From Last Week 

Seesaw

By the end of Term 1, you can expect to see the following on Seesaw from your children:

• Foundation and Junior School students to share one piece of work each week;
• Middle School students to share two pieces of work each week;
• Senior School students to share three pieces of work each week;
• Specialists will start posting in Term Two, which is when our students will also begin to increase the amount they are posting.

Winter Magic Market 

Winter Magic Market or not – Your input is critical! 

Please fill out this one-minute Google form.

Welcome back to the BNWPS Market discussion. At the end of last year, an article went into the newsletter asking our existing community for interest in being involved with the Market planning. As it was sent out at a busy time right at the end of the year, there were six responses. Now that our new Foundation families have begun, and everyone is back and ready for an exciting new year, we are asking again for interest and ideas for the 2024 market. 

We have an amazing opportunity to reshape our main school event into something even more exciting. But we also need to point to the very real possibility we won’t have an event at all if we cannot get the support of a certain number of volunteers and supporters to commit early in the year, to help not only with volunteering on the day, but with planning and organizing from early on. This is a rewarding and fun opportunity.

No decision has been made yet as to what will become of the market in 2024 but it seems anything is possible. 

One option currently being discussed is to have a Spring Market instead of WMM, a little later in term 3 to give everyone more breathing space during term 3 in the lead-up (i.e. more time from the June holidays to the time of the event). 

If you are keen to help with 

• coordinating an existing market stall
• an idea for a new or different stall 
• an idea for a market activity
• an idea of how to rekindle the enthusiasm of new and existing parents and carers 
• committing at this early stage to being part of any planning committee

we would love to hear from you.

School Council 

School Council abides by the current BNWPS Governance Standing Orders, which go into detail regarding the roles and responsibilities as well as the code of Conduct of the School Council, Subcommittees, and Working Parties. A copy of our 2023 Standing Orders is linked below.

Meetings are currently held online via Google Meets twice a term and run between 1.5 – 2 hours, commencing at 7 pm on Thursdays. We hear about the current school finances and other school-related issues that require school council input. We also raise and discuss items from parents and carers as well as items from Subcommittee meetings. 

Our BNWPS School Council comprises a maximum of 15 members made up from the following categories.

Hannah, Keir, and Ange are the three school-employed members. 

Current Parent/Carer members:

Helen Ruth (President – Outgoing) 

Child/ren year level 2024 - Year 7

Sandra Delios (Vice President)

Child/ren year level 2024 - Grade 1

Kelly Davis (Secretary – Outgoing)

Child/ren year level 2024 - Year 9, Year 7, Grade 6

Stacey Roberts

Child/ren year level 2024 - Year 8, Grade 6

Rebecca Corn

Child/ren year level 2024 - Grade 6, Grade 4

To read more from the school council members you can access Newsletters in Sentral from Term 2, Week 9, and Term 3, Week 1. There are currently 3 vacancies in the Parent/Carer category, and more importantly, the role of President will be open for 2024. If you would like more information about what it means to be on the school council and the benefits to yourself and the school community, please contact any of the current members, contact us via the school admin office, or contact Helen (President) by email Helen.metzger@education.vic.gov.au

Kindest Regards

BNWPS School Council

Involvement at BNWPS - a short tale! 

Hi BNW Community!

I wanted to talk a bit about involvement at BNWPS, and the culture and special memories we create when we get involved. 

I've always been interested in the cultures we create in schools, workplaces, and our social spaces. It's the first thing we noticed about BNWPS, and what drew us to the school - the people, and the vibe they created. It's what BNWPS is known for!

What has stood out to me most at BNWPS since getting involved are the connections and community that are created when people give of themselves. Our School Council, Subcommittees, and events are led by parents, carers, and teachers who give this time, and there's such a magic that happens in these places. When the school joins together - families, teachers, leadership team, support staff, and community - we create a culture that brings joy to our kids, our families, and to the broader community. Our kids, staff, and the school grounds are all well known for their welcoming and genuine nature. These things have been built through work, connections, and deep contributions over many years.

In the years I've been part of BNWPS, my involvement has changed depending on the stage my own life was at. Working part-time with young kids, I was able to volunteer at Sprout (fulfilling my dream of being a canteen mum 😊 ). I had more time to bake for Plant and Produce Markets and tag-teamed with my partner at Winter Magic Market stalls. As the kids got older we got involved in subcommittees and volunteered at more events - working stalls at WMM simultaneously,  working bees, and finally joining the school council. Once I was working full time, it was easier to do a nightly meeting than bake during the day - and sometimes I could do a bit of both (but not always)!

As I prepare to head off, what excites me about BNWPS' future is the influx of new families and lovely people at the school. I know that as these families get involved, they're bringing that unique part of themselves that will create a new and slightly different culture. As people move and change through the school, the culture changes too. And that's so exciting! The involvement of new families is such a great opportunity to grow a new 'vibe', one that suits all those new faces and kids in the school.

School Council elections are coming up (watch the newsletter for details)! I'd encourage anyone interested to reach out to the school, myself, or SC Secretary Kelly Davis, to chat about what it involves. It's way better for us to have a large, dynamic council to draw on and work with the school, so please feel free to get in touch!

In addition to school council, there are always a bunch of other ways to be involved at BNWPS, and you can reach out to the school and/or keep your eye on the calendar and newsletters if you are interested in any of these:

·              Buildings and Grounds Committee

·              OSHC Committee

·              CET Committee

·              Education Committee

·              Comms Subcommittee

·              Working Bees

·              Plant and Produce Markets

·              Special Events (family days, solstice, Trivia Night! etc)

·              Any event that calls for volunteers!

All best :) Helen (SC President)