At Bathurst Public School,

every child is known, valued and cared for.

Bathurst Public School

279-281 George Street Phone: 02 6331 3923

Bathurst NSW 2795 Fax: 02 6332 2305

Email: bathurst-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Website: www.bathurst-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Thursday, 8th February 2018 Term 1 Week 2

Dear Parents,

We are currently finalizing classes and hope to have all official classes in place for the commencement

of next week. If any parents have any queries reading class structures, please contact the school.

The Induction Ceremony for our 2018 Leadership Team occurred on Tuesday 6th February. It was a

lovely Assembly where all our children witnessed our new Captains and Vice Captains making their

pledges and having their badges pinned on by their parents. Thank you to all the parents for coming

along and making this assembly so special.

Our 2018 Leadership Team consists of:

School Captains – Bonny Campiao and Oliver Gumpert

School Vice Captains – Phoebe Connors and Jacob Lamb

Evans House Captains – Tiaani Bijelic and Angus Cafe

Evans House Vice Captains – Mimi Taylor and Anthony Driver

Chifley House Captains – Jemmia Luck and Mac Hutchings

Chifley House Vice Captains– Claudia Campbell and Oscar Simeonidis

Macquarie House Captains – Faith Ryder and Lachlan Elliot-Smith

Macquarie House Vice Captains – Jasmin Crook and Chris Jackson

Hargraves House Captains – Jessica Breust and Alex Brown

Hargraves House Vice Captains – Bridget Pugh and Angus Warne

School Captains: Bonny Campiao and Oliver Gumpert and School Vice Captains: Phoebe Connors and Jacob Lamb

Hargraves House Captains: Jessica Breust and Alex Brown and Hargrave Vice Captains: Bridget Pugh and Angus Warne

Chifley House Captains: Jemmia Luck and Mac Hutchings and Chifley Vice Captains: Claudia Campbell and Oscar

Simeonidis

Evans House Captains: Tiaani Bijelic and Angus Cafe and Evans Vice Captains: Mimi Taylor and Anthony Driver

Macquarie House Captains: Faith Ryder and Lachlan Elliot-Smith and Macquarie Vice Captains: Jasmin Crook and Chris

Jackson

Bookpacks - Every child from K-6 requires a book pack in 2018. These book packs are available from

the front office at school for $30.00. The packs have all the books and art stores for the year that each

child will require. The correct handwriting and writing books are in each pack according to the year

group of your child. Book packs are on display in the front office. Parents are asked to please purchase

these book packs by Friday 9th February so children can begin working in them on Monday 12th

February. Once book packs are purchased, the packs will be sent directly to the classrooms. Parents

who wish to pay for book packs in instalments are welcome to do so and are encouraged to contact the

school so an arrangement can be made.

On Friday 9th February our Annual School Swimming Carnival will be held at the Bathurst Aquatic

Centre. Children in years 3-6 as well as those children in Year 2 who are turning 8 this year and can

swim 50m unaided are eligible to attend. Notes have been sent home and are due back to school with

payment tomorrow to the front office.

Our School Photos will be taken on Tuesday 20th February. We will be using Advanced School

Photography. Envelopes for school photos have been sent home today.

Infants (Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2) Assemblies will be held every second Wednesday at

2.15pm in the McMullen Hall commencing Wednesday 21st February. Primary Years (3, 4, 5 and 6)

Assemblies will be held every second Wednesday at 2:10pm in the McMullen Hall, commencing on

Wednesday 14th February at 2.10pm. All parents and friends are very welcome to join us to celebrate

our accomplishments.

As a staff we continue to modify our Assessment and Reporting practices so we can ensure parents

obtain feedback each term on their child’s progress from their child’s classroom teacher. At anytime, if

parents have any concerns or issues about your child’s learning, you are encouraged to contact the

school to make an appointment to speak with your child’s classroom teacher. The Assessment and

Reporting schedule for 2018 is:

Term 1 Week 4 – Thursday 22nd February-Friday 23rd February – Support Unit Parent/Teacher

Interviews

Term 1 Week 6 - Monday 5th March- Friday 9th March – Parent/Teacher Interviews

Term 2 – Semester 1 Reports home

Term 3 – Parent/Teacher Interviews

Term 4 - Semester 2 Reports home

Parent/Teacher Interviews have been organised for Thursday 22nd February - Friday 23rd February

for the Support Unit classes and Monday 5th March - Monday 9th March for all other classes. These

meetings will allow parents to meet teachers, talk about what is to be taught this year and how your

child has settled into the 2018 school year, plans for the school year, class expectations and parent

expectations. Notes for these meetings will be sent home next week. Parents are encouraged to return

these notes indicating a time preference to your child’s classroom teacher as soon as possible. Teachers

will contact parents regarding your allocated time for an interview.

The timetable for Parent/Teacher Interviews in weeks 4 and 6 is as follows:

Thursday 22nd February – K/6F and 5/6N

Friday 23rd February – K/2C, 3/4J and 5/6H

Monday 5th March – 1M, 1S, 1/2M, 2M, 2K and 2/3S

Tuesday 6th March – 3/4T, 3/4G, 3/4I, 3/4RN and 3/4B

Wednesday 7th March – 4/5C, 5/6D, 5/6A, 5/6G and 5/6F

Thursday 8th March – KG, KJ, KP and K/1M

Food Allergies - We do have several children at our school who have peanut and nut allergies and

have severe reactions if exposed to this food. Parents are asked to be mindful of this when packing

recess and lunch and are encouraged not to send products which contain nuts in them to school.

A general reminder:-

All items of clothing and personal belongings should be clearly marked with your child’s name.

All children require a broad brimmed hat each day as our school has a “No Hat, No Play” policy.

When parents and friends come to the school during the day, they should present to the front office

on arrival. This is a Legal and Workplace Safety requirement and is followed for the

safety and security of all children and teachers.

We continue to encourage parents to make appointments to come and talk about your child’s

progress, problems that may arise, ideas etc. It is reminded that the education of your child is a team

effort with teachers and parents being the main stakeholders. With this in mind, it is an important

reminder that the parent/teacher relationship always needs to be cohesive and

supportive and one of mutual respect. I am sure we will continue to work with one another in a

positive manner.

All money coming to the school should be placed in a sealed envelope with your child’s name,

correct amount of money, class and what the money is for clearly written on the front. All money

and notes should be sent directly to the front office at the school for processing.

Our School Newsletter will now be uploaded every Thursday so all parents receive information at the

same time. Please refer to our website to download the weekly newsletter.

If any parent has any concerns regarding any aspect of school life, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kate White

Principal

Assemblies

Primary Assembly – Wednesday 14th February at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Infants Assembly – Wednesday 21st February at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

We welcome all parents and friends to these Assemblies to celebrate our accomplishments.

Special Religious Education

Scripture - Christian studies - begins on the 21st February for most classes.

If you do not want your child to attend Christian studies, which follows a syllabus approved by all

pastors in Bathurst, please send a written note to your child's class teacher.

Please contact the office/ Elspeth Holgate on 6332 4291 if you would like to help.

School Gates

A few reminders regarding the School Gates around the perimeter of the school;

From 8.30am each day, three gates will be open for children to arrive, these being the gate

directly outside the front office, the gate in Rocket street at the top end of the bus bay for our

bus children and the gate near the ramp/stairs access in Lambert Street.

At 9.00am, all gates will be locked except for the gate directly out the front of the school office

which will be closed but not locked (unless we have a security issue).

All parents, friends and visitors to our school during the day will need to come through the very

front gate on their arrival and attend the front office and sign in as per WH&S guidelines. It is

vitally important that we know who is on the school grounds at all times.

At the end of the day, the gate in Lambert Street near the ramp/stairs access will be opened at

2.55pm as will the gate directly outside the office. The gate in Rocket Street will be opened at

2.55pm or by the bus duty teachers and will only be used for bus children.

We ask that children are not dropped off to school in the morning in the Rocket Street area.

All gates are kept closed for the safety and security of our children. If you need to obtain access

to the school site between the above times, please use the gate at the front of the school.

Active Kids Program

The NSW Government is helping kids get active with the new Active Kids program. From 31 January

2018, parents, guardians and carers can apply for a $100 voucher per calendar year for each student

enrolled in school.

The voucher may be used with a registered activity provider for registration, participation and

membership costs for sport, fitness and active recreation activities. The voucher can be used at any

time during the calendar year it was issued.

To use the voucher, give your voucher details to an approved Active Kids Provider. The program runs

year-round, so kids can get active at any time!

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-active-kids-voucher

School Contributions 2018

The Department of Education and Communities sets the contribution level. The funds are used to

purchase reading and maths materials for the benefit of all students. Without these contributions, we

are unable to provide resources of the highest quality that meet our expectations for your children.

Fees can be paid by sending cash or cheque in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, class and

School Fees written on it to the front office or by coming to the school and paying by cash, cheque or

EFTPOS. Fees can also be paid using POP. The fees are:

$50.00 (1 child)

$90.00 (2 children)

$120.00 (3 or more children)

In addition to the School Fees, each child is asked to pay a:

$15.00 levy for Technology (each child K-6)

$15 levy for resources

These levies will enable us to provide more software and classroom resources such as readers and

maths equipment for the children to use. We thank you for your invaluable contribution.

Online Payments

Parents can make online payments to the school for amounts owing for students, via a secure payment

page hosted by Westpac. Payments can be made using either a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card,

and can be made via computer, tablet or mobile phone. The payment page is accessed from the front

page of the schools website by selecting $ Make a payment.

This is a secure payment system hosted by Westpac to ensure that your credit/debit card details are

captured in a secure manner. These details are not passed back to the school.

Money and Notes

All money, when it comes to school for an event, goes directly to the school office. When children

and/or parents return permission notes to school, they also need to be taken to the office. All notes

willbe collated and kept in the office and staff will pick up notes from the office after the closing date.

Once payment is made, the parent permission note MUST be returned to the school. All

payments and permission notes must be made and returned by the cut-off date on the note.

Payment for an activity does not give permission for a student to be involved so please

remember to send the permission note back immediately.

All permission notes returned must include the reference number that is given upon payment.

Student Attendance at School

Attendance every day that the school is open for instruction is a legal requirement and a major

responsibility of parents/carers. Do not keep your child away from school for the following reasons as

they are not considered to be acceptable:

Birthdays

Shopping

Minding other children

For routine check-ups or care such as hair cuts

Minor family events

Medical and other health appointments for your child with specialists such as dentists or doctors

should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays

Regular appointments (i.e. private swimming or music lessons during school time) which require

students to leave school early

It is important to understand that the Department may take further action where children of

compulsory school age (6-17) have recurring numbers of unexplained or unacceptable absences from

school. Some of the following actions may be undertaken.

Attendance meetings and compulsory attendance conferences - Parents (and sometimes their child)

can be asked to go to a meeting with school personnel and other regional officers. The aim of the

meeting is to help identify strategies to support the child and family. Other agencies may also be

invited along to help, if parents agree.

If the school and other regional officers have tried to help improve a child’s attendance, without

success, parents (and sometimes their child) can be asked to go to a compulsory attendance

conference. The conference will be run by a trained conference convenor. The aim of the

conference is for the school, parents/child and other identified agencies (“the parties”) to further

identify the issues which are impacting on a child’s attendance.

The outcome of a compulsory attendance conference is for the parties to agree to undertake certain

actions to improve the child’s attendance. These actions are written in the form of undertakings.

Applications to the Children’s Court – A Compulsory Schooling Order. Legal compliance can be

sought through an application to the Children’s Court for a Compulsory Schooling Order. The aim

is to assist a family and/or child to address the issues which are preventing satisfactory school

attendance but has the added enforcement of a Court’s powers.

Prosecution in the Local Court - If all attempts by schools and regional support staff fail to improve

a student’s attendance, action can be taken in the Local Court and the result can be fines up to a

maximum of $11,000.

School Photos School Photographs will be taken on: Tuesday 20th February

Dear Parents

School photographs are scheduled to be taken by advancedlife Photography.

Envelopes and flyers have been distributed to the children. If possible it is our

preference that ordering be completed online to reduce administration and potential security issues

related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day.

Orders for packages and sibling photographs can be placed securely online at

www.advancedlife.com.au using our school’s unique 9 digit Online Order Code. Portrait and group

package orders are due by photography day.

Should you wish to purchase a sibling photograph online, the order must be placed no later than the

day before photograph day. Sibling photographs will only be taken if an order has been placed.

Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them

via email to: enquiries@advancedlife.com.au

www.advanced.life.com.au

9 Digit Online Order Code

KVE J6W FGL

Term 1 2018

Week 2

5/02-9/02

Friday 9th February 2018 Swimming Carnival at the Bathurst Aquatic Centre

Week 3

12/02-16/02

Wednesday 14th February Primary Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Week 4

19/02-23/02

Tuesday 20th February School Photo Day

Wednesday 21st February Infants Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Thursday 22nd February Support Parent/Teacher Interviews

Friday 23rd February Support Parent/Teacher Interviews

Friday 23rd February District Swimming Carnival at the Bathurst Aquatic Centre

Week 5

26/02-2/02

Wednesday 28th February Primary Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Friday 2nd March ‘Be Skilled Be Fit’ Commonwealth Games Day

Week 6

5/03-9/03

Wednesday 7th March Infants Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Week 7

12/03-16/03

Wednesday 14th March Primary Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Week 8

19/03-23/03

Wednesday 21st March Infants Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Wednesday 21st March Harmony Day

Week 9

26/03-30/02

Tuesday 27th March Easter Hat Parade

Wednesday 28th March Primary Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Friday 30th March – Good Friday

Week 10

2/04-6/04

Monday 2nd April – Easter Monday

Wednesday 4th April Infants Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Week 11

09/04-10/04

Wednesday 11th April Primary Assembly at 2.15pm in the McMullen Hall

Friday 13th April – Last Day Term 1

P&C News

First meeting for 2018

Come along to our first Parents & Citizens Association meeting of 2018 on

Wednesday February 21 at 7pm in the school staffroom. Our meetings are

friendly, informal and open to everyone (we’re all mums, dads and carers,

just like you!).

What we’ll be chatting about this month:

Welcome to new members (a quick meet-n-greet and simple rundown

about what we do)

Principal’s monthly report (these are highly informative and a great way to keep up to

date with what’s happening in the school)

Fundraising activities and ideas for 2018

Plans to buy new drinking water stations for the playground

Open forum (for any other ideas or questions you may have).

If you’re interested in finding out more or having a say on any of these things, we encourage you

to come along. Contact P&C Secretary Tracey on 0405 153 169 if you need more information or

to be added to our email list.

Can’t make Wednesday night meetings but still want to be involved? There are a number of roles

you can help with if you have some spare time during the day, eg:

coordinating the Book Club

organising/helping out at the annual Mother’s or Father’s Day Stalls, BBQs or school discos

coordinating the commemorative tea towels for Kindergarten or Year 6

volunteering at the canteen or joining the canteen committee to have input canteen

operations.

Drop a note in the P&C tub at the office with your name and contact details if you’d like to help

with any of these activities.

Canteen survey a success

Thankyou to everyone who participated in our canteen survey last year. Many of your

suggestions have been incorporated into the new menu. Some of you also raised some very

good questions that we will try to answer in the coming weeks:

Why do we have to pay a surcharge to use Flexischools?

Flexischools was introduced as there are many days that the canteen can be very busy,

especially as student numbers (and orders) continue to grow. Often there is only 1 volunteer

(or sometimes none) and counting money and collating orders takes a large chunk of time

each morning, leaving less time to prepare food.

To reduce this workload the Canteen Committee had 2 main choices:

employee a Canteen Assistant, however, this would mean increasing canteen prices

significantly (and possibly still operating at a loss, so we would not be able to buy as

many resources for the school)

Implement an on-line ordering system to streamline this process.

We chose the on-line ordering system as even though it costs families 29 cents to place an

order (which helps pay the company that runs this system), this is much cheaper than the

alternative. It makes canteen days less hectic for our valuable volunteers and is also helpful

for parents if you don’t have any cash at home.

We would like to encourage all families to try ‘Flexischools’. Go to

www.flexischools.com.au for more information and to register.

Special canteen meal – Mondays only!

This term the canteen will have a limited lunch menu on Mondays. Choose from sandwiches,

salad boxes or our super special Monday-only meal! (no other hot lunch meals will be available

that day).

Next week’s $4 Monday-only meal

Sweet chilli flamed-grilled chicken wrap with

lettuce and sour cream.