Byron Bay Public School Newsletter TERM 2 | WEEK 8 | 2025

In Sustainability lessons, the class has been putting their eco-thinking caps on by designing and building sustainable tiny houses. With a focus on renewable materials, smart design, and minimal waste, students explored how small changes can make a big impact on the planet. Innovative learning in action!

In Visual Arts, students created still life artworks of apples. They practised using shading, colour, and composition to represent the shape and texture of the fruit.

It’s been a great week of creativity, critical thinking, and practical learning.

Students in 6M have been learning about the Wavehill Walkoff. We have researched and explored information about the protest, Vincent Lingari and Gough Whitlam. Our art represents Prime Minister Whitlam giving the land back to the Guringi people by showing the symbolic gesture of pouring sand between the hands of Whitlam to Lingari.

6W have been learning about Asian art and exploring a variety of artistic styles. As part of this unit, students sketched Koi Fish, then added colour using watercolours and finally used Sharpies to outline and define their artwork. In Japanese culture, Koi Fish—known as nishikigoi—are rich in symbolism, representing courage, perseverance, success, and strength of character.

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dear Students and Families,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to inform you that I will be taking medical leave for the last two weeks of this term and the first three weeks of Term 3. During this time, Ms Lennon and Mrs Spry will be undertaking the Principal and Deputy Principal role respectively.

I truly appreciate your understanding and support during my absence and I look forward to returning to school in early August, ready to see all of your beautiful faces again! Thank you for your kindness and I wish everyone a wonderful break.

Parent Survey - Please Share Your Thoughts!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We value your insights and feedback as we strive to create the best educational environment for our students. Your thoughts are essential in helping us understand what we’re doing well and where we can improve. Please take a moment to participate in our parent survey. Your voices matter, and together we can continue to enhance our school community!

E-Bike Safety

We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our staff and students. As part of this commitment, we want to inform you that our current ability to safely store E-Bikes on school grounds does not align with the NSW Department of Education policy. Therefore, we will be discontinuing the storage of E-Bikes on or around school grounds.

To support our students and families during this transition, we will provide a grace period until the end of Term 2 for you to make alternative arrangements.

We are pleased to let you know that pushbikes will continue to be accommodated at the bike racks beside our administration block. Additionally, parents are always welcome to drop off or pick up their children using E-Bikes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school. We appreciate your understanding and support as we prioritise the safety of our community.

NSW Public Schools Student Survey

Dear parents and carers,

During Term 2, our school is taking part in the NSW Public Schools Student Survey. The survey is being conducted by the NSW Department of Education and invites students to provide valuable feedback on what they think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. If you would like to opt-out of this survey, please email the school.

Vegetable Garden Update

The vegetable garden and surrounding areas are really starting to come together! While great progress has been made, there's still some work to be done before we're ready to welcome back students and the community. A working bee will be organised soon to complete the finishing touches — stay tuned for details!

Far North Coast Dance Ensemble

We are thrilled to share the exciting achievements of our talented students! Two weeks ago, Rosy Hogan represented our school at the Far North Coast Festival held at Twin Towns. This vibrant festival brought together over 1,200 students from public primary and high schools across the Tweed, Murwillumbah, and Lismore districts.

Rosy competed in the North Coast Dance Ensemble Junior group, showcasing a beautiful 4-minute lyrical piece choreographed by the talented Anoushka Gammon. The dedication and passion displayed by all the participants were truly inspiring!

Following this, Rosy and her fellow dancers took part in Dance X last week, where they showcased their skills against competitors from both South East Queensland and North Coast NSW dance schools. We are so proud of their hard work and commitment!

As we look forward to next month, we are eager to hear the results of the competition, where winners will be announced and have the opportunity to compete in Sydney for the State finals. We wish Rosy and all participating students the best of luck!

Compass Music Festival

The alarms sounded bright and early. Our choir was at school by 7.00am, ready for a big day of singing. After a two-hour bus trip, we arrived at the Wiigulga Sports Complex, Woolgoolga.

Two hours of rehearsals, a quick snack, then taking our place on stage. More practice then another pizza and thunderstorm-filled break. Then performance time! BBPS Choir was joined by around 30 schools, a full orchestra and a combined recorder ensemble.

We were able to witness Louis Moynihan-Burne's solo on the alto saxophone.

Our choir sang 5 songs from the very front row. Our voices rose up like a choir of angels. A weary yet exhilarated group of students arrived back at school by 10.00pm. What an amazing experience!

If your child is interested in learning a musical instrument and being part of one of our bands, please phone the front office on 6685 6557 to register your interest.

Attendance Matters

NCCD (Nationally Consistent Collection of Data)

SRC Pyjama Day Fundraiser

🤩A huge THANK YOU to everyone who took part in our SRC Pyjama Day Fundraiser for Fletcher Street Cottage! Our school was full of fun, laughter, and the comfiest outfits ever—think fluffy pj's, bright onesies, and loads of happy faces! 🧸🌈

Thanks to your generous gold coin donations and school spirit, we raised $700, all going to support the important work Fletcher Street Cottage does in our community. 💙

You looked great. You gave generously. And you made a difference. Well done, everyone! 💤👏

Sport News

Byron Bay Public School Sports Update

The last fortnight has been an exciting and action-packed time for sport at Byron Bay Public School. Our students have had multiple opportunities to represent the school and region across a wide range of events. Their efforts, sportsmanship, and commitment have been outstanding, and we are proud to celebrate their achievements with our school community.

Rugby League Gala Day – A Day of Grit, Teamwork, and Spirit

On Thursday 12 June, our rugby league team competed in the NSW PSSA Knockout Gala Day. The boys got off to a strong start with a win over Mullumbimby Public School in Game 1, followed by a second victory in Game 2 against Casino Public School. In their final match of the day, the team faced a tough Ballina Public School side and despite a hard-fought effort, were ultimately defeated.

Throughout the day, the boys displayed determination, sportsmanship and excellent teamwork. A huge thank you to Mrs Irvine, Brad Cranfield for generously giving his time to coach the team, to Evan B for his assistance on the day, and to Nicky S and Mrs Whitney for their organisation leading up to the event. Thanks also to the many parents who provided transport and support on the day - we couldn’t do it without you!

Headlands District PSSA Touch Football – Congratulations, Peyton!

We extend our congratulations to Peyton C on her selection in the Headlands District Girls Touch Football Team. Peyton’s agility, skill, and sportsmanship stood out during trials, and we are thrilled to see her representing the Headland District at the Far North Coast Trials. Well done, Peyton!

AFL State Championships – Dusty and Leo Shine for North Coast

We were pleased to receive glowing feedback from Ben de Braun, North Coast Manager for the Australian Football State Championships, acknowledging the excellent conduct and performance of Dusty M and Leo L, who represented the North Coast PSSA at the state carnival in Sydney during week 6.

Both boys showed consistent commitment and respect across the tournament. A special congratulations goes to Dusty, who was awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the North Coast team — a well-deserved honour, accepted with humility. Congratulations to, Dusty and Leo, for being outstanding ambassadors for our school.

North Coast Cross Country – Off to State!

A big congratulations to Peyton C and Bronte C, who placed in the top 6 of their game groups and have been selected to represent the North Coast at the NSW PSSA State Cross Country Championships. We wish them all the best as they prepare for the state event. Fantastic work, girls!

Far North Coast Football – Regional Selection for Jett and Josh

Well done to Jett K and Josh D, who have both been selected in the Far North Coast PSSA Football Team. Their dedication and skill on the pitch were evident throughout the trials, and they will represent Byron Bay Public School and Far North Coast at the North Coast Trials. Congratulations to both boys on this exciting achievement.

Boys and Girls Football Knockout – BBPS Teams Step Up in Round 2

Our Boys and Girls Football Teams recently competed in Round 2 of the NSW PSSA Knockout against Lennox Head Public School. The girls team played a determined match, but were defeated by Lennox Head. The boys team delivered an impressive performance, securing a win over Lennox Head Public School with some excellent goals and teamwork on display.

The boys now progress to Round 4, where they will take on Bangalow Public School. A special thank you to Ben Ahern for his continued support and coaching, to Kelley Caoyonan for organising the use of the high school fields at short notice and to all the parents who came along to support our students on the day.

Sport continues to play a vital role in the development of our students, offering opportunities to build confidence, resilience and friendships. We are incredibly proud of all our student athletes who have given their best and represented Byron Bay Public School with pride, respect and positivity.

Go the Bay!!

We thank you for supporting our Senior Choir to travel to Sydney in August 2025!

A huge thank you to our major fundraiser sponsors!

Awards

Citizenship Awards for the Month of March

CANTEEN

Please remember - Flexischools cut off time for canteen lunch orders is 8:30am

If you have any questions regarding your Flexischool Account, please phone Flexischools directly on 1300 361 769 as we do not have access to your information.

Roster | Term 2 Week 9

• Mon 23 June | Isabella Pennefather
• Tue 24 June | Georgia Whitaker
• Wed 25 June | Jana Hall
• Thu 26 June | Nerida Hayden
• Fri 27 June | Kyla Egan-Hirst and Christina Smith

Roster | Term 2 Week 10

• Mon 30 June | Marta Capparros
• Tue 1 July | Lisa-Mae Riley-Burden
• Wed 2 July | Briohny Brindley and Monique Swart
• Thu 3 July | Val Johnson
• Fri 4 July | Catherine Dubois and Annette Blandford

Please note that the cut off time for orders is 8.30am, if your child is absent we ask that you please phone the school office by 8:45am to notify the canteen to cancel the lunch orders. As you can imagine the mornings are very busy for us in the canteen and once we have prepared or ordered items it is too late to cancel.

Can you also make your child aware that if they are missing a lunch order to please come to the canteen to check with the canteen staff.

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 8:30am). 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 Lou in the canteen or email to bbpscanteen@gmail.com.

Community Notice