Forrest Newsletter 2025 Term 3 Week 8
Message from the Principal
IB Evaluation
Last week we had a very successful IB evaluation. The two team members looked around our classes, spoke to staff, students and parents and have given us some preliminary feedback. The feedback was a little rushed as they had to make their flights that afternoon but when we get the written report I will share that with you all.
Floriade planters
I hope you are enjoying the lovely plants that Monique and a team put together earlier in the year at preschool and the main school site. They look amazing!
Garden project
Over the last week staff and students have been working on removing the old garden beds to the side of the year six classes which had seen better days. Next week we will be installing new beds and then Tremaine and the Culture Club will be planting a range of native bush tucker plants, along with other students getting out to plant and then looking after the vegetables we grow! A huge thanks to Michelle, Carolyn and Patrick for their work on this.
International Parents Afternoon Tea
A huge thanks to Lucy, Jackie, Nicole and the specialist team for hosting the international parent afternoon tea last week. This is a great opportunity each term for our families with English as an additional language or dialect to connect with others. Thank you to all the parents who attended and we hope to see you all again next term!
Exhibition
Our year six Exhibition process commences next week. This is a wonderful opportunity where children engage in self-directed learning of an area of their choice, combining the elements of the IB together and then showcase this next term as a culmination of their skills and understandings over the primary years of their schooling. It’s a really important milestone in their learning and supports their ability to manage the first months of high school as they are well-prepared for the challenges that brings. Next Tuesday, 23rd September, we will be hosting a parent information session in the year six building at 3.15pm to explain Exhibition, its importance to children and how you can support them in this. Following that, I will provide some generic advice on preparing for high school. Please understand this isn’t ‘official advice’ but my own insights as a parent who has navigated this space and as a former high school teacher and principal of a P-10 school. I look forward to seeing you there and answering any questions you might have.
Swooping season
Please be aware we are in bird swooping season and currently have a Magpie at the front of the school.
Chris
Big Action Week!
Gardening/Sustainability update
Thank you to the students who are members of the Sustainability/Gardening Club – we have been making progress promoting the reduction of food and rubbish wastage across the school with over 600 drink containers being collected for the 10c container deposit scheme this term. A reminder that we have coloured bins like the ones below located throughout the school. Red for landfill, yellow for mixed recycling, blue for paper recycling and bins with white lids for 10c containers. Keep up the great work Forrest!
Students have also been working hard in the vegetable garden, clearing the old beds, replanting and levelling it, ready for new garden beds to be laid next week. Thank you to the Rotary Club of Hall who have provided a financial donation for this to occur. We have also planted some spring vegetables with further thanks to Bunnings Fyshwick for their donation of plants. You can also see our spring Floriade seedlings and bulbs blooming at the front of the school!
Stay tuned for more updates!
Mrs Margaret Beamish
Last week an ex-member of the Forrest Primary School passed away after a short battle with cancer, Margaret Beamish. Many of you who have had a longstanding affiliation with the school will no doubt remember Mrs Beamish as a wonderful teacher with firm boundaries who brought out the best in children and those around her.
Forrest Primary School and education in general was still very close to her heart and until recently she was still reading the school newsletters online! Margaret became a qualified teacher in 1966, and my understanding is Forrest was her last teaching position before retirement.
She was a passionate teacher, even tutoring until a few years ago. She had a profound impact on children's education, was passionate about maths and teaching children the correct maths techniques. Margaret procured instruments for the school and often played and sang at school assemblies and set up school music programs. She even managed to have a baby grand piano donated to Forrest but sadly the details of that advocacy are not known to me
Our P&C have reached out to her daughter Siobhan to pass on our condolences.
Forrest P&C News
New Canteen Menu
