Dear Parents and Carers
Principal's Update: Term 3
The term has gotten off to a great start, with events like Parent Teacher Interviews and NAIDOC Week, and there's many more great events still to come in Semester 2.
Presentation Night
The College's annual blue-ribbon event is our Presentation Night, and this year we have a date and venue change. Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) is Cairns Regional Council's state-of-the-art performing arts venue where we have chosen to hold Presentation Night there on Tuesday 17 November. Selected students from Year 5 to 12 will receive awards and/or perform on the night, with Primary, Junior Secondary and College Captains for 2027 also being announced. More information will be distributed to families in Term 4.
Student Free Day
A student free day is scheduled in Week 8 of this term, on Friday 4 September. On this day, there will be no school for State school students across Queensland. The College offices will also be closed.
Long Service Leave
From Monday 17 August through to the end of Term 3 on Friday 18 September, I will be taking Long Service Leave, including some overseas travel.
During this time, we will be welcoming Mr Geoff Moore as Acting Executive Principal. Geoff is the substantive Principal at Gordonvale State High School, and more recently has been Acting Executive Principal of Redlynch State College.
Vale Peter Krugle
Finally, it is with sadness we learned this week of the recent passing of Mr Peter Krugle, past Bentley Park College Principal. Peter was a kind, thoughtful and steady leader who guided the College from 2012 to 2020 before retiring in the same year. We offer our deepest sympathies to Peter's family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.
Enjoy the rest of the term, and I look forward to returning to the Executive Principal's desk at the start of Term 4 on Tuesday 6 October.
Yours sincerely
Kylie Cochran
Executive Principal
17/9/25
Dear Parents and Carers
Social Media and the School Community
At Bentley Park College we take our responsibility to maintain the health and safety of our students and staff very seriously. This responsibility includes issues related to online choices and behaviours.
Participating in the online environment can be a positive experience, but there are also a broad range of concerns that may need to be considered, including online privacy and information protection, online etiquette, digital citizenship and knowing how to get help to deal with online issues.
As you may be aware, comments posted online about people and organisations may impact permanently on their digital reputation. This includes teachers, other staff, students and the school. There can be very real negative consequences from online posts – relationships between school staff, students and parents can be permanently damaged.
Facebook and other social networking sites are generally not private communities and, depending on an individual's privacy and security settings, comments may be read by many people and remain online indefinitely.
If you or your child are posting information online about the school, staff or students, I ask that you consider the ramifications of these comments on the school and any individuals in the school community. As a rule of thumb:
· Public discussion is most effective when it is conducted in a polite and respectful manner.
· Before posting, it is important to consider whether those people you are posting about want information, including photos and comments regarding them and their children, posted on Facebook or on other sites. Perhaps ask the people involved in the post for permission before you publish something or tag someone online.
· Rather than airing complaints or grievances in a public forum like Facebook, come and talk to the school first about how to resolve your concerns.
· Remember that as a parent/carer you have a responsibility to supervise and regulate your own children's online activities at home and their impact on the reputation and privacy of others.
For more information, please see the following links from the Queensland Department of Education:
· Social media and the school community
· Cybersafety: Information for parents and carers
If you have any concerns and would like to discuss further I invite you to make an appointment with me.
Yours sincerely
Kylie Cochran
College Principal