From The Principal Team

Hi BPS families,

Next week, our Meet the Teacher transition session for 2025 will take place. On Tuesday 10th December, our Prep to Year 5 students, as well as our 2025 Prep students, will spend time meeting their 2025 teacher and their 2025 class members. This transition session supports our students in adapting to the change that moving into a new year level and class brings, through familiarisation, relationship building and conversations about what to expect and look forward to. The session also encourages social connections, fostering a sense of belonging and confidence as our students prepare for the 2025 school year. On Tuesday 10th, our students will begin the day as normal, with their current class and teacher. They will then learn who their teacher and class members will be, as they move to their 2025 classroom to spend time up until lunch with their new class. After lunch, they'll be with their current class and teacher prior to pick up. Change, a new year level and new class members is an opportunity. Embracing change with a positive mindset and speaking encouraging words about it can foster opportunities for growth and success. 

Next year, our school will be moving to a new time schedule:

Morning session - 9:00 to 11am (fruit/veggie break within this session, earlier than recess snack)

Recess - 11:00-11:30am

Middle session - 11:30-1:30pm (lunch eaten within this session)

Lunch - 1:30-2:30pm

Afternoon session - 2:30-3:30pm

The opportunity that two hour blocks of learning (with required brain breaks, as well as eating and toilet breaks) prior to lunch brings is overwhelmingly positive. Longer sessions provide  extended opportunities for learning, allowing more time to explore topics deeply, reinforce understanding, and develop new skills. This timetable model is commonly used within our local network of schools and we're looking forward to this shift. 

We recognise that it may take some time for our students to adapt to this change. Eating breaks, toilet breaks and brain breaks will be used as needed. Students will be supported as we transition to the new times. In 2025 you will be welcome to pack an additional fruit and/or vegetable snack for your child to have during the morning session. This also means that our students will attend each of our five specialist subjects for an hour each week, as opposed to 50 minutes. 

This Semester we welcomed Peggy, our Therapy Dog, who works with Ms Hulls and supports our student's wellbeing. In 2025, we are excited to share that we have a second Therapy Dog, Nala, joining the team. Peggy will continue to work with Ms Hulls in the office area, and Nala will spend her time in Year 5 and 6. To have another trained Therapy Dog joining the BPS community extends the opportunities and benefits that a Therapy Dog can bring to our students and into the learning spaces. We’re thrilled to welcome another furry friend to the BPS team. 

Yesterday we had the pleasure of watching our Year 5 students present their leadership speeches for 2025 School Captain roles. All students who spoke did an excellent job putting themselves forward and the effort put into their speeches was evident. Well done to all of these students for having the confidence to apply for these positions and willingness to lead and make a difference. Our Year 4 students have been busy outside this week developing their skills to ride safely and competently around our community, through the Bike Education program. Well done to our Year 4 students! Congratulations to our Prep students who shone this morning at their Prep concert. They showed courage, confidence and a strong sense of fun through their wonderful songs and performances. Thank you to so many Prep families for joining us and helping create these wonderful moments. 

Congratulations to Ms Caroline Bowler, her partner Chris and proud big brother Seb, who welcomed their newest family member, Rafal (Raf) Maximus Mizeracki last Thursday. Everyone is happy and healthy and we're sure Ms Bowler's Year 4 students were thrilled to hear this exciting news.  

This will be our final newsletter of 2024. On behalf of the leadership team and our staff, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our community for your ongoing support, positivity, and warmth throughout the 2024 school year. We look forward to seeing many of you at our BPS Christmas Carols next Wednesday 11th December, 5-6pm. 

Kind Regards,

David, Grace and Ellen