2022 Term 2 Week 10
Principal's Pen - Sam Birch
Thank you!
This week will be my last week as acting Principal at this amazing school. Whilst we have had everything thrown at us this semester: COVID, staffing shortages and floods, it has been an experience that I have felt incredibly privileged to have been given. Your support and kindness during this time has been heart felt and I am so grateful. Thank you to the amazing parents, P&C members, staff and of course the students. What an incredible team, all working together to provide the best opportunities for our kids.
You’re not getting rid of me though! Next term, I will be supporting our families, staff and students in my new role as Deputy Principal for Prep – Year 3. I have a passion for the early years, so am really excited by this new opportunity. As you know, I love to dress up and have a play, so think this is a perfect match!
Staffing
As we say good bye and thank you to Heidi who has done some rigorous intervention work in early years reading, we also welcome some new staff. Robyn, our new permanent Principal, will of course, be welcomed into our team. Having met Robyn a few times now, I know she will be a great fit for our school. Her warmth for the students is combined with high expectations for teaching and learning. We look forward to learning with, and from her, as we move into the next semester.
Nicole Heir has returned from maternity leave in a part time position, supporting our early years transitions and starting up a community reading program. News will be coming soon about how you can get involved in this.
Kelsie Hodson has done an incredible job in Prep and we wish her every success as she embarks on family life. Watch this space for the baby update! Daisy Latimer is an experienced early years teacher, and after a detailed handover, will be the new Prep D teacher.
Michelle Cummings is embarking on something that so many of us talk about, but never actually do…she is going on a caravan trip around Australia with her husband and two children. Good luck Michelle, we are all very jealous and can’t wait to hear all about it when you return next year. Luckily, we have two experienced Bellevue teachers waiting in the wings ready to take over. We welcome back with open arms, Kerrie Barron and Caitlin Rogan-Clarke, who will be the teaching duo for 5D.
Roadworks
Roadworks are scheduled to start early next term close to our school. Traffic lights are being installed by the roundabout at Wardoo and Cotlew Street. This is likely to impact many of our families. Please consider alternative routes or allow some additional time for your journey as these roadworks will take some time and are likely to cause some delays. Short term pain for long term gain, we are hoping!
Deputy Principal - Liz Watt
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Inclusion of Indigenous Perspective @BPSS
As our Acknowledgement to Country starts: Kaiala and Jingeri - g’day and best wishes friends! This term has seen us commemorate and acknowledge some significant Indigenous events. These have included Sorry Day, where classes discussed the importance of this day and created some hands of reconciliation, which were displayed along the pathway to the office; as well as a range of activities for our NAIDOC Week celebrations in week 9.
The school was abuzz with visits to the Yarning Circle, Indigenous storytelling and face-painting with Uncle Lindsay, classes making visual representations of their Class Names, and all students contributing to the creation of our totem posts.
Totems are an important way for people to connect to their Clan, their traditional land and the Dreaming. A totem is a symbol taken from nature, such as a plant or animal, that is inherited by a community or family as their spiritual emblem.
During our week of NAIDOC Activities, every student added their hand print to their year level post, with the totem images and names still to be added early in Term 3, before being placed along the pathway to the Welcome Space, where the flag poles are.
I can’t wait to see all the students’ colourful hand-prints along the pathway, connecting to each other and showing the strength of our great school. The totems for each year level at BPSS, selected from the Kombumerri totems, are as follows:
Prep | Possum | Year 4 | Black Cockatoo |
Year 1 | Turtle | Year 5 | Dolphin |
Year 2 | Richmond Birdwing Butterfly | Year 6 | Gecko |
Year 3 | Green Tree Frog |
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Deputy Principal - Megan Hay
Newsletter - Megan Hay
The last few weeks of term have been bustling with activity. We have had such fun celebrating Under 8’s day, NAIDOC week activities and Year One even had a visit from the Fire Department!
I wish all families a wonderful Winter break. Have fun in the sunshine and enjoy your time together.
Under 8’s Day
On Thursday 16th June, Prep – Year 3 students celebrated the joy of being Under 8. Students enjoyed the following activities Bee Bots, toss to 100, construction, Lego, Wombat Stew making, chalk drawing, dancing, stencil drawing, crazy glasses making, obstacle course, the parachute and ball games. It was wonderful to see the children have such a wonderful time participating in the Under 8’s celebration. Thank you to all staff and prac students who made the event possible.
Year 1 Fire Visit
On Friday the 17th June Year One had a visit form the Fire department.
First students learnt about the difference between a good fire and a bad fire and what to do in case of an emergency which is to call 000.
Students practised Stop, Drop and Roll and were taught if there is smoke to Get Down Low and GO, GO, GO!
The firefighters gave the children homework which is to learn their street address and their parents mobile number so they can provide these details to the 000 operator.
Students were all lucky enough to get a turn to spray the hose!
Classroom Spotlight
Students in 3C and 3D employed a number of Age Appropriate Pedagogies into their learning recently. They were engaged in the Characteristics of Active, Agentic, Collaborative, Creative, Learner Focussed and Language Rich and Dialogic. Students wrote a text persuading their teachers about educational activities which could occur in the last week of term. One of the texts persuaded the teachers to do some outdoor learning with a NAIDOC focus. Students collected natural materials and planned and created works of art from the natural Material. Students were highly engaged and created a variety of pieces. Mrs and Hay and Mrs Watt were invited to the classrooms to view the works of art!
Class Learning News
Throughout the year Coolaroo have been learning about monochromatic art. This is artwork is created using tints and tones of the same colour. Pictured below are our masterpieces of a moonlight silhouette of an old tree standing still in the night. Students did all their own colour mixing and really enjoyed creating their own masterpiece.
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Sport News
Congratulations to Eleanor B who was selected in the South Coast team for AFL. Eleanor played extremely well at the Queensland Championships with her team winning the overall tournament.
Sport News – Inter-school Sport Yrs 4-6
The overall winning school was….
Bellevue Park on 2520 points.
Well done students!!!
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