Principal's Address
New school year and new staff
2026 began positively last week with all students returning simultaneously. Our newest and youngest members of the school quickly found their groove and are already loving the beginning of their educational journey.
We have new staff and staff in new roles at Boorowa Central School this year, all are familiar faces to our school.
Our first new member of staff is Mrs Skye Miles. Mrs Miles returns to our school as the Secondary Special Education Teacher after previously working here as a School Learning Support Officer and spending 5 years living and teaching in the Northern Territory.
Skye is excited to be teaching at Boorowa Central School because she strongly believes that a quality education can be life changing. She is motivated to be one of the educators in this community who helps students realise their potential in a fun, kind, and engaging learning environment.
Also joining our school in the Creative Art position is Mrs Susan Corcoran. Susan Corcoran holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts from the University of Wollongong, majoring in Indigenous Studies and Sculpture, and has completed postgraduate qualifications in Secondary Education (Visual Arts) and Religious Education. She is excited to join Boorowa Central School, contributing to its supportive community and fostering students’ creativity and engagement with diverse perspectives.
Welcome to Mrs Miles and Mrs Corcoran. Changing roles within the school are Mrs Emily Friend, Mrs Meg Batt and Mrs Clair Apps. These are the new Boorowa Public Preschool educators.
Mrs Friend was one of the schools’ infants teachers before going on maternity leave. She chose to transition to the preschool because of her experience in early childhood and the chance to develop and establish a preschool from the ground up. Mrs Friend holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education, qualified to teach from birth to Year 6. Emily is committed to fostering creativity, independence, and community-mindedness in young children through play, believing this stage is crucial for lifelong development.
Mrs Batt was teaching in our primary classes in 2025 as a Release from Face to Face teacher. She applied for the 2nd teaching role alongside Mrs Friend because of her eagerness to support children’s growth and learning in their formative years. She holds a Bachelor of Primary Education and a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education. Having grown up in the area, she is delighted to have returned to Boorowa with her family and to be part of a supportive community.
Mrs Apps was the school’s Food Technology and Science assistant as well as working with several students as a School Learning and Support Officer. A lifelong Boorowa resident, Clair brings five years of experience in education support, having completed a Certificate IV through TAFE and currently pursuing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. Passionate about early childhood learning, Clair looks forward to nurturing preschool students through play-based, hands-on experiences that foster curiosity, confidence, and friendships, preparing them for their journey into school.
Student Leadership Team
Congratulations to our 2026 student leadership team. Our secondary captains Belle Riles and Mylee Taylor plus the vice captains Lilah Manges and Finlay Shore have been in their positions for a little over a term now and have been leading by example at every opportunity.
Our newly elected Primary leadership team have begun their formal duties by hosting their first assembly. They did a great job with many students, and parents, watching on.
The Boorowa Central School primary student leadership team includes Digby Merriman and Patrick Smith as captains and Alice Apps and Billy Reid as Vice Captains. This is a team that can proudly represent our school.
Kindergarten
The Kindergarten classroom at Boorowa Central school is a hive of learning and fun. The new students to our school have settled in well and are excited about their educational journal ahead. Each Kindergarten student has a ‘buddy’ or two in year 6 who has been helping with learning activities in the classroom, playing in the playground and generally being a great role model to our newest students. It is beautiful to see the bonds being formed between our youngest and oldest primary students.
The Resilience Project (TRP)
Boorowa Central School is now proudly a TRP school! Students in K-6 will be learning about, and practising, the GEM framework. GEM stands for Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness and research shows that through regular practice of these, the mental health and wellbeing of students can improve by up to 40%. This is a fantastic outcome when considering that 1 in 4 primary aged students have a mental health disorder and 1 in 3 secondary students. Staff are also adopting TRP to ensure they can lead by example, championing Gem practices and improving their own wellbeing.
More about TRP to come soon. Get excited!
Parking
I have contacted the Hilltops council again to have the parking on Pudman Street redesigned. With limited parking available to parents at drop off and pick up, I am concerned that with the addition of preschool families, this situation will become unmanageable. Already I see parents choosing to double park due to the congestion.
My proposal to council included changing the parking west of the school main entrance to 15 min parking only. I also requested that the parallel parking be changed to nose in angle parking. This should at least double the available parking spaces and ensure there is more available spaces in key drop off and pick up times.
My request will be considered at the local traffic forum in March before a recommendation will be put forward to the Hilltops Council.
General reminders
Boorowa Central School is a Nut Aware school. Please do not pack nuts, nut products or peanut butter sandwiches in your child’s lunchbox. By doing so, we can support our Nut Aware status and prevent any student or staff accidental anaphylaxis episodes.
Many students choose to ride a scooter or bike to school which is great to see. The exercise and fresh air helps the brain focus when it comes time to learn. What I am noticing is that some students are not wearing their helmets when on a bike or scooter. Please support your child to wear their helmet so that they can protect their brain in the event of an accident.
No hat no play continues in Term 1.
K-6 students are required to wear their Boorowa Central School bucket hat when in the playground. This is to protect their face from damaging ultraviolet rays during the hottest months of the year. Please label your child’s hat so it does not go home with another student accidently.
Hats can be purchased from the school’s canteen or from Chapman’s embroidery in Young.
Strong attendance remains one of the leading influences on a good education. If a child attends everyday, they increase their understanding of what they are learning in class and reduce the chance of having learning gaps. As you can see from the graphic below, attendance does really matter!
I wish all of our families and students a happy and positive 2026 filled with high quality learning.
