2023

Dear Parents,

We have had an excellent start to the new school year.

The students have very quickly adapted to their teaching staff and the variety of programs being offered.

We have many shared classrooms and shared positions at the school which is due to the conditions and requirements of our current Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA).

Staffing Profile

We currently have 26 full-time staff and 30 part-time staff. With the mix of staff, you will understand the need for a variety of shared classrooms, specialist classes and staff responsibilities. 

All teaching staff and education support staff are entitled to work in a part-time capacity. The only position that must be full time is that of the principal.

We have shared classrooms in Year 1, Year 4 and Year 6 this year.  We also have additional teaching staff supporting members of our Leadership Team to enable them to fulfil their leadership roles.

Curriculum

BNPS is an International Baccalaureate world school authorised to teach the Primary Years Programme and is the framework for implementing the Victorian Curriculum. 

The PYP focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in school and in the world beyond. The PYP offers a transformative experience for students, teachers and whole school communities and delivers excellent outcomes by providing an education that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant. 

The PYP offers a transdisciplinary, inquiry-based and student-centred education with responsible action at its core, enabling students to learn between, across and beyond traditional subject boundaries.

At BNPS, our learners are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, collaborating with teachers to deepen understanding and increase their confidence and self-motivation. 

The core curriculum programs for enrichment that we provide at Beaumaris North Primary School are based on the student data and achievement levels of our students.   Programs are introduced and implemented at the point of need of our students. 

This year we have introduced a specialised science curriculum for children in Years 3-6 which is managed by Mrs Merry Graham.

Mrs Pam Collins is continuing with the BEET program which is currently geared to students in Years 3 and 4 and is based on high level thinking.

Mr Dan Farmer is running a problem-solving program for all students in Year 4 as well as his PE/Sport portfolio.

Mrs Jenny Vawdrey will be managing the Year 1 Treehouse Program, which is an intensive reading and literacy intervention program.

Ms Tania Maxwell will be supporting the Year 2 team in addition to leading Literacy.

Mrs Dani Jones is working in Year 3 managing a literacy intervention program and will be supported by members of our educational support team at specific times.

School Improvement Team (SIT)

Our school is led by members of our School Improvement Team (SIT).  The SIT team meet weekly and manage the Department’s required accountability platforms including the: Strategic Plan, Annual Implementation Plan and Data Management, as well as our school’s curriculum planning based on our student data and achievement levels.

Members of our School Improvement Team (SIT) include our Principal Class Officers and Learning Specialists.

Principal Class Officers:

Sherril Duffy, Brent Plowright, Deb Murnane and Joanne Taylor.  Brent, Deb and Jo all work part-time.

Members of our Learning Specialist team, including their main portfolio, are:

• Nick Arnold - Whole School Numeracy
• Angus Ross - Whole School Data and Accountability
• Georgie Keyes-Tilley - 21st Century Learning and Information Technology (IT) and CyberSafety
• Tania Maxwell- Whole School Literacy 

Each member of our Learning Specialist team is released from their classroom for at least one day per week and is covered by the same teacher.

Nick Arnold will be team teaching with Ms Kylie Hetherington.  Kylie is a new member of staff and is experienced in STEM and Psychology with a background in both primary and secondary school systems. Kylie will be an additional member of the current Year 6 Team.

Angus Ross will be team teaching with Kirsty Hall.  Kirsty is well known to the children.

Georgie will be team teaching with Naomi Holt in Year 4. Georgie has the IT umbrella and Naomi will be fulfilling the role of our Primary Years Program (PYP) Coordinator.

This year we have decreased the total number of classes from 28 to 25.  As a result, many of our specialist teachers are involved with team teaching in specific year levels, in addition to their specialist portfolio.

Mrs Helen Griffiths has joined Jo Ratten and Di Ullmann in the music team.  Helen is an extremely experienced practitioner and has already introduced whole class Ukulele lessons for all students in Year 5 and 6.

We are extremely fortunate that our teaching staff are multi skilled in a variety of areas. 

All staff are looking forward to meeting the parents of their students at the upcoming ‘Meet and Greet’ sessions.  This is an opportunity for you to tell us something about your child so that we are better placed to understand the needs of your child. 

I too look forward to connecting with families as I see you arrive for these sessions. 

Kind Regards,

SHERRIL DUFFY