Term 4, Week 10 6 December, 2019

Blakehurst Public School, Dewrang Street, Carss Park, NSW 2221 Tel: 9546 1555 Fax: 9547 1796 E-mail: blakehurst-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: blakehurst-p.schools.nsw.edu.au A Message from our Principal, Mr Cameron Smyth-Gapps We are almost there! The last week of school has commenced and Christmas is just around the corner. I can’t believe how fast the year has gone! Before we look ahead to 2020, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the wonderful activities and achievements that made Term 4 such a busy and rewarding term.

The Bush Telegraph

Blakehurst Public School Newsletter

A caring community school - safe, respectful, resilient, engaged.

Thank You! On behalf of all the staff, I wish to thank our P&C President, Mrs Samantha Redmond, the P&C executive and all parent volunteers for your outstanding contributions to the school this year. I feel very blessed to be working in a school where the parents are so heavily engaged in the programs that we offer. So many of our events this year would not have been possible without the assistance of our volunteers. Air Conditioning I am pleased to advise that air conditioning will be installed in our school hall during the holiday break. I would like to thank Scott Morrison’s office, who has donated a grant worth $20,000 towards the project. Share Our Space - NOT OPERATING OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK I regret to inform you that the ‘Share Our Space’ program will not be running at Blakehurst PS during the Christmas holidays. This was a decision by the Department of Education and applies to all schools that are identified as being in a ‘bushfire zone’. We hope to have the school available again for community use next year once the bushfire threat has eased. Presentation Day Congratulations to all of the students who received awards at last week’s Presentation Day Assembly. You should all be very proud of your achievements this year. I would like to acknowledge Mrs Kearns for the wonderful slideshow that she produced and Mrs Sleiman, who organised the certificates and trophies and did so much wonderful work behind the scenes to ensure that the day ran smoothly. Thank you also to the many parents who attended on the day. It was great to see our students being celebrated in front of such a large audience. School Leaders for 2020 Congratulations to all of the students who were elected into leadership roles by their peers for 2020. Regardless of whether a student is voted in as a Captain, Prefect, Library Monitor or House Captain, all leaders play a vital role in the daily operations of the school. Our SRC Representatives will be nominated at the beginning of next year. I would especially like to congratulate Kai Acedo Del Carpio and Lucy Bishop for being voted in as Captains and Lucas Breski and Emma Young who were voted in as Prefects for 2020. I look forward to working with our new leadership team next year. I would also like to recognise the wonderful work of our 2019 Captains and Prefects. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you this year and look forward to hearing of your continued leadership journey in high school. Year 6 Farewell I had the honour of attending the Year 6 Farewell at The Kyle Bay last Thursday night. Finishing primary school is a significant milestone and I would like to congratulate our Year 6 students on a wonderful year and wish them all the best as they move on to high school. There were many teachers in attendance on the night, including a large number of teachers who are no longer working at the school. This gives you some idea as to the positive impact that our Year 6 students have had on our teaching staff over the years. A big thank you goes to Miss Blewitt, Mrs Talwar, Miss Iacullo and Mrs Kearns for their organisation of the evening. I also wish to thank Mrs Antonopoulos and the parent committee who worked so hard to make the night so special for the students. Videos and Presentations We have had a number of requests from parents for copies of the Presentation Day slideshow and the video from the Prime Minister, the Honorable Mr Scott Morrison. We will upload these onto the school’s website and Facebook page prior to the holidays. Staff News At this time of the year, we acknowledge the contributions of staff who are moving on from the school. I would like to thank Mr Taj and Miss Nunez for their outstanding contributions to the school and wish them the very best as they move onto new opportunities next year. I would also like to thank Mrs Ronan, Ms Clarke, Mrs Wynn, Mrs Katsaros and Mrs Steel who have all retired this year. I thank them for their many years of dedication to the profession and wish them the very best as they move into a new chapter in their lives. Holiday Message Thank you again to everyone for your support of our school in 2019. On behalf of the staff here at Blakehurst PS, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe and relaxing holiday break. School resumes for students in Years 1-6 on Wednesday 29th January, 2020. Kindergarten and our support class students commence on Monday 3rd February, following the Best Start Assessment period.

School Calendar – 2019/2020 Upcoming events at Blakehurst Public School Please put these dates in your diary. Dates and events are subject to change. Check the school website for recent updates and changes.

Term 4 - 2019

Term 1 - 2020

Blakehurst Bluey says…

At Blakehurst Public School we are Safe, Respectful, Engaged and Resilient learners. PBL Assembly Awards The following students received awards in assembly… Bronze Award Silver Award Gold Award Desmond E 1/2P Mya H 3/4H Bill F 3/4G Crystal X 3/4G Lucas G 3/4H Karim J 1/2P Enerel I 3/4H Dimitri Y 3/4G Emna A 3/4H Mia P 3/4H Declan W 1/2P Kitty M 3/4H Zac S 3/4H Hugh B 3/4H Selina Z 3/4H Vicky Y 1/2S Ava P 3/4H Dakota Z 5/6I Mila S 3/4H Diamond Award Banner Award Dylan K 1/2P Nigama R 1/2P NFP 5/6B Nathaniel M 1/2S Brooklyn Z 1/2P Levi S 1/2S Isla D 1/2S Jack P 5/6I Elias P 5/6B Congratulations to the students, keep up the good work!!

Term 4 Week 10 2019

Tuesday 17 December Years K - 6 Picnic Day Canteen Closed

Wednesday 18 December Canteen Open Last day Term 4, 2019

Term 1 Week 1 2020 Peer Support 12.05pm – 12.45pm

Tuesday 28 January Staff Development Day

Wednesday 29 January Students return Years 1 - 6 Best Start Assessments - Kindergarten

Thursday 30 January Best Start Assessments - Kindergarten

Friday 31 January Best Start Assessments - Kindergarten

Term 1 Week 2 2020

Monday 3 February Kindergarten Start School

Friday 7 February New Kindergarten Families Welcome Dinner

Term 1 Week 5 2020

Monday 24 February Swimming Carnival - Sans Souci Pool

Thursday 27 February P&C AGM Meeting 7.00pm

Term 1 Week 6 2020

Friday 6 March Zone Swimming Carnival - Bexley Pool

P & C News Our next meeting will be the AGM 7.00pm Thursday 27th February 2020. All welcome to attend. Friday 6th February 2020 will be the New Kindergarten Families welcome dinner. P&C Community Survey Thank you so much to all those who have already responded to the P&C Survey sent out on the Skoolbag app last week, the survey takes approximately 3 minutes to complete and can be completed anonymously. We would love to hear more from the whole school community about things you have enjoyed about this year, issues that are important to you and areas that we can work on in the future. https://forms.gle/ZccXNShZwwEgcZe59 There is also a link on skoolbag and pinned at the top of the BPS Parents Facebook page, or if you would like us to email you the link please email us at blakehurstpandc@gmail.com Thank you all in advance. Family Christmas Night ‘Tis the season of goodwill and it has certainly been here at BPS. The support from our BPS families, along with the generosity shown to us from our local businesses was incredible. We conducted our Christmas Raffle with over 75 prizes ranging in value from $5 - $320! There were so many smiles and happy families choosing their prizes, but two outstanding acts of goodwill were witnessed at the prizes table. Our new school captain for 2020 - Kai selected a prize a 10-class pass donated by AAPES for Parkour lessons, not for himself to use, but as a gift for his friend that he knew really wants to attend classes there. Another lucky winner, Ciaran chose the Fitbit that had been donated by Janet Grbevski, from Homelawyers, then upon hearing a friend had been eyeing up the same prize and had been disappointed that she had missed out, he gallantly offered to swap his prize for the chocolate hamper she had selected instead. Heart-warming stuff to see such caring and consideration amongst our student community. Also, heart-warming was the response to our requests for donations from our local community businesses. We are so very lucky to have so many generous supporters, and we would like to ask you, in turn to remember to support them. Prize Winners - Congratulations to all the lucky winners, most winners were present on the night and collected their prizes instantly. Symbio donated a family pass for the wildlife park. A beautiful day out! Skyzone donated vouchers for jumping or climbing sessions. Shopfront Community Arts Theatre donated a free workshop for a lucky thespian! Kismet Café, at Carss Park shops donated a $30 voucher to use in the lovely café, great coffee friendly service. Jumbo Note Music School donated 2 vouchers each giving a very lucky winner 6 x one on one music lessons. Flower Power at Taren Point gave a $30 voucher to use at their beautiful garden centre. Flip Out at Caringbah gave some lucky bouncers a free pass to use at their trampoline centre. Abyss Diving on Rocky Point Rd - Handed a $100 voucher to a lucky winner to use on SCUBA DIVING training! The beautiful Christmas Shop, Rocky Point Rd, gifted us 2 vouchers to use in their fantastic store. Belles Decorations by Design, one of our lovely BPS families gave a $150 voucher for their incredibly beautiful balloon decorations. Blakehurst Academy of Arts gifted 2 very lucky students, a free term of dance lessons each, for a class of their choice! Kogarah Community Services, generously donated a Coles/Myer voucher for $50. AAPES Parkour- gave away a 10 class pass to an incredibly lucky winner. Fishbox & Co at Carss Park shops gave a $30 voucher to a lucky family for a delicious fishy feast! Carss Park Butchers provided a $50 voucher for some of their finest meats. BayBlu Seafood Restaurant donated a $100 voucher for a fine dining experience at their beautiful Blakehurst restaurant. The Fashion Baby &Co down at Carss Park shops handed a $30 voucher to a lucky winner. Amazing fashions and gifts in their beautiful shop. Hair Management Co. Gymea owned one of our BPS families donated a $50 voucher and a hamper full of hair care products.

Jaaks Restaurant at Kyle bay provided a $50 voucher to dine in on some delicious dinner! French Cargo on Rocky Point Road donated a $30 voucher for use in their exquisite homewares store. Banana Leaf Thai Restaurant, South Hurstville, run by a beautiful BPS family gave away 2 x $50 vouchers for lucky families. Carss Park Chemist donated a huge hamper filled with Darrell Lea treats. Seafood Works in Sans Souci donated a $20 voucher and a delicious bottle of balsamic dressing. La Vera Pizza at Carss Park Shops gave a $30 voucher for some delicious pizza or pasta. Carss Park Café gave a $50 voucher to dine in at the park. Studio One Thirty artist Sarah Kalidis gave away a fine art print of a stunning Protea. Rema Hageali sells amazing environmentally friendly cleaning products from Norwex, she gave away two cloths for easy chemical free cleaning. Our local Bottle-O at Carss Park gave 2 huge bottles of Shiraz to lucky over 18 winners! The IGA at South Hurstville so very generously provided 4 enormous hampers and 4 huge Christmas hams! Along with all the incredibly generous and supportive local businesses we have listed above, we also like to say a big thank you to all the families that donated prizes, there were some who went above and beyond. We also say a big thank you to those who bought tickets to participate in the raffle. The P&C would like to take the opportunity to say an enormous thank you to all the members of our school community who have supported all the fundraisers and events we have coordinated this year. Thank you everyone have a wonderful Christmas and summer break. Expressions of Interest - Wanted Centrelink Approved Volunteers for the canteen. We are proud to be able to offer our school community a canteen that is open 5 days a week. Monday to Friday from 9.00am - 2.30pm. However to continue this service we are in need of more volunteers. As a P&C we have been looking into the possibility of utilising Centrelink approved volunteers to fill the volunteer shortage we have been facing this year. We are excited to announce that we have been approved! We would now like to open expressions of interest from anyone who may be interested in regular shifts in our canteen. This is a volunteer position for Centrelink approved people. Shifts would be from 9.00am - 2.30pm. Full training will be provided. Are you interested? Or do you know someone who fits the bill? If you would like to apply or you know someone who might be interested please contact the P&C at blakehurstpandc@gmail.com and a full job description and details can be provided. All enquires will be treated with the strictest of confidence. However, if you would prefer to discuss this opportunity with a member of school staff, Mr Smyth-Gapps has advised his door is always open. We look forward to hearing from you. See you next year. Your P&C Blakehurstpandc@gmail.com Pick-up Zone Guidelines Blakehurst Public School uses a “No Parking” area on Dewrang Street to provide parents and carers with a safe environment to drop off and pick up their children from school by car. The designated area in front of the school is a “No Parking” zone between 8.00am - 9:30am and 2:30pm - 4.00pm. No Parking means you must not stop for more than two minutes and you must remain in or within 3 metres of your vehicle. Vehicles cannot be left unattended in the designated zones during the above times, nor can you wait for more than two minutes in your car during this time for the pick-up line to begin. The pick-up line operates in the afternoon from 3:25pm to 3:40pm Monday to Friday. If you arrive earlier than 3:25pm, please park safely nearby (not over driveways) or proceed around the block until 3:25pm when the pick-up zone begins.

Canteen Roster Term 4 Week 10 Monday 16 December Angela, HELP NEEDED! Tuesday 17 December CLOSED Wednesday 18 Dec Angela, Mary

Please note that for our last week of Term 4 2019 there will be some significant changes to our canteen menu.

Monday 16th December - we will only be offering our delicious super hero Pizza’s as a hot lunch item. Please place orders on Flexischools. Note: There will be over the counter sales available for snacks, drinks and frozen items.

Tuesday 17th December - we will be closed as the whole school are attending the Picnic Day.

Wednesday 18th December - we will only be offering our delicious super hero Pizza’s as a hot lunch item. Please place orders on Flexischools. Note: There will be over the counter sales available for snacks, drinks and frozen items. We appreciate your understanding and your incredible support throughout this year.

Canteen Coordinator: Taj Shipway

School Lunch Orders via www.flexischools.com.au : blakehurstpscanteen@gmail.com

Kindergarten 2020

We look forward to seeing our new Kindergarten 2020 students next year at the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment on ……

• Wednesday 29 January 2020 • Thursday 30 January 2020 • Friday 31 January 2020

The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment for your child needs to be done before they commence school as it helps the teacher gather information to guide the teaching of your child. Kindergarten 2020 students commence school on Monday 3 February 2020.

If you or a neighbour has not yet enrolled a child turning 5 before 31 July 2020, please do so as soon as possible. Please complete an enrolment form for your child and hand the form into the school office as soon as possible.

School Security Please help keep our school safe. If you see anything unusual happening in the school grounds during the holidays at any time please call School Security on 1300 880 021.

Open Every Friday 9.00am – 9:45am

UNIFORM SHOP ROSTER TERM 1

Week Date Volunteer

1 29 January Chris

1 30 January Chris

1 31 January Deb

2 7 February Cecilla

3 14 February Cecilla

4 21 February Deb

5 28 February Belinda

6 6 March Yolanda

7 13 March Belinda

8 20 March Lydija

9 27 March Yolanda

10 3 April Lydija / Chris (Stocktake) The uniform shop is reopening in 2020 on Wednesday 29th January, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st January from 9.00am. Orders are being accepted through Flexischool over the Christmas/holiday period. This is to make things easier for you, please place your order online, it will be processed first day back at school and then forwarded to your child’s class. This will save you having to line up at the uniform shop. The sublimation sports shirts are fully stocked in all sizes so you can be ready for the uniform change over next year. If you haven’t had the opportunity to pick one up for your child yet, you can place your orders on Flexischools or pop in and see us on Friday. We now have a terminal for making EFTPOS and Credit Card Payments in our Uniform shop. There is a small surcharge, which is the fee we pay for the convenience of the service 1.6%. We are desperately short of pre-loved (second hand) uniform items, (probably a sign of the great quality of our uniforms that just keep on wearing). If you have any outgrown items (in good condition) we would welcome them back to the shop to offer to other families. Please drop any uniform items off at the school office, or direct to the shop on Fridays. If you would like to volunteer in our uniform shop, full training is provided, please drop an email to

: blakehurstuniformshop@gmail.com

Orders can be made via www.flexischools.com.au

We are arranging a Toys and Craft Day during the term break on 16 January 2020 (10am to 12noon). We are proudly partnered with South East Sydney Local Health to provide free speech pathology screening for the children on the day. This may benefit families who have children in the early years.

The event is on our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/500334910567608/