Principal's Report

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

THANK YOU AND WELCOME BACK

Thank you to the BPS community for the very warm welcome that I have received over the past week and made the transition very easy for me and made me feel part of the wonderful BPS community. Welcome back to school to our BPS families and trust that everyone enjoyed a safe and relaxing break. We return to school to start a fresh year of learning and enjoyment of community spirit.

2018 has begun very smoothly at BPS and this is largely due to the skill and preparation of our teaching and administration staff. Students have settled in well and I thank families for the support and encouragement of their children as they moved into new learning spaces with new teachers, and in support of your children to resume routine after the extended break.

The staff and I are looking forward to another extremely successful year with your children working in partnership with you to support the children’s learning.

Welcome to new Staff for 2018

We are very pleased to welcome some new faces to BPS next year. We wish our new staff a wonderful year ahead and we look forward to working with you and hope to make your transition to BPS as smooth as possible. Welcome to:

Andrew Beattie Grade 4
Kirralee Taylor Grade 2
Terena Harrison Grade 3
Laura Maclagan Grade 1
Wendy Newman Grade 1
Jan Mustac Grade 6G - Thu/Fri
Jan Mustac P.E F – 2
Tanya Stansfield Grade 4T – Friday
Aditi J (Aide) Integration

We are also so very pleased to welcome back Tess Gillespie to our teaching team. Tess is a long standing, experienced BPS teacher with the most positive and inspirational approach to life there is. Welcome back Tess who will support our Leading Teachers next year.

2018 Home Groups

I would like to acknowledge the informed and measured manner in which the teachers have worked together to carefully consider the composition of the class for 2018. Along with their comprehensive knowledge of students and the academic, social, emotional and behavioural needs of cohorts, student identified learning partners and parent requests, the staff have ensured all children are well placed for optimal learning. Thank you for the parents who took the time to follow the request process outlined in the newsletter earlier this term.

FC 3C

Clare Parsons Jordie Campbell

FD 3H

Karin Diep Terena Harrison

FP 3/4H

Zoya Pavloff Kathy Haanappel (W-F) and Kelly Sotiriadis (M-T)

FS 4A

Vicky Soldatos Andrew Beattie

1B 4B

Wendy Bennett Sue Battista (M-Th) and Caroline Deery (Th-F)

1M 4T

Angelo Merlino Louise Tribolet (M-Th) and Tanya Stansfield (F)

1L 5F

Laura MacLagan Kaye Fraser

1S 5G

Stephanie Storto Krystle Galanos

2A 5P

Fiona Arthur Megan Paverd

2C 6A

Amanda Chetcuti Darren Ash

2T 6G

Kirralee Taylor Linda Gordon (M-W) and Jan Mustac (Th-F)

Sarah Watts

Art

Liz Dixon

Merissa Pickford and Jan Mustac

Chinese

Yi Zhang

Music

Lisa Shacklock and Pat Sutcliffe

Parent Volunteering for 2018

We are always incredibly grateful for the work that parents, grandparents, friends and family members do for our school over the year. Many thanks to our volunteers who keep many programs afloat and enhance the learning and wellbeing of our students. There will be many and varied activities, special events and programs that require volunteer helpers next year so please connect in with surveys and volunteer offers as they come to light in the newsletter. Claire Pattison from the Patch and Vicky Loie from School Council are canvassing the community for volunteers so please have a look at the Parent Volunteers Needed section of the newsletter for more information and details about how you can get involved.

Kiss and Drop

A reminder to parents that our Kiss and Drop area (located in the car park on Surrey Rd.) gets very congested of a morning and afternoon so it's imperative that we all follow some guidelines that will enable the safety of our students, families and teachers. No cars are to park in the Kiss and Drop area during Kiss and Drop times.

Morning - 8.45am - 9am

Cars to drive up to the Kiss and Drop area - tennis court side - and await the teacher on duty to open the car door. Children to exit car from left side of car only. All bags and instruments to be in the back seat with students where possible for ease of exit. To ensure the flow of traffic please drive and stop at the furthest point in the kiss and drop zone or as directed by the teacher on duty.

Afternoon - 3.30pm - 3.45pm

Cars to drive up to the Kiss and Drop area - tennis court side. Two teachers will be on duty and they will make sure each student is safely delivered from waiting area to car door. Children to enter car from the left side only. Bags and instruments will be placed on the back seat with children. Parents and guardians in cars should make their child's name/last name known to teachers to make it easier to call and monitor those children waiting for their parents.

We have enabled this process so that parents do not and should not need to exit the car themselves. We ask that all parents using the Kiss and Drop please keep traffic flowing as much as possible, therefore please move your car up to the furthest point possible to staff. You may be asked to make a second round with your car if your child is not waiting for you.

HATS AND DRINK BOTTLES

With the warm weather about, it is vital that all students wear their school, SunSmart hat when outside. Students who do not have a hat will be asked to sit in the shade, under the amphitheatre. Students should also be drinking water regularly and taking breaks from play if they are getting too hot. We would appreciate these reminders being reinforced at home.

iPads and iPad collection

Please make sure that you have checked your compass news feed for information about iPad collection occurring tomorrow afternoon from 3.45-4.45.

WHOLE SCHOOL FAMILY INFORMATION EVENING

This year we will again be hosting our Annual Parent Information Evening sessions. TheFoundation Information Eveningwill be held next Monday 5th February from 6.00pm. The session will involve a whole group presentation about what to expect in the Foundation classes in 2018.

Grade 1-6 classes will be held on Monday 12th February.

Timetable for the evening: (In the classrooms)

Grade 1 6.00pm – 6.30pm

Grade 2 6.00pm – 6.30pm

Grade 3 6.30pm – 7.00pm

Grade 4 6.30pm – 7.00pm

Grade 5 7.00pm – 7.30pm

Grade 6 7.00pm – 7.30pm

On this evening your child's teacher will let you know about opportunities for the parent-teacher exchange occurring later this month. This is the opportunity for families to provide information about their child to their teacher to assist them in providing the high quality program we have at BPS.

A questionnaire about your child will be distributed on the information night.

Band Recruitment Night

The band recruitment night will be held for interested Grade 3-6 students on Wednesday 14th February at 7pm. Come and try instruments, meet the music teachers and find out all about the band program.