28 February 2025
Principal’s Report
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Swimming Carnival
The school’s Swimming Carnival was held on Wednesday 19th February at Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre Pool, Emerton. The carnival was for competitors only with students from Years 2 to 6 competing in Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly races. Thank you to the parents and carers who attended as spectators and helpers.
Zone Swimming Carnival
We wish all our swimmers every success at the Blacktown Zone Swimming Carnival to be held on Tuesday 4th March at the Blacktown Aquatic Centre. Congratulations to the following students who will be representing Blacktown South PS at the Zone Carnival; Hemish Aggarwal, Aahana Chakraborty, Zac Ennion, Daniel Kosta, Kien Dong Le, Aayansh Mohan, Paityn Parish, Elliot Pinte, Yuann Qu, Tejas Rajesh, Medha Seth and Bronte Smith.
Meet the Teacher Afternoon Year 1 to 6 – Next Week
Face-to-Face Meeting for Years 1-6 - Parents are asked to book an online, 5 minutes, one-on-one meeting with their child’s class teacher. These meetings will be held over two days:
Years 1 and 2 - Meet the Teacher – Wednesday 5th March- 3.30 - 6.00pm.
Years 3 to 6 - Meet the Teacher – Thursday 6th March - 3.30 - 6.00pm.
Please note – these Face-to-Face meetings must be booked online.
The purpose of this teacher-parent meeting is to provide a quick opportunity for parents to ask a few questions to clarify some aspect of their child’s learning or class routines and to provide both the parents and teacher an opportunity to be informed of any concerns.
Information about the organisation of these meeting and the online booking details was sent home last week.
Construction Work
Construction work between Block 1 and 2 should be completed early next week. I am hoping to relocate the three Kindergarten classes to their rooms in Block 1 during Monday. I thank families and teachers for your patience.
Student Representative Council (SRC) and House Captain Elections
During this week, Year 2 to 6 classes elected their SRC representatives for 2025. While this Thursday, our Year 5 and 6 students will elect House Captains for this year.
A special Induction Assembly is planned for these students on Monday 3rd March. An official invitation will be sent home next week.
NAPLAN
National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual national assessment for all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students.
All assessments will be completed online with the exception of Writing for Year 3. This is an enormous undertaking for our school. The assessments will commence Wednesday 12th March. The planned dates for each assessment are as follows:
Wednesday 12th March: Writing
Thursday 13th March: Reading
Friday 14th March: Language Conventions
Monday 17th March: Numeracy
I encourage all families with Year 3 and 5 students to please ensure that the students are at school on time on these dates. We intend to have all students sit the assessments while they are fresh in the morning sessions, allowing us to use the middle session to catch-up students who may have been away.
Attendance Update
Improving school attendance is a target of the NSW Department of Education and therefore Blacktown South School. Throughout the year we will roll out a number of initiatives to encourage and reward good attendance.
Our attendance procedures continue to be updated. Please see the attached note which was sent home this week.
It is very important to notify the school about your child’s absence. This can be done by-
- Using the school App.
- Calling the school office after 9:45am.
- Writing a paper note that your child returns to the office on their first day back at school.
Thanks for you cooperation in this area.
PSSA Interschool Sport
The Blacktown PSSA will continue to run a modified Summer and Winter Friday Interschool sport program. The summer sport competition will run during Term 2 and the winter sport program will operate during Term 3. We will be holding try-outs for these teams over the coming four to six weeks of this term.
Blacktown Boys and Girls High School Consultation
The NSW Department of Education has determined that Blacktown Boys High School and Blacktown Girls High School will remain as separate single-sex schools. Adjustments will be made to surrounding intake areas to ensure all students in the Blacktown area have access to a co-educational high school option.
In response to feedback gathered during the consultation process, the department will also explore co-educational academic, sporting and extracurricular opportunities for students at Blacktown Boys and Blacktown Girls high schools and will work closely with both schools to identify and implement initiatives.
This outcome has been determined following careful review of feedback received from the Blacktown community during the consultation process and reflects the community’s preference regarding local high school options.
Key changes:
- The department has heard community feedback on proposed intake areas for surrounding high schools, presented during the consultation process.
- The final intake areas for each school will be made available via School Finder and will be applied for any new enrolment application for 2026.
- The department will explore the introduction of co-educational learning opportunities to enhance curriculum offerings at both schools, in collaboration with staff.
How to apply for Year 7 2026
Families interested in applying for Year 7 in 2026 at their local high school or for an out of area high school placement, including Blacktown Boys or Blacktown Girls high schools can express interest through the high school application process on department’s website.
Thank you to all students, parents, carers, staff and community members who took part in the consultation process, which ran from 28 October to 6 December 2024.
Your feedback has been valuable in ensuring we continue to provide the most suitable schooling arrangements for students in the Blacktown area.
More information is available on the department’s website.
Andrew Bowmer - Principal
Cultural Calendar for February and March
Cultural Calendar for February and March
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.
February 26th - 27th - Maha Shivaratri (Hindu) is a festival that is dedicated to the worship Lord Shiva. It is celebrated during the night and day that comes just before the new moon. Many Hindus celebrate with special rituals dedicated to Lord Shiva, which includes prayers, going to temple, folk dances, and music.
February 27th - Independence Day – Dominican Republic
February 27th – St Vartan’s Day when Armenians around the world commemorate the Battle of Avarayr which took. place in 451 A.D.
March 1st – First day of Autumn, St David’s Day – Wales
March 1st – 31st - Ramadan begins (Muslim) also known as Ramazan, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
March 1st – Mardi Gras Parade – Sydney
March 3rd - National Day – Bulgaria
March 3rd – Clean Monday, (Christian) also known as Pure Monday, Green Monday or simply Monday of Lent is the first day of Great Lent throughout Orthodox Christianity. It is a moveable feast, falling on the sixth Monday before Palm Sunday.
March 4th - Shrove Tuesday (Christian) also known in Commonwealth countries and Ireland as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day is the day in February or March immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes.
March 5th - Ash Wednesday – Lent begins (Christian) is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter.
March 6th – Foundation Day – Norfolk Island, Independence Day – Ghana
March 11th – Lithuania Independence Restoration Day commemorates the declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on 11 March 1990 by the newly elected Lithuanian parliament.
March 12th – NAPLAN commences
March 12th - National Day – Mauritius
March 14th - Pi Day- The digits of this day correspond with the first three digits of ‘Pi’ (3.14). Albert Einstein was born on this day in 1879.
March 14th - Nanakshahi - New Year Day (Sikh)
March 14th -Purim/Festival of Lots (Jewish) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an Achaemenid Persian Empire official.
March 14th - 16th March - Hola Mohalla also called Hola- is a three-day Sikh festival which most often falls in March and takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chett, a day after the Hindu Spring festival Holi.
March 14th – Holi is a Hindu Spring festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent, celebrated predominantly in India, also known as the "festival of colours" or the "festival of love.
March 15th – Ides of March - is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and was notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debts. In 44 BC, it became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar which made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history.
March 17th – St Patrick’s Day (Ireland)
March 19th – St Joseph’s Feast Day (Maronite) is in Western Christianity the principal feast day of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and legal father of Jesus Christ.
March 20th – Independence Day – Tunisia
March 20th – Autumn Equinox Day (Southern Hemisphere)- marks the time when the sun crosses the plane of the Earth’s equator giving equal hours of day and night.
March 20th - National Close the Gap Day is an annual awareness event that aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between the indigenous and the non-indigenous communities in Australia.
March 20th – 21st - Naw-Ruz- (New Year Bahai) is the first day of the Bahá'í calendar year and one of nine holy days for adherents of the Bahá'í Faith. It occurs on the vernal equinox.
March 21st – Harmony Day – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 21st – Independence Day – Namibia
March 23rd – National Day – Pakistan
March 25th - Independence Day – Greece
March 26th - Independence Day – Bangladesh
March 26th – Laylat al Qadr/ Night of Destiny (Muslim) is a day that observes the night when the Prophet Mohammad received the first versus of the Koran.
Monday 31st - Eid Al Fitr (Muslim) also called the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Important Australian Milestones
March 25th - 1949- Indigenous ex-service men were granted voting rights.
Attendance Matters
We want to do all we can to be sure your child achieves their potential and enjoys being at school.
We know that school is the best place to learn. By attending school every day your child will get the most out of their learning and improve their career and life options.
When your child is absent it is important you let the school know, including the reason why, on the day of absence or the day they return. This helps make sure we know where our students are and offer support for you and your family if needed.
If you are having trouble getting your child to school every day or on time, please talk to our school staff so we can work together, because every day counts.
Missing a day here or there may not seem like much, but absences add up and can negatively impact your child’s learning and wellbeing. When your child misses one day a week that’s 40 days of school and 8 weeks of learning in one year. Over an entire school journey this adds up to 2.5 years of lost learning.
Please contact the school if your child needs to miss school for any reason, so we can plan continued support for your child’s learning and wellbeing. Remember #AttendanceMatters.
PBL
Welcome to 2025 and the PBL Team’s first newsletter article for Term 1.
For our first fortnightly focus, students at Blacktown South Public School have been learning about moving in and out of the classroom in a safe manner. To maintain a safe and respectful environment for all students, the PBL team would like to remind the importance of walking in and out quietly.
We also discussed the importance of staying in our own learning space to learn and grow.
Here are the two classes captured by the Spycam that moved in and out of the classroom safely.
Have a wonderful fortnight,
The PBL Team
Year 2
Year 2 have settled back into school wonderfully!
Our students are thoroughly enjoying a variety of activities and subjects, from creative arts to exciting new lessons. Our Year 2 classes are full of enthusiasm, and it’s clear they are having a fantastic time learning and making memories with their friends. It’s shaping up to be a great year ahead!
Take a look at what we have been up to.
P&C and Uniform Shop
Our Parent and Community organisation is managed by a dedicated team of parent volunteers. Our objective is to engage with the school community and secure funding to enhance school facilities, equipment, and student support.
Firstly, a big welcome to our new and old BSPS families. We have big things planned for 2025.
Term 1 fundraisers and key dates to put in your calendars:
- Term 1 P&C Meeting Friday 14th March 2025 9:30am in the Koorie Club Room.
- Harmony Day Donuts Friday 21st March 2025. Notes will be sent home next week.
- Easter Hat Parents Busy Bee Thursday 27th March 2025 9:30am location is TBA.
- Easter Hat Parade Wednesday 4th April 2025.
Should you wish to volunteer your assistance at these events or throughout the year, please contact us. We are always seeking volunteers, and it's an excellent opportunity to build community connections.
Uniform Shop
Our uniform shop's new opening hours and days are:
Mondays and Thursdays, from 9:20am to 10:20am weekly.
We are low on Caps at the moment but they are due to arrive in 1-2 weeks. Please be patient as we wait for their arrival. However, we do have Legionaires and Bucket hats available to purchase in the shop.
Winter stock is readily available in all sizes and styles so please come and see us as Autumn is just around the corner.
We also offer a second-hand rack with prices starting at just $2. We gratefully accept uniform donations, and all proceeds benefit the P&C.
Alternatively, you can order online via the link provided, these will be placed in your child's teacher's pigeon hole for distribution. We will endeavour to complete these purchases on Mondays and Thursdays.
Click here to purchase school uniforms online
Please like our P&C/Uniform shop Facebook page for updates.
Click here to view the P&C Facebook page:
Business donations are very much welcome.
On our P&C website we have added the option "P&C contribution" (link below).
This is optional but it would be a great help if each family of our school could help with a donation. Thank you.
Digital Entertainment book
This fundraiser is available to be purchased all year. The digital entertainment book is conveniently available through an app. It is full of savings on entertainment, dining, travel, activities and much more. By purchasing through our link, the P&C receive a percentage of the total, contributing towards our fundraising goals. Please purchase through the link below:
Click here to purchase:
If you too would like to join our team of volunteers, please contact us at:
pc.bsps@outlook.com.au or Renee on 0415859158
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 (Monday to Wednesday) and Mrs Sathiya Segaram (Thursday to Friday)
Assistant Principals - APCI: Miss Raelene Rillera, Ms Amanda Sheaves and Mrs Sathiya Segaram.
Assistant Principals: Kindergarten Miss Krystal Evangelou
Year 1 Miss Matilda Lee
Year 2 Miss Fiona Pearce
Year 3 Mrs Hannah Casley
Year 4 Mrs Amy Charlesworth
Year 5 Miss Alyce Rogers
Year 6 Mr Patrick Lee-Eyles
Specialist Teachers Mrs Panayiota Zouriakas
Senior Administration Manager: Mrs Claire Dobbie
School Administration Officers: Mrs Robyn Taylor, Ms Doris Mifsud,
Miss Daphne Manivong, Ms Tara Shipway and Mrs Melinda Cooper
School Counsellor: Ms Lisa Harvey, Ms Olivia Parrott and Ms Josephine Cali
P&C Association
President: Renee Tsingolis
Vice President: Mandi Ashraf
Treasurer: Sarah Noor
Secretary: Hayley Hutchison
Assistant Secretary: Position Vacant
Assistant Treasurer: Position Vacant
Uniform Shop Committee:
Manager: Hayley Hutchison
Sarah Noor, Melissa Wilson, Effie Browne, Renee Tsingolis and Mandi Ashraf.
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