Celebrating Public Education Week

It has been wonderful to spend time celebrating NSW Public Education this week with the theme “Ignite your Potential” highlighting the important job we do as schools to start kids on their educational journey, sparking a love of learning and supporting their individual potential as they progress through school, both in the classroom and through a range of extracurricular activities.

It has also been an opportunity to recognise some students, staff and community members for their efforts and achievements. The following amazing Bellbirdians were recognised by the Cessnock Community of Great Public Schools (CCGPS) at a special assembly on Monday.

School Achievement Award

• Bellbird Public School STEM and Podcasting initiative - For providing high-potential students with opportunities to extend their academic abilities while developing digital literacy, communication, and leadership skills.

Student Achievement

• Hudson B - For consistently demonstrating an enthusiasm for learning in all classroom activities
• Dorothy HN – For excellence in academic achievement, natural leadership, and her outstanding contribution to our school’s core values of being a Safe, Respectful Learner
• Jaya W - For outstanding commitment to learning and embodiment of our school’s core values of being a Safe, Respectful Learner.
• Kingston M – For enthusiastic engagement in all learning opportunities whilst always striving to improve, while treating everyone with respect and friendship.            
• Lorelai YS - For her creative, positive and enthusiastic approach to all learning opportunities, and whose nurturing and empathetic interactions with all she encounters reflects our school values. 
• Jett C - For being a positive role model showing consistent effort and excellence in all areas of learning.
• Celeste C - For approaching every learning opportunity with enthusiasm and commitment, setting a high standard for her peers through her exemplary behaviour and strong leadership.

Excellence in Teaching

• Beth Thompson - Demonstrated excellence in teaching, including the capacity to mentor and support the professional growth of others.
• Linda Mackenzie - Demonstrated commitment to the learning and wellbeing of students, with building positive relationships at the heart of her practice.

Outstanding Contribution by a Non-Teaching Staff Member

• Jo Pearson - For dedication to the support of student learning and wellbeing, showing initiative and care for all students. 
• Natalie Kronholm - For dedication to the support of student learning and wellbeing, showing initiative and care for all students. 

Outstanding Contribution by a Community Member

• Amanda and Lincoln Moncrieff - Outstanding contributions to the support of Bellbird Public School’s students and community.

Excellence in School Leadership

Carmen Shultz – For commitment and dedication to the development and support of effective transition into the school environment. 

Bullying No Way

Bellbird Public School strives to reduce bullying behaviours in our school environment through a range of proactive strategies throughout the year including explicit teaching of social skills, special events and PBL focuses. In addition to these, next week is the Bullying No Way -National Week of Action which we recognise and participate in each year as an additional focus. As part of this week’s focus all students will be  involved in the following Anti-Bullying activities to ensure students have the knowledge and skills to help prevent and respond to bullying.

Monday 11^th August- 1.20pm - Kids Helpline Largest online Anti-Bullying lesson (All students)

Monday 11^th August – Student led Assembly. 2.30pm Our school leaders will also be holding a special student led assembly instead of our usual weekly assembly.

Week 4 and 5 Explicit teaching – Kindness – Our explicit teaching in social emotional learning and PBL lessons will be focusing on Kindness with lots of in class learning and activities.

Stage 3 Virtual Classroom – Be an ESafe Kid: Your choices in chat

Stage 2 Virtual Classrooms – Be an ESafe Kid: Being online should be fun for everyone!

For more information on how Bellbird Public School addresses bullying visit our School Behaviour Support Management Plan 2025

https://bellbird-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/b/bellbird-p/BellbirdPS_-_Behaviour_Support_Management_Plan_2025.pdf

Explicit Teaching

At our school, we are committed to ensuring that all students thrive in their learning environment. Every day, our dedicated teachers across NSW engage in explicit teaching, a method that helps clarify and enhance the learning process.

In Semester One, we focused on setting clear Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for each lesson. This approach provides our students with a roadmap, making it easier for them to understand what they are learning and how they can succeed.

As we move into Semester Two, we will continue to build on these strategies. Our goal is to not only plan and model effective practices but also to provide plenty of opportunities for students to practise giving and receiving feedback. We believe that developing these skills will empower our students to act on feedback, helping them to grow and improve in their learning journey.

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive learning experience for our students!

Supporting Our Students Through Targeted Assessments

Effective teaching first involves knowing your students and where they are in their learning journey.  Part of that process involves regular assessment to help our teachers understand each student's progress and determine how to best assist them in their learning journey.

From Best-Start assessments in Kindergarten to NAPLAN and the HSC, our students participate in various assessments throughout their schooling. When new assessments are introduced, they undergo thorough testing and receive feedback from schools. Schools may choose to participate or may be invited to contribute.

At Bellbird Public School, we view opportunities to take part in these trials as valuable. They help us stay informed about educational changes, enhance our teachers' skills, and allow us to provide feedback to the department before new assessments are rolled out statewide.

Recently, our Year 1 teachers and students participated in a new Year 1 Numeracy Check-In. This quick, 15-minute one-on-one assessment focused on students' number and addition skills. We are proud of our Year 1 students for their patience and cooperation as our teachers learned to deliver the assessment. The results will guide our future teaching strategies.

Great job, Year 1! Thank you for your hard work and support!

School Musicals coming soon! 

What’s better than an amazing school musical? Two amazing school musicals!!! To support our Term 3 Rich Learning Theme “Around the World” and support our students with potential in the creative arts we will be holding some musicals towards the end of Term 3. Due to increasing school numbers, we have decided to split our K-2 and 3-6 students to provide more opportunities for students to be involved and ensure we can fit parents in to see their amazing performers. All students will be involved in some way as part of a class item, with some talented drama students also chosen to support each story. Keep your eye out for more information soon but in the meantime put the following dates into your calendar.

• K-2 Musical – Wednesday 10^th September
• 3-6 Musical – Wednesday 24^th September

Public Speaking

Our annual Bellbird Public Speaking Competition will take place in Term 3, Week 4. All students are encouraged to begin preparing their speeches, which they will present to their class during that week.

From each class, two students will be selected to represent their class in the stage finals, which will be held on Monday, 25th August. Following the stage finals, two outstanding speakers from each stage will be chosen to represent our school at the Hunter Public Schools’ Public Speaking Competition, scheduled for Term 3, Week 7.

A detailed note has been sent home with important information about speech preparation, presentation expectations, and the marking criteria. We encourage all students to take part and look forward to hearing their confident and creative speeches!

Key dates:

Week 4- Monday 11^th August-Thursday 14^th August – All students deliver a speech to their class.

Week 6 – Monday 25^th August – School Public Speaking Finals (2 students/class) to select our school winner and runner up for each stage who will represent at Zone Public Speaking in Week 7.

Spelling Bee 

On Friday, June 6, 2025, Stage 2 and 3 hosted their annual spelling bee at school. This year, selected Year 2 students also took part in the Stage 2 competition. There was a strong turnout of eager participants for both stages. In the Stage 3 Spelling Bee, after an initial round of 54 competitors, the field was narrowed down to the final two: Celeste and Ryan. Following an exhilarating contest, Celeste emerged as the champion, with Ryan finishing as the runner-up. The Stage 2 Spelling Bee featured 58 participants, which was reduced to three finalists in the fourth round: Nova, Curtis, and Capree. Novah claimed victory with the winning word "boycott," while Curtis secured the runner-up position. Congratulations to all participants, and the winners from each stage will advance to the Regional Spelling Bee in Week 5. 

Children’s University On-Campus Exploration Day 

An engaged group of possible future university graduates headed down to Newcastle University, Callaghan Campus last term along with 200 other local school students. We had an interesting day experiencing some of the faculties, getting a small taster of career opportunities.  

Our first activity took us to the pharmacy laboratories where we had a quiz about medications and their similarity to lollies, then we headed off for some performing. We had outstanding turtle dancers and creative skilled performers. During lunch we watched a science show where our presenters undertook experiments, the smoke donuts were a hit! Next stop was in the economics section where we honed our skills in budgeting; deciding between needs and wants. Our last task was in the languages faculty where our presenters discussed the differences between dragons in Chinese, Japanese and Korean mythology. 

Students represented our school respectfully and participated in the opportunities whilst racking up many, many steps walking around the huge campus. Everyone received a special acknowledgement sticker in their passport and a booklet to work on over the holidays. 

A huge thank you goes out to the parents who joined us for the day; driving us down and experiencing the university with us. 

A reminder that Monday’s lunchtime group begins again in Week 2. We have until the end of next holidays to keep collecting experiences and hours in our passports. 

100 Days of Kindergarten

Can you believe it? Our Kindergarten students have officially reached an exciting milestone — 100 days of school!

To mark the occasion, our clever Kinder crew embraced the fun by dressing up as wise and wonderful 100-year-olds. The celebration, held in Week 1, was full of joy and energy as students rotated through a variety of engaging, 100-themed activities, including STEM challenges, craft projects, and fitness games.

It was a day filled with laughter, learning, and unforgettable memories.

Here’s to the next 100 days of growth, discovery, and delight!

Film by the Vines

During Week 1, some of our Stage 2 and 3 students had the opportunity to participate in the Film By the Vines workshop where they learned about film making, including camera angles and techniques, storyboarding and film editing. They all really enjoyed the day, learning lots, experimenting with all the things taught and interacting with students from other schools. Over the term they are going to work on creating some films to enter into the Film by the Vines competition.

Year 6 Interrelate  

In Term 2, Year 6 students took part in the Interrelate ‘Moving into the Teen Years’ program. During the program, students developed their understanding of the physical, emotional, and social changes that occur during puberty, how these changes may affect their relationships and sense of self, and gained valuable information to help prepare for the transition to secondary school. Throughout the sessions, students demonstrated a mature and respectful approach to the learning content and represented Bellbird’s school values with pride. 

Debating

This year we have entered two debate teams for the Premier Debating Challenge. One team is called Burras and has Jayden M, Georgia A, Kaytee M, Kiara Borg and Ava Peak. The other team is called Bellas and consists of Celeste C, Hannah D, Joanna W, Alex M and Olivia C. Both teams have been working hard to learn the process of debating and have shown great improvement in each debate.  In the challenge, the teams have to debate against each other with the Bellas coming out on top. I congratulate all students on the amazing effort they have made and the time they have given to competing in the debates. We have two more debates for both teams left for this term, so I wish the teams all the best for the final round of debating. 

Maths Olympiad  

A group of Stage 3 students have proudly represented our school in the Junior Division Maths Olympiad this year. This prestigious, inter-school competition is designed to challenge and extend high potential and high achieving students in Years 5 and 6 across Australia. So far, students have completed two of the four Olympiad competitions, demonstrating enthusiasm, persistence, and strong problem-solving skills. They have embraced the opportunity to deepen their mathematical thinking and apply creative strategies to complex problems. With two competitions still to go this term, our team is excited to continue striving for excellence while enjoying the challenge.  

Year 6 Mini Fete Fundraiser 

Our Year 6 Mini Fete is just around the corner! On Thursday 15th August, Year 6 students will be hosting a fun-filled carnival-themed fundraiser to help raise money for their End of Year Farewell. 

Students across the school are invited to join in the fun, with exciting games and activities designed and run by Year 6. For just $5, each student will receive a token card allowing them to play 10 different mini fete games throughout their class session.  

Year 6 are looking forward to celebrating with the students and thank you for your support as they work towards a memorable end-of-year celebration! 

Keep your eyes peeled on SchoolBytes for further information and payment details.  

Leaders Morning Tea

Student leaders recently attended a special morning tea hosted by Cessnock City Council, where they had the privilege of hearing from guest speaker Lauren Parker, Paralympian. Lauren shared her inspiring story of achieving greatness after a life-changing setback that left her paralysed. She spoke about leadership, resilience, and the power of determination to overcome challenges and achieve our goals. Our students represented the school with pride and should be commended for their outstanding leadership.

This term, we will be hosting two afternoons of our Kinder Crew, where pre-Kinder students will gather at the play equipment to meet each other in a fun, informal setting to assist with a smooth transition into Kindergarten.

We’re excited to kick off our formal Kinder Transition in Term 4, starting with our Kinder Expo on Tuesday, October 21st, from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. This is a fantastic opportunity for parents and pre-Kinder students to learn about a day in the life of Kindergarten, our OOSH program, the P&C, curriculum, support services, and much more!

The formal transition will begin in Week 3, every Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, focusing on literacy, numeracy and PE, and will conclude with a special teddy bears’ picnic. Parents are invited to join the first session with their children, and for sessions 2-4, there will be workshops specifically for parents. Further details will be sent home via email, and a copy will be available on Seesaw. 

We can’t wait to welcome our new Kinder students!

Stage 3 students have all begun their high school transition sessions during the past semester with Mount View High School to help prepare them for the journey ahead. These opportunities play a vital role in supporting students as they get ready to enter high school. Over the past semester selected Year 6 students have also taken part in the Middle Schools Program, engaging in sessions focused on drama and HSIE to develop skills and build confidence as they get ready for their transition to high school. This term, selected students will develop their skills within the arts domain. This term, applications for the Mount View Enrichment Class will open, with further information to be emailed out to families from Mount View High School in the coming weeks. 

Important MVHS Year 6-7 Transition dates:

15^th August MVHS Enrichment Class applications close

20^th August – MVHS Enrichment Class Entry Test

27th August – MVHS Transition Team visiting BPS to talk to students/staff

8^th—12^th September- – MVHS Enrichment Class Student Interviews (Actual Day to be confirmed)

9^th September – Year 6 STEAM Day @ MVHS

18^th and 19^th September – MVHS Connecting with Culture Days (Year 6 A&TSI Students)

14^th November – MVHS A&TSI Transition Day

18^th and 25^th November – MVHS Jump Start Transition (Selected students)

Tuesday 2^nd December – 8.55-10.55 – Year 6 Orientation & Parent information Session

We are thrilled to share some exciting highlights from our recent activities that celebrated Indigenous culture and promoted leadership among our students.

To kick off our celebrations for NAIDOC Week, we were delighted to host a captivating performance by the talented Sean Choolburra. His engaging storytelling and vibrant energy truly brought our community together, allowing us to reflect on the significance of this important week.

In addition, our classes embraced Reconciliation Week by diving into traditional stories and creating beautiful artworks. These creations were showcased during our whole school assembly, where students were guided by our dedicated AET Executive. It was wonderful to see our students' creativity shine as they recognised the importance of reconciliation.

Our Year 6 AET Leaders had an enriching experience attending the AET Leadership Day at Nulkaba Public School. They developed essential leadership skills while participating in various activities, including sports, cooking, and STEM projects. This experience not only enhanced their leadership abilities but also fostered teamwork and camaraderie among peers.

Moreover, our Stage 3 AET members have been actively supporting and guiding our younger students. They have been instrumental in developing and implementing activities to help them build skills in traditional language, art, cooking, and sports.

Stage 3 STEM - Designing Solar-Powered Space Rovers

Last term, a selection of Year 5 and 6 students embarked on an out-of-this-world STEM journey, designing and building a solar-powered space vehicle to complement their classroom learning about space. Inspired by real-world projects like NASA’s solar rovers, students applied physics, engineering, maths and creativity to their projects.

From researching how to convert sunlight into electricity to crafting lightweight chassis for optimal performance, the students learned new engineering and design skills. They trialed their models, provided their peers with constructive feedback and made improvements to their designs, bringing science and design to life.

This project fostered critical thinking, resilience, and teamwork. Well done to our budding engineers!

Stage 2 STEM Team Build 3D‑Printed Mars Rovers!

Last term, some enthusiastic Year 3 and 4 students embarked on an exciting STEM adventure by designing and 3D-printing their very own Mars rover models, perfectly tied to their classroom learning about space exploration.

Inspired by real‑world classroom projects, the students began by researching NASA’s iconic rovers, Perseverance and Curiosity, Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity and explored 3D-printing tools such as Tinkercad. They learned about scale, proportions, and the engineering design process, then moved from virtual design to hands-on 3D printing of their models.

Through this process, they strengthened their skills in problem-solving, collaboration, design thinking and gained firsthand experience with emerging technologies.

The result? A series of imaginative mini-rovers that not only look the part but sparked curiosity and creativity across the group. Well done to our Stage 2 engineers.

Kindergarten

Last term was an exciting time for our Kindergarten students as they launched into learning with our engaging ‘Space’ theme. One of the highlights was a visit to the planetarium, where students were captivated by the wonders of the universe. This experience ignited their imaginations and deepened their curiosity about planets, stars, and all things cosmic. Through hands-on activities, storytelling, and creative projects, our young learners explored the mysteries of space in a fun and meaningful way.

As we begin a new term, we are thrilled to take our students on another exciting learning adventure with the theme: ‘Around the World in 50 Days’. This unit will introduce students to a variety of cultures, traditions, and places across the globe. Through music, art, stories, and food, students will gain a broader understanding of the world around them and develop an appreciation for its diversity.

This term also brings a special event — our K-2 Musical! Our Kindergarten students will have the wonderful opportunity to participate in this joyful performance, where they can showcase their talents. We look forward to celebrating their creativity and enthusiasm on stage!

We can't wait to see all the learning and growth that will take place this term. Thank you for your continued support!

Stage 1

Last term, Stage 1 visited the Space Planetarium, where they explored stunning stars and planets while learning about a Dreaming story related to their placement. Students enjoyed guessing the largest and smallest planets and watching the sky transition from day to night. Stage 1 also focused on building our writing stamina and increasing the volume of our writing. We’re proud to share that we made fantastic progress across all classes! You may have seen the booklets we created showcasing our Morning Writes at the end of last term— a collection of writing pieces that highlight how much we’ve grown from the beginning to the end of the Term 2. Our writing each day was driven by our rich learning theme centred around 'Space'. We explored a variety of writing purposes each week, including persuading, performing, and entertaining. As young authors, we also engaged in self-assessment by marking our work against success criteria and giving ourselves feedback — an important part of becoming independent and reflective writers. We hope you enjoyed reading our work as much as we enjoyed creating it!

Stage 2 Spaced Out during Term 2! 

What a sensational term of asking and answering many questions about space! We began with a Big Bang and an amazing gaze at galaxies in the planetarium dome. We rocketed around the Sun, Moon and all our planets, got caught up in black holes, comets and asteroids and queried if there is life out there! Our learning took place through research in books and on websites, through videos and conversations. We presented information reports, posters, artworks and short speeches. 

We certainly had many space experts amongst our students already, but we all learnt many new ideas and facts. We learnt so much we made a Blooket quiz to dazzle us all with our knowledge! 

Stage 2 head ‘Around the World in 50 Days!’ this term. We have packed our bags already to head off on our huge trip! So far, we have visited some places in Australia and overseas through our book ‘My Place’. We are looking forward to increasing our knowledge of and appreciation for our Indigenous culture in Australia and how and why Australia has changed over the last 250 years. 

Let’s not forget our actual journey down the freeway to Sydney in Week 5 for our three day excursion and our musical in week 10. We can’t wait! 

Stage 3

During Term 2, Stage 3 students launched into an exciting and enriching learning journey focused on all things space! From investigating the planets within our solar system to understanding how distances between the planets and how long they take to orbit the sun. A highlight of the term was the visit to the planetarium, where students had the chance to explore the night sky and learn about Aboriginal astronomy stories. These cultural perspectives helped deepen their understanding of how the stars have been used for storytelling, navigation, and tradition for thousands of years. 

This term we are looking forward to embarking on our journey around the world. In Stage 3 our focus will be on exploring the rich cultures, landscapes, and histories of Africa, America, New Zealand, and Brazil. Students will compare cultural traditions, landmarks, natural environments, and more as they build a deeper understanding of the world beyond their own community. We look forward to sharing our learning with families and friends during our school musical showcase later this term, where students will highlight key elements of our global discoveries through song, dance, and storytelling. 

KF

WOW!!! What a term KF has had, jam-packed with learning and fun! As I take a moment to reflect on all the incredible experiences this term, I can proudly say that all students have been working hard and engaged in meaningful learning.

Our young learners have made fantastic progress. They can now blend taught single sounds together and are actively reading decodable sentences and texts. Their writing skills are blossoming as they construct sentences using their expanding vocabulary. In mathematics, students are successfully solving addition and subtraction problems and exploring various concepts.

Last term, our exciting `Space’ theme allowed students to participate in a captivating planetarium visit, where they learned about constellations. Additionally, they took part in their first cross country and athletics carnival, learning the importance of staying healthy and active.

It has truly been a term filled with growth, discovery, and joy! We look forward to more exciting learning adventures in the upcoming term.

KM

KM had a wonderful end to Term 2 by celebrating all the hard work they have done with our Pyjama Movie Day! After a relaxing holiday, they have jumped right back into school with some new sounds and learning about the place value of two-digit numbers. They hit a huge milestone as well with our 100 Days of Kinder celebration! They definitely showed that they are 100 days brighter, smarter, kinder, wiser and older and even came dressed up as if they were 100 years old. They did some fantastic writing describing what they would get up to when they are 100 years old. Stay tuned for what KM get up to as we move further into Term 3!

KT

Last term in Kindergarten, our theme was `Space,’ which inspired a variety of engaging craft activities that allowed students to explore the wonders of the universe creatively. Throughout the term, students developed their literacy skills, learning to read simple words and books, while also advancing their numeracy by counting confidently to 20. A highlight of the term was our exciting visit to the planetarium, where students were able to `launch into learning’ about stars, planets, and galaxies. Additionally, we participated in our first athletics carnival, fostering teamwork and physical skills, and engaged in STEM coding activities that introduced students to basic programming concepts in a fun and interactive way. Many of our students also made significant progress on their Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) journey, achieving bronze and silver levels, which reflects their commitment to positive behaviours and classroom participation. Overall, it was a term filled with exploration, learning, and growth and we can’t wait to continue the fun in Term 3.

KV

KV had a very busy and exciting end to Term 2. It’s hard to believe that we are half-way through our first year at school. We have been continuing to grow our letter knowledge with a new sound each week and we have been writing and reading more and more words. We are very clever with counting and have been practising to add two numbers by counting on from the biggest number. A highlight of our Term 2 learning included doing weekly STEM lessons with Mrs Morton and learning to program the Bluebot robots to move in different directions and using the iPads. We also enjoyed doing hands-on learning in science and making observations of the weather and designing shelters. KV also completed some beautiful artworks to go along with some traditional Dreaming stories during Reconciliation and NAIDOC celebrations. We look forward to seeing how much we keep growing and achieving during Semester Two.

S1C

Welcome to Term 3! We are so proud of how far S1C have come already this year. They really are a beautiful class and we’re looking forward to watching them continue to blossom.

In Geography, we are exploring different places around the world and learning about what connects people to these places. In Science, we are investigating pushes and pulls, gravity, friction, magnetism, sound vibrations and light behaviour. In PDHPE, we will be participating in a hockey program run over four weeks. In Creative Arts, our students will participate in a dance program from Amplify. Of course, we are also busy dancing up a storm in preparation for our school concert. S1C are extremely excited!

It has been great to see how proud our students are when they move up to the next spelling level. Students work through the week to learn to read and write their spelling words and are tested on Thursdays. New lists are sent home on Thursday. If you need a copy of your child’s spelling list or reading passage, please message us on Seesaw and we will send a new one home. Students love receiving dojos for bringing their homework in weekly or posting it to Seesaw.

S1M

S1M have been learning all about characters in their narrative-writing. A highlight of ours was creating our own characters from foods and kitchen appliances. In Maths, we got hands-on, measuring the capacity of different containers using blocks.

During Term 2 S1M were lucky enough to have Mrs Morton join us for STEM to teach us all about how to use iPads to create stop-motion movies. We were challenged to pick backgrounds and characters, plan stories and avoid shadows in our movie. One ten-second movie required us to take over 100 photos!

In Drama, S1M created their own characters and designed finger puppets to act out their own stories. We gave our characters names and their own personalities.

For our Space-themed Rich Task, S1M enjoyed creating a ‘personal best’ writing booklet that included all their best efforts in writing across Term 2. This covered many interesting topics linked to Space while improving our writing each day.

S1O

Welcome Back!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday!!

S1O were super busy last term learning all things space. We know so much about space that we can even become astronauts now!!

During the term we did a new program called morning writes with the help of Mrs Hicky and Mrs Hall. S1O got busy and did so much writing that Mrs Hicky made a book about it for each family to enjoy. We also learnt so much about Earths resources and how precious these are for our planet to thrive, we very much enjoyed this. In Maths, we looked add so many different numbers, shapes, dates and so much more. STEM has been a favourite this term!! We got so creative and made some space movies with Mrs Moreton. We even got to post them onto SeeSaw!! At the end of term, we enjoyed a comfy last day in our PJs and watched movies for the whole middle session.

We are beyond excited for this upcoming term and look forward to getting stuck into practice our performance for the Musical! We can’t wait to catch up with everyone soon.

S1W

Welcome back to Term 3! It has been wonderful catching up with everyone after the holidays and watching them focus back into their learning. Term 2 was a busy term, ending with our pyjama and movie day for everyone’s hard efforts with their PBL points. We also had our athletics carnival which was so much fun, and we had lots of opportunities for students to participate in choir and music groups.

We have a very exciting term ahead of us, with our new learning theme of ‘Around the World in 50 days!’. We will be investigating different Countries in our writing unit and looking into languages, food and art. We have our whole school musical this term in Week 8! S1W are focusing on Italy and will be performing a song and dance! This term, S1W will also be presenting a class item at assembly in Week 8! Starting Week 3, we also get to participate in hockey as part of our sport program! In PD/H/PE, students will be learning about child protection, and in science we are learning about the physical world, including forces and energy.

It is so lovely to see all the students who have participated and engaged in their homework and home reading passages. This is so important as it contributes to their success in the classroom. I am looking forward to watching everyone in S1W grow this term!

S2B

We are diving straight into the second half of the year! Our theme this term is 'Around the World in 50 Days'. We are reading the book 'My Place' to support the development of our understanding of Australian history. Students are already preparing for Jump Rope for Heart later this term, exploring drama skills and thinking about the musical at the end of the term. Everyone is getting excited about our Sydney camp in week 5 and starting STEM lessons again with Mrs Morton.

Term 2 was full of opportunities for our sporty students with Cross Country and the athletics carnival. We had several students in S2B head off to Zone Cross Country and some that will be headed off to Zone for athletics. Everyone enjoyed learning about space throughout the term, with a highlight being designing and making Space Rovers with Mrs Deal.

As we delved into our learning about Curiosity, the Mars Rover, we took on the challenge of designing our own out of various pasta pieces. We had many criteria to accommodate, many opportunities to test and rethink, plus the added challenge of sticking under our budget. This week long activity allowed students to show many skills: co-operation, turn taking, listening, problem solving, resilience, negotiating and celebrating success. On completion we tested them on a variety of ramp heights and were pleasantly surprised by our successes! Have a look at our creations!

S2G

Launching into our ‘Space’ theme, S2G viewed a variety of texts to gather information on galaxies and different celestial bodies. Students researched and composed informative texts using subheadings to help organise their ideas. S2G enjoyed using descriptive language to generate space related images through Adobe, seeing the impact their word choice can have. During oral language lessons, students practised planning and delivering short presentations to inform and persuade their audience, giving and receiving feedback through this process.

In Maths lessons, S2G explored multiplying and dividing numbers by tens and hundreds and using facts families to problem solve. Students have continued to build their knowledge of addition and subtraction strategies and different tools to represent their thinking. 

Throughout the term in science lessons, we have investigated the relationship between the Sun, Moon and Earth. S2G worked in small groups during the last week of term to design and create pasta Mars Rovers, all while sticking to a budget. We finished the week by testing our Rovers on a ramp to see how far they would travel. All groups were able to test their designs multiple times, showing the strength of their final product. 

This term as we travel around the world with our new theme, S2G will start by viewing and discussing the text ‘My Place’ with the aim of producing our own entries for 2025. We cannot wait to engage in another term full of new learning and big events including camp and a musical!

S2K

As we begin another exciting term at BPS, we would like to share some highlights of our students' learning experiences, particularly focusing on our engaging space theme, recent events, and creative projects.

Last term, our students embarked on an incredible journey through the universe with our space theme. From learning about the solar system to exploring the possibility of life on other planets, students have shown great enthusiasm and curiosity. They participated in hands-on activities, including model-making and interactive presentations, which helped deepen their understanding of astronomical concepts. As part of our space exploration, students engaged in a creative project where they designed and created Mars Rover models using pasta!

We are thrilled to announce that our school participated in the Premier’s Spelling Bee this term! Students worked hard to enhance their spelling skills and showcased their talents in the competition. We commend all participants for their efforts and dedication. Special congratulations to Curtis, who placed second in Stage 2!

Our annual Athletics Carnival and Cross Country were a resounding success! Students demonstrated their sporting prowess and team spirit across various events. It was wonderful to see everyone cheering for their classmates and participating with such enthusiasm. Thank you to all the parents who came out to support our athletes. Your presence made the day even more special!

As we look forward to the next term, we encourage parents to continue supporting their children’s learning journey. Whether through reading together at home or discussing the wonders of space, history or geography, your involvement makes a significant difference.

This Term, we will embark on the fantastic theme of ‘Around the World’. With so much to explore, we can’t wait to hear about the adventures and histories of many of our families here in S2K. Term 3 also includes special events like Book Week, Sydney excursion and the BPS school musical. It’s sure to be another busy and fantastic term

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We can’t wait to see everyone back refreshed and ready for more adventures in learning!

S2R

As part of our ‘Space’ theme, S2R explored a range of texts to learn about galaxies and other celestial bodies. Using the information they gathered, students wrote informative pieces, organising their content clearly with subheadings. They also enjoyed experimenting with descriptive language to create space-themed digital images in Adobe, discovering how their word choices could shape visual outcomes.

In Maths, S2R investigated how to multiply and divide numbers by tens and hundreds, applying their understanding through fact families to solve problems. They also revised different strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems.

Investigating the relationship between the Sun, Earth and Moon was a focus of science lessons which were led by Mrs. Deal. To finish the term off, students in S2R created their version of a Mars Rover using pasta.

As part of the Sports in Schools program, students continued to work on and develop their hockey skills.

I am looking forward to another successful term where students will be participating in the Stage 2 camp, school musical, public speaking competition and Book Week parade.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

S3B

As we wrap up an engaging Term 2, we are excited to share the wonderful experiences and learning outcomes that our students have achieved! This term, S3B embraced hands-on learning through the use of SPIKE LEGO STEM kits, which sparked creativity and collaboration among our students. Check out the photos below to see their fantastic creations!

Our space-themed homework projects were also a highlight this term, showcasing the creativity and effort of our students. The impressive submissions reflect their interest in space exploration and the wonders of the universe. Again, we’ve included some photos to celebrate their hard work.

In addition to these projects, students engaged in informative writing focused on our termly theme of space, as well as other interest areas they were passionate about. This exercise allowed them to express their ideas and enhance their writing skills.

Mathematics saw students diving into the world of fractions, where they developed a deeper understanding of this essential concept through various engaging activities.

We also had a blast with teeball, promoting teamwork and sportsmanship among our students. It was a joy to see everyone participating and having fun on the field!

Term 2 concluded with our NAIDOC celebrations, which provided a valuable opportunity for students to learn about and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This experience enriched our understanding of diversity and inclusion within our school community.

Looking ahead to Term 3, we are eager to explore Africa and its rich wildlife, landmarks, and history. We can’t wait to dive into this exciting topic and see where our learning journey takes us!

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to another fantastic term ahead!

S3J

Last term, S3J were shooting for the stars with our exciting learning focus on space! We’ve explored fascinating topics such as black holes, the Milky Way, our solar system, and a variety of space objects. Students have been learning how to structure their ideas using the TEEEC paragraph model and have written informative texts about Black Holes and the Milky Way. In Mathematics, we’ve tackled adding and subtracting fractions, created column and line graphs to interpret data, solved word problems, and strengthened our times tables skills. Each student also selected a space topic of personal interest to research and present to the class, showcasing both creativity and curiosity. We’ve kept active with fitness circuit challenges and thoroughly enjoyed our weekly hockey sessions. We’re excited to travel ‘Around the World in 50 Days’ next term and begin preparations for our school musical performance!

S3L

Last term we have engaged with the space theme and had many enriching learning experiences. During literacy lessons we connected reading comprehension, spelling and vocabulary words to the different space related topics each week.  Students also enjoyed creating various artworks inspired by our weekly topics of space.  There has been great improvement in Mathematics, with many students have shown determination to conquer challenges. I have attached photos from a math lesson where we had to create three-dimensional shapes.  Our classroom walls were covered with many spectacular space-themed artworks that linked to our literacy focus. We are excited to start our new theme this term. 

S3T

Throughout Term 2, S3T were fully immersed in the fascinating study of space, exploring topics such as the solar system, galaxies, dwarf plants, and the science behind space travel. Students engaged in hands-on projects that sparked their creativity, resulting in stunning artworks that depicted their understanding of celestial bodies, and continued building their skills to produce informative texts highlighting their knowledge.

In addition to their cosmic studies, S3T is excited to race into the current theme, 'Around the World in 50 Days.' This initiative will not only enhance their knowledge of global cultures but also allow them to celebrate diversity through music and performance. With rehearsals for their musical item already in progress, students are practising songs and dances inspired by different countries. We look forward to sharing more about their artistic journey and performances in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this incredible adventure together!

Celeste

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Ty

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Athletics Carnival Success at Turner Park

Our recent Athletics Carnival at Turner Park was a fantastic day filled with energy, sportsmanship and school spirit. Students from across the school took part in a range of events including running races, discus, shot put and long jump, giving their all and cheering each other on. K–2 students enjoyed a fun-filled program of novelty events and age races, which kept the smiles and laughter going all day long.

A big thank you to our P&C for running a busy canteen, and to Cessnock Little Athletics for the generous use of their equipment and facilities. We also extend our appreciation to all staff for their hard work in ensuring the day ran smoothly and successfully.

Zone qualifiers have been notified regarding the events they have qualified for. The Zone Athletics Carnival will take place at Maitland Athletics Centre on Thursday 7th August. We wish all our competitors the very best!

Zone Athletics

On a day that had more water than our annual swimming carnival, 34 students headed to Maitland Regional Athletics Centre for Zone Athletics. All students put in an amazing effort despite the miserable weather and achieved some great individual results. We are now eagerly awaiting any news of Regional qualifications for the Regional Carnival on Friday 5th September at Glendale. 

Basketball

Schools from the local area are invited to compete in two separate knockout basketball competitions for boys and girls. On Monday, June 23, 2025, the boys’ basketball team travelled to the Maitland Federation Centre to take part in the PSSA Boys Basketball Gala Day. Although the team was eliminated from the competition, they enjoyed playing many games throughout the day. A week later, the girls’ basketball team participated in the PSSA Girls Basketball Gala Day at the same venue. We started off strong but were also knocked out of the competition yet still had a great time playing against other schools. I commend both teams for their sportsmanship during the events; we all had a fantastic time. A special thank you goes out to all the families who transported students to and from the events and helped with scorekeeping.

Students have been busy in the library, borrowing books, reading the Book Week books and completing book activities.

BOOK WEEK 2025

Bellbird Public School are celebrating Book Week during Week 5, Term 3. Book Week is an annual event in the school calendar which focuses on celebrating books and a love for reading, highlighting the important role they play in our children’s lives. As part of Book Week celebrations, each class will participate in some fun reading/book activities throughout the week as well as the following special events for students and families.

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE – FRIDAY 22^nd August (Week 5) Basketball Court - 1pm-2pm

As some classes have sport on Friday, students are asked to wear their school uniform to school on Book Character Parade Day. Students will be given time to change into costumes before the parade.

All students need to bring a book character costume to school (if you need any ideas for simple, no cost costumes please ask Mrs Yeatman, your child’s teacher or google ‘easy book week costume ideas’). Parents and younger siblings are welcome to dress up in a book character costume as well.

Parents and family members are welcome to bring chairs and set up on the grassed area around the basketball court to watch their child/children parade around with their class.

FAMILY PICNIC LUNCH Friday 22^nd August (Week 5) - 12 o’clock

Prior to the Book Parade the P & C will host a Meal Deal lunch. The P & C will send home further information regarding what can be ordered and how to order, closer to Week 5. The family picnic lunch will begin at 12 o’clock. Families are welcome to bring a picnic blanket and enjoy lunch as a family in our playground.

BOOK FAIR – Weeks 3 - 5

All classes will have a look at the Book Fair books available to purchase, during library lessons in Week 3 (beginning Wednesday 6^th August). Each child will complete a wish list. These books can be paid for by cash or online at www.scholastic.com.au/payment. Please follow instructions in your child’s wish list pack.  The wish list packs will be handed out once your child has completed their wish list. If paying by cash, please place the wish list and correct money in an envelope or snap lock bag labelled clearly with your child’s name.

Parents and family members are welcome to come to the library to buy books from the Book Fair before or after the Book Character Parade as well.

STATIONERY AND POSTER SALES - Weeks 3 - 5

There will also be stationery items (pens, rubbers, pencils, sharpeners) and posters for sale before school and at lunch times Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during weeks 3-5. Prices range from $1.00 - $8.00. If your child is purchasing from the stationery/poster stall I would suggest you put money in a snap lock labelled with your child’s name and ‘Stationery Stall’ so Mrs Yeatman knows what the money is for.

BOOK RAFFLE

There will be raffle tickets available to purchase before the Book Character Parade. This will be set up outside the hall. There will be 3 book packs as prizes. Each prize contains well over $200 worth of books.

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the world.

This year's book was "The Truck Cat" by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell. 

On 21^st May 2025, all Bellbird students joined with over 2.2 million children, to read or listen to the author read the Truck Cat.

Week 5 (Book Week )

Stage 2 Camp – Monday 18^th-Wednesday 20^th August

Tuesday 19^th August-  Kinder Crew- Afternoon Tea – 3.30-4.30pm

Wednesday 20^th August – MVHS Enrichment test

Friday 22^nd August – Book Week Parade

Week 6

Monday 25^th August – Public Speaking finals – K-2 9.30-10.30, 3-6 12-1pm

Week 7

(SASS Appreciation Week)

Tuesday 2^nd September - Kinder Bunnings visit

Friday 5^th September – Regional Athletics

Friday 5^th September – Father’s Day Breakfast/Stall. (TBC)

Week 8

Tuesday 9^th September – Year 6 STEAM day at MVHS

Wednesday 10^th September – K-2 Musical

Week 9

Thursday 18^th and Friday 19th – MVHS Cultural Transition Days

Week 10

Tuesday 23^rd September – Kinder Crew

Wednesday 24^th September – 3-6 Musical