2022 Term 2 Week 3
Principal's Pen - Sam Birch
Reading, reading, reading!
Each year, as a school, we set ourselves goals and targets aimed at reviewing and improving teaching practice, based on research, with the goal of improving student outcomes. Such is the importance of reading, it is rarely off the agenda! This year we have a strong focus on oral language in the early years. For a variety of reasons, including the increase of individual devices, students are starting school with a narrower vocabulary. Oral language has a significant impact on the acquisition of vocabulary, which in turn translates to how well your child will learn to read.
To support your child with their oral language and vocabulary, try a couple of simple things:
Building Work
The new hall flooring has been completed ahead of time and looks fabulous! The students are already back in there and making the most of the space.
The building work at school for under Block 3 has been delayed, like so many other projects in the area. We have been in contact with central office (who are organising the building work) and have sought some clarification around reasons for the delay. Infrastructure have advised there has been a hold up with ministerial designation approval with council. The good news is we should expect some action onsite within a month.
COVID update
Each week, I have been sending an email which includes a COVID update so that you are always informed of the latest developments. Please ensure that you read this communication. There is always an additional story being shared about the wonderful things occurring around the school. Please read below for the latest developments and how this impacts both staff and students.
Close contact
If you are a close contact who is asymptomatic, you will no longer need to quarantine.
However, in the 7 days after becoming a close contact you will need to:
- Wear a face mask while outside of your home, including when outdoors if you cannot physically distance
- Notify your principal or supervisor that you are a close contact. Students must also let their school know.
- Not visit vulnerable settings, such as hospitals, aged care and disability facilities, unless in exceptional or compassionate circumstances (for example, end of life visits).
Please note schools and early childhood settings are not considered vulnerable settings.
It is recommended that you undertake a COVID-19 test on the first day you leave home, and every second day (e.g. days 2, 4, and 6) until you are no longer a close contact.
Face masks
- Face masks are not mandatory in schools or workplaces for staff, students or visitors. However, anyone who is deemed a close contact must wear a face mask for 7 days.
- Students over the age of 12 years who attend school while they are a close contact must wear a mask. Queensland Health recommends that children under the age of 12 also wear a face mask where it is safe to do so. This is up to your discretion.
- Please also remember that masks continue to be required in certain settings for anyone aged 12 years or older, such as when travelling on public transport. They are also recommended whenever you can't physically distance.
- Anyone who chooses to wear a mask in a school or workplace will be supported to do so.
Rapid antigen tests (RATs)
- Schools will not provide RATs to staff or students who are close contacts. However, schools will continue to provide RATs to staff and students who develop COVID-19 symptoms while at school.
If you test positive to COVID-19
- Queensland Health requirements for people who test positive to COVID-19 remain unchanged. Follow advice from Queensland Health, including the first steps to take if you have COVID-19. See OnePortal for further advice.
Re-cycling
Please remember to bring in your cans and bottles for recycling, every even week, we need to keep our ‘Bottle Man’ busy! Our re-cycling heroes are doing a brilliant job of raising funds for the school. All monies that the PnC raise will go towards providing shaded play areas for our students. As if this isn’t incentive enough, there will be rewards for the top five recycling families and the best re-cycling year level! If you have friends and family collecting for our school, they are able to take the bottles straight to a re-cycling centre and use our school scheme ID: C10007643.
Let’s get re-cycling!
Baby G has arrived
Last week saw the long-awaited arrival of Mr Gaukroger’s baby girl. Beautiful Ella was born last Friday morning, weighing 8lb 10oz. Both mum and bub are doing well and are back home with Mr G, who is besotted! We wish them every success as they embark on family life.
Deputy Principal - Megan Hay
Prep Playground Before School
This term has seen the Prep playground open at 8:40am allowing Prep students to play before the day begins. Transition from parents to school has been seamless with students eager to come in and have a quick play with friends. Students are saying quick goodbyes and are entering the Prep gates with large smiles on their faces.
Prep Vision Screening
The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program were at Bellevue last week on Wednesday and Thursday. Students in Prep were offered to have their vision tested. The Queensland Government offers Free Vision Screening to all children enrolled in Prep. Each year Bellevue participates in this worthwhile program. Prep parents will receive a letter shortly indicating the results of the test and if further testing is required. Please look out for these letters in the coming week.
Junior Classroom Spotlight 1A
This term in English our learning focus will be how characters in texts are developed through a character description unit. We will be learning to describe characters in terms of their appearance, actions, personality, likes and dislikes. We will be exploring a range of exciting texts beginning with “The Very Blue Thingamajig”. Have a look at the photos to see the exciting Who am I activity children completed in class.
SET News: PBL Focus
ANZAC DAY COMMEMORATION
ANZAC PARADE
On Friday the 22 April, Bellevue Park held two ANZAC Day Services, with special guest, Uncle Lindsay.
Our School Captains, Lily, Karen, Evie and Diesel and Jarjum Captain, Madison hosted the special services.
Lynden a former Bellevue School Captain and band player performed, ‘The Last Post’.
Thank you for all the students who participated in the services.
Lest We Forget
Deputy Principal - Liz Watt
Mothers’ Day Stall
A huge THANK YOU to the PnC for again organizing the Mothers’ Day Stall this year.
Happy Mother's Day for this weekend.
Senior Assembly – Week 4
The next Senior Assembly (Years 4 – 6) will be held on Tuesday 10th May, from 2.05pm. We will be lucky to be returning to the Hall for this event with the renovation of the flooring completed ahead of schedule.
During this Assembly, there will be the presentation of Sports Captain badge for Archer (Geoffrey was at State Swimming Finals when all other Captain badges were presented), Jarjum Leader badges, Solid Pathways certificates and medallions from Term 1, as well as the Principal Awards and GOTCHAs.
There will be limited seating available for parents who wish to attend.
Semester 1 Reporting to Parents
All teachers are well into the teaching and learning for Term 2. The assessments conducted this term, as well as that from Term 1 will form the basis for teacher judgements for Semester 1 Report Cards.
With the shortened term to start the year, teachers will be completing the Semester 1 teaching and assessing up to the final week of this term, to allow the maximum teaching time possible before these judgements about student learning are entered into student Reports.
Parents, similar to our 2021 process, Semester 1 Report Cards will therefore be emailed to you in the first Week of Term 3.
Year 3 and 5 NAPLAN: 10th – 20th May2022
As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults. NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia.
NAPLAN tests are designed to provide a big picture view of how each school is travelling while termly teacher/classroom assessments provide a much more accurate picture for individual students. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.
Federal, state and territory education ministers agreed to gradually transition NAPLAN online by this year. NAPLAN Online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, providing better assessment and more precise results. This year, BPSS will once again be conducted online for NAPLAN, except for Year 3 writing.
Information about the upcoming NAPLAN testing schedule, with some tips to help set students up for success each day of this testing period, has been emailed to parents and carers of Year 3 and 5 students. Thank you for helping your Year 3 and 5 students to arrive on time, refreshed, ready for each day’s test.
Year 4 Camp at Currumbin
Liz Watt - Year 4 Camp
Year 4 Camp
What a blast the students of Year 4 had last week during their overnight camp at Currumbin Valley! From bush walks and swimming in the refreshing waters of the creek, to animal spotting, Indigenous language learning and connecting to Country, as well as playing Indigenous games. The Year 4 cohort all learnt to manage themselves away from home, for some students the very first time away from their parents. From all reports, the food was fresh and tasty and lots of fun was had.
Some of the Indigenous words they learnt and used on camp were –
Jingeri – hello / g’day; Jingeri walla walla – g’day, how are you?
Buggle – good; Jimbulung – friends
To give us an idea of what they got up to, here are parts of some of the recounts shared by some students in 4B:
Monah shared some great moments from camp –
On Tuesday we went to this amazing place called Currumbin Valley. Chris (instructor) said, “Jingeri / hello. Welcome to Currumbin Valley!”
The first activity was trying to make some smoke at the camp fire area by using a piece of wood with five holes and coconut husk.
Then we went to make our ngumbin with just a stick and a leaf! Chris poured water on top of our ngumbin with us inside! Ours was really small but really waterproof.
From all accounts the food was great, the activities were loads of fun and really raised the students awareness of the country around them.
Aidan shared some of his favourite activities -
Down at the creek, I had a lot of fun. We started building a dam across the rocks.
Then at the weapons activity, my favourite weapon was the boomerang. The spear was by far the hardest to throw.
Finally there was the ngumbin (hut) building. We had to make them waterproof and big enough for our whole group to fit in.
To sum up, camp was a great experience for me to connect to Country.
And Sharli had this to say about their second day -
After breakfast, we headed to the creek, searched for creatures, had morning tea, sat in silence to communicate with nature, explored a little longer and headed back. After lunch, we looked at possums and sugar gliders. We fed chickens but it started to rain. We played Chinese whispers, looked at some worms, collected nuts and waited for the bus. We then finally headed back to school.
Performing Arts News
We are delighted to announce our BPSS 2022 Prep to Year 6 Performing Arts show – Movie Melodies.
The dance performances are choreographed by Mrs Kerri Theuerkauf and Mr Mathew Young and feature many great songs from a variety of kids movies that will leave the audience wanting more!
Performances: P – 6 classes, choirs and extra-curricular dance groups.
Performing Arts News
We would like to invite our Bellevue community to our mid-year instrumental band concert. All of our instrumental band students have been working hard to prepare for this and are looking forward to showing you what they have learned this semester.
Our strings groups will have an opportunity to perform later in the year.
Sport News
Cross Country 2022
Congratulations to all students who took part in the school’s annual cross country carnival.
The overall winning house for the carnival was ARCHER on 92 points.
Age Champions for 2022 are:
GIRLS BOYS
Prep – Elizabeth S Prep – Leo C
Year 1 - Jiselle H Year 1 – Kristian S
Year 2 – Willow M Year 2 – Daniel H
Year 3 – Chise T Year 3 – Jack S
9 Yrs – Estelle S 9 Yrs – Hugo C
10 Yrs – Haylo S 10 Yrs – Jacob W
11 Yrs – Ellie W 11 Yrs – Geoffrey V
12 Yrs – Madison O 12 Yrs – Mason R
Community News
