*Monday 8 June- Queen's Birthday Public Holiday

*Tuesday 16 June- P&C meeting 7:30pm

*Monday 22 June- Friday 26 June- Parent/Teacher Interviews Week

*Thursday 2 July- Semester 1 Student Reports available to parents

*Friday 3 July- Last day of school for Term 2. Happy holidays!

*Monday 21 July- School Development Day

*Tuesday 22 July- Term 3 commences for students

*This section and our Skoolbag calendar will be updated as full school activities resume.

Our teachers look forward to holding parent teacher interviews via Zoom or phone in Week 9 of this term (week beginning Monday 22 June).

Information regarding interview booking times can be found further in this issue of the Beacon.

Parents and carers will receive their child’s Semester 1 report in digital format (via email) on Thursday 2 July 2020.

This will be a simplified version of the report you normally receive and will not grade student achievement using the usual 5 point scale. Please be aware that all students may not have covered the same syllabus outcomes or content during this period. There will be a focus on the learning covered in English and Mathematics, along with a general comment which may provide information on other key learning areas and what can be done to support further learning growth.

I am often stopped by people to comment on how lovely the BHPS school uniform is and how proud and respectful our students look when wearing their full school uniform. Thank you to the many students who always wear the correct school uniform every day! 

A couple of reminders regarding our uniform, especially as the weather is getting cooler:

• Please ensure your child is wearing BHPS uniform items and not alternate jumpers and hats.

• Black shoes are an important part of our uniform every day unless your child is wearing sports uniform.

• We have a ‘no hat, no play’ policy and require every child to wear a school hat when outside. This includes before and after school. We appreciate the support of all families in adhering to these uniform guidelines.

As the weather has become colder, our lost property pile has become bigger! It can be very frustrating when expensive clothing is lost or we are unable to return jackets to their rightful owners as they do not have names on them. Our wonderful SAS staff have been clearing the lost property pile regularly throughout the week and you can help us out by:

• Labelling every piece of your child’s school uniform clearly with their name – especially hats and jackets.

• Remind your child about the importance of putting jumpers/ hats in their bag if they take them off.

• If your child comes home with an item of clothing which does not belong to them, please return it to school with a note so that it can be returned to its rightful owner. 

Another rainbow during these tricky times has been the increase in our students riding their bikes and scooters to school each day! It has been so wonderful to see our students riding in a safe and considerate manner!

Just a couple of reminders for our bike and scooter riders:

*The footpaths around school are especially busy at drop off and pick up times. It is really important to make sure you use your bell (for bike riders) to alert pedestrians if you are near them and/ or going to pass them so they are able to ensure they are safely out of your way.

*When you enter and leave school grounds please walk your bike/scooter to and from the storage area. Bikes and scooters should not to be ridden around the playground.

*Please ensure you ‘park’ your bike or scooter in the storage area and then leave straight away. Children are not to play or linger in this area. 

Although tricky at present, we are starting to prepare for Kindergarten 2021. If you have a child who is starting Kindergarten next year we would love to hear from you! Please make contact with our school office so we can add you to our database and ensure you receive all the vital information for transition to school in 2021. At this point in time, we aim to hold our information session during Term 3 (date TBA). In the meantime, please get in touch and let others know as well! We can add your details to our database so that when Kindergarten 2021 transition commences, we are able to let you know!

The application process for Year 5 opportunity class placement for entry in 2021 is about to begin.  

If you would like to have your child considered for Year 5 opportunity class entry in 2021, you need to apply soon. You will need to apply on the internet using a valid email address (not the student’s email address).

Opportunity classes cater for highly achieving academically gifted students who may otherwise be without classmates at their own academic and social level. These schools help gifted and talented students to learn by grouping them with other gifted and talented students, teaching them in specialised ways and providing educational materials at the appropriate level.

Parents and carers must apply online between Tuesday 9 June and Friday 26 June 2020 at:  

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5

Please note:  No late applications will be accepted.

The Opportunity Class Placement Test will take place on Wednesday 16 September 2020

A letter of intention to apply has been emailed to all Year Four families. Please note that there are no paper applications and applications must be made online.

Our teachers and staff are so excited to have all our students back learning in the classroom. They look forward to being able to share your child’s learning progress with you. We traditionally hold our parent teacher interviews at the end of term 1, however due to COVID-19 these were postponed.

We will be holding our parent teacher interviews in Week 9 from Monday 22 June. Due to the ongoing restrictions in place associated with COVID-19, our parent teacher interviews will be held via Zoom video (face to face) or phone call. You will be able to select your preferred option when you book. Please see the attached information sheet for parents regarding getting set up for Zoom video interviews.

We will be using the School Interviews booking website to facilitate parent bookings. Bookings will open on Friday 12 June at 3.30pm.

Bookings will close on Thursday 18 June at 4pm.

Log onto www.schoolinterviews.com.au with the following logon code hxh4n.

A confirmation email from School Interviews will have a direct link for your Zoom video meeting time with your child’s teacher.

In the event of technical difficulties teachers will attempt to call you at your scheduled time. Missed appointments will need to re-scheduled at another mutually convenient time with your child’s teacher.

With society becoming increasingly involved in social networking information and communication technology it is important that we remember that we use these information communication technologies responsibly.

One of the great things about being online is the ability to share videos and photos with your friends and seeing their response. It is important to remember that everything you post online combines to make your digital footprint. Remember that what is shared by you with your friends can also be viewed by people you don’t know. And once it’s online, it could be there forever.

You can manage your digital footprint by:

• Keeping your personal details private
• Not sharing your username or password with anyone.
• Thinking before you post. Once posted, it can be difficult to remove.
• Not posting things that you don’t want others to know about or that you wouldn’t say to their face.
• Being respectful of other people’s content that you post and share. Only post photos of others if you have their permission.
• Talk to friends and family if something makes you uncomfortable, scared or sad. Or call the Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 number to talk to an expert.

Remember before you post anything online THINK!

Is it true?

Is it helpful?

Is it inspiring?

Is it necessary?

Is it kind?

Most social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram have a minimum age limit of 13 and are therefore not appropriate for primary school students.

You can also visit the e-safety website https://www.esafety.gov.au/ to get all the facts and for more information on cyber safety.

Uniforms can be ordered online at www.bhpsuniforms.com for delivery to your child’s classroom.

Please remind your children to check the lost property at lunch times for any missing items.  Once a week the office has offered to sort through the Lost Property and return to classrooms.

PLEASE ENSURE ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN LABELLED WITH THEIR NAME.

Thank you to our community for your patience and understanding when waiting at the gate to collect early leavers or drop off  late arrival students throughout the day.  It would be helpful if you could notify the office or your child's classroom teacher of any early pick ups.

Lunch is on us.

Need help with the kid’s lunches during school holidays or while schooling from home? What about your own lunch? Maybe an elderly relative or neighbour? In response to Covid-19, The Link Community Care will fill your lunchbox for free.

So what’s in your ‘LUNCHBOX’? Director of The Link Community Care Glenn Wysman said it was important to ensure the lunchbox was healthy. “We consulted local nutritionist Kelly Richardson, and as a result we’ve decided to pack the lunchboxes with a sandwich, a drink, a piece of fruit and a snack - or two.”

Mr Wysman said they’ve also put in place provisions to ensure they abide by the strict rules governing social distancing and travel during Covid-19.

“We will be making it as safe as possible for those wanting a ‘LUNCHBOX’ by providing a drive through service, so people won’t have to leave their car.

Our drive through lunch centre is located at the Pittwater Sports Centre, 1525 Pittwater Road, Narrabeen, which is opposite the park where we typically stage ‘Carols by The Lake’ and ‘Eggs by the Lake’.

“Each ‘LUNCHBOX’ will be sufficient for one person, although families will be able to collect extra lunch boxes to ensure no one skips lunch.”

The Link Community Care ‘LUNCHBOX’ Program commences on Wednesday 15th April and will be available Monday to Friday from 11am to 2pm as long as the need continues. A gold coin donation would be gratefully accepted but is not essential.

If you would like to support the Program, Mr Wysman outlined several options. “You can donate at www.link.org.au/community-care/

You can also drop off non-perishable grocery items to the Pittwater Sports Centre which will be packaged into hampers to help those in our community in most need.

“We also need volunteers to help pack and deliver the ‘LUNCHBOXES’.”

The Link Community Care will also be offering a home delivery service for the most vulnerable & the elderly who are unable to leave their home.

“These are unprecedented times”, said Mr Wysman. “But one thing I know about the Northern Beaches, is that we are a very supportive community and together we will get through this season.

“I would also like to acknowledge those who’ve come on board to help us run this program. Special appreciation to Mark & Gai Forrest owners of Pittwater Sports Centre and the organisations within the centre”.

Pittwater Sports Centre

North Narrabeen Academy of Gymnastics

Fresh Start Fitness

The Sandbucket Cafe & Play Centre

Kindygym Australia