Principal's Report
“One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
It's hard to believe that there are only two more weeks until the end of term and even harder to believe that we are halfway through the year already! Although it has been a very short week with the Queen's Birthday public holiday and Curriculum Day, I am amazed at how much we have been able to fit in.
A tremendous amount of planning an organisation goes into everything we do in order to provide our students with a wide range of opportunities and the best possible learning outcomes.
Inquiry Teaching
On Tuesday we had our final Curriculum Day for 2019. The teachers participated in a Professional Learning day which provided time to explore new ideas, evaluate learning and expand expertise when planning inquiry learning experiences. The focus for inquiry has become one of promoting student agency and ownership of their learning.
Inquiry nurtures curiosity and promotes enthusiasm for life-long learning. Teachers guide the inquiry encouraging students to think, challenge and extend their ideas. Inquiry also prompts students to reflect on their learning and take action.
Assessment & Moderation
For the past few weeks, teaching staff have been busy recording and analysing assessment data and moderating student work samples to ensure our Semester One reports are an accurate reflection of where each child sits against the expected standards of the Australian Curriculum.
Moderation is a process whereby teachers meet to review student work samples to ensure consistency of teacher judgement about student achievement. It supports consistent assessment based on evidence-based evaluation of student progress and generates reliable data for reporting purposes.
Semester One Student Reports will be made available on Compass on Thursday 27 June.
ICT Beachside Network Update
On May 30 we hosted the ICT Beachside Network meeting. The Network are in the process of organising a celebration of our students and all things Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This celebration will take place in Terms 3 and 4 and aims to give students an opportunity to problem solve an issue within the Beachside Community using their problem solving and STEM skills.
2019/20 Fundraising Targets
All fundraising proposals are assessed and prioritised by School Council in terms of child safety, benefit, size of the project etc., to determine where we should put our efforts.
As advised on Compass last week, our 2019/20 fundraising efforts will be directed as follows:
- Colour Run – The refurbishment of our sports courts (necessary for student safety)
- Gala Evening – Upgrading school grounds and play equipment
- Fete – New playground equipment
We thank you for your ongoing support in helping us to achieve these goals.
The Resilience Project Parent Information Evening
I would like to thank the 70+ parents who attended The Resilience Project parent information evening on June 4.
Through various anecdotes and moving stories, Hugh van Cuylenburg captivated the audience and conveyed some very important messages to promote positive wellbeing.
School Ground Works
The concrete path from the end of the main building out to the oval is now complete making access much easier and safer. Other completed works include:
- Asphalting near the Art Room and Canteen
- New merbau steps to portable toilets
Film has also been applied to the highlight windows in the Senior Learning Centre to minimise the glare for students, particularly when using devices.
First Aid Training
All of our teaching and non-teaching staff are trained in Level 2 First Aid. An annual First Aid update course was held last week where all staff had the opportunity to use an EpiPen and defibrillator and practice their bandaging and CPR skills.
Emergency Evacuation
Drill
Schools are mandated to undertake an emergency management practice drill each term. For your interest, today we had an 'evacuation' drill.
There are two main evacuation areas: the Oval and Basketball courts. When the emergency signal is activated, all members of the school community are required to stop and listen to the instructions that follow the signal. They are then instructed to move to the designated evacuation area and report to a staff member in a bright orange vest - even Sid (Therapy Dog) participated in today's drill!
Regular practice drills are designed to equip staff and students to react quickly and calmly in the event of an emergency situation.
Attitudes to School Survey
We value student voice as a means to improving student engagement, wellbeing and quality instruction. Last week students from Year 4 to 6 completed The Attitudes to School Survey, an anonymous online annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training, to assist schools in gaining an understanding of students' perceptions and experience of school.
A summary of the results will be shared with staff, School Council and the wider community via our Annual Report. Most importantly, the data will be used to plan programs and activities to improve the schooling experience of our students.
2020 Enrolment Forms
Applications for Prep 2020 close Friday 28 June 2019. If you have a child eligible for Prep in 2020 and are yet to book an appointment to meet with us and receive your enrolment package, please do so ASAP (9589 5449 or beaumaris.north.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au).
We also welcome applications from any families who are interested in our school - we are not zoned by residential address.
Looking Ahead...
Singing Recitals and Music Soirees will be held next week and I would like to thank Susie King (Vocal Coach) and Simon Lindsay (BNPS Instrumental Music Program) for offering these amazing performance opportunities to our very talented students.
Our Prep students have an exciting end to the term with two very special events, the Prep Grandparent's Morning (19 June) and an Old Fashioned Dress-up Day (Tuesday 25 June). I look forward to seeing them in their aprons, bonnets, vest and braces!
I also look forward to seeing students in their Pyjamas tomorrow to support the Junior Council's Pinchapoo collection as suggested by Aria L and Clementine G in 4A.
Finally, well done to our Division Cross Country runners and congratulations and best of luck to Kiara M (6B) who will represent BNPS at the Regionals onThursday 20 June - please see the 'PE & Sports News' page of this newsletter for a full report.
Good luck also to the Year 6 Girls AFL team who are participating in an 8 game Round Robin with other teams in the Seaside District on Tuesday (18 June), and a big thank you to their coaches, Nick Arnold and Tony McCulloch.
Term 2 finishes on Friday 28 June at 2.30pm. Please note the earlier finishing time and ensure you have made arrangements for your child to be collected from school on this day.
Sherril Duffy
Principal