INFANTS

A huge welcome back to our wonderful school for 2025! Everyone – students and staff – were all excited to catch up with each other and are all happily back into the swing of school life. We warmly welcome all students and their families back to school, including some new faces in our Infants Department.

This year, our Infants teachers and classes are: Ms Nat Downey (Year 2/3), Miss Emily Friend (Year 1/2), and I will be teaching K/1. Our Infants teaching team also includes Rose Arber (Yindyamarra), Matt Rowley (teaching across our classes), Lauren Crokett (Library), Carol Harpley (Intervention support) and Denise Corkhill (Learning support). We are also very pleased to have Miss Meg McIntosh join our school and K-6 team as Assistant Principal of Primary, and Year 5/6 teacher, and Miss Charlotte Groves is teaching Year 4/5. If you have any questions at all, please reach out to your child’s teacher by contacting them through the front office.

In our Infants Building, we are lucky to have a number of super support staff working with students and staff, and your children will get to know these people well as the term progresses. Jaimee, Gill and Jayden are working in our Infants/Yindy classrooms, as well as Tess and Vicki providing administrative support.

In the coming fortnight, we welcome all families, current, new and future, to our ‘Welcome BBQ’ on Wednesday 26 February. Before this BBQ, all families are invited to attend a ‘Meet and Greet’ with teachers. This will be a chance to meet Infants and Primary staff, and to find out more about the day to day routines and expectations of school, to ask questions and chat with other families. We hope many of you are able to join us for this, followed by a sausage and some cricket and a play in the new playground – more details to follow shortly.

K/1

Congratulations to all Kindergarten students (and their families!) for successfully navigating their first 2 weeks at school! They are all looking very grown up in their new uniforms and are quickly becoming familiar with the routines and expectations of school. This year we are lucky to have a combined K/1 class and our Year 1 students have hit the ground running. They have been exceptional leaders for our K students, demonstrating and helping them learning the ways of our classroom, while at the same time, being great friends. I am very proud of them all!

Our Year 6 buddies have been a huge help with the adjustment to school for our Kindergarten students too – assisting their buddies during lunch and recess breaks, playing with them and guiding them in the playground – thank you to them all.

Our K/1 students have already started tricky lessons on learning and consolidating sounds and skills to help them with reading and writing as well as showing off what clever mathematicians they are. A highlight for all this week was cooking with Mrs Corcoran, making delicious tomato and cheese tarts. Students were very interested in the different colours, sizes and shapes of all the tomatoes that have been grown in our Ag garden, and enjoyed tasting their creations.

Primary

This term, our primary students have embraced the school values of respect, responsibility, and participation, settling into their learning with enthusiasm and commitment. They have shown great respect for their teachers and classmates, creating a positive and inclusive classroom environment. Taking responsibility for their own learning, they have already actively engaged in start-of-year assessments and are diligently working on mastering their classroom routines. Their participation in these initial activities has been impressive, and it’s great to see them take charge of their learning with such excitement and focus.

K–6 Science and History

Greetings, parents and carers!

I am thrilled to share the engaging activities we have lined up for our Kindergarten through to Year 6 students this semester. We have been weaving History, Science, and Geography lessons together to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation for the community we live in.

Time Capsules: Linking Past, Present, and Future

Each student from Kindergarten to Year 6 is creating a personal time capsule that captures who they are at this moment in time. They have been writing letters to themselves, measuring heights and hands, and predicting what might happen in 2025. I’ve enjoyed watching their enthusiasm grow as they brainstorm creative ways to portray their own unique stories.

Additionally, our school community will contribute a collective piece to a larger time capsule in honour of Boorowa’s 155-year celebrations. This is a fantastic way to highlight the ongoing connection between our students’ learning and Boorowa’s legacy. By sealing away personal reflections and class projects, we remind our young learners that they, too, are part of this region’s story, one that will be uncovered and appreciated by future generations.

A Glimpse into Boorowa’s Past

Boorowa itself is a town deeply rooted in history, and Boorowa Central School, established over a century ago, stands as a testament to the region’s dedication to education. Over the years, the school has grown and adapted to serve local families, all while upholding its proud traditions.

I’ve found it immensely rewarding to guide our students in exploring the rich heritage right outside our classroom doors.

Over the next few weeks, we will continue our deep dive into Boorowa’s captivating history, helping our K–6 students better understand the community they call home. By connecting classroom lessons to real-world places and events, we hope they’ll gain a stronger sense of pride and belonging, realising that history isn’t confined to textbooks but is alive and unfolding around us every day.

Hands-On Learning in Science

So far this semester, our Science lessons have been filled with exploration and inquiry. Students have been performing simple experiments, discussing key concepts, and learning to observe the world around them with a critical eye. These hands-on activities allow them to see how scientific principles apply to everyday life, whether it’s understanding how plants grow, exploring different types of materials, or studying basic elements of the natural world.

Critical Thinking in Year 3

Our Year 3 students have been honing their computer skills and reading comprehension through structured activities like Newman’s Analysis. This approach teaches them to carefully dissect problems, interpret data, and apply logical reasoning, all essential skills in today’s digital world. By incorporating technology into our lessons, we reinforce the importance of research, collaboration, and problem-solving, ensuring our young learners become confident, curious, and capable in the ever-evolving digital age.

Celebrating Growth and Looking Ahead

I’m exceptionally proud of the enthusiasm and dedication our students have shown across all year levels. From Kinder kids eagerly packing their time capsules, to older students engrossed in local history, everyone is embracing a sense of exploration. As we move closer to Boorowa’s 155-year celebrations, we’ll continue to highlight the remarkable legacy of our community and our school, and the vital role our students play in shaping the story still to come.

How You Can Support

Encourage Curiosity: Ask your children about their time capsule items or which old bank building in town caught their eye.

Stay Connected: Keep an eye on school updates about the 155-year celebration events and any volunteering opportunities related to our time capsule project.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me via email at matthew.rowley12@det.nsw.edu.au or call the school to arrange an appointment.

Mr. Rowley

Proudly Teaching Science, History, Geography, and Beyond!

Celebrating Achievement