students created their own superhero or villain, focusing on the backstory of the character. They then combined with other groups to create a freeze-frame scene.

In Term Two, we built on these skills with a scripted comedic play based on superheroes. Students were given a limited time to rehearse before performing in front of their peers. They were encouraged to think about how to effectively use the performance space, their voices, and their bodies when delivering their short plays. All students have shown significant improvement in their drama skills in this time, and they’ve had a lot of fun.

I look forward to Semester Two!

Ms Saab

Curiosity and Critical Thinking

Class Snapshot - Stage 1

Sports News

2025 Athletics Carnival
This year we are very excited to have our Athletics Carnival at E.S. Marks Athletics Field in Kensington on the first day back in Term 3 - Tuesday 22nd July 2025.
Buses have been booked to take students to and from the venue.

Participation requirements
All students in years 2-6 can participate in track and novelty events during the day. Long jump and shot-put heats will be held at school by Mrs Kelly with finalists competing at E.S. Marks. Only students turning 8 this year will be able to qualify for Zone. Mrs Kelly will also be running the high jump competition during school hours.

Instructions for Carnival Day
On the day students are encouraged to wear their house colours and participate in as many events as they can. Please make sure to pack recess, lunch, snacks and water with all jumpers and hats labelled clearly. Make sure your child doesn’t have a school lunch order and pack enough food as there is no food available at the venue.

It is an all-weather venue and will only be postponed if conditions are deemed unsafe.

PSSA Round 7

Library News

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Congratulations to Grace K and Oscar S who have completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2025.

A reminder that the Premier's Reading Challenge concludes on Friday, 19 September 2025. All reading lists need to be submitted before this date.

Admin News

Newsletter transition to SWAY for term 3
We will be moving to SWAY for our newsletter from week 1, term 3. From now on, newsletters will be emailed to you via School Bytes so please ensure you have the portal set up.

Emails to School
When emailing the school please include your child's full name.

School Reports and NAPLAN results are available on School Bytes through the RESOURCES tab if you wish to access them.

Parent Volunteers
For any parent wishing to volunteer in a classroom, assist with excursions or get involved with school activities please contact the office and we can assist you in completing the Declaration form online.

Because you are a parent, you only require the Non-Child Related Work Declaration, and this can now be done online. We do not require you to obtain a WWCC from Service NSW.

Administration Team

PBL week 10

The Week Ahead

Thursday 3 July SRC dress up day
Friday 4 July Last Day of Term 2
Tuesday 22 July First Day of Term 3 & Athletics Carnival
Friday 25 July Dance Sports Starts
Monday 28 July Manly Warringah Basketball Gala Day

P & C News

Band Update – lots of great things to celebrate
Lot of great things to celebrate for the band program this term.

Performances and more performances
Several great performances culminating in a fantastic performance night on Monday where all three bands gave lovely performances. Our Junior Band was particularly impressive considering the short time they have been learning their instruments. It was hard to believe it was only six months.

It’s been a challenging term for all bands with multiple conductors filling the rehearsal schedule. The children have adapted well to having different conducting approaches which was evident in the progress they had made.

Other performances this term were: Concert Band at Week 5 Assembly, Junior Band at Week 10 Assembly, Performance Band and Concert Band performed at the Harbourside Music Festival at Balgowlah Boys High, all three bands performed at Mother’s Day Breakfast.

Other activities included the Election Day Sausage Sizzle and the ever-popular disco. Both great fundraisers for the band program. Thank you to the parents who worked so hard to coordinate these events.

Congratulations to our band award winners at week 10 assembly – Junior Band – Bille B, Concert Band – Neve M, Performance Band – Toby P.

Band Patches
At Week 10 assembly, our Performance Band members received the newly introduced band patch which they can wear with pride on their sport uniform. These patches represent commitment to band and resilience of the band members who have been playing in band for 3 years. In future years these will be presented when they join the band for their third year. Funded by the P&C (Thank you!), the patches give the students visible recognition of their dedication and hard work. As I said to them, it is a ‘shield’ that shows they have a superpower that no one else has, so wear it with pride and show it off!

Thank you Mrs Keevers and Mrs Le Peyre for supporting our bands at the performances this term. Thanks also to the band parent community for all your support.

Caroline Fechner - Band Manager

Koolkuna News

Hi Families,
We can't believe that we're already halfway through the school year! We are very excited to see you all during vacation care. There are still spots available for those families that haven't booked yet!

We have loved every minute of watching all your children grow throughout the year. The Kindy's have officially integrated into the Junior group now and look more confident than ever.

We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the families of Balgowlah North Public School for your incredible generosity and support at our Thursday afternoon bake sale.

You would be pleased to know we raised a total of $3446 to donate to Dalwood Spilstead across all Sustainable OSHC centres. This amount will directly assist many families and children by providing them the access to multidisciplinary health, education, and support services.

An extra big thank you to the Cameron, Hughes, Noorbergen and Forster families for their generous donations and delicious baked goods! We are extremely grateful for your partnership & support for this event. We wish everyone an amazing last week of the Term and look forward to seeing everyone for Term 3.