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The last newsletter for 2021 brings the joy of the Christmas season and the sadness of farewelling family and friends.
To all of our Year 6 students and their families I hope you have fond memories of Blackwell that you will take with you to new journeys and experiences. It has been a pleasure to be a part of your amazing learning journey. We have witnessed many of you start here as young students, filled with the excitement of "Big School". We have watched you grow and mature, accepting new challenges with determination and striving to give your very best in all situations. You have been fine Blackwell citizens and I am sure you will continue to demonstrate our virtues and set goals worthy of your talents. Enjoy all that the coming years have to offer. Please remember us and if you get the chance let us know how things go.
To our families who are leaving us, May Blackwell hold happy memories and may you continue to share your stories. We thank you for always being there, supporting and encouraging each Blackwell student and staff member. You have survived Covid for 2 years, things can only improve. Take with you our love and best wishes.
To the staff who have accepted new positions at new locations, Mrs Witchard, Miss Washburn and Mrs Lockley we know we will miss you! We take this opportunity to say how much you have contributed to our school. Students and families will be saddened by your departure. We hope your new schools realise how very lucky they are to have you as staff. We hope you keep in contact!
To Mrs Wilson, who has decided to take extended long service leave, we wish that the new year brings you the chance to take on new adventures and explore a world outside of school!
To Miss Harvey and Miss Washburn, we hope your coming marriages bring you both joy and happiness. We look forward to the photos!
To our students and staff you have all worked with dedication and enthusiasm, often under very trying circumstances. Learning from home taught me that no matter what obstacles we faced there was a team spirit that together we could accomplish anything. I am in awe of your persistence and the skills you demonstrated when faced with challenges. I have said many times and I will state it again that being Principal of Blackwell Public School is the proudest role I hold.
And so another year comes to a close. To all of our families may you survive the last few days of term. Covid has certainly left it's mark once again.
I wish you all a joyous Christmas and a holiday that allows us to share time with families and friends.
Thank you for your continued support, your paitence and your willingness to be involved wherever and whenever the opportunities arise.
May 2022 find us back together, renewed and refreshed.
God bless.
Kris Hudswell
PRINCIPAL
NEWS FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
What a year we have had! … And we all made it!
I want to thank you for the support you have given over this past year, in lockdown, in restrictions and while on site. Blackwell is a community and parents and families are always at the foremost of our planning and teaching. As the year comes to an end, we have privilege days this week and a general winding down for the year next week. Reports are coming home this Friday.
Presentation Day is on Monday, 13th December. Presentations will be made in a formal assembly starting with Kinder at 9.30am. Unfortunately, we are unable to invite parents this year, however we will be celebrating the hard work of all our students at this time. Letters should have gone home if your child is receiving an award.
Leaders for 2022 will be elected in the first weeks back at school in 2022. They will be announced and an Induction assembly will go ahead as it happens each year.
Year 6 Graduation assembly is on Tuesday. Details of this have gone home via Stage 3. The Farewell for our Year 6 will be held on the same day with students expected to arrive from 5pm for a 5.30 start. It has been a tough year again, for these students. Their maturity and responsibility in stepping up when needed has been fantastic. Thank you!
Thursday, 16th December is the final day of school for 2021. Staff will attend a Professional Development Day on the Friday.
Next week will be my last week at Blackwell for some time. I have decided to dip my toes into the waters of retirement, taking 12 months leave to see if this is what I need to do. I will be moving away for a while, down to the South Coast, have some R and R, and take time to enjoy my family for a little while. I wish you all well, hoping it will be a very merry Christmas catching up with family and friends.
I will see you all again, in 2023. Until then, make the most of each day and enjoy time with family.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
JUDITH WILSON
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
MEDICATION
All medication currently held by the school will be returned to students on the last day of school being 16th December 2021.
If your child will not be in attendance on the last day of school please ensure your child collects their medicationfrom the front office on their last day.
Parents are able to make online payments to the school for amounts owing for students, via a secure payment page hosted by Westpac. Payments can be made using either a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card, and can be made via computer. The payment page is accessed from the front page of the schools website by selecting $ Make a payment Button below.
Items that can be paid include the school pack, excursions, creative and practical arts activities (these include choir, drama and dance). There is also a category called ‘Other’ to cover items not covered in the previous headings. Other can be used to make a complete payment of a school invoice.
When you access the $ Make a payment you must enter:
- the students name and class, date of birth
- contact details-full name, phone number and email address
- payment item-other, then description
These details are entered each time you make a payment as student information is not held within the payment system.
This is a secure payment system hosted by Westpac to ensure that your credit/debit card details are captured in a secure manner, these details are not passed back to the school.
You have the ability to check and change any details of the payment before the payment is processed
Details of the payments are passed daily to the school where they will be receipted against your child’s account. For any enquiries regarding the Online Payment process please contact the School Administration Office.
**PLEASE NOTE** Please do not pay any online payments which should be paid to a third party provider. For Example, School Photographers; P&C Fund-Raising etc. If unsure please call the school to check. CASH Only when paying at the Front Office.
Upcoming Events
Thursday 9th December
Year 6 Big Day Out
Stage 2 Privilege Day
Friday 10th December
Early Stage 1 & Stage 1 Privilege Day
PAWS LUNCH
Reports to go home
Monday 13th December
Presentation Day
Tuesday 14th December
Year 6 Graduation and Farewell
Thursday 16th December
LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS
Contact Information
Please ensure your contact details are updated at the front office so we can to contact you.
STUDENT ABSENCES
If your child is absent from school you will receive an SMS at approximately 10am requesting a reason for their absence. If you could please respond to the SMS the school is then able to update their records using this system. You are not required to contact the school by phone prior to 10am to advise of your childs absence. Thank you for your continued support.
It is hard to imagine that another year is coming to a close. What a year it has been with a substantial portion of it in lockdown or with restrictions.
The P&C contribution to the Blackwell community has been significantly different again as a result this year. We managed to raise $3357.08 at our mother’s days stall earlier this year & thanks to Australian Real Estates sponsorship we have now installed our kiss and drop sign at the front of the school.
We hope to return in a more active capacity in 2022.
A Big thank you to Jo Dawes for helping guide the ship this year, and to all of our P&C members for your time & input over the year.
On behalf of the P&C executives, we hope you and your families have Merry Christmas.
Kind Regards
Mary Geddes
P&C President 2021
WEBSITE
https://blackwell-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/
SZAPP ALERTS
CLICK HERE FOR HOW TO GUIDE:
https://www.schoolzine.com/szapp-installation
https://www.facebook.com/blackwellps/
If you have any problems, please see the front office.
The SZapp APP gives your access to:
Latest newsletter
SCHOOL UNIFORM SHOP OPENING HOURS FOR TERM 1 2022
The school uniform shop will be open on the following days:
Friday 28 Jan 22: 10:00am-2:00pm
Monday 31 Jan 22: 10:00am -2:00pm
Tuesday 1 Feb 22: 8:30am-10:00am
Wednesday 2 Feb 22: 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Thursday 3 Feb 22: 8:30am-9:30am
Friday 4 Feb 22: CLOSED
GRADUATION CEREMONY 14th December
The Year 6 Graduation ceremony will be held Tuesday 14th December from 9.15am in the school hall. Due to Covid restrictions we are only permitting one vaccinated parent per child to the ceremony. On entry QR codes will be available and vaccination certificates will be sighted.
After the ceremony Year 6 will move to the Basketball Courts where photos can be taken and you have the option to sign out your child for remainder of the day.
YEAR 6 FAREWELL 14th December
The Year 6 Farewell will be held from 5.30pm on Tuesday 14th December. On arrival Year 6 will be asked to move directly to the back playground.
Parents will return to pick up their child at 8.30pm. We will be asking parents to wait patiently as we coordinate the leaving from our school hall in an orderly manner.
WEDNESDAY 15th December
Please bring in signing products and/or a school shirt to be signed.
THURSDAY 16th December
Farewell arch for Year 6 students at 2.50pm.
PLEASE NOTE
3 photos of your child from different stages of their life so far needs to be sent to rodney.woolard@det.nsw.edu.au Can I please have these photos as soon as possible. They are for our graduation ceremony.
Rod Woolard
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL