Principal's Report

Well here we go again! Last Friday threw us all into a spin, but here were are patiently awaiting today's announcement. Please make sure you monitor Compass today for further updates.

What has held us in good stead and see us through this challenge, is we are well versed in what needs to be done, action we need to take and support we need to provide. The attitude from all of our staff was that we all played our part to deliver an outstanding remote learning experience for students in 2020, and we can certainly do it again for 3 days! I want to acknowledge the way that our teachers jumped straight back into remote learning, with very little time to prepare, plan for and get their own heads around being back online. I am very proud of the way that the change has been approached by all at BPS.

Beyond all of that, it has been an outstanding start to the year. I could not have wished for a more enjoyable start. The children have settled into the new year very well and the excitement of being back at school is obvious. Our new Foundation students have taken to school like ducks to water and I'm sure will quickly adapt once we are back on site.

As term 1 pushes half way through already, I feel most proud of our teaching and broader staff in the way they fulfil their roles and have taken on a variety of changes and challenges to continually improve our school.

PARENT–TEACHER PARTNERSHIPS

Research shows that one of the most important factors affecting a child’s performance in school is how involved their parents are in their education. Developing a healthy parent-teacher relationship is a great way to improve your child’s performance in school.

Getting to know your child’s teachers will not only benefit you, it will greatly improve your child’s chance of success in school. Establishing a strong parent-teacher relationship can be difficult or even intimidating, but there are some great tips to make the process easier:

Parent-teacher communication should be focused on the best interests of the child. It is essential to your child’s success in school.
Establish a regular means of parent-teacher communication. Whether communicating by phone, email, or in person, be proactive and work with the teacher in order to solve any problems.
Another great tip is to send a note of appreciation to your child’s teacher for all that he or she does. Teachers often hear from parents only when there are complaints or conflicts. Acknowledge and inspire teachers with your recognition and support.
Finally, create a strong parent-teacher relationship by volunteering. Helping out in the classroom is a great way to support your child’s teacher.

PARENT EXCHANGE NIGHT - 23rd February

These meetings are for parents to provide information to the teachers with specific learning needs or requirements, some families may choose that they do not need to attend and the questionnaire may be sufficient.

A reminder that these are not intended to be a parent-teacher meeting.

There has also been an extensive handover between your child's teacher and last year's teacher to ensure that the transition is smooth and that the 2021 teachers have a sound understanding of the needs of your child.

A questionnaire about your child will be distributed via compass next week.

Please book in a time via Compass conferences (same as mid-year interviews), if you feel that the questionnaire is not sufficient.

KISS AND DROP

The usual practice in schools is no parent parking on school sites. However , because there is virtually no “on road parking” available at BPS, School Council has made an exception to this usual practice. To maintain this situation it is important that parents driving onto the school site take extreme care ( especially in the kiss’n drop zone) and also by not parking in the bays reserved for staff parking. Staff often need to attend meetings during school time and require a space available on return. Teachers frequently carry books and equipment and parking at the church for families at drop-off and pick-up times. Likewise, every morning the staff need a guarantee of parking so they can commence their working day on time.

Some important must dos for Kiss and Drop to work effectively and ensure the safety of our children :

Children to exit only from the left hand side of the car
Parents and carers to stay inside the car at all times
Bags and instruments to be inside the carriage of the car not the boot
Once children are out of the car they will be asked to keep moving to the footpath, so please relay messages before drop off not after they have exited the car
Drive to the very edge of the kiss and drop area to drop off children
Children only to be let out of the car when they are in the Kiss and Drop zone (tennis court side)
No children to be let out of the car in any other area except the Kiss and Drop Zone unless directly asked to by a teacher
Remind students to be on time for after school pick up. You will be asked to complete a lap of the car park if your child is not ready. Please do not park in the area.
Car drop offs to only occur in the Surrey Road Car Park
Please display family name on dashboard when picking up students (these cards will be distributed for 2021)
Follow directions from staff on duty (moving forward, moving on)
Once children have been dropped off please move away from the Kiss and Drop Zone when it is safe to do so