Dear Parents

Today our school Netball Team competed in Round 3 of the NSW PSSA Knockout Competition. We played a very good Raglan PS team. Raglan won the game 19-16. Congratulations to Raglan PS. Our team have improved each match and definitely gave it everything today. Well done, Bathurst PS and Miss Reedy.

Congratulations to Lara Glasgow who was selected in the Western PSSA Netball Team last week. What a magnificent effort. Lara will travel to Port Macquarie to participate in the NSW PSSA Netball Championships in July. Congratulations, Lara.

National Sorry Day or the National Day of Healing is an event held annually in Australia on

 26th May, commemorating the Stolen Generations. It is part of the ongoing efforts towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. We had Vanessa Kendall and Sharnie Hurford come and speak to our staff on Tuesday at our staff meeting. We thank Vanessa and Sharnie for sharing some of their stories and knowledge.

Reconciliation Week is held from the Saturday 27th May to Saturday the 3rd June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision, respectively. Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We will be holding activities on Thursday 1st June where many of our Aboriginal families will be coming in to share stories with us. 

Over the next few weeks, you may see the Every Day Matters campaign on the television, social media and on our website and newsletter highlighting that good school attendance is key for your child to being able to fulfil their potential and make good progress at school. We know that the classroom is the best place for your child to learn and we are here to support your child to feel ready and motivated for school every day. Please let us know if your child needs to miss school so we can make sure your child’s learning and well being are supported when they return to school.

A reminder that our Athletics Carnival will occur over 2 days later this term. Day 1 will be held on Wednesday 7th June at MacKillop College. This day will focus on Track (running) events. Some field events may occur as trials only. Day 2 will be held to hold the finals of the field events at Bathurst Public School on Friday 16th June/Friday 23rd June (weather pending). We look forward to seeing everyone at the carnivals, and further information will be sent home soon.

School Concert 2023 - Our School Concert will take place at the Bathurst Memorial

 Entertainment Centre (BMEC) on Wednesday 9th August, 2023. There will be a matinee and evening performance. All children K-6 will be involved in this years concert. The theme for the Concert is 'Disney 100 years'! We are so excited about the plans we have. Tickets will go on sale through the BMEC box office of online through the BMEC on Wednesday 19th July. Please mark these dates in your calendar.

Thank you to the families who continue to inform us that they have children and/or family members that have tested positive to COVID and/or have flu-like symptoms. This information assists us to support our staff and children to stay well. Our school has had a circuit breaker introduced by the Department's Health and Safety Directorate in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID and the flu-like symptoms that have occurred across the school in the past week. All staff will now wear masks whilst indoors for the next 5 school days. This provision has been extended until 3pm on Wednesday 31st May. Rapid Antigen Test Kits continue to be available from the office for any staff or family who require them. Please contact the office for test kits and they will be sent home with children. 

The DoE has set out some ways which includes a combination of layered safety measures such as:

• Staying home if unwell and test for COVID-19 if showing any symptoms
• Boosted day cleaning of high-touch areas in our schools
• Strongly encouraging masks to be worn by all students, staff and visitors, particularly when indoors or outdoors when physical distancing is difficult to maintain, and if exposed to COVID-19
• Maintaining natural ventilation with windows and doors open whenever possible, including when cooling/heating systems are in use
• Continuing to provide RATs and other hygiene products 

If any parent has any concerns regarding any aspect of school life, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kate White

Principal