Dear Parents,

Thank you to all of our parents who have either met face to face or via phone with their child's classroom teacher already this week. We really appreciate the time you give up to speak to us about your child so we can work in partnership throughout the year. At any time, if you would like to speak to your child's teacher, please contact the office at school so a phone or face to face meeting can be coordinated.

WESTERN REGION ATHLETES

Congratulations to Lachlan Abbott and Hannah Skein who have been selected to represent the Western Region in Tennis. Lachlan and Hannah will compete at the NSW Championships in Gosford in Term 2.

Next week, our Year 3 and 5 children will sit the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards.  Parents can prepare their child by ensuring they are well rested the night before, arrive at school on time, reassure them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Reports will be supplied to parents once they are received later in the year.

The School Community Charter is posted below. This outlines the expectations for parents, carers, educators and school staff when communicating with each other. To keep out school environment positive, please read through the charter and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Extra Curricular Activities - the following events are occurring in school time. Please also refer to the School Sports section of the Newsletter for more representative Sports information.

• The SRC meets every Tuesday during break 1 in Ms Lloyd's classroom. Ms Lloyd is our SRC coordinator.
• Primary Choir has commenced with Mrs Cafe. Choir will be held during Break 2 every Wednesday in the Lambert Street Hall.
• Recorder has commenced with Mrs George this week. A reminder that any child can attend recorder lessons. Recorder is held Break 1 every Wednesday.
• School Band occurs on Tuesday and Wednesday each week depending on the Instrument you learn. Please contact Mrs Ivory at school if you are interested in learning an instrument.
• Girls and Boys in Years 5 and 6 who are interested in joining the school Rugby League team have been asked to see Miss Solinas and Miss Tilburg to put their name down. Selection trials will be held in week 7. As this is a contact (tackling) sport and competition, children will require mouth guards to trial and play. Before trials, parents will also need to sign a 'Collision' note. This will be sent home once children put their name on the list for trials.
• Netball team trials (boys and girls in years 4, 5 & 6) for the BPS school team will be held on Thursday Week 7 (14th March) at school. Students will need to listen to Sentral announcements in class for specific information. Students will then train at school during play times through the week. Notes will be sent home prior to the first PSSA game. 

As a staff, we continue to modify our Assessment and Reporting practices so we can ensure parents obtain feedback each term on their child’s progress from their child’s classroom teacher. At any time, if parents have any concerns or issues about your child’s learning, you are encouraged to contact the school to make an appointment to speak with your child’s classroom teacher. The Assessment and Reporting schedule for 2024 is:

• Term 1 Week 5 – Thursday 29th February – Support Unit Parent/Teacher Interviews
• Term 1 Week 6 - Tuesday 5th March- Friday 8th March – Parent/Teacher Interviews
• Term 2 – Semester 1 Reports home
• Term 3 – Parent/Teacher Interviews
• Term 4 - Semester 2 Reports home

Parent/Teacher Interviews have been organised for Thursday 29th February for the Support Unit classes and Tuesday 5th March - Monday 8th March for all other classes. 5/6T will occur on Wednesday 13th March. These meetings will allow parents to: meet teachers, talk about what is to be taught this year and how your child has settled into the 2024 school year, plans for the school year, class expectations, and parent expectations. The parent portal has been set up and will open at 3.30pm this afternoon. Interviews can be booked until the day before the scheduled interview date. If parents cannot attend a face to face interview, teachers will contact parents by phone.

Interview Dates for the calendar;

• Friday 8th March - Kindergarten Parent Teacher Interviews (KM, KD and K/1K)
• Wednesday 13th March - Stage 3 Parent Teacher Interview (5/6T)

Week 5 Attendance Update

Congratulations to K-3H and 3-6M for last week's highest average percentage attendance. 

Well done KD, 3-6R, 3-6M, 3-6J and 3-6B with no unexplained absences!

Across the school, we have seen an increase in the number of unexplained absences, from 46 in Week 4 to 54 in Week 5.  Please remember to explain your child's absences through the parent portal app or by contacting the front office.

Our attendance rate and percentage of students attending >=90% is above State, but has continued to decline.

Every Day Matters for your child’s learning

Attending school every day allows your child to get the most out of their learning and improve their career and life options.   This includes attending school on rainy days or birthdays. Regular school attendance can help expand your child’s learning and create positive relationships with their peers. If you require support in getting your child ready and motivated for school, please reach out to us. Read more about the benefits of regular attendance on the department website.  

If any parent has any concerns regarding any aspect of school life, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kate White

Principal