Dear Parents and Carers,

COVID Guidelines

Students and staff are now well and truly entrenched in their new routines. I can visibly see excellent teaching in classrooms and our support staff providing valuable additional teaching to support students. It is just so lovely to see and hear the noise of happy children.

Recently the NSW Department of Education updated some of the guidelines for the remainder of the year. The main message was that schools still needed to maintain a COVID safe environment for staff, students and the community. As each school context is different, so each school needs to make judgement calls based on the guidelines and their individual school contexts. The school has a small number of in school activities planned for the remainder of the year that meet these guidelines. Each event will be assessed thoroughly, as they always are with a risk assessment plan, to ensure that the activity meets the current guidelines surrounding student, staff and community wellbeing. The main messages around health and hygiene remain. These include: -

· socially distancing.

· having only fully vaccinated staff and visitors on-site.

· ensuring rooms are well ventilated.

· wearing masks indoors for staff.

· masks recommended for students.

· keeping students in cohorts as much as possible.

· staggered times throughout the day to assist with keeping cohorts separated.

· hand and respiratory hygiene.

· enhanced cleaning.

· staying home and getting tested if you have flu like symptoms.

Remembrance Day

Lest We forget

Next Thursday, 11 November, our school leaders will lead our school’s Remembrance Day commemoration. The commemoration will be delivered over our school’s internal PA system to all classes. It will be a solemn and respectful service paying respect and pausing for one minute to remember the service and sacrifice of our veterans and current serving personnel.

Yours in Education,

Janine Macky

Principal

We are currently planning our staffing for 2022 and respectfully request that any families (Preschool to Year 5) moving out of the area please inform the office in writing if your child/children will not be at Bidwill Public School in 2022.

Kindergarten will be celebrating 101 days at school on Tuesday, 9th November! We have planned some special activities and a pizza lunch to celebrate Kindy's amazing learning journey.

Due to the current Covid-safe plans to support the health and wellbeing of our students and staff we are unable to have parents and carers on site at this time. However, we will take photos and share our fun on the schools' Facebook page and website.

Students are invited to wear black and white (or spotty!) for our Dalmatian themed event on this day.

Scholastic Book Club Catalogue #7 (Nov 2021) orders - Christmas catalogues were sent home this week and orders will be due into the office or ordered online through Loop by the end of Week 7 (Friday 19th November 2021).

Browse issue #7 here

It all started with Chloe, a student in K 6 D pleasantly surprising her teacher, Mrs Khanna by gifting her a beautiful red rose from her nanny’s garden, on the auspicious occasion of Diwali. Also called Deepawali, this festival is one of the most popular ones celebrated by Indians world over. Chloe’s gesture made Mrs Khanna want to celebrate Bandhi Chorr Diwas/ Diwali at school ? 

The word Deepawali, translates to a ‘row of lights’ in Sanskrit and signifies the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. It is celebrated on the same day as ‘Bandhi Chorr Diwas’ (day of freedom from bondage of the mind).  

The festival of lights includes fireworks, treats, food, gifts, rangoli (coloured sand patterns on the floor), and special clay lamps. This year it falls on Thursday, 4th of November.  

Students in K 6 D wish you a Very Happy Diwali ?  

As compiled by Mrs Khanna 

Teacher Special Education 

It's been a fun and exciting three weeks of learning for all the KL students. The KL students have been busy taking part in different activities including the outdoor kitchen lesson where they learnt how to make fruit-infused water and discussed about insects and vegetables and how to care for the plants in the garden. We celebrated Halloween by reading books and learning about different Halloween characters and sharing what we will dress up as. The students also wrote about their Halloween weekend experience with their family and friends. Next week we will celebrate 101 days of Kindy. My KL friends are all so excited to have pizza for lunch and celebrate their achievement and growth over the past 3 terms of schooling and learning. 

What does it mean to be sun safe?

·     Being sun safe means we understand that the sun can be harmful and a hat is a sensible way of protecting ourselves

·     Being sun safe means we develop the safe habit of wearing a hat at all times when outdoors regardless of how hot it is

·     Being sun safe means we make safe decisions about where to play, how to stay cool and how to make safe, healthy and protective choices.

With Covid restrictions still in place, students are asked to bring a water bottle to school everyday. Students will be able to refill their bottle during the day.

Contact Kimberwalli for assistance. 

The model of care for getting vaccinated at Kimberwalli includes having a yarn with a health practitioner before providing well informed consent to being vaccinated. This means that Kimberwalli, as a WDO sponsor, could take $1000 off your fine! 

You also receive a fresh food hamper, some cultural learning resources and products to help keep you and your family safe, all beautifully packaged in a quality back pack generously donated by our partners – the AECG and Aboriginal Affairs NSW.

Contact Kimberwalli to see if you, your friend or family member is eligible and to find out what other activities Kimberwalli can offer to help you reduce or clear fines while you also looking after your health, your education and career goals.

(02) 9853 3333

Kimberwalli@det.nsw.edu.au