Principal's Report

“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” – Sherry Anderson

Gala Night a Huge Success!

The highlight of the last two weeks (and possibly even 2019 for some!) is without a doubt, the 2019 BNPS Gala. The feedback has been amazing and is an absolute credit to our parent volunteers: Julie Dunlevie, Rebecca Beuth, Maria Angeletos, Nina Mitchelson, Simona Hill and Sally Powell (2019 Gala Committee).

Thank you to everyone who supported this event by attending and/or donating an item. It was a wonderful social opportunity and an amazing $9441.73 was raised for our children and school!!!

Father's Day Stall

On behalf of all of our families, sincerest thanks to Lisa Ward, Anna Holmes and Ros Wells who once again co-ordinated a fabulous Father’s Day Stall last Friday (30 August). As always, it was a huge success and the students loved making their special purchases.

Thank you also to the wonderful team of volunteers (including some dads!) who contributed to making Father's Day extra special for all of the amazing men who play a very important role in helping to raise and care for our students.

An Outstanding Result for OSHC

I would sincerely like to congratulate Kelly Szabo (OSHC Co-ordinator) and her wonderful team for achieving an outstanding 'Assessment and Rating Report' following their recent review. They achieved the highest level rating 'Exceeding National Quality Standard' for each of the 7 standards.

High quality practice was demonstrated consistently and frequently across the service. This consistency in the intent and approach to practice across the service created a strong sense of continuity, predictability and security for each child. The educators demonstrated a practice that was thoughtful, intentional and responsive to the everyday events and the ongoing needs of the children.

The leadership team demonstrated an in-depth knowledge, skill set and deep understanding of outside school hours education and care. This provided children with opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for future success in life.

Thank you, Kelly and team, for providing an outstanding service for the many families who access OSHC.

Triple Indoor Flagpole Display

In the June 13, 2019 edition of our newsletter you might recall that we featured Emily O (3A) and Clementine C (3A) on the ‘Students Taking Action’ page for their great letter to Brad Rowswell MP - Member for Sandringham, requesting a flagpole to enable us to fly three flags.

Today Mr Rowswell presented a $200 cheque to the school to go towards the purchase of a Triple Indoor Flagpole Display (pictured below) for the entrance of the main building, which is a great outcome.

Thank you, Mr Rowswell, for your support.

House Athletics Carnival

Our annual Year 3 - 6 House Athletics Carnival was held last Tuesday (27 August) and I would like to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the PE Team who worked tirelessly to ensure the event ran like clockwork. Thank you also to the huge team of staff involved - without you, the students would not have been able to participate in so many events.

Ribbon or no ribbon, I am very proud of all students for 'having a go'. A report is included on the 'PE & Sports News' page of this newsletter.

Year 5 Bike Education

I would like to thank Debbie O'Brien for organising the Year 5 Bike Education program which commenced today. A great deal of organisation is required for this very worthwhile program to run and would not be possible without the assistance of our wonderful parent volunteers.

Prior to the commencement of the program, all bikes and helmets were checked to ensure the safety of all students. This is another huge task and I would like to thank the Year 5 teachers for their help in this area also.

Footy Colours Day

Thank you to the Junior Council for organising our ‘Footy Colours Day’ (3 September). It was great to see everyone in their footy gear, particularly for the Year 6 students Vs Teachers footy game which was held at lunchtime.

The teachers were victorious on this occasion but most importantly, a lot of fun was had by all. Photos and videos are included on the 'Footy Colours Day!' page of this newsletter.

Cultural Understanding & Safety Training

All teaching staff in government schools have been mandated by the Department to complete Cultural Understanding & Safety Training (CUST). The first session was held at Sandringham Primary School on Tuesday (3 September) and the second session will take place next Tuesday (10 September).

The training is a key commitment in the Marrung: Aboriginal Education Plan, Victoria’s ten-year plan to support improved outcomes for Koorie learners across all education settings.

The purpose of the training is to increase understanding of Aboriginal culture, history and experience to ensure a strong foundation for culturally inclusive practices. The training also aligns with the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes, including the statewide priority positive climate for learning.

National eSmart & Child Protection Week

With one in ﬁve young Australians found to have been cyber bullied – and the many other challenges young people face online – it’s important to invest in providing our students with the skills they need to be responsible digital citizens.

To show our commitment to building an eSmart Australia, this week students have participated in a range of activities and will share their learnings at a special eSmart Assembly on Monday 9 September (weather permitting).

The Alannah & Madeline Foundation’s National eSmart Week (1 - 7 September) runs alongside National Child Protection Week which in 2019, is focused on introducing a ‘child development’ communication frame to promote the messages that:

Kids do well when parents are supported
To raise thriving kids, parents need support to navigate life’s choppy waters.

This is a timely opportunity for us all to connect and think about how we can work together to keep all children safe and feeling protected.

Beachside Digital Technologies Project

Eight of our students from Year 4 - 6 are lucky enough to be involved in an exciting 3 month project with other Victorian government schools in the Beachside area. Facilitated by teachers and leaders passionate about students taking action and using digital technologies in a meaningful way, the aims of the project are to:

build relationships between schools
encourage leadership skills
focus on making the community stronger
use digital technologies in authentic ways.

Students will work in a small team over the course of 3 months to identify a local issue or problem and develop a possible digital solution or prototype. Relationships with other schools will be formed to offer guidance and feedback during the process.

A project launch was held on Friday 23 August at South Melbourne Primary School and our students were wonderful ambassadors for our school. Please see the student reflection on the 'Year Level News' page of this newsletter.

School Ground Works

The school grounds are looking great thanks to Vincent Wienckowski for his ongoing management and the arrival of softfall this week.

Looking Ahead...

There are two more jam-packed weeks before the end of term which amongst other things includes:

Prep 'Cubby Day' (11 September) and Fire Education (13 September)
Year 1 'Travelling Kitchen' incursion (16 September)
Year 2 Science Lesson at Beaumaris Secondary College (11 & 12 September)
Year 4 Human Body Exhibition (12 September)
Year 4 - 6 District Athletics (11 September)
Year 5 Bike Education (6 & 9 September) and visit to Beaumaris Secondary College - Outreach Program (13 September).
Year 6 excursion to the Sandringham College Musical 'Matilda' (9 September).
Year 6 Mixed Netball team state championships (13 September)
Year 6 Graduation Parent Information Evening (16 September).
Outdoor Movie Night - Mary Poppins Returns (13 September)
Whole-school Mini Market organised by the Year 5/6 students and teachers (17 September)
2020 Prep Transition (18 September).

Everyone will be well and truly ready for a well-deserved break!

Finally, I encourage you to complete our Term 3 Survey by Friday 20 September - we value your feedback and suggestions.

Sherril Duffy

Principal