Pigeon Post

2023 Volume 3 Issue 4

PLEASE NOTIFY THE SCHOOL OF A CHILD'S POSITIVE CASE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Acknowledgement of Country...

Useful links can now be found at end of this issue of the Pigeon Post...šŸ‘‡

From the Principal's Desk...

CONGRATS to sisters, Camilla & Emmeline!

Camilla (3/4C) and her sister Emmeline (KG) represented Balmain Public School recently at the 2023 Interschools Snowsport Championships!

Camilla - Division 5:

Moguls - 2nd - qualified for NSW State Champs

Alpine - 14th - qualified for NSW State Champs

SkierX - 18th


Emmeline - Division 6 (the youngest / smallest competitor):

Alpine - Placed 15th - qualified for NSW State Champs

SkierX - Placed 21st

We wish them both the very best of luck at the NSW State Championships!

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 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...

The week that was...

Check out what we've been doing this week. 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)

Student Leadership

P&C...

Team P&C

Are you able to assist, please?

Follow our P&C on Instagram @balmainpspc

August Meeting Minutes

Download

P&C Membership form

Download

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.

From the Office

If you have recently received an invoice from the school, your assistance in finalising your account is much appreciated.

**SCHOOL RESOURCE FEE NOW DUE: In order to assist Balmain Public School teachers’ curriculum delivery of high-quality education for all students K-6, various school-based programs are organised by each stage team. All programs, which may vary from stage to stage, are an integral part of students’ learning. *Note: this is NOT a P&C Voluntary Contribution/Levy.**

If you are experiencing difficulty in making a payment, please contact the Office or Mrs Lambos.

2023 Schedule of School Resource Fees

Download

Dropping something off?

Please label item/s with their full name and class.

Incorrect Payments 

There have been some instances where people are paying twice for items, or the incorrect amount. Please check prior to making an online payment.

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 'Bill' the Duck 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.

Payments online

If you are paying for excursions etc, please go to the School website and click on the 'make a payment' tab and follow the prompts. You can also pay through the Compass app. Also, at the top of each week's newsletter, under 'Useful Links', there is a tab, 'Make a payment'.

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.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Every TUESDAY - NUDE FOOD TUESDAY

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 the first Friday of every month during the school term. 

If you would like to volunteer to help, please either email us at balmainpsuniforms@gmail.com or sign up via the link

Located on the ground floor, next to the ConneXion Hub.

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 child’s 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 child’s Spriggy school account.


P&C Meetings - via Zoom and offsite (in-person) @ 7pm

Meeting dates:

  • Wednesday 6 September
  • Wednesday 11 October
  • Wednesday 8 November
  • Wednesday 6 December

14-18 AUG | Science Week

THURS 24 AUG | Book Week Character Parade | 9am

SUN 27 AUG | FOOTPRINTS ECOFESTIVAL

FRI 1 SEPT | Father's Day BBQ

FRI 22 SEPT | Last Day of Term 3

MON 9 OCT | First Day of Term 4

FRI 27 OCT | Halloween Disco

SOCCER

Balmain Juniors

Today we won 5- 0 šŸ˜€!!! Some great goals from Cassius (2) Aidan (1) Hamish.D(1) and Harry (own goal). 

The player of the match was Ethan because he was always ready and was helping out the team a great deal.

⁃ Harrison S

Balmain A

Today was a rough game with us losing 2-1 however, the player of the match goes to Henry. It was a hard decision especially because of Jacob’s goal to keep our heads up high but Henry made fabulous work bringing the ball up, defending and also putting himself in good positions to receive the ball.

⁃ Jad J

Balmain B

Our game was against Leichart B team. The game was very hard, but we ended up winning 1-0.  

Although everyone played really well, the player of the match was Addie. She set up the winning goal, and was overall a great player. 

Well done Addie!

- Emily G

Balmain C

Today's game was against Annadale Public School. We versed them before and the score was 5-0 to us. The player of the match was Angelina since she scored her first goal today.

- James W

NETBALL

Juniors

18-1, Balmain’s Way

Captain: Halle

We played Orange Grove D’s and had a really good game because usually their teams are really good. But we had everyone in good positions and created a lot of space on the court. MVP was Sophie because she always got the ball from her defender.

MIP was Naomi because she didn’t have the position she wanted to play the first half but she still played the position really well!

Balmain A

Captain: Eloise

Score: 9-8 our way

MVP: The mvp this week was Jess because she was always there when we needed her.

MIP: The mip this week was Freddie because of the number of goals she saved  and also because she played better than she had ever played.

Balmain B

Captain: Zara

Score: 35-1 our way

MVP: Remi because she scored a bunch of goals and she also had an injured foot and still played like a champ.

MIP: Leah because she played so well at centre

Balmain C

Balmain C VS birchgrove B

Score 5/1 our way

MIP: Jordy

MVP: Avi

Today was a good game I personally did not think we were going to win since it was a B team but we won by quite a lot! There saw some very funny moments when Arwen had to stand beside and she was facing the opposite way I like to say it was because she didn’t want see them get the ball and another moment when the ball ran away and it was between me and the other opponent and jordy was yelling chase! Chase! Chase! But I thought she said slap her face off.

Boxing 🄊

Captains: Leo P & Jasper G

First we did the warm up with mats and we had to do running side to side and butt kicks. Then we did an obstacle course thing we had to go like a frog, do a crawl and do two punches. Then we did a gorilla thing where we had to run across the room as a gorilla, and we did a jab cross. We also did a tug of war and ship shark shore.

The people that did best were Zac K and Sunny D

Dance šŸ•ŗšŸ½

Captains: Lola & Camilla

Today we were really  working on teamwork with the button game. We caught up on our dance routine. Our dancers of the week are Thomas and Elodie because they were empathetic!

Yoga šŸ§˜šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø

Captains: Liya & Lizzie

Today in yoga we a singing bowl, we used blindfolds to learn to trust each other. We did OM breath. We think Vivi and Giselle because they were focused and helpful.

We learned a new game today! It required a lot of agility and communication within our teams. We loved working up a sweat and working with our team mates.

In the afternoon, we continued our theme park design. They really are starting to take shape and we look forward to finalizing our designs in the coming weeks.

AWARDS

LEARN LIVE LEAD awards

K Gigli - Mrs L Goodridge & Ms A DavisClaire Nhaving beautiful manners and great listening!
K Wheat(ies) - Ms K WithersTeddy Calways being kind to others and showing great enthusiasm at school
1/2 Angel Hair - Mrs E ArchibaldSylvie Happroaching all aspects of school with an open and happy nature
1/2 Jowar - Ms L JennettDarcey Pher thoughtful and reflective responses to class discussions
1/2 Lasagne - Ms N Lydon (& Ms S Walters until W6)Audrina Lher contributions during whole class discussions in mathematics
1/2 Pappardelle - Ms S Parsons & Ms A DavisIndi Sshowing care and respect to others during group work
3/4 Bigoli - Ms K BarcenillaBen Whis outstanding effort to independently research Leonardo Da Vinci!
3/4 Cavatappi - Ms A CooperDaniel Jalways putting his best effort into all learning activities
3/4 Macaroni - Ms R McListerSaxon Rdemonstrating focus and enthusiasm during maths tasks
5/6 Bucatini - Ms L BurkeEmily Lshowing an increasing ability to complete maths tasks to her full potential
5/6 Couscous - Ms F ChiangCaelan Abeing diligent and conscientious in his writing assessment
5/6 Egg Noodles - Mr G ElixGeorge Btaking on responsibility for his learning and making the right calls during tough decisions
5/6 Pearl - Mrs A PitmanIndi Mher dedication, enthusiasm and mature approach to school life. Thank you, Indi!
5/6 Ragi - Ms R ReedyRen Chen Xshowing curiosity and engagement in the classroom
Art K-2 - Mrs F BowmanLulu S 1/2Jfabulous focus and effort to produce a stunning space rocket
Art 3-6 - Mrs F BowmanEmily G 5/6Rexceptional effort and focus in the artroom during our Van Gogh study
Library K-2 - Ms M WhelanEleanor R KGbeing able to identify the main characters in our picture books
Library 3-6 - Ms M WhelanJacob A 5/6Bhis clearly spoken explanation of the creative language features in our senior picture book
STEAM K-2 - Mrs S LoxtonFelix R 1/2Adisplaying great enthusiasm when designing a 'Compu Monster' in Google Docs
STEAM 3-6 - Mrs S LoxtonJack H 3/4Mfollowing instructions and independently working on his 'Steady-Hand' game

CHARACTER STRENGTH awards - GENEROSITY

K Gigli - Mrs L Goodridge & Ms A DavisTalia Falways sharing, being super kind and helping others!
K Wheat(ies) - Ms K WithersNoah Bbeing a lovely classmate, who always treats others kindly and fairly
1/2 Angel Hair - Mrs E ArchibaldMillicent B Walways having the time to help others and brighten their day
1/2 Jowar - Ms L JennettMia Calways being generous with her time, listening carefully to her peers and responding thoughtfully
1/2 Lasagne - Ms N Lydon (& Ms S Walters until W6)Elena Vbeing a supportive and generous class mate
1/2 Pappardelle - Ms S Parsons & Ms A DavisJasper Halways being generous with his time, and assisting his peers on the playground
3/4 Bigoli - Ms K BarcenillaYunxi L Rgiving her time and energy freely to make sure her classmates feel welcomed and included!
3/4 Cavatappi - Ms A CooperSunny Dbeing inclusive and enthusiastic, no matter the situation!
3/4 Macaroni - Ms R McListerHamish Dbeing generous with his time, always helping around the classroom and being friendly to his classmates
5/6 Bucatini - Ms L BurkeEva Koffering assistance and support to others and being a generous friend
5/6 Couscous - Ms F ChiangZiggy Sdisplaying his generous spirit in allowing room for different opinions and preferences
5/6 Egg Noodles - Mr G ElixLauren Bdemonstrating enthusiasm and care when looking out for others
5/6 Pearl - Mrs A PitmanJames Walways being willing to help out where he can, even if it means using his own time
5/6 Ragi - Ms R ReedyAden Lconsidering the learning needs of others and making positive choices

House Points...

Best Class @ Assembly Award

Each week, a mystery teacher will choose the class that has followed the 'Balmain Way'. They will be entitled to 10 minutes extra play!

NUDE FOOD TUESDAYS WEEKLY WINNER

Each week, Baa-bara the Sheep will stay with the class that has the highest percentage of nude food in their lunch boxes. They will be entitled to 10 minutes extra play!

Positive Pete Winners

This week's winners...

SPOTLIGHT ON...

5/6 COUSCOUS!!!!!

In 5/6C this week, we’ve been enjoying lots of time working our physical and creative brains.

In Life Skills, we’ve been practising mindfulness and resilience.

In Art, we’ve been learning about Van Gogh and using finer brush strokes. We learned about the technique 'Impasto', which means thick, small lines.

We also had a visit from a rocket scientist to share his expertise with us on various types of aircraft designed for different speeds and altitudes.

1/2 ANGEL HAIR!!!!!

1/2A have had a fantastic start to Term 3! We have hit new heights with our investigations and are exploring new avenues. Our projects are amazing! Our box construction table is creating many amazing mini worlds and habitats for all sorts of mystical creatures. We have exploded from one box to many boxes of expansions and rooms. We have a bathroom with a paper clay toilet, a fire with marshmallows ready to toast on sticks and even a scarecrow in the garden! We have opened a new science table to concoct magical medicines of all sorts and learn how to follow the scientific method. We are super safe around our 'chemicals' (bi-carb soda, vinegar, salt, sugar, water and food dye), using our goggles and gloves. We have begun to use paper clay dioramas and Lego to create stop motion videos based on story board designs. Watch this space to see an octopus escaping a shark and a Lego kingdom come alive! We have added a new STEAM table to our class with the introduction of Hexbugs. Students are using a variety of materials to create a Hexbug maze or racetrack. We use stopwatches to time them and make improvements to our designs.

All year, we have loved writing mini-books and continue to work on them. We have created several book series' and will continue to explore writing different text types. Our fish family has grown! We now have 6 guppy babies and 1/2A is learning how to take care of the tank water and make sure the fish are well looked after. A catfish magically appeared in the tank, along with more fresh plants. 1/2A has been enjoying Gymnastics lessons on Fridays. We started with some simple activities, like bunny hops and star jumps, but you should see us now! We can do handstands, cartwheels, star jumps off trampolines and walk along balance beams! Everyone tries their hardest, has fun and most importantly, we have lots of laughs!

COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

Make an appointment at 'Aussie Balmain' and mention 'Balmain Public School'. They will give us $50! Thanks so much for supporting our fabulous school!

UNIFORMS

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.