BPS Newsletter 2025 Term 1 Week 6
Principal's Report
Attendance Matters
A gentle reminder that regular attendance at school matters and is central to the success of every student. Students should be at school every day unless they are unwell. If a student is unwell, parents should notify our school office.
Being on time for school is also incredibly important. When students are frequently late for school, they often miss explicit instruction at the beginning of the day. I would recommend to all parents that students aim to get to school just after the teacher begins duty at 8.30am. This gives students time to play with their friends, regulate their energy and emotions and make a successful start to the day.
Parents are also kindly reminded that vacations should be organised around school holiday times. We understand that sometimes longer trips need to be extended over the school holiday period. Organising trips during school time, while economically advantageous for families will have an impact on your child's education. Parents are kindly asked to plan extended vacations around existing vacation dates.
Please see the two posters below that show how missed school adds up over time.
I thank parents kindly for partnering with the school to enhance attendance, ensuring the success of every student at Brookvale Public School.
Drop off and Pick Ups
At the start of the year it can be timely to go over our of drop off and pick up procedures. Our school welcomes all parents into school between 8.30-9.00am and after school from 2.45pm. Alternatively their is an option for fast drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon in the 'kiss and drop zone', which works really well for many parents. To ensure safety, a staff member monitors this area from 8.30am-9.00am and 3.00pm-3.20pm each day. We do ask that everyone respects this system to ensure the safety and continuity of the system.
A reminder that we have two lanes in the morning and the afternoon. No parking is allowed in either of these two lanes. Parents should stay in their cars at all times when in these lanes to ensure a safe, smooth and efficient flow of vehicles. Parents wanting to leave their cars should park in one of the marked car spaces within the school closest to Beacon Hill Road. Alternatively, parking is available near Brookvale Oval.
Students should not arrive at school before 8.30am when a teacher comes on duty. For students who need to be dropped at school before 8.30am, a reservation at our on-site before and after school care.
Moving into Year 7 in 2026? Register Now
The 2026 Expression of Interest for high school is now available for Year 6 parents and carers. Registrations must be completed online. Please see the information on Moving to High School to complete the online enrolment form.
If your child will be attending a private school in 2026, you are still required to enter this information online.
Please note: The high school Expression of Interest applications will close on Friday, 28 March 2025.
We recognise that parents of students in the catchment for Freshwater High might be a little confused as to what will be the arrangements for next year and beyond. We are currently awaiting communications to send out to parents to clear up any confusion over these arrangements. As soon as we have those, we will pass on to the community. I would recommend that parents in this position wait for those communications.
Got it Parent Workshop - Big Worries, Small Steps: Tackling Childhood Anxiety Together
A reminder to sign up for our Got it! FREE workshop for parents on how to support students at home with big feelings of worry and anxiety. I know this is a topic that will be of benefit to many families.
Parents will learn how to recognise the signs of anxiety, understand what's developmentally typical and discover effective strategies to respond and help their child navigate their worries with confidence.
A note was sent home via Schoolbytes last Friday. Please submit the form to sign up for the workshop.
P&C Trivia Night is Fast Approaching - Get Your Tickets!
A reminder that our P&C has been hard at work planning Trivia Night, which is fast approaching. Get your friends together for a table or just come along and join a table for a great night out. It promises to be a great night out! Let's get behind our amazing P&C, have a great night out and raise some money for our students.
- Date: Saturday 22nd March
- Time: 6:30 PM
- Location: School Hall
- Tickets: $25 per person or Table of 10 for $200
- Book your tickets here
NAPLAN begins this Wednesday, 12 March
A reminder that students in Years 3 and 5 will undertake NAPLAN assessments from Wednesday. The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) provides the school and parents with valuable information about student learning progress in literacy and numeracy, compared to students across the country.
What's been happening in our classrooms?
In literacy, Kindergarten have been representing their ideas for stories using pictures. In the photos below you can see their representations of the sequence of the book We're Going on a Bear hunt. In mathematics, students have been learning about growing and shrinking patterns and how to represent numbers in multiple ways. One of their activities was to find as many ways as they could to represent the the number five. Kindergarten students have also begun exploring length through direct comparison. They used language such as smallest, tallest, shorter and taller to measure 'flower stems', ensuring they lined up each stem at the bottom, in order to correctly compare the lengths. Our Year 1 and 2 students have also been delving into growing patterns while learning about place value and regrouping in number.
Stage 2 continued to enjoy their gymnastics lessons this week, testing their upper limb strength on the rings and their vertical leap as they attempted to jump up and over an obstacle using a trampoline. 4D also had lots of fun completing a STEM challenge this week. Students had 15 minutes to design and build a home for a dragon. They worked creatively to construct sturdy, functional and imaginative shelters.
Our Year 3 and Year 5 students have been also honing their assessment technique and writing skills in preparation for NAPLAN next week.
Stage 3 have been building their knowledge of using place vale and multiples of 10 and 100 to help solve two and three digit multiplication problems. Students played a series of games which were differentiated to suit their area of need and challenge heir learning.
As part of work to integrate our new students and develop new friendships in Year 5, 5K and 5G engaged in an hilarious lesson on the importance of direct and precise communication. Students partnered with a peer, they didn't know and were asked to work together - one as the drawer and one as the describer. Students were tasked with recreating an image described by the describer without seeing the image. A lot of fun was had and friendships forged while students learnt the importance of clear communication.
5K have been busy learning about 'precepts' - rules and morals that guide decision making. Students found famous quotes and phrases that mirrored the journey they had embarked on this year and the decisions they have made in support of that journey thus far. 5K students have also very been busy working on their Night of the Notables presentations on a famous person of their choosing. I'm told that the presentations are progressing nicely, with much discussion and incidental learning generated amongst the class.
Year 6 have been progressing beautifully in DanceSport. This week students worked hard to learn the 'box step' for the waltz. In mathematics, Year 6 have been using MAB blocks to demonstrate the area model and distributive property to assist them in solving multiplications problems.
Other School News
Library News
Dear Parents, students and carers,We are thrilled to share that our first Writers' Club session of the year was a fantastic success with 63 enthusiastic attendees! This level of interest is absolutely wonderful, but it has also made it clear that managing such a large group alone is a challenge. To ensure that each student receives the attention and support they deserve, I’ve decided to split the club into two groups based on year levels. Moving forward:
- Years 1-4 will attend Writers' Club until the end of Term 2.
- Years 5-6 will join the club from the start of Term 3 through to the end of the year.
I believe this solution will allow for a more manageable and focused experience for everyone involved. Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to another exciting term of writing!
Annette Murphy-Haste
Teacher Librarian
Parents of Kindergarten children are sharing conversations about their favourite children's books!
Office News
Reminder: Submission of Required Forms
Thank you to everyone who has already submitted the forms listed below. If you have not yet done so, could you kindly submit them at your earliest convenience:
- Permission to Publish
- Third Party Software Consent
- Digital Devices and Online Services Procedures 2025
Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated!
Thank you again for your cooperation.
If you are not receiving school emails, please check your spam folder. Should you have any further queries please feel free to contact me at the office.
Brooky Pride Merit Awards
Congratulations to the following students who have received Brooky pride Merit Awards. These student's achievement will be acknowledged in the next school assembly.
| Kindergarten | Tenzin S, Finn V, Rose K, Ariana , Logan P, Lucas S |
| Stage 1 | Kamaiah B, Bailey S, Novak G, Ava L, Jay S, Finn W, Conor M, Abi H, Eli C, Sia W, Eli C, Teddy M, Liam R |
| Stage 2 | Keira F, Luana S, Keira F, Liam C, Sophia OH, Johnny W, Riya S, Jasmine L, Ted C, Stella P, Matilda H, Finn N |
| Stage 3 | Kyedan S, Farinah S, Ben U, Ayla CE, Levi M, Luis L, Ava L, Remy W, Aniyah D |
Respect, Responsibility, Personal Best and Bronze Awards
P&C News
Trivia Night on Saturday 22 March
- Date: Saturday 22nd March
- Time: 6:30 PM
- Location: School Hall
- Tickets: $25 per person or Table of 10 for $200
- Book your tickets here
Get ready for a fun-filled Trivia Night with exciting questions, great prizes, and plenty of laughs!
- Dress to Impress – Wear traditional attire from any country for a chance to win best-dressed prizes!
- Enjoy a taste of Tibet – Three delicious dumplings included with your ticket, lovingly prepared by our wonderful Tibetan families
- BYO food & drinks – If bringing alcohol, please drink responsibly.
- Adults only – This is your chance to unwind and enjoy a great night out—leave the little ones at home!
- Secure your spot by Tuesday, 18th March!
If you are booking individual tickets and want to sit with friends or parents from the same year, email us with your seating request.
Football Parking Volunteering
We are fortunate to be in close proximity to Brookvale Oval. During the Manly Sea Eagles home games, the P&C utilises the school car park for fundraising by charging the general public for parking spots. This stands as a significant fundraising initiative for the school and is an easily accessible volunteering opportunity.
Each parking event requires 3 to 4 parent volunteers for 1h30 hours max (the car park is usually full within 45 minutes!). Tasks include collecting entry fees and directing cars to how and where to park. All instructions will be sent by text message prior to your shift (it’s all very easy!).
It is a valuable way for all parents to help the school and meet fellow parents at the same time.
To thank you for your time, you will get a free entry (general admission) to a Manly Sea Eagles home game of your choice.
Please visit our website to sign up to your preferred date.
The next date we need volunteers for is Sunday 23 March from 4.30pm to 6pm
Uniform Shop – Next Opening Date & Donations
The next P&C second-hand uniform shop will be open on Wednesday 26th March from 8.15am to 9am. It is accessible from the main car park and the pricelist is available on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/BrookvalePSPandC
If you cannot make it to the uniform shop, please send an email with what you are after and if available, we will leave your order at the school office for you to pick up and we will send you a link to pay online.
Donations to the uniform shop are also greatly appreciated. We encourage parents who have good quality uniforms their children have outgrown to drop off their items anytime at the school office or directly at the shop during opening hours.
Save the date: P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM)
New Date: Tuesday 01 April (previously scheduled on 25 March)
Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
We would LOVE to see you at the P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM)! This is a great opportunity to show your support for our school, meet other parents, and learn more about how the P&C makes a difference.
During the AGM, all P&C positions will be declared vacant, and nominations will be accepted prior to or on the night. We’ll be sharing more details about the roles and application process next week—but there’s absolutely no pressure to take on a role, we promise! Whether you want to take an active position or just stay informed, everyone is welcome, and every little bit helps.
Did you know?
- The P&C raises $25,000–$30,000 each year to support our school.
- Our 2025 fundraising goal is to fund a sheltered area in the car park, House flags for sports carnivals, and a new sick bay bed.
- Our P&C is made up of a small group of parent volunteers who want to make a difference for our children. We would love to get more people involved—even in a small way!
How to Get Involved
- Become a P&C Member – Register via this link (membership is just $2 per year).
- Stay Connected – Follow us on Facebook for updates: facebook.com/brookvalepspandc
- Learn More – Read our P&C Handbook or email us with any questions (pc@gmail.com)
The P&C is your voice in our school community. By joining in, you help create a stronger, more connected school for our children. We can’t wait to see you at the AGM and please spread the word!
Birthday Shout Out!
Wishing a happy birthday to all our students celebrating in February!