Binalong Public School

Binalong Bulletin

Term 1, Week 11 2024

Binalong Public School

Ngunnawal Country

'Towards a Higher Place'


From the Principal

After the External Validation process which we undertook last year, we have been developing our 2024-2027 School Improvement Plan. This has involved seeking feedback and input from students, parents and staff about our school, what's great about it, what we feel needs improving, and where to next. Parents, staff and students were invited to participate in surveys around school vision and values. Thank you to the staff, students and parents who provided their feedback. These submissions helped to shape the school vision for the 2024-2027 School Improvement Plan. There was a strong focus on community, individualised learning, resilience, happiness, friendship. From the surveys it was highlighted that a shared understanding of the importance of literacy and numeracy are areas that we need to further develop.

We have revised our school vision to include the focus on sense of community as well as a focus on developing proficiency in literacy and numeracy.

All NSW DoE schools are required to have strategic directions that focus on literacy and numeracy growth and attainment as well as a growth in student attendance. You can read more about these in the strategic directions below.

School Holidays

There will be lots of building works happening during the school holidays so our school playground and buildings will be closed to the public.

We hope that you all have a safe and happy holiday and we look forward to seeing you all back at school on Tuesday 30 April.

School Vision

Our vision is to empower our students to excel in both learning and life, by developing proficiency in literacy and numeracy alongside essential qualities such as empathy, resilience, and social awareness. To accomplish this, we are committed to offering equitable opportunities for supportive, inclusive, and personalised learning experiences. Emphasising connection to country, self, and others, we aim to inspire in students the importance of empathy and understanding, nurturing authentic relationships and fostering both global and community connections.

Strategic Directions for the School Improvement Plan

SD1 - Student Growth and Attainment 
Initiative - Effective Classroom Practice
Purpose: To develop excellence in learning through developing strong foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. Teachers use an evidence-informed approach to quality teaching, curriculum planning and assessment to promote aspirational student growth in learning.

SD2 - Learn, Grow, Belong 

Initiative - Planned Approach to Inclusion and Wellbeing

Purpose: To embed a school-wide and data-informed strategic and planned approach to whole school wellbeing processes, that support the wellbeing of all students so that they can connect, succeed, thrive and learn. Student voice and agency lies at the heart of refining practices and processes guided by parent and carer consultation and shared planning.

SD3 -Educational Leadership

Initiative - Professional Learning Communities

Purpose: The leadership team leads teaching and learning to support a collaborative culture of high expectations, inclusion and community engagement for whole school improvement. A focus on distributed educational leadership supports collective efficacy and aspiration sustaining a culture of evidence-informed teaching and ongoing improvement.

Dates for the Diary 2024

Please add the following dates to the diary. Note that this calendar is regularly updated.

Week 11

Monday 8 April - P&C Meeting 

Tuesday 9 April - Ice cream day

Wednesday and Thursday- Regional South Clarity Conference - Mrs Arabin & Mrs Ranie. Mr Godman will be on 4/5/6 class

Friday 12 April - Last day of school - Mufti Day (out of uniform) - bring a gold coin donation. Mrs Walsh on K-2 class. Tennis sessions to take place at the Binalong Tennis Courts (please note change of day from Tuesday due to weather). 

School Holidays

Thursday 25 April - Anzac Day - students attend Binalong community service

TERM 2

Week 1

Monday 29 April - Staff Development Day (pupil free day)

Tuesday 30 April - Students return to school

Wednesday 1 May - Mothers' Day stall, students invited to buy a $5 or $10 gift/s.

Thursday 2 May - Small Schools Cross Country @ Bongongo (this event will determine qualifying competitors for district)

Week 2

Monday 6 May  - Book Fair open for purchases

Wednesday 8 May - Burrabinya at Murrumburrah HS (Postponed)

Thursday 9 May - CDPSSA Cross Country @ Harden

Friday 10 May - P&C Art Show, National Walk Safely to School Day, STEM Day with Anna Kemp, Playgroup & MACH nurse visiting

Week 3

Thursday 16 May - Boyz Crew Hip Hop

Week 4

Wednesday 22 May - Biggest Morning Tea and National Simultaneous Storytime

Week 5

Friday 31 May - UC Aspire

What a team! Thank you to our incredible staff who go above and beyond to make our school the amazing place that it is to live, learn, grow and play at. Thank you!

Supporting Student Attendance

We know that regular school attendance improves learning and wellbeing outcomes for students and we aim to have our school be a place that our students enjoy attending each day.

    As outlined in our SIP attendance improvement and uplift is a state priority. We actively promote regular student attendance through newsletters and visuals around the school, as well as aiming to create a safe and harmonious learning environment where students want to be.

    Parents of children from Kindergarten to Year 12 must ensure their children attend school every day. On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:

    • being sick or having an infectious disease
    • having an unavoidable medical appointment
    • being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
    • exceptional or urgent family circumstances e.g. attending a funeral.

    Parents must provide an explanation for absences to the school within 7 days from the first day of any period of absence. Where an explanation has not been received within the 7-day timeframe, the school will record the absence as unexplained on the student's record.

    When a child is absent from school for 3 days or more due to illness, a medical certificate is requested.


    Currently our school has an attendance rate of 91.2%, and 61.1% of our students are attending school 90% + of the time. 


    As always, we continue to work closely with our HSLO (home school liaison officer) to support regular school attendance, and if you require any support regarding attendance both the school and HSLO are here to help.

    We are streamlining some of our attendance communication processes to better utilise the functionality of our Sentral administration system. This will include:

    • Families will be notified by letter/email when their child’s attendance drops to 85% or below.

    • F rom Term 2, the Sentral Parent Portal will be used as a method of attendance communication. If a child has an unexplained absence from school, at 9.30am an automatic notification will be sent to families.

      We appreciate your support in working together to uplift our student attendance to support positive learning and wellbeing outcomes for your children.

    Attendance Comparison Binalong Public School Vs State

    Published in Annual Report 2023

    Compulsory School Attendance for Parents

    See attached parent information regarding school attendance.
    Download

    Got It!? Program

    We are thrilled to have been included in the GotIt! Program which has been redeveloped for our small school setting to include students in Years K - 6. Next term, EOI's from families will be invited to participate in the program which will take place at our school in Term 3. After the EOI process, six families will be selected to participate in the on-site program.

    We encourage families to take advantage of this service, as we have been have been advocating to have health and wellbeing teams deliver services from our school for our community, in response to parent feedback about the challenges of living rurally and having inadequate or inconsistent access to services (including health, psychology, speech, OT etc), so we are really thrilled to have been included in this program which is usually only offered in larger schools.

    Please see Mrs Arabin for more information.

    Got It!?

    Breakfast Club

    Students are enjoying their regular breakfasts each Tuesday and thanks to our recent application to be included in Foodbank's Schools Breakfast Program, we can extend our Breakfast Club days. We have been provided with a variety of breakfast products including milk, breakfast drinks, baked beans, spaghetti, cornflakes, wheatbix and more. 

    To help us run a regular and consistent Breakfast Club, we would love some parent or community help. If you or someone you know is able to regularly assist for an hour per week (8.15am-9.15am), it would greatly assist our program. Please contact Mrs Arabin if you or someone you know would like to help out.

    School Photos Ready to Order

    Once again, we thank Heidi Grange for taking our beautiful school photos. These are now ready for you to order. Please go to the link below to purchase photos. Orders must be placed and paid for by Friday 12th April. 

    https://www.grangecreative.com.au/bps/

    The Big Veggie Crunch

    Did you know only 5% of NSW children eat enough vegetables? We’re on a mission to change that stat, by increasing children’s knowledge, exposure and positive attitudes towards vegetables. The Big Veggie Crunch is an attempt by NSW primary schools to break the record for the highest number of children eating vegetables simultaneously. Hopefully we were able to get children a little bit excited about eating vegetables and importantly trying new ones. They certainly were a popular lunch time snack with cucumber, carrot, beans, capsicum, tomato and snow peas flying off the plate!

    Week 5 & 10 Assembly and Award Recipients

    Easter Preschool Visit

    Easter Hat Parade

    Tennis Hot Shots

    Enjoy some photos from Term 1

    Anzac Day 2024

    Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 Collaborative Learning Time

    NSW Virtual STEM Academy

    Congratulations to Audrey and Elise who were two of four students in Years 5 & 6 from Binalong PS to be nominated and selected for the NSW Virtual STEM Academy class in Term 2. Audrey and Elise will participate in an 8 week program at school where they will link in virtually for a lesson each week focused on the iSee platform. Four students from Years 5 and 6 can be nominated from each school in Term 2 and Term 3, so there will be another opportunity for more of our students to be involved.

    The NSW Virtual STEM Academy is designed to provide students in Years 5 - 10 with online access to STEM enrichment and extension programs through an innovative virtual platform. It aims to inspire a passion and aspiration for STEM through innovative, enriching opportunities and transformational partnerships.

    The Academy aims to provide equal access to STEM learning through enhanced opportunities for under-represented and disadvantaged students in regional, rural and remote areas across Australia.

    It also helps to build STEM teacher capabilities through innovative technologies and the sharing of best practices and innovation in virtual learning pedagogies.

    https://sispprogram.schools.nsw.gov.au/stem/stem1.html

    Did Your 4 or 5 Year Old Have their Eye Screener?

    Pet Photography Competition

    We love ice-cream day.
    Thank you for supporting the SRC this term!

    Stars of the Week - Week 9

    Elise Edwards consistently striving hard to improve and seeking feedback for success; Tyahn Howard always being an active participant in class discussions; Jackson Smith active participant in UFLI lessons; Audrey Corcoran showing a dedication and persistence to and for learning

    Stars of the Week - Week 10

    Zavier Brayshaw for consistently following the School Code of Behaviour, Jacob Goltz for actively participating in class discussions, Evie Cotter for re-reading and editing her own writing after receiving feedback, Audrey Corcoran (wk8) for showing a dedication and persistence to and for learning

    Stars of the Week - Week 11

    Leila Vasey for persisting in her learning to decode CVC words; Chloe Perceval for increasing confidence & participation in class discussions; Evie Edwards for seeking out feedback for her story writing; Dusty Schofield for her application of learned literary devices in her own writing

    Newsletter Sponsorship

    Would you or your business like to sponsor our school newsletter? Please contact Mrs Foran for more information 62274381.

    P&C News and Updates

    P&C News and Updates

    P&C Meeting - Monday 8 April at 5.15pm in the school Library. All welcome.

    Community Noticeboard

    School Holiday Program @ Bowning PS

    Puppet Show @ Mechanics Institute Hall

    Puppets in Binalong these April Holidays!

    Binalong Arts Group are excited to present Little Wing Puppets and their puppet show A Little Bit of Blue these April holidays. Here are all the details and a poster attached 

    Tuesday 16 April 2024

    Binalong Mechanics Institute, 15 Wellington St, Binalong

    10:30am Show

    11:30am Workshop

    Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/CPLIK

    Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/3d2ZGVwzb

    Tickets $11 or $38.50 for four people (plus booking fee).

     More info:  Jenny Ellis 

    Contact: info@littlewingpuppets.com

    Enquiries: 0408 808 699 

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