Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Larissa Rose, Director of Glowing Green and a PBC parent, presented us with our Environmental Footprint Audit for 2018 last week. Whilst a more comprehensive report will be outlined later in a future newsletter, it is great to see that the initiatives undertaken by a group of committed staff and students has substantially reduced our environmental footprint in terms of energy use, CO2 output and rubbish generated. The Environmental Team have just secured over $40,000 in the form of 2 Community Benefit Grants which they intend to use to take our environmental sustainability to the next level.

It is Eisteddfod season with most of our performing arts students involved in high level competition at HOTA over the coming weeks. In addition, we have Jazz Night on Wednesday which promises to be spectacular. For the parents fortunate enough to be at the Middle School Awards Assemblies last week, they witnessed impressive performances either by our Drama students or some of our talented dancers as well as our National Anthem, sung by one of our talented students, with a level of professionalism and enthusiasm usually reserved for a special event opening.

The school has just placed an order for $330,000 to upgrade the network switches and wireless access points to compliment the 2018 project of doubling of our internet bandwidth. By the middle of Term 4, our students will have a modern and effective network and internet capability that rivals other state schools.

It is Staff vs Students season with a best of five competitions taking place over two weeks. To date the students won the basketball with the staff narrow winners in touch football, the students have won the debate and it was a draw in the Soccer. Netball is still to come this week. It is great to see the enthusiasm displayed by the student and staff participants who are being cheered on by a crowd numbering in the hundreds.

The annual School Opinion Survey is now available. Login details are being sent home. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey online so that we have a healthy rate of return and that the opinion reflects as wide a part of the community as possible.

PBC has had 10 confirmed cases of Influenza A reported to the school by parents. We are experiencing above seasonal average absences by both staff and students. More information is to be sent home however in summary, (1) we have allocated additional resources to keep common areas disinfected (2) please monitor your child if they complain about “cold” type symptoms and (3) follow usual school absence processes but please notify us if a doctor diagnoses your child with Influenza A.

Regards,
Chris Capra
Executive Principal