Principal's Message
Book Week - Next Week!
Next week we celebrate Book Week, a chance to pause and think about the role books play in our lives — not just as entertainment, but as one of the ways children learn to make sense of the world and their place in it.
At Brunswick North Primary School our students deeply read texts as a collective in their class. In Foundation to grade 2 they read and analyse picture books, discussing the elements and formulating responses and ideas. In grades 3-6 the program expands to include novel study. I was in a grade 5/6 room yesterday and was able to watch as they read the book 'Wonder' together, engaging with complex themes and unpacking unfamiliar vocabulary. It is experiences like these that equip our students with the literacy skills to only only comprehend but deeply analyse texts.
Throughout the week, students will take part in author visits and performances designed to bring stories to life and spark conversations about reading.
The week wraps up with our annual dress up parade, held on Friday the 28th at 9am. Students are welcome to come dressed as their favourite book character and join their classmates for a walk through the school grounds. Parents and carers are welcome to attend.
Thank you, as always, for supporting your child's reading at home — it makes a real difference.
Working Bee - Sunday August 30
On Sunday August 30, from 9am -12pm, we will be holding a working bee at BNPS. We will be spreading mulch, filling sand pits, weeding and pruning ready for Spring.
You can sign up to attend here. Anytime you can give is much appreciated, sign up to come along at anytime in the morning.
If you have a wheelbarrow, a trowel and some energy, come join us anytime from 9am. There will be a sign up sent out closer to the event. The 'Wick will be open serving coffee to our volunteers.
Over the last two years we have put over a thousand plants into the ground at BNPS. So many are growing beautifully, come help us maintain our grounds so this fauna can be enjoyed for years to come.
Character Strength Spotting
Over the past fortnight, our focus within the Visible Wellbeing framework's Strength Pathway has been on two character strengths: curiosity and gratitude.
In classrooms and on the playground, staff and students have been on the lookout for these strengths in action — a practice we call "strength spotting." A student pausing to ask "why" or "how" and chasing down the answer is curiosity at work. A student pausing to say thank you, or noticing effort someone else has put in on their behalf, is gratitude at work. By naming these moments as they happen, we're giving students a vocabulary for talking about their own character and each other's. These conversations happen daily in the classroom, with moments the strengths have been used highlighted at the end of the day.
Character strengths — traits like kindness, judgement, and perseverance — sit behind the way we think, feel, and act each day. There's a growing body of research linking the regular practice of noticing and using these strengths to better wellbeing, greater resilience, and stronger relationships. The more we build this awareness in our students, at school and at home, the more it supports how they cope and connect with others.
Parent Opinion Survey Reminder
A reminder the parent/carer opinion survey is now open. See my recent compass post for details - we appreciate your feedback!