11 November 2021

Enrolling Now – Kindergarten Students for 2022

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It is amazing that we are already at the end of Week 6 in Term 4 with only 5 weeks of school left for 2021. How quickly this term is going!

Thank you to all our families for your cooperation with adhering to the ongoing protocols. I really have appreciated your support with our drop-off and pick up procedures. They are now working very well.

Kindergarten Parent Zoom Q & A Sessions

It was great to meet many of our 2022 Kindergarten Parents, Carers and students on our Zoom Q & A Sessions this week. Thank you to the families that were able to join us and asked many great questions. I hope you found the Zooms valuable.

Updates on School Events and Programs:

Kindergarten Transition

Onsite Kindergarten Transition Programs are now permitted. This is great news. We are so excited to be able to provide an onsite transition session for our new 2022 Kindergarten students.

This is such a valuable program. It provides an opportunity for our new students to see and be part of a Kindergarten Class and provides a great opportunity for our teachers to start getting to know our new students. I really encourage our families to take up this opportunity. Families/students have been invited to one 90-minute session on either Tuesday 23/11, Wednesday 24/11 of Thursday 25/11.

The dates and detailed information were emailed to all 2022 Kindergarten families earlier this week. If you did not receive this information or have not yet enrolled your child for Kindergarten in 2022, please contact the school urgently.

Year 6 Farewell Dinner

The extension of the current health order has meant that it is not possible to hold our Year 6 Farewell Dinner at an offsite venue. Our Year 6 Farewell Dinner will now be held on our school site, in the school hall and COLA on Monday 13 December.

In 2020 we also had to move our Year 6 Farewell Dinner to our school hall. It was a terrific night of fun and celebrations.

Year 6 Farewell Assembly

We are planning to hold our Year 6 Farewell Assembly on Thursday 9 December. Under present rules one fully vaccinated parent/carer per student will be permitted to attend. Additional information and confirmation of the protocols will be sent home closer to the date.

Shooting Star Award Presentations

We have many students who have earnt their next Shooting Star level. It is important to be able to present these students with their awards and recognise their commitments to our school values before the end of this year.

We will be holding our final Shooting Star presentations for 2021 on Wednesday 1 December. Unfortunately, at this time NO parents or carers are permitted to attend.

The Presentations will be livestreamed to Facebook for family members to watch and share. Information about this event and times for grades and classes will be sent home during Week 8.

School Presentation Assemblies

Blacktown South PS is planning our end of Year Presentation Assemblies. As we did last year these will be grade Assemblies held across two days, Monday 6th December and Tuesday 7th December. Information about this event will be sent to award recipients’ families during week 8, approximately two weeks before the assemblies.

Unfortunately, at this time NO parents or carers are permitted to attend. I am hoping that the rules around these events may ease before this date.

End of Year Fundays

Our End of Year Fundays will have a very different flavour to them for this year. At present we are not permitted to take students to external venues or have external providers on our school site.

More information about our end of year fun activities will be provided in the coming weeks.

School Student Banking

The NSW Government will cease the School Student Banking program permanently from 2022.

This has been a wonderful program that has operated in schools for many decades. I would like to thank our current School Banking Coordinator, Rachelle Ramos for her great work. Rachelle will be wrapping the program up over the coming weeks and communicating with families about where to now with their child’s Commonwealth Bank Accounts. She has included additional information in this newsletter.

Opportunity Class Placement Test – OC Test

The OC Test for Year 4 students from Blacktown South Public School will be held at our school on Wednesday 17th November. It will be an online assessment. Please ensure your child is at school on time on this day.

Selective High School Applications - Year 5 for 2023

Online applications are now open for Year 5 students intending to apply for a 2023 Selective High School placement. The application website closes on 17th November 2021. You must apply before the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted.

School Reports

As per the Department of Education revised requirements for students reports this semester, Blacktown South Public School will provide a simplified end of year, Semester 2 Student Report.

The Semester 2 Report will include:

• Indicators of achievement for English and Mathematics
• An ‘effort’ grade for English and Mathematics
• A learning Goal or area of improvement for both English and Mathematics
• Social Development and Commitment to Learning
• A general comment

Student Reports will be sent home during the last week of the term, Week 10.

Important Reminders:

Students arriving late to school: Please drop students at the gates – student will need to make their own way to the school office for a late note. Parents should NOT accompany them onto the school grounds.

Students who are leaving early from school: Parents are to phone the school office if you need to pick your child up early. The Office Staff will organise your child, and bring them to you at your car or to the Flushcombe Rd or Valda St gates.

Parents should NOT come on to school grounds if on foot, or leave their car, if you have driven into and parked in the school carpark.

Student Illness: Parents and carers are reminded NOT to send children to school if they are unwell.

Schools are required to send any student home who is unwell or has any and/or mild flu like symptoms- runny nose or sneezing, fever, sore throat, dry cough, headache, muscle and joint pain. Students with flu like symptoms STILL need to be tested for COVID-19 and will need to provide a copy of a negative COVID-19 test result to the school before being permitted to return.

The School Uniform Shop: We are not permitted at this stage to have parents on the school grounds to make over the counter purchases at the uniform shop. Please place orders online and they will be delivered to your child to take home.

Principal’s Reading Awards: Student who have continued with the Principal’s Reading Program during remote learning using the online version of the Principal’s Home Reading Log or the paper log – please start returning these to your class teacher so that we can process your reading awards.

Library: Please return Library books that you may have at home. Returned library books should be placed in the tubs outside the library each morning.

Birthday Cakes and Celebrations: We are able to celebrate birthdays in classes but would ask that only Commercially Produced Pre-Wrapped Individual items be sent to school. For example, the trays of ‘12 wrapped cup-cakes’ that can be purchased in supermarkets.

We are not permitted to distribute homemade food items such as homemade birthday cakes.

Drink Bottles: I ask that students continue to bring their own drink bottles to school. The school has a water bottle refilling station for students to use outside the hall.

Canteen: Please remember that we are having canteen recess and lunch orders only- no over the counter purchases. Please order online or students only, may drop orders in at the canteen.

I thank families for your support and cooperation with all these matters.

Information on Student Movement for 2022

A note requesting information about students’ movement for 2022 was sent home last week. It is most important that we know accurately how many families will be moving to another school for 2022.

It is also very important for the school to have accurate information about families/students who will be returning late to school in 2022 due to possible travel plans. We need to be able to assure that we have reserved a place for these students in a class for 2022.

If you are leaving BSPS at the end of this year or returning later in Term 1 due to travel, please complete the note attached and return it to the office.

Your assistance with this is greatly appreciated.

Enrolling Now- Kindergarten Students for 2022

Please complete your enrolment applications online or through the post.

Information and links about Enrolments can be found here on our School Website, where you can check your address, to see if it is within BSPS local intake area.

Options for Enrolments:

1. Complete an Online Enrolment application.
   https://enrol.education.nsw.gov.au/#/?schoolCode=4193
2. If you are not within our local intake area, an Online Out of Area Application form needs to be completed.
   https://ooa.enrol.education.nsw.gov.au/?schoolCode=4193&catchmentLevel=primary

Thank you for your ongoing support as we navigate the ever-changing rules around the return to school.

End of 2021 School Dates:

Thursday 16th December - Last Day of School for 2021.

Beginning 2022 School Dates:

Friday 28th January - Staff only return.
Monday 31st January - Staff Only
Tuesday 1st February – Year 1 to 6 Students return to school.
Tuesday 1st February to Friday 4th February - Kindergarten Best Start Assessments for 2022 Kindergarten students.
Monday 7th February - Kindergarten students commence.

Please stay safe

Andrew Bowmer

Newsletter Articles

Cultural Calendar for November

Dear Parents, I endeavour to include as many cultural events as possible, unfortunately I do accidently miss some. If I have missed an important cultural event for your culture or religion please inform me so I can correct it in the coming newsletter. Thanks for your help.

November 16th – Independence Day – Kazakhstan
November 18th – Independence Day – Latvia
November 18th – National Day- Oman
November 19th – National Day- Monaco
November 19th – Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Sikh) falls on Kartik Puranmashi, the full moon day of the month Kartik, which usually falls in November in the western calendar. This holiday is one of the most significant festivals of the Sikh community and commemorates Guru Nanak Sahib who was the founder of Sikhism and the first Sikh Guru. In India, this day may also be called Guru Nanak Gurpurb, Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav or Guru Nanak Dev Hi Jayanti.
November 22nd - Independence Day – Lebanon
November 24th – Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom (Silkh) was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.
November 25th - Statehood Day – Bosnia & Herzegovina
November 25th - Thanksgiving Day- USA
November 27th – Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá- (Bahá'í) This holiday commemorates the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá in his house in Haifa in 1921.
November 28th - National Day – Albania, National Day – Mauritania
November 29th - Chanukah or Ḥanukah is a Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It is also known as the Festival of Lights.
November 30th - National Day – Barbados,
November 30th - St Andrew’s Day – Scotland

Important Australian Milestones
November 30th – First performance of Advance Australia Fair 1878

Principal’s Reading Awards

Congratulations to the following students from Kindergarten – Year 6 who have been awarded the Principal’s Reading award for 100 nights of home reading.

Principal’s Reading Awards

Congratulations to the following students from Kindergarten – Year 6 who have been awarded the Principal’s Reading award for 200 nights of home reading.

Vinnies Here to Help

Vinnies is here to help. If any family needs help with food, bills and/or housing during this difficult time, please direct them to our Helpline on 13 18 12 or call their local Vinnies Support Centre.

Our No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) is also available to provide access to student home learning technology equipment. See our website for more information.

The Vinnies Metro Schools Team is here to look out for your community.

P&C Committee Fund Raiser

As a fundraising activity the P&C are presenting the new digital Entertainment App, this deal offers thousands of incredible savings from dining, activities, travel and much more. Buy a Membership and download the Entertainment App, please see attached flyer for more information.

Uniform Store

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

Ordering uniforms has now become even easier. We now are offering After Pay for Online purchases only.

Purchase through our website.

Order online, no need for you to come in to school, we send the uniform home with your child.

Please remember to always note your child's name and class on your orders before checkout.

• Winter sets on sale from $20 - now to $12 -Beanies, Scarves and gloves, until stocks last.
• Legionnaire Caps and Slouch hats now on sale from $15 - ONLY $12 until stocks last.

Keep an eye out on our Blacktown South Public School P&C Facebook page for uniform updates.

Email for any enquiries or send order forms to:

Pc.bsps@outlook.com.au

Regards
Uniform shop Committee

School Banking update from Commonwealth Bank

For 90 years, our School Banking program has helped children learn about money, reinforced the importance of regular savings and provided structure for parents to support their children to save.

Although the program continues to have strong support from schools, parents and teachers, recent decisions by some state and territory governments because of a review by the corporate regulator mean they are unable to continue providing programs in schools, and they have had to make a difficult decision to close our School Banking program for all government and non-government schools across the country.

Even though the CommBank School Banking program will not be returning to our school after this year, you can continue to make deposits into your child’s Youthsaver account through online transfers or at any CommBank branch. If you need further information, please phone 132 221 or visit your local CommBank branch.

We’d like to thank those students who have participated in our school banking program, you have helped our P&C and school tremendously.

Thank you,
Rachelle Ramos
P&C Committee

School Opal Card for Year 3 Student in 2022

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

All students in Year 2 2021 who are currently travelling on the school bus/rail will be required to update their information with Transport NSW on the website

Please note not all students will be eligible, you must live outside the circle (please see attached radial map) for free travel.

Term passes will be available to ineligible students and must also be applied for on-line.

Parents whose child/children are ineligible for free travel may apply on-line stating their reason for needing the pass. This will be reviewed and notification sent to parents by Transport NSW.

Failure to do so would mean that there will be a delay in your child’s use of his/her

School Opal Card and they may be required to pay for travel.

Andrew Bowmer
Principal

Notes

Please click below for any notes that have gone home in the past that you might have missed:

Community News

At Blacktown South Public School, we support our local community. Click on the links for further information.

School Contacts

Blacktown South Public School
183 Flushcombe Road
Blacktown NSW 2148
Ph: 9622 6034, 9622 2449
Fax: 9831 2379
Email: blacktowns-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Principal: Mr Andrew Bowmer

Deputy Principals: Mrs Kathy Price, Mrs Renee Radecki & Mrs Cathy Francis

Assistant Principals:

Senior Administration Manager: Mrs Claire Dobbie

School Administration Officers: Mrs Robyn Taylor, Ms Doris Mifsud, Miss Daphne Manivong and Melinda Dias

School Counsellors: Ms Jenny Ransley and Ms Christina Muscat

P&C Association

President: Renee Tsingolis
Vice President: Mandi Ashraf
Treasurer: Breamini Maniraj
Secretary: Mandy Ennion

Canteen

Canteen Manager: Mrs Michelle Millington
Clothing Pool
Uniform: Mrs Tsingolis