Pigeon Post

Visit our website for more information:

https://balmain-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/kindergarten-2021.html

Check here to see if you are in our catchment area:

https://schoolfinder.education.nsw.gov.au/

• be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
• live in the local enrolment area of this school

Apply online here

If you are not eligible to use the online form, or prefer not to, you can download an application to enrol.

Will your child/ren be leaving us at the end of the school year (apart from current Year 6 students)?

If so, please contact the school via balmainps@gmail.com or balmain-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au with Att: Leaving School end 2020, child/'s full name and class. Please also include the name of the new school for administration purposes.

This information will assist us with planning for next year's classes. 

Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving to our community members from the United States and Canada. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is an annual national holiday for both countries, celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year.

Balmain Public School also has much to be thankful for. Firstly, we have 381 beautifully individual students from K-6, who come to school daily, each bringing with them, their unique personalities and contribute to life at school, through learning and play.

Our students, staff and community have navigated through this unprecedented time and pandemic of 2020, a year that will not easily be forgotten, nor should it be.

Thanks to our students who have shown great courage, resilience, determination and tenacity this year. A special shoutout to our Kindergarten students, who have had to 're-start' school halfway through the year!

Thanks so much to our teachers and staff that have worked tirelessly this year, through both times of remote learning, as well as 'regular' school life, to ensure our students continue to receive a quality education, whilst also ensuring their wellbeing.

Thank you to our parents and carers, who have supported the school wholeheartedly, trusting that your children are safe in our care. You have been absolute pillars for the school, especially during the remote learning period and beyond, with your kind words and gestures to 'keep us all going'...we have been, and still remain, always grateful. Thanks for being so brave at 'Kiss & Drop', as we've had to follow NSW Health and NSW Department of Education guidelines, to ensure our students and staff remain safe.

An amazing group of volunteer parents have continued to ensure that our students have access to uniform items and have navigated their own way around COVID-19 and the restrictions it has brought, including assisting next year's Kindy students in being prepared for their first day of big school! Thank you so so much!!!!!!!

Special thanks must go to our P&C, who so diligently and passionately support our students and school, enabling us to continue delivering a quality education to all.

Thanks so much to our parent representatives, who have assisted in the panel process for 2 new permanent positions starting in 2021!

Huge thanks go to a group of parents, known as the Year 6 Graduation Committee, who have amazingly navigated through this difficult year of ongoing constraints, to organise a graduation for our incredible Year 6 cohort.

More recently, we give thanks to the volunteer group of parents behind last Friday's Virtual Trivia Night, who assisted in raising an incredible $21,200! Thanks also go to the individuals and businesses who donated for the raffle and silent auction, as well as all the people who joined in on the evening of fun and competition! Thank you to all!!!!

A special thank you must go to Victoria, Harry M's Mum, who is the driving force behind our school recently winning a $5,500 grant for new solar panels, as part of the 2020 Community Building Partnership program.

Our 2020 Yearbook parent organiser, Cindy, who is Lina and Leo's Mum, has done an incredible job...I had a sneak peek, as they actually just arrived! What an amazing keepsake for this very special year! Huge thanks to you, Cindy!

This year has indeed been quite an unusual one, but I'd like to acknowledge all the parents and carers who continuously give in kind and support of our students and school, in whatever capacity they can.

No matter how long you have been part of our Balmain family, we sincerely THANK YOU for your contribution and working together for our fabulous students and wonderful school.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Maria Lambos - Principal

We are so grateful to our fabulous community for your ongoing support of our students, staff and school!

We are reaching the time year where many of our students and families like to show a token of their appreciation, by giving teachers and staff an end-of-year ‘thank you’ gift. Please know that this kind gesture is neither necessary, nor expected.

The staff are very appreciative of your generosity, however, as per the Department of Education’s ‘Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Procedures’, the token of appreciation must adhere to the following:

• Value – up to $50 ONLY per student
• NO cash or negotiable instruments such as cash vouchers, ‘pre-paid cash’ and ‘EFTPOS’ cards, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), shares or money orders
• Gift cards are acceptable as a gift of gratitude, as they considered non-cash vouchers that must be used at specific retailers and cannot be converted to cash – a gift card cannot exceed $50 per student
• Alcohol – MUST NOT exceed a value of $50

• If you are coming to the school for collections or information, please use the office window on Eaton Street where we have our friendly Duck, named “Bill”, hanging out the window. Bill can alert us to your presence and help us to help you with your requests.

• If your family details, circumstances have changed, ie:  address, mobile numbers, separations, court orders etc, could you kindly email the school so records can be updated. This will ensure correct people are contacted and all relevant information is passed on correctly.

• Please remember that if you are collecting your child early for an appointment or dropping them off, please ensure you allow extra time for that student to be located and brought down to the office.

• If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please contact the office, or Mrs Lambos, to arrange alternate options.

Go to www.flexischools.com.au to place your order

For any food/menu queries please feel free to contact us directly via email :

info@theschoolcanteen.com.au.

Alternatively, you can call Kirsty on 0416 786 603 and we will be happy to assist.

Kirsty and Jason Feliciotto – The School Canteen

SPECIAL 'CELEBRATION OF LEARNING' eNEWSLETTER to be published

ALL students in Years 1-6 return today.

2021 Kindergarten students - 'Best Start' Assessment sessions commence today, run over 3 days. Bookings required...information to follow.

Our P&C have created a Facebook group for our new families...here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BPS2021/

Order uniform items here

For any size exchanges, please:

1. Email the uniform stall with the details of the exchange, at: balmainpsuniforms@gmail.com

2. Return the items to be exchanged to the school office, clearly marked with Student name, Class and EXCHANGE

3. Replacement items will be packed and re-delivered to your child's classroom

Orders will continue to be packed and delivered for collection each week, until we are able to reopen the stall.

Thank you!

The Balmain PS Instrumental Program is a vibrant and fun program, where every student has an opportunity to learn an instrument in a supportive and collaborative setting. Our experienced music teachers from Directions In Music specialise in teaching primary school instrumental music programs, and we are excited to be welcoming our newest young musicians to join our program in 2021!

Learning a musical instrument is a wonderful skill for young people to have, and provides many rewarding benefits to a child’s development. Most importantly, playing music with our friends is fun!

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the 2021 Balmain PS Music Program, please use the QR code or link below to register online.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerz5PCDHd7v_eIzeqP57I2aQIRNrFOw39BMAH97dscfHmbcA/viewform

Alternatively, please call the Directions in Music team to enrol on 9662 2211.