ANZAC Day Town ceremony and school ceremony

I had the absolute pleasure of marching with the school again for the Boorowa ANZAC Day service. Boorowa Central had up to 90 students involved in the service, either representing the school or as members of the Army Cadets or the Drum Band. This is a significant proportion of the student population who were willing to give up a morning of the holidays to be a part of the Boorowa ANZAC service.

Each and every student represented the school proudly and behaved in an exceptional manner throughout the proceedings. A special mention to School Captain Mollie McKinley and Student Leader Emma Craig for their excellent speeches during the service. It is moving to hear that ANZAC Day continues to be remembered solemnly by the next generation of Boorowa children.

Boorowa Central School also held its own ANZAC Day service on the first day back of Term 2. It was another traditionally moving occasion attended by the Army Cadets, Drum Band and special guests Mayor Margaret Roles, Hilltops General Manager Anthony O’Reilly and Boorowa Subbranch ex services club representatives Mr Alan Banks and Mr Dean Franklin. Our students behaved well throughout the formal proceedings and demonstrated respect at all times.

Thank you to the Army Cadets, Drum band members and special guests for joining us for our service.

Do it for Dolly Week

This week, Boorowa Central School participated in raising awareness for Do it for Dolly Day. The goal was to invite rich conversations about being kind to one another, supporting one another and considering how our actions can impact others.

We hosted a range of activities to raise money for the foundation and awareness for the cause which included a ‘blue food’ stall, wearing blue accessories, a jelly guessing bean competition, a raffle of two Do it for Dolly caps (kindly donated by the Lawler family), butterfly tattoos, creation of a kindness wall and making kind cards. All students also learnt in class about bullying and strategies to promote positive and healthy relationships.

Well done to all of the students and to the organising teachers. It was a very successful week.

Relieving Deputy Principal

Mrs Trudy Mahoney will relive as Deputy principal this term in Ms Hawkins absence. I look forward to partnering with Ms Mahoney and learning from her vast experiences and skill set to further enhance the quality of education at Boorowa Central School. I also wish Ms Hawkins a speedy recovery and hope to see her return in the near future.

Staff Changes

Ms Sorubi Thavaratnam, Boorowa Central School’s School Counsellor, has made the difficult decision to cease her employment at Boorowa Central School and return to Sydney to be closer to family and friends. Sorubi has worked at Boorowa Central School for 5 years and will be missed by students and staff alike. In a time after we had no substantive counsellor for a significant period, Sorubi brought a wealth of knowledge, skills and compassion to the school that enabled her to best support the students and at times, staff.

I wish to thank Sorubi for her time at Boorowa Central School and wish her the very best for the next step in her journey.

Mrs Kristy Barber, School Counsellor from Yass and Queanbeyan, has been asked to relieve in the role one day a week this term and until Sorubi’s position has been filled permanently. Kristy previously worked as a primary teacher at Yass Public and Berrinba Public School before retraining to be a School Counsellor. Whilst Kristy is relatively new to her role, she has already demonstrated a firm grasp of the role, a thorough understanding of Department of Education processes and an exceptional work ethic. I look forward to working with Kristy in the term ahead.

Kristy will work at Boorowa Central School on Wednesday’s. Welcome to the school, Kristy.

Mrs Willow Bridge made the difficult decision to medically retire at the end of Term 1 due to health reasons. Mrs Bridge had been a TAS Teacher at Boorowa Central School for 8 years and in her time had taught a variety of subjects and taken on several roles to ensure the students were not disadvantaged. Her final role was Careers Advisor.

I wish Mrs Bridge a successful transition to life without teaching and hope that her and husband Todd enjoy the next chapter in their life together, closer to loved ones in Orange.

I am currently working with the Department to appoint a replacement for Mrs Bridge. In the meantime, Mrs Bridge’s teaching load has been broken up and spread across existing staff and staff who have agreed to work one day a week, or an additional day per week this term, to ensure the students are not disadvantaged.

Mr Hansson from Yass High is teaching Construction to the Stage 6 class each Thursday, Mrs Corcoran will teach Stage 5 IST, Mrs Miller will teach Year 7 LOTE and Year 8 Technology Mandatory whilst Miss Moorby is now the new Careers Advisor. Mrs Annabelle Scott and Mrs Julie Poplin are also working one day a week to help make the adjustments to the secondary curriculum possible.

Welcome to the school Mr Hansson and Mrs Scott and welcome back Mrs Poplin.

Mathematics teacher Mrs Country White has started her maternity leave with the due date of her first baby fast approaching. I wish her and her husband David all the best with the upcoming birth and with their step into parenthood in the near future.

Ms Cass Merifield will take over Mrs White’s full teaching load as well as the Year 12 Advisor role. We are very fortunate to have Mrs Merifield at our school and I am confident she will continue to work hard for the best possible mathematics outcomes for our students.

Change in the Canteen

P and C employed Canteen Manager Di Walsh is also departing the school in a week’s time. She and her family have decided to move to Cowra to pursue new challenges. I wish Di and her family the best of luck with their move and hope that she quickly finds their groove with her next business venture.

Mrs Edwina Woodhead was the successful applicant for the Canteen Manager position and has been working alongside Di this week to learn the ropes. She will continue with a handover next week before taking over full time. There will be an adjustment to the winter menu whilst she finds her feet.

The canteen operation hours are also changing. The Canteen will be operating on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday’s only until further notice.

I welcome Edwina to Boorowa Central School and am confident that she will adjust quickly to her new role and continue to offer delicious and nutritious food from our canteen.

Kindy Start and Year 6 into 7 Transition

A reminder that our Kindergarten and Year 6 into 7 for 2025 transition evening is being held at Boorowa Central School on Monday 20 May.

Prospective Kindergarten parents are asked to meet at the Kindergarten room at 5.30pm for a classroom and infants building tour.

Prospective Year 7 parents are asked to meet at the Library at 6pm.

Both groups will be formally greeted and welcomed to the school in the Library at 6pm before Year 7 parents move to the Year 7 homeroom for their information presentation.

If you have any questions, please contact the school.

NSW Department of Education Budget Measures

School budgets across NSW Public Schools have increased to a record level overall this year. However, the department has asked all schools to review their budgets and ensure they prioritise teaching and learning in the classroom. The changes are intended to address teacher shortages, ensuring all schools have access to the teachers they need. 

As a result, there will be a small reduction in Boorowa Central School’s budget, and we will reconsider initiatives where teachers have been spending additional time off class, or where flexible funding has been used.  

Important school improvement programs and core funded teacher and administrative positions will remain the same, while we review flexible funds. Our priority will be supporting all our students and their learning.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school community. 

P&C