“We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, the first people to dream, create, wonder, dance, play and learn on this breathtaking land. This land was cared for and respected for tens of thousands of years. The First Nations people lived in companionship with the animals and the life on this land. We acknowledge that this is stolen land and we pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.”

Rayma Atkinson (2023 Suzanne Peterson Award Recipient)

Term One Inquiry Focus

As we begin a new school year, and start to weave the fabric of new class communities, we are also starting a new Inquiry Cycle. This new Inquiry is intended to help classroom communities get to know each other and reflect on their strengths as learners and humans.

The School Wide Key Understanding for our Inquiry this term is;

I am part of a community of learners. At BNWPS we appreciate the uniqueness of ourselves and all people, by living our values of creativity, authenticity, respect and connection.

Classes and cohorts across the whole school will be unpacking and exploring all of the concepts, celebrations and challenges that come with this key understanding.

It might be a good idea to chat about this understanding at home too - maybe pick out some key words or concepts and brainstorm what they might mean to the family.

Pause and Play On

This year, we are continuing to implement the ‘Pause & Play On’ moment halfway through each lunchtime.

What is Pause & Play On?

Each day at the halfway point of lunch, a bell will sound in the yard and everyone is asked to Pause their play for a moment before Playing On.

What is a pause? A pause is any type of break in play that allows students to check in with themselves: students may go for a drink, go to the bathroom, change the game they want to play, remove their jumper, visit Sprout - you get the idea!

Why are we doing this?

Our students spend 50 minutes in the yard each lunch. For some of our students, this can be a long time that is hard to navigate. By breaking up the time, it provides more structure to their break. For other students, lunch time can be a very intense experience - a pause reminds them to regulate their body and their emotions.

Communicating with the School

Throughout term 1 we will share some tips on making sure our families are aware of what is available and are getting the most out of the communication systems we have here at school.

Sentral

Sentral is the main platform our school uses to communicate about and for students. Parents and carers can contact classroom teachers through Sentral as well as giving consent and payment for excursions and events, reading student reports, logging absences, finding class timetables and much more.

We encourage all families to download the latest version of the Sentral Parent Portal for their device. If you have any trouble logging onto Sentral, please contact the office.

Newsletter

The newsletter is another important form of communication between school and home. Our newsletters come out weekly; typically on Monday (unless it's a non-school day). Our newsletters are open to public, so we don't share information about individual students unless we have permission - but it also means grandparents and other special family friends are able to catch up on our school news.

When reading the newsletter you can skip between pages either from the contents page or scroll through each page and heading to find the information that is relevant to you and your family. Previous editions of our newsletters are available through the newsletter menu, so don't stress if you miss an edition - you can always catch up!

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