The Bay Breeze

In 1998 thousands of Australians participated in the Sorry Book campaign and the first National Sorry Day on 26 May 1998 was recognised. This was known as ‘the people’s apology’. Between 1997 and 1999 all state and territory parliaments officially apologised to the Stolen Generations, their families and communities for the damaging historic laws and policies.

On Wednesday this week our school reflected on the past and looked to the future.

For we are one and free. 

Monday 31 May marks the first day of Reconciliation week. It has significance for Australia as on July 27, 1967, more than 90% of Australians voted in a referendum to remove clauses from the country's constitution which discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Among them was a provision denying Aboriginal Australians citizenship status because they were not to be counted in the census. This year’s Reconciliation theme supports the journey for all Australians. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 2021 marks twenty years of Reconciliation Australia.

Bateau Bay Public School students will be participating in activities in class to support reconciliation, as well as participating in activities to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students during break times run by Aboriginal teachers. 

At the next P&C meeting I will be discussing the school procedures in line with the Department's policy for digital communication devices. Currently students are expected to switch their phones off and hand them to their class teacher. They are then collected by the student at the end of the school day. This is important for students to remain focused during class along with keeping everyone safe. 

At the meeting we will also be discussing the school's expectations around smart watches and the implications of these whilst students are at school. Once the school procedures have been endorsed by the P&C they will be uploaded to the school website and regularly communicated with our students. 

As students navigate a variety of online platforms in school and their home life it's imperative parents and carers are aware of the important structures around keeping their child safe online. 

Please find attached two links from the e safety commissioner  to support families:

• A parents guide which includes cyberbullying, inappropriate images, amount of time spent online and online gaming. 

Parent Guide

• Free webinars to help support parents and carers to keep their child safe online. 

Webinars

Unfortunately the school is continually receiving reports of parents and carers attending OOSH in the morning and afternoon parking in disabled parking.

Can I please ask all families attending the service that if they are unable to locate a carspot near the service to return to Marlowe Road and park safely. We will be looking at improved signage for each carpark so it is clearly identified however some cars have been observed parking other cars in. 

We would like to express our sincere gratitude as we thank the Boyd family for their kind donation of a  'Sensory Oasis Kit' to the school. This kit is a welcoming addition to our Learning and Support Team's resources and will be available to support students across our school.  It will provide a sanctuary and support for students with sensory needs and those overwhelmed by noise, smells, lights, crowds, and other types of sensory input. The benefits include helping students to relax, reduce anxiety, develop fine motor skills, promote focus and regulate emotions before returning to the activity or event being held. A wonderful addition to our school!  

This is very much appreciated, thank you.

Karen Goodsell

Learning and Support Teacher

Remember, Wednesday is School Banking day and students can bring in their weekly deposit.

Saving regularly is an important habit to get into, whether you're saving a little or a lot. Remember, there is no minimum deposit with School Banking, you can send as little as 5c per week in, saving regularly is what is important.

For every deposit made at school, students will receive a Dollarmites token. Once students have individually collected 10 tokens they can redeem them for a School Banking reward item.

School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives a Regular Savers Contribution of $5 for every 10 deposits processed per student as well as an Annual Contribution which is based on the number of students who made at least one School Banking deposit in the prior year. For more information about contribution payments, visit www.commbank.com.au/sbinfo.

If your child has lost their book, please contact your School Banking Co-ordinator for a replacement or visit any Commonwealth Bank branch.

Thank you for supporting the School Banking program at Bateau Bay. We would also like to thank the wonderful parents who volunteer as our School Banking Co-ordinators and process our banking every week.

If you would like to know more about School Banking, please visit www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking