Binalong Public School

Welcome to 2024! We are off to a great start with students and staff enthusiastically settling into new classes and routines. We welcome our new kindies and our new students who have all happily joined the Binalong PS school community. We also welcome Mrs Mary Goulding (Miss Mary) as a School Learning Support Officer (SLSO). Miss Mary has had a work experience placement with us and also works across Wee Jasper and Berinba Public Schools as an SLSO. Welcome to the team Miss Mary.

With these sunny days and beautiful weather, we are reminding students about personal safety and how take look after ourselves. We are discussing safety around water, school, home, the community, sun safety and road safety. Please remember hats each day.

Let's work together to promote road and travel safety messages to our children and our community. There is some information below to help guide your conversations with your children.

There are a lot of events approaching so please add the upcoming dates to your diary.

As children get older they naturally demand more independence and, at some point, they will want to travel to school without you. But how do you know when this is safe?

The answer will depend on your judgment of how well they manage the unpredictability of an ever-changing traffic environment.

Watching their behaviour and talking with your child about potential dangers will help you make up your mind.Transport for NSW recommends you:

• always hold the hand of children under 8 years of age when in the traffic environment
• actively supervise children between 8-10 years of age when in the traffic environment
• ride with your children up to 10 years of age
• ride on the footpath with your child (you can do this up till they’re 16 years of age)

Before you allow your child to walk, ride or take public transport alone:

• Explain that road safety is a shared responsibility and they’re expected to follow the road rules for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.
• Talk with them about their personal responsibility for making safe decisions.
• Plan the route together.
• Travel the route together, discuss potential dangers and solutions and role model safe road user behaviours such as:
  • putting your mobile phone and electronic devices in your bag
  • waiting at least one step back from the edge of the road before crossing
  • stopping, looking, listening, thinking every time you cross the road together
  • making eye contact with drivers so you know the driver has seen you, before stepping out onto a road.
• When practising, let your child make the decisions of when to cross the road so you can see how well they’re able to cope with various traffic environment situations.
• Consider responsible friends they can travel with.
• Discuss safe alternatives for going to and from school if something changes, e.g. missing the school bus, public transport delays, flat bike tyre, footpaths blocked.

Until you feel comfortable letting your child travel on their own continue to travel with them.

Read the following information and share with your child:

• Walking to school safely – pedestrians and drivers have a shared responsibility on and near roads and need to look after each other.
• Starting high school safely – as an independent traveller you're never too old to be safe
• Safety on public transport (PDF 887KB) – everyone who uses public transport has rights and responsibilities
• Switch it up (PDF 770KB) – 7 reasons to actively travel to and from school
• Always wear a helmet (PDF 1MB) – choosing a helmet to protect your lid.
• Skateboarding safely – skateboards are best ridden in safe areas away from busy roads.

Week 2

Monday 5 Feb - P&C AGM

Week 3

Monday 12 Feb - Community meeting in school hall 6pm re: Binalong Masterplan - all welcome. 

Thursday 15 Feb - BPS Swimming Carnival

Week 4

Monday 19 Feb - Back to School BBQ and Class Info Sessions from 5.00pm - More information to come

Thursday 22 Feb - CDPSSA Cricket Trials (Year 5/6)  - Please let Mrs Arabin know if your child is at a competitive level and would like to trial.

Week 5

Wednesday 28 Feb - Assembly 2.15pm

Thursday 29 Feb - CDPSSA Swimming Carnival - Junee- 8 years and above for students who qualify to compete.

Friday 1 Mar - CDPSSA Basketball Trials (Year 5/6). Please let Mrs Arabin know if your child is at a competitive level and would like to trial.

Friday 1 Mar - GRIP Leadership Conference Canberra - Year 5 & 6

Sat & Sun - Boorowa Show

Week 6

Monday 4 March - Boyz Crew Hip Hop - Year 5 & 6 - please register your interest. P&C Meeting at 5.15pm

Thursday 7 March - PLC @ Wee Jasper. CDPSSA Touch Football Trials (Year 5/6). Please let Mrs Arabin know if your child is at a competitive level and would like to trial.

Friday 8 March - Year 3 & 4 Mixed League Tag - Harden

Week 7

NAPLAN - 13 March to 25 March - more information to come for Year 3 and Year 5 students.

Monday 11 March - Riverina Swimming Carnival

Wednesday 13 Mar - CDPSSA Soccer Trials (Year 5/6) - Please let Mrs Arabin know if your child is at a competitive level and would like to trial.

Friday 15 March - UC Aspire visit. Playgroup Nurse visit.

Thursday and Friday - Small Schools Conference - Mrs Arabin

Week 8

NAPLAN - 13 March to 25 March - more information to come for Year 3 and Year 5 students.

Fri 22 March - PPA Meeting - Mrs Arabin

Week 9

Friday 29 March - Good Friday - Public Holiday

Week 10

Monday 1 April - Easter Monday - Public Holiday

Monday 11 March - Riverina Swimming Carnival

Friday 5 April - CDPSSA Rugby League & Netball Trials (Yr 5/6) - Please let Mrs Arabin know if your child is at a competitive level and would like to trial.

Thursday 4 April - Assembly 2.15pm

Thursday and Friday - Step Up Conference - Miss Gerathy

Week 11

Monday 8 April - P&C Meeting

Wednesday and Thursday- Regional South Clarity Conference - Mrs Arabin

Friday 12 April - Last day of school 

We will hold our school swimming carnival on Thursday 9 February at Binalong Memorial Swimming Pool. Students are asked to go directly to the pool as close to 9.00am (limited supervision before 9.00am) in their house colours (Paterson - blue, Gilbert - yellow). Please return permission notes ASAP.

We are asking for parent volunteers to help on the day. Please let Mrs Foran if you're able to assist on the day 6227 4381.

Remember to bring:

* Hat, sunscreen, plenty of water, snacks, flotation device (if required), towel, swimmers (must have long sleeves or rashie) and your pool pass or pool entry money.

Student results and times for our carnival will determine qualifying for the district carnival (qualifying times determined by PSSA). To be eligible to attend the district carnival students must be 8 years and over (turning 8 in 2024) and swim in 50m races.

The P&C will run a bbq lunch on the day. No need to order, just pay on the day.

Binalong Public School sits within the Cootamundra District Primary School Sports Association (CDPSSA). This means that for certain sports, students have the opportunity to trial or represent the school once they are a qualifying age (and demonstrated ability) for that particular sport. CDPSSA representation can begin for sports like swimming, cross country and athletics once children are in their 8th year. So if your child is turning 8 this year, they may qualify to represent the school at upcoming CDPSSA (district) carnivals or specified sporting events. Often for these carnivals/events, parents are asked to provide private transport on the day.

Generally speaking, a student may qualify for a district carnival if they meet qualifying times and/or distances; or they may be selected to trial for a sporting team or event if they demonstrate a talent in a sport and play at a competitive level outside of school. Please note that most CDPSSA team sports are for students 11 years or over.

If you believe that your child should be nominated to trial in an upcoming sporting trial (not swimming), please contact Mrs Arabin to discuss.

Protective Behaviours & Body Safety Rules

Protective behaviours assists children and young people to understand safe and healthy relationships, and learn strategies to identify and respond to a range of unsafe situations. Attached are some guides with how you can discuss these strategies with children in a child-friendly and age-appropriate way. WA Child Safety Services has a helpful booklet for parents. The cost is $10.00 via the link https://shop.wacss.com.au/products/protective-behaviours-parent-carer-guide

In addition, Educate 2 Empower Publishing has a wide variety of resources on social stories, emotions, protective behaviours, gender equality and respectful relationships https://e2epublishing.info/

The resources attached are from this website.

• Debunking 6 Myths About Body Safety Education
• Body Safety Rules Poster – you may like to print a copy to display at home
• Family Warning Word
• 7 Key Body Safety Measures

For further information please reach out to the school staff, your GP or local community health provider.

Welcome to 2024.

We held our annual AGM last Monday evening at the school. Your elected 2024 P&C executive committee are as follows:

President - Max Giles

Vice President - Hannah Edwards

Secretary - Aliesha Cotter

Treasurer - Tamika Paterson

We welcome everyone to get involved with the P&C. If you have any ideas or suggestions for making our P&C and school even better, we'd love to  hear them. 
The P&C will continue to meet generally on the first Monday of the month at 5.15pm at school. Please come along and join the fun.