Principal's Message
Welcome to Term 2. Once again, there is a lot happening over the next 9 weeks, including Thalgarrah visits for Stage 1, Kindergarten UNE Discovery workshops, Arts Unit dance workshops, Eisteddfod performances, the debating competition, athletics carnival, Stage 2 & 3 extension science camp, Stage 3 STEM day at ASC, many sporting competitions and trials, the P&C Food Fair, NAIDOC celebrations and the release of Semester 1 academic reports.
ANZAC
In the holidays, Ben Venue students and teachers participated in the ANZAC march and service in town. I thank those who were able to attend and represent our school. Last week, we held our school ANZAC assembly and I must commend our students on their respectful engagement in the ceremony.
High Potential and Gifted Education
On Monday last week, teaching and support staff began the term with a day of learning focused on further developing teachers' toolkits of strategies to support high potential and gifted students in the classroom. At Ben Venue, we pride ourselves on quality teaching and co-curricular offerings, and are constantly improving both practice in differentiated teaching, and our provision of skill and interest-based opportunities beyond the classroom. The introduction of elective activities this year has been extremely popular with our students, but also allows us to provide further talent development and interest-based extension for our students. I anticipate that our elective activities will continue to evolve over the coming months.
Additional to this, depending on their year level, high performing and passionate Ben Venue students are provided a range of school-based or school-facilitated opportunities across the intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains of potential, including:
- English extension groups
- Da Vinci Decathlon
- science camp
- Inquiring Minds camp
- Premiere's Debating Challenge
- Chess competition
- public speaking competition
- NERAM art competition
- dance workshops
- drama workshops
- Opera House Choir
- ACoS performances
- Eisteddfod performances
- orchestra
- sporting carnivals
- numerous PSSA sporting competitions
- leadership opportunities in the SRC
- inclusive leadership development and opportunities in Year 6.
In 2026, we also plan to enter students in the Schools Spectacular, providing a further opportunity for students to develop their potential in the performing arts and be part of a world-class performance.
Cross Country
Congratulations to all students who gave their best effort last week in the school cross country carnival. I want to thank teachers, particularly Miss O'Hara, Mr Cotter and Ms Walker, as well as our students, for adjusting to a change of venue this year and last minute changes to the course due to a bridge closure.
NAPLAN
Some preliminary 2025 NAPLAN data was released to schools last week. Analysis of this information has already begun at Ben Venue to inform planning and any adjustments to teaching practices. I will provide information on school performance when the full data set becomes available to us. Individual student NAPLAN reports should be released to parents at the start of Term 3.
Cam Pryce
Principal