We would like to acknowledge and honour the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which our school stands. We pay our respects to all First Nations elders, past present and emerging.

To paraphrase one of our grade one students who we were chatting with on Saturday; ‘the school was turned into a fair!!’

It was so wonderful to see our Winter Magic Market in action; a true community event that encapsulated everything that Brunswick North West is all about; Authenticity, Connection, Creativity and Respect. All of the members of our community enjoyed the opportunity to connect with each other, whether they were volunteering their time on a stall, queuing for Fairy Floss, helping to set up or pack up, or simply enjoying the music and the food; every experience and interaction was one of joy and spirit. We are sure that each person who was there can look back on the day and smile about someone or something that they saw, heard, tasted or experienced.

The Magic of the Winter Market would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our wonderful stall coordinators and volunteers. In a year where we were not even sure if we would be having a market, or how ‘big’ the magic should reach, these amazing people willingly organised and created stalls and experiences in a very short timeline. The school community would like to offer each and every one of them the biggest and loudest ‘thank you!’ possible.

Our rowdiest round of applause needs to go out to Tanya Pittard. Tanya was the coordinator of this year’s Market - her sixth and final market as coordinator. Tanya’s passion for the Market, and for the BNWPS community is both commendable and infectious. There were no details or plans that were too small or too big for her to face; no task or job was below or above her. This year’s market truly could not have happened without her tireless planning and effort. Please join us and the rest of the BNWPS community as we give three cheers (and a very big thank you!!) to Tanya.

Student Led Conferences

This Thursday is our Student Led Conference day. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to share with you their progress and goals for future learning. If you are yet to book a time for your conference, please see Sentral for details on how to do this. We ask that each family only book one time with each teacher so as to ensure that there are enough appointments for everyone. A reminder that students are not required to attend school on this day. It is expected that all students join in on their online conference. Our OSHC service will be open if you require childcare for the day, and students will be able to access their conference from an OSHC device. Both our classroom teachers and specialist teachers are looking forward to meeting with you and your child to celebrate all of the learning that happened in semester one.

Book week

Book week is fast approaching! From Monday 22nd August through to Friday 26th August, students will have the opportunity to participate in a range of fun activities that celebrate our love of books. Some activities include a workshop with author and illustrator Sue deGennaro, a zine making session, a book swap, a visit to a local library and of course, the dress-up day. The date for the dress-up day is Wednesday 24th August and on this day we encourage everyone to come dressed as their favourite book character.

COVID Management

Just a reminder that it is an expectation that anyone over the age of eight wears a mask when they are in the classroom. In addition, anyone who is identified as a household contact of a confirmed positive case must wear a mask when in a social setting. BNWPS has done a great job of meeting this expectation so far this winter, and we are sure this will continue through to the end.

Camp Information Session Recording Available on Sentral

Last Thursday evening, Tom Nelson (P.E. teacher) and Lori Kirk (middle’s team leader) hosted an information session about the upcoming Campaspe Camp. We thank them for giving up their time outside of school hours. The session provided important details about the camp facilities, the activities and our school’s COVID plan. We received lots of positive feedback from the parents and carers that joined us, who found it to be informative and helpful for preparing their child for camp. A link to a recording of the session has been sent out through Sentral to all middle school families. If you missed this link, please contact Emma (emma.mallia@education.vic.gov.au) or Tom (tom.nelson@education.vic.gov.au) and we will forward it to you.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Yakai Barring Planting

Ian Adams