Hello BRPS community,

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope you had a wonderful recent holiday break. It was 'action stations' at school over the holidays with facilities projects and fete preparations.

Term 4 is full of highlights, none more so than the graduation program for our Year 6 students. Already they are practising their dance moves with 'Footsteps' in preparation for the Year 5/6 social. The students are also looking forward to other graduation events such as the Bike Hike, Grad Lunch, Graduation night and the 'buddy picnic'.

2018 Fete - "Big Fun Fair"

What a truly magnificent community event to be a part of on Saturday. The weather played a starring role, as did the unveiling of our new stage as a perfect focal point to display the many and varied talents of the students in the talent quest.

A final 'fete newsletter' containing a comprehensive wrap-up of the event, including the total funds raised, will be sent out soon via Compass.

Of course the event would not have been our biggest and best ever without the hard work of the entire fete committee who have worked tirelessly over the past 10 months: Graeme Schwarzinger, Steve & Michelle Martin, Bec & Chris Tanner, Lisa Lovell, Elissa Marshall, Amanda Paterson, Martin Nowak, Audrey Fousekas, Tanya Thomas & Jayne Timms. The committee were supported significantly by all of the class parent representatives, teachers and school staff who took on the task of organising stalls and rosters, we had set up and pack up crews, sponsorship and donation collectors etc.

Thanks also to all families who came along and supported us on the day, its success will go along way towards supporting our school improvement priorities and ultimately outcomes for the students of Black Rock PS.

Cybersafety -

Susan McLean

Parent Session 7pm, Thursday 15th November

The school has booked cybersafety expert Susan McLean to visit the school and provide both student and parent sessions. Susan is highly sought after and is considered one of the leading voices in Australia on cybersafety and device management.

Please put this date in your diary as this will be an extremely important and informative event and I strongly encourage all parents to attend.

For more information, visit Susan's website:

http://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/

2019 Planning

Please notify us at your earliest convenience if you know that your child will not be enroled at BRPS next year.

We are continuing to accept enrolments for all year levels for the 2019 school year. Our projected enrolments help to determine class structure and staffing requirements. Early confirmation of student numbers is essential to ensure this process is managed effectively.

If you are aware of families intending to enrol that have not done so as yet, please encourage them to pick up an enrolment pack from the office or arrange a tour of the school.

Family Literacy Evening

Wed 7th Nov

5.30pm - 6.30pm

This year we have had a strong focus on developing student writing across the school. Our English Curriculum Committee and teaching teams have collaborated to renew the curriculum and continue to develop a consistent instructional model for Writing at each level. Student development has been amazing and our NAPLAN growth results were absolutely outstanding.

Come along and view the fantastic writing that takes place in our classrooms and engage in literacy activities with your child.

Congratulations

I would like to pass on a huge congratulations to Mrs Steph Thorpe and her husband Ben on the arrival of Jack Thorpe, born Sunday morning (14/10/2018) at 6.05am, weighing 3.33kg. Steph and Ben are thrilled and in light of this news can now be excused for not attending the fete last Saturday afternoon. We know that Steph and Ben will make magnificent parents and will quickly adjust to the three hours of sleep they're now likely to get each night!

Projects - Stage & Play

There was a buzz of excitement in the air on the first day back for Term 4 as our new projects were unveiled. Although we're waiting on the finishing touches for the stage, both it and the interactive play space will be wonderful additions to our school for many years to come. I would really like to thank Jayne Timms for her tireless efforts to manage these projects to ensure their completion to such a high standard. I would also like to recognise our contractors (Jenn Reed Designs (play area) & Gladona Building Services (stage) for the wonderful works they have created. Please come along to the school and inspect them with your children if you haven't done so already, Thursday mornings would be a great time to join us at the......

Community Coffee Mornings

Our first two coffee mornings have been a great success with many parents attending to grab a coffee and have a chat with school leaders and staff.

Brad in the coffee van will be serving coffee, hot chocs and milkshakes 8am-9.30am every Thursday morning. Come along and get together with the BRPS community.

Students are also allowed to purchase hot chocolates and milkshakes.

SunSmart

No Hat, No Play

This is a reminder that all students are required to wear school hats from September 1st until April (typically the end of Term 1). If you need to buy a new one, please make an order at the uniform shop or visit them during their opening hours of 8.45am-9.30am on Thursdays. Black Rock PS is a SunSmart school and we have a ‘no hat no play’ policy, so please ensure that your child’s hat is packed every day.

Division & Region Athletics

Congratulations to all the students who represented Black Rock PS at the Division Athletics last week (Wed 10 Oct) and the Southern Metro Regional Championships today.

Please see the sport pages for reports about all events.

Have a great fortnight everyone,

Sam Tyndall

PRINCIPAL

Camp Australia Update