Dear Parents,
We were thrilled to be informed that that Adeline Hunter (Year 6) and Pippa Hunter (Year 2) received silver awards in the Department of Educations ‘WriteOn’ Competition. Congratulations, Adeline and Pippa, on your brilliant results. Your creativity, dedication, and talent have truly shone through. Bathurst Public School is so proud of your outstanding achievement and can't wait to see where your writing takes you next. Both Adeline and Pippa have attended the award ceremony in Sydney at the State Library today. This event is presented by NESA in partnership with the State Library of NSW. Adeline and Pippa will receive a special certificate and a copy of 'The Best of WriteOn 2026' publication from a NSW Government representative followed by morning tea and a writing workshop with well-known author, Pip Harry. Well done, Adeline and Pippa! We are super proud of you.
Today we have become more aware of R U OK? Day which is a National Day of Action dedicated to reminding everyone that every day is the day to ask, 'are you OK?' and support those struggling with life's ups and downs. All children have been reminded of the importance of meaningfully connecting with the people around them and starting a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling with life. You don't need to be an expert to reach out - just a good friend and a great listener. Many of our children have been reminded of these four steps:
Ask R U OK?
Listen
Encourage action
Check in
All children and staff enjoyed a free BBQ provided by RRT (a nationwide charity) today. This contributed to a positive wellbeing experience for our students.
Yesterday, our Year 5 children participated in a Come and Try Day at our local high schools, Bathurst and Kelso High Campuses. Our children had a wonderful time exploring the high school campuses and getting a first hand look at what our local Public High Schools offer. Well done to our children on the way they were involved in all of the opportunities offered to them.
Thank you to our wonderful P&C for coordinating our Father's Day BBQ Breakfast. It was a wonderful morning to celebrate our Dad's, Grandfathers and significant men in our lives. Thank you to everyone who came along and had breakfast on what was cracking Spring morning.
It was wonderful to see not only our children but our families in jerseys last Friday to raise awareness of organ donation during Jersey Day. We thank everyone for their support of this very special day at Bathurst PS.
Next Wednesday 16th September, Bathurst Public School will be raising money for Ronald McDonald Charities by participating in Redtember. All children are encouraged to dress in RED and bring a gold coin to donate.
Our Kinder Transition to School program for children commencing in 2027 continues today. The dates and times for the Kinder Transition program are set out below. If you have a child or know of a child coming to school in 2027, please contact the school so we can enrol them for school and in the transition program
Term 3
Thursday 10th September from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Friday 11th September from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Thursday 17th September from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Friday 18th September from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Term 4
Thursday 22nd October from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Friday 23rd October from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Thursday 29th October from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Friday 30th October from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Thursday 5th November from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Friday 6th November from 1.00 to 2:45pm
Attendance Update – Thank You for Your Support!
We are pleased to share some encouraging news about student attendance this year. Our school’s unexplained absence rate has significantly improved, dropping from 20% in Term 1 to just 7% currently. This positive change means fewer disruptions to your child’s learning and a more consistent school experience.
We also want to thank parents for your cooperation, which has helped reduce the number of follow-up phone calls by our office staff. Your prompt communication when your child is absent makes a huge difference and allows our team to focus more on supporting students in the classroom.
A special mention goes to Year 1 families, who currently have the lowest rate of unexplained absences – well done! On the other hand, Year 3 has the highest rate, and we encourage parents in this year group to help improve attendance by notifying the school promptly when your child is absent.
Remember, the Parent Portal is a convenient way to report absences and keep track of your child’s attendance. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to register and make use of this valuable tool to help us maintain our good progress.
Thank you again for your ongoing support in keeping our students present and engaged every day!
Our 10 Day Term 4 Intensive Swimming Program will occur from Monday 23rd November - Friday 4th December at the Manning Aquatic Centre. This program will be open to all children from Kindergarten to Year 6. Qualified swimming instructors employed by the Manning Aquatic Centre will teach the children. Sessions will be 45 minutes long and will run for 10 days between 9.15am. and 2.00 pm. School staff will accompany children to and from the pool. The cost will be $105.00 for the 10-day program, including bus travel, facility entry, and professional instruction. You can pay through our Sentral Parent Portal or at the front office by cash or EFTPOS. We are not accepting Active Kids and First Lap vouchers this year. If you would like your child to attend, please answer the questions through the Sentral Parent Portal. The Portal does not provide or update medical information. Please contact the front office with any medical updates. Please pay a $50 deposit to secure your child's position in the program by Thursday, 24th September. Please pay the final balance by Friday, 6th November. After this date, no refunds will be available. Parents will be informed of their child's class details before the program begins. Parents are asked to contact the school and update their child's medical information closer to the start of the program if necessary. If parents have any further questions regarding this Intensive Swimming Program, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Mitchell, Miss Reedy or Mrs White.
If any parent has any concerns regarding any aspect of school life, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kate White
Principal