Binalong Public School

Last week I was blown away by our dance troupe from 3-6 who performed at the Goulburn Performing Arts Centre. They were absolute stars and it was a delight to seem them shine on stage, full of confidence, excitement and pride!

In amongst dance performances, PLC days, school incursions and visits, school athletics carnival preparation and regular 'school life', teachers have been carefully preparing student reports. This year has seen a reporting policy revision and our student reports will be adapted to meet these revisions. There is further information about these changes included in the newsletter, and we encourage you to review these changes.

Our school athletics carnival is scheduled for Wednesday 25/6 (Week 9) with a back up date of Wednesday 2/7 (Week 10). We are running through events back at school and taking records in case our carnival does not go ahead due to weather.

As we approach the end of another term (and semester) at Binalong Public School, I would like to acknowledge the incredible BPS team of teachers and support staff who go above and beyond to make all the magic happen here at Binalong Public School. Each and every day, they go above and beyond to provide rich and varied experiences and opportunities for our students. We love working with our students, families and community, and couldn't do it without the support of our fabulous P&C, and supportive school community.

Week 7

Monday 9 June - King's Birthday public holiday

Tuesday 10 June - Southern Tablelands Dance Festival performance

Friday 13 June - UC Aspire visit

Week 8

Monday 16 June - Mr Godman on 3-6 - Mrs Ranie and Mrs Arabin Curriculum Policy Monitoring

Tuesday 17 June - EnviroMentors Visit - Pre-school to join

Thursday 19 June - Middle Leaders Network Day - Mrs Ranie

Friday 20 June - Wagga PPA Meeting - Mrs Arabin - Mr Godman on 3-6

Week 9

Wednesday 25 June - Binalong PS Athletics Carnival

Friday 27 June - Yass Network Meeting - Mrs Arabin - Mr Godman on 3-6

Week 10 - Student Reports to go home this week

Monday 30 June - St George Dragons NRL visit

Tuesday 1 July - School Counsellor visit

Wednesday 2 July - Back-up date for BPS Athletics Carnival

Friday 4 July - Last day of school - Binalong's Got Talent, Assembly (time TBA).

Term 3

Week 1

Monday 21 July - Pupil Free Day (Staff Development Day)

Wednesday 23 July - Young Eyes screening clinic

Week 2

Monday 28 July - Wednesday 30 July - Year 5/6 Small Schools Transitions Creative Arts Camp

Tuesday 29 July - District Athletics Carnival Temora

Week 3 - Public Education Week

Our talented performers from Years 3–6 lit up the stage on Tuesday night, 10 June, in Goulburn, dazzling the audience with their incredible dance performance to "A Sky Full of Stars." After many weeks of dedicated rehearsals, their hard work paid off with stunning choreography, confident moves, and bright, shining costumes that truly impressed everyone in attendance.

A huge congratulations to all the students involved - you were simply wonderful, and we are all incredibly proud of you!

A heartfelt thank you goes to Miss Gerathy, our amazing dance teacher, for her guidance and creativity, and to our fantastic support team: Mrs Edwards and Mrs Arabin. And thank you to Max for getting us to and from Goulburn safely on the bus! Thank you once again to the Binalong Brahmans for generously providing the bus so that our students can participate in extra-curricular opportunities. 

Year 3–6 will take the stage again to perform this dance at our end-of-year Presentation Night. We can’t wait to see it again! ✨

From Term 2, we’re introducing updated school reports (this is building on from revised report formats in 2024).

The new format has been developed by the NSW Department of Education in response to feedback from parents and educators to make reports easier to read and understand.

Your child’s report will still show their progress across all subject areas.

Teacher comments will appear in English, mathematics and the general comment section, in line with department policy. You will notice that in English and mathematics, some strands  (not all) of these Key Learning Areas are reflected in the check box, to provide you with a more detailed understanding of your child's progress in reading and writing, and in number, addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division. Your child's progress across other strands within these KLA's will be reflected in their comments for these areas. We've decided to follow this format rather than just giving and overall English grade and an overall mathematics grade. As the report format evolves, we welcome your feedback.

The general comment for Kindergarten also covers all other key learning areas including, creative arts, HSIE, PDHPE, and science and technology.

A new achievement scale and descriptions are included to provide a clearer picture of your child’s progress.

Parent–teacher interviews remain an important way to discuss your child’s progress and achievement in more detail, and parents are invited to request a mutually convenient time to meet with their child's teacher during Week 10, or upon the return to school in Term 3.

We welcome your feedback or questions about the new report format.

Effective communication between our school and families is vital to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment. This year, we have increased our Sentral platform to enhance our communication tools, making it easier for our staff to connect with you and for you to stay informed about your child's education.

We encourage all families to sign up for and regularly access our school communication platforms, Sentral and Audiri (Sentral will eventually replace Audiri). These tools have been selected to streamline our communication processes and enhance staff productivity, ensuring that you receive timely updates and important information about school events and your child’s progress.

One important aspect of our communication strategy is the completion of permission notes. We kindly ask that even if you do not grant permission for certain activities, you still complete these notes . This helps us with planning and ensures that we have accurate records for all students. Please note that Sentral will be the main platform for the delivery and return of these permission notes, making it easier for you to respond quickly and efficiently.

Your involvement is crucial to the success of our communication efforts, and we appreciate your support in keeping the lines of communication open.

If you need any support getting set up on either Sentral or Audiri, please contact the school office on 62274381 to arrange a time. Together, we can create a supportive and informed school community.

Thank you for your partnership!

Last week Braxton and Audrey represented the Cootamundra District at the Regional Cross Country carnival held in Gundagai on Thursday 12 June. 

Audrey placed about 13th out of approximately 50 competitors, and Braxton 41st after being involved in an on course collision with other competitors!

Well done to Audrey and Braxton, we are impressed with your commitment to your training, and spirit and resilience on the day! 

Tell us a little about your experience at District:

”It was a good experience, because I know what what it feels like now. I got some District clothes and I will keep practicing hard for the athletics carnival and cross country and next year” - Braxton

Binalong Public School welcomed Bowning and Wee Jasper students and staff to our school for our shared PLC day on Friday 6 June.

Students were engaged across the day with a variety of exciting lessons ranging from hip hop and contemporary dance, camp inspired cooperative games and drama skills, and an intriguing science lesson with Mr Godman that inspired the students to explore the life cycle and mysterious lives of cicadas!

Teachers were joined by Mr Pat Jones, Principal from Caragabal Public School, who lead staff through the effective use of AI in education. We were also joined by Kerrie Coulter, APCI from Young Public School, who shared High Performing and Gifted Education (HPGE) opportunities within the Temora network.

It was  a fabulous day re-connecting with old friends, new friends, and colleagues alike, and we can't wait until next term when we visit Bowning for our next PLC day.

A BIG thank you to Kirsten and the P&C for another delicious meal deal!

The UC Aspire team joined the students on Friday 13 June to explore creative careers!

Students were eager during the day to share their creative ideas and had many curious questions regarding university, study, careers and future opportunities. The day was action packed with students enjoying designing their own jerseys, face masks and exploring flower arranging. 

After recess students learnt about blueprints, early photography and cyanotypes. With an activity to create their own unique cyanotypes!

What is a cyanotype we hear you ask? A cyanotype is an eco-friendly printmaking technique using the power of the sun to develop shapes and images!

In the afternoon the UC team invited students to consider costume design and in small groups they designed and constructed elaborate costumes.

We love our partnership with the UC team!

P&C Meeting - Monday 23 June at school from 5.30pm - All welcome

We will be providing a meal deal for students at the upcoming Athletics Carnival.