“We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, the first people to dream, create, wonder, dance, play and learn on this breathtaking land. This land was cared for and respected for tens of thousands of years. The First Nations people lived in companionship with the animals and the life on this land. We acknowledge that this is stolen land and we pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.”

Rayma Atkinson (2023 Suzanne Peterson Award Recipient)

Hello BNWPS families;

We are very excited to be welcoming you all back! We hope you and your families have enjoyed some rest and relaxation, as well as a little adventure. This brief newsletter contains information relevant to the start of the year and will support a smooth beginning to everyone’s school year.

For students in years 1-6, school resumes on Wednesday 28th January.

For students in Foundation, school begins on Thursday 29th January.

School Hours

School operates 9:00am - 3:30pm
Staff are supervising the playground from 8:45am - 3:45pm. If your child is at school before or after these times, please make sure they have a grown-up with them, or they are enrolled in OSHC.
Recess is 11:00 - 11:30 and Lunch is 1:30 - 2:30, with the first 10 minutes of lunch in class for eating time.

Assembly

We finish off our week together with our Friday afternoon assemblies at 3:00pm in the MPR/asphalt area. Friday assemblies typically include a student performance, student awards, announcements from teachers, and the school song.
Parents and carers who are available on Friday afternoons are encouraged to attend.

Newsletter

Our School Newsletter ‘The NorWester’ is published every Monday afternoon. Look out for a link from Naavi in your inbox.

School Calendar

At the end of each school term we publish a hard copy BNWPS calendar for the following term. This calendar includes dates and information (don’t forget to read the back!) about upcoming school wide events. We have included a copy of the 2026 term one calendar in this booklet for anyone who may have misplaced theirs. A hard copy can be collected from the front office should your family require one.

Student Absences, Lateness and Early Leaving

Please make sure that you enter any student absences on the Sentral platform. If a student is arriving to school late (after 9am) the student must come past the front office to be checked in and marked present. Students leaving early must be picked up from the front office by an adult, who will ‘sign the student out’ and provide admin staff with the reason for the early dismissal.

Adults Visiting the School

Any adult visiting the school must enter through the main admin door/gate regardless of their destination. Between 9.15am and 3.15pm, all other school gates are locked. We ask that any visitors sign in at the front counter and provide a reason for their visit. Anyone visiting the school must also provide evidence of an existing, fully processed Working With Children Check. You can apply for a volunteer working with children check here.

Other Important Parent/Carer Actions

Please make sure your child has a broad brimmed hat to wear in Term 1 during recess, lunch and outdoor lessons. These hats can be purchased from the office for $15
Please send through any updated (or new) medical plans to the office ASAP.
Check your Sentral Log in. Please see the front office if you need help with Sentral access.
Keep an eye out on Sentral and the newsletter for more information as the year progresses. These are our two preferred methods of communication. We will run a Sentral Info session in the coming weeks.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend and can’t wait to see students and their families on Wednesday (or Thursday!)

With kindness,

Keir & Emma

BNWPS Staff 2026