Relieving Principal's Message
Another fortnight of our children hitting the highest of highs has been achieved this week. Our school Choir and Dance Troupe performed at the Lismore Eisteddfod Tuesday and Wednesday, making us all incredibly proud. They managed to secure a range of places. The Stage 3 Choir and Combined Years 3-6 Choir both received 1st place. The Stage 2 choir was awarded 2nd place. Our Contemporary dance item placed 3rd and our Jazz/Hip Hop routine placed 2nd. This is a phenomenal result for all our students involved and Ms Caitlin Schwenk who lead and choreographed all choir and dance items. Congratulations to you all!
Our senior boys touch football team travelled to Grafton to compete in the next knockout round yesterday. Well done to everyone for representing our school so well.
Last week we celebrated Book Week with our annual Book Parade. Seeing the effort that parents and carers put in to create individual, exciting costumes always amazes me! We have some seriously talented people in our school community. The smiles on our students faces absolutely proves it is worth the trouble. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who purchased a book from the book fair. Not only does valuing books instil a lifelong love of reading but it supports our school directly to provide more resources and opportunity to our students.
A group of Stage 3 students travelled to Grafton to attend an Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Dance Workshop last Thursday. I love that we are able to offer our students so many opportunities to embrace and learn about their culture. Everyone who attended reported that they had a great day, learnt new dance routines, made some new friends from other schools and enjoyed testing out another schools canteen.
The next few weeks are getting busy as we begin the count down to the end of term. We have a Father’s Day stall ready to go on Monday 1st September, Years 3 and 4 have an excursion to Goanna Headland. Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 are off to Paradise Country and we will also have our end of term PBL celebrations. Please ensure that you are checking School Bytes, Class Dojo and follow our school Facebook page to stay up to date with these events and more.
We would like to inform you that we have seen an increase in the number of reported cases of head lice among students in our school. Head lice are a common issue in school settings and can affect anyone. While they do not pose a serious health risk, they can spread easily through close contact. To help prevent further cases, we kindly ask all parents and guardians to take a few moments to check their child’s hair and scalp regularly over the coming weeks.
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Term 3
Upcoming Events Calendar
Week 7 - Monday 1 September to Friday 5 September
- Monday 1 September to Friday 5 September - Check in Assessment for Years 3-6
- Monday 1 September - Father's Day Stall (Canteen)
- Tuesday 2 September - Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) Goanna Headland Excursion
- Wednesday 3 September - PSSA Rugby League Knockout (Port Macquarie) Selected Students
- Thursday 4 September - PSSA Rugby League Knockout (Port Macquarie) Selected Students
Week 8 - Monday 8 September to Friday 12 September
- Monday 8 September - School Assembly 1:20 pm (School Hall)
- Tuesday 9 September - Years 5 & 6 NSW School Cup Netball
- Wednesday 10 September - Gungalair Transition Day
- Friday 12 September - Preschool visit Little Learners' Picnic 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Week 9 - Monday 15 September to Friday 19 September
- Wednesday 17 September - K-2 Paradise Country Excursion
Week 10 - Monday 22 September to Friday 29 September
- Monday 22 September - School Assembly 1:20 pm (School Hall)
- Friday 26 September - Last Day of Term 3
Ballina Public - Whole School Production
Tickets go on sale on Monday 1st September, 2025!
Issue 6 - Book Club has been distributed to our students. Please ensure you place your orders online by 11th September, 2025.
3/4C has been hard at work learning about Indigenous Seasonal Calendars. We have learnt that, on Bundjalung country, there are up to six seasons which are recognisable through changes in weather, animal movement and flowering plants. Students went about representing each of the six seasons through their own circular calendar segments. Students were required to research information about plants; animals and the weather associated with each season. They have spent a lot of time and effort on this project and have produced an excellent result.
Well done 3/4C!
Mr Cook - Class Teacher
Uncovering Brilliance - Outside the Classroom
We celebrate the Ballina Seahorses U10 Rugby Union team who have been smashing all challengers on the field. Well done, Zac, Bailey, Kyrie, Elijah, Jarahsai and Darnell!
We celebrate Taleah. She played tackle football against her own team and scored a try.
Louie loves the outdoors, especially the beach and playing soccer. More impressive though is his willingness to help others by door knocking for charity.
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Ballina Shire on the hunt for lost water
Water is one of our most precious resources and Ballina Shire Council is determined to track down every drop.
Water loss in Ballina Shire’s water network is currently estimated to be around 10% of the total network input. Ballina Shire Council’s water team has been working hard to reduce this from historic levels of around 20%, which already equates to a saving of 160 Olympic-sized swimming pools or 400 megalitres, annually.
The water team is not stopping there. To help save even more water and reduce costs, Council is once again rolling out the Active Leak Detection Project to locate and repair hidden leaks in the Council network and identify potential leaks on private properties.
Starting mid-August, contractors from AquaAnalytics will survey 350 kilometres of Ballina’s water main network using specialised listening devices to check mains and fittings.
This equipment can detect leaks as small as 10 litres per hour, with no digging required. It can also help detect potential leaks on the private property side of the water meter. If contractors identify a suspected leak, residents will receive a letterbox notice with details on how to arrange repairs with a plumber.
Council’s Manager Water and Wastewater, Scott Turner, said the project delivers big wins for both the environment and the community.
“When we ran this program in 2022 and 2024, we repaired more than 150 leaks in the public network and identified around 80 on private properties. If left unchecked, those private leaks alone could have added about $200,000 to our residents’ annual water bills across the Shire,” said Mr Turner.
“These results show the program is working, but there’s still more to do and more leaks to find. By detecting and repairing leaks early, we can protect this precious resource and help residents avoid unexpected high water bills,” added Mr Turner.
The Active Leak Detection Project is part of the NSW Government’s $35.3 million Water Efficiency and Regional Leakage Reduction Program. To date 23,325 kilometres of water mains have been surveyed, over 3750 leaks have been found, and 7,885ML/year of water has been saved from leaks that have been repaired by regional Councils.
For more information visit ballina.nsw.gov.au or call 1300 864 444.
With spring just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to remind families about Saver Plus delivered by The Smith Family — starting their savings journey now so they can reap $500 in matched savings by July, ready to cover school excursions, laptops, and other education costs
We’d greatly appreciate your continued support in sharing the attached flyer with your school community.
Did you know?
Saver Plus not only helps families save $500—it also empowers them with:
- Financial literacy skills that lead to long-term savings
- Smart budgeting tips that plug spending leaks and save thousands each year
- Access to Work Development Order activities to help waive up to $500 in fines