Assessments
This term our Year 7-10 English students are preparing for their final assessment tasks. Please check-in with your child about when their assessments/examinations are due and what they need to do to complete each one. We are also settling in a new cohort of Year 12 students into their final year of studying a high school English course. All Year 12 students have commenced the Common Module: Texts and Human Experience including the prescribed text, “Billy Elliot” (film).
Senior English Teachers, Ms Nizette and Ms Doyle are HSC marking online in the evenings during weeks 3 and 4. They find the experience invaluable as they discover the different ways that students can access the HSC English paper question that they are marking. Their experience is shared within the English faculty as we continue to strive for consistent marking practice.
Year 10
Year 10 English students continue to develop their ability to read challenging texts about "Displacement". This topic has encouraged the students to be become aware of world-wide issues including homelessness and refugees.
year 9
Year 9 English students have been looking at social issues and change by exploring a range of protest songs, lyrics and poetry by a variety of composers. Through this unit, students have been led to the question, “What do we desire our future to look like?”
year 8
Year 8 English students are reading various texts about marine conservation to develop an awareness of how they can contribute to conserving the marine environment in the unit “Ocean’s Dreaming”. Year 8S English are currently in the process of completing this unit using the teaching strategy of Project Based Learning which is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally through the creation of meaningful projects. Students have been given the essential questions; “Is it only just a drop of water?” and “Why don’t we value water and marine life in our local community?” Through research they must work towards composing an individualized or group project that addresses these questions with the form of the project being the student’s choice. We can’t wait to see how their final projects come together at the end of the semester. There will be an exhibition at the end of Term 4 to showcase the students' work - so stay tuned for the date.
year 7
Our Year 7 students are enjoying the study of film in their "Journeys into the World of The Brave". We encourage our students to be prepared for the Yearly Examination by revising their class notes.
2024 english syllabus
Currently, all the English teachers are engaging with the new English syllabus by writing and resourcing units for Year 7 and Year 9 ready for 2024. The extra-ordinary hours that they have committed to the new syllabus are massively appreciated.
Ms Marelda McLean - Head Teacher
“WE FOSTER AN INCLUSIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY, INSPIRING STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR PERSONAL BEST BY BECOMING LIFELONG LEARNERS, CRITICAL THINKERS AND HEALTHY CREATIVE MEMBERS OF A GLOBAL SOCIETY.”
I am now into my fourth week as the Principal of Banora Point high School and I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to lead our community. The students, staff and parents have been wonderfully welcoming. I have spent much of my first few weeks visiting as many classrooms as possible to experience the quality teaching and learning that is happening across the school and to lead improvement where necessary.
It has been valuable to have more formal conversations with the Head Teachers, School Captains and key support staff. There is much to celebrate about this terrific school.
World Teachers Day
Last Friday was World Teachers Day. I would like to thank our teachers for the amazing job that they do every day. Teaching is much more than a job, it is a vocation. It involves heart and soul, support from family, high levels of expertise, intellect, energy, creativity and passion. Holding quality relationships is a pillar of our profession.
Teaching is full of paradoxes, it can be exhausting yet energising. It can fill your heart with joy and equally break your heart. There is not a day that goes by, even the toughest where I have not considered it a privilege to be in such a dynamic and important profession. In this period of rapid change and political instability our society and the world needs committed and passionate teachers.
Teaching is an exceptional profession in the fact that it requires much more than a skillset and intellect. It requires giving of yourself, your personality and your heart. It requires teachers to be vulnerable and to see people at their best and worst.
The teaching profession does not get enough thanks for the incredibly important, complex and giving job that they do. Our teachers are truly exceptional.
I am proud to be a teacher in public education. I am so grateful for my colleagues and the support from our students and parents.
Please make sure that you thank our incredible teachers when you are next in contact.
Walking Together and Working Together
In the media and on social media, there have recently been some unpleasant and misguided commentary made about Aboriginal people. We as the Banora Point High School Community have a strong commitment to embracing and supporting Aboriginal people and culture. We are in partnership with the community and we are committed to benefitting from the learning of 60000 years of genius that Aboriginal Education brings. We are proud to walk together and work together with our Aboriginal students, staff and the wider community.
The Past Few Weeks
It has been a busy and fabulous few weeks at the school. Yesterday we enjoyed the outstanding Art Exhibition showcasing the talents of many students, but particularly the bodies of work from our Year 12 students. Thank you to Ms Gee for her coordination.
Ms Green coordinated School Spectacular rehearsals in the Hall in preparation for the big event in Sydney.
Planning has started for ‘term 5’ activities which just sounds fabulous.
The HSC exams conclude with the Physics exam on Thursday and our beautifully renovated library will then come to life.
Check-in assessments are underway and junior exams are kicking off.
P&C meeting
P & C will be meeting this coming Monday at 6:30 pm at the school. I look forward to meeting many of you there.
Mr Peter Howes - Relieving Principal
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge all our students and parents for their transition to a phone free school. Yes, we have had some students who have had phones taken during school hours, but for the majority of our students, they have followed the rules and kept phones switched off and in bags. Parents have also been extremely supportive in this process too, having conversations with their kids about supporting the systems we have here at BPHS. Again a BIG THANK YOU, it just goes to show when we all work together, what we can achieve as a community.
Win the War Within - Wellbeing
Our Year 9 and 11’s have started the “Win the War Within” mentoring program, which is tailored for high school students preparing to enter the work force ready to take charge of their future. This unique program imparts self-development strategies for teens to improve their perspective on their lives, and to build clear positive habits to become more resilient, independent, self-disciplined and committed to their ongoing self-improvement. These skills are invaluable for our participants moving forward into adulthood and beyond. Feedback from the students has been extremely positive with most students rating the program as AMAZING.
Students at TAFE this term
TAFE Yes is a program which provides students with the opportunity to come to TAFE and gain foundation skills in an alternative environment to school, learn about TAFE courses and pathways. They are representing BPHS in this adult learning environment and kicking goals.
This term in CAFE Skills I have the following Year 9 students Brodie Blacker, Alex Pike and Jayke Tonna. Last week we made coffees and cold drinks (milkshakes and mocktails), learned how to carry three plates, and formally dress a table with folded cloth napkins. This week we will be in the commercial kitchens cooking brownies, pizza and whizzing up mango smoothies.
This term in CARE Skills I have the following year 9 students Caleb Cooper and Bronte Player. They are experiencing Early Child Care Education for the first 3 weeks and then experiencing the basics of animal health and care and related careers in both industries.
Student have all stated how much they are enjoying their courses and are grateful for the opportunity. A big shout out to Ms Dreyer and TAFE NSW staff for working together to make this happen.
Uniforms
Now I always go on about uniform because of its importance for us as a community. To wear our uniform demonstrates a connection to our school, and its values of Respect, Responsibility and Ready to Learn. To wear our uniform is to be proud of who you are, and what school you attend. Term 3 saw a vast improvement of students wearing their uniform and it was with great excitement that I was able to present the Banora Point Drip award to our Year 7 cohort who were the best overall year group for wearing their uniform. Ms Verhoevan was very proud of her Year 7 team as she accepted the award on their behalf.
Ms Lara Hatton - Deputy Principal (Years 7 to 9)
Support Unit School Dogs - Mojo & Sunni
The School Support Unit Dogs work with students one to two days a week in the classroom, garden, and take a break areas for students needing some time out. They are kept in the fenced playground in the Support Unit and on lead in the classrooms with a designated staff member responsible for them.
Studies have shown students experience a greater willingness to be active in the school environment when there is a School Support Dog. Attendance rates improve as children look forward to seeing and interacting with the dogs. The dogs are used to help some students regulate their emotions as they are encouraged to pat and sit with them if they are feeling upset, overwhelmed or angry in certain situations.
Dogs in schools provide students a shared interest with other members of the school community. This helps them interact and build connections that they otherwise may struggle to do. Our School Support Dogs are a part of our literacy programs as students demonstrate high levels of engagement and are less self-conscious when reading to dogs than a teacher or their peers.
While there may be some risks associated with having a therapy dog in a school, these risks have been effectively managed and mitigated with the planning and implementation of policies and procedures at our school. These include, keeping them in the Support Unit playground, having them fully supervised by their handler and inviting only students who willingly choose to engage with the dogs to interact with them.
Orders can be placed online directly with Daylight Sportswear. Order forms are also available for both the BPHS Junior School (Years 7 to 10) and the BPHS Senior School (Years 11 and 12) on our website. These can be completed and given to the uniform store directly during the hours listed below. Payment can be made to the Daylight Schoolwear Store by EFTPOS/Mastercard/VISA card or cash. No cheques accepted. Payments for school uniforms can be made at the uniform shop only , not the school administration office.
Save water to delay restrictions
Following the El Nino declaration by the Bureau of Meteorology and less than average rainfall now forecast for the Northern Rivers, Tweed Shire Council is urging everyone in the Tweed to save water to prolong the shire’s water supply.
Without significant rain, the Tweed is heading into water restrictions. Council is asking everyone who lives, works and plays in the Tweed to unite and save water now.
Level 1 water restrictions for most of the Tweed will be triggered when the Clarrie Hall Dam level drops to 85% full. If each of us is using less than 160 litres of water a day when water restrictions are introduced, we delay the need to impose harsh restrictions during extended dry periods.
Some great water-saving tips for families include cleaning hard outdoor surfaces with a broom not a hose, mulching your garden, keeping your showers to 4 minutes, doing full loads of washing and fixing your water leaks indoors and out.
In 2020, Council banned water carting from Tyalgum and Uki. Whenever water restrictions are triggered, Council bans water carting from elsewhere in the Tweed to other local government areas.
Council is currently completing planning works for the proposed raising of Clarrie Hall Dam to increase the volume of water that can be stored, securing our water supply in the face of climate change and population growth.