Byron Bay Public School Newsletter TERM 2 | WEEK 10 | 2025

This term, Year 5 have been exploring the art of still life drawing. A technique where artists carefully observe and draw inanimate objects, often arranged to highlight shapes, shadows, and textures. The students showed fantastic focus and attention to detail as they studied everyday items and brought them to life on paper. Their creativity and growing confidence as young artists really shone through!

Meanwhile, class 5I got extra creative by experimenting with oil pastels to produce vibrant cactus-themed artwork. Using bold colours and textured strokes, they captured the unique beauty of these desert plants with flair and imagination.

Year 5 students in 5/6C showing the dioramas they have made for a made up creature. Their made up creature has adaptations to survive in their environment. They are currently creating their creatures on Tinkercad and printing them on our 3D printers.

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

As we approach the end of another successful term, we would like to wish all our students, staff and families a wonderful holiday break. We hope you take this time to relax, recharge and enjoy quality moments with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for an exciting new term!

Successful Term in Academics

This term has been particularly successful for our students, especially in Maths and English. Our dedicated teachers have worked tirelessly to ensure that every student achieves their best. We are proud of our students’ hard work and commitment to their learning. Keep up the great effort!

Sport Achievements

We are thrilled to celebrate the sporting achievements of our students this term!

• AFL Representatives: Congratulations to our students who represented the school in AFL competitions. Your teamwork and sportsmanship are commendable!
• Cross Country: A big shout-out to our Cross Country runners who demonstrated incredible determination and spirit during the event.
• PSSA Sport: Our teams in touch football, netball, basketball, and soccer have shown great skill and dedication. We are proud of your achievements and sportsmanship in all these competitions.

Creative and Practical Arts

Our Creative and Practical Arts program has been bustling with activities:

• Our Stage 3 Choir has been busy and is gearing up for some fantastic performances! They performed at the Farmers Markets this month, showcasing their wonderful talent. The choir is also practicing diligently for the Opera House event next term and will be featured in the Compass Music Festival. We are excited to see their hard work pay off and encourage everyone to support our talented singers! The choir has also been actively fundraising to support their upcoming Sydney experience. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
• Arts Extravaganza Auditions: We are excited to announce auditions for our Arts Extravaganza are completed and there are many great performers that will be showcased at this event.

SRC (Student Representative Council) Activities

Our Student Representative Council (SRC) has been busy organising events that bring our school community together. This term, we had a successful Pyjama Day, where students and staff donned their comfiest sleepwear to raise funds for Fletcher Street Cottage. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed!

As we conclude this term, we are filled with pride in our students' achievements across various domains. Have a fantastic holiday, and we look forward to seeing everyone back, refreshed and ready for another great term ahead!

We are excited to announce that student reports will be emailed home today. This is an important time for reflection and goal setting for our students.

As you review the reports with your child, we encourage you to focus on the positives highlighted in their academic achievements and personal growth this term. Each report reflects the hard work and dedication that students have put into their learning, and it is essential to celebrate their successes, no matter how big or small.

In addition to recognising strengths, the reports also identify areas for improvement. We encourage students to view these areas as opportunities for growth. Setting personal goals based on this feedback can help students create a clear path for success in the upcoming semester. Whether it’s improving in a specific subject orparticipating more in class discussions, every small step can lead to significant progress.

We believe that fostering a positive mindset towards learning and improvement is vital for our students' development. We encourage parents to engage in discussions with their children about their reports, highlighting achievements and brainstorming strategies for tackling challenges ahead.

Thank you for your continued support in your child’s education. Together, we can help them embrace their strengths and work diligently on areas for improvement as we move into the next semester.

Mother's Day Celebrations

We had a wonderful celebration for Mother’s Day, where families took the time to appreciate the mothers and mother figures in their lives. The involvement of our P&C made this occasion truly special, and we are grateful for all the efforts that went into the very successful Mother’s Day stall.

National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week

As part of our commitment to fostering understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, we conducted a National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week Assembly. These important days provide an opportunity for reflection, education, and meaningful conversations about our shared history.

A reminder that NAIDOC Week falls during the school holidays this year, and we are excited to announce that our school will be recognising this important week in Week 2 of next term.

NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We encourage all families to participate in community activities and events to honour and learn more about the rich heritage of our Indigenous communities.

Year 6 Visits to BBHS

Our Year 6 students enjoyed their visits to Byron Bay High School (BBHS). These are a wonderful opportunity for them to experience life at high school and to gain insight into what to expect in the coming years. We believe these visits will help ease the transition and inspire our students as they prepare for this new chapter in their educational journey.

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!

Music Tutoring and Band News

I am very happy to the share the great news that the BBPS Band Program is coming back bigger and stronger in Term 3. We have secured new tutors and a new band leader – and attendance at Band rehearsals will now be free, starting in Week 2 of Term 3.

If you are considering the idea of your child learning an instrument and playing in one of the school bands, now is a great time. Just contact the office and Band Manager Geoff Spargo will be in touch.

Thank you to Ray and Geoff who have worked hard to ensure that our students continue to have high quality tutors and a band leader to allow our bands to continue to develop their skills and grow. I am looking forward to listening to our bands early next term.

The Premier's Debating Challenge

Last Wednesday, our two BBPS debating teams travelled to Pottsville Beach Public School to compete in a Gala Day for The Premier's Debating Challenge.

Byron Bay Blue - Evie B, Jimmy B, Nina A and Halo T competed against 'Pottsville Piranhas' with the topic, "That we should ban all homework in primary schools". The coin toss had them debating in the negative. They won their first round!

Byron Bay Red - Winnie S, Halo G, Louis MB and Penny O debated against 'Pottsville Pythons'. They again debated in the negative "That debating should be compulsory for all Year 5 and 6 students". They lost their first round.

Byron Bay Blue went onto lose against 'Bogangar Brains', debating for the affirmative "That kids under 12 should have to earn any screentime they get by helping around the house". However, Evie's definition of the topic stole the show and was the best definition of topic Mrs Hogan had ever seen!

Byron Bay Red won their last debate of the day against 'Bogangar Thinkers', debating in the negative "That Years 5 and 6 kids should do their schoolwork on a screen instead of using textbooks and paper".

Overall they each came home with a win and a loss. Our teams will compete again in a Debating Gala Day in August to see which school represents our zone going forward to ultimately compete for the state title. The students were fiercely competitive, worked hard, collaborated well and represented our school with pride. I am so proud of their efforts.

Carly Hogan | Debating Teacher

Senior Choir performance at the Byron Farmers Market

The Senior Choir woke bright and early on the last Thursday in June to sing at the Byron Farmer’s Market. After warming up our voices in a sunny spot beside the stage, students gathered under the supervision of Mrs Greenlaw to perform a repertoire of six songs. Parents were on hand to sell raffle tickets as part of a fundraiser to help towards the cost for the 28 students who will be travelling to Sydney to perform at the Opera House in August. Whilst it was cold and windy, the sun was out, and a good crowd gathered to listen to us sing. The excitement is mounting as the time gets closer for us to head to Sydney. If you have a business and would like to 'Sponsor a Song' for $300, we would love you to join us in our endeavours. Please contact the front office on 6685 6557 if you would like to know more about this fundraising initiative.

Olympian Visit to BBPS | Jo Brigden-Jones

Jo Brigden-Jones visited our school on Friday 20 June in Week 8 to give an inspirational talk about her career as an elite athlete and an Olympian. Jo is a dual Olympian competing in Canoe Sprint in London in 2012 and in Tokyo in 2020. Jo spoke to our students about what hard work and overcoming challenges can look like, along with, how they could unleash their potential. Jo's parting message to the students was 'Don't Fear to dream BIG.'

If you would like to learn more about Jo her website is https://www.jobrigdenjones.com.au/

Congratulations Bonny

We are thrilled to announce that Bonny B has successfully represented Byron Public School at the State Interschool Equestrian Competition in Toowoomba, held from Monday 30 June to Thursday 3 July.

Bonny proudly competed in three challenging events:

• 🐎 Novice Dressage
• 🏇 Combined Training (Dressage & Showjumping)
• 🐴 Show Horse

Her hard work, talent, and dedication to the sport are truly inspiring. Well done, Bonny — we’re all incredibly proud of your achievements and the way you represented our school with such grace and determination!

Sport News

North Coast PSSA Football (Soccer)

A huge congratulations to Jett K on his outstanding achievement in being selected for the North Coast PSSA Football Team. Jett's commitment, skill and teamwork have earned him a spot among the region's top young players. He will represent the North Coast region at the NSW State Championships in Ballina during Term 3. Well done, Jett. We are all proud of you and wish you the best of luck at the championships!

MVP Honour for Dusty M

Congratulations to Dusty M, who was selected as the Most Valuable Player for the North Coast Australian Football team. A truly deserving recipient, Dusty accepted the award with great pride at a recent school assembly. What an incredible achievement!

FNC Touch Football

Congratulations to Peyton C on her selection in the Far North Coast PSSA Touch Football Team. This is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of her skill, determination and teamwork. Peyton will now represent the zone at the North Coast PSSA Trials in Coffs Harbour. We wish you all the best, Peyton.

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 3 Week 1

• Mon 21 July | Staff Development Day - no students
• Tue 22 July | Nicole Farrell
• Wed 23 July | Helper needed please
• Thu 24 July | Val Johnson
• Fri 25 July | Kyla Egan-Hirst and Tiffany Richmond

Roster | Term 3 Week 2

• Mon 28 July | Isabella Pennefather
• Tue 29 July | Lisa-Mae Riley-Burden
• Wed 30 July | Janelle Stanford
• Thu 31 July | Val Johnson
• Fri 1 August | Catherine Dubois and Jana Hall

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.

Piano to give away to a new home

The school is giving away an unused Yamaha piano that is in fair condition. It has about 12 keys which are stuck so would need some repair. Collection would need to be arranged, preferably by a professional furniture mover. Please contact Mrs Spry, Relieving Deputy Principal for further information.

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