Pigeon Post

2021 Volume 1 Term 1 FINAL Issue

Acknowledgement of Country...

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IF YOU SEE A COLOURED CIRCLE AROUND OUR EMBLEM, 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...

Don't forget to follow us @balmainps

From the Principal

Filling buckets @ Balmain PS...

We have finished off a wonderful first term with Wellbeing Week at our school, focusing on positive mental health and wellbeing. One of the activities used throughout the school all week was 'bucket filling', with the bucket representing a person's mental and emotional self.

Bucket filling is an easy-to-understand concept: everyone carries an invisible bucket that holds our good thoughts and feelings. When our buckets are full, we feel happy and when our buckets are empty, we feel sad.

Children quickly understand that they can fill buckets when they do and say things that are kind, considerate, caring, and respectful. They also learn that when they are inconsiderate or disrespectful, they dip into buckets and remove those good feelings. Even the youngest child understands that actions and words can either fill a bucket or dip into it.

There are hundreds of wonderful ways to fill buckets. The language of bucket filling has become synonymous with being kind and thoughtful. 

What a lovely surprise to receive my very own bucket, full to the brim. I have read each and every message by the large number of students throughout the school, who took the time to help fill my bucket. My heart is so full and I will treasure each of these messages in a special journal, as a teacher does...

Balmain Public School is so fortunate to have such dedicated teachers and staff, all wanting to make a positive difference in our students' education. Each person brings their unique qualities to school daily, sharing selflessly with others...thank you for your ongoing passion, commitment and care!

We are also very lucky to have such a strong, caring and supportive community, represented by the school's P&C. Your dedication and commitment to supporting our students' education and school is phenomenal! What a fabulous first fundraising event for 2021...the time and effort you've taken into bringing our community together is amazing (and lots of fun, too)...thanks so much!

Your bucket will be filled when, at the close of each day, you reflect on the ways in which you have filled buckets! Help fill others' buckets today and every day!

Maria Lambos - Principal

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Easter Hat Parades @balmainps

Want to see more? Head over to our Insta page @balmainps for posts and highlights!

A huge THANK YOU to Tony from local business @wellspotted who printed all our Year 6 t-shirts and hoodies. They look fabulous! You can find Tony and his own range of t-shirts (along with lots of other goodies), at the family-friendly foodie and artisan @flourhillmarkets in Summer Hill this Easter Sunday. A great morning out with the family! Thanks Tony!!

Important messages...

YOUR OBSERVANCE OF PHYSICAL DISTANCING AT ALL TIMES IS APPRECIATED

Evacuation Drill - Tuesday 30 March

Information about applying for Year 5 Opportunity Class (OC) entry in 2022

Dear Year 4 Parents and Carers

Information regarding the application and placement processes, for Year 5 Opportunity Class entry in 2022, has now been released.

Please find attached, a detailed PDF from the High Performing Students Unit. In this document, you will find information on the key dates, application and placement test processes and frequently asked questions.

Online applications will open on Tuesday 20th April (Term 2, Week 1) and close on Friday 7th May (Term 2, Week 3).

Once updated, online applications information will be available here: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5

If you intend to apply for this process, the school requests that you complete the attached 'OC Intention to Apply' form. This will notify the school of your child's intention to apply, to ensure that they will receive a school mark for this process. 

This 'OC Intention to Apply' form IS NOT AN OFFICIAL APPLICATION, for entry to an Opportunity Class in 2022. The school CANNOT apply on your behalf. You will still need to APPLY ONLINE when applications open.

This 'OC Intention to Apply' form is due to the school by Thursday 6th May (Term 2, Week 3), at the latest.

We suggest that once you've completed the official online application, via the High Performing Students Unit, you notify the school ASAP, by emailing the completed form to balmainps@gmail.com with 'ATTN: Ms Yau - OC Intention to Apply - Child's Name - Child's Class'.

Information about applying for Year 5 entry to an opportunity class in 2022

Download

OC intention to apply form

Download

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Every WEDNESDAY (weather permitting) - COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY

Every FRIDAY (weather permitting) - AWARDS ASSEMBLY

Every FRIDAY

Go to www.flexischools.com.au to place your order

For any food/menu queries please feel free to contact us directly via email :

info@theschoolcanteen.com.au.

Alternatively, you can call Kirsty on 0416 786 603 and we will be happy to assist.

Kirsty and Jason Feliciotto – The School Canteen

Monday 19 April - Staff Development Day - NO STUDENTS

Tuesday 20 April - TERM 2 - Students Return to School!

Wednesday 28 April - Community Assembly Special Performance - Senior Band

Balmain PS Instrumental Music Program

Congratulations to everyone on your fantastic start to our musical year!  Each of our BPS band and string ensembles have made good progress with their music, and are developing a great sound for 2021.

In particular, we would like to give all of our beginner students a special mention, as they get the hang of their instrument. Learning a musical instrument takes time and patience - hang in there! -  it gets a little easier every time you play.

Term 2 Performance Opportunities

Our Senior Band will be performing at the Community Assembly on Wednesday 28 April, in Week 2. There will be other performance opportunities arranged for each of our ensembles throughout the term, and we are so excited to be getting back to live music performances!

POSITIONS AVAILABLE - Learn a musical instrument!

There are still positions available for students to begin learning a musical instrument at Balmain PS. We have an amazing team of tutors who come to our school each week, teaching Flute. Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Violin, and Cello.

Band membership is open for students in Years 3-6, and the Strings program starts from Year 2. If your child is interested in taking up one of these instruments and joining a BPS musical group, please visit https://directionsinmusic.com.au/ or call the DIM office on 9662 2211.

Already play an instrument?  If your child already has experience playing a band or strings instrument, we would love to have them included! Please contact Directions In Music to discuss the most suitable ensemble for your child.

From the Directions In Music Team - Phil Molloy - Coordinator, Rachel W - Senior band, Georgina B - Junior Band, Samantha C - Strings Ensembles.

Thursday 29 April - Years 3-6 X-Country Carnival

including Year 2 students turning 8 years in 2021

Wednesday 5 May - P&C meeting

Friday 7 May - SOLE SISTERS Mothers' Day Walk

Dear Parents & Carers,

For the 1st time, the P&C's of Balmain, Birchgrove & Nicholson St Public Schools are working together on a joint fundraising & community-building project for Mother's Day.

On Friday 7th May, starting at 11:30am, mums from our school will meet in Gladstone Park before walking down to Mort Bay to join the mums from the other 2 schools for a 30-minute charity walk that starts at 12pm at Mort Bay Park & ends at 12:30pm at The Royal Oak Hotel.

Upon arrival at The Royal Oak Hotel, every mum who had registered online for the walk will be greeted with a glass of champagne followed by a 2-course celebratory lunch.

Any profits from the event that our BPS mums raise will be 100% donated to Birthing Kit Foundation Australia www.bkfa.org.au, which has the vision that all women and girls worldwide have access to a clean and safe birth.

Please refer to the flyer ?for further details. Tickets cost $60 and can be purchased at https://www.nichopandc.com.au/shop 

Please be quick to register as there is a limit of 100 people for the lunch at The Royal Oak Hotel - in accordance to current COVID-19 guidelines.

The BPS P&C would like to acknowledge the NSPS P&C for sharing the initiative with both ourselves & Birchgrove PS P&C.

Friday 7 May - SOLE SISTERS Mothers' Day Walk

Sunday 9 May - MOTHERS' DAY

Wednesday 2 June - P&C meeting

SAVE THE DATE - Stage 3 Camp - 23-25 June

Friday 25 June - LAST DAY OF TERM 2

FROM YOUR P&C

2021 Welcome Drinks Wrap Up

Thanks to all the parents and teachers who joined us for our first event in 18 months! If you were there, you’d have loved the catching up, funny games, the amazing dress ups (!) and of course the dancing, thanks to that wonderful and very patient band.

What a fun and fabulous night it was (though whose idea was it to go the Unity afterwards ?!!! cough).

A big thank you to the wonderful Gladstone Park Bowling Club who hosted the event and huge thanks to Victoria and Renee for organising it all. Thank you to Cliff for designing posters; Emma, Vanessa, Alma, Anne, Belinda and Michelle for all your help on the night, as well as a special thank you to Felicity Bowman for the awesome decorations! Who else got nostalgic looking at those posters?! 

A huge thanks to all the wonderful local businesses who donated prizes and raffles – The Corner Bar, Gladstone Parking Bowling Club, Simon Johnson Cooking School, Hill of Content, Roaring Stories, Aesop, TJ’s Butcher, Kafeine, LoveLaurenxx Cookies, Our Place and our P&C Treasurer Paul Galpin, who also donated a prize.

Our community is one of the best things about this school and we plan to host lots more events this year.

On behalf of the P&C Committee, I’d like to wish you all a lovely Easter and a wonderful school holiday break – see you in a few weeks!

Shehana Darda-Teixeira - P&C President   

School Uniforms

Order uniform items here

For any size exchanges, please:

1. Email the uniform stall with the details of the exchange, at: balmainpsuniforms@gmail.com

2. Return the items to be exchanged to the school office, clearly marked with Student name, Class and EXCHANGE

3. Replacement items will be packed and re-delivered to your child's classroom

Orders will continue to be packed and delivered for collection each week, until we are able to reopen the stall.

Thank you!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our uniform stall is a P&C initiative, run entirely by parent volunteers, to benefit our school community!

Ordering: Orders are being packed and delivered to classrooms weekly.

  • Please include your child's name and class for delivery
  • Secondhand items can be ordered through the online store
  • There is no order pickup from the stall or the office, unless by prior arrangement
  • Appointments can be made to visit the stall in order to try on items for size. Details can be found on the school website.

Orders can be placed online at the following link:

https://bps-uniform-stall.square.site

Stock levels: Due to COVID-related delays continuing to affect our suppliers, a small number of items are out of stock. We are receiving deliveries each week, and this stock is quickly being added online. Outstanding items are being packed and delivered to class as they are received. If a longer delay is anticipated for an item, we are moving quickly to source an alternative through a second supplier where possible, to minimise the impact on the school. If you cannot see an item you need, please email the stall volunteers to enquire: balmainpsuniforms@gmail.com

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you would like to volunteer to help at the stall, please email us!

AWARDS

LEARN LIVE LEAD awards - Week 9

K Gentle - Mrs GoodridgeZach Bwonderful improvement in following the rules, sitting on the mat and making good choices!
K Mellow - Mrs Mikhail BryantAngus Mworking hard to learn all he can
1/2 Altruism - Ms CooperSam Shis kindness, compassion and sensitivity towards his peers
1/2 Compassion - Ms ChiangCassius Sshowing his best effort and checking his work in Maths and Writing
1/2 Friendship - Ms FergusonOscar Laccurately sketching a chair from a front view
1/2 Kind Kids - Ms KarstromLachlan Cmaking a fabulous effort towards independence
3/4 Harmony - Ms HoltNatasha Gtackling short division with a positive attitude and working to the best of her ability on mathematical problems
3/4 Leopards - Mrs LoxtonAitan Mhis enthusiasm and hard work in maths
3/4 Phoenix - Ms ParkesJessica Rworking so hard in class and at home on all set work and enlarging her handwriting for Ms Parkes' old, old eyes
5/4 Rainbow - Ms ReedyVivienne Rtaking ownership of her own learning in mathematics
5/6 Belong - Mr BaumannHarry Msimple acts of kindness that resonate with his peers
5/6 Calm - Mr CarltonRosemary Aher amazing effort in her SOLE work
5/6 Poppies - Ms PitmanMischka A'finding her groove' and showing us her positive spirit
5/6 Yin & Yang - Ms YauAmy McDwonderful use of descriptive and figurative language in her writing
LIBRARY K-2 - Ms WhelanSophia K 1/2Agood listening in library

LIBRARY 3-6 - Ms Whelan

Charles F 5/6Phis excellent use of the library
STEAM K-2 - Ms BarcenillaAnna S 1/2Kher excellent listening skills and thoughtful participation in class discussions
STEAM 3-6 - Ms BarcenillaRyan R 5/4Rhis consistent focus and interest to achieve his best in STEAM
ART K-2 - Mrs BowmanCara S 1/2Fconsistently trying her best in the art room, Bravo!
ART 3-6 - Mrs BowmanJoseph M & Harry Mincredible effort and application in Art. Your hearts look amazing!
MUSIC K-2 - Ms BigginsRayan R KGterrific concentration and hard work in music - well done!
MUSIC 3-6 - Ms BigginsRose F 3/4Lher focus and great musicality in Music - great work, Rose

CHARACTER STRENGTH awards - HONESTY - Week 9

K Gentle - Mrs GoodridgeJuliet Kalways being a sincere and trustworthy student
K Mellow - Mrs Mikhail BryantDot Wbeing a trustworthy friend
1/2 Altruism - Ms CooperJames Lbeing straightforward and always telling the truth
1/2 Compassion - Ms ChiangLizzie Wowning up to her mistakes honestly and courageously
1/2 Friendship - Ms FergusonLola Bspeaking the truth and being a genuine friend to others
1/2 Kind Kids - Ms KarstromSilas Racknowledging his mistakes and striving to improve!
3/4 Harmony - Ms HoltKeira Rtelling the truth about a recent incident that occurred. She did so, accepting the consequences
3/4 Leopards - Mrs LoxtonMarkus Aalways telling the truth and playing respectfully and fairly
3/4 Phoenix - Ms ParkesMadeleine Ctaking responsibility for her actions and speaking the truth in an uncomfortable situation
5/4 Rainbow - Ms ReedyZac Shis truthful, honest and kind approach to learning
5/6 Belong - Mr BaumannHenry Ssetting a high standard of integrity for his peers
5/6 Calm - Mr CarltonHenry Csetting an example and owning his mistakes
5/6 Poppies - Ms PitmanHarper Kbeing a dependable, honest human every day
5/6 Yin & Yang - Ms YauLydia C-Lbeing a reliable and trustworthy member of the 'Treehouse' cohort

LEARN LIVE LEAD awards - Week 10

K Gentle - Mrs GoodridgeRayan Rfantastic improvement when asked to 'stop, look and listen'
K Mellow - Mrs Mikhail BryantJasper Mbeing a kind and helpful classroom member
1/2 Altruism - Ms CooperNate Jhis enthusiasm and focus in maths and making a six-part pattern
1/2 Compassion - Ms ChiangElliot Japplying himself to the best of his ability in a Maths assessment
1/2 Friendship - Ms FergusonGiselle Pher organisation and thoughtfulness!
1/2 Kind Kids - Ms KarstromLeonardo Pshowing great kindness by filling others buckets with thoughtful messages
3/4 Harmony - Ms HoltArwen Jincorporating a range of persuasive language techniques in her writing
3/4 Leopards - Mrs LoxtonMia M-Ccreating an amazing comic, telling the story of how she and a friend saved a pigeon
3/4 Phoenix - Ms ParkesOdin Shis dedication and enthusiasm in Footsteps all term! What a joy!
5/4 Rainbow - Ms ReedyBenjamin Chis enthusiastic and expressive dancing in Footsteps
5/6 Belong - Mr BaumannBen Sconfidently increasing his contribution to classroom conversations
5/6 Calm - Mr CarltonHarper Sher amazing piece of persuasive writing
5/6 Poppies - Ms PitmanEddie Hshowing maturity and respect when participating in netball sessions
5/6 Yin & Yang - Ms YauBenjamin Shis keen enthusiasm and involvement each week, during the 'Footsteps' dance program
LIBRARY K-2 - Ms WhelanRoland C KGhis interest in stories

LIBRARY 3-6 - Ms Whelan

Demi G 3/4Pregular borrowing
STEAM K-2 - Ms BarcenillaGeorge McG KGshowing kindness and always helping his friends in STEAM
STEAM 3-6 - Ms BarcenillaCleo McP 5/4Rthe amazing effort she has put in to understanding and applying binary code! Well done!
ART K-2 - Mrs BowmanHenry F 1/2Aproducing a fabulous 'Rainbow Fish' collage!
ART 3-6 - Mrs BowmanMatilda R, Will M &Ben S 5/6Bproducing an impressive piece of 'Shape Poetry'
MUSIC K-2 - Ms BigginsSilas R 1/2Kcreating fantastic moves and performing them skilfully
MUSIC 3-6 - Ms BigginsKaito S 5/6Chis thoughtful and intelligent approach to all music activities

CHARACTER STRENGTH awards - HOPE - Week 10

K Gentle - Mrs GoodridgeGeorge McGhaving a bright, smiley nature and a positive attitude
K Mellow - Mrs Mikhail BryantMischa Yhaving a positive attitude
1/2 Altruism - Ms CooperMaylea Wbeing positive and always believing the best of people
1/2 Compassion - Ms ChiangLily Obeing optimistic and persevering in her learning
1/2 Friendship - Ms FergusonIvy Wshowing a great sense of maturity when faced with challenges
1/2 Kind Kids - Ms KarstromMillie Wknowing she can always learn from her mistakes
3/4 Harmony - Ms HoltSaoirse McCcoming to school each day and striving to do her best
3/4 Leopards - Mrs LoxtonClaudia Pconstantly working hard to understand new concepts being taught in class and progressing forward
3/4 Phoenix - Ms ParkesNiamh Fbeing a beacon of positivity and optimism in our happy, hopeful classroom
5/4 Rainbow - Ms ReedyJulia Bdemonstrating a future-minded, optimistic and positive approach learning
5/6 Belong - Mr BaumannFrankie Hher consistently optimistic outlook on every outcome
5/6 Calm - Mr CarltonJonah Jhis positive approach to his learning
5/6 Poppies - Ms PitmanEd Scoming to school with a positive outlook and seeing the cup as half full
5/6 Yin & Yang - Ms YauAlina Lalways coming to school with a positive outlook and attitude towards learning

POSITIVE PETE Awards

Thanks to Ms Karstrom, who organises the collection and distribution of the Gelatissimo ice-creams, as well as takes the fab photos!

PHOTO GALLERY: Positive Pete Winners - Weeks 9 and 10

And the winners are...(drumroll please!)

Spotlight on...

5/6 POPPIES!!!!

This week was Wellbeing Week. The aim of Wellbeing Week is to provide young people with the tools and knowledge to help manage their mental health, as well as look out for the mental health of their peers. Each day this week, 5/6 Poppies have participated in a different activity centered around wellbeing and positive mental health. Here is some of the fun they’ve had while taking care of their own, and each others’, wellbeing…

Bucket filling...

‘Bucket filling activity’ - Creating the bucket was a fun experience and it motivated people in our class to write kind notes to each other. Ellen & Wenwen

The bucket filling activity was very much enjoyed by my peers and I because it was an easy and fun way to make someone feel good about themselves, and I felt good writing people kind messages! Mischka

‘Mindfulness in nature’ - Doing the mindfulness in nature activity helped us focus on the world around us after being stuck in our thoughts. Alex

I enjoyed the mindfulness in nature activity because we got to actually take a break from class and just focus on the sounds, sights, feels and smells of nature. It was incredibly relaxing! Eddie

'Wellbeing' - Wellbeing is your feelings inside and how you manage, care for and control them. It’s about keeping you and others around you calm and happy. Clara & Marium

COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

Junior Engineers Holiday Program @ Balmain PS - link ?

TERM 2...