Welcome to Week 8, Term 4.

Coming in the final few weeks of term, we have the second and third of our step-up sessions, our Year 6 leaders and Stage 2 choir travel to BUPA to help residents celebrate the coming of Christmas, we hold our K-2 and 3-6 Celebration of Learning Assemblies and open classrooms, as well as the traditional staff vs students match (soccer).

High Potential & Gifted Education

At Ben Venue Public School, evidence-informed classroom practices support students to grow their knowledge, skills and understanding from their existing developmental point. Students and teachers work together to identify and work towards next steps in learning, empowering students as leaders of their learning.

Beyond the classroom, our school provides extension for high performing students in a number of areas, including:

a broad performing arts program, including weekly music education for all students, three school choirs and our Opera House Choir, orchestra, dance groups, opportunities to enter community competitions and HPGE programs through The Arts Unit including BandLink, CAPERS dance and drama development programs
co-curricular academic opportunities such as debating, public speaking, chess, science and art extension camps, da Vinci decathlon and KidsLit Quiz
leadership development opportunities, including our student buddy program, Year 1-6 Student Representative Council and inclusive Year 6 Student Leadership Team
extension groups in both literacy and numeracy
a wide range of PSSA and interhouse sport.

This approach supports the extension of high performing and gifted students in and outside our classrooms.

Representative sport and academics

Congratulations to Jack Sewell, who has been selected to the North West cricket team. Congratulations also to our debaters, who recently competed at the state championships (see the debating section for details).

2026 requests

Thank you to those parents and carers who have submitted a class placement request for 2026. Everyone who did should now have received an email confirming receipt of the request.

Teachers and executive will meet throughout this week to begin the process of creating 2026 classes. In doing so, a range of factors are considered, including equitable distribution of diversity across classes, appropriate student pairings and separations, and parent requests.

Year 6 end of year events

As we rapidly approach the Christmas break, the time of our Year 6 students with Ben Venue is drawing to an end. This is a significant milestone in the lives of our students, and often one of mixed emotions. One of the highlight of the departing experience is the Year 6 formal dinner, to be held on the evening of 17 December.

Photos will be taken during the formal dinner and made available online in the final days of term. In addition to this, sometimes, families of graduating students choose to meet in a park before the dinner, to take photos with friends and family. This is organised by families and is separate to the organisation of the dinner. However, if a parent with a fancy camera wishes to coordinate a pre-dinner photoshoot, I am happy to communicate this with families via School Bytes.

In addition to the dinner, we will hold a special assembly on Thursday 11 December and a guard of honour to farewell our students at 3:00 PM on Friday 19 December.

Christmas lollies

At this time of the year, it is lovely to see students celebrating their friendships with tokens of the season. Due to the number of lollies that can accumulate in the hands of our students, I ask that families consider non-food gifts, such as low-cost cards or items crafted by students for their friends.

Cam Pryce

Principal

Ben Venews

Kind, safe learners

Week 8 Term 4 · 01 Dec 2025

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