PLEASE NOTIFY THE SCHOOL OF A CHILD'S POSITIVE CASE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Acknowledgement of Country...
Useful links can be found at end of this issue of the Pigeon Post...š
Thank you for your understanding...
From the Principal's Desk...
P&C Garden Tea Party | Dear Parents and Carers and special guests, Thank you for joining us here today in our garden. We are standing in the fruition of a lot of hard work, team work and student dreams. We are standing in the legacy of Ms Pauline Jensen, a respected and passionate staff member of Balmain Public, who championed a number of environmental initiatives. For many years this space was abandoned, out of bounds, overgrown, and a weed mat, that our students were not allowed to play in. Now, it is a stunning, open and tranquil space, for our students to enjoy during their breaks and for teachers to embrace as an outdoor educational area. This project began in 2022, when our environmental warrior team approached our P&C, with a book of dream statements, showcasing how they envisioned we could rejuvenate and enjoy the space. Our P&C executive team were quick to advocate for these ideas and support our student voice. We then began communicating with Mr Jamie Parker and Mr Darcy Byrne, who were able to support our team through funding applications and helping to shape our ideas with appropriate infrastructure and planning. Our dreams were becoming a reality. Our P&C, in conjunction with Mrs Lambos and Mrs Bowman, refined our garden designs and, this year, we are proud to officially open Ms Paulineās Garden for our students and community to enjoy. Ms Kobi Shetty has continued the work of Jamie Parker in supporting our studentsā green initiatives by generously providing a street library for our garden space, as well as introducing a commemorative annual award, commending work with the environment. Our whole student body is passionate about continung our environmental initiatives and we see this garden as just the beginning. So, thank you for coming today to celebrate with us and, more importantly, thank you so much everyone who has had a part in making this dream a reality. We look forward to enjoying this stunning space for many years to come!
As per Compass notification:
Dear Parents and Carers
Our classes have settled in well and we are ready to call out for volunteers to be a Class Representative (Rep) for your childās class. The class or parent/carer rep role is a conduit between your childās class teacher, the school and the P&C.
Whatās the Role of a BPS Class Rep?
- EMAIL and communicate P&C news to parents about school activities ONLY
- It is NOT designed for any other purpose eg sharing of political communications etc
- EMAIL and communicate classroom news to parents from teachers
- Help the teachers with parent involvement in classroom activities (e.g. helping with reading or craft, assisting with excursions or sports)
- Co-ordinate class participation in fundraising events as per the BPS timetable of P&C events
Please find the 2024 Class Rep Manual attached for your reference.
If this sounds like something you could volunteer for, please complete the Expression of Interest Google Form below, ASAP.
Expression of Interest - 2024 Class Rep - Google form
This is NOT a āfirst in, best dressedā scenario, nor is it a confirmation that the role is yours, at this stage. In many cases, a number of people volunteer for particular classes.
A maximum of 2 reps are required for each class - the class teacher will make the final decision if there are more than 2 volunteers.
Please DO NOT email your childās teacher, or the school, separately - ONLY the Google Form will be used.
You will be contacted by the class teacher if you have been chosen for this role.
Warm regards
Maria Lambos - Principal
PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING! We're collecting plastic bottle lids for a special project. Please wash and dry instead of recycling. There is a collection box in the foyer, outside the office. Thanks so much for your help!
Connect with Balmain PS...Wonder what's goes on at our school? Follow us on Instagram for daily content, both through posts and stories...
Check out what we get up to each day. Head over to our Instagram account: @balmainps
Follow us on Instagram
Keep up with what's happening @ Balmain Public School
https://www.instagram.com/balmainps/
IF YOU SEE A COLOURED CIRCLE AROUND OUR SCHOOL LOGO, DON'T FORGET TO TAP ON IT, FOR OUR LATEST STORY...you've got to get in quickly, as it disappears after 24 hours!
SOME OF OUR STORIES ARE SAVED AS HIGHLIGHTS...
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)
Could you be our next P&C Treasurer?
Next month on Wednesday 13th March, the Balmain P&C will hold our Annual General Meeting and vote on Executive Positions for the Committee.
As previously communicated there are up to five formal positions available namely President, Secretary, Treasurer and either one or two Vice Presidents. The current committee is aware of potential replacements for President and Secretary, but none for Treasurer. It is a critical role to the operation of the P&C and needs a volunteer to fill it.
Hereās a quick description of what the role entails and if anyone has any questions then Paul, the current Treasurer would be happy to answer them. He can be contacted on 0466 497 010.
Role Description:
P&C Treasurer (outgoing Paul Galpin)
- Provides transparency over the financial position inclusive of reporting of all cash flows at monthly meetings;
- Takes a lead on banking and cash-handling processes and queries;
- Provides financial reporting support and oversight for events;
- Prepares annual accounts, organises the audit of them and presents the results at the AGM.
As a reminder, committee roles typically involve a few hours of work a month depending on whatās going on (some months could be busier than others). They are, however, incredibly important for the School and provide an extremely rewarding experience for those that can contribute. We have a long and proud history of volunteering at Balmain Public and we hope that our new parents can help carry this on.
Your P&C Exec - Lauren (mum of Ava in Year 3), Renate (mum of Lachlan and Jack in Years 6 & 4), Paul (dad of Jasper and Sammy in Years 4 & 2), Yann (dad of Yunxi in Year 5), Kara (mum of Lily Year 2), Tracy (mum of Aaron and Maya in Years 3 & 1) and Trista (mum of Charlie and Zachy in Year 3 & Kindy)
Thank you to everyone who has completed our P&C survey and shared your feedback with us. The survey is still open for a week and is open to all members of the school community (parents/carers, school staff, P&C members). We would love to hear what projects you would like us to focus on in 2024 and also understand your capacity to support our fundraising and project work. Thank you for taking the time to complete our brief survey (2-3 mins) - please click below to complete, by Friday 1 March. We hope to be able to share the results of this survey at our 2024 AGM on 13 March. If you have any questions please email us at balmainpspc@gmail.com
Kind Regards, Lauren and the P&C Exec Team
Balmain Public School Uniform Shop urgently needs volunteers
The uniform shop is run by parents and relies on volunteers to continue to offer low cost uniforms to the community. Annually, the shop makes approximately $20,000 which goes directly to the P&C to fund necessary resources for the school (In 2023, the P&C supported purchases of books, technology, Stage 1 resources, funding new decking and the garden).
At present we do not have the required number of committee members or volunteers to continue to operate this service on an ongoing basis.
Committee members - Once a month (1-2 hours), committee members would answer emails, keep the closet keys, come into pack orders, deliver orders and do stocktakes.
If you are able to offer ~1-2 hours of your time a month, on an ongoing basis, please get in touch balmainpsuniforms@gmail.com
Friday volunteers If you are able to volunteer on an occasional Friday, we would also like to hear from you. We require one volunteer a Friday prior to assembly to assist getting orders completed.
Please sign up at: Uniform Stall Volunteers: Uniform Stall Roster (signupgenius.com)
Children are more than welcome to join.
Follow our P&C on Insta @balmainpspc
To see what else we've been up to this week, head over to @balmainps!
***COMPASS IS OUR MAIN FORM OF COMMUNICATING WITH YOU***In case of urgent/important communication, notifications via the Compass app on your phone will keep you informed***
To ensure you receive all communication via Compass, please have the app downloaded on your phone, with the notifications turned ON.
Although the school pushes out notifications via the app and email, there may be times when an important message may be missed as emails may sometimes not be checked regularly.
If there were to be an emergency, (hopefully not), information would be pushed out via Compass.
Payments online
All online payments are now made using COMPASS.
Dropping something off?
Please label item/s with their full name and class.
Absences
Please use the Compass app to notify your child's teacher of their absence/s.
Kindy Parents/Carers
Sometimes children have 'accidents'. Where possible, we provide them with a clean dry change of clothes. Please keep spare underpants and socks in their bag, just in case.
Dropping off/collecting your child
If you are collecting your child early or dropping them off late, please come to the Office window on Eaton Street. Squeeze 'Charlie' the Chook and we will organise a note for the student. Also, if you are dropping anything off for your child, please ensure all items are LABELLED with full name & class.
Change of address/contacts
If you have moved recently or changed Emergency Contacts or mobile numbers, please email the Office so details can be updated.
Financial Difficulties
If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact the office or Mrs Lambos.
TUES 27 FEB | DRESS UP DAY to HELP OUR GARDEN GROW
FRI 8 MAR | P&C Event - WELCOME DRINKS
What: Social catch-up to welcome new and returning members of our Balmain Public School Community (parents and carers)
When: 7 - 10pm
Where: The Royal Oak Hotel (upstairs)
WED 13 - MON 25 MAR | NAPLAN | Years 3 & 5 only
The test window is from Tuesday 13 March (Term 1, Week 7) until Monday 25 March (Term 1, Week 9).
In 2024, NAPLAN will be held from Wednesday 13 March to Monday 25 March. Students in Years 3 and 5 who are enrolled at a school are expected to participate in four NAPLAN tests: writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
All schools in NSW undertake NAPLAN online. However, Year 3 students do the writing test on paper. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the format of the tests before the NAPLAN test window.
 |
NAPLAN Information for Parents and Carers
Download
|
WED 13 MAR | P&C Event - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
What: AGM, where we will provide a review of P&C activities in 2023 and elect 2024 Executive Committee Members
When: 7 - 9pm
Where: TBC
Every THURSDAY | FOOTSTEPS Dance Program K-6
Every FRIDAY (weather permitting) | AWARDS ASSEMBLY
Please leave your furry friends at home...
Every FRIDAY | Uniform Stall
Order items online here
The best way to order new uniforms is online and they will be delivered to children's classrooms each Friday morning.
Come to the uniform stall if you need to try items on for size.
Second Chance items are available 8:30-9am twice a term on Fridays. 2024 dates are:
Term 1: 5 April
Term 2: 10 May, 28 July
Term 3: 2 August, 20 September
Term 4: 25 October, 13 December.
Donations can be dropped into the tub near the office anytime.
If you would like to volunteer to help, please either email us at balmainpsuniforms@gmail.com or sign up via the link
Every FRIDAY | The School Canteen: Special request for parents and carers to cancel their lunch orders if their child is not going to be at school for lunch, by texting 0416 786 603 with their childās full name and class. In return, an sms will be sent back to confirm the order has been cancelled and all monies returned in full to the childās Spriggy school account.
P&C Meetings | via Zoom and offsite (in-person) @ 7pm | 1st Wednesday (usually) of each month within the school term
Meeting dates for 2024:
13 March - AGM & General Meeting - 7pm
LEARN LIVE LEAD awards
| K Deer - Ms A Davis | Mana M | showing up each day excited to learn and always trying her best! |
| K Jentinki - Ms L Jennett | Noah B | having a big smile on his face every morning and trying his best at school! |
| 1/2 Javan Ruso - Ms J Walsh | Ajay W | having a great attitude to school this week and writing some fun imaginative stories in English |
| 1/2 Pampas Deer - Ms S Parsons | Joshua B | producing consistently excellent classwork |
| 1/2 Warthog - Ms K Withers | Ethan G | his creativity and enthusiasm during investigations |
| 3/2 Antilocapra - Mrs E Archibald | Mia C | acting on feedback to improve her work |
| 3/4 Elk - Mr G Elix | Angus M | demonstrating strong collaborative skills and being eager to share his ideas with the class |
| 3/4 Guanaco - Mrs L Goodridge | Gabriel R | being a tech whiz, who patiently supported his peers in their learning |
| 5/4 Capreolinae - Ms A Cooper | Griffin S-W | reflecting on, and critically thinking about, his own classwork and how to apply feedback |
| 5/4 Springbok - Mr L Saville | Ella S | her positive, enthusiastic and mature approach to all areas of learning |
| 5/6 Puku - Mrs A Pitman | Daniel W | his consistenly considerate and thoughtful nature to teachers and peers alike |
| 5/6 Royal Antelope - Ms R Reedy | Harry D | burning up the dancefloor during Footsteps! Groovy! |
| 6 Bongo - Ms K Barcenilla | Gabriela B S | demonstrating solution focused thinking in all areas of her learning! |
| Art K-2 - Mrs F Bowman | Penelope T KJ | drawing a wonderful happy hen in our art class |
| Art 3-6 - Mrs F Bowman | Sharanya D 6B | a diligent and creative approach to our landscape work |
| Library K-2 - Ms M Whelan | Ted D 1/2P | attaining a Gold Reading Rockstar badge |
| Library 3-6 - Ms M Whelan | Sharanya D 6B | her wide ranging reading interest |
| STEAM K-2 - Mrs S Loxton | Mateo S 1/2P | exhibiting enthusiasm and respect during STEAM |
| STEAM 3-6 - Mrs S Loxton | Frederick H 5/6P | demonstrating focus and respect in STEAM |
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR 4 LEARNING (PB4L) awards - RESPONSIBLE
| K Deer - Ms A Davis | Noah S | always having a positive attitude and being in the right place at the right time |
| K Jentinki - Ms L Jennett | Harriet B | always being happy to help a friend in need |
| 1/2 Javan Ruso - Ms J Walsh | Jensen B | always doing the right thing and being an excellent role model to his peers |
| 1/2 Pampas Deer - Ms S Parsons | Talia F | setting an example of sensible behaviour |
| 1/2 Warthog - Ms K Withers | Liv E | demonstrating beautiful listening skills at all times |
| 3/2 Antilocapra - Mrs E Archibald | Charlie N | taking care of our classroom and its belongings |
| 3/4 Elk - Mr G Elix | Ethan R | actively assisting others, and being a strong role model at all times |
| 3/4 Guanaco - Mrs L Goodridge | Macy W | consistently showing excellent behaviour and quietly completing all of her tasks |
| 5/4 Capreolinae - Ms A Cooper | Marla T | being a reliable, considerate and confident classmate and keeping us all smiling! |
| 5/4 Springbok - Mr L Saville | James C | embracing his classroom job as 'leader of the pack' and keeping our classroom organised |
| 5/6 Puku - Mrs A Pitman | Isabelle M | beginning her time at Balmain confidently and responsibly by taking ownership of her learning |
| 5/6 Royal Antelope - Ms R Reedy | Marc K | showing care and kindness for an injured bird |
| 6 Bongo - Ms K Barcenilla | Vivienne B-N | taking every opportunity to help everyone around her, all the time! |
This week's winners...
ES1 - James C KJ; S1 - Scarlett S 3/2A; S2 - Lola B 3/4E; S3 - Vivienne B-N 6B (from last week: S2 - Dorothy W 3/2A)
This week, 5/6P started our semesterly project, F2L - Freedom To Learn. F2L is a fun and engaging style of learning, where we are asked to choose or create a project. This semester, the topic is sustainability, so we are researching areas of interest in the sustainability realm, and will research, learn and/or create for 10 weeks, then present to the entire Treehouse. Below are some examples of the projects of the students of 5/6P. One group is researching the Great Barrier Reef and making a 3D diorama of the Great Barrier Reef; another is doing an art exhibition using recycled materials and another group is making an electric motor that runs on green energy (water, wind). Written by Jonah B & Andy Z
3/4 G kicked off the start of the school year with our book study of Rolad Dahlās Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. To start our exploration of this tale, the class participated in a scavenger hunt. Students worked together to solve math problems and riddles, following clues that took them around the classroom, onto the climbing cube and finally to the sandpit where they discovered a treasure box. Inside the box were Roald Dahl books, a letter from Mr. Willy Wonka and some sweet treats to share. Hereās what Guanacos said about the book so farā¦ ā5 choccy bars/5 choccy barsā - Sage and Siena; āI like it when you read it to us and I like the lollies too!ā Nico; and āCharlie and the Chocolate factory is the best book ever!ā Saxon.
Alongside our reading journey, 3/4 G have been focusing on building friendships. They made "All About Me" cubes, where students shared about themselves in a creative way. Now, they're using Flip to record short presentations to learn about their classmates and make new friends.
STEAM with Ms Loxton | This week, 3/4 G students constructed a Lego Spike Essential taxi. Students explored the various motors and sensors in the kit and will learn to program these in our next lesson. This term, Stage 2 students will be tasked with the challenge of designing, creating and programming a passenger vehicle with an impact-resistant compartment.
3/4 Guanaco love sport and games. Look at these sporty Guanacos go!
Balmain Public School children are expected to wear full school uniform, including a school hat, every day. All children are required to wear full school uniform when representing the school on excursions, at sporting events or at cultural activities.
