Principal's Report

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." — John F. Kennedy

Remembrance Day 

On Monday (11 November), students and staff respectfully remembered those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts at our Remembrance Day Ceremony. I would like to thank the Year 6 students and their teachers for the sincere commitment and dedication given to this very special service.

We were both honoured and privileged to have special guest speakers, Mr Grant Coultman-Smith (RSL) and Major Cary (Kez) Svanberg(father of Bella in Year 2) in attendance.  

Thank you to the Music Teachers and the Seahorse Singers who sang beautifully, and all the families who brought in lovely floral arrangements.   

BNPS/ARKit Sustainability Award

The Sustainability Awards are Australia’s most prestigious award program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating excellence in sustainable design and architecture. The awards are independently judged by a jury representing a cross-section of world-class industry experts ensuring that only the country’s most pioneering green projects have made the final cut.

Beaumaris North Primary School took out the top award for the Education and Research Category, showcasing a custom designed teaching and learning facility that provided considered passive spaces to engage and inspire young minds.

This award recognises the sustainable values and initiatives that were considered by the VSBA, the school and the architectural design and build team at ARKit who utilised a prefabricated solution for the school site.

From an original pool of 198 entries, the judges whittled that down to 65 finalists – from which the 17 winners were chosen. A selection of five educational buildings made the shortlist for the category of Education and Research including Beaumaris North Primary School by ARKit, A.B. Paterson College’s The Winton Centre by A.B. Paterson College, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences by Architectus, Highton Child and Family Centre by Brand Architects, and Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School by BVN.

Out of Hours Activities

I would like to acknowledge the staff, students and parents who all gave up part of their weekend for school related activities last Saturday and Sunday.

• Jo Ratten, Audrey Fine & Di Ullmann (Music Teachers) braved the cold to lead and support the Junior Choir at their Farmers Market performance - see the 'Music News' page of this newsletter.

• Sue Evins (Prep Teacher), Shannon Hewlett (PR/Communications) and parent volunteers, Abi Henderson and Elinor Hansen, sold raffle tickets at the Farmers Market to raise funds for playground equipment.

• Merry Graham (STEM Teacher) and the Year 5 Robotics participated in the FIRST LEGO League tournament at Glendal Primary School - see the 'Year Level News' page of this newsletter.

Thank you also to Beth Lawrence, Audrey Fine, Jo Ratten and Nicole Palo La Gerche for attending the Singing Recital on Tuesday night. From all accounts it was amazing and showcased the wonderful work that Susie King (Vocal Coach), does with our very talented students - be sure to watch the videos on the 'Singing Recital' page of this newsletter. 

Thank you all for your support and commitment to our  school.

Our Earn & Learn Prizes!

Thanks to Woolworths and our wonderful parent community (led by Di Hay with the assistance of our store collectors), our Earn & Learn prizes were delivered last week. 

We are very fortunate to have received so many great new and exciting Literacy and Maths resources and all at no cost. Mrs Purton thought it was Christmas when she unpacked all of the goods!

Outstanding Art Program

Congratulations to the Year 6 students and of course the Art Team, on their outstanding results following our VCAA assessment in July.

Our school was selected to participate in the collection of assessment data as a benchmark of excellence for The Arts - Visual Arts to support Victoria's Education State targets.

Head Hunters Program

I would like to make special mention of the Head Hunters team, led by Stefani Kelly, who had a particularly busy day at our whole-school head lice check on 1 November. This valuable service can reduce the severity of an individual infestation, make treatment easier and stop the cycle, so on behalf of all families, thank you for volunteering your time.

Please make sure you check your child’s hair on a regular basis to prevent further outbreaks. 

BNPS Fete - 14 March

The Fete Committee, led by Melissa Joy, are hard at work organising our biggest fundraiser which only occurs every two years. I encourage each and every one of you to get involved in whatever capacity you can whether it be running a stall, donating something or volunteering for an hour or two on the day - there is something for everyone and it's a very rewarding community experience.

If you think you can help, or would like to know more, please contact Melissa Joy (Fete Convenor) at bnpsfete@yahoo.com.au

Looking Ahead...

Term 4 is both an exciting and emotional term for our Year 6 students. They have their final primary school camp next week and some very special upcoming celebrations including the Graduation Evening (16 December) and the Year 6 Big Day Out (18 December).

I would like to thank the parent Graduation Committee who are working alongside staff to create a truly memorable evening for our students.

A highlight of being in education is following the amazing journey of our students and it is always hard to say goodbye.

Sherril Duffy

Principal