A message from our Principal

Dear Parents

The 2019 school year has come to an end. What an amazingly successful year we have had! Our planning for 2020 is well underway.

On Tuesday night we held our Year 6 Farewell, and what a fabulous event it was for the children and staff. The children were so beautifully presented – it is hard to believe these children are finishing Primary School and are ready to move onto High School – where have the years gone! Congratulations to our Year 6 children for the way in which they presented themselves and represented our school in the wider community last night. You truly are a very special group of children. A big thank you to all of our Year 6 parents for their wonderful support of our school and taking the time to make last night such a special event for our children. Thankyou to Kirsten Myers for the coordination of the decorations and to the many parent helpers for their assistance decorating the McMullen Hall and Panther. Thankyou to Ben Morris for his photography and organising the graduating gowns and to Ben Rozga and Emily Horton for their photography and videoing of the event. It was definitely a night to remember!

Our 2019 School Magazine has arrived from the printers and it looks sensational. If you have not already purchased your copy of this wonderful keepsake, please contact the office to do so.

Our Term 4 Green Award Morning Tea will be held on Friday 13th December at recess for the class winners of the green awards. Congratulations to the children on their work this term. A special thankyou to the Staff Team for their ongoing work and promotion of positive rewards for our children. The Green Award winners for Term 4 are; K/1B Oliver Baldwin, Dylan Horder KC Kruz Burrell, Ethan Turnbull, Alison McPherson KM Jack Hair, Marin Tredinnick, Archer Kolkman KP Amity Butchers, Jack Simpson KW Mason Daniels, Zoey Hotham 1/2M Harper O'Leary, Grace Woodrow, Nusayba Yashfa 1H Holly Gillespie, Kyden Hillier, Ava Williamson 1M Isabella Parkes, Zahyne Simpson, Thor Sutton 1W Ella Owen, Orion Press-Williams, Xander Swift 2/4J Silas Fielding-Furniss 2S Ryley Clinghan, Sovereign O'Dwyer, Madalyn Robb 2T Amira Buttsworth, Kingshuk Debnath 3/6H Harley Tatnell, Kimmy Beecham 3/4B Gwendolyn Cutler, Brooklyn Johnson-Hutchison 3/4G Abby Steel-Phillips, Nolan Stafford 3/4I Blake Fulthorpe, Olivia Jackson 3/4M Demi Forrest, Larnia Mahoney 4/5C Oliver Croaker, Max Lamb, Elizabeth Lang 5/6N Hayley Bonham, Henry Parsons 5/6B Isabelle Lister, Zara Phillips 5/6D Evie Goninan, Saraya Hansen 5/6G Lucy Lynch, Sophie Lindsay 5/6M Yazmin Owens, Dominic Poisel 5/6W Emmersen Phillips, Alissah Grimm and Emily Brown

Next Tuesday 17th December, our K-2 children will be involved in the K-2 Christmas Spectacular commencing at 11.40am in the McMullen Hall. I have heard on good authority that we are getting a very special visit from Santa during the Spectacular. All parents are very welcome to come along and join us singing Christmas Carols and listening to Christmas stories. All children K-6 are able to wear free dress on this day. K-2 children are encouraged to wear Christmas clothes/colours.

Don’t forget the following important events still to occur before the end of the 2019 school year;

Friday 13th December - Green Award Morning Tea
Friday 13th December – K-6 Semester 2 Reports home
Tuesday 17th December – K-2 Christmas Spectacular in the McMullen Hall commencing at 11.40am
Tuesday 17th December - Free dress day for all children K-6
Wednesday 18th December – Year 6 Tunnel at 2.15pm
Wednesday 18th December – Last Day for 2019 for children and staff
Friday 20th December – School Office closes at 3.30pm for 2019

Attached to this Newsletter is a guide for parents as to what children will require in terms of equipment to start the 2020 school year successfully. This list does not contain books as parents will be requested to purchase ‘Book Packs’ for their child which will be available from the front office at school as of day 1 2020 at a cost of $30.00. These book packs will contain all books and materials that children will need to work in for the 2020 school year. Please contact the school if there are any queries.

In the notes page of this Newsletter is important information about School Photos to be taken in 2020. Advanced Life Photography has sent us the link so parents can look at package types and costs and have a longer time to pay online over the vacation period for school photos in 2020. Please contact the school if you have any queries.

Some important dates for the commencement of 2020 are:

Tuesday 28th January 2020 – School resumes for all staff. School office opens at 8.00am
Wednesday 29th January 2020 – Children in Years 1-6 return
Monday 3rd February 2020 – Kindergarten children begin
Wednesday 5th February 2020 – Captains Induction Ceremony at 11.45am in the McMullen Hall
Friday 7th February 2020 – School Swimming Carnival at the Bathurst Aquatic Centre
Friday 21st February 2020 - District Swimming Carnival at the Bathurst Aquatic Centre
Tuesday 25th February 2020 - School Photos
Thursday 9th April 2020 - Easter Hat Parade
Thursday 9th April 2020 - Last Day Term 1 2020

As this will be the last newsletter for 2019, I would like to thank all parents, friends and children for the wonderful and successful year we have had. It has been an absolute pleasure being the Principal of Bathurst Public School this year. It has been a very busy year and much has been achieved (which I started to list but the list went for pages and pages). Thank you for your ongoing support of our wonderful school and of Public Education.

We say farewell to a number of staff at the end of this year. Helen Healey and Marilyn Johnson will officially retire at the end of this year (but I am secretly hoping they will continue casual teaching with us). I thank them for the many many years of teaching, dedication, friendship and support and to ongoing commitment to Bathurst Public School and Public Education. Mrs Deb Wilkin will retire and leave an enormous whole in our office. We thank Deb most sincerely for her work, the care she shows to our children and families and the work she does with staff each day. Once again, I'm hoping Deb will do some casual work for us from time to time. Selina Harlum has received a transfer to Anson Street School in Orange and will be on a Teacher exchange in Canada next year. We wish Selina well. Chloe Murphy will be on maternity leave next year and we know we will see her again in 2021. We look forward to meeting her new addition soon. Tess Barnes will move to Eglinton Public School in 2020 to relieve as an Assistant Principal and we wish her well in her new endeavours.

To the staff, I thank you for making our workplace such a positive environment and a joy to work within. I am amazed at the work and commitment you all show every single day. Your organisation and care of each and every child is always paramount. Your support of one another not only as colleagues but as friends makes our workplace special. Thank you all for your ongoing dedication