Principal's Address
Parking arrangements on Pudman Street
I was invited to attend the Local Traffic Forum at the Hilltops Council building in Young on Wednesday. Here I was able to speak to the school’s proposal for an update to the parking arrangements currently in place on Pudman Street between Dry Street and Farm Street. The school’s proposal included a move to nose-in 45-degree angle parking, timed parking and a ‘drop-off, pick-up zone’.
This proposal will increase the existing 40 car parking spaces from 40 to 73 and ensure that more spaces are available for parents dropping off and picking up their children
The school’s parking proposal is shown in the diagram below:
Orange – All day angle parking
Green – 15 min angle parking
Pink – 5 min ‘drop-off, pick-up zone – parallel parking
Red – Site for the new Boorowa Public Preschool
The forum members were supportive of the proposal and the matter will now be raised at either the April or May council meeting. Hopefully the councillors will support the proposal so that the change can occur.
Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP)
The Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP) is being implemented at Boorowa Central School on Friday 27 March by members of Boorowa Lions Club. This program involves a vision screening and 4 separate tests that can detect issues such as:
- Near and far sightedness
- Blurred vision
- Eye misalignment
- Unequal pupil size
- Depth perception
- Colour vision
If an issue is detected, parents of the child are notified and encouraged to seek a follow-up appointment with an optometrist. As this is the 3rd year of LEHP, only new students in primary school will be tested. This includes new enrolments since our last tests and our kindergarten class.
With 80% of learning being processed by the eyes, this Lions initiative can make a significant difference to the learning journey of our young students.
Thank you to the Lions Club of Boorowa for bringing LEHP to our school.
Boorowa Show
The Boorowa shows was held on Saturday 7 March. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing our Show Team in action with their 5 steers under the calm tutelage of Mr McDonald.
The school came away with Champion steer on the day, a great achievement.
I also enjoyed the school’s exhibition and all of the entries to the other categories including photography, wool and assorted cakes and preserves. Congratulations to all of the Boorowa Central School students who participated in this years Boorowa Show. Congratulations also to the Show society who have yet again, put on a memorable Boorowa Show.
Preschool Update
The schedule for the building of the Boorowa Public Preschool in on track. Earthworks have been finalised and footings installed ready for the preschool building to be constructed for the proposed Term 3 2026 opening.
The Preschool staff of Miss Friend, Mrs Batt and Mrs Apps have been working with the Early Years Learning team to develop the many procedures required to ensure our preschool is compliant with policy and regulations. They have also been liaising with an artist for the preschool mural design and other images that will be used within the Boorowa Public Preschool.
Our next significant event will be the 100 Public Preschool’s Roadshow event in Batemans Bay on 24 March. Here we will enjoy a tour of Bateman’s Bay Public Preschool and have the opportunity to meet the staff we have been working with remotely.
Swimming Carnival
Boorowa Central School’s annual swimming carnival was held on Monday 23 February. There were some great swimming efforts from a range of students who moved on to represent the school at the Zone District PSSA carnival in Grenfell. Secondary students will represent the school at the Western CHS Regional carnival in Dubbo on 27 March.
Congratulations to Green house who won this year, ending several years of Blue house domination of the swimming carnival.
Vaping
Vaping among teenage children continues to be a problem both in Boorowa and beyond. Smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes (vapes) is prohibited on school premises including school buildings, gardens, agriculture plots and farms, sports fields and car parks. This applies to students, employees, contractors, visitors, volunteers and other people who use school premises including community groups. If it is reported to me that students are suspected of vaping, I will interview these students in the presence of police. If I and the police have reason to believe that a student is in possession of a prohibited item (nicotine vape/e-cigarette), parents will be notified and a bag and person search may be conducted. If a student is found in possession of a vape, or is witnessed vaping by a staff member, the student will be placed on a suspension.
According to the NSW Department of Education Behaviour Code for Students, students must ‘be safe and not be violent or bring weapons, illegal drugs, alcohol, vapes, e-cigarettes or tobacco into our schools’. The full Behaviour code for students can accessed here:
If you would like to know more about the dangers of vaping, please view the linked fact sheets.
vaping-nicotine-addiction-young-people-factsheet.pdf
CCNSW040 Vape Types FACT SHEET_For Parents.indd
If you are concerned that your child vapes, or may vape, please contact Boorowa Central School’s Student Support Officer Taryn Riles for support and access to resources.
Together, we can make our school a ‘Vape Free Zone’.