Students’ phones

The office has received calls from parents to pass on messages that their children had not responded to on their phones.

These phones were not handed into the office before school as is required.

It is a Departmental and school requirement that, if students bring a mobile phone to school, it must be handed into the office for safe keeping and picked up at the end of the day.

If your child brings a mobile phone to school, please talk to them about this.

Year 3/4 camp

The year 3/4 students (and staff) were incredibly lucky with the weather this week. The majority of activities could only be done outside and the weather was perfect. Camps are wonderful opportunities for the students to learn important social, physical and independence skills.

We are very fortunate that Bonbeach has such dedicated staff that give up their time to enable our students to experience such activities.

Farmers’ Market

It was a fabulous day for our market last Sunday as well. Despite being Mothers’ Day, we had nearly 2000 people attend and over 80 stalls.

A huge thank you to our Year 5/6 parent volunteers at the gates and setup and pack up.

It’s true that many hands make light work!

Thanks also to the volunteers who ran the Egg and Bacon stall. The Year 6 graduation now has a great start to their fund-raising efforts.

The Secret to Raising Children with Strong Agency: An Expert Guide for Parents (and Teachers)

What Every Parent Needs to Know about Developing Genuine Confidence and Independence in Children.
Michael Grose

Want your child to grow into confident, capable, independent adults?

Silly question.

Of course. That’s what every parent hopes.

However, developing capable (confident) kids is one of the biggest parenting conundrums of the lot.

It’s so easy to go down the simplistic praise/encouragement path, where you repeat “You’re so clever!” like a nervous tic every time a child gets out of bed/cleans their teeth/makes a sandwich, to build self-esteem.

The praise path is as helpful as a bucket full of holes in developing your child’s independence and confidence!!

Alternatively, you can try the minimalist parenting approach (laissez-faire), and do very little for your child in the hope that they will naturally develop the skills to care for themselves. That’s a recipe for neglect, so let’s pass on that approach.

High Agency is Key

A key ingredient in your child’s journey to confidence and independence is developing high agency – the ability to take initiative, make choices, and act on them.

High agency enables children to navigate challenges, pursue their goals, and shape their own lives.

By empowering your children, you are laying the foundation for their future success and well-being.

What is High Agency?

In simple terms, agency is the feeling of control over your actions and their consequences.

A child with high agency believes that:

• Their efforts matter
• They can influence their environment
• They have the power to create positive change.

As babies and young children grow and develop a sense of agency in early childhood, they realise that they can contribute to, make their own decisions, and control their own lives.

Why is High Agency Essential?

There are many benefits to developing high agency in your child, best summed up by these five reasons. High agency:

1. Boosts Confidence

Children who see that their actions lead to results develop a strong sense of self-efficacy and confidence.

2. Encourages Resilience

Children with high agency are better equipped to bounce back from setbacks. They view challenges as opportunities for growth, not as insurmountable obstacles.

3. Fosters Independence

Agency is the foundation of independence. It enables children to take responsibility for themselves, make sound decisions, and solve problems creatively.

4. Motivates Learning

When children feel in control, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated learners. They exhibit curiosity, proactivity, and a willingness to take learning risks.

5. Promotes Well-being

High agency is linked to greater happiness and life satisfaction. Children who feel empowered are less prone to anxiety and depression.

regards

Ken and Jayne

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Within our school community there are students who shine brightly, displaying exemplary dedication and academic talent. They deserve to be recognised and this year we are again giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition.

What is ICAS?  

ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.

ICAS results are in-depth and meaningful, and ICAS evaluates student performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The data reveals student strengths and weaknesses and can help you recognise and support your child's academic journey.    

 Learn more about ICAS here: (icasassessments.com/products-icas/).

ICAS results and certificate
Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.

How to participate in ICAS  

This year, Bonbeach Primary School is offering ICAS assessments for students in years 3-6 in the subjects of Writing, English, Spelling Bee and Mathematics. If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the Parent Portal to register for your chosen subjects.

You can do this in one of two ways:

1. Direct login link – faster!

Use this link to log directly into the shop and start registering:

https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/MKE427

2. Log in using the PPS code

Visit our shop and use our PPS code to log in:

Shop link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps

PPS code: MKE427

Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July 2025. LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

 The 2025 ICAS Assessments will be held in Term 3 at Bonbeach Primary School for the following assessments:

Please note, we cannot facilitate refunds or make alterations as all money is paid directly to ICAS Assessments.

Read the terms and conditions here: (icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf). 

Privacy collection statement  
The following information is a privacy notification about how your child’s data is kept private and secure.

ICAS Assessment is owned by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd (We, Us, Our).

To deliver assessment products, Janison will require your child’s School to obtain your consent to provide Janison with certain personal information of students. Janison will collect, store, use, disclose and otherwise deal with such personal information in accordance with its privacy policy (below). We are aware of our responsibility to protect personal information related to children and students from being disclosed when we deliver an ICAS Assessments product. Unless you, as the child’s legal guardian consents, we will not:

• collect any personal information or data of children other than the information we need for the successful completion of an assessment, test, or exam.
• transfer any personal information we obtain from a child in the delivery of assessments and tests to any jurisdiction outside of Australia.
• share any personal information relating to children with any third parties (except for those third parties necessary for us to carry out our Services or provide our Products e.g., medal engraving).
• use any personal information or data relating to children for marketing purposes.

You can view our full privacy policy at https://www.janison.com/privacy-policy/.

We may retain personal information and data relevant to a child for their future purposes or for research purposes by Janison for the duration of the school life cycle of the child. However, if you or your child at any time wish to have their personal information or data removed from our systems, they or you may opt out by simply contacting our Privacy Officer at privacy@janison.com or by contacting icasassessments@janison.com.

We are proud to be offering ICAS to our students this year and encourage you to consider entering your child. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.  

Kind regards,

Jacqui Turner (ICAS Coordinator)