Respectful | Responsible | Fair
Member of the Lighthouse Valley of Schools
Byron Bay Public School acknowledges and pays respect to the Arakwal people of the Bundjalung Nation, the traditional custodians of the land upon which the school proudly stands.
We believe in excellence, innovation, opportunity and success for our students. We are a dynamic school community committed to delivering a broad range of quality learning experiences, in a nurturing environment where all students have the opportunity to achieve their personal best. Students will become successful learners, displaying confidence and creativity, along with the knowledge and skills to become active and informed citizens of the future, living and working in the 21st Century.
Week 9
- Thu 8 Dec | Playgroup 9:30am - 11:00am in the School Hall
- Thu 8 Dec | Volunteer Afternoon Tea @ 1:30pm
- Fri 9 Dec | Kindergarten Christmas Concert - 9:45am - 11:00am
Week 10
- Mon 12 Dec | Stage 2 Swimming Assessment @ Byron Bay Swimming Pool - 9:40am - 1:00pm
- Tue 13 Dec | SRC Talent Quest
- Tue 13 Dec | Senior Band @ 8:00am
- Tue 13 Dec | Wild Bunyip Band @ 9:00am
- Wed 14 Dec | Stage 1 End of Year Movie Excursion - 9:30am - 11:30am
- Wed 14 Dec | Stage 3 End of Year Excursion @ Mullumbimby Pool - 9:40am - 3:00pm
- Thu 15 Dec | Playgroup 9:30am - 11:00am in the School Hall
- Thu 15 Dec | Stage 2 End of Year Excursion @ Mullumbimby Pool - 9:40am - 3:00pm
- Thu 15 Dec | End of Year Celebration - 5:00pm - 7:30pm
- Fri 16 Dec | Year 6 Whole School Farewell @ 3:00pm
- Fri 16 Dec | Last day of School for Students
2023 Uniform Shop Opening Hours
- Sat 28 Jan | 9:00am - 12:00pm
- Mon 30 Jan | 9:00am - 12:00pm
- Tue 31 Jan | 8:30am - 10:30am
Payments Due - Please check your email for Online Permission Notes
- Stage 2 Swimming Assessment - $4.50 (Online permission note and payment due 8 December)
- Stage 3 End of Year Excursion to Mullumbimby Pool - $15.00 (Online permission note and payment due 9 December)
- Stage 1 End of Year Excursion to Palace Cinema - $12.00 + $4.00 for popcorn (Online permission note and payment due 9 December)
- Stage 2 End of Year Excursion to Mullumbimby Pool - $14.00 (Online permission note and payment due 9 December)
Year 5 Tyalgum Ridge Retreat Camp
Last week Year 5 attended their annual camp to Tyalgum Ridge Retreat for the opportunity to learn in the outdoors. Students were challenged by participating in a variety of individual and team building activities like archery, canoeing, rock hopping and high ropes. While we did encounter some rainy weather, it didn't dampen the students adventurous spirit and they had a marvellous time.
SRC Talent Quest
The annual SRC Talent Quest is planned for Tuesday 13 December. The SRC has been promoting the Talent Quest to provide opportunities for students to explore their performance talents and skills in front of their peers. The work of Mrs Stevens and the SRC is appreciated. Parents please note this event is for the students only.
End of Year Celebration
Gates will open at 4:30pm and the canteen will be serving food from 5:00pm. Band students and MC’s must meet by the stage at 4:40pm to be ready for a 5:00pm start. All classes will be involved in our End of Year Celebration and all students are encouraged to attend.
A stage has been hired for the evening, as well as lighting and sound equipment. We look forward to seeing you all next Thursday evening to celebrate the end of our school year.
Christmas Decoration Donations needed
We are seeking Christmas decorations for the End of Year Celebration being held on the 15 December. If you have any Christmas trees, tinsel, baubles etc in good condition and that you no longer require, we would appreciate it if you could drop them to the school office or the STEM room to Mrs Whitney. Thank you in advance.
Kindergarten Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Excursion
Kindergarten had a wonderful and exciting day at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The students participated in an education show about habitats, where they got to pat a snake. The crocodile feeding experience was a highlight! We couldn't get any closer to the wildlife, as they swooped just above our heads at the Wild Bird Show. Our final destination was the kangaroo enclosure where we happily fed very relaxed kangaroos.
Thank you to all the students for their positive behaviour and the great parent helpers who supported us on the day.
Principal's Message
Great School
We appreciate your ongoing support of the school throughout 2022. Byron Bay Public School is a great school with a great reputation and we can be very proud of our achievements.
Presentation Day - A Celebration of Learning
Presentation Day acknowledges our outstanding achievements throughout the year and the many talents of our amazing students. Congratulations to the boys and girls who received awards for their outstanding achievements. Thank you to our special guests, parents and P&C representatives who attended. It was such a pleasure to have everyone back on site for our Presentation Day. A BIG thank you to Ms Lennon for organising the day, with support from Jackie in the office and teachers.
2023 Captains and Vice Captains
Congratulations to our newly elected SRC Executive for 2023. Our School Captains are Winter C and Benji W. The Vice Captains are Greta G and Dylan J. The other members of the executive are Andie G, Matilda M, Audrey S, Ivy S, Archie M and Jude R. Thank you to all of the boys and girls who stood for election. We are looking forward to working with our new Leadership Team in 2023. Many thanks to our current Leadership Team who have done a great job throughout 2022.
Planning for 2023
As indicated in previous newsletters, planning for next year is well underway. The composition of classes is a very complex and time-consuming exercise. There are many factors that we need to consider. How we structure classes depends on many complex factors, including the total number of students enrolled across the school, specifically in each year level, along with the final staffing allocation that the Department of Education allocates to us.
The number and structure of classes within NSW Department of Education schools is dependent on whole school enrolment numbers. If your child/ren will no longer be attending our school in 2023, it is crucially important that we are aware of this information. If this is the case, I would appreciate you letting us know by phoning or placing this in writing ASAP, but by no later than tomorrow morning, Thursday 8 December. This information is very important as we consider staffing and class structures for the new school year.
Beginning of 2023
At the beginning of next year, students will remain in their current class for a few days until our student numbers are confirmed. 2023 classes will then be finalised. This is due to fluctuating enrolment data. While we have several plans we will not be able to activate final classes until student numbers are confirmed. All students will commence important learning and assessments immediately. Where possible, students will be placed with their 2022 teacher so that learning continuity is assured. They will begin stage assessments and stage based learning. We will advise parents of finalised classes as soon as we can.
Students will return to school on Tuesday 31 January. We will be having a special welcome back assembly first thing on Tuesday morning.
Advice from Safe on Social Media
A lot of school-aged children are using group chats to communicate with their friends.
Staying in touch with each other can be a wonderful thing, it keeps human connection alive. Group chats, however can often be a breeding ground for bad behaviour, with bullying and sextortion being high amongst negative experiences that students may face.
The most commonly used group chat apps are WhatsApp, Snap Chat, Instagram, Discord, Kids Messenger, plus Facebook Messenger, all of which allow individual and group communication.
The majority of group chat activity happens at home, parents and carers have a duty of care to minimise the risk of bullying and other dangers to a child. As such, here are a few tips to creating positive group chat experiences for your children:
- It is recommended that primary school aged children should only use Facebook Messenger for Kids so that parents can control what is going on in any group chats through the parental controls.
- Devices should never ‘go to sleep’ with students. Normalise handing them over to you before bedtime or to put them in another room until the next day so they are unable to respond to messages at crazy times of the night and morning.
- Help your child/ren develop the skills to leave a group chat that is not helpful or is harmful in any way. Teach them simple phrases to remove themselves from toxic conversations - ‘Sorry guys, I’m not feeling comfortable talking about that’ or ‘This is getting a bit nasty for me, I’m going to go’.
- Remind children that they must always be kind, respectful and responsible at all times while engaging in a group chat. All it takes is for someone to take a screengrab of cyberbullying for interactions to become public and be used as evidence against them.
Student Reports
Student Reports will be going home next week. The teachers have put a lot of time and effort into writing these reports, ensuring that they communicate progress and achievement. If you have any concerns regarding the content, please contact the class teacher and make an appointment for an interview.
End of Year Activities
Please refer to the ’Diary Dates’ section at the beginning of this newsletter. Notes have gone home, via School Bytes, outlining the activities for each stage.
The Perfect Present
Over the last few weeks, I received glowing letters/emails of appreciation that I have passed on to the relevant members of staff. As a teacher, there is nothing more rewarding than receiving a ‘Thank You’ letter or email from a satisfied parent or student. As a school Principal, I love receiving letters and emails, hearing about how fantastic our teachers are or about the good deeds they have done. When it comes to school excursions, which involve a lot of extra work for staff, a simple ‘Thank you’ goes a long way.
End of Year
Classes will not operate after Friday 16 December, which is the last day of attendance for the students. Classes will resume Tuesday 31 January 2023 for Years 1 - 6. Kindergarten will be completing their Best Start assessments during the first week back and will commence full days from Monday 6 February 2023.
Volunteer Afternoon Tea
Garden News
Around the Vegetable Garden. There’s a real BUZZ in the garden. We’re welcoming the rain and the now fully functioning water tanks are filling again. We’ve been caring for bees in the garden since it was reinvigorated and following an event I attended last weekend, the team from ‘Colony Bees’ visited the school vegetable garden space. We have started talks about creating Byron Public School’s own bee sanctuary. Very early days yet, but we’re anticipating the unplanted boundary at the corner of Carlyle and Middleton would be a perfect spot to plant out bee friendly natives as a starting point and install a native bee hive some time toward the end of 2023. Anyone interested in more information, or if you’re interested in sponsoring a bee plant next year please contact the school They will pass your details onto me and I’ll make contact. This will be both a beautiful space and an excellent learning resource. Check them out at -
Happy growing from Deb and the garden crew.
P&C News
P&C Raffle
The P&C is extremely grateful to the AMAZING generosity of our community. We are so excited to inform you that we have nearly $9000 worth of prizes for our end of year raffle fundraiser!! Keep an eye out for the prize list and a list of our generous sponsors in a school stream message later this week.
Where to buy tickets? At the school canteen window before school (8:50am to 9:15am) everyday this week and also through the online link below:
How much? $5 per ticket OR 5 tickets for $20, 15 tickets for $50, 40 tickets for $100, 100 tickets for $200.
Drawn: Thursday, 15 of December at our 'End of Year' school celebration.
Tickets will be available until Wednesday 14 December and will close at 9:00pm. Please encourage your friends and neighbours to purchase tickets for our fundraiser.
Volunteers to help with the End of Year Celebration
We need a little helping hand on the day and evening of Thursday 15 of December, to make the end of year celebration a wonderful experience.
We need volunteers for:
- The popcorn stall
- Setting up decorations during the day
- Helping out at the wishing tree
- Preparing and serving food
- The BBQ
If yourself, a grandparent or a friend have the capacity we would be ever so appreciative to hear from you. Please message Anna on 0401 321 858.
Awards
Citizenship Awards for the Month of November
Instrumental Program Awards
A big congratulations to our Instrumental Program award recipients for 2022. These students have all had a wonderful year and have excelled at their chosen instruments. Thank you also to all the students who were part of the Bunyip Band and Senior Band. A special thank you to all our students, tutors and parents/caregivers for their hard work, practice and dedication this year to the Instrumental Program.
- Percussion Award - Eximious G
- Bass Guitar Award - Archie M
- Flute Award - Venice M
- Clarinet Award - Indica G
- Saxophone Award - Ivy G
- Brass Award - Jediah M
- Bunyip Band Award - Brooke R
- Senior Band Award - Jeanie E
Canteen
Position Vacant - Canteen Supervisor at Byron Bay Public School
Byron Bay Public School’s P & C Association requires a passionate, energetic and well organised person to supervise, maintain and deliver the School Canteen services.
To be considered, you must meet the following criteria:
- Experience and/or qualifications in healthy food preparation, food hygiene and handling.
- Ability to control stock and inventories including ordering/receipting of goods, monthly stocktakes and using Flexischool’s online ordering system.
- Demonstrate time management skills and ability to control day-to-day operations of a busy school canteen.
- Ability to be a team leader who can work well with children, supervise volunteers and participate in school committees.
- Knowledge and ability to implement NSW Healthy School Canteens Strategy and Work, Health and Safety Standards.
- Demonstrate computer literacy, strong communication skills and responsibility for canteen equipment maintenance and security.
Byron Bay Public School has approx. 560 students. This is a casual employment role with potential for permanent part-time, for 5 days per week during NSW school terms. Fast food award wages offered plus bonus opportunities available. Applicants will need to have a current Working with Children Check.
Please email your resume and cover letter demonstrating how you meet the above criteria by Wednesday 30 November to byronbaypandc@gmail.com.
Roster | Term 4 Week 10
- Mon 12 Dec | David Gyngell
- Tue 13 Dec | Marta Yates and Lisette Gartland
- Wed 14 Dec | Samantha Paton and Brita Sundberg
- Thu 15 Dec | Natalie Moffitt and help needed
- Fri 16 Dec | Hannah Bright and help needed
We just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped in the canteen over the last two terms, we have really enjoyed getting to know you all and look forward to having you all back next year. It has been an absolute treat working with and getting to know, the wonderful year 6 students! We would love to finish the year with a bang so if anyone has the time to help us out on these last few days that would be amazing!
The canteen is open Monday to Friday. To place an order, please sign up at https://flexischools.com.au/ (lunch orders must be placed by 9:00am). Cash will only be accepted if there is a problem with Flexischools. All lunch orders need to be placed through the online ordering system. We recommend placing your child’s lunch order the night before to ensure that the order has gone through. Please make sure that you follow the process all the way through to the order confirmation. Please check for a confirmation email after you have placed your order. If you have any problems with the Flexischools App, please try logging on through the Flexischools website. If you would like to volunteer in the canteen (9:00am - 12:00pm), please contact Emma in the canteen or email to bbpscanteen@gmail.com.
Library Borrowing
Reminder to please return all books this week (Week 9). There will be no borrowing of books this week or next. Please assist your child/ren to return their books. Any books not returned by the end of the term will need to be paid for. Thank you for your assistance with this.
Book Covering
This year we were assisted with book covering by several parents Thank you for your valuable assistance in getting our books prepared and ready to be borrowed. If you would like to assist with book Covering in 2023 please call on the Teacher Librarian at a time to suit you. We have 10 books bagged with contact provided ready for covering. These can be taken home and covered and shared with your children before returning them to school.
Uniform Shop Opening Hours
The Uniform Shop will be open for extra days at the beginning of 2023 for all your uniform needs. Please see opening times below.
- Saturday 28 January - 9:00am - 12:00pm
- Monday 30 January - 9:00am - 12:00pm
- Tuesday 31 January - 8:30am - 10:30am
Crossing Supervisor Position
‘Transport for NSW’ informed us that our school will be without a crossing supervisor until another one can be employed. If you are interested in the job or know of someone that might be, please see this link for additional information and the job add.
Please talk to your children about the importance of safe pedestrian behaviour, particularly on this crossing which is a busy one. Here are some reminders:
- Wherever possible, cross the road at a designated pedestrian crossing facility;
- Stop! Look! Listen! Think! when crossing the road;
- Take care whenever you cross; and
- Don’t run across the road.
If you use the Tennyson St crossing, please consider accompanying your children across the road until a suitable replacement crossing supervisor is employed by ‘Transport for NSW’.
Byron Bay Public School thanks these sponsors of our newsletter who assist with the cost of publication
Credits:
Created with an image by Gary - "Amazing Byron Bay, Australia"