Principals' News 

Principal News 15/05/2026

Dear Banyan Fields Primary School Community,

It has been wonderful to see the continued learning, growth and enthusiasm across our school community. As always, we are incredibly proud of the way our students continue to demonstrate our TESS values of Tenacity, Equity, Synergy and Stewardship both inside and outside the classroom.

The past fortnight has been filled with exciting learning opportunities and community events, including our wonderful Mother’s Day celebrations. We would like to thank all families for your ongoing support and partnership in making Banyan Fields Primary School such a positive and thriving place to learn.

Saturday, May 16th is Education Support Day. Banyan Fields celebrated on Friday, May 15th with the students making cards, books and pictures for the ES staff, and the teachers hosting a special breakfast for their colleagues who create an environment in which everybody can thrive. Education Support Staff include the integration aides and our tutors (Marg and Catherine) who support our students in the classrooms, on the yard and in small withdrawal group sessions (#Equity); the administration staff who ensure our school can function (#Synergy); and our maintenance staff who work hard to ensure the students and staff are welcomed into a clean, organised and functional space every morning (#Stewardship). We are grateful for the commitment of each member of the team. 

We also look forward to celebrating Education Week in the coming weeks, with our Book Fair and Grandparents’ Morning providing fantastic opportunities to connect and celebrate learning together.

Tenacity: We try, we learn, we never give up.

Attendance Arrive To Thrive:

It has been fantastic to see such a strong start to the year at Banyan Fields Primary School, with our student attendance continuing to trend upward.

Our 2026 Year-to-Date attendance data show that a high number of students are currently attending school at 95% or higher, an improvement over previous years and a wonderful reflection of the strong partnership between home and school.

We are also seeing more students moving into higher attendance bands, meaning more children are arriving ready to learn, more often. Regular attendance plays an important role in supporting both student achievement and wellbeing.

Thank you to our families for your ongoing support in helping students arrive at school each day, on time and ready to thrive. Your partnership makes a real difference.

Together, let’s keep the momentum going!

Equity: We include, we respect, we support.

Synergy: We listen, we learn, we grow together.

PLC

Spelling Focus – ck/k and tch/ch

At Banyan Fields Primary School, we continue to build students’ spelling knowledge by exploring how letters work together in words. Understanding spelling patterns helps students become more confident readers and writers.

This Week’s Focus: ck/k and tch/ch

 This week, students are learning when to use ck or k and tch or ch at the end of words.

Students are learning that after a short vowel sound, we usually use:

• ck to spell the /k/ sound
• tch to spell the /ch/ sound

For example:

• back, neck, sick, rock
• catch, fetch, pitch, hutch

When the /k/ or /ch/ sound does not come straight after a short vowel, we usually use:

• k → milk, park, soak
• ch → beach, lunch, torch

This spelling pattern helps students understand why words are spelled the way they are and supports accuracy in reading and writing.

How Families Can Support at Home Ask your child:

• “Can you hear the short vowel sound?”
• “Should this word end in ck or k?”
• “Should this word end in tch or ch?”

Try this together: Say words aloud such as:

• duck, rock, sock
• catch, pitch, fetch
• park, beach, lunch

Ask your child to listen carefully for the vowel sound before the ending and decide which spelling pattern fits best.

Spot it while reading While reading together, see if your child can find words ending in:

• ck or k
• tch or ch

Talk about the vowel sound before the ending and why that spelling choice was used.

By learning spelling patterns like ck/k and tch/ch, students continue to strengthen their reading and writing skills while building confidence and independence as learners.

Grandparents Day & Book Fair

We are excited to be celebrating Grandparents Day at Banyan Fields Primary School on Wednesday 20th May from 10:30am-11:30am. We look forward to welcoming grandparents and special visitors into our classrooms to share in some fun learning activities with students and celebrate the important role they play in our community.

As part of the celebrations, our Book Fair will also be running throughout the week. Families are welcome to visit the Book Fair during recess and after school until 3:30pm from Monday to Thursday. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore new books and foster a love of reading with your child.

Stewardship: We care for people, places, and possibilities.

Mothers Day

A huge thank you to our wonderful PFA and Business Manager Isabella for organising such a fantastic Mother’s Day Breakfast and Mother’s Day Stall. It was wonderful to see so many students excited to celebrate the special people in their lives, and the events brought so much joy to our school community.

We truly appreciate the time, effort and care that goes into creating these special opportunities for our students and families.

If you would like to become involved in our amazing PFA, please speak to the office for more information. We always welcome new members and support from our school community

Patrick Halpin - Principal 

Jennifer Churcher - Assistant Principal 

Sharleen Nason - Assistant Principal