Welcome to 2026! I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our returning families, our 2026 Kindergarten students and families, and to our new students who are joining us for the first time this year. I wish all Ben Venue families a happy and fulfilling year ahead.

School Development Days (SDDs)

In the week before students returned to school, Ben Venue teachers, office and support staff engaged in a range of collaborative planning and targeted professional learning workshops, led by our executive team, to build on their knowledge and skills. The main focus of the first day of learning was to continue our work in the practice of Explicit Teaching. Explicit teaching strategies are inclusive of all students and benefit every student when learning new knowledge and skills.

On Wednesday, staff attended a learning day at Armidale Secondary College that saw teachers and staff from every public school in the Armidale Network congregate to collaborate and learn together. The day featured presentations from Matt Hobbs (DEL, Armidale Principals Network), Meghanne Wellard (Executive Director, Rural North) and guest speaker, Louka Parry from The Learning Future. It was a fantastic day of professional connection and discussion, working with colleagues across all of the schools in Armidale.

Our SDDs proved that every day is a learning day at Ben Venue and was a great way to start the 2026 school year.

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

The 2026 NAPLAN will take place from Wednesday 11 March to Monday 23 March.

Students in Years 3 & 5 participate in 4 NAPLAN tests:

writing
reading
conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
numeracy.

All schools in NSW complete NAPLAN online, with Year 3 students completing the writing test on paper. NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students learn through their regular school curriculum.

The NSW Department of Education supports inclusive testing, so all students have the opportunity to participate in the National Assessment Program. However, students may be withdrawn from the tests at the request of their parent/carer. Exemption must be discussed with the school principal, Mr Pryce. Please contact the school as soon as possible, if you intend on withdrawing your child or require an exemption from the formal NAPLAN Online assessment.

To find out more about NAPLAN online, visit the National Assessment Program website, watch the understanding NAPLAN online video clip, read the NAPLAN Online Parent Brochure or access the NAPLAN information page for parents and carers.

Pulse Alive

This year, we are very excited to be participating in Pulse Alive for the first time. On Thursday 19 March, 20 choir students and 10 dancers from Years 4 and 6 will be travelling to Sydney to perform in this vibrant performance event. Students have already begun rehearsing the repertoire and will participate in an online rehearsal on Tuesday 17 February (dancers) and Thursday 26 February (choir) before their final dress rehearsal and evening performance at the Ken Rosewall Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush.

Tickets for this event go on sale on Wednesday 11 February at 10:00 am. Performers do not require tickets, but family and friends are welcome to attend. Use the QR Code above or visit Ticketmaster - Pulse Alive to purchase tickets. There are a number of concert dates so please make sure you select Ben Venue's concert date of Thursday 19 March. Tickets sell out very quickly, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Ticketmaster policy - Any tickets purchased cannot be transferred between performances. Tickets may be refunded upon request, and new tickets purchased pending availability. The show will not be televised and, due to copyright restrictions, will not be live-streamed – so the only way to experience it is to purchase a ticket and be there in person! If you see any information contrary to this, it is likely a scam.

We look forward to sharing our experience of participating in this major DoE event with you later in the term.

Lana Howlett

Deputy Principal

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